10.  Barath and Rathi - VJ G 

Barath looked at the missed call, it was from Rathi’s uncle, he called him again,

Uncle was asking, what is their program for the day?

‘We will come to your home to pick up you and aunty’

‘We will go together, ok uncle, will see you in a bit’ he hung the phone and told

Barathi, we are going to uncle’s house and we’ll go together to our house’

She nodded her head.

They both went to their house, they were at the door, Barath got down and helped them in ‘hello, how are you aunty?,’

All of them together went barath’s home, the lunch was already ready, he’d arranged the part time cook will come home and cook for him usually, he’d already called the lady cook for four for the lunch and for six to the dinner.

When they entered home there was a nice aroma of the tamilnadu food,They were all hungry to eat.

‘You’ll sit in the living and I’ll arrange the table,’ said Bharath

‘I’ll do that, you go talk with uncle’

She started arranging the table, once she’s done, called everyone to eat.

They were all on the table chatting and eating.

‘Rathi, I am going out with uncle at three, we’ll be back about six or seven, you two rest till we get back, the lady will cook for the dinner, I’d already informed her, so you need not make anything, ’

‘ok!, thanks’ she was surprised, to see him, taking care of everything,

Barath, left with uncle at three, she was sleepy and asked aunt if she wants to rest in the bed room in downstairs, she said, she would.

Brarathi, went upstairs to her bed room and was thinking to call her parents tonight, ‘she picked up the phone and called Barath, where are you Barath? I miss you,’

‘I miss you too my sweetie, do you want me to come there right away, I’ll come back now,’

‘No, please don’t, uncle will take me wrong, just thought I’d talk to you, alright, I am going to sleep now, bye’

‘You sleep baby, you are going to have, long night, bye’ he could imagine her face glowing red.

He was smiling with his imagination.

She didn’t know that he went away from uncle, when he saw the call was from her, and cursing him why is he talking like this when he is with uncle? And her face was red and started thinking of their previous night.

She went to sleep.

At the airport, Barath and uncle were waiting for Barathi’s, parent’s arrival.

After an hour, they arrived, uncle sekhar, waved his hand and went near them, took the hand bags from them, they were introduced to Barath, Barathi’s father was thinking, how handsome this boy is, if god’s will, he can be my daughter’s groom.

Barath asked him, ‘ how was your travel uncle?’

‘Very comfortable, we travelled in business class, so it was very comfortable, except it was long time sitting in one place.’

‘Yeah, we can’t help it,’ he went near aunty and hugged her, she was shy, and trying to move away from him, ‘how are you aunty?’

‘hmm’ that’s all she could answer, she was shy to even look at his face.

Barathi’s dad was telling uncle shekhar ‘chandra, you arranged those boys were too good, they took care of our entire thing, they were very helpful, and why did you waste so much on the business class, we would’ve travelled in economy by the way, why didn’t you bring Barathi, we wanted to see her?’

‘You are going to see her now, she is not aware of your visit yet, it’s  a surprise, so wait till we get home, the surprise is not only to her it’s also to your sister,’ he looked at Barathi’s mom and told her.

They were laughing, Barath arranged a man to pick up the bags from the baggage claim and they came out, their cab was ready, they dumped the bags and cab started to leave.

On the way ‘Barath, called Barathi, ‘honey, we’re on our way, get fresh’ n up’

‘Ok, thanks for calling’

Since they kept asking about the arrangements, uncle told them ‘the arrangements were by Barath, so if you want to ask anything, you have to ask him’

‘Oh, why did you spend so much? And the boys really helped us and whatever the purchases we make in India, they spend for everything, we want to return money to you, but we can only pay you in Indian currency’

‘come on stop this uncle, please stop it, did I ask you money, what if I am thinking you two as my parents, will you return money to you son, wouldn’t you accept if your son did everything to you. You please think that I am your son’ he didn’t say any further