Chapter 49: chapter 49

CHAPTER-20SHIVA‘What you give a woman she gives it back in double amount.’A famous quote on the internet that I didn’t know worked in real life until today. My sisters are giving me a tough time. I have been pleading, apologizing and even begging them for the past four hours but no they are giving me the same treatment I gave them for the last few years. They are giving me the FREAKING cold shoulder. I fell on their feet. Yes, believe me even on Nithya's feet and nope they are hard-hearted like that.We are in Nithya's room and to be honest, this is the first time I am in her room. I am surprised to see posters of a boy band on the walls. When did my sister outgrow cartoons? Great! I have a lot to catch up with her. Both my sisters are sitting on the bed with identical frowns. I am seated in the study-table chair with a pleading look. But no matter how hard I plead, give my puppy dog eyes or pout, they are unfazed by it.Finally, after trying for a long time, I decide to let it cool. I can't expect my sisters to speak normally towards me after four to five years of brushing them off. It will take time and I will wait. But I miss them. I have missed the banter and teasing with my sisters for the last five years. “Okay, fine,” I tell frustrated. “Speak with me when you want to. I am sorry, okay. I messed things up. You have every right to be angry with me. Talk to me when you have completely forgiven me.” I get up from the chair and am about to leave the room when something soft hits the back of the head. I turn back and look down at the fallen pillow. I look up to see huge grins on my sisters' faces.DAMN IT! I should have known their plans.“How did your own medicine taste?” asks Swetha tossing a pillow at me.“Bitter and bad,” I telling taking the pillow and tossing it at Nithya. “Hey how dare you?” she shouts and throws another pillow back at me. Before I could take that pillow and toss it back, another pillow hits me. I look up to see Swetha’s wide grin and challenging look.Pillow fight. Yes, that was the best childhood game we three played. I grab both the pillows and toss them at them. But more pillows come at me. I laugh falling on the floor too happy to defend back. “Are you going to tell us what happened between you and your ex? Why did you break up?”I was hoping they didn’t ask that question. “My ex is my past. Why worry about her? When I think about it now, I realize I took an adolescent crush seriously and believed it was love.”“So, you are not going to tell us?”“No that is a secret I will take to my grave,” I say.🍀🍀🍀🍀Laughter fills the house. I watch Gowri as she plays with my nephew Arun in the living room. I am sitting at the dining table and I have a good view of her. Nithya and Gowri had somehow become good at entertaining the toddler.Gowri’s face crinkles in laughter and her face is joyful. Her laughter sound brings me joy and I am smiling like an idiot. I  couldn’t take my eyes off her as she keeps making funny faces to make Arun laugh. I am so engrossed in watching her that I don’t notice my mother sitting beside me until I hear her speak.“She is a good girl. Never miss her,” she tells. I snap out of my trance and turn to find my mother grinning at me. Her looks say I-know-you-were-ogling-at-her.“Why did you choose her?” I ask curiously.“I already told you I choose her because she makes great coffee,” my mother tells.“Ma, I am serious. Why her?”“Honestly Shiva, no idea. When I first saw her profile on the site, I had a gut feeling that this will happen. Though at that time I wasn't sure what feeling it was. So, I decided to meet her and her family. I send your bio data but you know I actually changed your salary and position of you in the company.”I gasp at my mother, “Wait, you mean Gowri didn't know what my salary was or the fact that I own this company before the marriage?”My mother nods her head with a guilty look, “You know before Gowri, I met two other girls for your marriage and they were only keen on your salary. I was sick of that. I wanted a daughter-in-law who will love you and not your money. So, I changed those. But I informed her parents about your real salary when Gowri agreed for the marriage.”“There is more to the story,” I say looking at the guilty look on my mother's face. “Spit it out.”She gives a tentative smile and continues, “Have I told you how Gowri received us? She had no idea who we were. In fact, she had just risen up and we went knocking on the door. She welcomed us warmly though she had no idea who we were. She assumed that we were some distance relatives. It was kind of amusing to see her be herself instead of trying to impress me. But I was impressed by her attitude. But when I met her parents, I realised that her family has so many old fashioned notions and Gowri was against it.“Now, you know how those annoys me. I knew at that moment that Gowri would become my daughter-in-law. After confessing your salary and who you were, her parents were stumped as I thought. I put three conditions for this marriage to happen.”“Conditions?” I ask bewildered. Why does my marriage revolve around conditions. Conditions that I never know.My mother gives a chuckle, “Yes. Condition number one is that her parents were not allowed to tell your real salary or your original position to Gowri. Second condition was that they must ask Gowri to tranfer to Chennai instead of making her quit the job which was their original idea. Third condition was no matter how much you earn, if Gowri wanted to work then she can and her parents must not poke their nose in her career descions.” I stare at mom. “So, you didn’t actually find me a suitable bride but instead you found her a suitable groom?” I ask.My mother laughs, “Come on, she did fix your broken heart. Didn’t she? Something none of us could do.”My jaw opens in shock as her words register in my mind. Broken Heart!“You know about my love story and my love failure?” I ask wide eyed.“Yes,” my mother says. “Just like how I know you and Gowri  are acting before us.”I am sure my jaw had hit the floor in shock and horror. “We..a..are..no,” I start but I shake my head. There is no use denying it, “How did you know?”“I have my own ways, Shiva. I don’t know why you both are acting but she is a good girl. Sometimes, destiny has other plans for us. Whatever it is, remember love cannot be forced.”I am still staring at my mother. She gives me a smile before whispering, “She fixed your heart. It is your turn to liberate hers.”🍀🍀🍀🍀