The Man She Loved

Chapter Twenty

"Okay, but how did you fall" and like this the question followed and in the process of answering all of them Agastya was now telling his twentieth lie to his mother who being a mother hen was asking and asking more.

"Is it paining? You able to eat?" Aaradhna asked, mischief danced in Agastya's eyes he look at the woman beside him, tore a morsel and winched in pain looking at his hand before shaking his head.

"Let me feed y..." Aaradhna paused in mid way and looked at Pranitha, a sudden idea coming into her head "but I am so far, It's better If Pranitha's feeds you" She added and look at Pranitha who was now looking at their exchange with wide eyes trying to figure how she is part of this exchange, now looking at both mother and son both of them were looking at her with sad begging eyes.

"But Maa, I am eating" she tried to come up with an excuse.

"You can feed me after you are done with eating" Agastya said quickly with a smile.

"Sorted then" Aradhna clapped her hand and focussed on her untouched plate, Pranitha thought of something to deny this but when nothing came into her head she sighed and dug on her own plate, she felt his burning gaze on side of her face and tried to ignore looking at him.

"Eat" she forwarded the morsel towards him after she was done finishing her own dinner, Aaradhna smiled looking at them and silently continued eating hers, Agastya opened his mouth and when she fed him the bite he playfully bite his finger as well receiving a glare.

"Do it again and you will eat on your own" she threatened angrily rubbing the spot he has bitten.

"Agastya, don't behave like a kid" Aradhna playfully scolded her son, meanwhile Pranitha forwarded another morsel towards him and this time he ate without any mischief, after she fed him half of his dinner Agastya felt side of his face it itching, he raised his hand and rubbed the part which was itching, Pranitha's and Aradhna's both of their eye's widened, Aradhna tried to stifle her laugh seeing how annoyed and angry Pranitha looked at the moment and how innocent and clueless her son looked.

"You" Pranitha gritted her teeth and glared him, he raised his brows and kept rubbing side of his face, he saw her eyes on side of his face and then only realised his mistake and passed her a sheepish smile.

"I thought it was my right hand which is injured, it seems like it was left" he said easily like he didn't just fool her to feed him but it wasn't his fault alone no one in table has paid attention to it untill now.

"You thought...." She nodded her head and placed the morsel back to the plate and pushed the plate towards him "Dog" she murmured to herself and left the dinning area and only then Aradhna laughed looking at her son who looked down to plate guiltily.

"Agastya" She shook her head laughing at her guilty son who was also trying to hide his embarassed smile by looking down.

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"How long are you going to ignore me?" Pranitha lost the count of times he has asked this from the moment they have returned back inside the four wall of room "I know it's not easy to forgive and forget everything Pranitha but can we not atleast try to start new just as a friend" he added something new this time, Pranitha turned towards him facing him, a sad smile danced on her lips as she look at him, his desperation to talk and have her attention was clear in his eyes.

"And what difference that will make Agastya?"Pranitha was tired of ignoring him, little bit in her heart she also looked for a mutual path where they both can walk with respectable distance in between.

"It will be easy Pari, It will be easy for us to be parent of Ritosh" Agastya wasn't expecting her to respond but when she did it lightened him up with hopes, making him more determined to make her his friend once again.

"Parent of the baby which is Yours and My sister's?" Pranitha herself felt bad knowing for being this bitter but the desperation to hurt him with words to make him suffer like how she once did was over all, it was over every rationality she has.

"Pari..." Agastya didn't know what to say, Ritosh wasn't exactly a planned child but nevertheless he is his child whom he loved so dearly "... It's not you, you aren't this bitter, Ritosh is my son" obviously it was his son only, even though he and Prachi has decided to keep everything behind and move forward with their relation after Pranitha's marriage but his anger his jealousy has gotten best of his head resulting Ritosh whom he not regret a bit "Your sister has abandoned him"

"In same way she has abandoned you as well Agastya and now you are trying to seek the refugee in me, You also wasn't like what you have turned five years ago, everyone changes Agastya and I did too"

"It's not important that whether I am seeking refuge in you or not Pari, what is important is whether you are okay to take me in even it means as a friend" his eyes filled with hope stared at her face, he purposely avoided making a comment on how it wasn't Prachi who has abandoned him it was him who has abandoned her physically and emotionally, punishing her for her deeds.

"I am not sure" with this Pranitha gave him her back and look at the sleeping baby in crib, her head wander in all possibilities but the thought which bothered her most was whereabouts of her sister.

_________________TO BE CONTINUED....