Essence Of Life

Chapter 1

Thank you everyone for the kind words in the previous chapter.

This chapter is dedicated to my loving Nemo who should stay safe and healthy until I go and bring him home.

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Rishikesh exhaled his breath loudly as he paced in front of his family. He narrowed his eyes at his sister and sister-in-law when Illakiya whispered to Vaishnavi. Illakiya swallowed her saliva while Vaishnavi gave him a slightly affronted look as she held Illakiya's hands.

" Rishi..." Lakshmi said in a soft tone,wincing slightly as Rishikesh turned his angry eyes at Lakshmi who shuffled her feet and looked away.

Rishikesh's eyes widened. His eyebrows drawed together as his mouth parted slightly. He looked at his father who scratched the back of his neck and turned away while his eldest brother Pradush looked at him defiantly, clenching his hands together. Rishikesh exhaled his breath loudly and shook his head in despair.

" Seriously...you all were involved !?" Rishikesh stated in an exasperated tone, throwing his hands up in the air as he let out short, angry breaths.

" It's not like that Rishu...Circumstances and Ani himself told that it was a prank," Pradush said, biting his inner cheek as he clenched his fist together; eyes squinting at his brother.

Rishikesh scoffed and raised his eyebrows. " Prank? Really so the children ? They were what April Fool joke?" Rishikesh asked, crossing his hands over his shoulder as he stared at Pradush who promptly looked away.

" We didn't know that they slept together!" Illakiya burst out. Laksmi sighed and shook her head while Ravi narrowed his eyes at his daugther-in-law and daugther.

" Shiva told us...Something happened nu...Illakiya, you and Pradush insisted all that happened was a prank and in away just to save her from that other guy..." Ravi said, folding his hands on his chest.

" Shiva was too overprotective of her appa...Even Usha attai thought it was him, she was having an affair with remember...Ani too had a screaming match with Shiva accusing the same of him," Pradush said, clenching his jaws tightly.

Rishikesh shook his head exasperatedly. He raised his eyebrows at his eldest brother.

" Really Anna ? What I don't get here is that the bloody thali is a joke...Ani shouted at Shiva saying that he had an affair with his own sister -"

" - cousin," Illakiya chimed in a quiet but resolute voice, staring at Rishikesh who shook his head and cleared his throat.

" - Right, cousin. Not to mention, thick friends became enemy and oh yes a child that scowls exactly like Anirudh !" Rishikesh said, looking pointedly at his sister in law.

Lakshmi shook her head as she let out a small shocked sound and slumped on the bed. Ravi sighed and walked over to the dresser and brought back a glass of water to his wife, who held his hands tightly as they stared into each others eyes before Lakshmi tentatively took a sip of the water.

The group raised their eyes as the door knob opened and Anirudh strode inside confidently. Rishikesh raised his eyebrows seeing their family lawyer walking behind Anirudh while Ravi furrowed his eyebrows and Lakshmi turned pale and clenched her husband's hands.