Laya went inside the room and checked around. She saw that her Peddananna was waiting for her. His table was oddly full. She noticed there were few land documents, jewelry, and few boxes there. She wondered why they were still lying there instead of being in the locker. She took them into her hands and unlocked his peddananna's locker and kept them inside before sitting in front of him.
"Laya Beta…" he called out.
"Peddananna?" she responded.
"You are a filial child. By the way… why did you lock them there?" he asked her, even though he knew what her thoughts were, he just wanted to listen.
"Peda nanna! You still ask me?! How many times did I say you to lock the documents properly and store your things properly? Hmm? I warned you not to leave the things like this?" Laya fumed at him making him smile at her.
[She is lovely just like before.] he thought to himself.
[But you are not. You are ruining her life.] his subconscious mind replied.
[But… this is for her good. I don't want her to suffer.] he replied to his subconscious mind.
[Don't convince yourself!] his subconscious self snapped at him.
"Dad…" Laya called him.
Raghu snapped back to reality when he heard her voice.
"Beta… get the things you kept in the locker just now," he asked making her knit her brows.
"Dad…" she trailed at him like a whiny cat.
"Do it," he said to her in a softer tone.
Laya took out the things he asked her to do it.
"Do you know Arjun's friend Krishna?" Raghu's Dad asked.
"Yeah… when I was in Chennai I saw him attending Arjun Anna's (Arjun Brother) daughter, Anjali's birthday. But I don't have much impression on him." Laya said as she tried to remember the person whom her father was mentioning to her.
"What about him?" Laya asked asking him to get to the point. She felt something uncomfortable in her chest. She had a gut feeling that whatever she was going to listen to, she wouldn't like it.
[I did this for her. This is for her good. She has no right to question me! That's right!] he thought to himself and took a deep breath.
"Krishna's elder brother is your brother's business partner. They both are planning to start a branch in Chennai. All our businesses in this city were handled by us. So… taking Rahul, Krishna's brother's advice, your brother wanted to start all over there. They became close and became best friends," he said. Laya could feel there was something that was going to happen. She felt she shouldn't listen from now on. Laya felt that… her father was planning something for her.
"So dad? How does this concern me?" Laya asked as she looked at him inquisitively.
"He is not as old as your brother. He is only twenty-seven years old. Rahul saw you in your brother's marriage. After that, whenever there are functions in your brother's house, Rahul used to attend them. He saw you there few times." Raghu continued.
Laya could guess where this was going. She doesn't want to listen.
"Dad, I am sleepy. I will take my leave," Laya tried to flee away.
"Laya! Stop!" he said loudly and sternly making a shiver pass through her spine.
She stood frozen in her position. "Sit," he said to her making her do the things mechanically.
"Rahul is a good guy. You will like him. We arranged a marriage for you with him in a week. Tomorrow is your engagement with him!" Raghu said.
"Dad… I didn't get a job," she said looking at him with her teary eyes, breaking her heart into pieces.
In fact, in their family, she was the smartest one. He wished she could soar higher, but Rahul was a good guy. But what he didn't know was… if Rahul gets to know they forced Laya was forced into the marriage… he breaks a hell out of this world.
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Raghuram Pasupuleti was surely a good father. He always strives for his family and his children's fortune. Even though Laya is his second brother's daughter…. He loved her like his own. She studied well, made him proud, and always has an idea of standing on her own feet. If it were his daughter's or his son's they would have asked the details of the property he has to give. But she kept silent for the past fifteen years not asking for a single penny.She only takes the monthly allowance, if needed more she would call him and ask for the money she needed. But again she never omits why she needs the money. She always asks only if she needs for project work or needs to go out shopping with her friends or to pay fees. He wondered why she wasn't his biological daughter many times, but that doesn't make him feel she was someone else's daughter.From the past few days, he could sense the change of behavior in his youngest brother. He knew him very well, he neither can hurt him nor laya. So…
Ch-6Raghuram was shocked. Shocked was an understatement. He was stunned. He never expected Laya would say something like this. He looked at her in shock.Slowly, understanding entered his eyes. "I never spent a single penny on you. Everything… I gave you and you enjoyed it all from your father's shares only. And I took some money from his account when I needed it. I guess everything got tallied to it. No need to give these to me. You don't owe me anything. Go now and rest," he said to her.Laya wanted to say something but she felt her eyes welled with tears, she knew she couldn't hold them anymore. She clutched her documents tightly and walked out.Sharada was waiting for Laya outside the study. But Laya was in a hurry to leave the room and didn't see Sharada waiting for her. She went directly to her room and closed the door with a bang.She turned off the lights and laid on the bed, burying her face in the pillow. Tears streamed out of her eyes like a waterfall, under the pale moonl
Raghuram knew he cannot live without saying a single thing to his wife."Hubby… you can still stop this, you know this right?" Sharada said to Raghuram."Wifey… you know I won't stop this, right?" he said to her."I just hope you won't regret this," Sharada said her last piece of thing and closed her eyes.Raghuram wanted to hug Sharada in his sleep but she didn't let him touch her. Sharada knew very well that Raghuram cannot sleep without hugging her. In the past, they used to make love almost every day. Even though he was rude many times, she kept her self-respect aside and gave importance to him. Slowly… he fell for her. There was a woman in his life… but he never said anything about her to Sharada. She never asked him, as it turned into his once upon a time story.They grew closer and their relationship turned pure. But no matter what and how much she tried even after these many years… she felt she didn't know him. And that pure little girl's life became a deal to him. She just ho
"What happened?" Rahul asked, clenching his fists.His handsome face filled with worry, concern, and anger. And of course, it would. If not…, how could he take it? His soon-to-be wife was lying lifeless on the bed, keeping the engagement ceremony in an hour. An IV drip was attached to her left wrist, her face paled with exhaustion. He remembered her smiling and chirpy behavior. He couldn't bear to look at her like this.His opal eyes filled with concern; his lips tugged downwards in happiness… when the realization hit him. Her family wasn't taking good care of her, anger aroused in his veins as he felt anger at their lack of caring towards her, making him clench his hands into a tight ball. His eyes were turning sharper and dangerous as seconds passed, his tall nose flaring red with anger as he gazed at her limp body. And one could see everything that he felt was all due to the love and concern he has towards her."This little girl… is going on interviews after interviews without cari
Ch-9"Never in my life," Rahul's straightaway reply came out of his mouth.Who does he think he was to order him to cancel his marriage with his future wife. He would make sure that she would belong to him and he would show her proudly to the world as his. He wanted to claim her in front of the world and make this world jealous of him.And Also he wanted to pamper her, shower her with his love and make her drown in his world. He wants to make her the queen of his world and give his heart to her to control him and his heart. Never in this life nor in the afterlife he wants to leave her. He just doesn't want to live with her but become her life, her soul, and her breath. He felt like he would die if he waited for her more. This would do, right?Maybe or maybe not be. Even if it doesn't he will make sure she would fall for him after their marriage. He knew she didn't have a boyfriend. But he will be her boyfriend, husband, friend, and everything she wants in this life except her brother.
Ch-10"The literal thing. I asked you to cancel the engagement, not the marriage," he said with a sigh making Rahul frown."What do you mean, Arjun?" he asked."She is not in the position to wake up and attend the ceremony. And in the olden days, there is nothing called engagement. Both sides of the family exchange Thamboolam and the presence of the bride and groom are just for show. I guess we have to go with that," Arjun said.[Thamboolam: In south Indian culture, there is no concept of a wedding. They exchange a plate filled with betel leaves. The groom's side would exchange the plate with saree, betel leaves, betel nuts, flowers, coconut, any kind of fruits, flowers, bangles, red turmeric, and turmeric. While the bride side would give the same betel leaves, betel nuts, a kind of fruit, silk dhoti, and red turmeric. This segment means fulfilling the ceremony of engagement. The exchanging of rings was never a real segment. From what my parents said they give them as gifts in the mar
Ch-11"Your dad is dead and will never wake up,""You are an orphan,""You are unlucky girl,""You are a bad omen,""She should be thrown somewhere,""She is such a bad luck attracter,""You little bitch get out of here,""She should be killed,""NO! NO! STOP IT! DAD! DAD! WHERE ARE YOU!?""DAD!! DAD!!"Laya sat up straight at the nightmare she got. Indeed, it's not a nightmare but a memory of her childhood.She tried to run her hand through her hair but something tugged her. She saw a drip was connected to the back of her right palm. She sighed as she remembered the incidents that happened in the morning. When she got to know that it's her engagement, she fell unconscious. She only remembered her brother carrying her to her room or one of the rooms in the mansion.She removed the needle as the drip was empty. Laya smiled bitterly when she realized there was no one for her to remove the drip after it got emptied. Trying to ignore the pain that was rising in her chest, she walked towar
Ch-12Maha Lakshmi gave it to me when her husband intervened."Son, there is an auspicious time in another hour," the old pandit said. He looked like he was in his nineties or eighties.Laya wondered how he was still holding on with that much age."Since we have fixed the auspicious time. Shall we start the segment? Get my future-daughter-in-law ready?" Maha Lakshmi said."Aunt, but Rahul is not here," Durga tried to say."It doesn't matter," Maha Lakshmi said."But you didn't let the segment happen when my sister is absent, Aunt!" Abhinav almost yelled at her.Maha Lakshmi looked at him with a frown as he raised his voice at her."Abhinav…" Laya's weak voice could be heard in the silent room where a storm was brewing. Her voice attracted the commotion. Maha Lakshmi looked at her with displeasure."It's my fault. You shouldn't yell at aunt. It's just wearing a saree and adorning a few ornaments. No big deal. And it's one of the biggest days in my life. I will get ready. Before that… a