· • ● Poornitha ● • ·

"Congratulations Jiju. You both are getting engaged soon, and I am so happy about it."

"Ya. Thanks a lot for that. Well, this Jiju?? All of a sudden??? The pet name sounds familiar, but I can't figure it out correctly." he replied me pretty soon. Quiet shocking, he is awake at 00:36 hours, and not sleeping.

"That's not a pet name. In Hindi elder sister's husband is called Jiju, I hope you don't mind, if I call you so. I like it that way."

"I don't mind Poovu. You are my Swadhu's only sister, how ever you are comfortable with. Now you are not only her sister, mine too!"

"Nice knowing that. Thank-you so much Jiju!"

"Hmm. That's ok. So when are you coming here??"

"I got a flight tomorrow. Will be there soon. Moreover, I am very much excited to meet you!!"

"Me too dear. Have a safe journey."

"Sure. Ok Jiju, will catch up soon. I got to pack my bags, and lots of work pending here."

"Ya dear. Carry on. Take care" was the message I received and then, we ended our chat.

Quiet fun talking to Jiju, he is cute. Well I haven't met him so far. Akka got us into a conference call but then we did not talk much, and this was the first time I was texting him.

Alright, lots of work pending, and I must finish them soon.

***~~***

Seriously speaking, I can't believe that my Akka is getting Engaged! I am very happy for her, very soon she's going to be a bride. 'Muruga..!! Please bless her abundantly, and do give her a lot of happiness.'

As happiness fills into me I also feel sad that our journey is going to come to an end. Swadhu Akka was always there to support me, but now very soon she is going to leave me and our family. I am going to miss her badly.

'Akkaaaaa...our crazy fights, dining table jokes, evening walks, weekend shopping, our usual hangouts, secret biking, freaky lies, stealing mangoes, basundi from sweets shops, room decors, bangle melas, pani poori competition, dancing on the roofs and much more. How they were all so sweet. I never knew they would all become a memory so soon. With whom would I enjoy all of them now?? Akka please don't go I will really miss you. Don't leave me alone like this.' I said that to myself.

Anyways, now she is just getting engaged, still there is lot of time for her to get married and leave me. Till then I am not going to leave her alone. We will have lots of fun and create even more cherishing memories. I am really blessed to have a sissy like Swadhu Akka!!! 'Love you Akka!'

.....PHONE RINGS.....

"Wassup Amma...How are you? How is all the preparation going on for Akka's engagement? All done uhh..??" I asked her with a lot of joy and enthusiasm.

"Yeah Poovu, everything is going on well, we have made all the arrangements, just cross checking them. By-the-way, where are you? It's 9 AM, and you haven't arrived yet. You said you will be here in the morning. Is everything alright? You booked a direct flight from Mumbai isn't it?? or are you coming to Chennai and getting a train from there? Or something of that sort??Where are you Poovu ma?" she asks this with a lot of tension, as usual. Mummies are always the same, and I love the way they show their love and concern towards us.

" Amma.. Amma.. Wait let me speak.. Yes Amma I am coming for the Engagement. Actually I couldn't get the tickets at the last minute, and now that I've got them my flight is delayed, that's why I am stuck up here. I will come land at Coimbatore directly. You don't worry I will be home very soon. OK.!!"

" Yeah that's fine. But, Poovu it's such a special occasion for your Akka and it would have been better if you had come early. Anyways, be safe and come as soon as you can. I got work I must go see that. Keep updating me of where you are. OK." she says and hangs up.

"Sure Amma. Love you!!"

Due to some technical problems in the flight we are sitting idle, in here from the last 45 minutes, and I am losing my temper. The flight was already late by 2 hours and now this technical stuff. What the hell is this, can't the technicians check all this before. Ohh Akka, I don't want to miss any live episodes of your engagement. I just hope I reach there soon.

15 Minutes later, there is an announcement saying that the fault is cleared and now we are ready for the flight. "Thank God" I say, as I fasten my seat belts.

Some how I manage to roll on time, reading the magazines, looking out of the window, sleeping etc. And now at last I have reached my ultimate destination,

>>> COIMBATORE!!!<<<

Yes I've made it at last. I walked fast, grabbed my suitcases from the Baggage Carousel and headed towards the exit.

Yeah there he is my, Appa!! "Hi Appa!! How are you??" I asked as I hugged him tight.

I was almost in the air because he was lifting me out of excitement as he hugged me. "I am fine Poovu ma, seeing you after a long time, 8 months have passed on. And actually you have put on weight, skinny ..heehee" that was my Sarcastic Appa, as he always is.

"Come on Appa, stop joking! Alright! now I can't wait any longer, come soon let's go home, I want to see Akka right now. Come soon Appa!" saying this I ran and sat in the car.

***Home***

I forgot about my suitcases and let my Appa manage them. As I entered the house, I threw my handbag and my Laptop bag on the couch and ran up to my room to see her. I am eager to go hug her and feel her warmth. I just bang opened the door, and there she was in the balcony talking to someone on the phone, I don't know who.

'Who else..Krish of-course..!! Oops..Jiju..!!' I thought and ran in.

"Aaaaaaaakkkkkkkkkkkkkaaaaaaaaa......." I just shouted as I run to hug her.

"Hey Poooovvuuuuu... when did you come?? I missed you so much. How are you??" she asked.

"I am fine Akka. My only Akka's engagement, how could I miss that!!" I said cupping her face. "By the way someone is getting ready to be a bride I see." I said taking a whole round of my Akka.

"Stop it Poovu!!" she blushed pink, saying that.

"Look at yourself. You've got into that wedding feel uhh.? Your face is so bright and clean, facial done, waxing done, saree and all, and you look ready for your hone...-"

"Stop it there! Don't finish your sentence!" she warned me.

I raised my hands in defence saying, "Lol Akka!" and we continued laughing.

She was wearing a half-saree, to be more precise, a blue long skirt, pink blouse, and again a blue dupatta is draped around her. She looks gorgeous in that.

"And you were talking to Jiju, isn't it..?? Akka... " she blushed more.

"Hey come on, stop pulling her leg. You forgot your Amma right! How mean of you Poovu!!" Amma said this as she entered Akka's room.

"No Amma it's not at all like that!! I missed you so much! ohhh Amma..." I hugged her and said that.

"We missed you too da." Akka and Amma said in unison.

"Ok now go fresh up and come fast, you must help me out with the arrangements. Till then I will get you some food!!" Amma said this as she helped me unpack my bags, she had got from Appa.

8 months I have been away from my family. There is lots to talk to all of them, but now I am busy sharing all my #MUMBAISTUFFS with my Akka.

"Poovu, did you talk to Sonu!! I guess you must have., isn't it..??" Akka asked me with a little bit of hesitation.

Ohh God.. this is what I was afraid of!! I wasn't willing to pull in this topic so soon. Kadavule.

"Akka please don't bring him in now, don't spoil my mood by talking about that dodger!!" I stood up saying that, because I wanted to come out of that conversation.

"You know how many times he tried to contact you through me. I know it's quiet strange, he acting like this after so many years, but maybe he really wants to apologize to you. Why don't you try talking to him?? Give him one chance dear." She said. I wasn't willing to listen to all that.

"Akka I will think about it!" I simply lied, pushing back all the grudges I had in my mind for him. I couldn't believe that Akka was saying that. She is the one who knows how much I struggled when Sonu left me. Like how much of heart breaks he gave me, one after the other. A person can't even handle one, and Sonu was like he kept breaking me in all the possible ways and in very small intervals.

I unpacked my bag, and when I was done with it, I walked into the bathroom, for a shower. Peeping out I said,

"You go down, all must be waiting for you. I will get ready soon and see you downstairs."

After sometime I heard Akka, "Poovu, I am going for the mehendi, your clothes are here on the bed ok!! Get ready soon and come down." said Akka for which I replied with "OK!"

'Alright. So I am done now, but where is my dupatta?? I guess Akka forgot to take it out from the cupboard! Let me check it.' I said that to myself.

Akka had bought me a new Chudi, in blue and pink. It was an Anarkali model. We both had matching clothes for today's mehendi. She knows what suites me the best and buys them correctly for me.

Poochungi tujhko kabhi naa
Chaahun main ya naa

Tere khaabon mein ab jeena
Chaahun main kyun naa!

I walked towards the cupboard as I sang that song! As I opened the Cupboard, what did I see?? "OMG!!!!! AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH.....

THERE IS A GHOST.... SAVE ME.. AAAAAAHHHHHH....." I screamed and almost fell on the floor right in front of the cupboard.

"OOOOOOOOOHHHHHOOOOOOO" says the ghost, to scare me more.

"AKKKKAAAAAAAAA..SAVE ME PLEASE SOMEONE..COME FAST....." I shouted on top of my voice.

The ghost right in front of me, took off it's mask, and I see Ankush and Spoorthi there, these to naughty kids.... "UUUUUFFFFFF!!!!! They really scared me... Deivame!!! Thank God it wasn't a real Ghost!!"

Aaauchhh... it's aching. My lower back.. "Aaauuuch..!!!!"

"Are you ok?? I guess those kids scared you and you ended up falling. Wait let me help you!" he said.

I don't know who he is, where he came from, and all. If he was witnessing all that happened he could have helped me before itself. I wonder what was he doing at that time. May be the ghost effect hit him too. Who knows, well actually I am thankful at least there is one soul to help me out here.

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