Author's POV:

After returning home, she told her parents that she feels headache so came home early. Her parents were also didn't doubt her and left it as it is.

That evening Rudra and Venu left the apartment and went back to their homes with tearful farewell of Latha aunty and sekhar uncle. The couple hugged the boys who became family in these few years with so much love. Few of their neighbours also came to bid bye to them as everyone in the apartments knows how well behaved these boys are. Soon they left to their own homes.

When Rudra entered in his huge mansion, he saw his father was waiting for him in the living room. Krishna was in his middle forties who founded the huge industries which happens to be leading in daily necessities. They had domains in every wings of daily necessities. Recently they started to enter into kids products too. But their evergreen products were pickles and snacks. They were always in demand. He named his business as 'RRK group of Industries', it was in the remembrance of his father First Lieutenant Raghuram, his biggest supporters in his life his mother Rajya Lakshmi and his late wife Kalyani.

(There were used to be first and second lieutenant posts in Indian army before, later they merged into one and be called as 'lieutenant' after the second Lieutenant post removed in 2006)

Krishna uncle looked at his son entering into the house and cleared his throat to attract his attention.

"How was the journey?" He asked his son looking at his face. He eyes were longing for his son's love.

"It's good dad!" Rudra answered simply avoiding his eyes. The room fell in silence. Though they wanted to hug each other, they couldn't muster up their courage. They missed each other, though they were standing within a radius of metre the actual distance between them to have a hearty talk was beyond measures.

"Have you had your medicines?" Rudra asked after a moment of silence.

"Yeah! I was waiting for you to have dinner. Then I'll have my medicines." The old man stuttered. Rudra just started at him. He doesn't like his father being neglecting his health. Krishna uncle knows the meaning of that look but he was not ready for an argument. They were already having a cold war through years. Though he was training his brain and heart to encounter this moment from 5 years, but facing the situation is a different ordeal. So he immediately changed the topic.

"Rehana! Arrange the dining table. Your Rudra babu has arrived." Krishna uncle shouted from the living room, to be heard into the kitchen. Soon a lady who was in her early forties came almost running. She was working as their house help from almost 11 years, since Rudra's mother passed away. Her husband, Ahmed was working for them since 20 years. He would usually take care of things out of house like getting groceries, vegetables, getting the garden cleaned, checking the cars for servicing and driving etc., When Rudra's mother passed away, he brought his wife for helping the little boy and from then she took the responsibilities of a cook there. There were also another two helpers for the remaining chores in the house like washing and cleaning.

(Babu is an endearment in telugu, which means son)

"Rudra babu! When did you come?" Rehana aunty asked him touching his cheeks lovingly.

"Just now aunty! I really missed your food" He hugged her with the same affection. He didn't miss the longing in his father's eyes witnessing the interaction.

"You go and fresh up! I'll arrange the table." She patted his cheeks and went back to the kitchen hurriedly. Rudra gave one last look at his father and went to his room to freshen up.

After that they had their dinner, they started to went to their rooms to sleep. Rudra was too tired and just wanted to hit the bed.

"Good night kanna!" His father couldn't stop himself from feeling his son's face with his hands. He cupped Rudra's cheeks while a tear left his left eye. A tear of happiness to have his son near him. A tear of peacefulness to finally see him and feel him like this.

"Good night dad!" Rudra's voice was heavy with emotions. Tears brimmed in his eyes to hear the endearment from his father's mouth. His parents always calls him as kannayya or kanna.

(Kanna is an endearment, as in kannayya, the name we usually call lord Krishna)

He chatted with Abhi for sometime before sleeping. The days were going on like this. Whenever he wanted to meet she would said no. He also doesn't compel her knowing she would not even talk to him in chat if she gets irritated.

After a month of their moving back venu got engaged and after two months he got married to the love of his life lahari. He saw sekhar uncle and Latha aunty at the marriage and reception of venu but he didn't saw her. Actually he hoped to see her for the first time after 3 months of them moving back. But he got disappointed. She was not even ready to meet him outside. She said she was just comfortable with chating only. So he got no choice but to listen to her. Now a days she doesn't even do chating with him. She would message twice or thrice in a week that too for a few minutes stating she was in her final year and they have to work on their project and all. She said she was busy even to eat properly. So he indulged himself in work to not get into her thoughts and missing too much. Once he asked her to meet because he was missing her but she got angry on him for being inconsiderate about her studies and career. So he dare not to do that again. He tried to cope up with the loneliness he was feeling in his own manner.

Since rudra took over the family business he was spending extra hours in office. Krishna uncle doesn't understand why does rudra always wanted to be in office. venu was also handling his family business along with their partnership business but he was not overworking himself this much. He was enjoying his life like the normal 23 year old does. He was enjoying his life with his family and newly wedded wife. But rudra was over working himself. And the reason he gave was everyone was taking him light and underestimating him because of his age, if they continued to let them behave like this he couldn't be able to handle the business, they would soon begin to manage him rather he manages the business. So he wanted to give his all to prove them what he was.

But Krishna uncle knows better. Rudra and venu just took one year to prove their calibre in the business world. Though he was far from them, he used to get the information about them. So he knows how the two boys made everyone go astonished by their smartness and new business techniques. At first no one did took them seriously considering they were just students and used to look down on them, it was common too. The business world never be a flower path to jst graduate students without any backgrounds, they had to workhard to stand by themselves. But after few presentations and successfully catching the eyes of few big investors and their super marketing techniques they just took one year to stable their new business and made a name for themselves. Not to say they were trained from young age in their own family businesses, so there is no doubt of their talent to their employees, they know better of their new bosses. Thinking all of these possibilities Krishna uncle came to a conclusion that his son must be feeling lonely and so wanted to escape the loneliness, he made his work as his entertainment or rather addiction.

After few weeks of Venu's marriage, Krishna uncle thought about Rudra's marriage. He thought Rudra will be happy if he got someone who would take care of him like his mom used to do. He thought if his son gets a life partner who gives him lots of love and pull him out of his mechanical life, then he would also start to enjoy his life rather than just surviving. So he decided to talk to him about that matter when he came back to home from office.

He waited for his son to return till 11pm but still rudra didn't came back home. He sighed a long exhale and went back to his room to get some sleep retiring from the day. He decided to talk to him at breakfast.

At morning they both sat for breakfast and soon Rehana aunty came with idly and chutney. While she was serving them Krishna uncle cleared his throat to get Rudra's attention. When Rudra looked up to his father he started to say.

"I think it's high time you should get married." He said coming straight to the point. Rehana was hyped up by the topic. She was having a huge smile with twinkling eyes listening to Krishna uncle.

"But I'm just 23 dad. Just this year I completed my studies. Don't you think it's too early." Rudra also declared in no nonsense.

"It's the right time son. Venu also got married right. He was two months younger than you too. Even I got married to your mother when I was 21. Your mother and grandmother were my biggest supporters to made me what I am today" Krishna uncle thoroughly prepared the question paper which Rudra possibly going to shoot after listening to his suggestion.

"But I wanted to get settled first." He shoot another reason to escape, which is the undeniable thing.

"When it comes to career there is no such thing called 'settled' Rudra. Because the more you step into the success of your career the more you wanted to achieve. Your goal would be always changing to higher ordeals, there would be no satisfaction in getting success and make your place in the world. Your wife makes you motivated to do something more and achieve a little bit higher. You'll be going to crave to become more successful with her support." He countered.

"But I'm not ready to take this responsibility yet." Rudra used his ultimatum. Krishna uncle took a sharp breath and ask something which wanted to ask from a long time.

"Are you love failed?" He asked his breath holding his son. According to him there was no other reason for his son to bahe like this, he was behaving like nothing is there in life apart from work. This is not how a young man should behave, this is the age for them to be reckless and enjoy to utmost without giving two hecks to the world.

"No! Why would you ask that. I'm not a love failure. We were very much in love and happy with each other." He declared with a scoff and soon realised what he blurted out. He looked down at his idly with embarrassment and silently started to escape from there.

"I'll be leaving for office." He says and got up to leave.

"So what's the problem. We'll go and talk to their parents about your alliance." His father dropped another bomb.

"Um, she was still studying. It would take another year for her to complete her graduation, we'll discuss it after her graduation." He informed his father and went out.

Soon Rehana went behind him and called him. Rudra looked back to Rehana aunty and asked "what happened aunty?"

"Is it true! That whatever you said in there?" She asked with a beaming smile. Rudra couldn't stop himself from returning the smile and nodded saying "yes"

"Really! I'm so happy for you. When are you going to bring her here? How does she look like?" Rehana aunty started to shower her questions one after another making Rudra laugh out loud upon her excitement.

"Do you wanna see her!" He asked making the other one jump with excitement and nodding her head like a spring was attached to it. He took out his mobile and shown Abhi's picture which he clicked without her knowledge, he would be finished if she found out that he took her photo without her permission. But he has no options, she doesn't allow him to talk directly to her, she doesn't want him to come and meet her, she doesn't even message him daily. He would be gone crazy if he doesn't even have this. He was surviving his everyday looking at her photo only which he clicked on the day he was coming to his home.

"Mashallah! She's really beautiful. You both look good together. May Allah protect you both from evil eyes." She started to gush upon them with a happy smile. Soon she saw her husband coming into the house with vegetables. She couldn't hold her excitement till he came to them, so she ran to her husband along with the phone to show him the soon to be daughter-in-law of the house.

"Ahmed! Look here! She's the one our Rudra babu going to marry. Isn't she beautiful!" She started her rambling again. Ahmed uncle took the mobile from his wife's hands and looked at the photo.

"Mashallah!Really beautiful!" Ahmed uncle too felt very happy.

"What is her name, Rudra babu?" He asked looking at rudra who walked towards them.

"Abhi, Abhilasha." Rudra answered with a smile.

"Very nice name." Rehana told him looking at the photo.

"Okay! Aunty now I'll leave to the office, it's already late. Bye uncle." He said to both of them and drove off to his office after taking his phone back. The couple nodded at him and recite some protection prayers for Rudra's happiness and soon went to their works.

But Rudra's father was not at all happy. He was confused. Confused about what made his son to be this much indulged in the work though he has a girlfriend. Shouldn't he spend more time with his girlfriend? Shouldn't they be going on dates? Shouldn't he be looking more into his phone rather than his laptop, if he really has a girlfriend? Does he has any problem going on between them? I never saw him smile. I never saw him lost in thoughts of his love. I never saw him getting distracted from work, he thought.

He don't want to think negative but the situation infront of him and his son's behaviour make him do that. Rudra wasn't behaving like someone who's so much in love and has a girlfriend. He was totally acting like a possessed businessman. Whatever it is he wants to give personal space to rudra. So for now he leave that matter  alone. Maybe Rudra was really happy in his life, I misunderstood the situations and thought Rudra wasn't happy, he thought.

But he can't help himself but pray to God to bless his son with peacefulness and happiness.

So guys here's the new chapter. Please try to express your views and opinions on the story.

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Until the next chapter byebye 🙏