Bond Beyond Secrets

18

"Dhanu, don't make any noise," Sharan whispered.

Both of them sneaked into the kitchen, trying their best not to get caught.

"Dhanu, you sit here!" he said, lifting Dharani onto the kitchen slab before switching on the lights.

"What do you want to eat?" he asked with a playful smile.

"Pasta?" they both said in unison and giggled.

Sharan began gathering the ingredients for their favorite Indian-style masala macaroni pasta.

"Smells super, Chitappa," Dharani commented, licking her lips with a cute smile.

"Shh, if your Chitthi or Paati wakes up, we'll be in big trouble," he warned, letting the pasta boil while he sautéed the veggies and masala.

"Chitappa, wait here! I need to go to the washroom. I'll be back in two minutes," she said, carefully getting down from the counter.

"Careful, Dhanu kutty! Come back fast! I don't want to get caught alone, understood?" he teased, gently pinching her nose, which made her giggle.

As she ran off, Sharan continued cooking, his mind drifting to everything happening around him.

Life was going well, until his support system abandoned him. It was hard to accept that his brother—his best friend—was gone. He cried every night, struggling to process the fact that he was left alone, with no one to guide him anymore.

When he found out that his brother was alive but refused to have any contact with the family, not even thinking about their parents or his wife, it shattered Sharan’s last thread of patience. His initial dislike for Vikram’s decisions grew into disappointment, anger, and frustration.

At that point, Sharan didn’t even want to get married. He wasn’t ready to form new bonds only to have them broken. But with his family's insistence, Mridula entered his life. He tried his best to keep his distance, not giving her any hopes about their future. Just as he was beginning to rebuild his life, his brother returned.

Of course, Sharan was happy to see Vikram back home, but something held him back from confronting his brother. The wounds were still too fresh.

"Chitappa, I'm back! Is it done?" Dharani asked, tugging at the end of his shirt.

He picked her up and placed her back on the kitchen counter, finishing up the pasta.

"Dhanu, are you studying well? How’s your friend Amy?" he asked while stirring the pasta.

"Chitappa, Dhanu is a topper! Amy is great too!" she replied proudly.

"And it's done," he said, turning off the stove.

"What's going on here?" Mridula's voice startled the Sharu-Dhanu duo.

"Chitappa, Chitthi is here! Do something," Dharani whispered urgently into his ear as Sharan gave Mridula a nervous smile.

"I thought you had important work, Sharan. Dhanu kutty, go to my room. Amma is waiting for you. I’ll bring your pasta there. Go," Mridula said, and Dharani quickly hopped off the counter, running off to escape the situation.

“Not good, Dhanu. You can’t leave me alone to face the lioness,” Sharan muttered under his breath.

Mridula crossed her arms over her chest, staring at him intently. He served the pasta into four bowls and handed one to her.

“Have some pasta, Mridula,” he offered, almost ready to flee with his own bowl.

“I wouldn’t mind spending my life taking care of a physically handicapped husband, but it might be a little hard for you,” she said, causing him to turn back with a confused look.