'Thus, you are concealing something that has to do with Gowthami's history. How Gowthami's history is related to Rajeev and how it relates to him. Who is the enigmatic man known as Gowthami Guru?' Abhi was filled with plenty of inquiries.
Suddenly, the phone in the room, which is kept next to the bedside cabinet, started buzzing. Sashi glanced at the phone resting in the bedside cabinet's charging station.
"I suppose someone is calling", Ram replied as soon as he stood up.
Sashi replied, "It's abhi phone," as she glanced at the device.
Sashi stood up from the couch and said, "I reckon you will be heading back to your study room. Please pass on this cell phone to Abhi; I shortage to get started in the kitchen."
Sashi spoke without glancing at the caller ID. Following that, she left the room. She also had a lot of misgivings about Rajeev and Gowthami running through her head.
Sashi spotted her spouse, lost in contemplation and hovering outside the room. "Did you overhear our conservation?" she questioned as she stepped closer to him.
Abhi agreed by nodding his head.
"Alright, it seems like you have a little information."
Instead of continuing, Abhi remained silent.
"I believe that we need to hold off until they disclose the actual facts". Sashi said, "I think they had a good reason for hiding the truth."
"I get it". He entered the room to collect his phone after saying that.
As his spouse entered the room, Sashi glanced at him, inhaled deeply, and returned to the kitchen.
Ram was using his phone to make a conservation when Abhi entered the room.
With a grave tone of voice, Abhi replied, "Who is it?"
Ram glanced at Abhi's solemn expression and felt a bit bad since he hadn't anticipated that Abhi would return soon.
"Saahat is calling, stating that he is on his way back and that it is parikshit". As he handed the phone back to Abhi, Ram answered.
After engaging in a brief conversation with Saahat, Abhi ended the call.
Abhi remarked, "Is there anything else?" as he glanced at Ram.
Ram expressed regret and apologized to his brother.
Ram looked at Abhi slantwise as he checked his phone, answered, and left the room.
Ram went back after him.
As they were making our way back to the study area, Abhi said, "Get the car fixed; we're heading shopping following lunch."
Ram answered, "All right, brother."
Upon entering the study area, they spotted that Gurdeep was solitary and deeply contemplating something.
"Is there anything we can do to assist you, Dad?", questioned Abhi. "You urged us to come."
When Gurdeep regained consciousness, he glanced at Ram and abhi and remarked, "Ah, it's regarding weddings. Have you guys wrapped up the works that I aided you with?"
"Uncle, have no fear, we're all done", Ram remarked with joy.
"Alright, nothing more. I believe that you guys have planned shopping and will have completed all of the job by tomorrow since I don't want to see any errors with the marital work." When Gurdeep said, his voice was sort of more grave.
Abhi reassured his father, "Don't be alarmed, I'll make sure to take care of stuff."
They later engaged in a casual conversation about the works.
The silence during lunch was palpable. No one spoke, no laughter or casual conversation filled the air as everyone sat absorbed in their own thoughts. The clinking of cutlery on plates was the only sound that punctuated the quiet, adding an almost eerie undertone to the normally lively household. Gowthami, noticing the stillness, couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss.
She glanced around the table, studying the faces of those around her. Abhi, who was usually full of energy and banter, seemed preoccupied, his brow furrowed. Rajeev wore a distant expression, eyes fixed on his plate. Even Ram, typically the chatterbox of the group, sat in uncharacteristic silence.
What's going on? Gowthami wondered, her curiosity bubbling to the surface. She sensed there was something they weren't telling her, something deeper lurking beneath the surface of the quiet. But she didn't want to intrude. So, she kept her questions to herself, finishing her meal in thoughtful silence.
After lunch, the atmosphere remained tense, even as they all piled into the Range Rovers for their planned shopping trip. Abhi took the wheel of one car, with Rajeev sitting directly behind him. Ram found himself sandwiched between the two stunning gals. Throughout the whole trip, there was absolute silence.
The ride, much like the meal, was silent. No jokes or playful banter to break the tension. Ram, who normally couldn't go five minutes without cracking a joke or telling some exaggerated tale, was unusually quiet. He glanced nervously between Gowthami and Sashi, the tension weighing on him as heavily as the silence.
Gowthami stared out the window, watching the landscape blur by, her mind spinning. She had no idea what had happened before lunch, but the energy was different now. It felt as though an invisible cloud hovered over them, pressing down on everyone with a strange, unspoken heaviness. Even the car, which normally buzzed with chatter, felt like a different world altogether—quiet, strained, almost suffocating.
No one spoke, but everyone was thinking.
While everyone else seems engrossed in their phones, Gowthami seems disinterested in using hers. The stillness inside the Range Rover was broken by her.
Gowthami asked, surveying the crowd, "Are you guys playing any games where the person who tracked their mouth sealed gets the primary prize?"
"You guys seem to be having a great time all the time.You guys seem a touch grumpy after lunch. What took place?"
Sashi quickly set her phone aside; in reality, she was poring over the hospital information that Saahat had texted her.
"No, not at all. I apologize; I was preoccupied with my hospital mail". Sashi apologized immediately.
Gowthami turned her attention to Abhi, who was focused on driving, his expression serious. Sashi glanced at him as well.
"As I had a head start today, I believe my brother is a bit annoyed with me."
"No, not at all. I truly admire you being that, my sister. These two moron's actions have angered me. he nodded toward Ram and Rajeev, "who are getting under my skin. And Ram—" he paused, his tone turning teasing yet firm, "—I was seriously considering calling a mental health facility because of your recent antics. Don't worry, if you keep this up, I'll make sure you get a nice long stay there."
Ram jolted in his seat, his face a mix of surprise and confusion. "What? Me?"
"Yes, you." Abhi confirmed, his tone grave but with a smirk playing on his lips. "You've been acting so strangely lately, it's making me worry about your mental state."
Sashi, sensing the opportunity, jumped in. "You know what, I think it's a great idea. He's been acting a bit off lately, don't you think?" She shot Ram a playful glance, her words light but with an edge of truth.
Ram opened his mouth to protest, but Rajeev, still scrolling through his phone, chimed in without even looking up. "I agree. Might be best for everyone."
Ram's bewildered eyes darted between them, a hint of panic flashing across his face. 'God, what antics these folks have. What in the world is going on? he thought to himself. These people are actually plotting to send me to a mental health facility for helping them!.'
Gowthami, stifling a laugh, watched the banter unfold, grateful for the break in tension. Though the mood had lightened, she couldn't shake the lingering feeling that there was more beneath the surface. Something they weren't saying. But for now, at least, the humor helped ease the weight of whatever had been bothering everyone.
Ram's expression turned to shock as he exclaimed, "How could you even think about putting your poor infant brother in such a place? It's terrible!" His voice wavered slightly, a mix of disbelief and sadness coloring his tone.
Abhi, keeping his focus on the road but smirking, replied with a mocking edge, "Infant brother? Ram, look at yourself. You talk like you're tiny—you seem to be the father of ten kids in total"
Abhi mocked him.
Ram's eyes widened in surprise, and without hesitation, he leaned forward to check his reflection in the car's rearview mirror. "Dad?" he muttered to himself, his brows furrowing as he examined his face closely, turning his head slightly from side to side.
The rest of the group couldn't help but chuckle at his reaction. His exaggerated concern for his appearance, mixed with Abhi's teasing, added a much-needed lightness to the ride.