A Family's Unspoken Love - Part 6
Hari had received a call from his father, causing him to pause. Achu, with a grave expression, inquired, "When will you tell her?""Before you leave," Hari replied, understanding the gravity of the situation.
"Alright, then. See you tomorrow?" Achu confirmed.
"Okay," Hari responded.
Achu walked back home, while Hari kept his eyes on the path Deepti had taken. After some contemplation, he eventually headed home himself.
Upon his arrival, he spotted Gokul and Gayathri engaged in conversation in the sit-out area. Ignoring them, he went inside. As usual, he busied himself with chores, and Ragini attempted to talk to him, but he seemed lost in his own world, not paying any attention to her.
Ragini, becoming increasingly frustrated with his lack of response, vented her anger. Her words filled the air with tension as they bickered loudly.
Hearing the commotion, Hari decided to investigate and found everyone sitting outside. He tiptoed into the kitchen, trying to remain inconspicuous.
"Dee..." Ragini suddenly turned, startled.
"Gokul..." she whispered under her breath, her lips trembling.
"Neo?" she asked, anger and disbelief in her voice.
"It's me. Did you think your uncle would rescue me from here? Nobody will believe your accusations," he sneered, his voice filled with malice.
Rage flushed Deepti's face as she glared at him. She grabbed a knife from the kitchen counter and pointed it towards him, saying, "Stay away from me!"
He stepped back, holding his hands up defensively. A smug smile played on his lips as he observed her.
"Don't be so negative, Dee. If Gokul wants something, he'll get it," he taunted.
Deepti's anger intensified. She glared at him with determination. "Your wish won't come true as long as I'm alive. I won't hesitate to go to jail if I have to," she declared, her voice quivering.
"You won't do anything to me," he retorted with a smirk.
"Deepti, my dear... did you think I'd stand by while you held that knife?" he asked with an unsettling grin.
Disgusted, Deepti turned away from him.
"By the way, this isn't about Gayathri marrying me. It's about you and me," he declared with a wicked glint in his eyes.
Deepti stared at him in shock. Her life had become a living nightmare, and she felt powerless.
"As of now, your life is under my control. Did you understand that?" he threatened.
Just as it seemed someone was approaching, he quickly stepped away and pretended to inspect the refrigerator.
"Brother, what's going on here?" Gayathri asked, looking at Deepti and Gokul.
"I'll get some water," Hari said with a smile, trying to diffuse the tension.
"That wasn't necessary. I could have done it myself," Gayathri replied with affection.
"Hey, you and your mom were having a conversation. I didn't want to disturb you," Hari explained with a gentle smile.
"Oh, alright," Gayathri responded.
"Drink some water," she offered.
"Sure," Hari accepted.
"My mother is calling," Gayathri said as she took Gokul's hand and walked away with him.
Gokul winked at Deepti, who turned her face in disgust. The knife slipped from her hand as she contemplated what had just transpired.
"What did he say? He's planning to marry me. Absolutely not. None of his wishes will come true as long as I'm alive. He's scheming something new," she whispered to herself, tears streaming down her face.
"I'll kill him if I have to," she declared in a fit of rage, banging her hand on the counter. She quickly stopped, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.
"Dee, what do you want to eat?" Ragini's voice interrupted her thoughts.
Startled, Deepti turned to face her. "I'll prepare it now," she replied, suppressing her inner turmoil.
"Good, make it quick," Ragini urged, as they both walked towards the dining area.
She laid out all the dishes she had prepared on the table. Once the meal was served, she excused herself and retreated to her room.
Hari entered her room cautiously, scanning it meticulously. Deepti, worried about possible surveillance, examined every nook and cranny, determined not to leave anything unchecked. After an exhaustive search, she finally sat down on her bed in relief.
"Now, you have to be careful, Deepti. You can't trust anyone. You only have yourself," she reminded herself, taking a deep breath. She placed her hand on her chest, feeling a sense of resolute determination.
With deliberate care, she retrieved her phone from her bag, her face breaking into a smile as she did so. She turned on her phone and entered a WhatsApp group chat with three people.
A message from Hari quickly followed: "Welcome, my girl..."
She responded, "Aarith... Bhadrakali...?"
Another message popped up from Hari: "You go."
Deepti sent back, "You go away..."
Hari's message arrived: "Have you both started..."
Just then, there was a knock on her door, causing her heart to race.
