The Normal Family

Akhila and Srihari

Akhila's POV

When Srihari came home today I realized he was hiding something from me. He was wearing a winter hat when it was extremely sunny outside. I told him to go have some water or something since he looked tensed. When he came near the fridge I pulled off his hat. I saw a scar on his forehead, now I understood why he was wearing that. How could he get hurt like this? I don't think he got hurt playing football, someone has done this to him. I was sure to find him and toss him in jail.

"How did you get hurt like this." I demanded. "It is not a big thing. Relax. I can barely feel it, it is just a scar." he replied. "Just a scar, what do you mean just a scar, Just tell me who did this, I will make sure they regret it." I asked, he couldn't understand how worried I was. He was not telling anything, so I went to my second option. I asked Gopal and Sriram to go and find who did that. I wanted to send my assistant Mahesh but Srihari kept saying it was a small thing, that is why I sent these guys instead. I was sure it would be someone in the juniors team as nobody could have entered the field during practice.

Sriram's POV

Gopal and I were sent to find the guy who had hurt Srihari ( according his mother) and give him a warning. Gopal told me he knew who the guy was after we got to school. That guy looked pathetic. He looked like he had been left in a tiger's cage for a day. He had a bruised eye and a red face. "Are we supposed to warn that guy or apologize to him." We knew Srihari was not a timid guy, but we were honestly shocked to see that he had beaten up a boy this badly, the scar on his face must have been an act of self defense. 

We decided not to approach him at all but I clicked a photo of him otherwise Akhila would never believe us. When we showed her the photo she was unhinged, and all she said was "This guy should not have hurt my son, he looks as though he always gets into fights, it is his fault only. He is lucky I didn't send my assistant to warn him." We knew it was not a good idea to argue right now.

Srihari's POV

Abhinay came to my place to play video game his parents refused to buy him due to violent content and gore, plus he failed in six subjects (there are only five academic subjects but he failed in art as well). It was 1 pm, so my mom asked us to have lunch before we continued playing. We sat in the dining table and started eating the fried rice. 

Abhinay suddenly started complaining. "This food tastes horrible right...." he started. "No it does not, it does taste good." I said, as I knew my mom had made it, besides it was quite good, even though it had a little less spice. "No, taste it again, can you taste any spice in it, it is because there is nothing in it, it is plain rice that has been fried." Abhinay didn't know what fried rice was and he is insulting my mother's fried rice. 

My mother heard his comments and told him "What is wrong with my food, do you want to teach me cooking?" "Oh aunty it was you who made the food, it tastes good only." he said. "Very funny. Now after learning I cooked you think it is good." my mom said. "Very well, it does taste bad." Abhinay stated. Abhinay is such an idiot I got irritated and told him "If you do not like my mother's food, you need not eat it, go eat outside and stop troubling us with your presence." pointing towards the door. He left without giving a reply.

My mom asked me why I kicked him out, saying we could instead have stopped with instructing him to shut up. "No, he did not have the right to sit in my house and insult my mother's cooking. If anybody talks ill of you or says something that hurts you, I will throw them out like this. Not out of the house but out of my life." My mom looked really happy as I said this. It may have sounded like I said that in the spur of moment but I really meant it. She looked emotional, so to lighten up the mood, I put the food from Abhinay's plate into Gopi's bowl. I knew he could appreciate good cooking.

I went to school on Monday, Abhinay started talking to me as if nothing happened over the weekend, if he itself forgot I think I should be forgetting as well.