Chapter 10: chapter 10

THE SILENT LOVE ...Chapter 9 :Swetha, who ran into the house escaping from Sreekar, went into her room to calm her mind. After a while she came down to help her aunty Mahalaxmi in preparing the lunch. When she was cutting onions, they heard the calling bell sound. Mahalaxmi asked Swetha to open the door as no one was present in the living room.Swetha rushed to the door, opened it widely and looked for the person. Her eyes widened like saucers by seeing Sreekar. Her heart pounded rapidly, feeling afraid that he came to complain about her to their family. Her legs lost all their strength and felt like she would collapse then and there.Sreekar was shocked to see her in that house and observed her from head to toe. He could see her trembling body due to the fear of seeing him. He tucked his hands into his pockets, gave a cold look to her and queried,”Is there any one in the home”.Swetha tried to speak out but a lump formed in her throat and couldn’t utter a single word. She swallowed hard and then about to reply but stopped by hearing her brother’s voice.“Swetha! Who is there?”queried Gautham, who came out after taking a bath.Swetha looked back to her brother, turned to Sreekar and looked back again to Gautham. She immediately ran into the kitchen shouting that she doesn’t know him.“Brother! I don’t know him. I really don’t know him”.Gautham looked at her like she was behaving like an alien and turned towards the entrance to find the reason. He was amazed to see the person standing at the door and immediately went to invite him.“Oh my God! What a surprise? Are you really here or am I hallucinating? Come, come in. Why are you standing like a stranger?”Gautham held his hand and brought him inside. Sreekar, whenever comes to his uncle’s house,plays with Gautham as they were of same age and get through along with each other very comfortably. They used to share each and every simple thing in their lives though they stay away from each other because of their different schools and colleges.Swetha could hear Gautham’s voice from the kitchen and was perplexed by his words. She understood that Gautham is acquainted with Sreekar and both were friends.Swetha released the breath by realizing that Sreekar had not come for her. But she immediately became frightened thinking what if he told her family about the incident that happened in the college. She heard her brother’s voice when she was having inner turmoil.“Swetha! Bring two coffee”, shouted Gautham from the living room.Mahalaxmi nudged Swetha who stood frozen at her place and asked her to prepare the coffee. Mahalaxmi went to the living room by hearing Gautham’s voice calling her and saw Sreekar.“Chinna Babu! Is that really you? I have seen you long back. How are you?”, queried Mahalaxmi.“Namaste Aunty! I am fine. How are you? How is uncle?”, wished her and Sreekar asked for their well being. Mahalaxmi spoke to him for a while and returned back to the kitchen to prepare the lunch. Swetha prepared the coffee and asked Mahalaxmi to serve it. But she declined the request, being busy preparing lunch. Without any other option, Swetha slowly took the coffee tray and went to the living room.Sreekar, who was speaking to Gautham, hearing the anklets sound, his heart itched to look at her immediately but controlled hard by remembering Gautham’s presence. From the corner of his eyes he saw her legs walking to them and unable to control his anxiety, turned his head to her. Swetha was holding the tray and looking to the floor while reaching them. She can feel the gazes of Sreekar and feel goosebumps all over her body.“Hey buddy! This is my sister Swetha. Do you remember the girl I used to tell you about? The girl who lives in the village. My cousin, Swetha and she is staying here for her higher education”, introduced Gautham.Sreekar nodded his head and looked at Swetha who was not daring to see him. He can see her hands shivering, which were holding the tray. Gautham took his coffee cup which Swetha had offered and asked to give the other cup to Sreekar.