Chapter 25: Threads of Love and Deceit
Soon after everyone finished their meal, a little time passed, and Mohan Rao’s family began preparing to leave.
Mohan smiled politely and said, “Shashidhar, what do you say if we arrange Rohan and Jaanu’s wedding as soon as possible, and after that, Surya and Amrutha’s wedding?”
Shekhar hesitated for a moment, his voice gentle yet uneasy. “I’m sorry… Jaanu still needs a little more time to complete her education. If you don’t mind giving us some time, once she returns to India, we can fix the auspicious date. What do you say?”
Mohan and his family nodded in agreement.
Lucky added cheerfully, “In any case, let’s consult our family priest. We’ll show all four horoscopes and fix a good muhurtham.”
The entire house was filled with a festive warmth—joy, laughter, and hopeful anticipation floated freely in the air.
Just then, Vrinda and Ramya went inside and brought Amrutha out. Until that moment, Amrutha had been unaware of everything that was happening outside.
The instant she stepped forward, every pair of eyes in the house turned towards her. She looked around in confusion, her gaze searching for answers. No one spoke a word, but that silence itself felt heavy. Her feet seemed rooted to the ground, unable to move.
Her heart began to race violently. In that charged stillness, even her breathing grew uneven. Where a soft smile should have appeared on her face, disappointment and embarrassment burned instead. Her lips trembled slightly. Overwhelmed by shock and unease, her face flushed red, like a delicate flower bruised by sudden rain.
Sarala, understanding her pain the moment she saw her expression, stepped forward gently. “Look at her face… Amrutha, my child, there is no need for you to be sad anymore. Your marriage will be with your Surya only.”
The moment those words reached her ears, Amrutha felt as if the ground beneath her feet vanished. “What? Is this true? Father…Appa?”
Shashidhar walked up to her, his eyes filled with remorse. Stroking her head tenderly, he said, “My child, I know I’ve caused you a lot of pain. Please forgive me.”
Amrutha’s happiness knew no bounds. Tears of joy welled up in her eyes. “Father…” she cried out and hugged him tightly. “Thank you so much, Father. I’m so happy—I don’t even have words to express it.”
Standing nearby, Sudhakar felt a quiet ache in his heart, remembering the way he had treated her. “My child… will you forgive this father too?” he asked softly.
“Appa, please don’t talk like that,” Amrutha said, her voice trembling. “It hurts me.”
Seeing her happiness, peace and relief spread across everyone’s faces.
Lucky teased her playfully, “So, Ammu, finally your love has won.”
Amrutha’s face turned crimson with shyness. She lifted her eyes toward Surya—and before her mind could stop her, she walked straight to him. “Surya…” she whispered and hugged him tightly.
Everyone around them gasped in surprise.
Madhav laughed loudly. “Wow! What love! Hey, Ammu, all of us are standing right here,” he said, teasing her mercilessly.
Amrutha’s face glowed red with embarrassment. Surya and Amrutha exchanged a silent gaze, their eyes speaking the love their lips could not.
Lucky Granny, seeing them together, quickly removed the evil eye. “May no bad glance fall upon my grandchildren,” she murmured.
Mohan Rao then stood up. “Alright then, we should leave now.” After bidding goodbye to everyone, Mohan Rao and his family departed.
As soon as they reached home, Mohan Rao called out sharply, “Rohan!”
Rohan came down the stairs. “What is it, Dad?”
Mohan glared at him angrily. “Come to the room. I need to talk to you.”
Pavitra intervened softly, “Please, calm down.”
Mohan shot her a sharp look. “You stay quiet and do your work.”
Pavitra and Sarala exchanged worried glances and went inside.
Mohan dragged Rohan into the room. “Do you even have any sense? You just walked out of that house halfway through everything?”
Rohan snapped back, “Stay quiet, Dad. Should I have stayed there and tolerated all that humiliation?”
Before Mohan could reply, his phone began to ring. Seeing the name on the screen, a strange smile spread across his face. He answered the call.
Rohan asked suspiciously, “Who is it?”
Mohan nodded. “Poorvi.”
Poorvi’s anxious voice spilled through the phone. “Hello, Uncle. What happened? Is everything okay? I’m so tense—please tell me quickly. Did everything go according to our plan?”
Mohan replied calmly, “Cool down, Poorvi. Honestly, nothing went according to our plan… but—”
It felt as if the sky collapsed over Poorvi’s head. She stood up abruptly. “What? Nothing went as planned? Uncle, please tell me what happened. I’m really scared.”
“Poorvi, listen to me calmly—” Mohan began.
“No, Uncle. I’ll come to your house. We’ll talk there,” she interrupted.
“Fine. Come quickly. We’ll wait,” Mohan said.
A little while later, Poorvi reached their house. The moment she entered, she started calling out, “Uncle… Uncle…”
Sarala came out of the kitchen. “Poorvi? When did you come? Why do you look so worried? Are you okay?”
“Aunty, where is Uncle?” Poorvi asked anxiously.
“He should be upstairs in the room. But why are you so tensed?” Sarala asked.
“I’ll talk to you later,” Poorvi said hurriedly and ran upstairs, opening the door. Inside, Rohan and Mohan were in the middle of a conversation.
Mohan smiled at the sight of her.
“Uncle, why did our plan fail? What exactly happened? Please tell me quickly,” Poorvi pleaded.
“First, calm down and sit,” Mohan said patiently.
Rohan added bitterly, “Nothing happened the way you thought. Dad, tell her.”
Mohan snapped at him, then turned to Poorvi with a slow smile. “Our plan didn’t go exactly as expected… but it succeeded.”
Both Rohan and Poorvi stared at him in shock. “What are you saying, Uncle?”
Mohan continued, “Yes, Poorvi. I wanted to tell you this first. That’s why I asked Rohan to wait.”
Rohan frowned. “Dad, how is that even possible? They clearly said the marriage wouldn’t happen, and now you’re saying—”
“Wait. I’ll explain everything,” Mohan said. “Poorvi, our plan was to bring Amrutha into our family as our daughter-in-law, right?”
Poorvi nodded.
“But that Shashidhar broke his promise after knowing that Amrutha loves a man named Surya,” Mohan said coldly.
Poorvi panicked. “But Uncle—”
“Wait,” Mohan interrupted. “At the same time, this fool walked out of there, and I didn’t know what to do. But luck was on our side. Shashidhar’s brother-in-law, Shekhar—poor fellow—was ready to give his own daughter to our house just to keep his brother-in-law’s word.”
A cruel smile spread across Mohan’s face.
Poorvi whispered, “You mean… Surya’s sister? But how did she agree?”
“Yes. Jahnavi,” Mohan replied. “Even I was afraid she might refuse. But our luck—she agreed to just one sentence spoken by her father.”
Poorvi’s face lit up. “Wow! I can’t believe it. I was so scared. Now I finally feel relieved.”
“Truly, Shashidhar’s family is trapped in our net,” Mohan said smugly. “The time for your JK to become yours is coming closer.”
“Uncle, thank you so much. All this is happening only because of your support,” Poorvi said gratefully.
Rohan suddenly spoke up. “Enough. I’m not ready to marry anyone. Don’t force me. Poorvi, you know very well—marriage is not for me.”
Poorvi countered immediately, “But earlier you agreed to marry Amrutha, live for a few days, and then divorce her, remember? This is the same. Marry her, and when JK becomes mine, divorce her or do whatever you want. I have no problem. But please, I need your help to get my JK.”
Rohan shook his head firmly. “You might have forced me before, but now I won’t agree. I want to enjoy my life, chill, have fun. Marriage doesn’t suit me.”
Mohan’s voice softened slightly. “Don’t talk like that. That poor girl trusted us and came here. And she’s the daughter of my closest friend.”
(The truth was that Poorvi’s father and Mohan were close friends. Obsessed with marrying JK, Poorvi had pressured Mohan, and he agreed. Added to this was Mohan’s jealousy—Shashidhar’s family enjoyed great respect in society and had earned more success in business than him. That bitterness drove him to manipulate this alliance, believing it would also help unite Poorvi and JK.)
Will Rohan accept this marriage? What will be Poorvi’s next move? What twists await our hero JK’s life?
We’ll find out in the coming episodes…
To be continued.
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🌸Author’s Note🌸:
Dear readers,
This chapter marks a turning point where love finally finds its voice, even as hidden intentions begin to surface. While one heart celebrates long-awaited happiness, another prepares for manipulation and control. What appears settled on the outside is only the beginning of deeper conflicts yet to unfold
