His Lotus

43

Thamarai

On Friday morning, I was preparing to attend my college when my mother calls me downstairs urgently. Confused at the alertness in her tone, for a moment I presumed that Maithili akka had shown up...

But as I follow my mother out of our home and to Deva mama's house, I frown at the appearance of the least expected person. Deva mama's ex-girlfriend, Iniya.

With tears gushing from her eyes, she stands facing my athai (aunt) and mama(uncle) and my other aunts and uncles enter their home as well. Everyone was perplexed but vexed by her presence.

"Why are you here?" I ask rudely, sternly watching her as she swirls her head and regards me with an over-emotional look.

"God...Thamara, I'm here to rescue you from Deva! I only recently came to know about your marriage being fixed with Deva and I directly arrived here to let you know about his true face," I stifle the urge to throw her a sickening stare.

My family is only aware of Iniya cheating on Deva mama with Harsh but not of Iniya's job. If they were to know it, they wouldn't think twice before kicking her out of the house.

Besides, I'm certain that she's here to take revenge on Deva mama for dumping her.

"Aren't you the one who cheated on him?" I ask, my brows furrowing deeper. "Did you see that Thamara? You all are blinding trusting his words. He is not as good as he seems. He is the one who cheated on me with another girl! Not me!" My aunts were watching her with pure wrath and If not for my uncles holding them back, they would have pounced over Iniya and made her a pulp.

"Ae, watch your words. I've raised my son well disciplined!" Deva mama's mother shouts, angered. Rubbing away the tears from her cheeks, Iniya turns back to encounter his mom.

"You shouldn't say it aunt but the people who he has been acquainted with!" She retorts with the same vigor as athai. "And as such a person, I swear that your son is a cheater. A disloyal man!" My aunts come forward at her yelling.

"And do you have any evidence to prove the same?" I question, squinting my eyes at her. She nods vigorously before swiping across her mobile and looking up at me.

"Thamara...he will spoil your life If you marry him. I did not cheat on him but he did, with a girl in our office, that too Harsh's girlfriend. And I broke up as soon as I found out about the same while Harsh also confronted Deva and ended their friendship..." Some may believe her, deceived by the genuinely sorrowful look on her face and the effortlessly flowing out lies from her mouth. However, I just stare at her, amused by her revolting personality. She just flipped the whole truth upside down...

"You want us to believe that?" Keerthi aunt asks, her eyes glistening with indignation. "Yes, and you will after seeing this..." She raises her phone and shows a picture where a girl was hugging Deva mama. My heart cracks at the image but it's stupid of me to feel it because this girl whom mama was embracing in a hug could be his friend. She must be his friend.

I breathe out, keeping my head held high.

My Deva mama would never cheat! It's obvious this girl right here is saying nothing but lies and has even collected fake shreds of evidence to prove him guilty.

She swipes again on her phone and this time a picture of Deva mama's cheeks being kissed by the same girl flashes across the screen. The ladies around me gasps while my mother grips my palm, worriedly.

"Ma," I shake my head at her, impliedly telling her to not believe whatever this girl is showcasing.

I was affected by that kissing image but it's the fact that my Deva mama looked absolutely unprepared and normal during the kiss which proved my skepticism right. She is playing dirty games with us! But why haven't Deva mama told me about this particular girl in the image? Who is she? Why is she so close to him?

Unbeknownst to me, a tear slides down my eyes as my heart cries, cocooned within the ribcage.

Hurriedly dusting it off, I stare up at her in fury as she goes on to play a video where the Deva mama and the same girl are talking merrily and the girl again hugs him. And he didn't even resist...

"Get out before I drag you and throw you out!" I scream at Iniya, my voice harsh as I couldn't handle watching those pictures. My family appears to have completely trusted everything that was shown by her and perhaps that's the reason why Iniya goes out of our home as soon as I order her so. "Please think well and decide. He is not a good person. I don't want him to ruin Thamara's life," dead silence remains in the lounge as Iniya leaves the house after stating the same to my family.

Deva mama's mother sits near a pillar,  stunned by everything that she has seen and heard of her son.

My aunties, uncles, and cousins were shaken too, disbelief skimming their countenance. "We don't want this marriage Thamara..." My mother cries out, filling the environment with her chilling words.

"Amma...mama wouldn't have done this. He is not like that..." My lips quiver, tears leaving my eyes without my permission.

"Thamara..." Mom begins to cry out loud while I run to my home, desperate to speak to Deva mama.

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