Happy reading, honey buns!

Ekantha was trying to concentrate on her office work, but failed utterly since her thoughts were roaming around Abhi.

Is he okay? Did something happen? Did her mom talk to his mom and they fought?

Many such thoughts were roaming in her head and she placed her hands on the table and closed her eyes for a few minutes untill she felt a hand on her shoulder.

She turned around to see Asmita standing there with a worried face.

"Are you doing okay, Ekantha? You seem distracted",Asmita said.

"Yes, I am okay. Just some usual issues, don't worry Asmita! I am fine",she said giving a small smile on her face.

Asmita nodded and went from there. Ekantha tried completing her work as quickly as possible. It felt like time was going in slow motion.

Her phone buzzed with a notification from Anika.

Ani 💗
You're coming after your school is done right?

It hit Ekantha that she promised that she would meet Anika that day and there was no chance to postpone it at all.

Me
Yeah! Will meet at our spot!

Ekantha literally prayed that Abhi texts her back before she goes to meet Anika. She didn't want her attention to be somewhere else when she was going to meet her cousin and discuss about things.

It was lunch time and Ekantha didn't feel like having her lunch. She opened her phone and started scrolling through it. Finding no interest in continuing, she kept her phone aside and decided to do her work quickly and meet Anika after that. After which if possible she wanted to meet Abhi once.

The rest of the day she tried completing her work as quickly as possible. Just when she was about to leave Asmita came up to her.

"Ekantha, there's some last minute entries that need to be done. Will you be able to do it? I would have assigned it to others but seems like they have neck deep work already and I have to go for dental check up today",Asmita said while Ekantha looked at her confused.

"Uh.. Okay Asmita. I'll do it no worries. How many entries by the way?",Ekantha asked already feeling bad that she would be late to meet Anika and then she wouldn't have time to go meet Abhi.

After having a brief conversation about the work details, Asmita left from there and Ekantha started to work on the details. It was almost going to take an hour and half even if she did it at the most speed.

Having no other option, she started working and informed Anika that she'd be there but a bit late to which Anika agreed.

It was evening six o clock and yet she didn't receive any message from Abhi which made it sound quite suspicious.

Abhi was a person who checked his phone atleast once in two hours or less. What if he lost his phone? What if he forgot to charge it?

Ekantha's POV

Oh God! What's going on in my brain? Why is it affecting me a lot that I didn't receive a message or call from him? I don't know if this is a good thing or not?

End of Ekantha's POV

She shut her eyes tight and shook her head as if that would help her in removing all the stupid thoughts from her brain. With a lot of distraction within herself she completed her work and it was almost eight o clock by then.

She packed her stuff and quickly reached the exit gate to see the watchman asleep. It was too dark since the street light was also not working.

She took fast steps to cross the street and reach a place which will have people.

She felt scared walking on a not so silent road where she felt someone was following her. She took long strides and reached the bus stop where there were a few people waiting for the bus.

She hired an auto-rickshaw to reach the cafe where Anika was waiting. Once she boarded the auto she shared her live location with Anika as well as Vennela just to be in safe side.

She checked her text once again and sighed seeing that there was no reply from him again. Gaining a little courage and confidence, she dialled his number. She felt restless when he didn't answer the call.

She looked outside and everything that was passing right in front of her eyes. It felt like she was going through all things in her life yet again. Every time such a situation comes, things go out of hands for her and that's her trigger.

She shut her eyes and started taking deep breaths and counting numbers. As her breathing became passive, it was scaring her. Scary, that nobody was here and there was no place she could run away and control herself or let it out.

She prayed that someone should atleast be here and that would be enough for her. As though God heard her, they reached the destination and Anika was waiting outside the cafe along with Dikshit.

Anika rushed seeing Ekantha quite dull than usual. She paid for the ride and took her to a side.

"Ekantha! Are you okay? Why? Oh God, let's get you in",Anika said and both of them took her inside the cafe.

They made her sit on a chair and give her some water, which she gulped down quickly.

"Are you okay? How are you feeling now, Ekantha?",Dikshit asked.

"Better, thank you",she said wiped her face with her hand kerchief.

"What was the trigger, Ekantha?",Anika asked.

It didn't take long to find out for Anika what Ekantha was going through, it wasn't something new too.

"Leave that, how are you both? It's seems like it's been a long time we've caught up with each other",Ekantha tried to act all normal.

"Stop it already, Ekantha. First of all out of nowhere you vanish and then on top of it you do this drama of being normal after you got a freaking attack",Anika whisper yelled glaring at Ekantha.

"Nothing is left to explain, Anika. A lot happened, we moved out finally and it's.. it's getting quite difficult to move on from the phase that I no longer have father's love nor father figure now. Might be difficult to get that thing registered in my brain but yeah that's how facts are always",she said and Anika looked at her confused.

Ekantha explained them what all happened and both of them were shocked at the happenings.

"I-",Anika was at loss of words.

"Yeah, I don't know what holds for amma and me but I am preparing myself for all the things that are going to come in the way. Hopefully we'll get through it",Ekantha concluded.

Anika got up from her place with tears welled up and hugged her tight. Dikshit just was trying to process everything that Ekantha just said. They thought it was just a misconception but never knew it turned out to be true.

Ekantha felt like home, it felt safe. Anika couldn't hold back her tears anymore. She let them out and it hurt her that the person sitting right in front of her had to go through so much.

"I- I don't know, Ekantha. I don't have any comforting words for you, I can only imagine what crisis you are going through every day. You need to carry so much and I don't even know how many attacks you're having. I am so sorry, Ekantha. I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you, I wasn't having your back, I couldn't do anything for you",Anika broke down and Ekantha just stiffened.

She was trying not to break down right there.

"Ani, Ani, if you don't calm down how are we going to be there for Ekantha. She's here trusting us and telling us everything",Dikshit said.

Anika nodded breaking the hug and sitting beside her.

"Ekantha, whatever you are going through no matter what happens we're here with you. Anika and me are no less than your siblings, please don't block us out and remember before being family, we're more than that. You get it?",Dikshit asked to which Ekantha nodded.

"What Dikshit said is absolutely right and remember please take care of yourself and where are you living right now? What about your job and Abhi? What about him?",Anika bombarded her with all amount of questions she had in her brain.

"Told you, Vennela's hone only and job I am doing it. Abhi.. I told him about it and I don't know what about him now? I hope he is doing good, he hasn't replied to me for almost a day. I feel scared about it, I hope he is okay",she murmurs the last words to herself.

In Abhimanyu's home

Abhimanyu couldn't wake up the whole morning. With great difficulty he woke up in the afternoon and drank the soup that his mother made, took some medicine and slept again.

He could barely open his eyes and it felt like his head was bursting and all his body felt like it was being crushed under a bulldozer.

"Uh.. Aghhh someone take my head off remove the pain and give it back to me",he said holding his head in his hands.

"Your wish is my command, my dear brother. Do you prefer me slicing your head or something else?",Mayuri said sarcastically.

"Maaa, look at this little tarantula she's troubling me even when I am sick",he shouted and stuck his tongue out to her.

"Maa, I was just helping him nothing else",Mayuri replied narrowing her eyes at him.

"Why do you both have to shout for everything? Why do you have to fight even when you are sick?",Vishalakshi came to his room along with her spatula.

"Maa, look at my face. Do you think I am the one at fault?",Abhi gave his best puppy eyes.

"No no, you are already sick. Why would you do this. I know, this girl is at fault",Vishalakshi warned Mayuri with the spatula in her hand.

"Maa, it's high time we tell her that we adopted her just because of your's and nanna's kindness",he said earning a slap from Mayuri.

"Look at him maa, he started again",she said fake crying.

"See maa, neither of us in our family will cry like this. She is the cry baby, tell her that she's adopted. She's going to be a major as well now in a month",he said.

"Hey, stop teasing my little girl. You were the most cry baby when you were small and she was the most easier to handle. Don't say she's a cry baby",Vishalakshi said earning a big hug from Mayuri.

"Oh no, Maa! You were supposed to be on my side. It's okay who else will show concern-",Vishalakshi cut him off.

"You better shut up and sleep my dear son if you don't want me to ground you here in your room",Vishalakshi said to which Mayuri giggled.

"I feel way too sleepy already, Maa. I'll go to sleep",he said yawning.

Soon he dozed off to sleep and both Vishalakshi and Abhi forgot that they had to give a talk to Ekantha regarding that.

At around nine thirty in the night, they heard a knock on the door which disturbed Abhimanyu's sleep. He rolled on the bed and continued to sleep while Mayuri went to open the door.

"Ekantha, what a surprise!",Mayuri said.

To be continued..

Hello dear readers,

Happy June to you all!

Here I present you the first update of this month. It was supposed to be the last update of last month but yeah it's okay.

How are you all doing btw?

Thank you so much for reading.

Don't forget to drop your views and votes, a few words from you will mean the world to me 💕

I set a short term goal that I would try my level best to complete this story by this August, as it will complete two years.

How was the update?

Do you think Ekantha will understand or misunderstand?

What is next for them? Will Ekantha realise her feelings and confess them before it's too late?

Do let me know what you think in the comment section!

Till next update, adios guys!

Take care, sending loads of love

You can follow me on my Instagram : sakshi.wattpad

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Sakshi Devi