"Lasya akka !" Shruthi and Rishi-Raj hugged her. Lasya's husband, Surya, was standing next to her. Shruthi welcomed them inside. 

Anirudh lowered his voice so that only Amar can hear him. "Anna, your ex-fiancee, whom you have helped in eloping with her boyfriend, has come to visit your wife, who also happens to be her cousin. We are doomed."

Amar didn't know how to save himself. He considered pretending to be furious, asking Lasya to leave. But he being Amar, couldn't be that rude. He desperately hoped Lasya won't be foolish enough to mention how he helped her.

Vennela was staring at Lasya, who looked nervous. "I vowed to break your nose the next time I meet you." She clenched her fist. Lasya instinctively covered her nose with her hands. "But seeing that it's already crooked, I've changed my mind."

"Vennu I'm sorry, I didn't--"

"You don't have to apologize. I understand you didn't have a choice. It's aunt and uncle's fault," said Vennela. "Now come and embrace me, idiot."

Lasya hugged Vennela. "I missed you little sis." 

"Hello bava garu. I hope your journey was fine." Vennela spoke politely.

"Hello Vennela. I've always wanted to meet you. I wanted to apologize to you for all the problems we have caused. Please forgive me." Surya was unsure whether she would forgive him.

"There's nothing to forgive. I never really blamed you. Welcome to our family." Vennela smiled at him.

"It's lunch time. Come, let's have lunch." Anirudh led them to the dining hall. Amar gestured Lasya to stay silent. She understood and nodded. He felt relieved.

"You guys are on vacation?" He asked Surya.

"Sort of. We wanted to meet her family and mend ties with everyone." Surya answered.

"I'm glad you married Amar. He is perfect for you. Though I was unhappy with the way your wedding happened, I was sure he would set everything right and support you." Lasya spoke making Vennela blush.

"Akka show me your wedding pics." Vennela snatched Lasya's phone and started looking at the pictures. It was a simple court marriage.  

"Tell me the story of your first meeting." Shruthi requested Surya.

"Well, we met in my friend's art exhibition. We both liked the same painting. We walked towards it at the same time and collided with each other. She shouted at me. I apologized to her." Surya paused reminiscing the moment.

"Surya stayed silent and composed while I accused him of being a pervert whose only aim is to touch girls. His friend came out of nowhere to save him. He introduced me to Surya and told me he was one of the organizers. He said Surya was an upcoming architect as well as a social worker and I must have misunderstood because he would never do what I've accused him of. It was my turn to apologize. We became friends. We started falling for each other gradually. He proposed to me last December." Lasya completed the story.

"So cute." Shruthi clapped her hands.

"We'll forever be grateful to bava garu's friend for being the matchmaker and uniting you two." Vennela announced.

"My friend just introduced us. The person who united us is your husband," said Surya. "If it wasn't for him and Anirudh we wouldn't have got married."

Amar choked on his food. Anirudh gasped. Lasya kicked Surya under the table. "What he meant was if I wasn't engaged to Amar I wouldn't have run away to marry him." 

"Yes, yes. That's exactly what I meant." Surya didn't know why his wife was lying but he supported her.

"What's going on?" asked Raj.

"Nothing Rishi, I mean Raj. Come on, let's eat." Lasya tried to change the topic. But the damage was done.

"You both look nervous. What is it?" Vennela asked her.

"Nothing Vennu--"

"Akka! Tell. The. Truth." Vennela ordered.

Lasya lowered her head. Surya cursed himself for bringing this up.

"I'll tell you everything." Amar held Vennela's hand. "Before I start, let me tell you this. None of this was planned. I went on a long drive along with Anirudh the day before our wedding. We had coffee at a small coffee shop beside the bus stand. A few moments later I saw Lasya hiding at the door, looking nervous."

Everyone looked shocked at this piece of information. Amar continued, "When I talked to her she said she was running away because she didn't want to marry me. Your aunt and uncle house arrested her to separate her from Surya. She was scared. The guards were searching for her. So I made her contact Surya. I protected her from the security guards till he arrived and took her away. I just saved her from a horrible fate of being married off against her wish. I never--"

"And somehow you ended up giving me the same horrible fate. I hope you've realized that in your excitement of 'being the hero' you have destroyed my life." Vennela jerked him away.

"Vennela, please. I couldn't have married her after knowing that she loved someone else." Amar was desperate to make her understand.

"I agree you couldn't. But you could have told this to your aunt. Had she known that it's her own nephew who ruined, what's her catchphrase, Devaraju family's reputation, she wouldn't have blackmailed my family into marrying me off to you. You hid this from me even after knowing the truth on our wedding night. YOU ARE A COWARD AMAR PRATAP DEVARAJU." She yelled at him and left.

Amar tried to follow her but she slammed the door on his face. Few minutes later she reappeared with her bags packed. "I'm leaving. I can't live here anymore."

"No! Please Vennela, don't leave. I'm sorry. I'll accept all punishments you think I deserve. Please, please don't leave." Amar pleaded.

"No Amar. This is something I can't accept. I can't live with a man who has betrayed me. You could have stopped this from happening. But, you let me get punished when it was you who needs to be punished." Vennela reached the entrance of the house. 

Shruthi tried to intervene but Vennela silenced her with a sharp look. She almost stepped out when he held her hand and pulled her inside. "So, you are shameless enough to resort to force for stopping me?" 

He lowered his head. "I'm not forcing you to stay. I'm begging you because this is your house too. You are right. It's me who has to be punished. Why should you leave? I'll leave. No Rudy," he stopped Anirudh who tried to say something, "I deserve this."

"Then go away. Don't show me your face again." She knelt and wept. He wanted to take her in his arms and console her. But he couldn't. So, he left silently. Anirudh followed him.

"Vennela I'm sorry. Please don't send him away." Surya tried to apologize. But she gave him a furious look that made him shiver.

She turned to Lasya. "What else did my beloved sister hide from me? Is there anything else I need to know?"

Lasya was scared to look at her. She closed her eyes and answered. "Yes. Ragini helped me by creating a diversion in the living room so that I can escape without anyone noticing. She injured her leg intentionally and everyone gathered around to see what happened to her."

"I'll have a few words with her." Vennela locked herself in her room.

"Lasya I'm sorry. I didn't know." Surya was worried.

"Who asked you to open your stupid mouth?" Lasya shouted at him.

"Why didn't you warn me?" he asked.

"Because I didn't know I married a fool." She was mad at him.

"Akka stop blaming bava garu. We need to get her open the door" said Shruthi.

On the other side of the door, Vennela was having a heated phone conversation with Ragini. "I know you don't like me. But I never knew you could sink this low."

"Vennu please I didn't have a choice--"

"Really? You were there when everyone accused me of helping her run away. But you didn't utter a word. You were busy saving your own skin. How could you be so selfish Ragini? You wouldn't have done this to other cousins. You did this because it was me, who, according to you, is an attention seeking orphan whose feelings don't matter. I am ashamed that I love you when you hate me so much." Vennela fumed.

"I'm sorry" said Ragini. But Vennela ended the call and switched off the phone.

On the other side of the door Lasya, Surya, Shruthi and Rishi-Raj tried to persuade her to open the door. "Go away everyone." She yelled from the room.

"Do something." Lasya told Shruthi.

Shruthi started singing. "Do you wanna build a snowman?...Come let's go and play..."

"Shut up!" Lasya slapped her arm.

"This is how we thaw a frozen heart." Shruthi told Lasya. "Sing along."

"I never see you anymore...come out the door...it's like you've gone away" Lasya joined Shruthi.

"We used to be best buddies...and now we're not...I wish you would tell me why!" Everyone started singing.

Vennela, who was sitting inside, sighed. 'They won't rest until I open the door'  She opened the door. "Do not speak a word about Amar." She ordered them when they tried to convince her.

---***---

"If only I hadn't stopped you when you wanted to tell her the truth." Anirudh blamed himself. "It's all my fault." They were sitting in the backyard of the mansion.

"Not everything is your fault. Give some credit to Amar Pratap the great too. I had so many opportunities to tell her. But I wasted all of them." Amar realized he has been a fool.

"What do we do now? We are homeless," said Anirudh, gloomily.

"Not we. Just me. You are allowed to go and stay inside," said Amar.

"But, how can Lakshman live in a place where his Ram is not allowed?" Anirudh made Amar chuckle.

Just then, Shruthi brought a tray of food for both of them. "Who sent this?" asked Amar.

"Vennu akka forbade me from telling you that it was she who sent the food. So, I won't tell you anything." Shruthi left.

"Looks like Sita can't see her Ram starve," said Amar. They started eating.

---***---

I calculated the number of chapters for the story I have in mind. 55 plus chapters!! Looks like I have to condense the story. 

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