Nithya went to her home after talking to Raghav. She still couldn't believe that she met her favourite author and the fact that he is her neighbour too.
Nithya's mom and dad were relaxing for a while, after setting up the house. Nithya also joined them.
"What took you so long da?" Subash asked her in concern.
"Last month, I told you na my friend's mom was sick and I was helping him to find a cardiologist?"
Subash nodded his head, while Tharani listened to her silently.
"I met that friend today." Nithya told.
"Here?" Tharani asked her in shock.
"Yes amma.. don't get shocked for this itself. There is something more than this."
"What's that?" Subash asked her curiously.
"My friend's mom is none other than perima's best friend Sharadha aunty. She was the one who was sick and her son Raghav is my friend." Nithya told them.
"I remember di.. akka was telling me that her friend was sick and underwent an operation. How is she now?" Tharani asked her in concern.
"She is fine amma. Getting better." Nithya smiled.
"Did you know earlier that she is your perima's friend?" Subash asked her in confusion.
"How could I know pa? Even when Sindhu had mentioned about her I had no idea that she would be Raghav's mother. But only after knowing their names, I came to know that they're same." Nithya explained.
"Nithya..." Tharani called her name softly.
"Yes ma?" She looked up to her.
"I'm sorry da." Tharani apologized softly.
"Why ma? What did you do? Don't tell me that you broke my favourite glass doll."
"Haha nothing like that."
"Then why are you asking sorry suddenly?"
"That day, I scolded you for no reason ma... I was not able to think like a normal human, while the mother inside me overpowered. I should have atleast stayed quiet and let you help your friend. And please don't think that I'm apologizing to you, because she is our neighbour. I had wanted to talk about this to you for a long time but today only I got the opportunity." Tharani expressed her guilt.
"Maa.. don't be sorry.. even I should not have shouted at you that day. I was tensed and I did not know how to react. Sorry" Nithya said and hugged her mother.
Subhash cleared his throat gaining their attention.
"If anyone wants to witness an emotional scene, they can watch it lively here." Subhash teased them.
"Paa, why are you doing like this?" Nithya complained.
"His hobby is to tease us Nithya! He has no other better things to do." Tharani glared at her husband.
"I have lots of other works too." Subash argued.
"Then go and do that!" Tharani told shrugging her shoulders.
Nithya helped her parents in cleaning and setting up the house.
The next morning, Nithya got ready and texted Raghav as they both had planned to go together.
Raghav informed that he was also ready and asked her to come to the parking area.
"Good morning Nithya!" Raghav greeted her.
"Good morning techie." She grinned at him.
"Hahaha! Feels wierd to hear someone call me as techie ." he told her smiling.
"Is it so?"
"Yeah! Let's start?"
"Yes yes." Nithya replied and they both got into the car.
Raghav was driving consciously and Nithya was looking around through the window.
"We're going to Sindhu's place first right?" Nithya asked him.
"Yeah, we'll pick her from there and then to beauty salon." Raghav told her.
"Oh okay Raghav."
"I guess she informed you about the further plans."
"Yeah about the shopping right?" Nithya asked.
"Yes. I don't know why she has planned everything in the same day. Unnecessary stress." Raghav told her disappointed.
"Even I was telling her the same. But it was perima's decision to go for shopping today."
"Oh okay."
They both reached Sindhu's house and she joined with them. Raghav had a tough time in waiting at the beauty salon for 2 hours straight as the girls were busy in finalizing the bridal makeover.
Once they completed it, he was getting ready to face the next challenge!
WEDDING SHOPPING
They three went inside the shop where their mom's were already waiting for them. Nithya was surprised to see Raghav's mother sitting with her mother and aunt.
Raghav greeted Nithya's mother with a smile, as he is meeting her for the first time.
"Where is appa ma?" Nithya asked her mother.
"Your appa and peripa have gone to meet the caterer da." Tharani replied to her.
"Oh okay amma. For whom we're are shopping now?"
"For Sindhu only da." Sharadha replied.
Soon the ladies started concentrating on the saree selection, while Raghav was feeling extremely bored. He got a call and moved away from them.
It was almost fifteen minutes, since Raghav went away. Now Nithya was also feeling bored as they were making changes in each and every selection they made. She quietly walked away and found Raghav sitting on the couch and doing something with his mobile. She walked towards him.
"Selection over?" Raghav asked Nithya.
"Not yet. They haven't even selected one saree so far." Nithya replied.
"Haha I know about them. Usually amma and aunty will do like this, now your mom has also joined the crew!" Raghav chuckled.
"Now it makes sense to me, why you came here." Nithya told him thoughtfully.
"Yeah yeah! What are you going to do now?"
"No idea."
"Completed your shopping?"
"I had planned to start mine only after Sindhu's. But by the way they're spending time to select her sarees, I guess I'll have to do shopping just before the day of wedding."
"Now you are free right? Then why don't you do complete your purchase?"
"Correct right!! Come come let's go and select a saree for me!" Nithya told him excitedly.
"What me???" Raghav asked her in shock.
"Yes why?"
"Why should I come?"
"You were the one who gave me the idea na. .. then you should only come to help me" she told him.
Raghav gave a look to her for which she pouted cutely. Having no other option, Raghav went along with her to the saree section. Nithya short listed few sarees and showed it to him.
"Select one from this Raghav!"
"You select the one which you like,you are the one who is gonna wear it na".
"I am confused, that's why I'm asking you!" She told him furiously.
"Okay okay.. take that blue one." He replied.
"It will look good on me right?" She asked him in doubt.
Raghav just rolled his eyes. Nithya finalised the same saree, which Raghav had selected.
They both came back to the couch and found the other ladies still arguing on the sarees.
Nithya took out her mobile and started playing ludo.
"What are you doing?" Raghav asked her curiously as he heard her cursing someone under her breath.
"Ludo" she replied as she played her game.
Seeing her confused on deciding which coin to be moved, Raghav volunteered to help her. "Do you want me to help you?"
"Yes please..." Nithya replied.
He started telling her which coin to move, and she did as he directed.
"Don't move that Nithya, he is following you." Raghav warned her.
"I'll go to the safe zone Raghav don't worry." She replied adamantly.
But the other player had hit her coin, and she had to start from the beginning..
"I told you naa". He glared at her.
"I won't repeat it."
They were playing the game, while Sindhu came and sat next to Raghav.
"Hey!" Raghav smiled at her.
"What are you both doing?" Sindhu asked him.
"She is playing ludo and I'm helping her. You completed shopping?" Raghav asked back.
"Yeah my sarees are done, they are still selecting sarees for others." Sindhu replied.
"Hmm."
Raghav looked at Nithya's mobile and found that she was going to make a wrong move again.
"Don't move that, move this one." He pointed the coin.
Sindhu was observing them since morning and she couldn't stop herself from asking this. "It feels strange Raghav!"
"What?"
"You guys had met yesterday only, but you are behaving like you had already known eachother." Sindhu told him.
"Because we already know eachother." Nithya replied as she played on her mobile. Just then she realised what she said and looked at Sindhu who was looking at them in shock.
Raghav explained everything to her, yet she was angry on them as they didn't tell her the previous day itself..
To be continued.