Chapter 20 - Janaki's advice to Vennela

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Amar was feeling nervous. He has been thinking if he should tell the truth to Vennela since the temple incident. It has been three days but he couldn't decide what to do. He went to Janaki's room that morning and touched her feet to take her blessings.

"Why? Do you need pocket money?" asked Janaki. Amar used to do that during his childhood before requesting for money and chocolates.

"I'm too old for that, darling" said Amar, sitting on the floor at her feet.

"But you will always be the same talkative, naughty kid to me. What is it that's bothering you? I know that look on your face. You are not able to make a decision. Aren't you?" Janaki understood his internal conflict.

"How do you know?" asked Amar.

"I've been your grandmother for 28 years." She replied.

"But I'm just 27."

"I've been taking care of you since you were in your mother's womb. That makes it 28 years," said Janaki.

Amar smiled weakly. "Grandma. How would you feel if grandpa hid something from you? Something you deserve to know."

"Your grandpa would never do that. He used to tell me everything. He used to ask me to punish him if the truth displeases me. You shouldn't hide anything from your spouse." Janaki told him.

"What if the truth hurts?" Amar asked her.

"It hurts more if the truth is revealed by other sources. Don't hide anything from Vennela. I don't know what truth you are talking about, but go and tell her if she deserves to know it." Janaki gave her opinion. Amar nodded and left. He was ready to tell her about Lasya.

He saw Vennela in the backyard preparing his favourite sweet, Putarekulu. "Good morning Amar. Grandma taught me how to make them. Like I said, I'm a quick learner. Now taste them." She offered him some.

"Do you remember telling me not to hide anything from you three days ago? Well, -um-, you see, there's something I didn't tell you. You deserve to know this. I hope you will understand why I did this." Amar lowered his head not able to look into her eyes. He desperately hoped she would forgive him.

"Are you talking about your occasional drinking adventures when you were sixteen?" asked Vennela.

"How do you know this?" Amar, who wasn't expecting this, was mildly surprised.

"Grandma told me day before yesterday." She answered. "I don't think you've done anything wrong. There's nothing to feel guilty about. Most people start drinking when they are in their teens. I know that you have given up. I don't support drinking, but I don't mind if someone drinks occasionally within limit, without damaging the liver."

"No Vennela. Occasional drinking can be harmful too. I vowed not to touch alcohol again. I lost my parents because of their drinking habit" said Amar. 

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know." Vennela was surprised to hear this.

He completely forgot why he was there and started telling her the story of his parents' death. "My parents were wonderful people. Everything about them was perfect. Except for one thing. They couldn't give up the drinking habit they've picked up due to stress in their work. I was curious. So, I had my first drink on my sixteenth birthday. It felt good. I felt as if I've grown up. I used to steal a bottle from my father's room once in a month and party with my friends." He paused for a while.

"You don't have to continue if it's painful." Vennela squeezed his hand.

"No. I will tell you everything. When nanna found out about this, he wasn't angry like all other fathers. He told me to wait till I was eighteen. I was relieved at not being punished. But one day nanna got drunk at a party. While driving back home their car crashed with a truck, killing my mother instantly. When I reached the hospital, he signaled the doctors to allow me inside ICU. He asked me to forgive him for killing amma. And then he died." He explained how he lost his parents when he was sixteen.

Vennela cupped his face. "I know how it feels like to see a parent dying. But I'm glad you have reformed yourself. And I really appreciate your contribution in reforming thousands of kids who got addicted to drinking. They've been given a new lease of life." She held his hands and caressed them.

"Like I said, it's quite common at that age to get attracted to such things. And I'm not mad at you for hiding this." She offered him the sweet once again.

He tasted it. "Wow. You've become an expert, my moonlight."

"Stop right there. Don't wink." Vennela ran away before he could wink.

He smiled and then remembered something that wiped off his smile. 'Oh, no. I was here to tell her about Lasya and ended up giving a lecture on ill effects of drinking and driving. I'll make a video call to Anirudh after reaching Hyderabad and we both will explain her everything.'

---***---

"Grandma, why don't you come with us to Hyderabad? You don't have to stay here alone." Vennela requested Janaki.

"No Vennela. I can't come" said Janaki.

"Why? I'll take care of you better than your servants. Please, grandma." Vennela tried to convince her.

"Please don't get me wrong. I'd love to visit you. But, I can't stay with you permanently. I can't leave my hometown. This house means the world to me. This is the beautiful place where I met him for the first time. This is where I started my new life as his bride. This is where I had my first child, Radhika. This house holds memories of all the beautiful moments I shared with my husband and my children. We, as a family, despite being busy always met twice in a year at this very place to share our happiness and pain. Even after so many years of them passing away I can still feel their presence here. I'll never be alone. I keep reminiscing and reliving the memories every moment." Janaki spoke fondly about her family.

"I can understand if you can't accept Amar just because you are married to him. I can understand if you don't love him. But I want you to make as many memories as you can with him. Life is short. We'll be busy for majority of our lives. So, whenever we find some free time we need to spend it with our family. Because our loved ones may leave us but the memories with stay with us forever." Janaki advised her.

Vennela couldn't sleep that night. She kept thinking about Janaki's words. She looked at Amar who was in deep slumber. He has given her so many sweet moments in the past one month. But it pained her to admit that she hasn't given him any. She wiped the sweat off his face with her hand. "I may not give you the affection you deserve. But I promise to fill your life with happiness. This is a friend's promise to a friend who always stood by her." She realized how cute he looked when he slept.

---***---

"Hello. How are you? Please come in. You didn't go back to Bangalore?" Amar greeted Prakash and Nanditha.

"No. We were waiting for you to return from your village. Is Janaki garu fine?" Prakash asked Amar.

"Yes. She's good." Amar asked a servant to call Vennela.

Vennela reached the living room. Her face hardened on seeing her aunt and uncle.

"How are you Vennu?" Nanditha embraced her.

"I'm fine" Vennela muttered without hugging her.

"I know you don't want to meet us. I know you hate us for--"

"I never said that" said Vennela in a serious tone.

"Does that mean you forgave us?" Prakash looked hopeful.

"I didn't say that either" Vennela glared at him.

"We're sorry." They apologized to her.

Amar felt like an intruder in a family moment. He got up to leave but Vennela caught his hand. "Stay right here."

She turned to her aunt and uncle. "You both have raised me like your own daughter. I'll always be grateful to you. But the favour you have asked in return can never be justified. I had to pay the price for your mistakes. I don't have the strength to forgive you."

She gripped Amar's hand tightly. "But I don't hate you. I can never hate you. We are family. You two have helped me battle my depression after mom's death. You helped me grow into a strong woman I am today. I still love you two. But, please don't ask me to forgive you. I can't. I need some time to forget."

Nanditha wiped her tears. Prakash spoke after a while. "This is more than what we deserve. We cannot change the past but we can do anything to make your future better."

"How is Lasya akka?" She asked Nanditha, who felt happy to see Vennela talking to her normally.

"Lasya is fine. She's planning to stay in Delhi for a few months." Nanditha replied.

Amar asked them to stay for dinner but they politely declined. "Maybe some other day, when we have earned her respect back."

"Please take care of Shruthi." They told Vennela while leaving.

"I will. She's my little sister." Vennela replied.

---***---

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