Mirchi One shots- A series

Missing the Beloved

Everyone were waiting outside as a car halted in front of that village style house. Adi got down from the passenger side and opened the door behind. Latha got down and looked at the house where she stayed only for a few days all those years back.

Lakshmi came running and hugged Latha.

"How are you Vathina?"

"I am fine Lakshmi. How are you?"

She asked and the sisters in law exchanged verbal and non verbal pleasantries.

Then she moved inside and near the threshold, on either side of a pillar stood Jai and Vennela. Vennela seeing Latha coming to them, moved to the other side and stood beside Jai. Latha smiled seeing Vennela's happiest smile and Jai's satisfactory smile. Latha too smiled and touched Jai's cheek and moved inside.

Latha felt nostalgic seeing the house to be the same. She met everyone and felt happy to reunite with the golden family she missed all these years.

But her eyes searched only for another pair of eyes that kept watching with unshed tears when she left this place with a then toddler Jai almost two decades ago. That moment she felt someone's hand on shoulder and turned to see Vennela. Latha immediately tried to wipe away her tears when Vennela held her hand and walked her to Deva's room.

Vennela silently signalled Latha to go in to the room where Deva stood by the bed looking at the picture of his and Latha's framed photograph that was hanging on the opposite wall. Both the pair of eyes showed all the years they missed together.

Latha took a deep breath and moved in while smiling Vennela moved away and encountered Jai who gave her a questioning look.

"They have met after a long time. So, privacy."

"My question was not for that."

"Then?"

"When did you become so sensible?"

He asked casually and waited expecting a smack behind his head from his fierce Maradalu. But all he got was a blank look from her as she moved past him.

He was about to follow him when Chinna came and stood in front of Jai with hands on hips.

"Enti ra?"

"Do you know our Vennela?"

Jai was taken aback by the question.

"Chinna?"

"Nana used to call her tingarabuchi. She was colorful and very naughty it seems. But you know what happened to her for the past few days, until you came that day?"

Jai looked at him with confusion.

"She has been doing all her works as usual. But she stopped playing with me. She always used to be a part in my mischief but nowadays she wakes up, cooks packs my box and then goes to the rocks on the village border. She smiles only with pedanana. She is like this only since she came back from Hyderabad."

Jai just nodded his head and raised up to see Naagulu. Both of them convinced Chinna and sent him away to make homework and went to the terrace.

"Naagulu Chinna cheppindi..?"

"Nijame brother'u. Since she returned from Hyderabad, she has not been herself. Usually when she gets a proposal, she does anything and everything to break it. You know it better. But with this person, Pedanana had requested her against it and she had to accept. But then when you came that day, she smiled for real. But then she is back to that dull mood. Ento brother'u, ee ammayi naaku artham kaadu. She is difficult to understand."