The Normal Family

A Forbidden Love

Sreeja's POV

I wanted to prove that I could be cool as well. So when everyone was having dinner I announced that I drank alcohol at my friend's birthday party. Obviously it wasn't true, but it was believable. To my shock everybody started laughing instead. Was it that unbelievable?

I was extremely upset and was crying in my room when Sharada entered. "Why are you crying" she asked mockingly. "Is it because, no one yelled at you?" You won't understand, everyone in school thinks I am a geek, even people at home can't believe I can do cool stuff. I want to prove that I can be cool, but however hard I try I am not able to." I said. "Why didn't you come to me I can teach you how to be cool, I am really good at it." she said. 

"You should keep looking at your phone during dinner, like how my brother and I do." Sharada instructed. I did that even though nobody had texted me, as usual. As a return she asked me to do her maths homework everyday, I didn't mind as I enjoyed doing maths. 

Srihari's POV

In school, I saw Pallavi in the canteen during lunch break. She was sitting alone so I had a chance to talk to her without interruption. I started the conversation by saying "We met yesterday right?" "Yes" she said with excitement. I pulled up a chair and sat. We soon started talking about our lives. Hers seemed to suck, much more than expected. Not only was her father in prison, but her mother or step mother did not give a damn about her.

The more I spoke to her, the more I started liking her, I wanted to bring some happiness into her life. We started talking to each other regularly over that week. My friend Satish teased me  "Wow you got a girlfriend, congratulations." "Why did you have to settle for that weird broke girl, I thought you were worth more." Tanisha asked in her usual haughty manner. "She is a sweet girl, I love spending time with her." I replied. Over one of our conversations I came to know that she had wanted to have pani puri from the stand near our school ever since she was a child. Her stepmother had never allowed that and soon that childhood wish just faded away.

I felt really bad, I have never been denied anything in life, I wanted to fulfill her wish. I asked her if she will be going out anywhere today, she said she will be going to the same police station where we had met, to see her father. I told her we could meet at our first meet up spot. I also told her, I had a surprise for her. She agreed.

Narrator's POV

That Friday, Akhila had to inspect that station once again as there was a lot of pending cases she was very irritable the whole day and had vented out her anger on many people. Srihari came early to that meet up spot and was waiting for Pallavi. One beaten up prisoner named Hussain, who was arrested for eve teasing, and had been kept there for a long time, noticed him. "Are you going to interrogate that young boy as well, he has been standing there for quite a long time." he said to sub inspector Prem. "Shut up, that is Akhila madam's son, he probably came here to see her."

"No I was roaming around here last Friday, one girl with pigtails came here that day as well. I saw it, they both are up to something, he did not come here to see his mother, he came here to see that girl." he continued. Akhila overheard this, she was furious that people were thinking such things about her son. She turned to Prem and said, "Make sure this man can't talk anymore, The MD of the electronic company was very upset about this weird man troubling his daughter, he doesn't allow girls to go to college in peace, such people should never be free."

She then told Mahesh to go tell Srihari to go wait in her car. "Ok madam" Mahesh said and conveyed this to Srihari. "Why should I listen to you, I will go if my mom says so." Srihari replied arrogantly. "It is your mother's order." Mahesh added. Srihari paid no heed to that. When Mahesh told this to Akhila, she was very irritated. She came out and yelled, "Srihari go sit in the car." Then in a calmer voice she said, "I will come see you in a few minutes." Srihari went to the car but got out right after Akhila went inside.

Soon Pallavi came by that side. "I have your surprise ready." Srihari told Pallavi as he took her to a nearby chat counter. "I wanted to fulfill your childhood desire." Pallavi beamed with delight. "Thank you so much, In my whole life I never thought anybody will do such a great thing for me. 

Meanwhile Akhila had finished overseeing things here and was about to leave, she went to see Srihari as she felt bad for raising her voice at him. She was shocked to realize he was not in the car.