Chapter 2

*Premila Pov* 

“Don’t cry, Mridula.” I said, glancing at her, but she continued to cry but without making any noise. 

“I should be with my Mom and Dad.” She said between hiccups in a small voice. 

“Are you hungry?” I asked, gesturing the breakfast, I was preparing. 

“No!” She replied, glancing around and then glanced at me. 

I sighed, finished the preparation and then knelt before her. She looks tired with all the crying, and I brushed the tears away before holding her hands. 

“I know you should be here with your parents. But they trusted me to look after you. It can happen to anyone. Anyone can leave their house and stay at some other place with their parent’s trust. Now, this is not my home, but I am living here because my parents trusted your Uncle. For now, until you become a big girl, you have to live here with us so that I can take care of you like your parents asked me to.” I slowly explained, and she listened keenly. 

“You will be like my Mom.” She slowly whispered and then added, “Is it possible?” 

“Yes! She trusts me so it is possible.” I replied, to which she nodded and rubbed her eyes. 

“Can I help you?” she asked, staring at me. 

“Sure! I will give you plates, and you keep them on the table at one place.” I said, getting up and gave her a few plates. 

When I entered the dining area, I saw her placing them carefully each one at each table without my instructions. 

“I have an important meeting, and I need to leave soon.” Abivanth said entering the room, and I served him while Mridula stood beside me calmly. 

“Did she have her food?” He asked without glancing at her. 

“I know how to take care of a kid. I have three kids by myself.” I replied even though I know it is unnecessary for that reply. 

“I asked generally, Premila. Why are you behaving like that?” He asked, frowning at me. 

“Nothing!” I replied and made her sit on the chair, but she shook her head. 

“I will eat with you.” She whispered to me and I nodded, not wanting to go against her wish on the first day itself. 

“Where are the kids?” He asked, glancing at the empty chairs. 

“They are getting ready.” I replied, and Mridula walked inside the kitchen when I searched for water and brought back the jug. 

“You need not do this.” I said, taking the jug from her hands. 

“But I help my Mom.” She mumbled frowning. 

“Ok!” I said, nodding at her and then waited until Aahil and Dileep entered the dining area. 

“She is Mridula. Your Aunt’s Daughter and will live here with us only.” I said introducing them. 

“Hi!” They both said, waving at her, and she waved back a little but stood beside me. 

“I will go.” Abivanth said, getting up and I nodded before serving them food. 

“I will only eat with you.” She said when I asked her to eat with them. 

“Fine!” I mumbled and did as she requested. 

“I will join you in the school next week. This month you need not to go as these are summer holidays.” I explained after eating the food. 

“Ok!” She simply mumbled and took the plates from the table. 

I stopped myself from telling her not to do it, remembering her wanting to help me like she helped her Mom. This may help her to take the mind away from her parents! I thought and let her help me. 

“What are you doing?” I asked her entering the garden area, bringing my books I need to study for the meeting. 

“Watering the plants.” She replied, smiling at me. 

It’s been one week since she came here, and she now stopped crying for her parents too. However, she wants to help me with simple things as she doesn’t have anything else to do until the school starts. 

“Do you know how to play cricket?” I heard a new voice and saw Dileep asking her while walking in the garden. 

“No!” She replied in a low tone. 

“I will assist you. Will you play with me?” he asked little pleadingly and then I remember grounding him not to go outside for breaking the glass. 

“Ok!” She replied, nodding. 

“What is your name? I forgot!” He asked, looking at her. 

“Mridula! Yours? I didn’t forget, but I don’t know too.” She asked, and I laughed shaking my head. 

“Dileep, The Prince of Ivaan.” He said as usual, and I rolled my eyes already used to his title usage with his Dad saying it when he was a kid. 

“You are not.” Mridula said directly, and I stared at them. 

“Why are you saying that?” he asked, frowning at her. 

“You don’t have a horse or a crown, and I am not a kid.” She replied, shrugging and I laughed at his expression. 

“Friends?” he asked, moving his hand forward after a few minutes. 

“Friends!” She replied, shaking it while smiling. 

“Go and do your homework, Mridula.” I said sighing at her. 

“I finished!” She mumbled, staring at me. 

“Then play or even study again. You are studying tenth. It is not a simple thing.” I said, but she shook her head. 

“Fine! Take it.” I said, giving her the spatula and then sat on the chair she brought for me. 

“I shouldn’t have taught you how to cook at all in your holidays.” I mumbled under my breath. 

“You shouldn’t have tried to cook now with your hand pain.” She mumbled back and finished cooking. 

“Tajwar is coming, Mridula. I want to cook special for him.” I said smiling at her. 

“He wouldn’t know the difference.” She said smiling. 

“Will you shift into the main house at least this year?” I asked her frowning. 

“I… don’t want to. I feel free there.” She replied looking down. 

“He will come around.” I assured her, but she didn’t say anything. 

“What is it, Premila? Everyone asked for you in the party today.” We suddenly heard Abivanth’s voice and turned to see him removing the tie harshly. 

“I told you I was not feeling well.” I said shaking my head. 

“You should have tried.” He said in a hard tone. 

“Her hand burned today morning.” Mridula slowly whispered for the first time talking to her Uncle. 

“What? Where is it?” He asked worriedly and knelt before me before taking my normal hand. 

“This!” I whispered, moving my injured hand before him. 

“Did you do the first aid for it? Did you go to the hospital?" he asked, holding the hand carefully. 

“It is a simple thing, but it would be better if I do not wear any ornaments.” I replied, smiling at his love, which never leaves but just hides itself for so much time. 

“Mom!” We heard Tajwar’s voice and stood up. 

“I will arrange the food.” I said, moving towards it. 

“I will take care of it.” Mridula said stopping me. 

“Let her help you.” Abivanth said, nodding at me and then smiled at her a little. 

She smiled back more brightly, but started placing the dishes on the table while we walked near Tajwar to talk with him. 

“Come home more frequently, Tajwar.” I said smiling at him. 

“I am calling you every week, Mom. Ask that from Aahil who is in the hostel now.” He said smiling back and then talked to his Dad. 

“I am hungry.” He said rubbing his stomach. 

“Dinner is ready.” I said and made him sit while Mridula walked away after placing the plates to call Dileep. 

“Mom! I will not go to the hostel.” Dileep said entering the dining area. 

“Why is that?” I asked him frowning. 

“I don’t want to leave my friend.” He replied and then started talking with Tajwar. 

“Food is very good Mom. I missed your cooking.” Tajwar said, finishing the food. 

“I didn’t prepare the food today.” I said smiling. 

“New maid?” He asked, and I shook my head. 

“Mrdiula!” I replied and glanced around to see her missing. 

“My best friend.” Dileep said proudly. 

“I remember seeing her, but not that much.” Tajwar said, shrugging and then continued to talk with us about his post graduation in which he is joining. 

“Where is she?” I asked Dileep. 

“My clothes fell outside the cupboard, and she is arranging them.” He replied not meeting my eyes. 

“How did they fall out?” I asked him frowning. 

“Maybe they wanted air.” He replied shrugging. 

“When will you learn to take a shirt without throwing everything outside?” I asked him which I do everyday. 

“And why are you letting her do the work?” I added. 

“She is doing me a favor for which I will take her to the exhibition tomorrow.” He replied shrugging. 

“Both of you be careful.” I said and then brushed off the topic. 

“I am calling for few maids to work for us from tomorrow.” Abivanth said when I entered our room at night. 

“Why?” I asked him frowning. 

“You need to concentrate on our work and leave this works for them to do. The people will want to see you accompanying me.” He explained. 

“But I like working.” I said not understanding the need. 

“You are a Vishwanth and are in a position to raise the name more, Premila. And you are still not young to do all the work. Let the maids do that, and you can organize them.” He said with a determination not to hear anything. 

“What the hell did you do, Abivanth.” I said entering his office room. 

“What happened? And why are you shouting?” He asked frowning. 

“Why did you tell in yesterday’s party that I didn’t come as I was feeling lazy?” I asked him gritting my teeth. 

“I thought you were.” He replied shrugging. 

“You thought? Didn’t you hear me saying that I am not feeling well?” I asked him, folding my arms. 

“I thought you were making excuses. Now, what happened that you are making it a big issue?” He asked frowning. 

“Today when I met a few women, they are making fun of me. When I told them the reason I was not there, they said everyone thought I was a bitch for not coming to a charity party just because I was feeling lazy.” I replied fuming still feeling the humiliation. 

“They will get over it.” He said waving his hand. 

“You know what? I give up! I will not take care of this house from today onwards and will do the only outside work. I don’t care what happens to this house of yours.” I said, glaring before walking away and saw Dileep and Mridula standing in the dining area holding the balloons. 

“I will go to the hostel tomorrow.” Dileep said in a hard tone before walking away while Mridula just stood there. 

“I know, married people fighting is not that wrong thing.” She said in an understanding tone, but how can I tell her that this is not at all good. 

“I will take some rest.” I said walking away. 

For one whole month, I did as I told him and waited for him to say what he did that day was wrong after seeing the house upside down because of the maids. 

However, they seem to be professionals because we didn’t have any wrong happening during this one month, and Abivanth acted smugly near me. 

I walked inside the kitchen one day at night to find out what and how they are managing only to see Mridula assisting them to do what and how. 

“What are you doing, Mridula?” I asked her angrily. 

“I… I thought of helping you. You were not feeling well right?” She asked, frowning with confusion regarding my tone. 

“So, don’t you have school?” I asked, folding my arms. 

“Exams finished last week, Aunty. I am going to join in the college near to the house. I don’t think I will get good marks." She replied looking down. 

“You had exams this month?” I asked her in shock to which she nodded. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked frowning. 

“I didn’t want to disturb you.” She replied in a small tone. 

“You should have told me.” I said, frowning and took the responsibility back into my hands, hoping she will now take care of her studies. 

However, I couldn’t involve myself much as it nearly became a habit for Mridula to watch over everything. Hearing the decision of me taking the charge made him happy while I felt cold inside. 

Tajwar, Aahil and Dileep nearly spent most of their time at their respective colleges, which made me feel alone like no one is there around me. 

What did I achieve by living in this relation for all these years? I thought, rubbing my forehead and smelled some coffee. 

“Take one tablet and drink this, Aunty.” Mridula said when I opened my eyes. 

“You stopped smiling.” She slowly mumbled when I didn’t say anything but drank her coffee. 

“Do I have a reason to?” I asked her in a hard tone. 

“I am there for you, Aunty.” She replied, holding my hand, but I couldn’t tell her that it is already late for anything. 

I can feel the death of my own heart after leaving the thread which connected me with him. Now, I will be here for the society which we were doing for the past many years. 

“Do you want to go to the hostel for engineering like the others?” I asked her frowning. 

“No! I will stay here.” She replied, shaking her head, but I remember my promise. 

“You have to go and study in the college where all the boys studied. It will make your Uncle happy.” I said in a way ordered when she didn’t want to go, but did eventually when I made sure to tell her it will make me happy too. 

“I will miss you.” She said hugging me the day when she is leaving. 

I hugged her back and made her leave while I feared I may be not the same when she returns from the college. I wish I will not change, but looking around the empty mansion, I know I will.