ENCHANTED- BY LOVE (completed)

89

"Which is?" I asked.

"Tell her, Yashoda," my father prompted.

"He said if you wish to follow the Queen's footsteps, do it in everything," Amma continued nervously. "He wants me to..." she paused and whispered in a low voice, "call me by his name."

"Hayee, how sweet," I commented melting at the adorableness of my parents.

"No chinni, not sweet," amma immediately oppossed, "I appreciate that your generation is bringing the change, but I still belong to the old generation. I can never address my husband with his name."

"Why not amma?" I asked smiling, "Call him Randheera Garu."

"No!" Amma instictively said as she looked down in embarrassment, "I could never call him that!"

"Yes," my father said purposefully louder so that the nearby soldiers can hear as well, "She calls me Abey Randheera!"

"I..." amma almost fell short of words, "Chinni I never..."

"Who dared to address you with such disrespect sir?" the nearby soldiers asked offended and surprised.

"Your jaganmatha," Bapu said pointing towards amma with his eyes.

"Hawww" the soldiers immediately understood the assignment and gasped in surprise playing along.

Amma looked at Bapu for help.

"Say something, andi," she said innocently looking at him.

"I already told you, andi," my father replied playfully, "I have a name and I only respond to that."

"Believe me, kids! I really did not disrespect your general," Amma told the soldiers innocently immediately melting their hearts.

The soldiers looked at my father who shook his head almost warning them to not take her side.

"So...." my father said carefully, "Is Yashoda garu accusing the honoured general of being a liar?"

"Hawww," the soldiers gasped again and amma looked at them offended, now understanding that everyone is teaming against her.

"You are all playing with me, little monkeys," she said, her voice full of love, even though she is angry. "Let my son come back. I will complain to him about you," she gave the cutest warning and walked away.

Veer who was coming in the opposite direction tried to ask her what happened but she simply shook her head, patted him on the cheek and walked away.

"What did you do to my amma, Nainu?" Veer asked me angrily.

"Nainu?" my father who was there interrupted suspciosuly and all the soldiers started panicking.

"Oh that's not her name?" Veer instinctively came up with an excuse, "I am sorry sir. As you know, the Queen's cabinet and General's army don't usually interact much. I got confused."

"What's your name, miss?" he asked again to emphasize his point.

"Naina, officer," I replied playing along.

"You remembered Sruthi's name?" my father stated.

"That's because sir, she was sent to the general's army to work," Veer came up with an explanation for that as well.

Bapu smiled.

"You are a very intelligent kid, son," he stated patting on Veer's head, "not intelligent enough to fool the honoured general."

Veer fell silent.

"I know about you and Nainu," my father added, "Nanda told me and while I don't have a problem with the marriage, I do have a problem with you both openely acting like wife and husband before marriage."