The chill wind is slowly blowing in the place. It made its way to Rathi and kissed her skin and made her smile. The small bell that's hanging on the crescent of the door clinked lightly dancing to the motion of the breeze. The bright clouds were chased by the grey ones and settled on the top, proudly.

Watching the changes in nature Rathi was quietly sitting on the door side. Her eyes were fixed on the hibiscus tree; the red flowers bloomed in big sizes. She wanted to take one of those but she can't. Shankari has taught her that, during menstruation, a girl shouldn't touch any kind of plants or else the plant will die, Rathi believed it during that time but as she grown-up, she couldn't change her mind even knowing it's stupid. She's afraid of whether it will happen. Rathi is not the kind of person who can harm something intentionally. So she watched it from sitting there with a smile.

Aadhiyan's great grandfather came there at that time. Rathi smiled seeing him and he smiled warmly. "Rathi, did you had food?" he asked.

"I had, grandpa," she replied and saw a bottle in his hand. It's evident that he's not there to see Rathi. He went inside Masumi's house and Rathi could hear what they were talking about.

"Give this medicine every night. This will reduce his pain," he told. Masumi didn't talk to him.

A few moments later he came out. "I am leaving, Rathi. I will ask Maaran to give you something hot to drink," he told and Rathi smiled. She watched him until he enters the kitchen side.

Then Rathi's face light up when Sumaya came placing her hand on her baby bump. She smiled seeing Rathi.

"I know you'll be bored to sit alone, that's why came here," told Sumaya after sitting on the ground.

"Thank you," Rathi expressed her gratitude.

"Don't mention, you're like my small sister,"

"So this month you won't get pregnant, I was waiting to hear the good news," Sumaya added.

Rathi felt anxious to hear that and last yesterday's dream flashed before her eyes.

"Rathi, how many days you'll menstruate?" she asked disturbing her thoughts.

"Four," she replied.

Sumaya nodded. "Look at the sky, whenever he goes to the ocean it will rain like crazy and I've to worry about him every time," Sumaya told.

"Are you worrying too?" she teased seeing Rathi's dull face.

Actually, Rathi doesn't feel anything, and she's not worried about him for sure.

"I am worried too but I know he'll come back safe," Rathi gave a convincing answer.

Rathi asked what they do with the pearls and Sumaya replied that they will sell it to a big dealer in Madagascar. Rathi wondered why do they living like cave people even having loads of wealth.

Then after talking for some time, Sumaya left when it started drizzling as she wants to take the clothes that put for drying at the backside of her house. Rathi again dwelled in the silence.

The drizzles slowly soaked the leaves and dried mud, spreading slight petrichor. That time Maaran gave a glass of tea but Rathi said she doesn't want it as it tastes awful.

"Give it to me," Masumi told when he was about to leave.

Rathi looked at her and she sat on the place once occupied by Sumaya. "Eat this," she handed a plate full of papaya.

It's sugary and juicy, Rathi had it thinking how much this old lady loves her but she doesn't know what's the reason behind it. Masumi holding the tea glass in her shaking hands watched Rathi's face in astonishment.

"Grandma you're living here for a long time right," Rathi questioned hesitantly.

Masumi nodded.

"If I ask you something, will you tell me the truth?" Rathi demanded.

"Ask me," Masumi smiled.

"Have you seen my parents? They must have lived here?" Rathi questioned staring at the old lady's face intently and thunder rumbled above.

The smile lost from Masumi's face and filled in with an unknown sadness. Her eyes welled in tears.

"You know my mother, don't you?" Rathi's eyes welled in tears too because at that moment she has a strong emotional bond with Masumi which couldn't say its words.

"How couldn't I know my own daughter?" Rathi is totally muddled by her reply.

"What you're saying. My mother is your daughter?" Rathi gasped.

"Yes your mother was my own daughter and you're my pity granddaughter," her eyes shed few tears after revealing that and Rathi fell back on the wall in shock.

Rathi knew that she's related to them, but not like this. So that means Aadhiyan is my own cousin. Did I marry my own cousin? She supposed and didn't care about whether Aadhiyan hears it or not.

"And my father?"

"Your father and Shankari were Das's cousins," she told.

Rathi now realized that Mithran was more like her own brother. Then eventually Rathi came to this question, "How did they die?"

Masumi nodded her head in fear. "I won't tell you. I'll never tell you," she shivered.

"Why? I want to know. Tell me, grandma?" Rathi urged.

Masumi kept refuting and then she furiously retorted, "Why did you come here. No one can change your fate after this... you're going to...."

"RATHI!" Aadhiyan's voice chorused with the huge thunder.

Rathi was taken back to see Aadhiyan. His face was intimidating her like he's going to kill her right now. She shuddered when he came close.

Masumi was equally terrified to see Aadhiyan.

"Go inside, don't ever open your mouth again," he roared in anger and poor Masumi headed inside. She leaped up from the floor and stared at him,

"Why you are scolding her? You shouldn't do that?" Rathi dared. She can't take it to see his behavior toward their grandmother.

"Shut up, you don't have to tell me how should I speak," he snapped.

Rathi hates to hear it. Don't he have any kindness in him, Rathi clenched her fist in repulsion.

"Kindness! Do you know? keeping her alive is kindness too," Aadhiyan told and Rathi glared at him.

"You're cruel and a narcissist. You don't have the right to decide who to live and who to die. Don't ever talk like that to my grandmother," Rathi shouted at him.

Aadhiyan clenched his jaw and saw her hand. The bracelet is not on her wrist and it's on the floor.

Hearing their quarrel everyone peeked out to see. Aadhiyan's dad came forward and gripped his son's shoulder thus calming his evil to arise.

"Rathi, calm down. He usually talks like this to my mom. Don't get angry at him." He calmed her and Aadhiyan left the place leaving out a sigh.

Without her realization, her eyes flared in a wave of great anger. This is the first time she's pouring out like this and that too on Aadhiyan for her newfound grandmother.

She sat and heave a sigh to calm herself. There's no regret on her heart for fighting with him until she again pulls the bracelet on her hands. She couldn't sit there and wanted to ask sorry to Aadhiyan.
She started crying and begged him to forgive her but she not even once realized that it's happening because of the bracelet that's hanging in her hand.

Then, at last, Aadhiyan came out of the house, Rathi ran to him and he embraced her not because he forgives her. He can't let her despise him at any cost. Once she starts to hate him even wearing the wristlet then nothing can stop her from finding the truth that comes behind it.

"I won't talk like that again," she said.

Aadhiyan accepted her words. "What did she say to you," he asked.

"She told me that she's my grandmother and who's my father. That's all nothing else." Rathi blurted out.

"Why you didn't say this to me?" she asked him.

"What will happen if you know that. They are all dead and there's no use to talk about those people," he replied with no emotion in his heart.

"Now you're with me. That's what everyone wanted," he smiled and hugged her again. Rathi forgot herself in his embrace, but she felt there's something... wrong with her.