"Living a Lie: Anvitha's Hidden Truth"

"Aadhiraa?"

Anvitha shuddered like a worm, unable to bear that word.

Earlier, when he used to call out the name Aadhiraa, it would hurt, yes—but now, after taking the thaali (sacred wedding thread) in his hands and calling out to her thinking she was his wife Aadhiraa, it crushed her.

She couldn't accept being touched as though she were someone else. Slowly, she moved away from him.

He looked at her, confused.

"No… I was just thinking of going downstairs to check if there's anything to help with in the kitchen," she said hesitantly.

"Oh! So you've become the daughter-in-law of this house now! You think you have to take on all the responsibilities? There are plenty of workers downstairs, Aadhiraa. They'll take care of everything. You don't need to go there. You can be like a queen here. All I want is for you to be by my side," he said, trying to pull her close again.

Gently holding his hands, she sat at his feet and rested her head on his lap.

"No matter how many workers there are, can it compare to serving food cooked with my own hands to my husband?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Chaitanya couldn't say no.

"Fine then. Go downstairs, take a look around the house, and see what's being cooked in the kitchen. If possible, bring me something to eat. Meanwhile, I'll take some rest," he said, sending her off.

As she came downstairs, she looked around the house thoroughly. The workers greeted her with respect—it was a new experience for her.

At the back of the house was a large, beautiful garden. As she stepped into it, birds and butterflies greeted her with cheerful chirps. Smiling at the sights and sounds, she walked around the garden once.

Reentering the house, she went into the kitchen. Two people were preparing lunch. Seeing her, they greeted warmly.

"Welcome, ma. I saw you in the kitchen the moment you arrived. You're so beautiful. A perfect match for our sir," one of the women said.

"What's your name, sister?" Anvitha asked.

"My name is Annammal. And this is our house helper. His name is Kaathavarayan," she said, introducing the man next to her, who appeared to be around 40.

After chatting with them for a bit, Anvitha gave them the lunch menu.

When Annammal said food for the elderly man (grandfather) must be prepared in a special diet, Anvitha shared some recipes her mother had taught her for such meals.

Following her instructions, Annammal prepared the food. Anvitha also asked about Chaitanya's preferences and cooked some dishes accordingly.

Kaathavarayan said he had some work near the garden and left. Meanwhile, Anvitha and Annammal continued to cook while chatting.

At one point, Anvitha's saree slipped slightly, exposing her midriff.

Annammal was taken aback.

"Wow! Your stomach looks so smooth and flawless!" she exclaimed.

"Can I ask you something? You won't take it the wrong way, will you?"

"What is it, Annammal? Please go ahead," Anvitha replied.

"It's been six years since my daughter had a baby. But even after all these years, the marks on her stomach haven't gone away. She's tried so many creams. Nothing helped. Even the doctors said nothing could be done.

Seeing her upset, I bought so many products for her too. But still, no use. But your stomach… it looks like you never had a baby! How come there's not even a trace of any marks?"

Anvitha froze for a moment.

Oh no… how did we not think of this?

Looking at Annammal, eyes wide with realization, she quickly gathered herself.

"You're a big doctor, right? You must know of some cream or medicine. Can you write down the name for me? When I go back to my village, I'll get it for my daughter. She really wants to look good. After childbirth, she gained weight, but now she's on a strict diet and has slimmed down. But that scar just won't go. Please tell me what you used," pleaded Annammal.

What could Anvitha say now?

If she had truly given birth, wouldn't she have such scars too? Can she say now that Athvaith isn't really her child?

She couldn't escape without answering. Thinking quickly, she asked,

"When are you going back to your village, Annammal?"

"I just came back, ma. After sir returned to the house, the elders called and asked me to come back. For the past three years, sir was eating hospital food, so there wasn't much cooking to do here. That's why they sent me to my village. I just arrived yesterday from my daughter's place. I won't be going back for at least two months."

"In that case, remind me before you go. I'll write down the name of the medicine for you then," said Anvitha, managing to steer away from the situation.

She hurried through the remaining cooking, helped Annammal, and returned to her room.

As she climbed the stairs, she thought about what Annammal had asked.

How did I forget this?

Chaitanya is a doctor too. Fortunately, he hasn't seen my stomach yet.

If he had, he definitely would've asked.

I haven't worn a saree in front of him until today. Because of the wedding, I wore one now. Luckily, he was with me all morning and didn't notice. We dodged it this time… but from now on, I have to be extremely careful.

No more sarees from now on, she decided.

Quietly, she opened the door to Chaitanya's room. He was sound asleep.

Heaving a sigh of relief, she opened her suitcase, took out a salwar kameez, and went to the next room to change out of her saree.

Resolving never to wear a saree again, she wondered how many more days, months, or years she could keep acting like this.

What are we trying to gain by deceiving him like this? Especially someone I like… how shameful it is to lie to him.

Coming out of the room, she saw Chaitanya awake.

"Are you hungry? Shall I bring you something to eat?" she asked.

"Yes, Aadhiraa, I'm really hungry. But you don't have to go downstairs. Look, here's an intercom. Kitchen is number 30. Just call and ask them to bring food up.

Same for the garden, grandfather's room, and the watchman's station—phone numbers are listed there. Use those to contact them. No need to keep going downstairs," he said.

"Alright," she said, and called the kitchen, instructing them to send food upstairs. She also told them to send food to the grandfather and the baby, Athvaith.

Once the food arrived, she served Chaitanya and ate as well.

Later, she brought Athvaith to him and let them play together.

Just then, someone knocked on the room door.

She opened it to see a well-groomed woman, around 35 years old—the same woman who had cared for the baby at the hospital.

Smiling warmly, Anvitha asked, "Yes?"

From behind, Chaitanya said, "I called her, Aadhiraa. She's the caretaker we appointed for Athvaith.

You already have a lot on your plate taking care of both me and the baby. It would be too much.

Sometimes, you'll need to go to the hospital, and grandfather will have to go often too. It's not good to leave the baby with someone that elderly. That's why I asked her to come and stay with us."

That night, Anvitha went to Chaitanya's room nervously.

He gently pulled her to lie on his chest and said, "Until I fully recover and can walk again, I won't ask anything from you, Aadhiraa. You'll wait for me, won't you?"

Smiling, she embraced him and placed a soft kiss on his cheek.