Looking For You - Love Story
Searching for Toby, Stella, and Derek couldn't believe what they were seeing."Is that my father's face? And that too, with Toby..." Stella felt a heavy weight pressing on her chest.
"This is an old picture of my father... He looks older now. There's a change in his face," Derek pointed out, sharing what he had discovered.
Stella scrutinized the photo more closely; it turned out to be a wedding picture of Derek's parents.
"Derek, can you be sure of this?" Stella inquired cautiously. "What if we're just reading too much into it?"
"We saw him just recently. Don't you think we're onto something here? There's some truth to this... Let's inquire with someone; my gut tells me there's a secret we need to uncover," Derek mused, rubbing his hands together thoughtfully.
"No, Derek... If this turns out to be true, what are we going to do?" Stella's voice quivered with concern.
"I don't know, Stella, but one thing is for sure: I can't abandon Toby. He may be poor, but that doesn't change how I feel about him," Derek reassured her. His mind was resolute when it came to Toby.
Was this what they meant when they said blood recognizes blood? Stella wondered as she looked at the photo repeatedly. What would come next as a flood of thoughts rushed through her mind? Derek, meanwhile, pondered how to proceed.
Oh my God! What's wrong with him? Celine was startled to find Mathan in the kitchen, tears in his eyes.
A short while ago, Mathan and Susan had arrived. Mathan had glanced at Susan, who was holding her father, and before he could express his surprise, he had looked at her tenderly. Had the parrot sensed something before the attack?
Whatever it was, Celine turned her attention back to her chores. "Celie," Mathan called out affectionately.
His voice reached her heart, and Celine had never heard that tone in all their years of marriage. She felt her heart skip a beat when she heard the endearment.
When she turned to look at him, Mathan took her hand and led her into the room. Celine felt a mix of emotions.
"Don't go anywhere without telling me. I need you," Mathan said tenderly. A smile graced Celine's lips as she replied, "I'm not going anywhere. Now, go to sleep."
She gently patted his forehead, feeling the warmth of spousal love. She could feel the dampness on every part of his face. Had he cried? Is he finished crying? Celine's thoughts whispered softly.
A day later, Govindan addressed everyone in the room, "Devaki, please get me some tea."
Anjana, who was getting dressed upon hearing her father's voice, felt a sense of unease in the room.
"Why so serious, dear?" Susan quipped. "Hasn't my sister been seeing the person seated there for years?"
Anjana simply smiled in response.
Today was a momentous day for Seban, even more beautiful than the day he had brought tea to his father. As Celine carried the tray, her hands trembled as she demonstrated her role as a mother with her unspoken lips. She was about to bring the tea, accompanied by Mathan and Aji.
Susan now played the role of Govindan's daughter, while Anjana had become her sister.
As everyone settled down for tea, Govindan initiated the conversation. "It's all as per the children's wishes. We don't know if they'll allow the wedding at the parish without a baptism. We'll inquire. Otherwise, we can have a registered marriage; why complicate things?"
Celine expressed her preference, "I would like a church wedding."
Anjana added, "I want to get married in the church. I don't like the ceremonies there; I want to be married in that church."
This revelation shocked Mathan. He exchanged a glance with Govindan and Devaki, who seemed weary of hearing all this.
"We have nothing more to say. We support our daughter's wishes. Besides, we've prepared for how to go about it. We've decided to have it before Susan's wedding," Devaki affirmed, setting a decision regarding the wedding.
Stella's eyes welled up with tears as she gazed into the distance, deep in thought. She had never considered marriage or children before. Life had been good, and she reminisced about Derek's face just after their wedding. She recalled the tenderness of his touch and the moments they had shared. She couldn't help but wonder if she had hurt Derek.
Derek, who had overheard something he shouldn't have, opened his eyes and looked at her. "Tell me," he implored.
Stella sighed, "Yes, Derek, I have hurt you. You're right; I didn't communicate with you often. I've missed so much of what we could have shared."
Derek responded, "We have plenty of time ahead. We've had many moments of joy together, and we'll create more."
Stella continued, "Why do I feel this way? I want to experience love, just like I've seen in Susan and Rachel. I want to love and be loved by you."
As Derek's hands moved to her belly through her saree, Stella shivered, saying, "Let's love, Derek," and they embraced.
Three months later, Seban's godfather, Scaria, called out, "Let's distribute sweets for the baby."
Amid the chatter, Susan, Mathan, and Celine didn't hear him. When they did, their eyes filled with tears.
