Chapter 88: chapter 88

THE SILENT LOVE ...Chapter 87 :Sreekar perceived about Akash’s family arrival and their proposal of asking Swetha’s hand for their son from Gautham and fumed with anger. But after learning about Swetha’s reply to them  calmed his heart and waves of happiness hit him, making him float in the sky. He enquired Gautham about Swetha’s condition and about her exams.“Gautham! Did she come out of the  trauma? Is she ready to go for the exam tomorrow?”, queried Sreekar.“I don’t understand, Sree!  Akash’s family stayed for lunch and left after a while. Swetha looked fine as long as they were there but  once they left, she turned gloomy once again. We are  coaxing her to dismiss all her thoughts about that incident but she is too sensitive and couldn’t overcome the agony”, informed Gautham.“But she should attend for the exams. Otherwise all her efforts of the past two years will go into  mud”, exclaimed Sreekar.“I hope by tomorrow she will collect herself and go for the exam”, wished Gautham.Sreekar kept quiet for a while and suggested,“I am coming to pick Rasi for the exam. Tell her to join Rasi and I will drop them at the college. What  do you say?”.Gautham hesitated for a while and replied,“Sree! You have done so much for her  by saving her. I can’t expect more from you. I can’t take our friendship and your kindness for granted”.“What the hell, Gautham! Do you look down on our friendship? Don’t you react in the same way if my sister goes through any problem? When did you start building a  barrier in helping each other?”, rebuked Sreekar.“Sree! No, it’s not like  what you think. I don’t want to trouble you”, persuaded Gautham.“Trouble, my foot. When did you start thinking that your affairs will trouble me? What’s wrong with you? I will be there on time  to pick Rasi and I want you to be ready with Swetha. No more arguments, Understand?” roared Sreekar.Without any room for negotiation, Gautham surrendered himself for his command and bid bye to him. Later he went to Swetha’s room and knocked on the door.“The door is open”,answered Swetha from inside.Gautham entered the room and saw  Swetha who sat on the bed by hugging her knees to her chest. He can sense the turmoil she was going through by seeing the agony in her eyes. He reached her and sat beside her  while patting her head.“Swetha! How long will you lock yourself in the room? You have exams and you should go to college tomorrow. Don’t you want to revise the syllabus”, queried Gautham being concerned.“I don’t want to go to college. I can’t face the looks of the students    that they will give to me. I don’t want to throw myself into their  laughing stalk” wailed Swetha while hiding her face on her knees.“No one dares to look at you or laugh at you. Sreekar threatened the Principal to take care of everything in the college. No one is going to ridicule you. You should not  hide yourself when you are not at fault. You can't throw all your  efforts of achieving your goal into the bin  being timid. You have to appear for the exams whatever the circumstances may be. Understand?”, persuaded Gautham while caressing her hair.Swetha whipped her head towards Gautham and stared at him  with widened eyes  by hearing the steps that Sreekar took for her not to get taunted by the students. Her chest tightened with unknown emotions by the efforts Sreekar took for her.Gautham gave an encouraging smile and said,“Sreekar was coming to pick Rasi for the exam  and he wishes you to  be ready by that  time. He wants you  to appear for the exam without any fail. Will you be ready to go for the exam?”.Swetha didn’t utter any word and lowered her head while  recollecting his words. She acknowledged that Sreekar was coming to make sure of her attempting the exams. She was sure that Sreekar was checking on her condition with Gautham though he didn’t appear in front of her after that incident. After hearing Gautham’s words she believed that  he kept a continuous check on her well being.“What Swetha? Why are you not answering? You have to attend the exams if you don’t want all your efforts to go in vain. At least to show your gratitude to Sreekar, please go to college”, coaxed Gautham.Swetha slowly nodded her head in approval to make  Sreekar’s wish  of her attending exams come true. Gautham patted her head affectionately and asked her to rest to get up early for the next day.As promised Sreekar reached the place in time and went  into Meenakshi’s house to wish them. Rasi was ready to leave for  the  college and was waiting for him in the living room along with Chandra Mohan and Meenakshi. Sreekar wished them and enquired Rasi about their departure.“Rasi! Are you ready? Shall we move?”, queried Sreekar.Rasi rose  to her feet and replied  while taking her bag,“Yes brother! I am ready. Let’s  leave”.They both  bid bye to the elders and left the house. Once they reached the car, Sreekar's eyes traveled towards Swetha’s house to have a look at her. But there was no sign of her. Sreekar darted his eyes to Rasi and raised his eyebrow questioning about Swetha.Rasi shoved her bag into the car’s backseat, gave a warm smile to her brother and ran into  Swetha’s house. Before she could open the  gate, Swetha came out of the house ushered by Gautham followed by Mahalaxmi and Krishna Kumar.“Sweths ...!”yelled Rasi cheerfully after seeing Swetha.Sreekar, who stood at the car leaning his back on it while running his hand through his hair feeling restless, heard her yell and immediately spun his head towards Swetha’s direction. He saw her crossing the gate  wearing a  pink kurta and matching leggings as usual looking pretty and graceful. Sreekar’s eyes traveled from her head to toe, returned back to her face and acknowledged that she is not carrying her usual glory but filled with anguish. He felt the throbbing sensation in his heart by seeing her distressed face and when his eyes traveled to her hair, a wave of emotions hit his heart by recollecting the words she said about her hair earlier. She feels her braid as her pride and now seeing her having the hair up to her neck, Sreekar’s heart filled with disdain towards Rana.Swetha hugged Rasi who stretched her hands for her and looked at Sreekar from beneath her eyelashes. She can see him carrying the distress which she didn’t acknowledge whether seeing her in that condition or due to his business work. She can feel the delightment in his eyes  by seeing her. Their eyes met for a while and she can  sense him smiling at her  with his eyes where he kept his face  void of expression.Rasi  ushered her towards the car and both hopped inside.Sreekar waved his hand towards Krishna Kumar and Mahalaxmi wishing them and patted on Gautham’s shoulder bidding bye to him. Later he entered the car and accelerated it towards the college.Throughout the way Rasi kept speaking to Swetha making her busy  with her talks rather than  dozing out in her own thoughts. Sreekar kept stealing glances at her now and then which Swetha noticed from beneath her eyelashes.Once they reached their college,Rasi and Swetha alighted from the car. Swetha’s heart was pounding rapidly to go across all the students who had witnessed her getting humiliated by Rana. She felt very ashamed to be under their scrutinizing gazes.Everyone’s eyes darted towards Swetha who entered the college and slowly whispers of their murmurs echoed in the college which made Swetha anxious and took a step back.. Rasi grabbed her hand and made her stand in her place, not letting her  go back.Sreekar, who was observing Swetha, acknowledged her anxiousness and stepped out of the car  heading forward. He stood in front of the  car  with his hands shoved into his pockets while his eyes traveled across the campus giving his menacing looks making everyone lower their heads feeling frightened with his dangerous aura.Swetha was surprised to see them going silent suddenly and darted her eyes towards Sreekar who stood  there exuding his dominating aura. Their eyes met and he gave an encouraging smile with his eyes and nodded his head to proceed for her exam. Swetha showed her gratitude through her eyes and while Rasi bid bye to her brother, both headed towards their exam room. They  halted in their way by hearing the familiar voice.“Sweths ...!”.