"Amar sir, I have to get my luggage from my flat. I'll be back by evening." Vennela informed Amar.

"I'll come with you" said Amar at once.

"You have to rest. You stayed up all night talking to Anirudh yesterday." Vennela didn't want to trouble him.

"You need my help. How will you pack all your things alone?"

"Alright" said Vennela. She knew she needed someone to help her.

Ten minutes later, she was sitting in Amar's car while he drove. "You can drive? I never saw you drive before." She remarked.

"Hey, I drive exceptionally well." He took offense if someone questioned his driving skills.

"Relax. I was just kidding. I know your love for cars and bikes." Vennela chuckled.

"Isn't that the park in which we met for the first time?" Amar asked pointing at the park.

"Yes. I used to come here on weekends. It's just a ten-minute walk from our apartments." said Vennela reminiscing their first meet.

"If you don't mind me asking, why do you live here? Why don't you live in your family mansion?" Amar was curious.

"That mansion belongs to my grandfather. Though he lives in Vishakhapatnam, he keeps coming to Hyderabad once in four months and stays in the mansion for about a week every time." Vennela answered.

Amar was puzzled. "I don't understand."

"I don't like him. I don't like being anywhere near him. I don't like speaking with him." Her face hardened.

Amar didn't question her any further. "We are here." He told her. They parked the car and pressed the lift button.

"It's not much. It's a simple flat. You may not like it. You may find it dull." Vennela wasn't sure if she did the right thing bringing him there.

"Nothing like that Vennela. I mean Vennela garu."

"It's okay Amar sir. You may call me Vennela."

'You gave me permission. When will you stop calling me sir?' he thought.

They reached her flat. "Shruthi, what are doing?"asked Vennela.

"Packing my things. Now that you won't be staying here, amma has ordered me to move to family mansion" said Shruthi. Vennela's face fell.

"Akka, you don't have to come there. I'll come to meet you. It'll take me justfive minutes to walk to your new home from our mansion. And guess what? I don't have to stay alone. These two" she said pointing at Rishi-Raj "will be staying with me. They're not going back to Sydney. They'll be studying engineering in my University." She added with glee.

"Why didn't you two tell me?"asked Vennela.

"What? Didn't anyone tell you? Bava knows. Everyone knows" Raj told her.

"You traitors. You told everyone except me? Idiots. My little brothers whom I love like my own kids, betrayed me. I never thought I would live to witness a day like this." Vennela faked hurt.

"We'll get you an ice cream, drama queen" said Rishi.

"Not one, but ten." Vennela demanded. Amar was amused.

"Please sit down bava garu. We'll help akka in packing" said Shruthi.

"I'll help her" said Amar.

"You? No. You can't do this. You'll be tired" said Rishi.

"Why would I be tired? I'm an expert in packing." Amar told them.

"Really? Then let's have a competition. We both will help Shruthi akka while you help Vennu akka. Let's see who completes the work first." Raj challenged him.

"This is unfair. You are three. We are just two." Vennela pointed out.

"Don't worry. We can win any challenge if we're together." Amar assured her.

"Okay. The time starts now" said Shruthi. She ran into her room with the twins. Vennela caught Amar's hand and took him inside her room. It was a well furnished, beautifully decorated room. The fact that his wife bought everything with her hard earned money made him feel proud.

"It's very pleasant" remarked Amar.

"Thank you" said Vennela.

"Quick. Let's start. You give me the clothes from the closet. I'll place them in the suitcase." He told her.

She smiled at his enthusiasm and opened her cupboard. He observed that it was well maintained. All her clothes were ironed and folded properly. Her taste in clothes was elegant. He quickly packed them. They turned towards the books in the shelf. He caressed the books as if they were his children and placed them carefully in the bag. "I love books. They need to be treated like living beings" he said casually. Her respect for him increased by threefold on hearing this. She opened the locker and took out few jewellery boxes and sarees.

"All these are yours?"he asked her incredulously.

"Most of them belonged to my mother." She answered. "She wanted me to wear them on my wedding."

He felt guilty. "Wear them on Shruthi's wedding. Geeta amma will be happy."

She liked how he called her mother, Geeta amma. "She would have liked you. You two would have got along well."

"Really?" He asked with a boyish grin on his face.

"Yes. Mom always liked disciplined kids like you. She wanted me to be a well mannered girl. But I was as naughty as my dad. Our favourite pastime was to irritate her. We were a beautiful, happy family." She said smiling.

He squeezed her hand. He made a resolution to bring happiness back to her life. "We are done. Let me see how the kids are doing."

He went to Shruthi's room only to see that they were deliberately delaying the work. He understood that they were wasting time to make him and Vennela win. He felt a rush of affection towards them. "It's alright. We completed our work. You may increase the pace" he told them.

After the house was almost vacated, Shruthi came and sat beside Vennela. "Akka I've donated all the furniture to our maid and the watchman. They will collect them tomorrow. The crockery and the clothes will be given to the orphanage. But no one is willing to take the couch and the dining table. Shall I sell it online?" She asked Vennela's permission.

"May I suggest something? Let's take them to our home. That way you don't have to part with all your belongings." Amar told Vennela.

"But where will you keep them?" She asked him.

"The couch will be placed in the library. The dining table will be kept in the garden. I love having dinner in the garden."

Vennela liked the idea. "Sure. It will be great."

"I completely forgot offering you guys something to eat. This is bava garu's first visit to our home. Akka, come let's get some snacks from the store." Shruthi got up.

"Shruthi it's okay. Don't be so formal," said Amar.

"Let them bring something. We are hungry" said Raj.

"Yes. You girls go. Take your own sweet time" Rishi shut the door. "Now tell us. Do you have her number?"

"Yes. I've saved it in my phone." Amar showed them the number.

"Impressive" said Raj.

"I won. Now add me to your WhatsApp group. Give me a hero's welcome." He demanded.

"Fine. Adding you right now to our 'Weasleys' group." Raj added him.

"Try to make her call you by your given name without adding sir" Rishi told him.

"This will take some time" said Amar.

"It shouldn't take more than a month. Keep trying." Raj encouraged him.

"I will. Okay, there's something I need to ask you. Why doesn't Vennela like her grandfather?" He asked them.

"She hates him. She hasn't spoken to him since the day her father died. It happened before our birth. We don't know much about it." Raj informed him.

"Does she blame him for her father's death?" Amar wanted to know what exactly happened.

"Sort of. We are not sure. She doesn't talk about it. But our father once told us that grandpa is partially responsible for uncle Pranav's death." Rishi told him what his father felt about the incident.

Before Amar could process the information Vennela and Shruthi returned. They quickly changed the topic. They ate the cookies served by Shruthi.

"Shruthi your college reopens next week. Don't forget to set morning alarm. No skipping breakfast. And Rishi-Raj, you have one and a half month before you join the university. Enjoy life to the fullest. Life won't be this easy once you get into engineering." Vennela advised them.

"Please come and visit us whenever you find time. Like Shruthi said it's just a 5-10 minutes walk from your home." Amar added.

---***---

"Amar sir, you are an excellent cook" said Vennela having second helpings. Amar thanked her. He felt proud of his cooking skills.

"I'll cook tomorrow. Let's take turns." Vennela suggested.

"I have a better suggestion. Let's cook together. We'll divide the work. That way it will be completed quickly." Amar knew that cooking together is one of the best ways to strengthen a bond. 'Come on. Say yes. Please.' He was anxious about her answer.

She seemed to consider this. "Fine. Let's cook together. But, I won't chop onions. You have to do it."

He was elated. They were having the desserts when a servant announced the arrival of their neighbour.

"Hello Amar. Namaste Vennela garu. How are you? I hope you are enjoying married life" said the neighbour.

"We are fine. You are here at this hour. What happened? Do you need any help?" Amar asked.

"Actually, yes. My sister called me to inform that she will be visiting tomorrow. You know about her allergy. Do you think you could let Bunty stay in your house? Only for two days." The neighbour requested them.

"Sure. We have got more than a week before we resume our office work. Not a problem. Send Bunty tomorrow. We will take care of him." Amar assured him. He thanked them and left.

"Why is his sister allergic to his child?" Vennela has never seen people being allergic to kids.

"Bunty is not his child. It's his pet dog. Bernard Shepherd."

Vennela's eyes widened in shock. She had cynophobia - phobia of dogs.

"It will be fun. I like Bunty very much" said Amar.

Vennela faked a smile. 'Why, God why? How am I supposed to take care of Bunty for two days?' She just hoped Amar wouldn't find out about her fear of dogs. 

---***---

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