Riya was fighting with every bone in her body not to cry in front of him, but she failed miserably.
Mugil, who had always maintained an emotionless demeanour, was now unable to conceal his emotions.
Meet Mugil, the CEO of MD International Realtors...
When Riya arrived at Anu's house, she was greeted by the security guard. Even though she was not a frequent visitor, the guards recognized her as their boss's friend. She walked into the living room and was taken aback by what she saw. Dev was seated on a couch, allowing his daughter to practise her makeup skills on his face. Dev's face was glittered, powdered, flushed, contoured, and painted many colours, making him seem hilarious. Dev's expression, on the other hand, was devoid of any resentment or displeasure. He allowed Shree, his three-year-old daughter, to test her makeup expertise. Riya just saw an amusing and adorable Father-Daughter duo who reminded her of the loving Dad who will do whatever to make his little girl happy. Riya was savouring the moment by keeping her chuckle in check. Anu, who had been in the kitchen, walked into the living room and was taken aback to see Riya standing there at such a late hour.
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When Anu invited Riya inside, both Dev and baby Shree sensed her presence.
"Wow, Riya, what a surprise! Why are you standing at the door? Please come in. "Dev invited her.
"What's going on here?" Riya inquired, amusement on her face.
"Oh, these kids here. He is Shree's equal. Both of them are ruining the house. They're not going to listen to me." Anu spoke as though this was a common occurrence in their home. "But, they are adorable; Isn't it?" Riya commented. "Yeah, I know. You came at the perfect timing. Come, let's have dinner first." Anu dragged Riya to the Dining table. "You guys start, I already had. Let me wait in the living." Riya excused herself hesitatingly. "What's the issue, Riya? Is everything fine?" Anu felt that something was off in Riya's mood.
"Nothing, Anu. It was a long time; just I came to catch up with you." She managed to tell. "At least have some milk; we'll discuss this later. I know you, girl; Something is not right. You are staying here today, dot." Anu said with fake anger. "And you two babies, clean up and come, "Anu ordered Dev and Shree. Anu persuaded Riya to eat a little despite her protests. Shree was being fed by Dev. Riya's heart was filled with nothing but warmth after visiting their home. Sometimes all we need is someone's presence, and our hearts would dilate with joy. After dinner, they were sitting in the living and watching TV. Anu was observing Riya's face for any clues, while Dev and Shree were in their own world. Shree was certainly a daddy's girl. Anu always complains that Dev is spoiling Shree. Like she figured out something, Anu exclaimed, "Let me guess, did your parents ask you to marry someone?" "Nope," Riya denied. "Oh, did they fix the marriage already?" "Anuuu.." Riya got tense. "Okay, okay, cool. Why are you grumpy, then?" "He is here," Riya murmured. "Who?" Anu raised her eyebrows. "Mugil. He is in India. I met him today." Riya muttered under her breath. Dev who was playing with Shree was also stunned for a while. Then Riya explained everything that happened in the restaurant and his company's flower order. Dev already knew about Mugil's yearly visits, but he had never seen him face to face. Mugil's sudden interaction with Riya brought so many thoughts to Dev's mind. "Is he trying to compromise with us, " he thought to himself. Anu was in her deep thoughts. Riya observed the couple and got befuddled. "Guys, tell me something," she whispered. To ease the awkwardness, Dev said, "Why he is here when his business is in the UK?" Hearing him, Anu stood in front of him with her hands on her hips and indicated, "Mister, don't think I don't know anything. I knew all your secret stalking."
Dev got startled for a moment. "Who is stalking whom. What are you blabbering, Anu?" Dev managed to tell? "I knew everything, Dev; You are secretly watching Mugil's every move. Sorry, you are enjoying his victory, right!" Anu said with a teasing smile. Dev now understood that Anu told only after the clear confirmation. Like asking a sorry, he mimicked doing a thoppukaranam. (A/N: Thoppu Karanam is performing the prayer before Lord Ganesh by holding the hands crosswise across the breast with the fingers holding the earlobes and bending down and then getting up. This is performed several times by Lord Ganesha devotees. It is practiced by Ganesha devotees especially in South India. Occasionally, people do that to apologize.)
Anu twisted his ears like punishing him for hiding things from her. Dev felt nothing other than Anu's understanding nature. If this situation didn't arise, she would have never asked him this. He cupped her face and admired, "You know me, dear inside and outside. I didn't mean to hide. Just I was a bit screwy." Anu pinched his nose and said, "You are perfect, you can't hate him; That's the truth." Both were hugging and admiring each other. This was all new information for Riya. "Guys, I am here. Continue your romance later." Riya cleared her throat. Both Dev and Anu got embarrassed for getting lost in front of Riya. Anu gave a cheeky grin. "What I am supposed to do, Anu. I am confused," Riya expressed her concern. Now it is Dev who answered her. "Riya, he is visiting India every year for my mother's death anniversary and paying tribute to her secretly. But he never revealed his presence. If he is ready to talk with you, then he must have thought of sorting things out." "What is there to sort, Sir. I lost faith in him. I can't trust him anymore." Riya was perplexed was an understatement. Anu calmed her down and patiently explained."Riya, we're all aware that Mugil was wrong at the time. To be honest, I was shaken to the core. As my own brother, I put my trust in him. However, he ruined the relationship. Maybe he's sorry for his mistakes. At the very least, we should pay attention to what he's saying. I'm not advising you to forgive him for leaving you. At least, we'll be able to sort things out. No one is at peace, as you can see. Dev is someone I know. He believes that he is to blame for Mugil's behaviour. Many problems can be solved if we all speak up. Listen, meet him for business reasons. Just listen to him if he initiates a talk. He might have something to tell." "I also feel like that, " Dev butted in and said his opinion. "I don't know what to tell; I am meeting him. Not because I know him. It's a good business deal." Riya consoled herself. "That's my girl. Don't squeeze your brain with so many thoughts. Just take this lightly. Meet him tomorrow, and I want a clear update afterwards." Anu comforted Riya. Riya was perplexed when she arrived, but after speaking with Anu, she felt at ease and returned home with a light heart.
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"My belated New year wishes, Friends." I wish everyone a happy and prosperous new year. If you like this chapter, please vote, comment, and share.
