Chapter 3

My mind was completely occupied with her voice, which reverberated in my name...

Akshay!! Akshay!!!,

Whenever she calls that, it's a cloud nine moment for me....
Now, I want to hear her calling me again....with the same enthusiasm and hidden love....

I don't know, when I leaned on the bed rest and fell asleep.....

My phone ringed to wake me up from the sleep....

Waking up, all the things came back to my mind...
Yamuna is missing, she is not in her home, neither had she reached me...
What's happening....???

I checked who has called me, keeping a hope that the call will be from someone with the information about her whereabouts......

It was from an unknown number,
I called back, not willing to take a risk....

"Akshay, where are you,"
Rekha's voice sounded irritated...

"In my hostel Rekha, any news about Yamuna....”

" You Just don't talk about her, stupid girl...
Taking foolish decisions....." Still her voice sounded irritated....

"Is she safe, where is she???" I asked praying god of gods that answer should be yes!!

"Ya ya, she is safe and sound..., you first come here....."
Hearing her, I inhaled the air deep and signed in a relief

"I will come to Hyderabad as soon possible, I guess still uncle is here in Chennai"

"For your information, he is still standing down there in your hostel entrance...., waiting for you...
Join him...
In next 10 hrs. you have to be here, I warn you about the consequences if not... "

"Ok Rekha,"
I know why Rekha is saying this,
She knows how much punctual I am!!

But not all the times...

In just two minutes, I washed my face and came down...

Yamuna's father gave me a smile and patted my shoulders...

Driver ignited the car...

My heart is still beating badly,
What is going to happen...?

Where she went for the full yesterday??

Already my mom knows that I love a girl and she is getting engaged to someone....
She first shouted at me, for not even fighting back for what I love....
She even had anger on Yamuna, as she blindly accepted the wish for her parents, not even making a step to explain her parents about her love....

As I was not sounding good, she asked me to come back to Pune where we reside....

But I decided not to leave the work not even for a day, which have the beautiful memories of her!!

I still can feel her voice, whenever I see my VNet.....

The moment, when her voice of professional changes to a sweet voice with love and care....
It was an awesome moment....

Though she haven't accepted, that she loved me...
Her voice I heard was more enough to say, how much she loved me....

I would have realized little earlier, before her bride seeing ceremony...
She would have realized little earlier,
Before I reached her....

Everything is messed up now...

A beautiful love story with "Happily Ever After" ending, is a dream which is not possible for all......

My eyes again brimmed with tears,

Where was she, the whole yesterday...
How Yamuna's father found about our love,

Mainly why Rekha called me, and she sounded angry and irritated...
Which is not a good sigh...

I took my phone, searched for Jayant number...

I messaged him a "Hi" in what's up...

It turned to double ticks.....

I was impatiently waiting for his reply, and 2 ticks changed to blue ticks after good one hr....

He replied with Hi...

"Where are you, are you with Yamuna?"

"I am in office" he replied...

What office in weekend...
That too in Sunday, not even a single application will work...

"Jayant, applications are downtime in Sunday" I replied him and waited for his reply...

He went offline in a second...

What's happening around.....

Something is wrong....

In few minutes, Yamuna's father turned facing me....

Yes uncle, I asked seeing him trying to say something....

"May I know about your family," he asked after a struggle of few minutes....

"Our orgin is from Hyderabad. But now me and mom alone staying in Pune, She is managing a marketing company at Pune itself and me working in an MNC company presently in Chennai...
We own a house in Pune"

I gave a quick introduction...

"About your father..." I expected this question...

"Father expired at my 18, as mom was experienced in marketing she took up the company......." I explained and he gave a satisfied smile....

After a few minutes of silence, he started saying....

"Our family is of 5 people,
I and Yamuna's mother are relatives.
Marrying her, I took the business my father in law was handling....

We are blessed with two girl children Ganga and Yamuna....
Ganga got married two years before....., she is handling a part of my business with her husband's support....

We don't have much close relatives, only person who stayed with our ups and down's is my best friend Ajay,

More than a business partner he stayed as a family member....

I felt happy when he proposed for the marriage between his only son and Yamuna....

I never had a thought that my daughter will also have a man in her mind....

I thought, she is a little girl still who ask us for every single decision....

She would have spoken with us, instead of giving us shock like this...."

I felt like interrupting him and ask what happened....

But he was in a flow of talking...

He continued” I will never say no to such a handsome boy for my daughter.... (There was a slow smile in his face)

Still I fear how my friendship with Ajay going to get turned in future after this day...
But I value my daughter's feelings more.....

I wish he will understand...." His face showed a hint of anguish......

Everything will be back to normal uncle, and she never expressed or talked about her love for me....

When I came to your home last week end, for the party you gave for your business friends, I confronted her about her feelings, she lied to me.....

She kept silent, hiding all her pain within herself.....

I know how much she loves her family"

His tears were threating his eye lids,

"She loves you so much," he said blinking his eyes, absorbing his tears back in....

"She never worded this to me Uncle...." Came my broken voice....

That's the end of the conversation....

We both stayed silent,
Reaching Hyderabad, my heart was going mad....

Uncle received a call,

He informed that we reached the Hyderabad and he became emotional hearing something....

I felt like, holding his hand and give him a hope that I will be with him to handle everything.....

I placed my hand on his and he smiled at my gesture....

Disconnecting the call, he slowly said
..

"It's Ajay", saying this his eyes clouded with tears...

"No uncle, everything will be back to normal...."

He gestured negatively, confusing me...

He wiped his tears off and gave a toothy smile.....

"He is waiting for me there....,
I have a hope he will forgive me....

"You did nothing wrong uncle," I gave him a strong word...Yes it's my mistake....

"No, I should have talked with her before giving word to him...."...

There occupied the silence again......

In next 30 minutes, we reached her home....

Fully decorated with flowers and color papers.....

We stepped in, as expected the whole gang was there.....

But Jayant and Yamuna are missing....

"Uncle hugged his friend,
Sorry ray, I should have spoken with her before giving the word....
Sorry for pushing you in the trouble,
Kindly forgive me and my family....."

Hearing the

"Will kill you, if you utter a word more...
First thing, it's not a mistake....
Actually, the engagement we planned is a big mistake....

But her friends saved us from that,

Till last minute, Yamuna was strong in keeping up the promise she made for her mother....
Her friends played the major role, and conveyed us in a gentle manner....

Yamuna is an angel of our family da,
We should keep her happy....

Second thing,
It's not your family, it's our family...."

Uncle again hugged Ajay uncle...

"Thanks ray," his voice broken out with tears....

I stood there,
Unable to understand, how all this happened...
Where is Yamuna...?
Where was she yesterday....
Yamuna's friend explained Ajay uncle, what that was....
And what Yamuna promised her mother.....

"Ahhh, I feel dizzy already....." I thought......

Next shock came in Xylo.......

My mom, when she came from Pune...

"Maa," my words died seeing her angry looks....

She went to Rekha, and asked who is Yamuna's father and mother in the crowd...
Rekha showed them....

Yamuna's mother came next to uncle and my mom gently asked...

"I know I have an idiot son, who never made a step for his love...
But see I came this long for my daughter in law...
Please give your daughter as my daughter in law...
And I promise that, I will broke his bones, if he miss to take care of her..."

She said the last line, eyeing me...

A hint of fear formed in the pit of my stomach....

She will do things which she promise...

Uncle and aunt nodded in happiness....

Uncle said,
"I trust my son in law and don't call him idiot, he is such an adorable man who respected my daughter's decision....."

Thank God at least I have a person who supports me...., I signed in a relief...

All planned to have dinner together...
But still Yamuna and Jayant is missing....

I came in the side room, dialing Yamuna's number...
Before it ringed, someone grabbed the phone from my hand....

The whole gang including Jayant was standing there, having a hint of anger....
That's it, unable to hold the things in mind anymore...

I worded that out
"Guys what's happening here, where is my Yamuna, and what does Ajay uncle mean by saying, "Yamuna's friends saved us", mainly what promise did my Yamuna made......,"

"Speak up guys, my head is hurting much....." My foot gave up and I sat in floor with thud....

With the same serious face, they stood around me forming a circle.....

I thought, they going to give me a "Hand" to help me to get up....

Ya, they gave a hand, not to support but to beat....

They beat me as much as they can, in spite of my stop, save me, it's enough, and I am sorry ext. ext.....

But their punches and slaps haven't stopped...., until that beautiful laugh vibrated in the room......

I turned to see her, laughing at "us"...
No no she is laughing at me......

As they stopped, I took that chance to escape from that circle....

Her smiled dropped as she saw me straight.....

I found my mom standing behind her....

"Guys why you stopped, he deserves more...
Beat him...."

My already paining shoulders and neck cried Nooo...

"Ma, are you my mother or someone else...." I asked holding my paining hand, which felt like broken.....

"I am this sweet hearts mother in law not some stupid’s mother...."

"Maaaa..." I yelled as Jayant chained his right hand around my already damaged neck....

"Don't think much, first persuade your angry lover...
Then you have to answer our questions...

Then we will "think" about giving explanations you were asking for....."

"You too da...?" I gave a helpless look....

He shook his head negatively and left along with others including my mom....

She is standing there silently.....
I reached her and pulled her into my arms.....
I felt her crying silently.....

"Sorry ma...." I murmured near her ears....

She pushed me away...

"Your sorry is not accepted and I am not going to forgive you....."

Again I tried grabbing her arms, she stepped back making my attempts fail....

"How dare you left me?
If I say no, how can you leave me....?
You idiot haven't even tried to fight for me...." She folded her hands and turned away from me....

I know she will be saying this point.....
I hugged her from behind, she stood there not opposing.....

"There is always a truth in every girl’s life Yamuna ma..."

She titled her face to look through my eyes.....

“She can't choose love she has for HER MAN and HER FAMILY in a radio button option......
Because she consider her future 40 yrs. with her man and her past 21 yrs. with her parents equally....
My mom and dad opposed their family and got married 25 yrs. ago....,
Still mom has no contact with her family, though she is not expressing it out...
Someone times, I find her crying alone with the photo of her family......
I never wished to give that pain for you....
When I saw your family on that day, the way they were rejoicing the moment "Friendship" getting a new name in "Relationship", I stopped myself from talking to your father.....
I missed you so much, it hurtled badly when I saw your name with someone....
But my pain of love which I had for months, will be nothing compared to the pain of love they had for years and years.....
I even imagined that, my life is going to take a bad turn after your marriage.....

But haven't expected these sweet twist and turns....
Somewhere my love is lucky and survived....."

Her face bloomed with a sweet smile and she looked at my face with lots of emotions....

In a second she moved out of my hold....

Her smile, her eyes and the love filled air around us tempted me to say that 3 words.... "I Love You"

But I want to make that moment special in her life time.....

Silence which was building a tension of expressing, dense as seconds run.....

"Sorry", her words came breaking the dense.....

Yamuna P.O.V.

I was angry on him, for not fighting for me....
The whole week I was expecting him to take some step....
But he disappointed me with his silence....

My every ounce of anger, which his silence created, got dissolved in every single word he spoke now.....

I know his love for me through his eyes....
But today his words proved his respect for me....
And I found a wonderful human in him, in the way he understood the pain of a girl who stands between love and family....

I am the luckiest one in the world, I can say that proud and aloud to the world.....

But, before that I should apologize to him...for deciding to leave him and everyone......

Sorry I spelled...

Hearing my sorry, he stared through my eyes!!!

I held his hands into mine,

"You know, I missed your voice "I slowly whispered....
No no his staring eyes, controlled my loud vocal...

"I thought I will miss you forever" his deep low voice reached my ears....

"Forever, I will be with you...
No more missing" I spoke guiding his hands around my waist...
He happily took me into his arms...

Even I thought I will miss him forever...
I pressed my forehead in his heart, to make sure not even a second I leave his warmth.....

“Ohoooo” Some loud shout, made us jerk from our place....

Turning to the source of sound, we found the whole gang there...
_________________

What actually happened....
What miracle joined this couple.....

In next few hours
stay connected.....

Ezhilharish