Gowrigaatha - A love story [Completed](The story of Gowri)

6. Kidnapped

4 years ago

Gowri still did not understand when it became a habit to meet Anand. He will be next to her finishing his building plan assignment in the graphics hall, whenever he saw her he would drag her to the canteen and make her buy tea for him. Whenever he crossed in front of her class, he would talk to her. Gowri for all her naivety hadn't failed to see how his eyes lingered on her smile and how he turned his body to shield her from the other guys in the canteen, she was just waiting to know what was on his mind. This all stopped that day.

Anand was sitting with Niyaz and Harsha on the open side of the corridor in front of some classrooms, from where they could see the main gate. A car stopped next to the gate and a tall dark handsome man got out of it, dressed sharply in a crisp striped cotton shirt and black pants. Then he saw Gowri rushing to meet him and almost jump into his arms and hugged him tightly. It took him almost a minute to recognize Pranav Kalarikkal.

Niyaz, Harshan and Anand immediately got to the gate to eavesdrop.

"I didn't know you were in the capital!" said Gowri to Pranav.

"Yeah, I had some work to do and some people to meet. Here take these", he said handing her a bag of goodies from home. "Amma and cheriyammamar (father's sisters-in-law, younger) made them for you", he said smiling.

They exchanged some pleasantries and then he left while Gowri happily skipped back to class.

That evening Gowri was doing her graphics assignment when Anand came to the room. They were all alone in the entire building.

"How do you know Pranav Kalarikkal?" he asked her.

"You know him? He is my brother", she said to him, surprised.

"He doesn't have any sisters", he replied seriously.

"I am his only sister from his father's side", she said, confused at his expression.

"So you are Sudhakaran uncle's daughter?" asked Anand.

"Yes", she muttered in surprise.

Of all the families in this world, she had to be from that! Thought Anand. He invaded her personal space and towered over her, making her scared.

"Do you know my full name?" he asked her.

She shook her head.

"Anand Murali Paarakkal" he said.

The family name sent shivers down her spine. Though she never lived in the village, she knew who they were, the sworn enemy of her family.

She retreated from him in fear, but he pulled up close to her and asked deliberately, "We were meeting in this building for the past four week, all alone. You were not afraid of me then, why now?"

"I am.....I am....." she said faintly.

"Did you outbid me in contracts, or break the embankments to flood my crops, start competing with me in lumber business or spice?" he asked her.

"No" she said.

"Then why will I have any ill-will towards you? Why are you afraid of me now?" he asked desperately.

"Because now you know my family" she said.

"If I didn't care for your family name before, I don't care for it now. I like you and I know that you like me, does my last name or yours matter anymore?" he asked her and he stood back.

She shook her head and said, "No, it never mattered".

Anand smiled at her.

"But I have to say, no one in my family broke any embankments to flood crops" she said.