Chapter 32 - Mission Bring Vennela Back

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"Nanna, here's your medical report. The doctor said both your kidneys are damaged." Anirudh showed the report to Bharat. 

Bharat checked the report. "Oh no! I thought I had a lot of time. I was wrong. Looks like I have to go for kidney transplantation in a month."

"What are you saying, Bharat? Transplantation? You told me it was a minor problem." Shambhavi snatched the reports from him and started examining. "Oh my God! Anirudh are you sure these are your father's reports?"

"Yes amma." 

"Bharat, why didn't you take care of your your health? What if something happens to you?  Don't worry. You will be fine. I'll consult best doctors for you." Shambhavi held his hand.

"Amma what are you saying? Why would you consult doctors? It's his problem. He'll take care of himself" said Anirudh.

"Yes amma. You are a businesswoman. You need to concentrate on making money" said Archana.

"Have you two gone mad? Your father is seriously ill and you are talking about business." Shambhavi shouted at them.

"What's wrong with you? Let's send him to Vishakhapatnam. If his transplantation is successful, bring him back to Hyderabad. Or else let him stay there forever. He is not useful to us anymore. He is a liability. Don't let everyone suffer because of him" said Anirudh.

Shambhavi slapped him. "How dare you!! The person you are talking about is your father. Don't forget all the sacrifices he has made for you. Family should always stick together. You two might have forgotten your duty. But I am his wife. I will stay with him till the end. I will never let any harm come his way. All this money and social status mean nothing to me without him."

Bharat placed his hand on her shoulder. "Do you love me so much?"

"Of course I do." She answered.

"Then I fail to understand why you asked Vennela to stay away from Amar. They love each other. Just like you and me." Bharat smiled sadly.

Shambhavi looked at him, confused. 

"How could you, aunty? How could you ask her to leave? Didn't you just say family should always stick together? How come you forgot that Vennela is also a part of our family?" Amar asked her in a distraught voice.

 "I-I was j-just--" She couldn't speak as the magnitude of her mistake hit her.  

"Have you forgotten all her sacrifices? She married me to protect our reputation. She served us selflessly. She always respected me. She protected me from all dangers. She brought happiness back into my life. Is this how we are supposed to repay her? By abandoning her when she needs us the most?" Amar wasn't angry. But the disappointment in his voice was something she couldn't bear.

"Shambhavi, just like your husband means everything to you, Amar's wife means everything to him. How can you expect Amar to neglect her health and concentrate on his work when you, his mentor, couldn't do it? Why these double standards? Do you think Amar doesn't love her enough? Do their feelings don't matter?" Janaki made her understand how foolish she has been.

"You made your husband and your children hate you. Don't you feel ashamed of what you have done? I guess not." said Bharat. "Who cares if you earn billions? You are so poor that the only thing you have is money. I pity you."

Shambhavi cried for a long time. It saddened Amar to see her like that. He waited for her to calm down.

"You are right. I shouldn't have talked her into this. I planted this idea in her mind. She left because of me. I broke my promise. Forgive me Amar." She pleaded.

"I wanted to make you understand how it feels to be forced to stay away when your spouse is ill. I can't forgive you until she does." said Amar.

"It happened because of me. I will go and talk to her." Shambhavi decided.

---***---

"Amar why have you tonsured your head?" Vennela was surprised to see Amar's head shaven. "You are not looking good."

"Hair on the head means nothing to the man who has renounced worldly pleasures" said Amar in a monotonic voice.

"Have you gone mad? You want to renounce everything at 27?" Vennela was tensed.

"My wife abandoned me. Why should I live here? I am heading to Himalayas. I will live the rest of my life as a monk" Amar looked disinterested in talking to her. He took off his shirt and shoes. He covered himself with an old shawl.

"Amar! No." Vennela warned him.

"Yes." Amar left.

Vennela woke up sweating. 

"Bad dream?" asked Ragini.

"Not bad. Worst dream." She gulped down water. "Ragini, have you seen anyone renounce worldly pleasures because his wife abandoned him?"

"Don't know about others. But, your husband might." Ragini answered. "He loves you like mad. If you want to stop him from doing something like this, you have to go back to him. Put your ego aside."

"It's not ego. It's self-respect." Vennela corrected her.

"Whatever. If it is destroying a relationship, then it needs to be forgotten. Accepting service from someone doesn't make you inferior. Hope you understand this soon. And I'm sure Amar will win this three days challenge." Ragini told her what she felt.

Vennela's heart wanted Ragini to be right. But she suppressed her feelings because she didn't want to be selfish.

A servant announced arrival of Shambhavi.

"Hello Vennela. Good morning." Shambhavi greeted her.

"Why are you here?" Vennela was not interested in talking to her. 

"To rectify my mistake." Shambhavi understood that Vennela was angry.

"I hate to admit that you were right. You showed me the right path. Amar can do better than devoting his time to his sick wife."

"That's exactly what I thought. But I was wrong. There are things more important than career and money."

"What are those?" Vennela was mildly curious to know the reason behind the change in Shambhavi.

"Love, relationships, family, happiness., It's a never ending list. I have chased after material things all my life. I'm glad my nephew didn't. He has got his priorities right. He loves you. You love him. Forget everything and come back." Shambhavi requested her.

"It's easy to preach and hard to practice. Why should my husband suffer because of me? Why should I suffer considering myself undeserving? No. I can't come." Vennela was firm in her decision.

"Whatever you say. Let me tell you this. My nephew is a man of word and honour. He promised to bring you back in three days. Be ready to come back." She smiled at her and left.

"What's with this family and challenges?" Vennela wondered.

---***---

"I knew it. She is the most adamant girl." Amar sat beside Shambhavi. "Now think of some other way. But mind you she shouldn't be hurt. I don't want her to get stressed." 

"I'm worried for her. Who will help her in that house? Her parents are dead. Just four months of blissful married life for the poor child. I hope her aunt and uncle serve her dutifully." Bharat's heart went out for her.

"That's it!" Amar exclaimed.

"What's it?" 

"Her parents passed away. She is ill and depressed. And the best part, it has only been four months since she got married." Amar explained.

They looked puzzled. Amar explained everything.

"Our nephew is so intelligent." Bharat smiled at Shambhavi.

---***---

"That moron sent me a legal notice." Vennela showed it to her sisters not noticing Amar standing behind her, holding flowers. He gestured the girls not to tell her. She was lying on the bed. 

Shruthi went through the document. "He stated valid reasons."

"What valid?" Vennela fumed.

"He said he got married expecting a happy married life but his wife abandoned him for no reason, which is true. He said his wife is ill and there is nobody to take care of her which is also true because your parents are dead. Your foster parents live in Bangalore. He said you took this decision out of frustration. You are just depressed and unable to think properly." Shruthi didn't find anything wrong in that.

"What does he want?" asked Vennela. 

"He wants you to go back to him. If not, you and your foster parents will be prosecuted for not following the law. If the wife wishes to stay away from the husband, she has to produce evidences against him in the court, which you most certainly do not have. No one from our family will speak a word against him." Lasya declared.

"And in this case, considering your health condition, the court will take his side. You will be asked to wait till your physical and mental health condition improves. And then there's the fact that everyone in your immediate family is dead and there's no one to take care of you. You will lose because you have no valid reason for staying away." Lasya explained. 

"This will be the talk of the town because of our famous surnames. Are you willing to handle the media? I guess not. Don't strain yourself. Unless you want to fight legal battle and drain your energy, which according to me is useless because you are going to lose, just get reunited with him." Shruthi advised her.

Vennela smiled. "I knew Amar is intelligent. I never knew he could be so cunning. He understands my weakness very well."

"Did my darling wife just call me cunning?" Amar stood there with his dazzling smile. The girls giggled.

"You're here?!! Eavesdropping idiot. You missed a point. This legal notice doesn't mean that I can't apply for divorce." She wanted to scare him.

To her surprise, Amar was still smiling. He sat down on the bed facing her.

This time Vennela gestured everyone to leave, who obeyed. She closed her eyes expecting him to repeat what he did two days ago.

"Don't expect a kiss every time" said Amar.

She was disappointed. "Why are you smiling?"

"Because it has only been four months since we got married. To apply for divorce, we should be married for at least a year. So, you are not eligible for divorce petition. Even if you are, what reason will you state? Do I torture you?"

"No" 

"Am I mentally or terminally ill?"

"No"

"Am I an adulterer?"

"No. Stop it! I don't want to hear such things about you. Please don't." She looked away.

"You can't even hear me speaking ill of myself. And you were ready to divorce me? Why do you even try when you can't? Idiot." Amar grinned. "Take these flowers and end this drama."

Vennela's lips twitched upwards. "Fine. I don't want all these hassles. I want a peaceful life. I will come home. But I have a few conditions."

Amar was alarmed. "Conditions?" He knew her conditions won't be easy to accept.

---***---

Amar is so cunning, he should be in Slytherin.

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