Anitha started cleaning the store room of their house. It's not much of a store room type, which was used by her mother until she passed away a year back.
After that she avoided using that room because of the grief. Now it's time to utilize the room. When she finished her clining, door bell rang, they reached home.
She opened the door. Arun came in first, and the boy entered behind him with much hesitancy.
"She is my wife - anitha", Arun introduced her to the new guy. She smiled and nodded welcomingly.
"Hi, what's your name?" Asked anitha.
"Vijay" - the boy replied in a meak voice with little bit shyness.
Both of them, go freshen up, will have the breakfast after that, said anitha warmly.
Since Vijay has pop in his right arm, Arun helped him with his washroom activities, he also provided him, one of his T - shirts and pants. His clothes were loosely fitting against the boy's lean torso.
With a spoon in his left hand, Vijay was eating the breakfast so reluctantly, while Arun had finished his plate completely.
"Is it too bad to eat?" Anitha asked Vijay.
Startled by her question, he looked at Arun confused.
"Is it not palatable?"- my preparation" anitha was asking again by showing him, his plate.
"No, no ", Vijay choked to answer, in search of words.
"What Arun?, Is it so? You are not telling anything," anitha now charged Arun, so as to resque the newcomer.
"Hey! How come I could be able to tell the truth loudly Honey?
Then I will be retreated with all the aaradhana's and Poojas afterwards" Arun replied with a childish look and mischievous smirk in his lips.
A very weak smile appeared in the boy's lips too.
"No need to tell the truth, it was clearly shown by your empty plate", anitha snapped back with a grin.
"Oh, dear, I had enough training in eating all your stuffs whereas Vijay has not." Arun somewhat covered his fall.
Both anitha and Vijay were grinning at him.
Both of them tried their level best to make him feel comfortable. Vijay was aware of that.
His heart swelled with gratitude. After completing the breakfast, Arun headed him to the store room.
"Feel free man, take some rest" - Arun said to Vijay and closed the door behind him.
Then he left to office after saying goodbye to anitha, with a constant purr in his mind about his desicion.
After completing all her house hold works, anitha thought about the boy, and went to his room. She waited for a minute before knocking, then she changed her mind not to disturb him. She returned quietly.
It's 3 now, post lunch, the guy didn't turn up, so this time anitha went straight to the door, Knocked it gently. Since there was no answer, she opened the door slowly.
He was sleeping in the couch. His face hot a tired look with a sad tinge. The brows are creased even during the sleep. By looking at this, Anitha got a flinch at her heart.
She thought , that the hurdles which the boy underwent were too much for his age.she let out a heavy breath.
Then she placed the bowl filled with porridge in the small table near the couch, she came out as quietly as possible.
Arun returned home early in that evening. He heard from anitha that the boy had nothing for the lunch. After refreshing , he went straight to the store room. He opened the door after a gentle knock..
Vijay was looking outside through the window and not aware of his entry. He was watching some cricket , the boys of his age were playing on the ground.
As a man who had crossed teenage already, Arun immediately able to understand the guy s feeling. When he saw the frustrated look in the boy's face, his heart softened.
Anitha also came in, both were exchanged a glance.
"So, how was your day here?, How do you feel now?" Arun asked gently.
Vijay was startled by this sudden voice, since he was lost somewhere in deep thought.
"Umm... Fine," he managed to answer in his same meak tone.
"Cool man! How is your pain?" Arun asked again.
"Not much" Vijay replied.
Comparing with the wounds which I got inside my heart, this is nothing, he thought himself, but didn't utter a word out.
Anitha saw the bowl kept untouched, she replaced it with evening snack plate, with a nod to her husband, (which means make sure that the boy eats that ) she left the room.
"We must do something for him", anitha came and sat near Arun in their bedroom.
Arun closed his laptop, after finishing some of his office works. Before he could answer, he asked anitha,
"What do you think about him"?
After a pause, anitha said, " I think, by his appearance, he must be good at heart. He seemed good at his manners. Also not much talkative, more of reserved type".
"That's may be, because of difficulties and betrayal , he had faced at this age of life", Arun said in a thoughtful voice.
"He didn't ate much in the dinner also", anitha worried.
"Hope, he would change soon , we could help him " Arun said. With that anitha goes for sleep. Arun was occupied with some thoughts.
In his room, Vijay was tossing and turning in the bed. He was still about to decipher, all of this sudden caring of two persons, which never occurred to him earlier in his life.
With overwhelmed gratitude, he just starred his ceiling on lying his back.
To be continued....
