Her Second-Hand Husband! novel Chapter 7

Anika's PoV

"Ma, please ma. I cannot come to this festival now. My exams are very close and my project review is next week. I am still working on the output to get it more accurate. You all go. Just 2 days right. I will ask Nithu to come and stay with me." I was trying to make my mom understand that I cannot go to Tirupur with them for a temple festival.

"You are a grown up girl. How will I be at peace when you are here all alone in the house for two days?" Mom said.

"Pa... Make her understand, pa. I am not a child. I know how to cook. I can take care of myself and the house. I can manage two days without you guys. I will make Nithu come and stay here." I pleaded to my dad and he finally agreed and compromised mom for the arrangement.

They will leave on Friday evening and will be back on Sunday night. Just two nights. I can manage even without Nithu but mom will not leave me alone if not for Nithu. I texted Nithu about the arrangement and asked her to come and stay with me. Her home is just on the street behind our home and we have been buddies ever since.

I checked my mail to see if I have received any mails for the one on one interview. But there was no mail from either of the companies. I am kinda worried now. I really have to have this job when I come out of college because dad's health is not at his best. He needs rest and if and only if I get a job, it is possible.

I just opened the last mail the stalker sent me. I mistook Arun to be the stalker but when I asked him straight about the mails, he said he didn't send those emails. I was super surprised to know that he is not the stalker. Almost everything he did and said made him look like that stalker. Now I wonder who this stalker is and where did he vanish to?

'Hello Stalker,

How are you? Hope you are doing good. I am in my final semester. I used the base paper you sent me for my project. Thank you. I am shortlisted in two MNCs for the final round of interview. I am waiting for the mail from them for the date. If I am fortunate to bag a job, I will work in Chennai. These are the things that happened to me in my life these years. What about yours?

Take care.'

I composed this mail and was hesitant to send this to him. What if he didn't even remember me? I decided not to send this mail and left it as a draft.

"Hey akka, amma is calling you. A relative of Amma has come." Advay came upstairs and called me. I stood up from the compound wall and started to walk down along with him.

"Anu, bring a nice strong coffee for aunty." my mom told me as I entered the hall.

"Vaanga aunty(Come aunty), How are you?" I asked her. I have never seen her before.

"I am too good, dear. You have grown into a beautiful girl." she told me for which I smiled at her and went in to make the coffee.

"Anandhi, your daughter is so beautiful. What is she doing now?" I heard that aunty asking my mom.

"She is in her final year of college. She will finish it next month." my mom told her.

"Oh, then she is ready for marriage. There are some grooms that I know who are looking for girls. Are you ready for her marriage?"

"We are ready, akka. We have enough money for her wedding. But she wants to work for at least a year." my mom told her. I just want to pour the hot milk over that aunty's head.

"Work? If you send girls to work and if they earn enough money, they will never listen to your words, Anandhi. Grooms from our relations are not preferring girls who work in Chennai and Bangalore. They are afraid that the girls may have some affairs and love. And the western culture in those places will surely spoil our girls." that aunty told mom. That is it.

"Here, aunty. I will always listen to my mom and dad no matter where I am or what I do. I am not ready for marriage yet and my parents know what to do and when to do things for me. If you are here to see my mom, just do that. Don't talk about unnecessary things." I told her, giving her coffee.

"ANU!" my mom shouted at me.

"Whoa, Anandhi, your daughter is so talkative and I am sure she will never live a day in her in-laws home with this tongue. You will never find a groom for her in our relatives." that aunty added fuel to my mom's anger.

"Apologize to her and get in." my mom told me.

"MA..!" I hesitated to say sorry to that aunty. She was the one that talked about all unnecessary things.