Family time

"My dear Hubby, please don't tell others that you are my husband outside if you continue to act like this?" she said with a scrunched face.

"I am your husband!!" he said exasperatedly.

"That's why I am advising you!" she said, making everyone laugh. Laya noticed her youngest uncle, Srinivas, was looking at her with a displeased gaze the whole while. But she didn't care. She got used to it and ignored him as usual. Their dinner finished amid laughter and smiles. But little did Laya don't know that this would be her last time to laugh heartfully.

"I will divorce you and marry a young woman!" he said exasperatedly. He thought he successfully annoyed her.

Sharada's mom thought hard for a while… and said… "Hmm… Do it. I want to go on a world tour. If you divorce me have to give me half of your property as your anomaly along with divorce. I can find a good man and marry him. I am only fifty… Can't I find who is fifty-five or so?" she said so seriously to the point her Raghu Dad believed her words! Laya held her laughter at his petrified expression.

"Woman! No one is getting a divorce here! Stop your wild thoughts!" he almost yelled.

"See… the ego of yours. You can do it and I can't do it. As I am woman, right?" she asked surprising him. For the first time, she reminded him about women's rights. Raghuram looked at his wife Sharada differently, he wondered what made her say this line. In their thirty-five years of married life, she forgot the existence of those things. But now she was reminding him. He lowered his eyes and thought was it due to her displeasure at the thing he was doing. But… that was for Laya's own good. Even Raghuram treated Laya like his own, but it's just that he can't give love to her till she is old. He has two other daughters and his younger brother has a daughter. They all are going to cross eighteen years, they have to get married. He can't delay their marriages. He regretted delaying Laya's marriage for three long years.

Laya looked at her mother in shock. What happened? Why her mother behaving strangely from the moment she came here? And her youngest uncle's inquisitive gaze at her constantly was making her feel restless. Her three cousin sisters were looking at her pityingly from the moment she came.

The dining hall was in utter silence at her words. Just like her everyone was shocked at her. "Mom! I forgot! You know… all the sunnundalu (a sphere-shaped sweet made of urad dal and jaggery) made by you were eaten by my friends. They left only two for me. Will you make them for me tomorrow?" Laya asked breaking the awkward silence as she pouted cutely.

"Didn't I say you to eat all of them by yourself? Why did you give them to others?" Sharada started berating her daughter again. The awkward atmosphere was replaced with pitiful gazes of everyone directed towards Laya. Laya resigned to her fate and took her mother's scoldings. Sharada only wants her daughter to be healthy because she sent them to her with her love and care, through his son. Laya loves sunnundalu so much. She doesn't even allow anyone to eat when Laya was there. Laya took all the scoldings from Sharada. Ahhh!! This is family! How did she miss it all the while? But again… she was afraid that her youngest uncle would torture her to give up the rights of her inheritance and her father's nagging to get married. So… she moved away for the sake of her bright future.

"Sharada! Are you done? She returned today! Let her have some peace. If you go on like this, she would turn dumb!" Raghuram said to his wife.

"Even if you give it to others, don't give it all to them," Sharada said with a sigh.

"Mom… I didn't give them. I kept it in my room and went to college. When I returned the vessel is empty," Laya said feeling wronged.

"Sigh… kids these days… whatever… Momma will make them for you tomorrow," Sharada said to her

"Momma is best…" Laya said and hugged her tight, surprising her. But her eyes held a complicated gaze as she looked at him with a disapproving gaze.

After her eldest son, Arjun Pasupulati, Laya was the eldest and cutest one in the home. Arjun married and settled in Chennai with his wife Durga. When Laya said she would be moving out Sharada cried the most, but she didn't oppose her. Also… when her peddananna was trying to find a groom to marry her off, her peddamma stopped till now with the help of her brother.

"Laya… come with me," her peddananna, Raghuram asked her standing up from his place.

"Mom… I should see an empty plate when I come down. Don't forget to eat!" Laya said through her squinted eyes.

"Beta… that…" Sharada trailed.

"If I come to know that you didn't eat, I will barge in with the food into your room in the middle of the night," Laya said making Sharada scared.

Sharada doesn't eat food at night for god knows the reason. Only Laya can make her eat. Sharada served food on her plate and started eating her food as if someone was chasing her making everyone laugh. Seeing her start eating, Laya stood up and walked to the study.

"Dad…" she called out.

The next series of his actions made her petrified.

---------

Author's Notes:

What do you think?

Let me know your thoughts to me through your comments and show your support with power stones.