Not A Simple Engineer Boy! | ✓

051 • lateral torsional buckling | one

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Scrollstck- Suganthi Lakshminarayanan

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Earlier that day...

"Who's this?" A cuter, younger version of Satya Devi was standing next to her, scrutinizing Krithika openly as her fingers tapped on her phone.

"She's Krithika," Satya replied, narrowing her eyes at the teenager. "Stop scrolling through Instagram. You should welcome our guest," she chided.

As usual, Satya looked like the regal queen that she was, dressed in a dark green Kanchipuram silk saree with a contrasting red blouse. She looked beautiful, her hair tied in an elegant bun with jasmine flowers, and she looked like a picture of grace.

Krithika was sitting quietly in the living area lounge of Satya Devi's bungalow—well, it could be considered at least a mini palace. It was exactly as she had imagined—marvelous. She knew that Satya preferred minimalism and graceful living, but the palace was packed with every royal sense imaginable.

It wasn't shiny and sparkling; it was spacious and bright. It was about choosing the right things. The giant wooden doors and pillars, Thanjavur paintings, and brass sculptures adorned Satya's house. There was a constant fragrance of sandalwood in the air, tiny brass bells hummed in the light breeze, and it calmed her.

It felt like home.

"Hello, Krithika!" The teenager tapped her shoulder. "I am Dhanya Devi, the only sister of the great Satya Devi." She looked at Satya with puppy eyes. "Am I right, Akka?"

Suppressing a smile, Satya admonished her, "She's Krithika Akka to you."

Dhanya shrugged and threw herself over the plush sofa next to Krithika. "All your friends are either Akka or Anna. You're so old."

"Dhanuma..." Satya clicked her tongue. "So much for not embarrassing me in front of anyone."

Dhanya made a pouting face. "But I was just stating a fact."

Satya shook her head at her sister's behavior and glanced at Krithika. "Don't mind her," she smiled. "Make yourself comfortable. I've already instructed Selvi. You can ask for anything you want; she'll bring it to you." Her eyes peeked at Dhanya. "Don't annoy her, please."

To which Dhanya rolled her eyes.

Satya excused herself, saying she had to prepare for the Poojai.

It was kind of awkward for Krithika to sit quietly with a vivacious adolescent who was loudly chewing gum. She checked her phone and saw a message from her mother.

'Miss you, Kannamma.'

No, she wasn't her mother's Kannamma anymore. Especially not after her mother hadn't had the guts to support her daughter, her first child, when the time had come.

Krithika tried not to think much about her past. She had struggled, but she was out of her cage and knew how to fly.

"Your hair is so beautiful," Dhanya's surprised tone brought her back from her thoughts.

"Thanks," Krithika smiled. "You're also beautiful."

"Is it?" The little girl's eyes shone with excitement. "I want to look like Satya Akka."

Krithika grinned. "Why?"

"Because she's pretty!" Pure admiration for her sister flashed on Dhanya's face. "She is a bit nasty sometimes, but if we ignore that, she's a good person."

"Hmm..."

"But I realized that you look prettier than Akka."

"Is this why your sister told me not to mind you?" Krithika chuckled as the chatty teenager glared at her.

"Even though you tried to troll me, I think I like you." She cleared her throat. "You're cute, and I like cute people."

Krithika didn't know how to respond to being called cute by a kid. "How old are you?"

"Fourteen. I was a surprise to my parents and sister," Dhanya sadly chuckled. "Akka always saw me as her baby, and with our parents gone, she tries hard to fulfill whatever parental duties she can for me."

"Oh," Krithika didn't want to pry. It would be hard to comprehend the pain of losing parents at such a young age. Even with her animosity, she never wished anything to happen to her parents.

"Amma passed away when I was born, and Appa couldn't survive some complications from COVID." Dhanya turned to face her and gave her a weak smile. "It's been two years."

"You're lucky to have a sister like Satya," Krithika tried to reassure her.

"Hmm..." Dhanya agreed. "I know."

After a moment of silence, Dhanya stood abruptly. "Can I braid your hair?"

It felt like a figment of imagination. Krithika was shocked by the sudden change of topic. "Wha...tt?" she stuttered.

"May I?" Dhanya's big eyes, which always became even rounder when she pleaded, widened further. "Please."

"Okay," Krithika couldn't say no to those eyes. She felt powerless in front of them.

"Let's go to my room. I hope Selvi Akka hasn't cleaned out everything," Dhanya tugged her hand, and Krithika followed her.

After walking a few corridors, they ended up in a giant room—did all the rooms have such enormous space?

"You don't live here?" Krithika asked.

Shrugging, Dhanya replied matter-of-factly, "No, I study in a boarding school."

Krithika sat in a wooden chair and waited for the kid to do whatever she had planned with her hair. She smiled every time Dhanya squealed in excitement and murmured 'wow,' 'so long,' 'so silky.' It was just genetics, and she never saw them as miraculous as the kid did.

"Done."

Krithika's eyes fluttered open.

She had dozed off for a few minutes. It had been a habit of hers to sleep whenever her hair was combed and braided. Her mother used to massage her head lightly to relieve any ache.

"You seriously are so pretty!" Dhanya yelled again. "I'm not a fan of Disney princesses, but you make me believe in fairy tales."

Krithika stared at her reflection. The braid did look intricate and complemented her whole look. She was surprised by the fourteen-year-old's talent. Dhanya had the hands of a sculptor.

"You did that. Thanks!" Krithika stood next to the kid, appreciating her work.

They both heard the sound of a car honking somewhere in the distance, and Dhanya's eyes widened. "I have to go now. Have to surprise him!"

'Him.' Okay. Probably not 'him.'

Do tell me what you feel about this and the upcoming chapters, always open to positive criticism.