Author's PoV
On a breezy morning of November, Anika is practicing her yoga in the backyard of her small and compact house. Anika has a little brother who is in his high school now. Anika is in her final year of Bsc., Computer science. Anika's mom is a garland designer who works from home as per the orders she gets from the flower dealers. Just like her mom, Anika is also very good at arranging flowers for bouquets. It is a very happy family with everything they need.
"Dei Advay, get up!" Anika came in, waking up her brother to school. Advay is a slowpoke. His day only starts with the yelling of his mother and his sister.
"Wake me up after 5 minutes, Akka(sister)!" He covered his head with the blanket and curled inside it.
"Ma, Advay is not getting up!" Anika shouted from inside the room.
Anandhi is Anika and Advay's step-mom. When Advay was a month old baby, their mother got severe jaundice and by the time they found out, it was too late that all her internal organs were already failing and she died of it. It was then Saravanan (Anika's dad)'s relatives made him marry Anandhi to take care of Advay and Anika.
Saravanan initially opposed the idea but later realized that it is not a joke to bring up two kids alone. He could not manage his work and take care of his daughter and the new born baby. Knowing that he could never be good enough for the kids he agreed to the wedding but on one condition. He insisted that the girl he is going to marry should be an infertile girl who cannot bear children of her own. He thought, by doing this, the girl would treat his kids as her own. One way or another, his calculations worked. They found Anandhi from a village in Tirupur who was 32years old by then and was still not married. When Anandhi was in her teen age, she met with an accident that resulted in losing her uterus. It was well known news in her little village that no one agreed to marry her. So when Saravanan's family asked her hand in marriage, her parents readily agreed to marry her to him.
Anandhi is a woman from a poor family and she was happy to be married finally. She was depressed that all her friends had 2kids by now but she was still a burden to her family. So when Saravanan came with 2 kids, a girl and boy, she was more than happy to marry him. So that is how Anandhi became Anika and Advay's mom. She looks after them like her own kids. She is grateful for the life she has got.
"Advay, your friend Vinod will come any minute now and if you are not ready by then, he will leave you behind and you have to take the bus to the school. Wake up soon!" Anandhi shouted from the kitchen.
"Pch, I am awake!" Advay got up and made his bed.
When he was about to go to the restroom, Anika ran in and locked the door.
"Hey Eruma(buffalo), what were you doing for so long? Maaaa, look at her. She has locked the restroom door." Advay shouted banging on the door. Anika was laughing inside while taking a bath.
He pushed her aside and went into the restroom once she opened the door. "Why did you wake me up when you were not done with the restroom yet? I am going to kill you if you do this again." he yelled at her from inside the bathroom.
"Anu, why did you do that? See, he is angry." her mom asked her when she settled herself on the kitchen slab to eat her breakfast.
"Hahaha ma, chill. He still has 20minutes. Boys just need 10minutes to bathe and get ready." Anu said while eating her idli with yummy tomato chutney.
"We should build a toilet in the backyard to stop this fight. You guys are grownups and still every morning you make the house like a battlefield. It is because of you two, your dad is bathing at 5.30 am even in this winter." her mom told her.
"It's ok, Anandhi. Pack lunch soon. I have to go see my MD before going to the factory. I have to leave early." Saravanan came into the kitchen for his breakfast.
"Good morning, Pa." Anika greeted her dad.
"Good morning, Anu. How is your project coming along?" he asked her.
"Nithya and I are working on it, pa. We have help from our seniors who passed out last year. He is working along with us. Hopefully we will finish it on time."
"Who is that, Anu?"
"Arun, pa. He is a nice guy." she said enthusiastically.
"Hey, is he a boy? How did you know him? Don't you get a girl to help you out?" Anandhi asked her.
"Anandhi, it has nothing in gender. If he is helping them out, it's fine. Stop talking like you are in 60's" her dad stopped her.
"He studied in our college only, ma. He was in his first year of Msc when I joined college. He just passed out. We know him because he participated in college culturals all two years like I did. He is a good guy, ma. He readily agreed to help us to finish the project." Anika tried explaining to her mom.
"How does he get time to help you guys? When are you meeting? Where are you meeting?" Anandhi bombarded her with questions.
"Ma, he is still looking for a job. He will come to the college lab and we are working together. That is why I have been coming late these days."
"Enough of your enquiries. Let her eat, Anandhi." Saravanan stopped the string of questions.
"He himself is not in any job despite the Msc degree. How can he help them? Whatever!" Anandhi mumbled to herself.
"Lunch?" both Anika and her dad asked in chorus.
"It's all ready. Think about building a restroom and another room at the back extending our home. The kids have grown big and it is not right to make them sleep in the same room." Anandhi told him while serving him steaming hot idlis.
"You know our income, Anandhi. You are the one that is making a budget every month. The only savings we have in hand is for Anu's wedding and I am not taking it for anything else." he said. Saravanan has a fixed deposit where he deposits a particular amount every month in it for Anika's wedding.
"Ma, don't worry, I am in my final year and from next month we will be having campus interviews. I am sure I will get a good job. I will build you a room and a bathroom!" Anika told her mom and jumped down from the slab.
"I know you will." Anandhi smiled at her daughter lovingly.
"Ok ma, ok pa, bye, will see you in the evening." She waved bye to them and went out of the home to catch her college bus.
"Get lost, monkey!" Advay threw a magazine on her as he entered the kitchen for his breakfast.
"You are monkey, donkey, buffalo, everything." Anika ran out shouting names at him.
"Dei Advay, how many times do I have to tell you not to call her names?" His dad asked him in warning.
"She was the one that pissed me off in the very morning. You won't ask her anything but will only scold me." Advay started eating while whining.
"Ennanga(an endearment call for a husband), don't scold him while eating." Anandhi supported him. It is a regular scene in their home. Saravanan always favors Anika and Anandhi always favors Advay.
They all went out to their respective jobs after a busy and chaotic morning. Anandhi, after sending them all out, took a refreshing bath and ate her breakfast while watching TV. She always loves this calm time.
Author's PoVIt is a very huge house in Chennai, ECR. A beautiful beach house with 3 floors. Arjun's house is filled with people. His father and mother live on the ground floor. His sister and her family live on the second floor and the third floor is solely for Arjun. Arjun has an indoor swimming pool and a huge gym for his personal use on his floor. Arjun is in his family business and also is a partner in his friend's concern. They have many granite quarries across India and they export them to many different countries.The once busy and happy home is now filled with sadness and uncomfortable silence. Everyone in that house is deeply worried about Arjun's life. Arjun was married three years ago. His life started like everyone else, happy and blissful. She was a very beautiful girl and was very kind and loving to everyone in his family. She respected everyone an
Author's PoVAnika and her friend Nithya got down from the college bus and started walking into the college. Their college is located under the foothills with greenery all around. Since it is November, Anika shivered when the cold breeze brushed her skin."uhhhh! Despite being born and brought up here, I am still not immune to this cold." Anika told Nithya, shivering in the cold."Haha, Then you should have worn a full sleeve cloth. Come let's get in faster." They started walking at a faster pace."Nithu, I told mom and dad that Arun is helping us with the project. Mom is not happy about him being our help. She asked why not a girl help us instead of him. I am scared to open up the matter to them. We are in
Anika's PoVMy fourth semester holidays went boring as usual. I was eagerly waiting for the college to reopen to go to college as a final year student. My devil of a brother always fights with me when I am home even when he is in his final year. Dad was the one that always stood by my side. Mom got many garland and bouquet orders during my vacation. Mom is an expert in making petal garland for weddings. She gave me the bouquet orders and I earned some pocket money through that in the holidays. That was the only good thing that happened in the college break."Ma, I will come late today. Me and Nithya are going to the library after college." I told mommy as I was getting ready for college. It's college reopen day today and I am more than excited to go back to college.I have been talking to Nithu about the
Arjun's PoVI am now driving to Preethi's house. Preethi's married life is at strain now. She recently found that her husband has an illegitimate relationship. Preethi's wedding was an arranged marriage. She has been married for almost 6years now. Her life was going smoothly until 3months ago when she found some dirty texts on his phone.Praveen and Preethi's family is an upper middle class family. I am an avid reader and I go to the library very regularly even at my very young age. I got their friendship when I was in second grade as their house was near the library that I went to and they were often seen outside the library playing. I started to make acquaintances with them in the time I waited outside for the car to come and pick me up. Preethi was the one that came and talked to me first. Our friendship grew stronger as the da
Anika's PoV"Ma, please ma. I cannot come to this festival now. My exams are very close and my project review is next week. I am still working on the output to get it more accurate. You all go. Just 2 days right. I will ask Nithu to come and stay with me." I was trying to make my mom understand that I cannot go to Tirupur with them for a temple festival."You are a grown up girl. How will I be at peace when you are here all alone in the house for two days?" Mom said."Pa... Make her understand, pa. I am not a child. I know how to cook. I can take care of myself and the house. I can manage two days without you guys. I will make Nithu come and stay here." I pleaded to my dad and he finally agreed and compromised mom for the arrangement.They will leave
Arjun's PoVI got ready and entered the elevator to go down. I called my PA to cancel all my morning meetings and work. I assigned my work to my subordinates to make sure nothing stops in my absence. When I got to the dining room, it was already 8 o'clock. Mom was busy bringing all the dishes to the dining table along with the cook. We have a cook and two servant maids to clean the house and do laundry. We have a driver and a gardener who will be in our home from morning 6 to evening 6."Amma, I have to leave a little early today. Praveen will bring Avni here. Take good care of her." I told mom."No worries, Ajju. I will take good care of her. How is Preethi?" Mom asked me."I am taking her to counseling today. She will be fine ma!" I told her.
Anika's PoVDad came into the home and yelled at my mom. I am more than scared now. I am dumbstruck. What should I do now? Should I agree that I am in love with Arun or should I hide that fact and act like nothing? What if I tell them now? Arun has no job. I have no job yet. The chances of rejecting him will be high now. But what if I hide the truth now? Dad will fight with mom for hitting me without any reason. He will be my pillar of support. But then, it will be a great sin. I cannot deceive my parents. Later, when I tell them about Arun, dad will be devastated. He trusts me so much."Anandhi, how dare you lay your hand on my daughter?" Dad confronted mom."Your daughter? She is my daughter too." Mom said with a shiver."If you had thought li
Arjun's PoVI am relieved of the stress I had for Preethi. Though she said she felt better because she spoke to me, I have a strong doubt that her sudden change of mood is because she met Harish. It is human tendency to compare them with someone that has a similar problem only worse than theirs. I think she felt better when she saw him with that heartfelt smile. I knew very well that she doesn't have any love back in school or college but what if they both can find solace in one another's company? He is a widower and she is a soon to be single mom. He has a son and she has a daughter! They will together make a perfect family. This may not happen overnight but if they are moved in the right direction, this will happen soon. I decided to make their meeting more often to make them spend time together.I finished my work and closed the laptop. I looked at the time and it s