Small Story 176.

Small Story 176 A Pleasant Surprise at the T20 Match Dharani entered the grand hotel hall and was greeted by the receptionist. He asked for his friend Harini's room number. After receiving the details, he called Harini, who confirmed she was in the room. Dharani and Harini were college classmates and had worked together for three years. Last year, Harini married Ramesh, a prominent businessman in Bengaluru, after moving from Tirunelveli. Yesterday, she had come to Chennai for a wedding and invited Dharani and his wife to meet her. Dharani had moved to Chennai after receiving an excellent job offer from a software giant. His wife, Nandhini, had gone to Tirupati for a wedding. Upon seeing Dharani, Harini and her husband Prasanna greeted him warmly and offered tea and sweets. They spent some time reminiscing about their college days in Tirunelveli. Harini shared that Dharani was an excellent carrom player during college and had won many awards. Dharani, in turn, complimented Harini for her taste in Carnatic music. Harini expressed that she missed Nandhini, and she explained the real reason for inviting them—to invite them to her brother's wedding in Bengaluru in a fortnight and also to watch an IPL T20 match with them. Dharani was thrilled about both the wedding news and the chance to see his favorite cricket match. After spending more time together, Dharani left, and Harini also headed to Bengaluru. On the day of Harini's brother Ram's wedding, Nandhini arrived along with Dharani. To their delight, the bride turned out to be none other than Nandhini’s close friend Chandhini's sister. After enjoying a beautiful two-day wedding celebration and an exciting cricket match, Dharani and Nandhini left Bengaluru. They had a memorable time, reflecting on the importance of friendships. Some friendships, like those between Harini and Dharani, are truly special—full of understanding and camaraderie. K.Ragavan 6-2-25