Raghuram Pasupuleti was surely a good father. He always strives for his family and his children's fortune. Even though Laya is his second brother's daughter…. He loved her like his own. She studied well, made him proud, and always has an idea of standing on her own feet. If it were his daughter's or his son's they would have asked the details of the property he has to give. But she kept silent for the past fifteen years not asking for a single penny.
She only takes the monthly allowance, if needed more she would call him and ask for the money she needed. But again she never omits why she needs the money. She always asks only if she needs for project work or needs to go out shopping with her friends or to pay fees. He wondered why she wasn't his biological daughter many times, but that doesn't make him feel she was someone else's daughter.
From the past few days, he could sense the change of behavior in his youngest brother. He knew him very well, he neither can hurt him nor laya. So… marrying her off was the best thing for him.
Her smiles cheered his day. The way she calls him a dad, and his wife as a mom, these things would make his day. During her childhood, she would accompany him to the farm and after they migrated to Hyderabad she accompanied him to the office. He laughed at the memories of her bossing his servants for serving him the wrong tea. The servants were scared of Laya but not of Raghuram. He smiled at those beautiful memories. But when he realized that she was going to leave them…. His eyes watered.
But he can't be soft. He should be stern and stone-hearted. "Laya… I know you don't like it. But the guy is a good man. And he likes you. And your brother is their partner," Raghuram said.
"Daddy, you are selling me off for brother's business," Laya said in a small voice, making him widen his eyes.
Raghuram never thought his words would be interpreted in this way. He lifted his head and looked at her petite face. He could see a tear making down its way from her cheeks. He felt his heart breaking into a million pieces. Raghuram wanted to go near her and wanted to say he won't let this marriage happen. This is for her own good, he can't be soft-hearted. Yes! She will cry for a few days after that everything will be fine.
But was this really for her own good? Only he knew it well.
"Laya… think whatever you want. This is my responsibility. I am fulfilling it. I can't look after you for a long time. If it's my daughter… I would have married her when she was eighteen years old. I don't want you to feel wrong, that's why I gave you time to study and do whatever you want for three years. Now… I did what Í have to do. It's your time to fulfill your duties as a daughter." Raghuram said in an emotionless voice making her eyes widened in shock.
Laya looked at him with her big almond-shaped eyes which were filled with shock. She never thought her father always thought she was a burden to them. Laya thought that there was no difference between her and his daughters. So… this was how everyone treated her all along. In the end… she was an orphan. She felt a sharp knife being stabbed into her heart. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Since she was a burden to them… she has to free them from their burdens.
"I will marry," she said as she tried her best not to choke out.
"That's good," Raghuram said, ignoring her sobbings.
"These boxes are jewelry for you. Check them once," he said.
Laya stood rooted not intending to check. "Check!" he shouted, making her flinch in fear. Laya opened them with her shaky hands and saw there are ornaments with Rubies, pearls, red corals, green emeralds, yellow sapphire, diamonds, blue sapphires. There were seven sets. She knew what these are… seven-week ornaments. And there was another complete set… which was completely made of gold only.
Laya knew her family was rich. And her father's shares were one-third of their family business. She knew these were made from those shares. And in the Pasupuleti family, she is the richest one. Because only she never used a single penny from those savings. All her accounts were handled by her peddananna. Her youngest uncle tried to do money laundering from her accounts but was caught by her peddananna.
"These are the documents of the shares that belonged to your father. I transferred them into your names. And all the income that was earned from your father's shares is stored in this bank account. In the future… they will be stored there only. These are the account details and the card for it. From the money, I bought a house for you in Banjara hills. You can check it when you have time.
"I brought it there because your soon-to-be husband's family asked for it there. I am afraid that they will take advantage of you after you get married. So… I made a deal with them. The dowry which we accepted to give them would be registered on your name," he said to her as if he did a great thing for her while pushing a stack of documents.
Laya wondered what happened to her father. If he was afraid that someone would take advantage of her, then he should be afraid of himself. The moment he agreed to this marriage he already took advantage of her. And now he was afraid of her being taken advantage of. She felt like she was hearing a joke.
"You may leave," he said.
"Dad… you can keep these things with you. Take this as compensation for bearing me all these years. Let's not owe each other anymore," Laya said and got up from her seat intending to leave this toxic room.
Ch-6Raghuram was shocked. Shocked was an understatement. He was stunned. He never expected Laya would say something like this. He looked at her in shock.Slowly, understanding entered his eyes. "I never spent a single penny on you. Everything… I gave you and you enjoyed it all from your father's shares only. And I took some money from his account when I needed it. I guess everything got tallied to it. No need to give these to me. You don't owe me anything. Go now and rest," he said to her.Laya wanted to say something but she felt her eyes welled with tears, she knew she couldn't hold them anymore. She clutched her documents tightly and walked out.Sharada was waiting for Laya outside the study. But Laya was in a hurry to leave the room and didn't see Sharada waiting for her. She went directly to her room and closed the door with a bang.She turned off the lights and laid on the bed, burying her face in the pillow. Tears streamed out of her eyes like a waterfall, under the pale moonl
Raghuram knew he cannot live without saying a single thing to his wife."Hubby… you can still stop this, you know this right?" Sharada said to Raghuram."Wifey… you know I won't stop this, right?" he said to her."I just hope you won't regret this," Sharada said her last piece of thing and closed her eyes.Raghuram wanted to hug Sharada in his sleep but she didn't let him touch her. Sharada knew very well that Raghuram cannot sleep without hugging her. In the past, they used to make love almost every day. Even though he was rude many times, she kept her self-respect aside and gave importance to him. Slowly… he fell for her. There was a woman in his life… but he never said anything about her to Sharada. She never asked him, as it turned into his once upon a time story.They grew closer and their relationship turned pure. But no matter what and how much she tried even after these many years… she felt she didn't know him. And that pure little girl's life became a deal to him. She just ho
"What happened?" Rahul asked, clenching his fists.His handsome face filled with worry, concern, and anger. And of course, it would. If not…, how could he take it? His soon-to-be wife was lying lifeless on the bed, keeping the engagement ceremony in an hour. An IV drip was attached to her left wrist, her face paled with exhaustion. He remembered her smiling and chirpy behavior. He couldn't bear to look at her like this.His opal eyes filled with concern; his lips tugged downwards in happiness… when the realization hit him. Her family wasn't taking good care of her, anger aroused in his veins as he felt anger at their lack of caring towards her, making him clench his hands into a tight ball. His eyes were turning sharper and dangerous as seconds passed, his tall nose flaring red with anger as he gazed at her limp body. And one could see everything that he felt was all due to the love and concern he has towards her."This little girl… is going on interviews after interviews without cari
Ch-9"Never in my life," Rahul's straightaway reply came out of his mouth.Who does he think he was to order him to cancel his marriage with his future wife. He would make sure that she would belong to him and he would show her proudly to the world as his. He wanted to claim her in front of the world and make this world jealous of him.And Also he wanted to pamper her, shower her with his love and make her drown in his world. He wants to make her the queen of his world and give his heart to her to control him and his heart. Never in this life nor in the afterlife he wants to leave her. He just doesn't want to live with her but become her life, her soul, and her breath. He felt like he would die if he waited for her more. This would do, right?Maybe or maybe not be. Even if it doesn't he will make sure she would fall for him after their marriage. He knew she didn't have a boyfriend. But he will be her boyfriend, husband, friend, and everything she wants in this life except her brother.
Ch-10"The literal thing. I asked you to cancel the engagement, not the marriage," he said with a sigh making Rahul frown."What do you mean, Arjun?" he asked."She is not in the position to wake up and attend the ceremony. And in the olden days, there is nothing called engagement. Both sides of the family exchange Thamboolam and the presence of the bride and groom are just for show. I guess we have to go with that," Arjun said.[Thamboolam: In south Indian culture, there is no concept of a wedding. They exchange a plate filled with betel leaves. The groom's side would exchange the plate with saree, betel leaves, betel nuts, flowers, coconut, any kind of fruits, flowers, bangles, red turmeric, and turmeric. While the bride side would give the same betel leaves, betel nuts, a kind of fruit, silk dhoti, and red turmeric. This segment means fulfilling the ceremony of engagement. The exchanging of rings was never a real segment. From what my parents said they give them as gifts in the mar
Ch-11"Your dad is dead and will never wake up,""You are an orphan,""You are unlucky girl,""You are a bad omen,""She should be thrown somewhere,""She is such a bad luck attracter,""You little bitch get out of here,""She should be killed,""NO! NO! STOP IT! DAD! DAD! WHERE ARE YOU!?""DAD!! DAD!!"Laya sat up straight at the nightmare she got. Indeed, it's not a nightmare but a memory of her childhood.She tried to run her hand through her hair but something tugged her. She saw a drip was connected to the back of her right palm. She sighed as she remembered the incidents that happened in the morning. When she got to know that it's her engagement, she fell unconscious. She only remembered her brother carrying her to her room or one of the rooms in the mansion.She removed the needle as the drip was empty. Laya smiled bitterly when she realized there was no one for her to remove the drip after it got emptied. Trying to ignore the pain that was rising in her chest, she walked towar
Ch-12Maha Lakshmi gave it to me when her husband intervened."Son, there is an auspicious time in another hour," the old pandit said. He looked like he was in his nineties or eighties.Laya wondered how he was still holding on with that much age."Since we have fixed the auspicious time. Shall we start the segment? Get my future-daughter-in-law ready?" Maha Lakshmi said."Aunt, but Rahul is not here," Durga tried to say."It doesn't matter," Maha Lakshmi said."But you didn't let the segment happen when my sister is absent, Aunt!" Abhinav almost yelled at her.Maha Lakshmi looked at him with a frown as he raised his voice at her."Abhinav…" Laya's weak voice could be heard in the silent room where a storm was brewing. Her voice attracted the commotion. Maha Lakshmi looked at her with displeasure."It's my fault. You shouldn't yell at aunt. It's just wearing a saree and adorning a few ornaments. No big deal. And it's one of the biggest days in my life. I will get ready. Before that… a
Ch-13Laya sat on her bed as thought about the things that happened to her. Her mother-in-law looked like a devil. She can remember those evil mothers-in-law from that kind of telugu serials. As for her father-in-law he looked kind but powerless in front of her mother-in-law. As for the groom… he looked like a perfect jerk or maybe not.From what her mother-in-law said…. She stopped the segment due to her absence but she didn't do the same during her son's absence. She can imagine her life in her in-law's house. A sneer formed on her lips at the bitter life she was going to have. She was fretting whether she should trust her brother or not or run away.If she has a mother or father or a brother who are related to her biologically, she would not have to go through this situation. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she thought about this. Who would support her from now on? She would be given with respect based on the dowry she takes. And adding to the point she takes 1/3rd portion of sha