Chapter 37 - Lasya sees the painting

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Navaratri: An Indian festival in the honour of supreme mother Goddess.

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"Hello Vennu baby. How was your Kerala trip?" Lasya asked Vennela.

"You're in Hyderabad? Why?" Vennela asked her.

"To meet you, of course. I'm on vacation. The Navaratri starts this Friday" said Lasya.

"Navaratri? Why didn't anyone tell me? Who will make all the arrangements for pooja?" Vennela panicked.

"I made all the arrangements. Amma instructed me through video call. She asked me to keep the pooja simple this time." Anirudh welcomed her inside.

Surya waved at Vennela. "Hello Vennela. How are you?"

"I'm good bava garu." She asked a servant to offer refreshments to the guests. "You met Prakash uncle and Nanditha aunty?" 

"Yes. He still hasn't forgiven me for stealing his daughter away. Thank God, he didn't hit me." Surya smiled. "Hey Amar. How are you man?" 

"Fine bro." They exchanged fist bumps.

"What are you two doing here? Don't you have to study for exams?" Vennela asked Rishi-Raj.

"Exams are two weeks away" said Raj.

"Engineering students open text books only a day before the exam" said Rishi.

"You should see Shruthi akka. She is wasting time binge watching TV shows" Raj sat down beside Vennela.

"Rishikesh and Rajat. You are in first year. You can enjoy once you are in second year. Study well now" said Vennela.

"Who are Rishikesh and Rajat?" Amar asked her.

"We" said Raj pointing at himself and Rishi. "You don't know our full names?"

"Of course, I know. I just forgot." Amar lied. He never knew Rishi and Raj are short forms of their full names.

"How could you forget? After all the things we have been through." Rishi faked hurt. 

"You two have peculiar names..."

"Lasya akka. Take me to my room. Their funny fights will take a lot of time. They met after two weeks" said Vennela. Lasya took her to her room. 

"It's too cool. Give me my gloves. They are in the closet." Vennela pointed at the closet. Lasya went to get the gloves. She observed a painting hidden behind the closet. She pulled it out.

"Vennu. This is beautiful. Who made this?" Lasya pointed at the painting.

"It's nothing. Put it away. Did you get my gloves?" Vennela tried to change the topic.

"You made this. Didn't you? I recognize your style. I like the theme. So simple. Yet so impressive. Who did you paint this for?" 

"Don't tell anyone. Promise me you won't." Vennela forwarded her hand. Lasya placed her palm on Vennela's and promised her.

"I wanted to surprise Amar with this painting. The couple is the painting is us. He gave me lotus flowers the day after our wedding." Vennela blushed.

"How romantic!" Lasya exclaimed. "What is this doing behind the closet then?"

"Actually, I wanted to confess my feelings by gifting this painting. I even prepared a speech."

"What stopped you?" 

"I ended up quarreling with him which resulted in this accident. If only the accident didn't happen. I would have told him how much I love him." Vennela smiled sadly.

"Tell him now." Lasya urged her.

"Not now. I vowed to tell him the day I recover completely." Vennela announced.

"That day isn't far away." Lasya squeezed her hand.

"Lasya, your phone's ringing--wow, such a wonderful painting!" Surya, the art lover, admired the painting.

"Vennela, is this yours? Of course, it will be. Lasya told me, you took art classes. This looks like it has been made by a professional. Why don't you paint more often? We can put them in art exhibition. I keep organizing such things along with my friends whenever I find free time. Just give it a try." Surya suggested.

"Well, I just paint for fun. I can't do it out of compulsion. I never really considered this" said Vennela.

"Vennela, please don't get me wrong. But, painting will keep you occupied. You will never feel bored if you work on something you like. You will feel the difference in a single day. Art is like meditation. It has the power to rejuvenate. Think once again" said Surya.

Vennela was in deep thought. She remembered the church Father's words. "I think you are right. I feel bored sleeping all the day. I'll see if I can."

"Good girl" said Lasya. "We need to leave. Will meet you again, later."

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"Painting is a very difficult job. You will be tired." Amar didn't like the idea.

"No. It will only make me feel better. What is the problem with me painting? My head injury is almost cured. My right hand is also completely normal." Vennela lifted her arm.

"You have to sit for hours and hours. Your back will ache." Amar voiced his concern.

"Who's going to sit for hours? I will only work for one hour a day. You talk as if I'm making a hundred art works in a single day. I will just make one or two." Vennela clarified.

"Promise me. No more than two."

"Promise. Now take me out for shopping. I need to buy paints and brushes." Vennela gave him a huge list of things she needed.

She spent two hours selecting colors. Amar didn't even know the names of half the colors she bought. He wrote it down for future reference. After buying everything they need, they returned home.

Amar arranged the board in such a way that she could work on the canvas sitting on her bed. "Start." He said.

"Start? This is not homework. I need inspiration" said Vennela.

"Inspiration? Shall I play music?" He unlocked his phone and played a song.

"I don't get inspired by this. I need something else. Something that gives me a reason to express my feelings on the canvas. Something that soothes me. Something that makes me forget myself and get immersed in it." Vennela explained.

"In short, you need me." Amar grinned. "I am the only thing that suits all the above mentioned requirements."

"You?" 

"Yes. Try looking into my eyes. I bet you can't take your eyes off me." He winked at her.

She avoided looking into his eyes. She knew she would lose herself in those beautiful brown orbs. She remembered how she felt the last time she looked into his eyes. It was in Kochi, when she thanked him by embracing him.

"That's it!" She exclaimed. 

"What?"

"I know what to paint." She started working on a painting with a woman in a wheelchair holding a man's hand, as he knelt beside her, looking at her with eyes full of adoration. The backdrop contained a beautiful house.

She drew the outline when the alarm went off. "That's all for today. You need to rest" said Amar. She wiped her hands and went to bed. 

She took several days to complete two paintings. The second painting has a woman posing as warrior, shielding a man from a group of goons. 

"Finished? Let me see the painting." Amar was dying to see it. But, Vennela didn't let him see. She promised to show it once it is complete.

"Wait for five minutes" said Vennela.

"This is unfair. I have been helping you by adjusting the paint board and mixing colors. I want to see it right now." Amar demanded.

"Okay. Close your eyes." Vennela grinned.

Amar closed his eyes. Vennela dipped each finger in a different color and applied it to his cheeks.

"Best painting ever" She remarked.

Amar looked at himself in the mirror. He turned around with an evil expression on his face.

"Amar! No" Vennela tried to hide the paints.

But Amar already dipped his hand in blue color and decorated her face. "Look. I made your face more beautiful. Thank me."

Vennela laughed. She took another bottle, but Amar snatched it and emptied it on her hands.

It was red color. Amar gasped. He wiped it off quickly. His hands were shivering. Vennela observed he had tears in his eyes. "Amar, what is it? Don't tell me you are scared of red color."

"It looked like blood." Amar could hardly speak. He sat down holding his head in his hands.

Vennela couldn't understand. "You are scared of blood?"

He didn't answer. He sat in that position for a very long time. "I didn't mean to hurt you Vennela." He said suddenly. "I didn't want this to happen. I would never have shouted at you if I knew this would happen. Seeing you in that condition was equal to dying a hundred deaths."

"Amar," she cupped his face, "I know how it feels. I have seen my father's dead body soaked in blood. My mother died in front of my eyes. I know how hard it is. I can understand what you must have felt seeing me like that. But, the only thing that matters is that I am fine. I'm alive because of your efforts to keep me alive. I think this is just one of those experiences which teach us a lesson. I have learnt not to leap to conclusions and think from others' perspective."

"And I have learnt to be honest. I will never break your trust. I promise." Amar wiped off the remaining color from her face.

Vennela looked at his deep brown eyes which held so much love for her. She pulled him closer and held his face. Amar smiled. He could hear his heart pound. She was about to press her lips to his cheek when they heard Anirudh calling them from the ground floor. "Anna, vadina, time for lunch. I made a pizza. Can't wait to put it on Instagram."

"Let's go and have lunch" said Vennela, hastily. She just realized what she was doing.

"Finish the unfinished task before going" said Amar.

"No. Pizza's waiting for me. Take me" said Vennela, moving away from him.

"That idiot brother of mine has the worst timing ever." Amar muttered.

---***---

Thank you. 














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