ℂ𝕆ℂ𝕂𝕋𝔸𝕀𝕃𝕊 𝕎𝕀𝕋ℍ ℂ𝕌ℙ𝕀𝔻

𝟱𝟯

𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝘆
>>>>–––– 💘 ––––<<<<

Next morning, Ananya emerged from her room, the refreshing scent of her shampoo lingering in the air as she walked towards the dining hall. Mithra, on the other hand, had been pacing nervously by her door, peeking out every few minutes. She just couldn't bring herself to step out without a familiar face by her side. But the moment she spotted Ananya heading downstairs, her tense shoulders relaxed.

Letting out a relieved breath, Mithra hurriedly followed, her steps syncing with Ananya's. They exchanged a polite smile—awkward, but enough to feel like an anchor in an unfamiliar place. Ananya moved to her usual seat, quietly settling in, while Mithra and Anjali settled in.

As Ananya adjusted herself at the table, a maid approached her with a warm smile, ready to serve breakfast. It was routine, almost comforting, but just as the maid extended her hand to place the dish, Radha's sharp voice cut through the quiet hum of the morning. 

Iru

( Wait )

she said coldly, freezing the maid in her tracks. The sudden command made everyone stiffen. Both Mithra and Anjali glanced up, sensing the tension spreading across the room like ripples in still water. Radha's gaze was as stern as her tone, her disapproval clear, yet unspoken. 

Avanga vellaye avangalle senjupanga, avanguluku dhan yellam theiryume. Nee poi vera velaiya paaru. 

( She can serve her own food, she knows everything it seems. You can go find something else to do )

Ananya's face changed, so did everyone else's on the table, Avi who came down just at the moment stopped when he heard Radha say that, his face frowning in  confusion and more when he heard and saw what Radha muttered next, 

Arumai theriyadhavangaluku ivlo thevai illa

( People who can't be grateful don't need all these )

The tension in the room was palpable, every word suffocating Ananya as she sat frozen in her seat. The weight of Radha's actions bore down on her, heavier than the thick silence that followed. Ananya felt her throat tighten, her appetite vanishing completely. She couldn't even meet anyone's gaze, the shame and hurt gnawing at her from within. Slowly, almost mechanically, she pushed her chair back and stood. Without uttering a word, she slipped away from the table, her footsteps quiet but resolute. Selvam reached out, his voice soft as he tried to convince her to stay, but she didn't stop. She couldn't. The vulnerability was too much, and she left, leaving behind a table full of uneasy silence.

Avi's eyes followed her retreating figure, his jaw tightening as he struggled to piece together what he had just witnessed. He'd always assumed Ananya and Radha's banter hinted at a close, albeit playful, mother-daughter relationship. But now, he saw the cracks he'd missed before—the sharpness in Radha's tone, the condescension in her words. This wasn't playful teasing; it was something far uglier.

The constant jabs and mockery he'd overheard during their previous visit now seemed less like harmless words and more like deliberate wounds. Avi's chest tightened as understanding dawned. Ananya's resistance to her mother wasn't mere stubbornness; it was her only way of holding on to some semblance of autonomy amidst the relentless gaslighting.

He took a deep breath, his decision clear. Enough was enough. He couldn't, wouldn't, stand idly by any longer. Newlyweds or not, in-laws or not, he couldn't stomach watching Ananya endure this. Avi cleared his throat, breaking the silence like a sharp crack of lightning. Radha and Selvam snapped their heads toward him, their expressions quickly shifting to forced warmth. They straightened in their chairs, inviting him to join them for breakfast with the practiced hospitality of seasoned hosts. But Avi raised a hand, stopping them mid-motion. His calm, firm tone cut through the room as he announced his decision,