Hello dear readers, Happy New Year and Happy Reading!
In middle of his sleep, he felt like someone was waking him up.
He opened one of his eyes to see who it was and his eyes were wide open and he got the shock of his life.
Ekantha was sitting there in front of him and looking at him.
"What are you doing here at this time Ammu? How did you even come here? Do you know what the time is?Do you understand how unsafe it can be?",he asked panicked.
She didn't answer, and for a second he thought she was his imagination. He pinched himself and felt the pain, which confirmed it was reality.
"You are really here for real? Oh my god, hold me I might faint",he said acting dramatic to which she just put her index finger on his lips signalling him to be silent.
His world stopped and he was just a step away from screaming his lungs out. First of all she was here in his home at odd hours of night without any intimation and now she, Ekantha was asking him to be silent by putting a finger on his lips. He was genuinely getting scared thinking if she might be possessed.
"Abhi, why do you look like this?",she whispered.
"Look like what? I am shocked to see you here, first I thought it was just my imagination but you ended up here and you- Forget it. Are you okay? What happened? Why are you here?",he asked.
"I just wanted to talk, I couldn't sleep with so many things going on in my mind",she said.
"Okay, you could have called then?",he asked.
"I could have, but I am not a call person Abhi! I can only talk properly when you are here right in front of me",she said looking side ways while he continued to look at her.
"Okay, but still you should have called,Ammu. We could have met outside, not that I don't want you in here. It's just that society is like a big boss house, every nook and corner there is a human camera watching and judging you. Though I care less about it. I don't want you to go through their judgemental talks and gossips. That's all",he said in one go.
"But the matter I came here for, is about that only Abhi! What was your opinion regarding the engagement?",she came straight up to the point. She was tired of keeping it to herself and taking the pain all by herself.
"Ammu, come here!",he held her hand and put his hand in hers holding it assuringly.
"What do you think? I will definitely say about what I have in my mind, but for a change let me know what you have in your mind first, is that okay with you?",he asked and she nodded.
"I am having neutral thoughts, Abhi. I did think about the society too, like how it will affect us. But it feels too soon to me. I am not saying no to engagement here, I am not denying the fact that I love you. I love you, and there's no looking back regarding that. I just feel so overwhelmed, maybe if they would have asked once before taking the decision I would have thought regarding it",she said.
"We still have five days left, nobody is invited yet so we can still cancel it. You don't want it now, right?",he asked.
"What would people think, Abhi? That I am a girl who roams around with any guy without getting married or engaged",she expressed her concerns.
"The point is, whether that would be what you think of yourself as well, Ammu! Would you think the same if you see some other girl on some random road doing the same thing?",he asked and this made her think regarding it.
How would she react if she saw a guy and a girl together holding hands, walking together and the guy picking her up every evening even though they're not engaged or married. Having never thought about it, she was confused if she would react the same way the society does or just think they needed some courtship time before they got into a serious relationship.
"I don't know, Abhi! But I never thought about something like that. I was always lost in my world thinking about things that would happen to me. I never really had time to care about things or people around me but now I would definitely consider things like this if I notice and react accordingly",she said to which he gave her a small smile.
They had some moments of silence, before she asked.
"What about your opinion? You didn't say about it?",she asked.
"I was waiting for you to ask about it and voila you did. Before I say anything I would like to tell that, you no way are thinking something wrong and there is nothing wrong in taking time. I felt that we could get engaged and I am being quite honest with you, because this is not a topic where I can mask my words and emotions and feelings.
I did talk to my parents regarding this, I told them we could get engaged for their happiness and for us to have some ample amount of time for courtship and then take time for the wedding, since both of us are still in the starting stage of our careers. We could take some time settle down once we are stable. But I also thought, there is no such time where everything will be stable. Maybe the problems I have now may not be there in future but maybe more complex problems would come but this companionship is for a lifetime and we would have to take a step into it when both of us are ready. Some or the other things will always be there, Ammu! Only thing is how are we dealing and reacting to it",he said and all the time she was carefully listening whatever he was saying.
It did make sense to her and she felt like even if she risked she did a right thing by being here except for one regret. He looked completely tired and worn out. Waking him up and talking now was a thing that she was guilty about.
"Should I talk about it to amma to postpone the engagement?",he asked.
"This weekend is really soon, Abhi. Can we keep it a bit late? This month end or something? By then you will be done with your workshop as well and we can be a bit free also and plan it",she said.
"I'll talk to her, okay? Don't worry!",he said and pressed their hands together.
"Abhii..",she called him.
"Hmm?"
"I am sorry, I think you just slept and I came here to have a serious conversation and yet you were awake here to put some sense into my head. I don't know what I would do without you, why would you be so sweet, kanna?",she asked.
"You are a great person, Ammu! Just some clouds surfacing the moon won't stop it from radiating it's brightness and just some insecurities won't stop you from proving your talent",he said.
"Thank you, Abhi! For always trusting me and having faith in me and for always being supportive in whatever decision that I took. You, are just that kind of person that I wish I could have met before in life",she said with a smile on her face and hugged him tight wrapping her arms around his torso.
"Ammu, are you sure you are not possessed?",he asked and she broke the hug and looked at him.
"Why did you ask?",she asked with a confused expression on her face.
"This sudden hug, and all. It feels so surreal, literally butterflies in my stomach",he said as both of them laughed looking at each other.
"You know, what I love the most in you?",he asked and she raised her eye brows asking him what it is.
"Your genuine smile and laugh, Ammu! It feels like a dopamine rush to my brain",he said and she blushed partially covering her face with her hand.
Hearing their talks, Tara came into the scene.
"Wuv, wuv, wuv",she came wiggling her tail and tried to jump onto Ekantha. Noticing her efforts, Ekantha took Tara into her arms as Tara licked her palm making Ekantha giggle.
"One more person who can bring that smile on your face is this cute creature which I love",Abhi said as he took Tara into his arms.
Tara being Tara again went back to Ekantha and settled down in her lap.
"Attention stealer",he said making Ekantha chuckle while Tara barked at him.
"Hey, I know you love me! But please keep it low, if that tarantula or amma wakes up. We are dead",he said and as though she understood it she kept mum snuggling into Ekantha.
"You don't take tension regarding anything and concentrate on learning things and investing time in learning skills that are necessary for you and any help that you need, feel free to ask. You said you met Arya, right? What did he say?",he asked.
Ekantha explained him everything that Arya said and told him about her plans.
"I'll be in Emma's shop and learn the skills, Abhi and then slowly I'll try to put my skills into action somewhere else also so that I can test my creativity and experiment about things",she said.
"If you need any help with the dealers and all you ask me or even Poorna you can ask your queries she will answer for you. She is into decor in our team, you need not work for us. Just try doing an event with us just for exposure maybe? Because everyone has different styles and it's important for you to build your portfolio to get hold of the customers that you are looking forward for",he said.
She couldn't really understand what he was talking about, but some bits and parts of it was understandable.
"That would be really nice. Thank you, Abhi! I'll tell you about my decision soon and I think I should leave now",she said.
"Looking forward to work with you Miss, how will you go now? I'll drop you, wait let me get changed",he said.
"Wait, don't! I got Vennela's scooty. I can manage. You need to sleep now, I'll text you when I reach home, okay? I'll be able to take care of myself",she said.
"Are you sure?",he asked to which she nodded.
"Don't worry, I'll be alright. It's not good to drive also in the state that you are in. Don't make me feel more guilty for troubling you at this hour of night",she said.
"Keep your GPS on, share me your live location. That'll keep me in peace that you are going to be safe. Anywhere you feel unsafe, just give me a call. Yeah?",he said.
"Okay, okay! There won't be traffic hopefully since it's early hours so I'll reach early, you also sleep and tomorrow take an off and complete your sleep properly. I'll come with amma in the afternoon, not in the morning",she said and handed Tara to him.
"Bye Tara baby, I love you so much! I'll visit you soon again. I miss you",she said and kissed Tara!
They helped Ekantha reach till the parking lot.
"Bye Abhi, Bye Tara",she said and both of them waved at her.
"Bye, drive safe and take care",he said and she drove Vennela's scooty off from his apartment.
Tara and Abhi went back to the apartment and just to keep himself up, he started to watch some random videos. While tracking her along side. Tara layed down on his bed as well trying to fall asleep.
After around fifteen minutes, he checked the live location which showed she reached her apartment safely. At that instant itself he got a call from her.
"Hello to you too, I know you reached. Now good night to me and good morning to the world",he said as soon as he answered the call.
"Good night Abhi, I reached home safe and you should go back to sleep now! Good night and sleep tight! See you in the afternoon tomorrow",she said.
"See you, love you, bye bye",he said and disconnected the call. Placing his laptop and phone on the side table he fell into the bed like a star fish closing his eyes drowning into deep sleep.
On the other hand, Ekantha reached home with some clarification. She left to his home with so many doubts and just a talk with him was enough to clear out all her doubts and confusions.
She went into the home and laid down on the couch lost in thoughts thinking about all the things they discussed...
To be continued!
Hello dear readers,
Happy New Year 🤗🤗💖💖 2024! Let's welcome 2024 as a part of our life and cherish it.
How are you all doing? I hope you guys are doing well and good ❤😌
I am doing good, I am back with an update a bit soon I think. Something that will happen in coming days too, fingers crossed 🤞
How was the update? Did you all like it?
What was the favourite part in today's update?
Thank you so much for reading and please don't forget to vote and comment down your views, they mean the world to me and motivate me to write more.
You guys have been a constant support throughout my 2023 writing journey, couldn't more thankful to all my readers out there! Without you, Sakshi wouldn't have come this far! Thank you guys!
Now that's my cue to run away and sleep before my mother comes back of me with her spatula 😅😅
See you all soon 💖💜
Take care of yourselves and live life to fullest!
Till next time, bye!
- Sakshi Devi