Ram's POV:

When i was going into home after jogging, i saw a taxi is being pulled into our street and then stopped infront of our home. Athayya and mavayya along with raga climbed down from the car. The driver went to trunk and pulled out some luggage. I immediately ran to them and helped with two bags of luggage while mavayya took another. Mavayya insisted to give them to him but I didn't listened to him and went into the home with the luggage bags. My mom came and they all exchanged pleasantries. Athayya said that as megha and i were going to leave tomorrow to our home she packed megha's luggage with her necessary things and brought here to take with us. Soon enough my dad came from his room.

"Mavayya" raga ran excitedly to my dad and engulfed him with a hug. My dad returned the gesture with the same amount of happiness. Soon enough megha came from kitchen and slapped raga on the arm slightly and said "my mavayya, you let go of him" with a frown.

My dad side hugged raga and hugged megha from other side. The two sisters were shooting daggers with each other while bickering from either side of my dad. When their mother scolded them for behaving like this my dad dismissed her saying he's enjoying it.

Athayya and mavayya had happy tears in their eyes on seeing the happiness around the family, particularly seeing megha with dad and mom.

After sometime dad asked both the sisters "who want chocolates?"

"Me" both the sisters raise their hands like nursery students. All of us laughed at them. Dad went into his room and brought two big Cadbury dairymilks. He gave them each one and they both said "thank you so much mavayya, i love you" in unison.
Dad gave them a bright smile and reply "I too love you both bangaralu." (Bangaram means gold while bangaralu is a plural).

'Huh! He never said that to me!' i scoffed internally.

'Again when did you said that to him so that he can return the gesture.' My brain mocked at me. That's true too.

My father being an army officer, i always used to being him strict and he doesn't like to talk much too. Though i know my parents always wanted a girl child, i never thought that a
Girl could bring this much change in the atmosphere of a family, my mom used to say girls bring the happiness and togetherness in the family. Now I'm witnessing myself seeing megha and raga with my dad.

Megha and raga went to mine and megha's room for getting megha ready for the ritual while Mom and Athayya were going to kitchen to get things ready for the ritual and lunch afterwards. I stopped mom and asked "Mom, what happened to dad, I'd never seen him this jovial!?" I couldn't contain my surprise, rather shock in my voice.

"When your father went to megha's before your marriage for helping them in things, they became very close and now those three are a gang. They were behaving like best friends. I don't understand what possessed him that your father is behaving like a teenager along with them in this age." My mom told me with a small smile looking at my dad.

Then we all had breakfast with so much laughs. Soon the neighborhood ladies came and the ritual has started.

(The 16th day ritual is performed to change the yellow thread attached with mangalsutra dial and goddess Lakshmi dial, tied by the groom would be changed to a nuptial chain bestowed in the marriage. The both dials are removed from the yellow thread and attached to the gold nuptial chain along with red and black beads to ward of evil. The beads were given by the married woman for the bride. The golden chain will be tied to the bride again as a mangalsutra then the ritual will be over.)

When we were in the middle of ritual i heard a car was being pulled into our house so i went to see who was that. I was shocked to see who came was an understatement, i never thought that i could see them in my life ever again. Yes it's my grandparents of my father's side, and my father's brother and his wife along with my father's sister and her husband. My father married my mom against the wishes of my grandparents and his family. When he went to army leaving my mom with them, they used to abuse mom mentally and sometimes physically too but she never once informed my dad about all this. Except my grandfather no one treated us like family, but he has no say in the family as everything was going according to my grandmom. My dad told me when i was 2 years old my mom got pregnant again but because of some accident in the home she had a miscarriage and due to the impact on her stomach she couldn't get pregnant again. She never said what happened on that day. He told me when he went to home from army base, to surprise all the family he was rather shocked to see my mom was getting slapped by my grandmom and being called names by her sister-in-law and brother-in-law's wife. That's how my dad found out that my mom was getting abused by them and he immediately took us to the quarters of the army base where my dad used to work. So i was being raised in different places in India given to my dad's transfers and we finally settled here after my dad's service retirement.

Though my father used to take us to my grandparents yearly once, they didn't seem to welcome us much so we stopped going there after few years. And they completely forgot us after sometime, they never called us or invite us for any function in the family.  But my parents had to go to theirs because of me a few years ago, that day my mom TalkBack to them for the first time in her life, it was a story for another day. Though my grandfather used to call and talk to us every once in a while without the knowledge of his family, it wasn't enough to stay connected.

But after my marriage got fixed, my mom wanted to invite them, she wants the whole family to meet atleast in this special occassion of our lives. So we invite them but they didn't show up neither at my marriage nor reception. But i didn't understand why they came here now. I was more than furious on seeing them coz I'd never like them for what they did to my mom and me.

I called my mom out and she welcomed them with contentment. They came in and sat in the living room telling they'll talk after the ritual is finished.

Soon the ritual was over and everyone had lunch. After that everyone went their homes and the only people left were my family and my grandparents family.

"Your dad's health has been upset these days, he wanted to see you and your family once. So we came here but we didn't expect that you were in a ritual." My grandmom told my dad flatly without any emotion. My fathers relatives were all either in an irritative face or neutral face except for my grandfather. He eyes were glistening with unshed tears while looking at my dad and us.

"What happened dad, why didn't you tell me anything, i would've come to see you if you told me. You don't need to strain yourself when your health is not good." My dad concerned.

"No Krishna, i wanted to come to you atleast once before i took my last breath. Moreover I have a checkup scheduled today. Just symptoms of heartache, getting old no." He said his voice clogged with emotions.

My mom got some juice for everyone and only my grandfather was the one who caressed her hair with love by placing his hand on her head. "How are you thalli?" He asked with a quiver in his voice.

"I'm fine mavayya. You didn't tell us that your health was upset. I'm sorry we should've paid more attention." My mom started to breakdown.

"No no sarada, don't talk like that. You've already done more than enough for us." He tried to soothe my mom.

"Anyway where is our granddaughter-in-law" he asked to change the topic.

"Here! Megha come here, this is our family." My mother started to introduce everyone though they have careless scowl on their faces. Megha took all their blessings without mom telling her and my grandfather was the only one who lovingly took her into his arms. She signed me to come and took blessings too but she doesn't know what they did to us, so i remained still and took none of their blessings other than my grandfather. He patted my cheek with love and  gifted both me and my wife some money even though we protest.

"You're so beautiful thalli." He caressed megha by placing his hand on her hair. Megha just smiled.

"What's so good about her? My daughter is more times better than her. She is gold." My father's sister, unfortunately my atha chimed in with a frown. Megha was shocked by her statement but didn't say anything. I was more than angry, when i was about to open my mouth to give her a piece of my mind my father beat me to it.

"Hold your tongue Radha. You're talking about my daughter in my house." My father said leaving no place to argument.

"I could see you bought a good girl for our ram, sarada. Whatever happens, it happens for our own good. Though you hoped for gold, god gave you a diamond." My grandfather told my mom looking at megha. I couldn't agree more with him.

After some talking they wanted to leave but mom told them to stay the night. My grandfather declined politely knowing the family members doesn't want to stay here so he just left from there along with them. Though my parents asked to tag along to the hospital he refused by promising to inform my parents about everything that happens there saying it's a regular checkup.

After sometime all of us had dinner and went to our respective rooms. After i changed into my tracks and tshirt, i took my place on the bed waiting for megha. Megha also changed into her pajamas but instead of coming to the bed she was going out to the room door.

"Megha, aren't you going to sleep." I enquired.

"Nope! I have a movie date." She excitedly chirped. But my heart started to beat fast. A date, that too not with me, who is she going with, my brain was all messed up with random question while she continued.

"You can come too, if you want."  She invited me. I got irritated that i was being invited as an extra. Besides i wanted to know who she was going with, that too in this dress.

"Who are you going with? That too in pajamas?" I couldn't control the irritation in my voice.

"Athayya and mavayya, i wore pajamas because we were going to see it in our living room." She explained with a confused tone as not understanding why I'm getting angry.

My heart started to beat normal again and i gave a long sigh of relief.

"Umm, okay you guys carry on. I'm a bit sleepy." I told her in embarrassment along with a hint of disappointment that they all planned it without including me.

"Okay." She said and ran off to living room.

After a lots of toss and turns for complete 15 minutes, i couldn't get sleep, why, because she was not in my arms today. I think i was getting used to her presence more than i thought.

So i silently walked to the living room. There was my megha on the four seater couch in the middle of the living room opposite to TV. Besides her was my mom and then my dad. They glued their eyes to TV without even acknowledging my presence. I silently took a single seater couch beside them and tried to concentrate on what they were seeing with so much interest.

My eyes gotten wide when i realise they were seeing 'princess and the dragon'. What happened to them. Why were they seeing these animated films like kindergarteners. I scoffed at them and tried to see the movie silently. But i instantly got bored of it and fall asleep on the couch itself, looking at megha.

When i woke up due to uncomfortable position of my neck on the sofa i saw that megha was already asleep on the lap of my mom. It would be a lie if i said that i didn't get a little bit jealous by seeing megha like that with my parents. I never did this with them. But i felt more happy than jealous by seeing them like this. When i look at my parents, i saw that my mom and dad were still engrossed in the movie like they're experiencing it for the first time. God what was happening here.

After movie ends, mom woke megha up to go and sleep in the room. When we went to the room megha was already tired and took a dip on the mattress with a comfortable sigh.

"Megha!" I called her.

"Mmm" she tiredly replied.

"I'm sorry for whatever happened in the afternoon. Don't take their words to heart. Okay" i tried to construe her about what happened with my grandparents and their family talking about her.

"Don't worry Koushu. They don't know me. I don't take judgemental words into count. Besides i know that how beautiful, bubbly i am. Okay." She laughed it off with a tired smile. I felt my heart swelled with happiness whenever she called me Koushu like she owns me. And i was more than happy with her thinking, i couldn't get a better girl than her.

"Yes! I know it too!" I replied her with a smile and got a bright smile in return from her. After that we said our goodnights and she slowly drifted into sleep. Soon after she came into my arms as usual and then i too drifted into deep slumber while holding my wife near to my heart.