Sweet sleep

Punya came to conscious after almost 2 hours. She moaned due to fatigue... When she opened her eyes she saw her grandparents

"Mmmm... Ajji" she held her hand ahead.

"How are you baby?" asked Gowri holding her hand and sitting close to her.

"What happened to me?" asked Punya.

"You fainted as soon as we reached. You haven't eaten anything from yesterday night, what else will happen?" said Prakruth.

"Shshh... I know" she widened her eyes to warn Prakruth. She didn't want to tell anything to her grandparents.

"Punya, first get up and eat something. Later we can chat" said Eshwar.

"Hmmm yeah" agreed Punya. She tried to stand and collapsed back to couch.

Gowri held her and said "It is ok, you sit here. I'll get your dinner"

Punya nodded as she looked at Prakruth. He looked at her blankly.

"Sorry" she whispered.

"Don't be. I understand" he whispered.

After dinner, Eshwar asked Punya.

She looked around for Prakruth and he wasn't there, she understood that she must handle it herself. "Nothing Grandpa, I'm fine see" said Punya.

"Oh yeah, then you have lost your mind to do fasting without reason? And you expect me to believe that. Wow" said Eshwar.

"Ajja, I had nausea from yesterday so I couldn't eat anything. That's it" she lied.

"Oh well, I'll believe you but remember that you can share anything with me. I've treated you as a friend always" said Eshwar and went to his room to rest. Even the granny followed him quietly.

Punya sighed in relief. She went upstairs to see if Prakruth is awake. He was standing in the balcony.

"Prakruth" she said.

"Yes honey, what happened?" he asked.

"I'm lying so much to them. I'm being so mean to them. I'm a bad girl" she said in anxiety.

"Ssshhhh" he consoled her by rubbing her head. She rested on his chest and put her arms around him... She started sobbing.

"Everything will be fine, don't worry" he said.

"Hope so" she whispered.

"You need some rest, go sleep" he said.

"Can't I sleep here?" she asked lifting her head.

Prakruth thought about it for a while and then nodded "You can, if you want to"

"If I sleep alone, I'll cry whole night. Psychiatrist needs me to talk to Rishi tomorrow so I need to sleep well. Help me please" she asked.

"Oh ok... Come honey" he said walking to his bed.

As they lay in the bed, he embraced her and said "Don't think anything, just sleep like a baby" and kissed her forehead. She closed her eyes peacefully and embraced him back. She fell asleep in few minutes but Prakruth couldn't sleep. He was thinking about Rishi. Though he had told everything to Dr. Sudarshan, he was unsure about how much counseling would work.

It was 8 am in the morning when Punya woke up. She was feeling fresh, light headed and relieved. She looked around and couldn't find Prakruth hence she went downstairs.

Only maid was in the kitchen, Punya asked her "Where are everyone?"

"Saab has been to river for bath, grandparents are at the hospital for physiotherapy" replied the maid.

"Oh ok thanks" said Punya resting on the couch.

"Can I get you something?" asked the maid.

"A glass of milk will do" said Punya.

Maid nodded and headed to kitchen. She returned with some biscuits and milk. Punya took the glass and started sipping warm milk. She thought to herself "Prakruth has trained his maid already about my needs" a smile spread across her face.

"What brought that beautiful smile on your face??" asked Prakruth who walked in.

"Your care" she said.

He gave a confused look.

"You've told your maid that I don't drink hot milk" she chuckled.

"Yes I did. So what?" asked Prakruth as he approached her.

"Nothing, I feel lucky" she said.

"I'm lucky to have you in my life baby" said Prakruth as he put his arms on her shoulders. He was in his inners and towel. That was too tempting for Punya. So she pushed him away.

"What?" he asked.

"You're too tempting. Better stay away" said Punya.

"Me??" he chuckled.

"Yes" she blushed.

"Whole night you slept in my arms and now I'm tempting??" asked Prakruth bewildered.

"Night I was tired so I didn't mind but now.... " she said blushing even more.

"Now.... what?" he asked as he moved towards her.

"Idiot!!! Go...." she pushed him and ran up to the stairs. "Hey you got up so early?" she asked.

"Then what do you expect me to be caught by your grandparents in bed with you? They wake up at 6 Punya"

"Ooops I forgot... So sensible of you. I've given you a lot of responsibilities... I'm a bad girl...."

"Well you can pay up for that" said Prakruth walking close to her again.

"How???" she chuckled

"Give me a kiss every time you feel grateful" he said.

"How sweet.....?" she said sarcastically "Go away naughty boy" and walked upstairs.

He chuckled. He wished all his mornings were as warm as today... His imagination was interrupted when his mobile started ringing.

"Hello, who's this?" asked Prakruth.

"I'm Thrishul" said a voice on other side.

"Hi Thrishul, Good Morning" said Prakruth.

"Based on your answer to my question, my morning will be decided as good or bad" said Thrishul.

"Can't you speak normally?" asked Prakruth.

"May be not" said Thrishul

Prakruth scoffed "Ok what is your question??"

"Where's Punya??" he asked worried.

"I.... I don't know. Varun uncle told me that you'll take her home. What happened now??" asked Prakruth in a tensed tone. He faked it successfully.

"Yes Uncle told me to take her but...."

"You didn't take her huh? Then she must be at the hospital" said Prakruth.

"No, she is not there from night"

"What...?!!!!" exclaimed Prakruth

"Yes, she's not at hospital, she's not at home and she's not with you now..." Thrishul gasped.

"Why didn't you take her home? Why were you so irresponsible??" asked Prakruth.

"We fought and I was angry.... when I left her at the hospital parking lot. I thought she might take a cab home but....."

"How mean of you...? You know her situation and yet you fought with her. Left her nowhere in the middle of the night??" asked Prakruth in anger.

He was holding back his anger from last night. He was worried in between Thrishul exit and his arrival, if Roshni had come there... What would have happened to Punya? He couldn't even imagine that.

"Prakruth are you there?" asked Thrishul.

"Yeah I'm. So what to do now???" he asked worried.

"I don't know, I checked her friends places, temple, neighbors houses, everywhere possible. She's nowhere" Thrishul voice turned soft and wet.

"Thrishul relax, I'll check in her farm house. She might have come late night" said Prakruth.

"Please... I will be grateful to you" he sounded like he got a hope.

"If I find her, I'll bring her to the hospital. Bye" said Prakruth and hung up.