《Her Second-Hand Husband!》 Chapter 1: Prologue Chapter 1: Prologue Lets get a gist of the hero and heroine''s family and other important characters in this story. Again, I am not going to give you any faces to my hero and heroine. I give you all the full permission to imagine your favorites as the hero and heroine and I don''t mind if you imagine yourselves in their ce! I do that every time I write a story. Alright, first let''s peek in on our Heroine. Our Heroine is ANIKA! Anika is a beautiful girl of 21years who is a little chubby and short. She is a very talkative girl, and closes her mouth only when she is sleeping. She is an average girl in studies but a very shrewd girl. She has no control over her mouth and she always ends up in trouble for her talks. She is a bubbly girl who likes to live her life in the moment. She doesn''t n for the future. Anika''s family is a lower middle ss family where they just have enough money to make ends meet. She has a brother who is 4years younger to her. Her dad is working in a steel fabricating industry as a supervisor. Her mother is a homemaker and also a part time worker who works from home. Anika - Female protagonist Advay - Anika''s brother Anandhi - Anika''s mom Saravanan - Anika''s dad Nithya - Anika''s friend Now for the HERO introduction! Yay! Peep! Peep! C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Our hero''s name is Arjun! Yes, powerful as that. He is born to win. Just like Arjunan in Mahabharatham, he is very keen on his target and never misses his victory. He is 29years old 6feet tall and a guy who never misses to hit the gym. He has a face that will charm any girl. He is the most terrified in his business. No one has ever seen him smile except for his family members and his friends. He doesn''t have many friends because he is not an outgoing person. He is a man who likes to keep things to himself. He has trust issues because of his past. He is a very strict man that many wedding proposals were denied by the bride''s side. Every girl, after a little talk with him, ran in the opposite direction. They were all very scared of him and everyone thought he was mistaken to be a human, they thought he is too strict and straight forward that no one can live with him. But Arjun is far beyond their understanding. He is a man of little words and more principles. He is a man who will do anything to stick to the promise he has given to someone. At the same time he is very adamant and fierce to the people who betray him. He can''t stand disrespect towards him or any of his family members. Also he has a tender and beautiful heart inside him. Arjun - Male Protagonist Yashodha - Arjun''s mom Hariharan - Arjun''s dad Priya - Arjun''s Sister Rajesh - Priya''s husband Tarun - Priya''s 3years old son Preethi - Arjun''s best friend from childhood Avni - Preethi''s 5years old daughter Praveen - Preethi''s twin brother who is also a best friend to Arjun Sharanya - Praveen''s wife Anvi - Praveen''s 1year old daughter Chapter 2: 1. Anika Chapter 2: 1. Anika Author''s PoV This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. On a breezy morning of November, Anika is practicing her yoga in the backyard of her small and compact house. Anika has a little brother who is in his high school now. Anika is in her final year of Bsc., Computer science. Anika''s mom is a gand designer who works from home as per the orders she gets from the flower dealers. Just like her mom, Anika is also very good at arranging flowers for bouquets. It is a very happy family with everything they need. "Dei Advay, get up!" Anika came in, waking up her brother to school. Advay is a slowpoke. His day only starts with the yelling of his mother and his sister. "Wake me up after 5 minutes, Akka(sister)!" He covered his head with the nket and curled inside it. "Ma, Advay is not getting up!" Anika shouted from inside the room. Anandhi is Anika and Advay''s step-mom. When Advay was a month old baby, their mother got severe jaundice and by the time they found out, it was toote that all her internal organs were already failing and she died of it. It was then Saravanan (Anika''s dad)''s rtives made him marry Anandhi to take care of Advay and Anika. Saravanan initially opposed the idea butter realized that it is not a joke to bring up two kids alone. He could not manage his work and take care of his daughter and the new born baby. Knowing that he could never be good enough for the kids he agreed to the wedding but on one condition. He insisted that the girl he is going to marry should be an infertile girl who cannot bear children of her own. He thought, by doing this, the girl would treat his kids as her own. One way or another, his calctions worked. They found Anandhi from a vige in Tirupur who was 32years old by then and was still not married. When Anandhi was in her teen age, she met with an ident that resulted in losing her uterus. It was well known news in her little vige that no one agreed to marry her. So when Saravanan''s family asked her hand in marriage, her parents readily agreed to marry her to him. Anandhi is a woman from a poor family and she was happy to be married finally. She was depressed that all her friends had 2kids by now but she was still a burden to her family. So when Saravanan came with 2 kids, a girl and boy, she was more than happy to marry him. So that is how Anandhi became Anika and Advay''s mom. She looks after them like her own kids. She is grateful for the life she has got. "Advay, your friend Vinod wille any minute now and if you are not ready by then, he will leave you behind and you have to take the bus to the school. Wake up soon!" Anandhi shouted from the kitchen. "Pch, I am awake!" Advay got up and made his bed. When he was about to go to the restroom, Anika ran in and locked the door. "Hey Eruma(buffalo), what were you doing for so long? Maaaa, look at her. She has locked the restroom door." Advay shouted banging on the door. Anika wasughing inside while taking a bath. He pushed her aside and went into the restroom once she opened the door. "Why did you wake me up when you were not done with the restroom yet? I am going to kill you if you do this again." he yelled at her from inside the bathroom. "Anu, why did you do that? See, he is angry." her mom asked her when she settled herself on the kitchen b to eat her breakfast. "Hahaha ma, chill. He still has 20minutes. Boys just need 10minutes to bathe and get ready." Anu said while eating her idli with yummy tomato chutney. "We should build a toilet in the backyard to stop this fight. You guys are grownups and still every morning you make the house like a battlefield. It is because of you two, your dad is bathing at 5.30 am even in this winter." her mom told her. "It''s ok, Anandhi. Pack lunch soon. I have to go see my MD before going to the factory. I have to leave early." Saravanan came into the kitchen for his breakfast. "Good morning, Pa." Anika greeted her dad. "Good morning, Anu. How is your projecting along?" he asked her. "Nithya and I are working on it, pa. We have help from our seniors who passed outst year. He is working along with us. Hopefully we will finish it on time." "Who is that, Anu?" "Arun, pa. He is a nice guy." she said enthusiastically. "Hey, is he a boy? How did you know him? Don''t you get a girl to help you out?" Anandhi asked her. "Anandhi, it has nothing in gender. If he is helping them out, it''s fine. Stop talking like you are in 60''s" her dad stopped her. "He studied in our college only, ma. He was in his first year of Msc when I joined college. He just passed out. We know him because he participated in college culturals all two years like I did. He is a good guy, ma. He readily agreed to help us to finish the project." Anika tried exining to her mom. "How does he get time to help you guys? When are you meeting? Where are you meeting?" Anandhi bombarded her with questions. "Ma, he is still looking for a job. He wille to the collegeb and we are working together. That is why I have beeningte these days." "Enough of your enquiries. Let her eat, Anandhi." Saravanan stopped the string of questions. "He himself is not in any job despite the Msc degree. How can he help them? Whatever!" Anandhi mumbled to herself. "Lunch?" both Anika and her dad asked in chorus. "It''s all ready. Think about building a restroom and another room at the back extending our home. The kids have grown big and it is not right to make them sleep in the same room." Anandhi told him while serving him steaming hot idlis. "You know our ie, Anandhi. You are the one that is making a budget every month. The only savings we have in hand is for Anu''s wedding and I am not taking it for anything else." he said. Saravanan has a fixed deposit where he deposits a particr amount every month in it for Anika''s wedding. "Ma, don''t worry, I am in my final year and from next month we will be having campus interviews. I am sure I will get a good job. I will build you a room and a bathroom!" Anika told her mom and jumped down from the b. "I know you will." Anandhi smiled at her daughter lovingly. "Ok ma, ok pa, bye, will see you in the evening." She waved bye to them and went out of the home to catch her college bus. "Get lost, monkey!" Advay threw a magazine on her as he entered the kitchen for his breakfast. "You are monkey, donkey, buffalo, everything." Anika ran out shouting names at him. "Dei Advay, how many times do I have to tell you not to call her names?" His dad asked him in warning. "She was the one that pissed me off in the very morning. You won''t ask her anything but will only scold me." Advay started eating while whining. "Ennanga(an endearment call for a husband), don''t scold him while eating." Anandhi supported him. It is a regr scene in their home. Saravanan always favors Anika and Anandhi always favors Advay. They all went out to their respective jobs after a busy and chaotic morning. Anandhi, after sending them all out, took a refreshing bath and ate her breakfast while watching TV. She always loves this calm time. Chapter 3: 2. Arjun Chapter 3: 2. Arjun Author''s PoV It is a very huge house in Chennai, ECR. A beautiful beach house with 3 floors. Arjun''s house is filled with people. His father and mother live on the ground floor. His sister and her family live on the second floor and the third floor is solely for Arjun. Arjun has an indoor swimming pool and a huge gym for his personal use on his floor. Arjun is in his family business and also is a partner in his friend''s concern. They have many granite quarries across India and they export them to many different countries. The once busy and happy home is now filled with sadness and ufortable silence. Everyone in that house is deeply worried about Arjun''s life. Arjun was married three years ago. His life started like everyone else, happy and blissful. She was a very beautiful girl and was very kind and loving to everyone in his family. She respected everyone and was a perfect daughter inw for his family. But all of a sudden, his wife went missing two years ago. Despite Arjun''s influence, they could not find her anywhere. The police havee to the conclusion that she is dead, now after two years. When she went missing, people around their family and business talked all kinds of nonsense behind their backs but that settled in these years and they have forgotten about her. Arjun''s mom and dad continuously pushed him to legally divorce his wife stating her absence. They want him to marry and live happily. Onlyst week, he got a legal divorce from his first marriage. Arjun never wanted to get divorce or remarry. He just wanted to be left alone. But his mother cannot see her son living a life of emptiness! "Ajju, now that you got free of your first marriage, shall I look for a bride for you?" she asked him one day. "Ma, please. I don''t want another marriage. I am happy now and please don''t spoil it for me." "Happy? Looking after the business is the happiness you mean? Why do you work so hard, Ajju? What is the use of all this wealth when there is no heir for you? I cannot die peacefully if you have no kids of your own. I wont find salvation if you don''t find the meaning of your life." she cried to him and he doesn''t want his mother to cry for him. "Ma, please, stop crying. You want me to marry? I will. But this time, it will be my choice. I cannot tell you the time but I will for sure get married. Leave it to me, ma." He told her to stop this talk at least for a few weeks. "Ajju, this is not fair. We never forced anything upon you. That marriage happened with your full consent." Priya interrupted. "Priya, shh. I am happy that he at least said ok for the marriage. I know no one can rece her, she was a wonderful woman. I stayed calm because he needed time and space to move on from her to start a new life. I brought this up now because I think he is out of it now in these 2 years. All I ever want is his happiness. I am happy to wait!" Yashodha stopped Priya. Yashodha knows that her son will never say anything that he is not going to do. If he says it, then we can consider it done. "Sorry, Ajju. I didn''t mean to bring her topic now." Priya apologized to Arjun. Since his wife went missing, no one talked about her in his presence. Everyone missed herughter in the house. Arjun never cried or spoke about his feelings about her loss. No one had that courage to talk to him about that, not even Preethi and Praveen. Now that Priya and their mom talked about her, Arjun''s face changed to a gloomy angry look. Arjun never discussed his private feelings to anyone so far. He is a very private man who likes to keep everything to himself. No one has ever seen him talk other than necessity. He had no friends other than the twins. He never made any friends in his college and stayed all alone because the twins studied in a different college. It is with the twins, Tarun, Avni, Anvi and his mom, he talks with ease andughter. Arjun always had that respect for his dad and love for his sister. But when she got married, he reduced his talks to Priya. Arjun didn''t like Rajesh toe and live with them. Rajesh is Priya''s college senior. Theirs is a love marriage. She refused to go to Rajesh''s house after marriage because he was not wealthy. His mom and dad were not ready to marry her to him but she convinced by telling them that Rajesh wille here after marriage. His mom and dad finally agreed to this arrangement. But he disapproved of that idea from the start. "You knew his financial status when you decided to marry him, right? Then you should be ready to live with what he earns." Arjun told his sister harshly. He never spoke about that again. Slowly, Rajesh came into the business and is now looking after a section. Though Arjun totally disliked this idea, he was happy that Priya is happy! No matter what, Arjun''s family eat their breakfast together. Everyone leaves the house at 9am and all return back at different hours. So Yashodha made up this rule to see and greet each other at breakfast time. It is a strict rule and no one has broken it until now. Arjun got in the elevator to get to the ground floor for his breakfast. "Good morning, Ma." He greeted his mom with a lovely smile. "Good morning, Ajju." She caressed her son''s hair with so much love. "Mama(uncle), you haven''te to see my y school yet. You have toe today to pick me up." little Tarun spoke in his childish ng to Arjun. "Awe, I am so sorry, Tarun. Mama totally forgot about it. I promise toe to your pick up today." he told him, kissing him on his cheek. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. "Dei Ajju, his pick up time is 12. How can youe that soon? It''s ok da, I can go and pick him." Priya told him while feeding Tarun. "No Priya, it''s ok. I promised him and I am going to keep up my word." Arjun started eating. "Good morning, everyone." Arjun''s dad came by. "You arete." Yashodha pouted at her husband. "Sorry, madam." he told her and everyoneughed. "Uncle(father-inw), I need to go to the Bihar outlet today. I will be back this weekend." Priya''s husband Rajesh told Hariharan. "Ok, Maapii(son-inw). Safe travels." he replied back. They all had their breakfast and left for their respective works after aughter filled chat with all the family members. Arjun is now driving to his factory. He is looking after the major production phase in granite. His factory brings in the rocks and grinds them to polish and cut them in rectangles of different sizes. Granite and marbles are natural stones but are way too costly that normal people find them expensive. He is now trying to make tiles that look like natural stones and are durable and strong like natural stones. The first edition of his Tinite (tile granite) is a huge sess and demands are skyrocketing that he has no time to even breathe when he is in his factory andb. "Praveen, are you already there?" He called his best friend to check on his status. Praveen works in hisb as ab technician. When Arjun talked about Tinite, Praveen was the only one who believed that it could work. They both worked day and night at theb to make it happen. Because Praveen was with him all along and also gave him many inputs on this project, Arjun has given him a fair share of profit in Tinite sales. Now they are trying to recreate some natural granite patterns. "On my way da. Will be there in 10minutes." Praveen said. "Ok ok, I will be there too by that time. Is Preethi ok?" Arjun asked him. "She never came out of her room, Ajju. I am really worried for her. Please talk some sense into her thick head." "Give her time, Praveen. I saw him at the mall yesterday. I just wanted to smack his face and break his jaw. But I restrained myself for Preethi." Arjun fist bumped on the steering wheel. "He is not worth it, Ajju. She knows it. But she is still not over it." Praveen worried. "Give her time to swallow her deception and disappointment. She wille around. We will take her bowling tonight." "Will see!" They got off the phone and Arjun arrived first to theb. Chapter 4: 3. Anika And Her Admirer Chapter 4: 3. Anika And Her Admirer Author''s PoV Anika and her friend Nithya got down from the college bus and started walking into the college. Their college is located under the foothills with greenery all around. Since it is November, Anika shivered when the cold breeze brushed her skin. "uhhhh! Despite being born and brought up here, I am still not immune to this cold." Anika told Nithya, shivering in the cold. "Haha, Then you should have worn a full sleeve cloth. Come let''s get in faster." They started walking at a faster pace. "Nithu, I told mom and dad that Arun is helping us with the project. Mom is not happy about him being our help. She asked why not a girl help us instead of him. I am scared to open up the matter to them. We are in our final year and we just have little months left toplete our degree." Anika started her whines. "Look Anu, you are in no position to tell your love to your parents yet. What will you tell them? That you are in love with a guy who doesn''t even have a job? Wait until hends himself a job." Nithya told her. "I thought so too. But luckily I have told them that I will definitely go to work. So hopefully they won''t start the marriage topic anytime soon. But dad is all ready with money for my wedding. Even today he talked about that." "Whatever, first let''s concentrate on the project. We will get a job only if our project excels others. If you get a job when you finish the degree, you can at least buy time by telling your parents that you like to go to work at least for a year before getting married." Nithya gave her confidence and advice. "You are right." They both entered the ss and got on with the day.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Anika and Arun have been in love with each other for almost a year now. When Anika entered her second year in college, there was a function in her department and she was in the reception committee. That night when she was checking her mail on her phone, she received an email from an anonymous ID. It said ''To the beautiful peacock!''. When she opened it, she knew it was someone from the college. Maybe a senior or someone from her ss. It said, ''Hello Beautiful, You looked wonderful in the peacock color saree today. You have something that most girls don''t have. That is, you don''t realize how beautiful you are and that adds to your beauty. The way you carried yourself today literally made you very outstanding in the crowd and I liked you so much for it. There is some magic in you that lifts all my worries off of my heart just by looking at your smile. Thank you for that. All the best for your studies. Study well and may you reach the heights you aim for! Regards, Your Secret Admirer.'' Anu had a little smile spread across her lips reading the mail. It gave her a little confident boost. She enjoyed the positivity in the mail and ignored it. She was thrilled to have a secret admirer for her in her college. After some days, she got another mail from the ''secret admirer''. ''Hello Beautiful, Hope you are doing good. Just thought of talking to you. How are your studies going? I was feeling a bit low today, I just need a pinch of positivity and vent and I am not a very talkative person. So when you came in my mind, I thought I could vent it out to you. Sorry if I have disturbed you in any way. Take care. Regards!'' When she read that, she felt a bit low for that faceless admirer. She decided to reply to that mail because she thought if she could give a little peace to someone, she is not going to deny it for him. "Hello Mr. Stalker, I am good. Thank you. My studies are so good so far. Don''t worry sir, you will feel fine and better tomorrow. Everything will work out just the way you wanted it to be. You will have a great time ahead. Take care." When she sent that mail, she felt content. The stalker never said anything that would make her ufortable. She didn''t feel any threat from him so far. Again there was a pause, she didn''t get any mail from him. She forgot about the stalker and went on with her days. It was almost at the end of her second year, she got mail from him again. ''Hello Beautiful, Thank you for your kind words. I truly felt a lot better after your mail. This mail is to tell you that I passed a crucial level in my career. I am truly happy today and I am d that I can share it with you. Study well and may you be happy all your life. Regards, Your secret Admirer.'' The mail lit her face up with a happy smile. She felt happy for him and she got the curiosity to know who he is and what he passed. Nithya reminded her that they had to go to the auditorium. "Hey Nithu, I got an email from him today, de" she told Nithya. "What did it say?" she asked her. "It said he has achieved something in his career. I am so happy for him, de." "Whoa, rx. You don''t know anything about him. Don''t get too excited for his happiness. This is not good, Anu." Nithya warned her. "I don''t know Nithu. I am too curious to know who he is. I feel like replying to him with congrattions." "No, Anu. This is not right.'''' They entered the auditorium along with their ssmates. The auditorium was full and it was a function to recognize the winners of a paper presentation. It was for the MSc students and it was when she first met Arun. He was one of the winners. He was a handsome young man and many girls drooled over him when he got the prize. Anu drooled over him too, looking at his dimpled cheek and his lovely smile. "Awe, he is so handsome, Nithu." She said to her friend. "Yes, He is so smart." Nithya said. "Hey, the mail said that he achieved something. Why not be this award? I know for sure that he is studying in our college. Might that be him? His name is Arun, right? The mail id also starts with A and some numbers." Anika jumped in joy. "Whoa, look at that one. His name is Aravind. It might be him too." Nithya showed her another boy who got the next prize. "I have many names that start in A. Anand, Akash, Arjun, Abhsh, Ashok, Ashwin..." Nithya was cut off by Anika. "You, Stop it, Nithu. You are very bad." Anika pped on her shoulder yfully. They bothughed their way back to ss. Dayster in their fourth semester holidays, Anika got mail again from the stalker. ''Hello Beautiful, Hope you are doing fine. How are you enjoying your vacation? I came across an old friend of mine and he spoke about his old project that was very advanced when he finished his engineering. He could not complete it on time and he bought a project for his finals. I looked at its draft and thought of you immediately. It will be a great help to your final project. I am sending you the project details and the base paper for it. Hope it helps. All the best. Regards, Your Secret Admirer.'' Anika checked the attachment and her joy knew no bounds. She truly wishes to see this man. The paper was awesome and she immediately thought to put that to use in their final project. He is a gentleman and she immediately replied to his mail. ''Hello Stalker, I am too good. Hoping the same from you. My vacation is so boring. The abstract and the paper are so good and I will surely look into it. Thank you. Is there a possibility that I can see you, Mr. Stalker? Take care.'' She got a reply almost immediately. ''Hello Beautiful, You have seen me in your college. Complete your studies and I wille and greet you in person. I will come to you with a bouquet of yellow flowers and choctes to congratte you on your special day for sure. study well! Regards, Your Secret Admirer.'' Anika waited for that special day and went on with her work. Chapter 5: 4. Arun And Yellow Flowers Chapter 5: 4. Arun And Yellow Flowers Anika''s PoV My fourth semester holidays went boring as usual. I was eagerly waiting for the college to reopen to go to college as a final year student. My devil of a brother always fights with me when I am home even when he is in his final year. Dad was the one that always stood by my side. Mom got many gand and bouquet orders during my vacation. Mom is an expert in making petal gand for weddings. She gave me the bouquet orders and I earned some pocket money through that in the holidays. That was the only good thing that happened in the college break. "Ma, I willete today. Me and Nithya are going to the library after college." I told mommy as I was getting ready for college. It''s college reopen day today and I am more than excited to go back to college. I have been talking to Nithu about the mail stalker as I received no mail from him for aplete semester. I was actually missing his mail. Though he sent only four or five mails over the years, I felt him to be my friend. But by now we are sure that he is someone from our college. "Why is he not sending me any mails, Nithu?" I asked her, getting inside the college bus. "He must have passed out or must have found something more important than to mail an unknown girl." Nithu said yfully. Though that is a possibility, I could not take it. "He may have passed out or even got a job. But he will for suree and meet me." I told her, hiding my disappointment. "He must be one of our seniors, de. If not he would not have given you a base paper that is worth making a project. It is of no use to him now. So he must be in MSc just like you thought. But Anu, I think it is not safe to track an anonymous mail person or to wait for him like this. Are you sure this is just friendship?" Nithya said and asked. "I don''t feel any threat towards him, Nithu. I am so eager to meet him. He said he wille to greet me when I am done with my studies. He also said he will meet me on my special day. I am sure he is one of our seniors. He is a good man, Nithu. He never said anything bad and he said he wille with a bouquet of yellow flowers. Yellow flowers represent friendship! He is genuinely a gentleman." I told her. "Whatever!" she said and we went in the direction of our ss getting down from the college bus. "Hey Karthik, hold on. I have your library card." Nithya yelled and ran towards Karthik. Karthik is her neighbor and in a different department. I walked behind slowly and someone bumped into my back and I dropped my books. "Aahhh! Where are your eyes?" I yelled and turned to see who that was. "I am so sorry. I was in a hurry." It was Arun. I got my breath hitched and I was out of words. He leaned down and reached for my books. He gathered them and gave them to me. "Thanks." I got it from him. "No, it''s my fault. I am so sorry." he apologized again. "It''s ok." I looked at him and he nodded his head and smiled at me with a beautiful dimple on his cheek. OMG! "Hey, no idea toe to ss?" Nithu shuffled me. I was still standing there even after he left. "Arun talked to me, de. OMG, he is so handsome up close." I told her. "Ufff, Come let''s go." She pulled me towards the ssroom. After reaching the ss, I stuffed my books in the desk and that is when I noticed a bunch of papers stapled together. It is the same base paper that the stalker sent me. Where did ite from? It must be Arun''s. I decided to meet him during the lunch break. I know his ssroom. "Hi, Senior. I think you missed this one." I went to his ssroom during the lunch break with Nithu but she stalled outside the room. "Ahh it was with you? It''s ok, Beautiful. You can have it. This is no longer useful to me. I brought it mistakenly." he said with that same killing smile. "My name is Anika." I told him. I felt shy when he called me beautiful. His friends were around him and they were looking at us. "I know. Guys know the names of all the beautiful girls in the college." he said and all the guys shared a knowing smile. "um... I thought you might need it. Are you sure that I can have it?" I asked him. "100%! You can have it." he said with that same smile. "Ok, Bye." I tried to leave as I was getting embarrassed by the situation. "OK, Anu, See you." he sent me off. I couldn''t ignore the butterflies that fluttered inside my tummy when he called me ''Anu''. "That''s him, Anu." Nithu said as soon as I joined her. "How do you say?" I asked her, burying my excitement inside me. "He called you beautiful. He bumped into you and gave you the base paper like it was a mix up. He knows your name. He said that he no longer needed it and brought it by mistake. If it was a mistake, how did he even know that he brought it?" she asked me and I felt the same. "We shall wait, Nithu. We don''t want to run into conclusions so soon with just this incident." I told her. "Ok, You are right. But be careful, Anu." she said. With the looks on her face, I can tell that she doesn''t like me looking for that mailman. She thinks I have feelings towards him. But I can tell you for sure that this is just a curiosity to know a man who tries to be so decent even when there is a great chance to misbehave. From then on, Arun smiled at me whenever we met and his gestures say that we are no strangers. I liked him too. We started talking like friends and I made friends with his friends too. His friends told me that he is a man of little words and he never talked with a girl before, just like the stalker said in the mail. They also said that he had many girl fans who approached him to talk but he never talked to any of them. They said he stopped just admiring the beauty. That irked me, the stalker too admired my beauty but didn''t grow on it. The mails never came again after we started talking. That increased the probability of him being the stalker. Nevertheless, I liked Arun so much even if he is not the stalker. Days after we became friends, I realized that his friends were true. He never talked to any girls, even to the girls of his ss except for necessity. The only girl he talks friendly to is me in the whole college. His ss girls often looked at me with hatred and jealousy in their eyes. He is a gentle man. "Share me your mail id, Arun. We shall talk through mail." I asked him one day hoping that he would mistakenly give me the same mail id that the stalker uses. "Mail? You have my number, Anu. We have WhatsApp. You can message or call me anytime." he said. "Just give me your mail id." I insisted. "Anu, Mails are just to start the conversation. They are very old fashioned. We are more than friends now." he said. I am now very sure that he is Mr. Stalker, why else would he not give me his mail id? "More than friends?" I asked him. "Yes, We are thick friends." he smiled at me lovingly. As usual I was lost in his smile. Dayster, it was my birthday and I went to college in a Red color salwar that my dad got me for my birthday. "Whoa, you look stunning in this red color outfit, Anu." Arun said. "Thank you." I told him looking down to hide my blushed face. "Here, Look at me. Many more happy returns of the day, beautiful!" he gave me a bouquet of yellow flowers and a basket of choctes. My eyes grew bigger as I got it from him. "Th¡­ Thank you, Arun. These are beautiful. And these are my favorites!" I stumbled upon the words and I thanked him for the gifts and the clues he gave me long before. This is the special day he was talking about. "Anu, I want to talk to you. Wait for me in the football court in the evening." he told me. I have something going on in my stomach whenever I talk to him like this. I don''t know if I am getting it right. I think I have fallen for him. I just nodded my head in agreement and he smiled at me and went to his ss. I had a joyous day with my friends and ss. I told Nithu that he is Mr. Stalker. I told her that he wanted to meet me in the evening. "This is no good. What if he proposes to you?" she asked me rather angrily. "I would say yes. I like him, Nithu. I like spending time with him. I like his smiles. I like his gentleness with me. I like how he treats me. Never once did he cross his limits with me. Never once did he take advantage of me. He is very helpful. He gave us notes for our studies. He always asks me to study well. He is nothing but a support to me. He is a good friend. I know his family. His mother and sister are very kind also. My parents will like them too. They are just like us in status. If I canpromise my mom, then everything will be fine, Nithu." I told her. "Adipaavi (sinner), have you nned for your marriage already? You are just in your final year now. He still needs to finish his degree and get a job. So you are in love already? I don''t like it one bit, Anu. If he didn''t propose to you today, what would you do?" she asked me. "I don''t know, Nithu. Yes, I think I love him already. It is the gentleman in him that I love. He is a wonderful friend and a decent guy. I am happy whenever he is with me. I like to share things with him just like I share it with you. If he doesn''t propose to me today, I... I don''t know, Nithu." I told her. "Whatever you sayes under Friendship. Love is a magical feeling, Anu. It is not developed over time, it is a pull that you can''t resist. It happens in a fraction of second. Anyways, All the best. I think you are way past the time to listen to advice." she said sarcastically. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. "I don''t believe in such a dramatic thing, Nithu. How can you develop feelings for someone whom you don''t know? I think this is safe. I know Arun. He is good for me." I told her. She talks under the influence of movies. I waited for him in the court in the evening. He was ying and he was one of the team yers that represent our college. He came running to me with sweat dripping on his face. His clothes drenched in sweat yet his face was like a fresh flower with that lovely smile. "Anu, get me that towel." he said, showing me the bag. I reached out to his towel in the bag and gave it to him. "You wanted to talk to me, Arun?" I am out of patience. "Yes. Did you like that bouquet I gave you in the morning?" he asked me. "Yes. I loved it!" I told him failing to meet his eyes. "How about this one?" he forwarded his hand in front of me. I looked up to see a beautiful red rose in his hands. "Arun!" Words stuck in my throat. "Anu, That bouquet represents Friendship. I value your friendship. But this single red rose represents Love. I love you, Anu! I don''t know when this happened. I truly thought of you as a good friend. I felt at ease with you and I am myself when I am around you. I am very muchfortable with you. I enjoy your non-stop talks. I love the kid in you. I like the mischiefs you do. I think, if you are to be my life partner, then we will remain as good friends for life. You are beautiful yet you disregard it. That adds to your elegance more. You are so natural, Anu. I believe love needs friendship tost long which we have!" he said, looking me in the eye. "Arun, I.." I stumbled upon the words yet again, hearing all this from him just like it were in the mail. Yet another proof that he is the stalker. "No hurry, Anu. Take your time. Think it through. Answer me when you are ready." he told me. "Me too, Arun." I told him, looking him in the eye. "I don''t need time, Arun. I am happy with you. I am sure that I will be happy with you in our long life together." So that is how our love started. His semester ended before ours. He is now searching for a job. Our semester exams are round the corner and our project review is next week. Campus interviews have started and I have been busy attending the interviews. I am waiting for the one on one personal interview round in twopanies now. Chapter 6: 5. Strain Chapter 6: 5. Strain Arjun''s PoV I am now driving to Preethi''s house. Preethi''s married life is at strain now. She recently found that her husband has an illegitimate rtionship. Preethi''s wedding was an arranged marriage. She has been married for almost 6years now. Her life was going smoothly until 3months ago when she found some dirty texts on his phone. Praveen and Preethi''s family is an upper middle ss family. I am an avid reader and I go to the library very regrly even at my very young age. I got their friendship when I was in second grade as their house was near the library that I went to and they were often seen outside the library ying. I started to make acquaintances with them in the time I waited outside for the car toe and pick me up. Preethi was the one that came and talked to me first. Our friendship grew stronger as the days passed and I started to go to the library just to spend some time with them. I am an introvert and I don''t talk so easily to anyone. But with them, I was myself and I liked it. I even changed my school to be with them. My parents were d that I made friends and never opposed the change of school after making acquaintance with Preethi and Praveen''s parents. Our friendship has be stronger and tighter ever since, so is our parents''. Preethi got married when we were 24 years old. Her husband''s name was Nilesh and he was 29 years old during their marriage. He spoke very nicely to all of us and we all worked with so much happiness in her wedding. Preethi had a baby girl the very next year of their wedding, her name is Avni. Avni is now 5 years old. "Preethi!" I knocked on the door of her room. She is now in her parents'' home. Aunty and uncle are devastated and are not ready to talk it through. Even though she found out about her husband''s cheating, she tried to fix it up. After 3 long months of struggle she finally realized that her husband is far from retrieving. She came herest week and refused to open up the door for anybody. "Preethi, open up, dammit!" I kicked on the door out of frustration. Preethi is a bubbly girl. She is a carefree girl that lived in the moment. She never had any big dreams but was happy and satisfied with every little thing she has got. She has lost herself for that douchebag. "Preethi!" I shouted at the top of my voice and the door opened up. "Ajju!" She called me. I couldn''t recognize the bubbly girl that I know. She was standing there like a ragged painting that lost all its color and glory. "Preethi!" I took a step forward and that was all she needed to rush to me breaking into tears. "Ajju, I... I want to end my life, Ajju. I don''t want to live but what will happen to Avni? Will you take care of her?" she leaned on my shoulders putting her arms around my neck. "Shhh, Preeth, Come in. calm down!" I tried to calm her down. I made her sit on the bed and gave her water. I sat beside her and tried to talk some sense into her. "Preeth, listen to me. Marriage is not the only thing that life has to offer you. You have Avni! She is a beautiful soul that God has given you. She will make your life colorful and beautiful. We are all with you. He is a scoundrel and you want to cry over him? He is not worthy to have you. You are a pearl and he is not the right man for you. Come with me to our office. Make yourself busy with work. This will pass soon." I know this cannot be forgotten or moved on in a blink of a day but still I tried to make her feel better. "Ajju, promise me that you will take care of Avni." she asked me without any reaction. "Preethi!" I pulled her face towards me and her eyes had no life. I could not see her like this. "You want me to kill that scoundrel?" I asked her. She nodded NO! "You want me to end his affair?" She nodded No! "You really wish to live with that douchebag?" I am out of patience now. She nodded No again. "God, what is your problem, Preeth?" I asked her. "I want to die!" she said for which I pped her hard across her face. Aunty and uncle came running to the room but stopped right on the doorstep. They could do nothing but cry. "Are you insane? You want to take your life for that bastard? Then what are we to you? We are not as important as him to you? Look at them. What will they do if you die? Avni? She already has no dad. Do you wish for your child to live without mom too?" I asked her. "I loved him, Ajju. You won''t understand. I loved him with all my heart. I thought he loved me too. I could not take this betrayal, Ajju. My heart feels heavy that it may stop any minute. I cannot live like this forever, Ajju!" she cried, hugging me and aunty and uncle broke their silent cries and joined her. I could do nothing but give her shoulder to cry on. She is depressed. It is not good for her nor her parents. "Preeth, look at me. Do you believe me?" I asked her. She nodded Yes. "Be ready tomorrow at 9am. I will be here to take you to a ce. I want you to trust me and give me your time and your whole heart for one week. I promise that if you don''t feel better at the end of one week, I will do as you ask." I told her. "Ajju!" aunty eximed in shock but uncle stopped her and took her away. Preethi looked at me and tried to smile in which she failed. I took her leave and went out to talk to aunty and uncle. "I am so sorry to have hit her uncle." I told him. "No, Ajju. You have all the rights to take care of her. She refused to open the door for us. We are happy that she atst opened it. We trust you, Ajju. Take her in your hands" Uncle told me while holding my hands together. "She is in depression, Aunty. It should be treated properly. She needs counseling. I will take good care of her aunty." I told her. "She is blessed to have your friendship, Ajju. Give my daughter back to me!" Aunty said. "I will aunty. Make sure she eats well and get her ready by 9am tomorrow." I took their leave and started driving home. I called Rishab, my friend whose sister is a psychologist. "Hi, Rishab. How are you?" I asked him as he picked up the call. "I am good, Arjun. How are you?" "Good. I need a favor from you." "I knew it when I saw your call. Tell me, man." "I want an appointment with your sister tomorrow." "Are you ok?" He asked me. Yeah, everyone thinks like this because I am a failure in my married life. "I am perfectly alright. It is for my friend." I told him. "Ok, da. Can¡¯t say no to you. I will ask her to free her morning for you." "Thank you so much, da." "I know you wont ask for favors easily. So it must be important. Don''t mention it, da." "Ok, da. Take care. Bye." I got off the phone and called Praveen. "Where are you Praveen?" "In theb, Ajju. Will start to go home in 30minutes." he said. "Sharanya didn''t call you yet? It''s already 9pm." I asked him as his wife is too strict with timings. She often tells me to leave him early. Praveen lives in a separate home that is close to his parents home. "No, da. She knows the situation now. She must have thought that I am with Preeth." C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. "I just came from home, da. You go home and make sure Preethi eats. She will be fine. Bring Avni to my home da. Your home is very gloomy for that little girl. She will be happy with Tarun." "She opened up the door?" "She did. Bring Avni tomorrow to my home. Pack her things for a week." I told him. "Ok da!" I stopped the car at the corner of the road and leaned on the steering. Why is this happening to Preethi? My life is already a hell and now her''s too? Why do people always break the heart that has love in it? She says I can''t understand. But I can! I know the pain of love being refused. I know the pain of taking up betrayal. I have experienced it! Chapter 7: 6. That Relative Chapter 7: 6. That Rtive Anika''s PoV "Ma, please ma. I cannote 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 urate. You all go. Just 2 days right. I will ask Nithu toe 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 Nithue and stay here." I pleaded to my dad and he finally agreed andpromised 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 toe 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 thepanies. I am kinda worried now. I really have to have this job when Ie 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 thest 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.'' Iposed 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 rtive of Amma hase." Advay came upstairs and called me. I stood up from thepound 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 rtions 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 ces 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 inws home with this tongue. You will never find a groom for her in our rtives." 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. "Say sorry and go inside." she was stubborn and that aunty had a satisfied smile on her face and Advay was controlling hisughs. I felt humiliated and angry. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. "Sorry!" I yelled out and ran into the room. Argh! Mom was telling her that I am going to go for a job for a year. I should have kept quiet. This humiliation is unnecessary. "Haha, OMG! That was the ultimate scene. This is not over yet. After that aunty leaves, mom will give you tight ps. And will tell dad about your long tongue and will stop you from going for a job. How many times have I told you to hold your tongue." Advay came in behind meughing like a maniac. "Shut up, Adu!" I tried to yell at him but cries stopped my words. What he said is true and has a strong possibility of happening. Mom is so strict and still lives in the 80''s. "Adu, I am scared da. That aunty was the one who talked all irrelevant things and added to my anger." I told him. "What she said was a very usual thing. You overreacted. Do you love someone?" he asked me, which took me by shock and surprise. "Nonsense. Nothing like that." I tried to deny him. "Ha, don''t lie akka. If you are not in love, why did you get angry when that aunty talked about your marriage? The speed that you denied the usation itself has sold you out. Who is that, akka?" he asked me. I have nothing to tell him. How can I say no when he caught me red-handed. Besides, I might need his help topromise mom and dad. "Yes, Adu. His name is Arun. He haspleted Msc and is now looking for jobs. He studied in my college, da." I confessed. "So mom was right about her doubts on the help you get for your project?" he asked me and I felt so guilty. I felt I was doing something wrong. "Adu, I like him da. You will also like him. His family is just like us. He has no dad. He has a younger sister of your age and his mom. They are of our status." I tried to justify my stand. "You know our mom, akka. She will never ept this. She will look for caste and things like that. Why do you want toplicate things when you know the possibility of what you want is more on the negative side?" he asked me to which I had no answer. I never thought about caste and issues like that. "If he finds himself a job, he wille with his mom and sister to our home to ask for my hand in marriage. If everything goes in the right direction, mom and dad will have no reason to deny him." I told him. I said more to myself. "Will see all thatter. Now get ready to face the impact of your tongue." he said. That is when I heard that aunty was taking leave from mom. OK, I am doomed now. "Anu, Come out." She called for me from the hall. "You are done!" Adu said. I walked out of the room and went to the hall and stood in front of my mom. "Why do you want to go for a job?" she asked me out of nowhere. "Ma?" "Answer my question." She talked to me with a harsh and strict tone. "To earn money, to put my studies to use, to build you a room and a toilet, to enjoy an independent life." I told her. "And?" she looked me in the eye and I felt scared and looked down. "That is all, ma!" I tried to tell her in a strong voice but my voice shivered when I said that. She knows that I am in love. I can sense it from her demeanor. "I will tell you what is more. You want to drag time. You want to give your lover time to settle down." she said and walked closer to me and I swallowed the ball of fear that gathered in my throat. "Ma!" I raised my eyes to her and felt stars circling around my head. I heard birds chirping in my ears. My cheek burns like it is on fire. "Anandhi!" I heard my dad yell at my mom. That is when I realized that my mom had pped me. Chapter 8: 7. The Invite Chapter 8: 7. The Invite Arjun''s PoV I got ready and entered the elevator to go down. I called my PA to cancel all my morning meetings and work. I assigned my work to my subordinates to make sure nothing stops in my absence. When I got to the dining room, it was already 8 o''clock. Mom was busy bringing all the dishes to the dining table along with the cook. We have a cook and two servant maids to clean the house and doundry. We have a driver and a gardener who will be in our home from morning 6 to evening 6. "Amma, I have to leave a little early today. Praveen will bring Avni here. Take good care of her." I told mom. "No worries, Ajju. I will take good care of her. How is Preethi?" Mom asked me. "I am taking her to counseling today. She will be fine ma!" I told her. "She should be. It is very sad this happened to her. Take care of her, Ajju." "Sure ma!" I started eating while my mom served me. "Ajju!" she called me. "Tell me, ma!" "Did you make any arrangements for finding a suitable bride for you?" she asked me. "Ma, this will be my second marriage. I would prefer a girl of my age or closer to my age. It would be better if she is a divorcee just like me." I told her. "Ajju! I ..." my mom started to object to it. "Ma, it is only fair if I marry a divorcee. Who will be ready to be a second wife? That is not fair either." I tried to stop her. "You are wrong, Ajju. There are many girls who would love to marry you. If you would allow me to find a perfect bride for you, I will make arrangements for it." "Ma..." "No Ajju. I wont ept a divorcee as your wife. My rtives in Tirupur are calling me regrly giving me details of brides that are ready to marry you." she said. "Do they all know about my first marriage?" "Of Course. They all know it, Ajju. Your first marriage also happened in Tirupur, remember?" "Ma, please. Leave this to me. I will for sure marry. Now I have many other important works to tend to." I stood up and ran outside. It is so hard to settle things with mom. She is very adamant that I should marry and get an heir! I have no such intentions to marry again and go through the agony all over again. The first time is more than enough. This 29 years is a problem. She thinks that I am still young to marry. If I drag the time for 3 more years, then I can state my age to avoid marriage. I drove to pick up Preethi. I asked the doctor toe to the beach for a more natural scenery. When I went to her home, she was eating her breakfast. "You arete!" I sat beside her and aunty asked me to eat. "No aunty! I ate! Come on Preeth! Hurry up!" I hurried her. Preethi didn''t utter a word all through the drive and she got down at the beach. "You wait here, Preeth. I will go park the car ande back." I asked her to stay there and went to park the car. When I came back, I could not find her anywhere. I surfed the beach as far as I could see and she was nowhere to be found. I panicked and called her on her phone. After a full ring, the automated voice said she is not picking up the call at the moment. "Preethi!" I shouted standing on the sand. I called the doctor to know if she is already here. The doctor came to me after I told her where I am and that Preethi is lost. "Don''t panic, Mr. Arjun. We shall search for her." Dr. Smitha said. We searched everywhere on the beach and found her walking from the opposite direction with some kids and a man. I ran to her to yell at her but as I neared her, I saw herughing with the kids. "Preethi, where did you go?" I whisper yelled at her. "Sorry, Ajju. I was waiting at the ce where you dropped me when I heard Harish struggling with these kids. I went to help him." she said meekly. I saw a trace of the bubbly Preethi peeking out of her gloomy face. "Who is this?" I asked her. "Oh, Sorry, Ajju. This is Harish. Harish, this is Arjun." She introduced us to each other. "Hello, Mr. Arjun. I have heard a load of stories about you when we were in college. I am Harish, we went to college together." he shook hands with me along with the needed information as to how they know each other. "Hello, Mr. Harish. I am d to meet you. All your kids?" I asked him with a wink. "Haha, no, Mr. Arjun. Nitvik,e here." he called on a little boy who came running to him. "This is Nitvik, my son. They are all our neighbor kids. My office gives me a day off every week and I happen to take it on Fridays. So I take them all for a day out every week." he said with a kind smile. "That is so nice of you. Hello, Nitvik. How old are you?" I asked the kid kneeling down to meet his eyes. He must be the same age as Avni or even smaller. "Hello, uncle. I am 3 years old." he said and ran to his friends. "Your wife?" I asked him. "Ajju, you know what, Harish is a fantastic guitarist. Also he will ride a bike doing stunts. He was a football yer just like you." Preethi interrupted me. "My wife is no more, Mr. Arjun. She died in a car crash 3years ago." he told me while looking at Preethi with a smile. "It''s ok Preethi, I am used to it now. It doesn''t hurt me much nowadays. I am happy with Nitvik. He is my life now." he told Preethi. I felt sorry for him. Why is everyone I meet suffering? Why is no one happy? "I am sorry, Mr. Harish. I didn''t know." I told him. "Oh, It''s ok." he said while the kids started whining. "Oh this is their limit. Nice meeting you, Mr. Arjun. We will see sometimeter. Bye, Preethi. You have my number." he took leave from us. "He is a wonderful man, Ajju. Poor him lost his love but still lives on for his kid. He said that if this is what is fated for him, he is happy to embrace it. I went to his marriage along with Avni. Avni was a year and a half old baby by then. We lost contact after that. She was a beautiful girl." Preethi started reminiscing about old memories. "Are you guys ready for the talk?" The doctor came towards us. "Sorry, Mrs. Smitha. I just got carried away." I turned to Preethi, "Preeth, she is Mrs. Smitha. I called her to meet you. Just talk to her. Tell her how you feel." I told Preethi. "Hello Doctor. I am Preethi. I am so sorry to have taken up your time. I know this is counseling. But I think I don''t need it. I was wrong to even think of taking away my own life. I understand it now. I was under too much pressure for the whole three months, doctor. I was not myself." Preethi talked like she is a different girl. I like this change but I wonder what happened overnight that made her talk like this. "That is good, Preethi. You don''t need counseling. I can see that. All the pressure that was building up inside you for the past 3months was making you heavy from inside. Talk, Preethi. Talk to someone whom you feelfortable with. When you talk, you will feel light. Do things that will make you happy. Know one thing, you are not at fault. You made no mistake in your rtionship, hence you are not to be punished or take up the punishment. You don''t have to feel betrayed, Preethi. Just move on. Don''t hold a grudge, that will only burden you. Let it go, you will feel free. My grandma will say something like, when someone wrongs you, you just have to be quick in forgiving them. Because the moment you forgive them, God will start his punishment for them. So just forgive him and move on." The doctor talked in a calm and serene tone. It was really soothing to even me. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. "Thank you, doctor. You were right. I had no one to talk to all these days or I didn''t want to talk about it. When I spoke to Ajju yesterday, when I voiced out my thoughts, I knew it was all absurd. I will not lock myself up anymore. I am not ready to forgive him yet. It¡¯s 6years that he¡¯s been deceiving me. But I am sure I will forgive him sooner than I thought." Preethi talked in a more clear voice. "Then I have no work with you which is actually good for both of us. All the best for your new life. Every ending is an opportunity for a new beginning. Convey my regards to your kid.¡± The doctor took leave from us. "Shall we go, Ajju?" Preethi asked me. "Ofcourse, but tell me what happened all of a sudden?" "The same thing I told the doctor. I truly wanted to die, Ajju. But when I said that out, I felt so ashamed of myself. I am not that weak. I am not that selfish. Why should I die when I made no mistake? I was feeling ok immediately after you left. Your p sure did magic." she smiled and that was a genuine one. "I am so sorry, Preeth. That was involuntary." "I know, Ajju. I actually needed it. That acted as a medicine for my confused brain. I knew you would have arranged for counseling. That is why I didn''t talk to you in the car. Your words are more than enough for me, Ajju. I was angry at you for taking me to a psychiatrist." "Hahaha I sure thought that you went nuts yesterday." I told her for which she yfully pped my shoulder. "Harish gave me a boost too. Upon seeing him, I knew I could live happily. Harish and his wife were truly in love. If he can live happily despite losing the true love of his life, I can live happily too. I just lost a pretend love." she said, shrugging her shoulders.. "Who knows, Preeth. You may yet find the true love of your life." I told her. "Hahaha may be, but so are you!" she said. "Now I know you are perfectly alright. Get in the car, I have so much work to tend to. You already took up 2hours of my busy morning." I pushed her in the car. I was working on myptop when my phone rang. I looked at the time and it showed 4pm. It was mom. "Hello ma" "Ajju, are you free tomorrow?" She asked. "Why ma?" "Our Kdeivam temple Kumbabishekam(consecration) is taking ce tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. Me and dad are going. I wish you to join us, Ajju." "I have a lot of work tomorrow, ma. But Sunday I am free. I cane on Sunday and bring you guys back here. Is that ok?" "Double ok. Come home soon, Ajju!" "Sure, ma. Bye!" I got off the phone. Mom is very spiritual and she often tells me that we are not going to our kdeivam temple on a regr basis and that is why our lives are in strain. I believe in God but not in going to temples and bullshits like if we don''t go God will punish us. I cannot spend 2 days in temples but I can always spend time with my mom and dad in mom''s native. I like the vige setting and my grandparents and the people there. No doubt that I am eager to go there on Sunday. It will be refreshing. Chapter 9: 8. Caught Chapter 9: 8. Caught Anika''s PoV Dad came into the home and yelled at my mom. I am more than scared now. I am dumbstruck. What should I do now? Should I agree that I am in love with Arun or should I hide that fact and act like nothing? What if I tell them now? Arun has no job. I have no job yet. The chances of rejecting him will be high now. But what if I hide the truth now? Dad will fight with mom for hitting me without any reason. He will be my pir of support. But then, it will be a great sin. I cannot deceive my parents. Later, when I tell them about Arun, dad will be devastated. He trusts me so much. "Anandhi, how dare youy your hand on my daughter?" Dad confronted mom. "Your daughter? She is my daughter too." Mom said with a shiver. "If you had thought like that, you would have notid your hands on her." dad said. "Appa, don''t hurt mom. First ask what happened." Advay came in between mom and dad. "Whatever happened, it is wrong to hit a grown girl." dad said. "I am so sorry, Anika. I will never interfere in your life.'''' Mom told me and went into the kitchen. "Ma!" Advay ran behind mom. I don''t know what to do now. I couldn''t even breathe. "Anu, Go inside, dear. Wash your face and go do your work. I will take care of everything." Dad told me and went inside. I stood there not knowing where to go. Mom is hurt. Dad was wrong to speak like that to mom. I was wrong to have kept my mouth shut when dad hurt mom. I was wrong to have talked without respect to the guest. I was wrong to hide the truth from dad. Dad trusts me so much that he didn''t even care to know what happened. I should not do this to them. "Amma!" I went to the kitchen and called her. She was busy cooking dinner for us. Advay was helping mom. "Amma, sorry ma." I said. She ignored me as if I was invisible to her. She kept on doing her work and even Advay ignored me. "Adu, Please ask her to talk to me." I spoke to him. "Why should I? You will speak where it is not required and will keep your mouth shut when you are supposed to talk. Mark my words, you will suffer in your life because of this character of yours." Advay yelled at me. "Adu, go and study. I can finish the rest." Mom told him and he went to the room. "Amma!" I called her again but she continued to ignore me. I knew she was not going to talk to me. I walked out to see dad. "Pa, you were wrong to talk like that to mom. She is deeply hurt. She has all the rights to correct us if we are wrong." I told him. "Come here, dear. Sit down. I know I hurt her. I can make it right. But it is not right for her to hit you. You are a grown woman dear." he said. "No pa. I talked disrespectfully to a guest who came home from mom''s hometown. That is why mom was angry." I told him. "This is all the more silly reason toy hands on you. It shows that I was not wrong. I know you, dear. You won''t talk disrespectfully unless they were wrong." he said which made me more guilty. I have no courage to tell the truth to him. "Not that, pa. Please go andpromise mom. She is not at fault here. I am wrong." I tried to tell him. "Oh stop your drama, akka. Appa, you are wrong to have talked like that to mom without knowing what actually happened. Your dear daughter is in love with someone named Arun. The aunty who came here talked about her marriage and Anu talked very badly to her. When mom confronted her about her behavior, she stood there like a statue. That was why mom hit her. You supported her in everything mom tried to stop. But look at her now, she made the very same mistake which mom anticipated to happen and tried to stop. Even now, she is not ready to tell you the truth and stop you from hurting mom. You will always support...." Advay shouted but was cut off in the midst by mom.. "Advay, I asked you to go and study." Mom stopped him. "Ma...!" he looked at her. "You were 3months old when I married your dad. I embraced you both as my own when I married your dad. Not even a split second I thought different since then. Your dad made clear that she is his daughter. Are you my son or even you didn''t consider me as your mom? Shall I decide that all three of you do not belong to me?!" she said without a hitch. Advay went into the room without a word. He is definitely a mommy''s son. It hurts me like hell to witness this heart wrenching scene that is happening because of my stupidity. Dad threw me a look that asked me what was going on. I have no courage to look him in the eye. I looked down. I heard dad exhale a bit louder before he looked at mom. "Anandhi, I am so sorry. I am so wrong. I should not have talked like that. Please don''t talk like this." Dad went to her with his apology but mom just went in the kitchen ignoring him and dad followed her in. I was standing all alone in the hall with no one on my side. I spoiled it all. I decided to give mom and dad their lone time to make their strain straight. I decided to talk to dad and mom tomorrow morning when they are in a better mood. It is not right to keep it hidden any longer. Come whatever may, I should tell everything to dad and mom. I went to the room and unrolled my bed to sleep. Advay looked at me like I am his grave enemy. It hurts me. It hurts me so much that no one is ready to listen to what I feel like. I feel so ashamed of my situation. How cheap is this? I am caught at home as my parents found out about my love affair. I am not in a position to justify myself. Is loving someone so wrong? I thought he would be a better life partner. I felt happy with him. But now everything seems wrong. I was not true to my parents. But again if I want to satisfy my parents, I have to let go of Arun. How can I do that? If I do that then I am not true to him too. The timing this hase in the light to mom and dad ispletely wrong. If at all this situation happened after a year, I could have had a chance to talk to mom and dad. But now no one is ready to talk to me. I wanted to talk to someone but I am not yet ready to share this with Nithu yet. This is not the right time to talk to Arun also. I opened the mail to see the stalker''s mail. Once, he felt low and shared it with me. Why did he do that? Because he was notfortable sharing it with someone who he sees regrly. Yes, I can share it with him too. I am not going to narrate the whole story but I can find sce in writing to him. He is a nobody to me and I am not going to see him in my life. I don''t even know if he is using this mail id now. It will not even be read if that is the case which is better. I opened the draft which Iposed to send him. It was a happy one. Now the situation ispletely different. I erased the draft and tried topose a new mail. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. ''Hello Stalker, How are you? Hope you are doing good. I am not good. I am terrible now and I wanted to share it with someone and you are my only vent for now. Hope you won''t mind. I did something and my parents are angry. I don''t know yet if it was right or wrong but I did it anyway without any knowledge of the after effects. Give me a little positive vibes and some courage to face the dreadful situation I am in. I am sorry if I have bothered you by this mail but know that I have truly thought of you as my friend. I am totally scared right now but wish me well to do the right thing. Take care!'' I hit the send button without second thoughts. I felt a little relieved, funny but true. What will Arun say if I tell him that I am caught at home? He is not settled yet. He has a sister who is in her final year of high school. He is responsible for her studies and wedding. His mother is working as a clerk in a government office. It is her sry that is feeding his family right now. She is going to retire soon and he has to take up the responsibility from her. He had never spoken about our wedding so far and I know it is a little too early. Let''s see, if daddy is gracious enough to listen to my side and grant me at least a year''s time to make this work. Otherwise? I drifted off to sleep thinking about all negative possibilities. Chapter 10: 9. Change Of Plans Chapter 10: 9. Change Of ns Arjun''s PoV I am relieved of the stress I had for Preethi. Though she said she felt better because she spoke to me, I have a strong doubt that her sudden change of mood is because she met Harish. It is human tendency topare them with someone that has a simr problem only worse than theirs. I think she felt better when she saw him with that heartfelt smile. I knew very well that she doesn''t have any love back in school or college but what if they both can find sce in one another''spany? He is a widower and she is a soon to be single mom. He has a son and she has a daughter! They will together make a perfect family. This may not happen overnight but if they are moved in the right direction, this will happen soon. I decided to make their meeting more often to make them spend time together. I finished my work and closed theptop. I looked at the time and it said it''s 7.30pm. I walked out of my room and took the elevator. The watchman ran to bring my car from the parking upon seeing me coming out. While waiting, I got a call from Preethi. "Hello Preeth. What''s up?" "Ajju, I am on the way to your home to pick up Avni. Where are you?" she asked me. "I am just starting from my office. She just came here today. Let her stay with Tarun for a week, Preeth. Take this time for yourself. I will make sure she is well taken care of." "I know Ajju. But I am alright. I miss her." "If you want her back at your house, you could have just called me." "It''s ok, Ajju. I didn''t want to disturb you. Besides, I feel like I wanted some fresh air. It''s been a long time since I met aunty and uncle. So I thought of seeing them too." "If that is the case, then it''s fine. Stay there until Ie." "Ok Ajju. Bye." I got off the phone and hopped in the car. On the way home, I was thinking about my married life. A year full of disappointments that followed by two years of hawk eyes and harshments. Finally people forget about that part of my life and I am breathing normally but my mom is not ready to let me stay sane. She wants to pull that hell back onto me. My luck is very bad in finding the right life partner for me. I don''t want to be judged again. I don''t want to be disappointed again. I don''t want to serve my heart in a ss tter again to be shattered. I don''t want to relive that terrible year all over again. I parked the car in front of the house and got down. I saw an auto standing outside. "Waiting, sir." the auto driver said. "Here, you can go." I gave him some money and sent him off. I can drop Preeth and Avni. "Hey Ajju mama came." Avni and Tarun came running to me at the doorstep. "Whoa whoa, Hold on. Let me go clean myself ande. You guys go y." I ran to the elevator to get refreshed. When I came back, I saw mom and Preethi talking in the sitting area. I could see the traces of tears on their faces. Expected! But the doctor said it is good for her to cry and melt those hard feelings away instead of keeping it to herself. Talking out the feelings is the best remedy toe out of depression. "Alumoonji (Cry baby)! What''s up?" I sat on the arm rest of my mom''s sofa and asked Preeth. "Look at him, aunty!" she whined to my mom. "Don''t pull her leg, Ajju. We were talking about our Tirupur n. I called Preethi too. It will be a nice change to her. She will feel new. Avni was also not ready to leave Tarun." mom said. "That is a good idea. Then stay here tonight, Preeth. Anyways mom and dad will start early in the morning." "No, Ajju. Aunty said it is a two days stay. I need to go grab some clothes for me and Avni. Aunty said Tarun is alsoing with us. So Avni will be fine here for the night." "Oh, Ok then. And I sent that auto. I will drop you after dinner." I told her. "Pch! Why did you do that, Ajju? You just came home. You take rest. I will call for a cab." "No problem! I will drop you." N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. "Ajju, aunty said you wille on Sunday. Why don''t youe with us? I will befortable with you. You see, new ce and all, I will feel misced. If you are with me, I will feel fine. What do you say? Come with us Ajju, please!" she asked me, putting her best puppy face on. "I have work, Preeth. You know that I can''t change ns on thest minute, right?" I tried to reason with her. "Huh, I know, your work is more important to you!" she mumbled. "What did you say?" I asked her. "I said I am not more important to you than your work. Is it wrong?" she asked me furiously. I am enjoying the bubbly childish Preeth that ising out. Truly, Preeth and Praveen are more important to me than myself. "Haha, Ok Ok, I will assign my work to my subordinates for tomorrow." I lifted my hands, surrendering to her friendship. "Good Boy. Aunty, I won in the bet. You owe me your yummy Chicken curry and idli for dinner now." she said to my mom. "Adi paavi (sinner), you had a bet with my mom? Ma, this is cheating. She ckmailed me emotionally. I was cornered! I was helpless!" I acted like it was a shock. "Ha, Whatever you are, the oue matters. She won and I lost. That is all. I will go prepare the chicken curry. You guys have a chat meanwhile." Mom left us and went to the kitchen. "Haha, Thank you for making me win, Ajju." Sheughed at me. "If you will be happy like this always, I will make you win no matter what." I told her. "Why did this happen to me, Ajju? I was true to him. I loved him truly from the bottom of my heart. I did everything to make him happy. Never once have I felt that I am being yed. He was such a smart actor. He had this affair even before our marriage. He says that she is his mistress and I am his wife. How dare he!? Even after I confronted him, he talks like it is no wrong." "That is what he is. ssless, cheap man. Don''t waste your tears on him." "No, Ajju. He justifies himself to me. He asks me if he ever made me feel neglected or not loved. The answer to his question is NO! He never made me feel that way in the 6years we have been together. He made me think that he is in love with me like I had on him. He provided me and Avni with everything we have ever asked for. He took us everywhere we asked him to. I thought we were made for each other. I thought my life was perfect with him. It was actually a shock for me to find that he has an affair with another woman. I could not believe it at first. That was how normal and loving my life was. But I realized that my life was nothing but a soap bubble that popped when reality hit it. How can he justify all this betrayal? How can he expect me to live with it for the rest of my life? How can he expect me to be ignorant even after the truth pped me hard across my face? Why did he do this to me, Ajju?" She spoke calm and soft, every word sharp and strong but her eyes never stopped flowing. It hurts me like hell to see her cry like this and it annoys me to the core that I can do nothing about it but to be a spectator. I truly don''t know the right thing to say to her so I stayed calm, trying to soothe her. My anger turns totally on Nilesh for doing this to her. If I can get my hands on him, he will never see another day. "This change of scenery is essential for me, Ajju. I am d I came here today. I have made up my mind, Ajju. I am done crying over a thing that didn''t even exist in the first ce. I shalle to your office if you offer me a job." "You are appointed as my personal secretary from Monday." I told her. "What happened to your Personal Secretary now? "I have no PA so far. I have had only my manager who will sort things for me. This is specially created for you." I told her and her posture changed. I shouldn''t have said that. "No, Ajju. I don''t want to be a burden to you. If there is no work that I can do or help you with, then I will look for a job somewhere where I am really needed." she said, that sparked a sh in me. "Your area of expertise is certainly not needed in my office, Preeth. Give me a week, I will find you a suitable job." I told her all the while nning to steal the contact of Harish from her mobile. I may not find a soul mate in this life for me, but I will make sure that Preethi finds her soulmate! Chapter 11: 10. Judgement Day Chapter 11: 10. Judgement Day Anika''s PoV It''s Friday today and I am too scared to open my eyes. I don''t know when I fell asleepst night but even in my sleep, I dreamt of the worst things that would happen. Not even a ke of good shed in my mind. I heard shuffling in the room that tells me everyone is wide awake. I am to exin myself and make them understand that LOVE is not a sin and I didn''t do it deliberately to disrespect them in any means. I woke up and went straight to the restroom without facing anyone. To my surprise, Advay was awake and was having his morning tea. The home was inconveniently silent and everyone was so rigid and moody. "Good morning, pa!" I went to my dad after doing all my morning work including yoga. "This is not a good morning, Anu. You and I have to talk." he said, setting aside the newspaper he was looking into. Mom, hearing our talk came from inside the kitchen and stood at the kitchen doorstep. Advay listened to us too. "Yes, pa. Please listen to me before youe to a conclusion. I didn''t do anything on purpose." I tried to talk but I have not prepared anything to tell him that will justify me. "I have not yete to a conclusion, Anu. I always think that you are a brilliant girl. I have always given you full freedom because I trust you more than anything. I have not given you them to take advantage of it, Anu.¡± Dad talked to me like usual. I didn''t sense any anger in his talk that made me more scared. "Pa, I didn''t take any advantage or I didn''t misuse any of the freedom you gave me, pa. I promise. It is true that I like someone. He is a nice man, pa. His name is Arun. He was the one that has been helping me with the project. He was a senior, pa. A very nice gentleman. You will like him too, pa." "If you can find your life partner on your own, then who are we, Anu? We, as a parent have given you everything so far. Don''t we have the right to find a suitable groom for you?" He asked me. "You have, appa! Please appa, just meet him once. You will for sure like him." I don''t know what else to tell him. "We have sent you to college to study and make yourself financially independent. Not to find someone to love and be independent from us." He said which struck my heart. "Pa, please pa. You are hurting me. It just happened, appa. I didn''t n on loving someone. I couldn''t stop that feeling." "In that case, you no longer need us. If we have no say in your life, I think you are free to leave this house." he said. "Appa!" I never expected him to talk like this. It was like an explosion. "Listen, Anu. If you like to be in this house and be with us, you will have to listen to us. I am your father and I will never do wrong to you. I have a reputation among our people and I will not let you tarnish my respect. You are still young and you can''t make life decisions at the age of studying. Now if you want to continue your studies and go for work like you wished for, you will have to promise me that you will behave." He said which actually infuriated me. "Behave? Appa, I am well behaved, appa. In Spite of being in love with Arun, I have never gone out with him. I just meet him in the college. I will never cause anything that will spoil your reputation. You hurt me too much appa. You talk like as if I am nning to run away with him. I agree that this is not the right age to take decisions that involves my whole life. I promise you that I willplete my degree in good grades and will for sure find a job. Then what, appa?" I asked him. Though he is not saying it out loud, I can feel what he is implying. He thinks that I have been roaming out with Arun. "You are at fault now, Anu. You cannot raise your voice at me. Then what? I will find a suitable groom for you and you will marry and will lead a happy life." he said with a warning and I retreated in fear. "Why can''t you give Arun a chance, appa?" I pleaded with him. "Anu, dad is talking to you very patiently. Don''t push him off his limits. Listen to what he says." Mom tried to stop me. "Alright Anu, I will give him a chance now. Answer me, how old is he?" "He is 24years old, appa." "About his family?" "He has a sister and mother. No dad." "So his sister and mother are his responsibility. How much does he earn?" "um... He is still looking for a job" I looked down. "Good, then how is his family living?" "His mother works in a government office as a clerk." "So he is still living off of his mother''s hard work. Do they own a house?" He said sarcastically. "um... they live in a rented house." Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. "Very nice, What is their financial status?" "uhh, they will be like us appa. They are not poor." "They are not rich either. I don''t want them to be super rich, but I want them to be at least better than us so that I can be sure that you will live in peace. But then, let it go as you both have years toe, you can earn more if you both get a good job. What is their caste?" He asked me which is another unexpected thing from dad. "Appa, I don''t know that. I didn''t expect this question from you, appa." I am greatly shocked. "Why not, Anu? There is a reason behind our n and caste. I am not telling you that people are higher or lower based on caste. I strongly think all people are the same and equal. But the habits and their traditions will be different based on it. You have been brought up in a particr way. It will be hard for you girls to adapt to your new households when you get married. Marrying in a different culture will be even harder. No parent will wish that hardness upon their kid. Every parent will only wish for the happiness of their kid. I am the same." he said. "My happiness lies in him, Appa." I am feeling defeated. I cannot talk strongly to my dad. "That is just the hormones speaking, Anu. Every human will have this phase in their life. Not everyone is marrying their love. I am not angry with you because Love is not a bad thing. I am d that you experience that feeling. But that is just a feeling. Nothing more. Life is far greater than that mere feeling. Now this is the end of the conversation. Talk to that Arun and tell him that you will no longer see him and ask him to excel in his life and take good care of his family. You don''t have to go to college today. We are all going to Tirupur today. We shall return on Sunday and you can go to college from Monday, as a good daughter." he stood up and patted my head and left to carry on his day. Nothing can change his mind. What shall I do now? Nothing like this would have happened if I kept my damn mouth shut to that guest. Everything would have been different if I told my love a yearter to mom and dad. There would have been a fair chance that they might have agreed. Everything is spoiled because of my stupid mouth. Advay was right about my tongue. "You are lucky. Dad is not angry. Just do as he says and don''t prolong this. Be cheerful and get ready, akka" Advay told me. "Anu, we will tell you things for your own good. I am sorry that I hit you. I was angry yesterday. I was trying to be strict with you just to stop you from getting into all this. But when the same thing happened I lost my cool. Just like dad said, it''s all a part of this age. This will pass, dear.'''' Mom came to me and sat near me. "Ma, sorry ma!" I cried hugging her. "It''s ok Anu. This is not you, this is just your age. Forget that these things happened. Be like as usual. Do like dad says. Even after a year, if you still think Arun is the best suitor for you, I will talk to dad myself for you. But you should sever your ties with him now. Ask him to concentrate on his career. Ask him to wait. Meanwhile, you explore this world. Go to a job. Earn. Tell me your decision when we look for a groom for you." she said which gave me hope. Mom is right. I should listen to dad now. I should ask Arun to wait for a year. If I bring up Arun when he is well settled, then mom will back me up. I shouldnd myself in a good job. I should prove to dad that I didn''t decide things out of hormones. I should let dad know Love is not just a feeling but a feeling without which life is nothing! Chapter 12: 11. The Grandparents Chapter 12: 11. The Grandparents Arjun''s PoV This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. I am now driving to Tirupur to my grandparents home. My mom hails from Tirupur and my dad from Coimbatore. We now live in Chennai because of our work. Mom hates to be in Chennai for she dislikes the traffic and heat. But the most important thing she hates about Chennai is thenguage they use to talk. She often would say that people here are killing Thamizh. Though I was born in Tirupur, I have been in Chennai for all my life and I love the regional Thamizh in Coimbatore, Tirupur and Erode. Their Thamizh is like music to our ears. The way they address you, you would feelpassion from even a stranger. I love being there to enjoy the love of my grandma and grandpa. "Ma, When is the ''Kumbabishekam'' exactly? Why is Priya not here?" I asked mom. "Kumbabishekam is on Sunday. Priya is not here because though shees she cannote to the temple." mom said. Ah,dies'' monthly problem. "Oh, ok. Then why are we going there on Saturday itself? That too the sun is not up yet." I asked her. I am feeling sleepy. It''s 3am! "That is why I asked the driver toe along with us. You wanted to drive and nowin about the same." mom said. "Not that ma, I love driving and I don''t trust drivers for such a long drive." "I know, Ajju. Thatha and paati wanted to see you. They want to talk to you. That is why I asked you to come. I was happy that you at least agreed toe on Sunday but thanks to Preethi, you are here now. Thatha and Paati would be beyond happy if they see you today. It is actually a surprise. I have not yet told them that you areing along." mom said happily. I am happy to visit them too. Thest time I saw them was two years back when that unfortunate event happened in my life. It pained them more than it pained me. They took me with them for a month to escape me from prying eyes and all nonsense stories people managed to spin. I was not myself at that time and I failed to take care of them. But I should make them feel that I am alright now and also make them happy. "What did they want to talk to me about, ma?" I asked her. "I don''t know, Ajju. They just asked me to bring you to the festival. They said nothing more." she said but for some reason I thought mom is not telling me the whole truth. Preethi and the kids were sleeping peacefully and dad was trying to sleep. "Pch, Stop talking, Yasho. Ajju put those songs on. Let me sleep for some time. I have to go to Coimbatore after breakfast. I need some rest." dad said. "Huh, sleepy head! It is times like this, I get to speak to my son without worrying about the work and time. This man would always spoil it for me." mom mumbled to herself which we both heard well and clearly. "Did you say something?" dad asked her. "um... Nothing. You sleep!" mom replied sarcastically and a small smile crept on my face listening to their bickering. It is them I saw growing up. It is them who inspired me to marry. I thought my life would be like theirs, filled with love and happiness. But I realizedter that not everyone is blessed with such life and I am one among them. I switched on the songs and the rest of the drive was just me and the songs. My Grandparents'' native is a very little vige where you literally can count the number of houses. It is just 10 streets and almost everyone living there is our rtive one way or another. You cannot hold back mom once she goes there. She will literally stop at every house to talk and greet before we go to our grandparents. My grandparents'' home is not a big one but a beautiful one with all native things. They still don''t use the fridge or washing machine or air conditioner or microwave oven or vacuum cleaner! My grandpa is 85years old and he still runs his errands on his bicycle. We have a whole lot of farmingnd and he manages them with my granny. "Ada Arsun (grandparents'' way of calling Arjun),ee. What a pleasant surprise! How are you Raasa(king - an endearment)." My granny was the first to see us as I parked the car in front of the house. "Ammachi(mommy''s mom), I am so good. How are you and Appuchi(mommy''s dad)?" I asked her, getting down, giving her a hug, almost lifting her up. "Ada, ayya. Let me down!" she said giggling. It is a beautiful sight to see her getting shy and blushing even at this age. She is a beautifuldy. "Haha, Romba vekka padathinga Ammachi! (Don''t get too shy Granny!)" I said. "Vaanga Vaangaee!)" she moved a step away from me and received my dad and ran in. It is still a practice here to not speak freely to the son-inw of the house. My dad is treated like a king here. "Ma, your mom is an epic!" I told her in a light sense and she smiled at me. I woke up the kids and Preethi and we all went in. I introduced Preethi to granny and grandpa and they weed her with warm smiles. The kids were still sleepy and granny showed them a room where they can sleep for a little more time. I went to the backyard where the restrooms are located and took a nice cold bath. Mom and dad took a bath too. Granny and Grandpa usually bath before 6am everyday and it is a practice that they follow and we are forced to bathe at least before breakfast. When I came in granny gave me a hot cup of herbal tea. It is the special concoction of granny. We all had a little chit chat and by 8am Preethi and the kids woke up. They took a bath and we all settled down to eat breakfast. It was so yummy and I relished every bite of it. "Appuchi, what are we going to do today?" I asked him as he was getting ready to go out. "It is a three days Thiruvizha(festival), Raasa. It started yesterday. The third day is the Kudamuzhukku(Kumbabishekam). The temple is filled with shops and people. There are even rides for the kids. Take them there. It will be fun." he said and took his bicycle out. "Are you noting with us?" "I will Arsuna, I have some work to be taken care of in the fields. It will take some three hours to finish that. I wille to the temple after lunch. The temple is also serving lunch. If it is too crowded,e back home for lunch then take some rest and we all can go together in the evening. There is a special poojai tonight." he said. "I wille with you, Appuchi. I will ask mom and dad to take them to the temple now. Like you said, we all can go together in the evening." I told him and went in to tell mom and dad. I took the cycle from Grandpa and made him sit behind me and started pedaling. I love this ce for this very reason. People won''t judge you by what you are doing here. You can walk or ride a bicycle without worrying about your reputation. I love looking at the fields with well grown crops. Before my marriage, I woulde here every year. Grandpa will even let me work in the fields with him. For some reason, I feel that people here are less dangerous than people in the city. I wont say people here don''t gossip. They do! But that doesn''t hurt me much. We stopped at three different spots and grandpa was so happy to talk to them about my arrival for the festival. Though I don''t remember them, they talked with love to me. When we finally stopped at our fields, I saw there was no one working. "Enna Appuchi, Yaarayum Kaanom? (What is this Grandpa, nobody''s here?)" "I gave them off today and tomorrow for the temple festival," he said. "Then what are we doing here?" "Wait, we have to water the crops. We should switch on the motor and we should turn it off after an hour. Then we should go check our cows and bulls. We must gather their dung and clean their ce. That should take another hour. Then I thought of taking a swim in our pump set!" He exined to me his work for the next three hours. "Appuchi, you look after the motor thing, I will go clean up the cow shed. we both can take a bath in the pumpset and we also can save an hour." I told him. "Aiyo, no, raasa. I will switch on the motor and will go clean the cow shed. You stay here and switch it off after one hour. Also check if all the varappu(ridges to retain water in the fields) are clear of dirt." he said. "Appuchi, this is important. You look after the field. I will go and clean the cowshed. You cane and check on my work." I told him and went towards the cowshed disregarding all his denials. I started cleaning up the cow dung and piled them up outside as it is used as a fertilizer for the crops. I turned on the water and cleaned the shed. I gave the cows and bulls some hay and by the time I was done with all the work, I was drenched in sweat and I smelt like cow dung. I checked for the time and it took me 1.30 hours toplete. "Very nice job done, Arsun!" Appuchi came by and appreciated me. "Shall we take a bath now, Appuchi?" I asked him as he was drenched in sweat too. We went to the water. We swam for a little bit and went back to our cycle in wet clothes. It felt weird to sit on the seat with wet underwear and the temperature was just right to dry it. "Appuchi, you go home. I will walk home." I told him. I started walking enjoying the greenery when someone came running at me from the side and pushed me aside and fell to the ground. Chapter 13: 12. The Hardest Phase Chapter 13: 12. The Hardest Phase Anika''s PoV After making up my mind just like mom said, I felt a lot better. I called up Nithu and told her about the change of ns. I am still reluctant to let her know what actually happened. But anyways I must tell her on Monday before I tell Arun to wait for me for a year. We got ready and went to the bus stand to go to Tirupur. It is 2hours travel from Coimbatore to Tirupur. Once boarded I found a window seat and sat comfortably there. Advay sat near me leaning on me to sleep. "Akka, did you tell Arun about your decision?" he asked me. "Not yet da. I have to tell him on Monday. It is not nice to tell this on the phone. He wille to college on Monday. I will exin to him then." I told him and myself that I can do this. "You know dad will never approve of LOVE. You should have been more careful, akka. Just like mom says, you must have avoided any situation where you lose control of yourself." he spoke like a big man. "You will never know what that situation is, Adu. Do you think I wish for all these embarrassments? I never knew all these were going to happen in my life. You sleep." I shut him up to avoid further awkward conversation. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. I checked my phone for any message from Arun. But there was nothing from him. It is like I almost disappear in his world on weekends. He never messages me on weekends and of course I never comined about it ever. It helped me spend my time with my family on weekends and that is how mom didn''t smell iting. I opened my mail and to my surprise, the stalker had replied to my mail. I didn''t waste a second to open it. "Hello Beautiful, I am better. I am sorry to hear that you are not doing well. Trust me, time will heal you of the pain and the embarrassment you are going through now. I tell you this because I have personal experience on this. Do what you think is right and it will definitely turn out good. Concentrate on your studies as you are almost at the end of your degree. I am d that you consider me as a good friend and I assure you that you can turn up to me at any point in your life for moral support and to share your distress. I will be all ears for you. Regards!" A smile crept on my face reading the mail. He is the best. He doesn''t know what has actually happened to me but still managed to soothe me with a general talk. It is definitely a convenience to make friends with a stranger whom we don''t meet at all. He is a friend with a lot of benefits. I decided to reply to him with a thank you. "Hello Stalker, Thank you for the kind words. I am truly grateful for your friendship. Your message has lifted my soul up from the deep hell. I don''t know what caused your distress, but I am happy that it passed and you are better. I wish all the happiness in this world to you and you deserve it! Regards!" I sent the mail while thinking of everything I have to do to make this situation better. I made up my mind to talk to Arun on Monday about this decision I have taken. Again it sounds so wrong that I took a decision that involves both of us. It is like cornering Arun without any options. But I have no other choice now. After making up my mind to do the right thing just like the stalker said, I felt really light in my heart that I spent the rest of the travel looking outside the window. My mom''s vige is a very small one with just 10 streets and everyone here are rtives in one way or another. I am d that we came here because mom and dad are very happy and it helped me to take their minds off of my problem. We went to my granny''s house and the house was very calm and quiet. I saw slippers on the doorstep and I knew we were not the only ones that hade. "Ammachi!" Advay called out while entering and we saw Sivaprakasam Periyappa and Dhanam Periyamma. Their faces are all gloomy. How else will they be? Their only daughter is lost and it''s been 2years and nothing positive has turned up. "Periyamma, periyappa, How are you?" I asked them while ammachi came in from the kitchen with water for all of us. "Vaanga vaangaee!)" she called us in, excited. We greeted each other and Advay went out to see his friends here. I went into the room and mom and dad started talking to them. I was bored and decided to listen to what they talk about. "Sivaprakasam, Did you hear anything from the police?" dad asked him. "Nope, nothing from them. They have decided to close the case. Maa(son-inw) has got his divorce legally stating her absence. Because of his influence, police were looking for her. As he is out of the case now, police have stopped working on this case. There was no lead on where she might be. We lost hope also." he spoke with his voice so heavy that he may break into tears any minute now. "Don''t worry, she wille back to you soon." Dad consoled him. "If she is still alive." he spoke and Periyamma immediately stopped him from saying that. "No, no. Don''t say that. I know that she is alive and well. She is happy somewhere. Let her live her life happily. Maybe this marriage is not destined for her. She is alive!" She started with a loud voice but retreated at the end. I can understand her feelings. No mother will wish to hear that her daughter is dead. I wish that Periyamma''s wish muste true. Anamika must be alive and happy somewhere in this world. We went to the temple in the evening and slept the night. I felt a little calmness and the temple and the festival really took my mind off of the problem I have. The next day we all went to the temple and had our lunch there. Dad felt a little tired and hot, so we came back home after lunch. Once home, he went to the room to have a nap. Mom and I helped ammachi to clean up the home. Advay didn''te with us to home. After a little while, we heard a loud thud and a moaning sound from dad''s room. We all ran to the room to find dad lying unconscious. "appa!" I ran and mom ran to the kitchen to bring water. Periyappa rushed in to see what happened. "OMG, looks like he is paralyzed. Did he take his pressure medicine? Bring that immediately." he shouted and I ran to dad''s bag to look for the medicine. Dad has high blood pressure and the doctor has advised dad never to skip medicine. This is the second time this has happened. "Here, Periyappa!" I gave the tablet to him and mom brought water. By that time, dad''s mouth had completely dislocated and his left hand and leg turned in an abnormal way. The very sight scared me to hell. "Appa, Appa!" I tried to wake him up but all in vain. "Let me call the driver. He should be hospitalized immediately." Periyappa told mom and called his driver from his phone. "He is not picking up. He must be in the crowd that he didn''t hear the phone. Where is Advay? Ask him to bring the driver home soon." he said. "I will go bring him." I told him and ran out of the house to bring the driver as Advay had no phone on him. "OMG, I am so sorry!" I told that tall man on whom I dashed on the way. "Do you even have eyes? What..." he stopped his curses while helping me up. "Sorry, sir. I have to go." I turned to run but he stopped me by holding my elbow. "Why are you crying? Are you alright? Are you hurt?" he asked me, checking me from top to bottom. "My dad... " I couldn''tplete the sentence and started crying aloud. "Shhh, Rx. What happened to your dad? Where is your house?" he asked me while walking towards our home. I ran ahead of him to show him our home. "Mama, what happened?" the tall man asked Periyappa. "Maa, He is my rtive. He must be hospitalized." Periyappa told the tall man. He didn''t waste a second after that. He carried my dad like a baby and ran outside. He went to the next street and opened the car and put dad inside. Mom and I jumped in along with dad and the tall man drove us to the nearby hospital. I thanked all the Gods I knew to have sent this tall man into our life at the right time! Chapter 14: 13. The Meeting Chapter 14: 13. The Meeting Arjun''s PoV It really hurt me where she dashed on me and I lost my cool. I turned to scold her but she was already on the ground and was apologizing to me. I tried to help her and that is when I noticed her, she was crying and panic evident in her face. I helped her stand and she again apologized to me and turned to run. I stopped her and asked what was bothering her. She was struggling to speak out but I made out that something is wrong with her father. She took me to her home and I saw my ''Mama'' (father inw) there. That girl''s dad wasying on the floor and with just a look at him I can say that he had a stroke and is now paralyzed. I waited no longer and took him in my arms and ran to my car. My Granny''s home is in the next street and my mama and the girl and her mother came along. I drove the car as fast as I could and reached the nearest hospital in the nearest town. After admitting him, I waited outside in the reception room not knowing what the next thing to do was. I called my dad to let him know that I am here. "Hello dad, I am in the nearby town. Sivaprakasam mama''s rtive had a stroke and I have brought them to the hospital here." "Oh, Aju, Is he ok? Where did you meet him?" "The doctors are looking at him. I saw him in a home on the next street. Have youe back from Coimbatore?" I asked him. He left for Coimbatore after breakfast. "I am on my way. It is so good travelling by bus. You should try it once." he said. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. "Sure, dad. I will be back as soon as possible. Let ammachi and Appuchi know that I am out." "Will do! How is Sivaprakasam?" "He is good. We haven''t talked yet." "If everything is fine there, you let them handle it ande back. I don''t want you to be involved in anything that includes them." "Dad!" "I am telling it for your own good, Aju. We have faced enough problems for our whole life and we don''t want to prolong it any longer." "I understand, dad. But just remember that their loss is more than ours and yet they never med me or us for the disappearance of their daughter where if in usual cases I am to be med. They graciously gave me freedom from that marriage. They were never a problem. It is not fair to avoid them." I tried to reason with my dad. He is in a way right that my life is ruined because of their daughter but they are not bad people. "Your wish. But I don''t like it." dad said and disconnected the call. I sat on a chair in the reception and just noticed that my clothes were dry now. "Maa!" Sivaprakasam mama called me. "How is he, mama?" I asked him. "He is paralyzed, maa. His left hand and left leg will not work. His life is out of danger anyways. That is the biggest thing for now. Looks like he didn''t take his pressure medicines yesterday and today. His pressure shot up and this happened." "How are they holding up?" I asked him. I couldn''t imagine their situation now. That poor girl''s teary eyes keep flickering in my mind over and over again. "They are devastated, maa. He is the only earning man in their family. The girl is yet to finish her degree and the boy is in his school finals." he said. "That''s really sad. Can this be cured? What did the doctor say?" "You know, this has no cure. Only physiotherapy, that too after his health gets better. At his age, recovery has minimal to no chance." "Is he your rtive, mama?" "Yes, maa. Anandhi is my uncle''s daughter. My mom''s brother''s daughter. My uncle is not alive. He is Saravanan, Anandhi''s husband." "Oh, what next, mama? When is the discharge?" "The doctor said he needs to be in observation for the night. They may discharge him tomorrow." "Oh, OK!" I said not knowing what else to say. "I can manage here, maa. You can leave if you want to." he said. I don''t want to leave. I just want to make sure they are fine and well provided with. "Can I see them, mama?" I asked him, breaking all my inhibitions. "sure, maa. I have to make some calls. I will be in shortly. You go and see them." he said and left the hospital. I walked towards the emergency ward and up round the corner I heard a cry. It really churns my heart. Poor them! "Excuse me!" I called her. She was just there sitting on the bench outside the room and crying. She looked up at me with her tearful eyes and stood up. "No, please sit down." I asked her to sit and looked inside the room through the door. Her mom is crying over her husband sitting on a chair near the bed. I sat on the other corner of the bench. "Thank you so much for your timely help. Doctor said it would have been impossible to save him if we camete." she said to me in between her cries. "Don''t mention it. Don''t lose hope. He will recover soon." I told her. "He must, Or else this guilt will kill me!" she said and burst out into tears again. I don''t know how to console her or what to tell her to make her feel better. "Please, Anika. Stay calm. Things happen and it has nothing to do with us. Don''t me yourself." I told her. "No, this happened because of me. I did this to him!" she cried even more. "Rx, Anika. You are in no way responsible for this mishap." "Huh, thanks. You don''t know what happened and yet you try to make me feel better. You have done more than enough help for us. I cannot ask for more." she said, looking me in the eye. "I said don''t mention it. After your final exams are done, call me on this number. I will provide you with a job." I gave her my card. She never broke eye contact and got the card from me. I couldn''t take in her eyes any longer so I looked away. Her teary eyes are disturbing me more than she knows. "Thank you, sir! I am waiting for the final round of interviews in two otherpanies in Chennai. I will surely call you to let you know that I have a good job." She said that literally hurt my heart. She says she doesn''t need my help. "Oh, good for you." I stood up. "Thanks again for your help, Mr. Arjun!" she said my name looking at the card I gave her. I just nodded at her and turned to leave when someone stopped me. "Sir, just a minute." I turned to see her mom standing near the door. "How is he doing? Has he regained consciousness?" I asked her. "His life is out of danger. He is sedated to expedite his recovery. Thank you so much for your help without which we would have lost him." she said with her hands together. "Please, don''t lose hope. He will recover soon. If you don''t mind me asking, do you need any financial help?" I asked her. I can tell with just the looks that they are not from a rich background. "Oh, we are good. Thank you. We don''t need your charity." Anika sprung up from the bench and answered me. How rude! "Shut up, Anu." her mom shut her up and looked at me with an apology. "Sorry sir. Don''t mind her. Thank you for asking but we are good now. We cannot trouble you more." she said and I nodded my head and left the ce avoiding that girl. I still don''t understand why I feel pity on her rather than getting angry at her for her rude behavior! Chapter 15: 14. His Eyes Chapter 15: 14. His Eyes Anika''s PoV I could not meet his eyes. I could not manage his presence around me. That feeling of acquaintance is something I could not shake off. He is the most charming and handsome man for sure. He is for sure a good man at heart because he never hesitated even a second to help us. He carried dad in his arms like he was no burden and literally ran. All along the drive to the hospital, I could not take my eyes off of him. I could see the genuine rush in his driving to save my dad. My rational mind ordered me to stop this nonsense at a time like this. It kept on reminding me that this mishap happened because of me. Dad is in this condition because of me. Even though one part of my mind strongly believes that my dad will be alright and wille back to me, the other part kept scaring me of the endless possibilities of horror. In the midst of all this chaos in my mind, I felt a pure attraction towards this stranger man. I could not even believe myself for doing this at this time. After admitting our dad in the hospital, me and my mom stood outside the ICU ward holding hands together. If I am scared, mom is devastated and crying her heart out. I tried to stay strong to hold her up but as the time passed our fear was getting stronger. We couldn''t even imagine a life without my dad. Atst, the door of the ICU opened and the doctors came out. "How is he, doctor? He will be alright, right?" my mom asked the doctor. "His life is out of danger. But unfortunately, he is paralyzed. His left arm and leg lost its control. The brain nerves are heavily damaged because of the high Blood Pressure he had. Looks like he missed taking his medicine. It is because of the clot in the nerves that made him go unconscious. You must be happy that he is alive." the doctor said which shattered us. "Oh no!" My mom started crying and I don''t know how to react to this news. "Is there a cure? Can he be cured?" I asked the doctor. "There is no cure for this. You can try physiotherapy exercises after he gets better. His bp should be kept in check always from now on, for if it shoots up again, he will go to critical conditions and even end up in aa. He is just lucky this time." the doctor said. This is all because of me. I know that dad has BP. I know that his health is not at its best. He had been unconscious before when he skipped his medicine for 2days straight in a row. The doctors then said the same. His bp should be normal all the time and he can never skip his medicines. I know all of this and yet I brought this upon dad. But I am truly grateful that he is at least alive. "You can go see the patient. But he is sedated. So don''t try to have a conversation with him yet." The doctor left us. I have no courage to go and see my dad like this. I sat on the bench and started crying my life out while mom went in to look at him. "Excuse me!" I heard a metallic voice that had a strong ma in it. I looked up to see that stranger standing near me with pitiful eyes filled with concern. I stood up as his eyes were so disturbing. "No, please sit down." he said and looked inside the room through the door. He then sat on the other corner of the bench. I felt goosebumps on me and struggled hard to hide them. It feltpletely weird and I could feel his eyes on me. "Thank you so much for your timely help. Doctor said it would have been impossible to save him if we camete." I told him truly from the bottom of my heart. I didn''t like that awful silence. "Don''t mention it. Don''t lose hope. He will recover soon." he said which weirdly gave me a sense of protection and confidence. "He must, Or else this guilt will kill me!" I said, unable to control my tears. "Please, Anika. Stay calm. Things happen and it has nothing to do with us. Don''t me yourself." he tried to console me and when he said my name, it was too natural. I am scared of myself now. I amC0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. feeling intimidated by his presence. I am not myself and I know this is not right. "No, this happened because of me! I did this to him!" I said trying to deviate my stupid mind. "Rx, Anika. You are in no way responsible for this mishap." "Huh, thanks. You don''t know what happened and yet you try to make me feel better. You have done more than enough help for us. I cannot ask for more." I said looking him in the eye. I cannot have this feeling on him while I am in love with Arun. I tried to deny my inner-self which is starting to crush on this man at this unfortunate time. "I said don''t mention it. After your final exams are done, call me on this number. I will provide you with a job." He gave me his card. Somehow, it brushed my self-respect. What did he think of himself? He thinks that we are poor and we couldn''t survive this? I don''t want his help. I hate this pity look that he gives me. "Thank you, sir! I am waiting for the final round of interviews in two otherpanies in Chennai. I will surely call you to let you know that I have a good job." I said, still looking in his eyes. I now felt the attraction towards him fading away. This is it! If I hate him, I can keep my stupid mind in control. "Oh, good for you!" he said standing up and the hurt was very evident in his eyes. It''s none of my concern. He is a nobody and I don''t have to care about his hurt. But all of me wants to make him feel better and I don''t want him to leave just yet. I know it contradicts myself. "Thanks again for your help, Mr. Arjun!" I said looking at the card he gave me. ARJUN, I think this name suits him so well! He just nodded at me and turned to leave when my mom came out and stopped him. After a formal health inquiry he said something which made my anger shoot up again. "Please, don''t lose hope. He will recover soon. If you don''t mind me asking, do you need any financial help?" he asked mom. "Oh, we are good. Thank you. We don''t need your charity." I said. I hate his looks on us. He may be a rich man but that doesn''t give him the right to look down on us. "Shut up, Anu." my mom interrupted me again. He helped us, I agree but that doesn''t mean that we have to bow to him. "Sorry sir. Don''t mind her. Thank you for asking but we are good now. We cannot trouble you more." she said to him and he nodded his head and left the ce. He just went away without even sparing a nce at me like I was invisible. He took something with him that is a part of me. It felt like our pir of strength was going away along with him. How weird that I feel safe and protected in his presence, also intimidated and confused at the same time. How can I expect that stranger to be with us? I still don''t know why I feelpassion and anger towards him at the same time. Chapter 16: 15. Chasing Thoughts Chapter 16: 15. Chasing Thoughts Arjun''s PoV Remember I have partnered with my friend in his concern? I am now going to Coimbatore to see him. There is a function and he wants me to attend it every year without fail. I agree to this because I like to see theughs of young people there who don''t even know what life holds for them in future. Their laughter is something I envy. It is more pure like a baby''sughter. "Arjun, wee." My friend Shravan came to my car. Shravan and I studied in the same college and he is a son of a minister. That central minister is my dad''s friend and that is how we were made friends. When he came to me looking for a financial partner in his new concern, I readily agreed to him because I like looking at the fresh faces. Though I don''t visit here often, I never miss this time of the year to attend this function. "Hi Shravan, How are you da?" "I am good, da. Everything is ready, we shall start in another half hour. You go and refresh yourself." he said to me while walking to his room. "I am good da. I need some cold water." I told him. "I will ask them to bring it to you. You make yourselffortable. I have something to take care of. I will be back in a few minutes." he told me and left me in his room. I sat back rxing myself. "May Ie in, Sir?" I heard a girl knocking on the door. "Yes!" I said and she came in with a ss of water. I could see shock evident in her face. It''s been almost a month, Ist saw her. I never expected to see her here. She must havepleted her studies and gone out for work. What is she doing here? "How are you, Anika? How is your dad?" I asked her. "We are good. My dad is doing fine." she said without even looking at me. She made it look like she is more concentrated on the water ss than on my question. "What happened to your interviews?" I asked her. "That is none of your business. How can you be so mean?" she blurted out, anger evident in her face. "What did I do? No one has ever talked to me like you do. I don''t stand disrespect." I told her. I am done with her silly anger and baseless usations. "Do you need anything else, Sir?" She asked me as if her work in this room was done. I could see her pale face, she was frightened of my sudden warning. "Nothing from you." I showed her the door. She calls me mean for my care towards her and her family? I don''t have to put up with her idiocy. I saw her eyes which were ready to shed anytime. Those teary eyes again. Those teary eyes that disturbed my sleep for almost a week after we returned from Tiruppur. I still remember the time I met her here. It was almost two years ago. Just when Anamika disappeared. I refused to go anywhere but when Shravan called me for the award distribution in his college where I am one of the chairmen, I decided to show up here as I thought seeing young people will divert my mind. She was there at the reception desk. She gave me a flower bouquet and weed me in. She looked so beautiful in the saree and I felt a gentle breeze in my heart seeing her innocent smile. It is true that looks are deceiving. I thought her to be as innocent as she looks but her tongue is like a bee sting! She doesn''t know what politeness means. Arrogant girl to be precise. I decided to no longer feel for her teary eyes, but my heart feels a bit odd on that decision. So I altered my decision to find out why she is still here and why the hell she brought me water? After a little while, Shravan came in to fetch me and we proceeded to the auditorium. It is Graduation day in college. It is this function I wouldn''t miss. I saw her, here and there helping the staff members and arranging the certificates and medals backstage. She was the one who came to the stage with them when the students'' names were called upon. Why is she doing all these things here? What happened to her interviews? After the award distribution was done, I took leave from Shravan and went to my car. I called Sivaprakasam uncle to get her address. I know this is too much but I am going to do this anyway. "Hello, uncle. How are you?" I asked him. "We are ok, Maappii. How are you?" "I am fine, uncle. How is athai?" "She is just the same. She doesn''t want me to perform thest rights to our daughter. She still thinks that she might be alive somewhere. To top it off, a fortune teller said that Anamika is alive and will come to us soon. We are holding on to whatever little we get." he said. I really feel sorry for them. "um... sorry, uncle. I called you to get some details." "About what, mappi?" "Remember your rtive who got a stroke? I am in Coimbatore only, uncle. I just want to visit them. Can you send me their address?" "Oh sure, Maapii. Last I heard, he is doing better." he said. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. I disconnected the call and waited for the address. My phone pinged immediately and I drove the car towards the address. She is still here and that is a good thing. I am not ready to talk to her arrogant- self. I parked the car in front of the house. This house is much smaller than my grandparents'' home in Tirupur. I am now hesitant to go inside. These people are just strangers to me and I have no grounds to come to their home. This wont work, I decided to go away just when I saw her mothere running to me. "Come,e Sir. Come in. Just now Prakasam anna(brother) called to inform me about your arrival. Please,e in." Excitement evident in her face, I had no choice but to go in with her. "Please sit down, sir. I will bring some water." she ran in even before I could say anything. "Here sir, let me go and bring my husband. He was the one that wanted to see you very much." she ran in again giving me a ss of water. "How are you, sir?" I asked him. He looked pathetic. She brought him in a wheelchair and his physical condition is still poor. "He is doing better everyday, sir! All thanks to you." she said. "Please don''t mention it. And please don''t call me Sir. Just call me Arjun." I told her. "Then you can call me aunty. That would be the right rtionship between us if Anamika was still here." she said. Oh, I truly don''t like to talk about her. "Fine, aunty." I said, not liking to continue the talk about her. I rolled my eyes around the house and saw all the flowers and gands scattered everywhere. "I am good at making gands. It is wedding season, so I have got many orders." she said. "Oh nice. If you don''t mind me asking, are you working somewhere besides this seasonal ie?" I asked her with so much hesitation. "Oh, I don''t mind. Nope, I am not working anywhere. I am not a graduate. We have had some savings that we took for his hospital expenses and for this month''s expenses. I have got quite a good number of orders this month, so next month will be fine. Anu is working in her college as ab assistant. Advay just finished his school. He wants to join an Engineering college. We have to make arrangements for his college fees. We have no idea!" she spilled everything with a deep breath, like it was waiting inside of her to burst out. "I am sorry, what happened to your daughter''s interviews?" I asked her. "She didn''t get any email from thepanies she was selected in. Many of her seniors say that they still didn''t get the call letter from the samepany. Looks like it is a waste of time to wait for them. They are a scam!" she said. "Oh, I thought she would be ced in apany by now. That is ok, I can..." I was cut off and damn that arrogant idiot hase. "Oh, you havee to my home tough at us? Yes, I didn''t get the job I thought I would. Is there a problem for you? I have already told you that we don''t want your charity!" Anika came in and shouted at me with her eyes ready to shed. I don''t understand why she is making such a drama. With her eyes, I can tell that she is deeply hurt. But I am sure I didn''t do anything to hurt her. Truly, this is none of my business. I shouldn''t havee all the way here and spoil my respect! But this is the third time she disrespects me and she will pay for this misdeed. Chapter 17: 16. Him, Again? Chapter 17: 16. Him, Again? Anika''s PoV Our home is devastated is a very small word to describe our state now. My dad lost his job and as he was not working in a government office, he got very little benefits from his industry. It really never was supple to even cover his hospital expenses. Every time I saw my dad, the feeling of guilt that surged through my veins knew no bounds. It literally kills me. Though mom consoled me saying that it is not my fault and dad already had this condition, I know deep in my heart that this happened because of me. I called up Arun to let him know of my condition. But he already knew of it from Nithya but he decided not to call me. I was in a way, relieved that it won''t be that hard for me to ask him to stay away from me. "Hi Anu, how are you doing?" he asked me like it''s usual when I called him three dayster, after we came back from hospital. "I am not good, Arun. My dad..." I couldn''t finish it as I couldn''t control my cries. "Shhh, rx Anu. I know. Nithya told me on Monday." "What? Then why didn''t you call me?" I asked him inplete dismay. "I wanted to give you your space, Anu. I didn''t know your situation. So I restrained myself from calling you. I waited for you to call me when situations are better." "Oh, you could have at least messaged me. Nevermind, I want to tell you something." "I know, your mom and dad know about us! Nithya told me that too." he said. Apparently, when I spoke to her in the hospital, I told her everything out of my guilty conscience. She had told him everything. Everything including that I am feeling guilty that it is because of me and yet he didn''t try to console me or make me feel better. "Oh, all I wanted to ask you is some time, Arun. You concentrate on your job hunt. I will do mine. Let''s get things better at both of our ends. We will convince my dad when it is the right time." I told him. "Come on, Anu. Your dad''s consent is not important anymore. If your mom is fine with us, why do we want to take a break?" "Shut up, Arun. How dare you talk like this? He is my father and he is important to me no matter what." "Rx, Anu. I am sorry. Long distance rtionships don''t work properly. And you are asking me to wait even without talking to you. It is so hard, Anu. You know I can''t stay away from you." he said which actually soothed my hurt heart. "Please understand, Arun. At Least we have to wait until you find a decent job." "Huh, ok. I don''t want to force you anymore. If you are sure that this is what you want with us, I am fine. I wille back to you when I get a job. But remember, I love you!" he said before disconnecting my call. I felt a lot better than before calling him. I finished my exams more than good given my current state of mind. I am sure I will pass it with the distinction. Advay was very broken when he saw dad in this state. But my mom and I supported him well and made him write his final exams. He knew our present condition and made up a part-time job in the nearby supermarket. We took the bank savings that dad saved for my wedding. It is that money that keeps us going for the past month. I was eagerly waiting for the call letter or mail for the final round of interview from the twopanies that I was selected in. Butter we realized that it was vain to wait for them because my seniors told us that they were still waiting to hear from them. Apparently, thepanies juste to the campus to conduct interviews just because they have tied up with our college. Our college just pays them toe to campus interviews to add it to their prospectus and thepanies never really offer jobs to our college students. I was more than broken then. I asked my H.O.D to offer me a job as his assistant to help him finish his Phd. As everyone in my college knows my dad''s condition, he readily gave me that work and paid me. I had to just type and edit his work in the document and I thought I could do it at home. So I also asked my OS lecturer to provide me with theb assistant work. She talked to the management very quickly and made it happen. So now I work in theb as theb assistant and gather the works from my HOD and do it in the evenings at home. I also take up bouquets making orders from my mom''s clients. It is graduation day at my college today and I have loads of work to do. All the certificates and medals are in my custody and I have it ordered as per the ranks and alphabets. I saw the invitation for graduation day. It said chairman Shravan and chairman Arjun! ARJUN! I don''t know what has happened to me but I felt like I have seen him before. Ever since I saw him back in my granny''s home, he always disturbs me in my sleep. Those pitiful eyes, I hate them. His car, his looks, his eyes, his clothes all scream of money and his pitied eyes are filled with sarcasm. Though I hate him, I could not deny that attraction I had for him. And I hate him more for that. I know it is not fair that I hate him for the attraction I felt for him but that helps me keep his thoughts at bay. I banged my head for my irrelevant thoughts and started to get ready to go to college. I reached my college in time and ran to the auditorium to set things up for the function. The inte in the auditorium rang and I was the one near it. "Hello!" "This is Shravan here, I need a ss of cold water in my room." "Right away, sir!" I hung it up and turned to the otherb assistant to tell her the message. "Akka, the chairman is asking for cold water." "Huh, it is what money does to you. The fridge is in the principal room which is right next to his room. But he calls us up for it. I will take care of the rest. You go and give it to him." she said. "Ok, akka!" I walked out of the auditorium thinking of what she said. She is right. Rich people are arrogant andzy. But when I walked towards his room, I saw him walking towards the auditorium. I decided to ask him if he still needs water. "Sir!" I ran to him. "Yes?" "I wasing to get you water. Do you still want it?" I asked him. "Who are you?" "I am the newb assistant." I told him. "I asked to bring a ss of cold water to my room. Wasn''t I clear?" he asked me, anger evident in his eyes. "Yes, sir!" I retreated. "I have a guest there in my room. Just do as you are told. Don''t try to be smart. I am letting you go just because you are new. Don''t ever try being an interloper again." he went away with a warning. I felt ashamed and I know I am just ab assistant here and I should do as I am told to. I should have not stopped him and talked to him. But what is so wrong in rifying the doubt? Huh, rich men are just ARROGANT! I went up to his room with a ss of water and knocked on the door. I went in after I heard a response. It is a shock that I met him there! ARJUN! So that chairman in the invitation is him? So this is where I saw him before? I have brought this water for him? I felt like my ego got a big hit. "How are you, Anika? How is your dad?" he asked me as if we were long lost friends. "We are good. My dad is doing fine." I said putting all my concentration on the water ss rather than on his question. "What happened to your interviews?" he asked me. Did I see him smirk or am I just imagining?? How dare he? He wants tough at me for my rude answer back then? I am not going to give him that satisfaction. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. "That is none of your business. How can you be so mean?" I spat out right at him. "What did I do? No one has ever talked to me like you do. I don''t stand disrespect." he stood up from the chair, his face hardened as rock and his fist balled up. "Do you need anything else?" I asked him to divert my fear. I don''t know why I always end up in a bad situation. Just now, that stupid of a chairman ridiculed me and now he is trying to threaten me! I am done responding to his reactions. He is no one to make me feel frightened. "Nothing from you." he showed me the door. How rude? I felt deeply disgraced by his rude behavior. The chairman''s anger did not bother me much. But his anger frightened me, his rude behavior hurt my heart and I was on the verge of crying. I ran out of the room to stop that extreme embarrassment of crying in front of him. I avoided looking at him for the rest of the function. He is toxic! Chapter 18: 17. Ouch! Chapter 18: 17. Ouch! Anika''s PoV I came back home after a little help in cleaning up the auditorium. As I went early for the set up, HOD asked me to leave early. I felt relieved when he said I could go. The three hours on the stage was too overwhelming for me. It was so hard for me to not see him while giving him the certificate and medals. His cologne was so addicting and I hit my head hard twice for enjoying his nearness. He acted as if I was invisible to him. I don''t know what I expect of him but his ignorance, anger and pity infuriates me like anything. Maybe I am overreacting for anything thates out of him but I could not help it. I came home frying him in my thoughts. I saw a car in front of my home and in an instance I knew whose car it was. What is he doing in my home? Why is he here after shaming me in college? My anger knew no bounds and I rushed into my home. "Oh, I thought she would be ced in apany by now. That is ok, I can..." I saw him talking to my mom about me. "Oh, you havee to my home tough at me? Yes, I didn''t get the job I thought I would. Is there a problem for you? I have already told you that we don''t want your charity! Why are you dis..." "Anika!" I was interrupted by my mother with a hard p across my face. Never once has this happened before. Even the other day when mom found out about my love, she hit me after that rtive went. But now, he is still standing here tall and built! I felt ashamed of what just happened. Why can''t this earth open up and eat me alive? "Ma!" I looked at her controlling myself from crying. "Shut up! You never know your limits. It is my fault that you are grown like this. How dare you disrespect this gentleman? He hase to Coimbatore for his work. He remembered us and came all the way here to check on us and this is how you talk to him? Remember it is because of him that your father is still alive. You must be grateful to this man for your whole life." she said. I raised my eyes at him and saw his eyes shrunk and his corner of the lips curled upwards! He is smiling? Smiling at me? Oh, that is not a smile, that is augh! He isughing at me! He is enjoying this. Of course, he will do! Why won''t he? He is a stranger to me and I never miss a chance to disrespect him so far when all he did was to help us. He must have restrained himself from hitting me all this time. Now that my mom did that in his presence, he must have thought that I deserved this. I know he saved my dad. I know he is trying to help. I know he just wants to make sure that we are well provided for. But I also have an attraction to this man! This man is my cousin sister''s husband. This attraction I have for him is fatal and toxic and I knew it in my heart. The only way I can stop myself from swooning over him is hating him. Hating him for what he is. And I can''t tell this to anyone, his smile is contagious, I love looking at him! How can I tell this to someone? I know nothing of this man except that he is a billionaire and a husband of my sister. Besides, I love Arun. He is waiting for me. This intense physical attraction is far beyond the love I have for Arun. I feel so cheap to lust over a man. But I couldn''t help it. I just want to feel his presence everyday. My stupid heart admires his manliness more than I have ever admired Arun. Even now I cannot stop my stupid heart fromplimenting his beautiful smile and know what, he is laughing at me! "Apologize to him, Anu." my mom said. I looked at dad and his eyes showed me that I made the greatest mistakes of my life. "I am sorry!" I told him looking down. "Here is my card, aunty. You can call me anytime if you need any help. Take care uncle. You will feel better soon. See you uncle. Bye aunty." he walked past me brushing my shoulders as if he didn''t hear my sorry. How rude?! "Go and talk to him." my mom pushed me out behind him and I had no other choice but to go apologize to him again. My two headed heart is happy and angry at the same time for getting an opportunity to talk to him alone. "Excuse me!" I ran behind him. "Hello?" I called him when he tried to get in the car. Did he not hear me? "Arjun!" I stopped him. He turned to me. "Yes?" he asked me with a raised eyebrow. Oh he is hell manly. "um... I am sorry" "Do you really mean it?" he asked me. "What?" the pleasant breeze made my dupatta fly across his face. "Do you really feel sorry for the way you talked to me or you say this just because your mom told you so?" he asked, covering me with the dupatta from his face. I couldn''t stop the shiver my body made when his fingers brushed my bare skin on my hand. "Pch, See, I am sorry. Thank you for saving my dad. Please don''t interfere in our life. We really are fine and we don''t need your help. Why do you even bother about us?" I asked him, feeling defeated. All I ever want from him is to not see him anymore in my life. "We are rtives. I helped you guys in a very critical condition and I just wanted to check up on how you are all doing. Maybe you don''t want my help, but that doesn''t mean you don''t need help. I can see that you need a job and your brother needs to get into a college. Your EGO won''t fulfill your family''s needs. The sooner you understand this, the better." he stopped and brought his hand to my face. He held my chin and turned my face to see my cheek. I got goosebumps all over my body with his touch. My stomach made somersaults and I stood there like a statue. "Ooohhh! It is crimson red! I think this is enough for disrespecting me so far. Behave yourself when you see me next. If not, you will see my wrath!" he said, still smiling and having my face in his hand. I swatted his hand away. "Your wrath will do nothing to me. All I want from you is not to see you anymore in my life ever. I know how to take care of my family. I tell you again, we don''t want your charity. If you have more money, help people who are really in need." I said stuffing his hand with his card he ced on the table now. His hand felt warm and cozy that I never want to let go. Argh, this stupid heart and that audacity of this man. "You will see me soon!" he said with the same smile and left the ce getting into his car. "Akkaaaaa! Why are you standing here like a statue?e in." Advay shouted in my ears and I came back to my senses. "pch, don''t shout, Adu." I went in along with him. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. "Did he ept your apology?" mom asked me once I went in. "Ma!" "Answer the question." "What are you going to do to me if he doesn''t? He hase all the way to our home to mock me of our poverty and you hit me in front of him?" "Anu, I have never seen you behave so rude to someone when all he did was just help us at the right time. Did he misbehave with you? Are you not telling us something?" my mom asked me. "NO! No, ma, he didn''t misbehave with me. He is such a gentleman. I don''t know but I don''t like him." I immediately stopped her from thinking bad of him. I don''t like it and I don''t like him either. "It doesn''t matter if you like him or not. He has helped us and we are indebted to him for our life. Anyways you need a good job. Why don''t we ept his help? You don''t have a professional degree and it is so hard to find a good job nowadays. Our savings are melting faster than we expected." she said. I know, she is determined to get back to him which is the exact opposite of what I want. "Ma, let''s wait. I have references from my teachers and seniors. They will definitely lead me to a job." I said. "That is not very promising for our current situation. This guy looks very nice and he is our rtive. I can ask Prakasam anna about him." "Ma, are you serious? How can you trust him? It is because of him, Anamika is lost now." I said desperately to escape this dangerous setup. I know, Arjun is nothing like I talk about him. My mom just stared at me. "Anu, you are not making any sense. Prakasam anna is very fond of him and believes that it is Anamika''s fault that his life is barren now. You know nothing of him and me him like this? This is so not you." she said with a question mark on her eyebrows. "Fine! Go on with asking for his help." I went in not knowing what to do. I am sure that if I stayed there one more minute, mom would have read my heart. "Where is that card he just left for us?" I heard mom searching for that visiting card. I am now looking at the card he gave me back in hospital. Why can''t I shake him off of my mind? Every time I close my eyes, I feel his fingers brushing me!! He is making me insane but I cannot deny the fact that he is a nice man, of course. Chapter 19: 18. A Good Job Chapter 19: 18. A Good Job Arjun''s PoV That audacity of this girl to talk to me like that. She even shoved my card back to me. She sure is going to pay for all that she did. But something tells me that she tries her best to avoid me. Why? She knows that what she did was wrong but she did it anyway. All she wants is to not see me again? Why? Even though I felt like teaching her a lesson for her behavior with me, I left it to rest when her mom gave her a tight p. I cannot stop that joyous smile that erupted out of my mouth when she got that p. Come on, she deserves that! "Ajju, What were you smiling at?" Praveen asked me. Yeah, we are at ourb and she was constantly pestering my mind. "Nothing. Just thought of something funny." I diverted him by talking about our research rted things. When we were done in theb, we got in my car and we drove off to his home. It''s been a month since we came back from Tiruppur and Praveen said Preethi is doing better now. Even though I talk to her on the phone, I feel like visiting her once to make sure of myself. "Why is Preethi so stubborn to note to my office?" I asked Praveen while driving. "She doesn''t want to burden you more. Besides, she is talking to her friends to find an appropriate job for her qualification." he said. "Burden me? Are you kidding me?" "Please, Ajju. She is really far better than she was a month ago. Lets see what shees up with." he said which felt right to me too. We reached his home and I dropped him there. I drove to his parents home now. I gathered all the information on Harish and he seems to be a very nice gentleman. His family is forcing him to remarry and he just postpones it like me. His family is too nice too to give him an option that they are ok to marry a widower to him, unlike mine. "Arjun,e in, son." uncle greeted me when I went in. "Hello uncle. How are you?" I asked him. "We are too good because of you. Preethi is talking to us just like before and I could even see her laugh with Avni. She talks to her friends on the phone and we never see her go in trance. All thanks to you, Ajju." aunty came in from the kitchen and gave me a hug. "Come on aunty. She is my family too! Don''t say thanks to me. I am happy that she is fine. Where is she?" I asked her. "She is in her room. Go ahead, I will bring you dinner." she said. "Oh, no aunty. Don''t take the pain to make something for me. I promised to have dinner with mom." I told her and went in to see Preethi. I heard herugh when I neared her room. That''s a good sign. I heard Anvi giggle along with her. I knocked on the door and went in pushing it open. "Hey, Ajju. Comee." She sat up right on the bed. "Ajju mama." Avni came jumping on me. "Hey,ddu, How are you?" I asked her, seating her in myp. "I am too good mama." She said like a big girl. "Good, What were you ying?" "We were ying rock paper scissors. The one who wins will tickle the other!" she said. "That sounds fun. Who won?" "We both won and we both lost." she said with a beautiful smile. "Avni, go help grandma to make dinner." Preethi sent her out. "How are you, Preeth?" I asked her. "You tell me. How am I?" she asked me with a twinkle in her eyes. "You look like my Preeth." I said with heartfelt content. "Good, I want a detail from you, Ajju." "What is it?" "I want yourwyer¡¯s contact. I want to file a divorce." N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. "Even I wanted to talk to you about it but didn''t know how to start it. I was unsure of your state, is it too soon?" I said. Actually I wanted to talk to her about this when we went to Thiruvizha but couldn''t talk and I also thought it was too soon as it was just a week or so that she broke up with her husband. "I ampletely alright, Ajju. Actually I would feel much better if I pushed himpletely out of my life. Would yourwyer take up my case? I think he will agree for mutual consent." "He will, even if it is not mutual consent. Don''t worry. I will talk to him myself. But I hate that it happened to us." I couldn''t stop but say that. "Ajju, Look at me." she said and I looked up at her eyes. "You are a good man. Though you didn''t say anything to me about your marriage life, I knew that you were not happy. I don''t know the reason, I don''t find fault with Anamika but I knew something was not right. I know Anamika was a beautiful woman inside out. She was so good with all of us, even your mom would say she was a perfect daughter inw. But I knew in my heart that she was not the one for you. I am sure you will find your soulmate and you will be happy for eternity. Don''t ask me how or don''t say you never want to get married again because I feel it in my heart that this will happen." she spoke with conviction in her eyes. She was right! Anamika was a beautiful woman. She was too good to be true. She behaved with utmost respect with all my family. She loved Tarun, Anvi and Avni. She gelled with Preethi and Praveen''s family like they were friends since childhood. Even though we have had maids all around the home for everything, she helped mom in cooking food for the whole family. She took care of my floor with true concern. She took care of all my needs like ironing my clothes and picking up the right ones to wear to packing and sending me lunch to wherever I was. She yed with Tarun like her own kid, she literally grew up Tarun for that one year she was with us. She fed him, bathed him, took care of him and even cooked special baby foods for him back then. She was a perfect woman that no one could point at her for faults. Everyone was happy except for me and I have never said that out loud so far. Preethi is an amazing friend that read my mind even when I tried to shield it from everyone. "Ajju!" she waved her hands in front of me. "Yeah" I came back to my senses. "Don''t overthink anything. But trust me, your bundle of joy is on its way to you." she said. "Ok, I guess! I have something to tell you too." "What is it?" "What do you think about Harish?" I asked her. This is the right time to talk to her. She blesses me to find a right partner and I am going to return the favor. "I know what you are thinking, Ajju. But it is not nice to barge into someone''s personal space. He is happy with his life and I have no idea to get married again." she said. I know she is smart. "Just like you feel it in your heart that I will be happily married again, I feel it in my heart that he will be a perfect man for you." I said. "Hahaha, You will never change. I know this talking is the secret of your sess. You make your opponent go weak against you. But Ajju, seriously, I like Harish and he was not even a friend back then, he was one among many boys that I talked to. He was in my ss. He is a good man but I don''t think that should be the only reason for someone to get married. You need love for a marriage to hold stronger and longer. We have no love between us except for mutual pity in our current life." "True, Right! So you are not against marrying again but you are against marrying without love?" I asked her to be sure. "To be honest, I find no charm in marriage. But I am not against it. I can guarantee you one thing, I will be happy in my life." she said. OK! So arranging a wedding between these two won''t work. I thought talking to both of them about the positives of this marriage is enough but looks like I must make them fall in love with each other. How am I going to do that? I am not an expert in that. Let''s just stick to the n of making them meet often. If they are destined to be together, I think they will fall hard for each other. "If you say so!" I took leave from her and uncle and aunty and drove towards my home. It''s already 8.30 and time for dinner that I promised mom. I called up Mr. Mahesh, MD of the office where Harish works. Mahesh uncle has a shippingpany where we have contracts for over a decade for our export. Mahesh uncle is dad''s good friend. Harish works in his dispatch unit as a warehouse manager. "What a surprise, Arjun. You calling me at this hour?" he attended the call. "Hello uncle, I am so good, thank you. How are you?" I asked him. "Hahaha, Sarcastic man! I am good. Do I have to ask you how you are now?" he asked me. "Haha, no uncle. I was just kidding. I need a favor from you." "Tell me, Arjun." "I want to know if you are hiring for your dispatch unit? If so, I have a friend who needs that job." I told him. "Hahaha you are so clever in making up the right words. So, you want me to make a position avable for your friend?" he asked me. Yeah, he is a senior business man and I can''t fool him. "If you put it straight, Yes!" I said with a chuckle. "I know you wont ask for anything unless it is so important. I grant you your wish." he said. "Thank you uncle, you are a lifesaver." I hung up on him and went home happily. I have started a new happily ever after! Chapter 20: 19. A NickName Chapter 20: 19. A NickName Arjun''s PoV I went home, had a hefty dinner with my mom and went to my floor. It''s actually been a week since I came back from Coimbatore and I could still not forget her face. The way she closed her eyes when I tried looking at her cheek, it was like she went into trance when I touched her. I felt like she yearned for that touch but I also know that it was wrong. She is an arrogant girl with very rude behavior. It is still fresh in my mind. I know she is a little girl just out of college and possibly wouldn''t know how this world will treat her if she goes on with her behavior. I almost feel pity for her, for she is going to suffer hard if she is not going to change her attitude. I could not take her out of my mind so I decided to take a swim to rx my disturbed mind. I got rid of my clothes and jumped in the pool. It is so rxing to have a swim in this silence. I was floating when I heard my phone ring. It is 11pm and I have never got phone calls thiste ever. I wonder who that might be and if it was an emergency. I swam back to my phone and saw a number. By the time I got there, the call was missed and I decided to call back. "Hello, who is this?" I asked once they picked up the phone on the first ring. "um... hello..." I heard a girl with a very unsure voice. "Yes, I got a missed call from this number. Who is this?" "um... can I talk to Nithya?" I heard her husky voice. I knew it was her. She called me for something without her parents knowledge but now she doesn''t want to ept it. How funny. "Sorry, looks like you have dialed the right number and asked for the wrong person." I sarcastically told her wanting to let her know that I knew it was her. "um... sorry!" she hung up on me. Whom did she think I am? People who know me are scared to even talk to me and here she is disrespecting me and calling me up at unusual hours. People get my appointment to even call my personal number and here she is taking it for granted? She needs to be put in her ce before she exceeds her limits. This must be her number. I saved her number on my phone in the name ''Annoying Anika''. Wow, a perfect name for that girl. Look at the way it rhymes andpliments each other. It made me smile looking at myself. I am giving puppy names to a girl. I wonder now, how did I even know that it was her in her husky voice? This girl, even after her rude behavior, I feel like helping her out of her misery. It really bothers me to see her doing assisting work in her college when she is educated. I have helped many people whom I have seen in misery and everyone has epted my help gracefully and no one ever denied my help. But this girl is something else. An egoistic, arrogant, rude girl with a sharp tongue. She spoiled my happy hour in the pool. I went to bed pushing her aside from my mind. Anika''s PoV How can I be so dumb? I thought that if I hid the visiting card, my mom would stop from getting his help. Here she is now calling Prakasam Periyappa to get his number. Gosh! Why is she making it hard for me? She got his number and decided to call him tomorrow to ask for his help to get a job for me. I don''t know how to stop this. But he was right, my ego won''t help my family now. The sooner I get a job, the better. I am a BScputer science student and I know it is no joke to bag a job in this current world. My seniors and lecturers gave me references but nothing has turned up into actual interviews yet. At this point I have no other go than to ept his help. Now I just wish he would help me get a job that is not in his office. I don''t think I can work under him with the possibility of running into him often. "Nithu, I don''t like anything that is happening right now. Did you talk to Arun?" I asked Nithya on the phone. I have been telling her everything about Arjun except that I have an attraction to him. I feel so cheap on myself to even think about it, no way I am going to share it with anyone. "Anu, your likes and dislikes are not important now. I know you don''t like that man but I don''t think he has bad intentions. You are overreacting and I have never seen you say that you dislike someone for no reason. A good paying job is more important to you right now. Stop being a yful girl, now it is your responsibility to take care of your family. Do it right setting aside your likes!" she said the very same thing my mind insists on. "OK! So how are things on your end?" I asked her. "I think my parents have finalized a groom for me. Just today they confirmed that they areing to see me this weekend." she said. "Wow, congrattions de!" I said. If everything was well just as before, I would be fighting with my parents to stop them from looking for a groom for me. But now, everything is chaotic here. What should I feel about my situation? Should I be happy that I will get enough time to settle down in my life or should I be sad that my dad is not in his best self and I am the reason for that. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. "Wait wait. This is not the confirmation yet. They are justing to see me in person." She said. "Come on, they might have seen you in the photo. Send me the groom''s picture." "Wait, I will send you. Arun has sent me a message, Anu." "What does it say?" I asked in a hurry. "Well, congrattions! He''s got a job in Chennai. His sry per month is Rs.20,000 as of now." she said. "Oh, Thank God. At Least he got a job. What else did he say? Did he ever ask about me?" "Nothing else. Yeah, he will ask for your wellbeing. I think you don''t have to punish him this way, Anu. He is in Chennai and anyways you guys are not going to meet. What''s your problem in talking to him through the phone?" she asked me. "Let him focus on his career, Nithu. I don''t have any happy things to share with him. All he would hear from me would be sad things. I don''t want to burden him with my sorrows. Let me get a job first, then I will surely resume talking to him. Let it aside, do you like your groom-to-be?" I asked her. "um.... I don''t know. He looks good in the picture. Mom and dad inquired about his family and job and they were very much satisfied. I feel in my heart that he is the one." she said with a little shyness. I wonder how she could even know anything about someone whom she hasn''t yet met and still think that he is the one. I wish he should be the one for her and she should never feel disappointment in her life. "Awe, look at you! You knew he was the one just by looking at his picture? You should be born in the 50''s. But I am happy for you, Nithu." I told her. We spoke for a bit and hung up. Now back to my problem, I looked at the card he gave me. It is 100% sure that mom is going to ask for his help and now I think that I should stop disrespecting him. I am in need of help and I must find a way to stop my stupid mind and body from getting goosebumps near him. It ispletely not his fault and disrespecting him for that is totally wrong. Looking at the bigger picture, I know that if I happen to meet him often, I may not be myself. The only way to stop that is to request him to find me a job in Coimbatore itself. I decided to call him with a real heartfelt apology and a request. I called him straight away and dang, I didn''t see the time, it''s already 11pm in the night. I disconnected the call once I realized it is not right to call someone at this hour. But soon after I disconnected the call my phone rang with a loud noise. Startled, I attended the call instead of disconnecting it! DOUBLE DANG! "Hello, who is this?" I heard his manly voice loud and clear. My throat dried up and I couldn''t form any words. "um... hello..." I responded after collecting myself together. Why the hell do I feel butterflies in my stomach? "Yes, I got a missed call from this number. Who is this?" he asked me, his voiceced with concern or that is how it seems to me. "um... can I talk to Nithya?" I asked! I know,me! I wanted to cut the call but another me that is behaving like a crazy lunatic wanted to hear his voice again. "Sorry, looks like you have dialed the right number and asked for the wrong person." he said with a tinge of sarcasmced in his voice. EMBARRASSMENT! He knew It was me?! Or did he mistook me for someone else? I loved his voice. It feels like he is talking sitting very close to me. Why the hell do I think like that? I don''t know. He is my sister''s husband alright. It is so wrong to think of him or admire him in any way. "um... Sorry!" I hung up on him before he made sure that he knew it was me. I saved his number on my phone as ''Ardent Arjun''. Don''t tell me. I am an idiot! I know! I am now very sure that I have sexual feelings for him by the way my body reacts to his voice and his nearness. I could still feel his finger on my chin and his fingers that brushed my hand. This is madness and I should stop this. He is way older than me and I should see him with respect not with lust. There has been some problem with my mind since I saw him. I don''t think I have disturbed him like the way he disturbs me and that thought hurts me inside. The pathetic thing in all that''s happening is, I know very well that this is soooooo Wrong! Chapter 21: 20. The Proposal Chapter 21: 20. The Proposal Sivaprakasam''s PoV Though we are not as rich as my daughter''s inws, we are not poor either. I have abel production unit on a small scale. Almost all thebels that go on a cloth made in Tirupur is manufactured from my unit. We had only one daughter, a very beautiful girl. She grew up just as we liked and was a very obedient and respectful daughter. My wife taught her everything from cooking to taking care of a household. In her leave days, she woulde to our unit and will supervise everything. She even helped me in tallying ie and expenses every month. She never spoke or did anything against us. When she finished college, we started our groom hunt for her. Many alliances came and we filtered two out of the heap. Both were from higher status than us and both the grooms were handsome. One from Tirupur and one from Chennai. But then, the Tirupur alliance demanded her to stay at home and the Chennai alliance never demanded anything. So we opt for the Chennai alliance. Though they are in Chennai, they have roots in Tirupur and Coimbatore. They were well respected and loved by everyone in ourmunity. We even loved their simplicity despite having huge money. The wedding was a grand one and we were so happy and proud and felt like the very reason of our existence as parents was this happiness or that is what we felt like that day. But now, I feel like I didn''t read my daughter well. Now when I think about what had happened, I remember Anamika has be extremely quiet after her engagement with Arjun. Arjun was a man of little words. He was very respectful with us at the handful of times we have met. There was no big gap between their engagement and wedding. It was just two and a half months and we were always busy in shopping and invitation distribution. I don''t remember them talking on the phone for hours like engaged people do now. Anamika''s silence went unnoticed with all the wedding preparations. She was not sad and when we asked her consent, she said she is fine with whatever we give her. But now that I think about it, I should have asked her what was in her mind. We didn''t have any grounds to doubt her. She was her happy and polite self all through the wedding process. She went through all the customs with a happy smile. The one year she was with her husband and inws, we never got anyints on her. Her mother- inw has always praised our brought-up. We were more than proud of ourselves and our daughter. On a fine morning, Arjun came with Anamika to our house unannounced. He has always been a little awkward at talking. They looked like usual. Anamika went straight to her mother and we were left for that weing and health inquiries, he sat back with his phone. After their wedding customs, Arjun has never stayed in our home for the night. He will bring Anamika and will leave and will alwayse to pick her up. "Ok, uncle, I have to leave." he said to me after a hefty lunch. "Call me when you are ready. Have a good time with your mom and dad." he told Anamika with a little smile and a nod. Everything was great and very usual until the next morning when we found her bed empty. My wife wakes up at 5AM everyday and when she went to Anamika''s room at 6 with her coffee, she was not there. We searched for her in every nook and corner of the house and called her phone. But her phone was near the bed. We called up Arjun and his parents,te in that afternoon, to let them know she was missing. They were devastated just like we were and came home the very evening. I saw a lone tear escape Arjun''s eyes when we officially dered that she was gone. I knew it then that it was not because of him, my daughter went missing. We then made it an official policeint and Arjun used his influence to search for her. Everyone med Arjun and his family for her disappearance. Some even bad-mouthed my daughter that she eloped with her secret boyfriend. It was a terrible year for us. But it all subsided eventually and we were left alone.Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. "Sammandhi (a word that is used, by and to address, the parents of the husband and wife) I know it is not nice of me to ask for this with you. But I have no other choice." After a year and half of my daughter missing, Arjun''s father Hariharan called me. "I know you, Sammandhi. Just tell me." I told him. "I know your pain of losing your daughter. I am losing my son too. He is not himself. We lost hope that Anu woulde back to him. We cannot let his life rot like this." he said. I know where he is getting to. "Let us know what we have to do, Sammandhi." I told him. I know it is not their fault my daughter is not with us now. I felt like I should take up the responsibility of putting them through this horrible phase in their lives. It is because of my daughter after all. "Very sorry, Sammandhi. The police are asking to close the case,ing to a conclusion that she is no more. We don''t want to see our son''s life like this anymore. He is yet to start his life. We need legal divorce from his first marriage." he said with much more inhibition than needed. "Don''t feel bad, Sammandhi. You have given us enough time to get better. No one would have this patience with us with what had happened with my daughter. We will do anything you ask for. We would like to at least see him lead a happy life." I told him. They have been very considerate with us for all this time. I truly think no one would have this patience with us even after so much humiliation. "I asked ourwyer. He states that the policeint is more than enough to get divorce. If you just sign the divorce papers on behalf of your daughter, Divorce will be granted stating her absence for more than a year and the little to no probability of hering back." he said. We did what they asked us for. After 6 long months, the court granted them divorce. My wife was against this idea. "What would you do, if our daughteres back? You are stealing her life away!" she said crying. "No Dhanam. You are wrong. Our daughter was the one that stole Arjun''s life. We are responsible. She left the home voluntarily. She never contacted us so far. It is not right to hold that poor man''s life for the sake of our daughter. It would be a sin." I told her. "God knows what was her trouble. Why do you believe him and his family so much? You never let me talk about them to the police." sheined. "What did you want to tell the police? Did they ever demand anything from us?" "No!" "Did they ever hurt your daughter?" "No!" "Did your daughter make any bad remarks on them? Was she treated badly there?" "No!" "Do you have any doubts on Arjun?" "Why shouldn''t he be at fault? He would have had other rtionships. He would have not treated her as his wife. He must have been arrogant with her. Who knows?" she said. "Absurd! You know nothing you said was true. He is still here and it is our daughter that ran away. Don''t say this and add to our sin. He is a gentleman and his family was the best thing that had happened to our daughter and our family. It is high time we make clear of their paths, Dhanam!" I consoled her. She is a mother after all and doesn''t want to admit that her daughter is at fault here. I still wonder why Anamika left the house all of a sudden? She had everything. We went all the way back to her school and college to know if she had any love life back then. But nothing turned up and we are actually d. She had all liberty with us and her inws family. She could have talked to any of us about her problems but she chose not to. But it is toote now! Now, when Arjun called me up to ask details about Anandhi''s family, I think there is a way to lessen our sin. If I can make Anika and Arjun marry, Anandhi''s family would be benefited. Arjun will take care of her family like his own. Their financial crisis will end and the kids will have a great future. And for Arjun, Anika would be a perfect girl. A very talkative, bubbly girl grew up in a very traditional way. Unlike Anamika who was very silent, Anika would make his life colorful. This marriage would be a mutual benefit. Once this thought was born out of my mind, I could not stop but propose this to Arjun''s parents. Now that there is no problem for Arjun to remarry as we gave him divorce, I wanted to present this prospectus to them before they start to look for a bride outside. I called up Hariharan. "Hello, Sammandhi. How are you?" I asked him. "We are good, Sammandhi. How are you?" "We are just alive. I have called to tell you about a good bride for Arjun Maapii." "We have not yet started that conversation yet. Arjun is not interested in it." he said with no interest to know what I have in my mind. I can sense that he doesn''t want me to get back into their family. "I will send you the details of the bride. Consider her too when you start looking for a bride." I told him and hung up. It is very natural that they want no more contact with us but we have been very genuine and considerate with them and still he wants us to leave. I was deeply hurt but still decided to send him the Photo and biodata of Anika to them and leave it alone. I do this to satisfy my conscience, not for anything else. Besides, Arjun has never avoided us until now. He deserves to be happy. Chapter 22: 21. Parent鈥檚 Consent Chapter 22: 21. Parent¡¯s Consent Anandhi''s PoV I was very happy to talk to Prakasam anna. Well he is my mama (uncle''s son) actually but I used to call him anna since my childhood. He is a very good man at heart but I don''t know why this has happened to him. Anamika was 3years elder to Anika. She was a very beautiful woman. She was such a polite and soft girl that all our rtives adored her. I used to scold Anika,paring her to Anamika whenever she does some mischievous thing. I can bet that it''s not just me who did that, all our rtives who knew Anamika, did the same thing. Though his daughter has gone, he tries to help us now with this unexpected situation. I would not say this is totally unexpected, we know that this will happen sooner orter. We have always known my husband''s health condition. I am grateful that he is at least alive. Prakasam anna has asked for Anika''s horoscope and biodata as he knows someone who is looking for a bride. If my husband was alright, we would be doing the same by now. If Anika is sent out, it would be just Advay that I have to worry about. Advay has schrships avable from his school correspondent, so I think his college wouldn''t be a problem. I pray to god that he should enter a college in counselling. "Ennanga (an endearment to call a husband), Prakasam anna called me today. He said there is someone in our rtives looking for a bride. He asked for Anika''s horoscope." I told my husband. "We are not in a right position now, Anandhi. All our savings went in the drain. You should have left me to die!" he spoke with strain and I understood him just fine. "Please, don''t talk like this. You are the most important person in our lives and we need you with us always, at least as a moral support. Prakasam anna said that they don''t demand anything from us." "No... We should not send our daughter empty handed. Her life won''t be good if we do that." "He said that they are rich and won''t expect anything from us. You have to consider our current situation too. We have a son ready for college. The little ie I get from flowers will be enough to feed us but it will not be enough to pay his college fees. His schrship will cover 50% of his fees and the rest will fall upon our shoulders. Even if Anika goes to work, her sry will be just enough for her to survive in Chennai or Bangalore wherever she gets her job. Besides, it is not good to make our daughter earn for our whole family. She doesn''t need to sacrifice her life for us." I said. He stayed quiet after that. I know he is feeling guilty that he could do nothing to help us. He has done enough for us already. My kids are grown to take care of themselves. Anyways in another four years he will be retired. I just think that he retired some years earlier. "Shall I send him Anu''s photo and horoscope? I am not asking you topromise Anika''s life. We are not going to fix her wedding right away. If everything goes well and only if Anika is ok, we can proceed. Let''s start her wedding process. We don''t want to dy her life because of our financial needs." I told him for which he nodded his head yes. "But Anandhi, Anika is in love with somebody!" he tried to tell me when I was about to get up. Oh yes, that! How did I forget about that? "I totally forgot about that. You are right, what shall we do now?" I asked him. He looked at me and his paralyzed hand. "Please, Don''t do this to yourself. I will be with you till death do us apart. This disability is nothing compared to the love and life you gave me. We are not going topromise anything in Anika''s life just because you are in this state now. Shall I ask her to bring Arun home? Let''s see if he is good for her. If not, we will send him away and will marry her of our choice. If he was good, then we must give them both enough time to settle themselves. Is that ok?" I asked him. He nodded his head yes. I picked up my phone to call Anika, she went to college for her work. Just when I picked it up, my phone rang. "Hello Prakasam anna, tell me." I attended the call. "Anandhi, Did you talk to Saravanan? What did he say?" he asked me. "I just spoke to him anna. He said ok. But whom are we talking about? Do I know the groom''s family?" I asked him. "Yes you do. I just spoke to the groom''s family. They asked me to give them the bride''s photo and biodata. I don''t want to tell you who that is now and give you hope. But I assure you that if that family epts Anika, then all your problems will be solved and she will live a very happy life." he told me. I can understand what he is trying to tell me. "Even we don''t have high hopes, anna. It is the first alliance we are going to look for Anu. We won''t be disappointed if it doesn''t work out. Also we don''t like to solve our problems using her life. All we want is her happiness." I told him. He should not think that we will say yes to a rich man just because he is rich. "Good! But give me Anu''s details as soon as possible. I will tell you when the groom''s family says ok." he said. He is determined to not tell us who that is. Probably for a good reason. "Will send you soon, anna." I told him. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. After I hung up on him, I called Anu. "Tell me, Ma." She asked me as soon as she picked up the call. "Anu, you are getting wedding proposals from our rtives. They are asking for your horoscope." "Ma, you know our situation now. How can you possibly talk about this right now?" she asked me unbelievably. "Rx, Anu. We are not going to marry you tomorrow. Our rtive says that the groom''s family will expect nothing of us and will also take care of the wedding expenses too. Fortunately, we have enough gold for you and enough money to get you married now." "Listen to yourself, you are not making any sense. You said you will ask Arjun to help me get a job yesterday and today you talk about my marriage? Are you serious? Ok, let''s say you married me off with the little money we have now. What will you all do after that?" "Don''t get mad, Anu. I am earning. Advay has a schrship to finish his studies. With what I earn, your dad and I would be fine." I told her. "Ma, you are hurting me. Will you all be suffering while I get married happily? I am already guilty and please don''t do this and make me kill myself." "Shut up, Anu. Are you guilty? Why? Because your dad got sick? That is not your fault. Your dad forgot to buy his pressure medicines two days before that happened. He was not taking his medicines for two days straight and that made him paralyzed. Not you!" I tried to ingest that into her thick skull. Ever since her dad got sick, she has been the one that takes care of him whenever she is at home. She even takes him to restrooms and helps him bathe. She helps him do all his exercise twice a day. She is never seenughing after that. She doesn''t eat properly and sleep properly. She is punishing herself for a mistake that is not hers. "Maybe, but I aggravated the situation that resulted in this disaster." she said. "God, we all know your dad''s health was not good. Don''t take up the me. He tells me to leave him to death because he thinks that you are taking up all the me and hurting yourself. He could not see you like this. Shall we do that?" I asked her in a fit of anger. "Ma, please don''t say that. Did he really say that? If he thinks that way, I would not show him that I feel guilty anymore." she said with a low tone, I know she is crying. "He is your dad, Anu. He would know if you are acting. You are in no way responsible for this, Anu. Besides, dad said that it was ok to have feelings at this age and it was normal. Didn''t he?" I asked her to ease her mind. "He did!" she said. "Now let me tell you why I called you. I spoke to dad about the alliance and dad reminded me about your love. Are you still in love with that boy?" "Ma!" I couldn''t hear her voice and I know she is struggling to talk. "Dad asked you to bring that boy home, Anu. Let''s talk to him. If we don''t find him fit, you should let it go!" I told her to give her some courage to let her heart out to us. "Thanks, ma. I will ask him toe to our home. But if you like him, which I am sure you will, we are not going to marry anytime soon. I will go to work and will help you run our family and help Advay to finish his studies." she said with a little joy in her voice. I am so proud of my daughter, she talks with responsibility. But as a parent, it is our duty to let her live her life and not burden her. "Ok, dear. Let him know and tell us when he will being to meet us." "Ok, ma." she hung up happily. After months, it is now that she is happy and enthusiastic. I wish this happiness stays with her forever. Chapter 23: 22. The Unexpected Chapter 23: 22. The Unexpected Anika''s PoV As soon as I hung up with my mom, I called Arun. Even after calling him five times, he didn''t pick up my call. He must be at work. I decided to send him a message of this news and let him call when he is free. ¡®Arun, my mom and dad want to meet you regarding our wedding. They said, if they find you fit, they will say ok to our marriage. Now that you got your job, I think they wont find any fault in you. We should be good. But don''t panic, I have told mom that we will marry only after we get settled. Call me ASAP.¡¯ I sent this message to him and waited for him to call. He read the message. I waited for his reply but I didn''t get any. Maybe he is busy. I called up Nithu. I have to tell this to her. She would be happy for me. "Hello, Nithu!" I squealed. "Ah shh, Don''t scream on the phone. You don''t have work?" she asked me. "Pch, listen to me. My mom and dad have asked Arun toe and meet them. They are getting wedding proposals for me from rtives. So they have decided to give me a chance before they decide." "Oh, good. But you were talking about your job yesterday and now talking about your marriage!?" "I asked my mom the same thing. Looks like someone had called up mom only today regarding my marriage. I have already sent a message to Arun." "Message? just call him and tell him this happy news." She said. "I tried, but he didn''t pick up. Maybe he is busy or even mad at me for asking him to wait for a year." "He is not angry. I don''t know. But he never spoke about you or asked about you to me when we talked or messaged except for just formal health enquiries!" she said. Ofcourse, he is angry. "He will be fine when I exin the situation." I told her. "Mmmm, what about Arjun? Did your mom call him?" she asked me. "I don''t know. But I called him yesterday." I told her. "What? When?" she was absolutely horrified when I told her that. "After I hung up with you." "What? After 11? Are you mad?" it was her turn now to scream on the phone. "Shhhh Yeah, I forgot the time but I disconnected the call once I realized that it was toote. But then he called me back and instead of declining I attended the call." I said, still feeling that embarrassment. "hahaha, OMG! What happened then?" "Stopughing. Theughter part is yet toe." I stopped herughs and told her to save it for the fun part. "Really!? What did he say?" "He asked me whom do you want? I didn''t know what to tell him. I said, ''can I talk to Nithya!?'' " "What? Lame!! hahaha, then?" She was so into the story and I wish to dunk myself in the ground. "I think he knew it was me. He said, ¡®I think you have called the right number and asking for the wrong person!¡¯" I told her. I just wish I could dunk my head in the ground. "Hahahaha, OMG! He is a genius. What happened next?" I hate herughter. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. "Don''t get too excited. I said sorry and hung up before he could embarrass me more." I told her. "OMG, Anu. My stomach hurtsughing. Now tell me why did you call him in the first ce?" she asked me. Though herughs irritate me more than that embarrassment I felt on the call with him, I let it slide because I really don''t know why I called him. "I um... I called him to... I called him to ask for a job in Coimbatore." I said after fiddling with the words more than necessary. "You could have said this to your mom. She would have asked him the same. You don''t like him and yet you decided to call him at unusual hours for this reason?" she asked me suspicion evident in her voice. "I didn''t think properly. What now?" I raised my voice to stop this talk. "Don''t yell at me, Anu. You want me to stop talking about Arjun? But why? What are you not telling me Anu?" She asked me authoritatively, she is my best friend since childhood after all. "I wille to your home in the evening. We will talk." "hmmm Ok. They areing tomorrow to see me. He called me a little before to talk to me." she said and that shows she will definitely wait for me in the evening to hear my side of the story. "Awe, are you blushing now? How did he talk? Did you like him?" I asked her. "He was very gentle in talking to me. He said he can''t wait to meet me tomorrow." "Awe, so he likes you, too. Super. So it is a confirmation tomorrow?" "Hopefully!" she said. We spoke for a little more with teases andughter. She is happy. That is all that matters. I am happy for her. She knows that I am not telling her the whole truth. I must tell everything to her. Keeping it to myself is confusing me so much. Letting it out will lessen the burden of his thoughts. HIS THOUGHTS! It feels like he is growing on me. The weird thoughts of him near me doing indescribable things to me are making me wet in my dreams. I am longing for him is the nd truth that I do not wish to ept even in my death bed. I wonder why Arun didn''t call me yet. It was almost 5pm and I have to leave home now. Mom will ask me about the date. I decided to call him again. "Hello, Arun." he picked the call on the very first ring. "Hi, Anu. Tell me." he sounded so formal. No excitement for talking to me after months or for the message I sent him. "Did you see my message?" "Yes, I did. So your parents still didn''t agree to marry you to me? They want to check if I am ok?" "What are you talking about, Arun? How can they marry me to you blindly without making sure you are ok?" "Ok ok, rx. I was just joking. I am actually happy that your parents finally agreed to meet me. So when do they want to meet me? Is marriage talk so necessary now?" he asked, which made me feel rxed and intrigued all at the same time. "The sooner the better. How about tomorrow? Anyways it is the weekend right?" I asked him, ignoring thest part of his questions. "Tomorrow? Are you kidding me? It''s been just a month since I got this job. I have to work on Saturdays. I can''te tomorrow." "Oh, then start there after your work tomorrow and we can meet my parents on sunday?" I asked him unsure of how he would react. "As excited as I am to meet your parents, I have other works too, Anu. I promised my colleagues to take them to treat on Sunday with my first month''s sry. I can''te this week. I will check with my schedule and let you know about next week soon." he said that literally disappointed me. But he is right, he has othermitments too. Oddly, his refusal didn''t hurt me much but it did make me take a rxed breath. Weird! "Oh, ok. Now that my parents agreed to meet you, I don''t think we should stay apart anymore. We can talk on the phone like we used to." I told him. I am not desperate to talk to him, but the very fact of the desperate feeling I am actually getting on the wrong person made me say it to Arun. Maybe if I keep talking to Arun, I won''t think of Arjun anymore? "Sure, Anu. Take care." "Oh, yeah. You too." I said. "Arun,e on, it''s alreadyte." I heard someone on the other end. "Ok Anu. I gotta go. Bye!" he hung up on me before I could say bye. That was a girl who called him. Should I be worried? No! I know about Arun. He wont talk to girls easily and now he is not a college student anymore. He is working in a ce with girls and he cannot avoid them for no reason. But hisck of interest? That is totally unexpected. He could have easily postponed his treat to next week and havee here. He didn''t give proper priority to important things or is this not an important thing as I presume? How should I see this? Or am I thinking too much? I ring the doorbell of Nithu''s home. It is time I open up to her with everything. This feeling of disappointment on Arun, theck of interest on him, the extreme feeling of desperation on Arjun, my body literally aches for him! I feel my heart will explode with everything dumped inside of me. Chapter 24: 23. Not Again! Chapter 24: 23. Not Again! Arjun''s PoV I am now driving to Preethi''s home. It is Avni''s birthday today. Though Preethi didn''t want to celebrate it big, Praveen and I made all the arrangements and called for all Preethi''s friends and Avni''s friends. She is not supposed to hide. It is him who has to hide from society. I made mywyer talk to her and we filed a divorce and sent him the papers on our behalf. He tried to talk to Preeth but she declined all his requests. The case is up and running in the court, we expect it to get it done in another 2months. We proved that he cheated on his wife. "Preethi, I picked up the cake. Where is the princess? Is she ready?" I asked her, getting in the home. "She is ready. Avni and Anvi are ying. Sharanya is getting all the food out in trays to serve. Praveen just came with food. All set." she said. "Good, Now get ready to receive the guests. Where is aunty and uncle?" "They are in the backyard with the kids." I went outside to see the kids. The backyard was decorated with balloons and color strings. There was a banner that went between two big trees that said ''Happy 6th Birthday Avni''. It is a beautiful evening. Avni is in 1st grade and she has got neighbor friendsing too. This birthday party is too important for Preethi to break that inhibition and face the crowd. She is going to go to the office tomorrow and I want her to stay strong. Yes, Mahesh uncle managed to make an avability and I forwarded her the interview venue. She dly attended the interview and was selected. Uncle said that he would have selected her even if I didn''t rmend her. I know she is smart enough to bag a job for herself unlike some arrogant girls out there! Ugh! She again? Why can''t I just forget her and move on!? I have invited Harish to this party. He has promised me to bring his son. That way Avni would develop a brotherly bond with him. Yeah, very calctive, I know, but the more they meet, the more they are going to get along. The guests have starteding and I put the cake out on the table. Avni wanted bubbles for her party so we made a goodie bag with bubbles and some party favors and some choctes. The kids started toe and the ce became more colorful. "Hello, Harish. Come on in. Hi Little guy, sorry I have a bad memory. What is your name?" I asked the little boy. "Nitvik!" he said and ran into the crowd of kids. "He likes bubbles too!" Harish said as we walked in. "Hi, Harish. Come in. Here, have some juice." Preethi walked over to us. "Hi, Preethi. You look beautiful in this Saree. Nice party by the way." he said to her. "um... Thanks. Is that all, Ajju? Shall we cut the cake?" she asked me. "Yup, we shall." "Would you minding there to help me with something?" She asked me, eyeing me toe alone. She is smart alright. "Just a minute, Harish. Will be back." "No problem. take your time. I will look after the kids." he said. Preethi dragged me towards the cake table and whisper yelled at me, "What the hell do you think you are doing? Who invited Harish?" she asked me. "I did. What? He is not your friend? I have invited some of your friends and you were not angry at me then. But why are you angry now?" "Oh, stop it, Ajju. I know what you are trying to do. This is stupid. You are stupid. What would he think of me? I have just separated from my husband. Why are you doing this, Ajju?" "Come on, Preeth. He thinks you are beautiful. Heplimented you and this is how you react? He won''t think anything bad about you, if that is what you are worried about." I told her. "Pch, Ajju, you are not listening. I won''t marry again, trusting that love will blossom after marriage. I made that mistake once in my life. Love is a magical feeling, Ajju. It is not something that will happen over time. It is a spark that will ignite something in you when you see that special someone. It didn''t happen with Harish for me." she said. "You talk like a lunatic. Stop watching movies. Sorry if I hurt you, you got that spark when you met Nilesh, didn''t you?" "Ajju, That is different. I liked him at first sight but he didn''t reciprocate it. He made me feel loved every next second until I realized that all were fake. I don''t want to me it on Love. It was my stupidity that I got deceived. I still think it is a pure magical feeling." "Listen to yourself. Magic only happens in books and movies. Now, stop trusting that so-called spark. It will only hurt you. Give him a chance. I am not telling you to flirt with him. I am asking you to talk to him and get to know him. We will talk about thister." I called up everyone for the cake cutting to escape from further talks. The party went on smoothly and we served dinner for everyone. Sharanya and aunty took care of the rest as Harish and Preeth were busy talking. See, I know what I am doing. It''s almost 8.30pm and everyone has started to leave. "Alright, Arjun, we will take leave now. Will see you soon." Harish came to me with Nitvik. "Will see you soon for sure. Bye, Nitvik." I bid bye to the little champ. "Bye, uncle." Nitvik said. "I need to talk to you, Arjun. When will you be free?" he asked me. "Anytime tomorrow, Harish." I sent him off. What does he want to talk to me about? "Dei Ajju,e here." Preethi called me. "All set? Ok Preeth, I have to go too. Bye, good night." I tried to leave. "Mariyathaya u va e in before I force you)" she said. I went behind her like a school kid. "How did you know that Mahesh Shipping had a vacancy?" "Mahesh uncle is my dad''s friend." "So he called you and informed you about the vacancy?" She asked me with a raised eyebrow that clearly tells me that she is not buying it. "He was talking to dad and I thought it would be helpful to you. What now?" I tried hard to stick to my story. "Do you by any chance know that Harish is also working in the very same dispatch unit that I am going to work at?" "Oh, really? That''s a surprise." I said but I am sure she knew. "Nadikatha da! (Don''t act!) What do you think I am? I need time, Ajju." "It''s already 6months, Preeth. Don''t tell me you are not over him yet. It is your life and you can very well move on whenever you like. You don''t have to worry about this damn society, if that is what is pestering your mind. People have talked so much about me when Anika disappeared but they got over it now. People will move on to the next matter soon." "Huh! I told Harish about what you are trying to establish between us. I told him that he doesn''t have to worry about it. And who is Anika by the way?" She asked me. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. "Anika? How do you know her?" I asked her, out of shock. "You said Anika instead of Anamika. Who is she?" "Pch, that was a mistake. She is no one." I tried to stop talking about her. How the hell did I tell her name? She''s been continuously pestering my mind. "If you say so!" she told me, jerking her shoulders. I know she doesn''t trust me. "See youter, bye!" I tried to run out when Praveen came in. "Who is Anika? And Preeth, when did you meet Harish?" He came in with questions. "Anika is Arjun''s new someone." Preeth said with wide smiles. "Oh, shut up ,Preeth. But Praveen, Harish is going to be Preeth''s special someone." I told him. "Whoa, wait what?" he was taken by surprise. "Shut up, Ajju. He is trying to hook me with Harish, Praveen. It is so embarrassing. Tell him to stop this nonsense. Anyways, I told Harish that he doesn''t have to worry as I don''t have any such ideas." Preeth told him. "You can very well consider him, Preeth and you know that. Now, who is Anika?" he turned to me. "I told you. She is no one. In Fact she is a little girl. So stop talking rubbish." "Oh little? Like Anvi and Avni?" he asked me. "Pch, I have some work to do, bye." I tried to leave but my phone rang. Thank god, I could finally escape them. "I have to take this!" I told them and attended the call. "Hello, Arjun here." "Hello Arjun, this is Anandhi, Anika''s mom." What?! Hell with her. "Oh, yes, tell me aunty." "Is this the right time to talk to you?" "um... yes aunty. Tell me." "Looks like Anu''s references didn''t work. She is badly in need of a job. If you can help her get one, it will be very beneficial for us." she said. "Ofcourse, aunty. Send her resume to my WhatsApp, I will look into it and will let you know." I told her and hung up. "So you are a job consultant now, huh?" Preeth asked me sarcastically. "No, it is one of my rtives. They are in their hard times and Anika needs a job." I told them and hit my head hard mentally for letting her name slip through again. "Oh, she is a little girl who is waiting for a job?" Praveen asked me. I know they are trying to mock me. "Come on, Praveen. You know me better. She is a UG pass out. She must be what? 21years old? She is too young!" I tried to rule her out. "Hahahahaha!" they are bothughing. Did I crack up a joke? I stared at them. "Don''t get angry, Ajju. So it is her age that is stopping you from persuading her? If so, let me tell you, you are not a 60 year old, you are just 29 and you are the most eligible bachelor. Some eight years gap between couples is not unusual in our country." Praveen said. "I am not trying to persuade her, idiots. She is an arrogant, rude and annoying girl I have ever seen." Why did I not tell this first? It now looks to me the exact same way Praveen interpreted. If she was big enough, would I be persuading her? Nope! She is not anywhere near my expectations. Shecks respect which I can''t take in for a whole life. Wait what? Whole life? I am seriously thinking about it? I am sure my brain is cooked inside my head. "Ok, this is the first time you have ever talked about a girl. She has made her impression on you. Maybe not the good one, but something is better than nothing." Preethi said. "You are both out of your minds. I am out." I ran out. They can''t do this to me. I don''t want to serve my heart to a girl again for her to kick it like it is nothing. I did that once and I am not going to do it again. Besides, I have no ideas on her. Ofcourse, she is beautiful like a peacock but that is not sufficient for a happy life. As a matter of fact, Anamika was also a beautiful girl. Chapter 25: 24. The Eye Opener Chapter 25: 24. The Eye Opener Anika''s PoV "Come in, Anu. Nithya is in her room. Go in, I will bring tea for you." Nithya''s mom opened the door for me. "Thanks aunty." I ran to her room. "Come, Anu." Nithya was sitting on the bed with her phone on hand and a little smile on her lips. "What''s up, new bride?" I asked her, jumping on the bed near her. "Nothing is up. They areing tomorrow in the evening. I have mehendi cones in the fridge, can you put mehendi on my hands?" she asked me. "Ofcourse, Nithu. But we have to put it on at night. If you keep it on overnight, it will be beautifully reddened by tomorrow eve." I told her. "Then ask your mom''s permission to stay here tonight." "Hmmm wait." I called my mom and let her know that I will be staying with Nithu for the night. "So you are texting him?" I asked her when I caught her more than once smiling looking at her phone. "um... yes! He''s been texting since the afternoon." she said with a little blush. "Adi pavi (sinner), does aunty and uncle know?" "No. Don''t shout." She covered my mouth. "ok ok, let go. So what does he say?" I asked her, swatting her hand away from my mouth. "Nothing important. We are just chatting in general." "Hmmm, so how do you like him?" "How many times are you going to ask me the same question? I like him so much!" "I just want to look at you when you answer this question. But I wonder how you can like someone even before meeting him in person?" "I told you, it is a magical feeling. You have to be smart enough to know that feeling when it happens to you. You will just know in your heart that he is the one." she said. "Where do you get these cheesy dialogs? I agree that you didn''t like anyone as your life partner before but don''t tell me that you are in love with your fianc¨¦ already!" she can''t be serious. "I don''t know how to exin this to you. But I strongly feel that I am going to spend my life with him even before mom and dad agreed for them toe home tomorrow. They still had another alliance at hand for me. I didn''t feel anything when I saw the other man''s picture. But I felt butterflies in my tummy when I saw him in the photo. It may sound very na?ve, but I don''t have an exnation. Pch, enough of my talks, now tell me about Arjun." she asked me. "There is nothing to tell about him. We have just met three times now and I hate himpletely." "Oh really? I have never seen you hating someone with just three meets. So he has made you think about him in some way." She said. Talking about him gives me mixed emotions. Happy and Angry. "Shut up, Nithu. He is an arrogant rich man. He loves to... um... show off his wealth to people like us." I told her. "Really? From what aunty said to me that he had done, I think he has helped your family at the most needed time. He even extended his helping hand for after too. You know that too. You know that you are indebted to him and he is good. Yet you decide to degrade him of something which he is not, that is why you stumble upon the words when you said that. I think he is disturbing you." "Argh Ok, I agree, yes, he is disturbing me. I kinda like him. I like his looks and his manliness. And I also feel disgusted with myself for my cheap thoughts." I blurted out to her. "Shhh. Don''t shout. Wait!" she made me quiet and just then aunty came with tea cups. Ufff just escaped. "Why do you feel disgusted for having feelings on someone?" she asked me after aunty left. "Are you kidding me? I am in love with Arun and I am having feelings over a man whom I don''t know? It is immoral and ugly. I could not even say it out loud." "Anu, rx. Why do you think it is so wrong to have feelings over a man whom you know is a good man from his heart?" "Arun..." I was cut off by her. "Excluding Arun!" she stopped me. "He is an already married man. He married my cousin sister but they were divorced. He is rich unlike us. It is a sin to have sexual feelings on someone who doesn''t belong with us." "Good, so you think you have sexual feelings for him?? Have you ever had sexual feelings on someone else like you do now? As far as I know we have drooled over many guys but you never ponder upon them after that instance." "You are right. I never carry them along. Sexual feelings, no way. I have not imagined anything even with Arun. But this man is making me go crazy. I don''t even want to tell out loud what I feel about him." "Do you think it is just lust that you feel for him?" "What else do you think it is? He is so damn good looking. He never dyed a second when he knew I wanted help. He stayed back and tried to help us even though he could have just left. Of Course I felt bad for him when his wife fled away leaving him. He is such a good gentleman and she is not fortunate enough to take care of the treasure she''s got. I felt like he is not exposing his true-self as he is afraid to get hurt. He is hot and good looking. I don''t know what I really think!" I bbered out things about him that are from my deep heart. "Well, I think you felt a magical feeling and are refusing to agree to it. You are finding reasons to stay away from him. You are making up silly usations to hate him. But the real you knows what you are feeling towards him. Listen to your heart. It will tell you the truth." "Shut up, Nithu. I love Arun." I am angry at her. She is my best friend and she is not helping. "You shut up. Arun is your friend. You yourself said that you have never felt sexual pull towards him. You feel good and happy with him and that is called FRIENDSHIP you dumb-head. I tried telling this to you but you never listened. I stopped when I saw you happy with him. But that is not love and I knew it all along. You can never feel ecstatic with him." She yelled at me. "Nithu, Enough. Maybe you are right. But that talk is useless. He is somewhere high out of reach and there is no meaning for my stupid feelings. It will pass. My parents have agreed to meet Arun and we should be talking about that, not about someone who would be thinking of me as an arrogant girl." I said sulking. "Why do you feel bad when you were the one that projected yourself as an arrogant girl in his eyes? Why did you hide your true-self? Don''t do this, Anu." "Nithu, please, don''t confuse me. It is just a feeling a girl gets when she meets the most handsome man. We all adore heroes of the movies but not all want to marry them. This is just like that. I have another week before Arunes to meet my parents. I am sure to banish Arjun out of my head before that." I told myself and to her. "If you cannot?" She put up a challenging face. "I can!" I said, challenging myself. "If you say so. But why is Arun noting tomorrow?" She asked. "He said he has some work. He didn''t confirm next week either." "What? He can''t be serious. You have been waiting for your parent''s approval and now he is not going toe as soon as possible?" N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. "Come on, he has othermitments too. Now stop talking about me. Tell me more about your fianc¨¦." I diverted her from talking about me. We spoke for sometime before aunty called us for dinner. After dinner, I started putting mehendi on her hands while chatting. We slept after the mehendi dried up on her hands. Aunty asked me to take her to a parlour for threading and a facial tomorrow. She needs nothing, she is a naturally beautiful girl! It is already evening, the house is very busy right now. Nithu wanted me to stay with her for the evening but I had to go to my home for dad''s physiotherapy exercise. I took her to the parlor, just as aunty asked, in the morning. Her mehendi was nice and dark. I helped her drape her saree and put on some jewels. She is gorgeous. I managed to get out just when the car stopped in front of her house. I prayed to god that everything should go fine with this proposal. On the way home, I was pondering over what Nithu told me. She calls it love. She tells me that I have fallen for a man whom I know barely about. I agree that I have weird feelings for him but that can''t be love. Maybe that is some after effects of pity that I felt for him when I heard his story. He is not a new man, he is a rtive alright. My mom and daduded his looks and status when they went to his marriage, they were even jealous that Anamika got such a good life. Even when Anamika fled, they said she must be a stupid to have left him. And surprisingly, I never thought bad about this man when she went missing. I thought that she ruined his life. Why? I don''t know. But I didn''t think anything bad of him and I never thought that he must be the reason for her disappearance. Many of our rtives did, but not me, not my parents. He has always had that good will on him even when we knew nothing about him. Why? Chapter 26: 25. His Analysis Chapter 26: 25. His Analysis Arjun''s PoV ''Hello Mr. Arjun, this is Anika here. I would like for you to ept my heartfelt apology for our earlier encounters. I hope we start fresh. Thank you for helping us out yet again. Here is my resume for your perusal.'' I received a message from that girl when I was driving home from Preethi''s home. Preethi and Praveen were so dumb with their questions. How can they possibly think that I am in love with that arrogant, annoying, rude girl? It is true that I have gone out of my way to try and help her and to make sure that she is ok. But that doesn''t mean I have feelings for her. Besides, she is a little girl with zero maturity. She can''t be my life partner, for the matter of fact, she can''t be anybody''s life partner with her long and sharp tongue! So now she needs a fresh start? I don''t know why a small smile tries to erupt out of me. I find that message very cute. Her mom asked me to help her find a job and she had no other choice but to surrender to me, putting aside her ego-self. Heartfelt apology? Does she even mean it? For some reason, I don''t like her to apologize to me. I think I like her for that arrogance. No one has ever talked to me the way she spoke. That is what is making her stand unique. That is why I keep thinking of her. I am used to people pampering me, obeying me, and talking politely to me. So when she broke the stereotype, I liked her. This is not love like those two stupids anticipate. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ''Hello Anika. I got your resume.'' I sent this message and continued to drive home. I couldn''t stop myself from smiling at her very polite message. That doesn''t suit her. Why do I keep thinking of her even after my clear analysis about her? This is not love. I am not a pedophile! I kept saying to myself. I went home and saw dad sitting in the garden. It is almost 9pm and the breeze is getting chilly at the moment. We have a variety of roses in our garden. The breeze smells of roses in the evening and I always find it therapeutic. I usually spend my leisure hours in my pool or in the garden on my floor. "Hi, dad, why are you sitting here at this hour?" "Hi, Arjun. Come, sit. How was the party?" "The party was excellent!" I told him. "Arjun, I am waiting to talk to you. Here are some photos and bio data of girls who are ready to marry you. They know all about you and us. Some of them are our rtives and some are our business friends. It''s your call." He pushed a stack of envelopes on the table towards me. "Dad, I told you I am not ready yet. I said I will decide on whom to marry." "That is why I didn''t force you with my choice. I have given you choices, you pick the best one. If you like, I can arrange for a meeting." "Dad, please. Don''t force me." "You did not even see the pictures and yet you decided against it? Listen Arjun, your mom is worrying about you. You are not getting any younger and so are we. Your mom''s health is not good and I don''t like you making her worry all the time. She needs to be happy and that lies in your hands. She keeps on fasting every other day for a deity for your wellbeing. That is not good for her health and I can''t make her stop it. I hope you know what to do. Don''t dy your marriage, Arjun." he said with a strict tone. I never knew that mom is fasting for me. "I will take a look into it." I gathered all the envelopes and went to see mom. "Ma, what are you still doing in the kitchen?" "Come, Ajju. How was the party? Was Avni happy?" "That was all good. You are fasting? You know you have health issues and cannot skip meals, right?" I asked her. I am feeling guilty for doing this to her. "Your dad told you? I told him not to worry about it. I am fine Ajju." she said, caressing my head. "No, ma. It is not fine. He''s given me some proposals. I am going to look into it. So your fastings are paid off. Now don''t fast ever again, ok?" "I know god will heed my request." "hahaha, it''s not god that heeded your request, it is dad and me that did." I told her for which she patted yfully on my shoulder. After a little chit-chat, I went to my floor and had a refreshing swim and a bath. I went to bed with all the envelopes. I know I must marry to make my parents happy. Who knows, just like Preeth said, there might still be a chance for me in that love life. Maybe one of these girls might start that spark in me just like she said. That is when my phone pinged with a message. I looked into it to see the mail. A mail from her! I knew her before. I saw her in her college when I went there on the request of Shravan. It was that time when Anamika went missing. I waspletely devastated by her disappearance and was very hesitant to face anyone. Everyone was talking all sorts of nonsense on my back. Some even said that I was not man enough to keep my wife happy. I couldn''t believe that Anamika did this to me. I treated her with utmost respect even though she refused to be my wife. I was ok to give her time to adjust herself in her new life and respected her inhibitions to our physical interaction. But she just ran away after a year of our wedding. Anika was there at the reception desk when I went to her college. She gave a bouquet of pink tulips to me with a gentle smile and a heart-warming wee. She was in a beautiful saree and she looked just like a peacock. When I saw her, I felt light in my heart and she really brought a smile to my lips after a really long time. It was a symposium and for the whole event, I couldn''t peel my eyes off of her. She was way too bubbly and was talking non-stop. I felt even lighter and my sorrows melted away in her laughter. There was an on-spot quiz where students registered themselves on a form with their name, department, year and mail-id. She was the first one to register. I stole her mail id from the registration paper. I enjoyed her brilliance and her spontaneity in the quiz. I couldn''t describe the feeling I felt when I saw her. I was thanking Shravan in my heart for forcing me to go to this event. Once home, I wanted to thank her for uplifting my sulking spirit. I mailed her stating her positives and decided to leave my identity hidden. I felt like a school kid when I did that and it really helped me take my mind off of my current issues. As expected, she didn''t reply to me. The next time I mailed her, it was because I was feeling very low as I got to know that someone from my family spoke ill of me. The rumor was that I am not an efficient male to cover for my wife. People outside myfort bubble spoke more than this. But when it came from inside the family, I was totally upset. Just then, I remembered her smile. I always had a little smile on me whenever I thought of her. I decided to mail her again just to share my feelings. I thought she wouldn''t reply to this mail too but as a surprise, she replied to me in a very friendly way. She said all the good things that made me feel better. From then it had been a to and fromunication between us. It is like friends with benefits. I shared my happiness and sorrow with her and she started doing the same. When I gave her study material, she was way too excited and wanted to see me. I promised her that I will meet her when she finishes college, with a yellow flower bouquet to honor her friendship. But then, I met her in an uncertain situation in Tirupur. It churned my heart to see her cry. Those smiling eyes with tears? I couldn''t see it. I wanted to make sure she was fine. The closer I got to her, the more I knew that she was a rude girl. But that doesn''t change the fact that it was her that gave me calmness in my once stormy heart. The girl I spoke to is rude and egoistic. But the girl I mail to is veryfy and considerate. They are two different girls in my perspective. The day before I met her in Tirupur, she mailed me that she did something bad. I didn''t know what that was but I tried to quote my life to make her feel better. I was happy that she thought of me as a friend. But when I saw her in a pathetic state in Tirupur, I wanted to put her out of her misery at once but all I could do was help them. With her looks and talks in the hospital, I can tell that she thinks that her dad''s condition is because of her. I don''t know what was going on with her but I wanted to tell her that she was not the reason. Now a mail with doubts on LOVE? Seriously? She is in love? With whom? I could not take it easy that she is in love. Though, I replied to her back with a message that I am not the right person to talk to about love. I added the things that Preethi told me. A spark, a magical feeling! Non-sense! I looked at the envelopes on the bed that dad gave me. I opened one and took the picture out. It was a picture of a girl but all I could see was HER in that peacock-neck color saree. Shit, why do I feel betrayed!? Chapter 27: 26. The Disappointment Chapter 27: 26. The Disappointment Anika''s PoV Once back home, mom asked me about Arun. I technically hate to tell her that he''s not confirmed his visit yet. That will not be a good first impression. I believe that he would definitely make his time for us next week so I decided to tell her the same. Though she didn''t question me, I could see that she was confused. "What is bothering you, ma?" I asked her. "Just wondering, our rtive asks for your horoscope and biodata as soon as possible and here we can''t decide until next week. What happened to the interview that your professor promised?" she asked me. "Pch, that is not scheduled yet. I know we are going through a lot now, but please don''t talk about my marriage just yet, ma. The most important thing I need now is a job. um... can you call and ask Arjun sir for a job?" I told her to divert her from my wedding topic. And I am badly in need of a job. "You spoke very badly to him, Anu. How in the world can I ask him to help you? You said you didn''t want his charity, why do you want to seek his help now?" my mom asked me, more like rubbed it on my face. She doesn''t know I didn''t mean any of it, I just wanted to make him stay away by hurting his male ego. "Ma, please. I already apologized to him and he really enjoyed it when you hit me in front of him." I told her. "See, even now you talk bad of him." "You didn''t see his face when you hit me, he waspletely enjoying it. Pch, let it go ma. I am losing hope with all my contacts. Please, ma." "Ok, ok, I will call him now. I will talk to him first, if he wants some information, you have to talk to him. Make sure to talk very politely to him." she said. "I will!" I said and I don''t know why my stomach flips in anxiety. Am I longing to hear him on the phone? Is that why I called him yesterday? I am an idiot. She called him, she spoke to him like he was a king, she conveyed our problem. Here I was waiting for her to give the phone to me but she disconnected the call and turned to me with a smile that lit up her face. Am I feeling disappointed? Yes! Why? I don''t know. "What did he say?" I asked her. "He said he needs your resume. Here is his number, send it to him through your WhatsApp. He said he will look into it and let us know." "Oh, can you ask him to look for a job in Coimbatore itself?" I asked her. I am afraid now. I can''t go to Chennai knowing that he is there and there is a huge possibility that I can see him. Wait, but Arun is there too. Why didn''t I think of him?! "Listen to yourself. Have you listened to this proverb in our vige? Beggars can''t be choosers." she said sarcasm evident in her voice. "Ma, you are hurting me. This is why I told him that I don''t want his charity. See, now you speak like I am getting alms from him." I shouted. "Ok, ok, rx. I was just kidding. First send him your resume. Now go help dad to finish his dinner." she said. I went in to carry out my regr work. I took out my phone and checked for any messages from Arun. Nope, nothing! No message since we spoke yesterday. Actually, we were never chatty lovers. We speak when we meet and message asionally. We never call each other on weekends. I never felt the urge to talk to him or hear his voice, just like I felt a little before. Wait, what am I doing? Why am Iparing my feelings on Arun and Arjun? It''s all because of Nithu. She confused me. I sat down to send my resume to his number. I thought it was rude to just send my resume without any courtesy message. What should I send? ''Hi, this is Anika. Here is my resume, awaiting a good response from you. Thank you.'' I typed this and felt it was not good. I erased and retyped. ''Hello, this is Anika here. How are you? Here is my resume. Thank you.'' Nope, not good, it sounds rude! ''Hello Mr. Arjun, this is Anika. Hope you are doing good. This is my resume. Sorry for our earlier encounters. Thank you for epting our request.'' This message makes me look like a girl who will stoop any low to get my work done. Well, I am not that kind of a girl. He must know that I am truly sorry for what happened between us earlier. ''Hello Mr. Arjun, This is Anika here. ept my heartfelt apology for our earlier encounters. I did what I did for a reason which is not right from your point of view and it is not your fault. I ept that I did wrong. Hope we start fresh! I have sent my resume just like you asked. Thank you for your help!'' Mhum No! Too much information that is irrelevant and unwanted! ''Hello Mr. Arjun, this is Anika here. I would like for you to ept my heartfelt apology for our earlier encounters. I hope we start fresh! Thank you for helping us out yet again. Here is my resume for your perusal.'' Done! I hit the send button and sent my resume along with it. I waited for him to see my message. I was waiting in anticipation when I saw the blue ticks on the message which meant he read the message. Will he reply? Why would he after all the insults I gave him? But still I waited for a response from him. I got too excited when my phone ding indicating that I received a message after about ten minutes. I opened it at the speed of lightning. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. ''Hello Anika. I got your resume.'' Is that it? That is all he managed to send me? What about my apology? Arrogant rude man. I felt disappointed all over again but I don''t really know what I expect of him. I decided to let it go but my stupid brain keeps on thinking about him. I don''t know any way to stop this madness. Just like I told Nithu, I should try and evacuate him from my mind before Arun tells me a date. But the more I try to not think about him, the more I feel him and remember him. I could still feel his finger on my chin. Those butterflies that swam in my stomach at that time, still swims there whenever I feel his finger on me. Is this love? What is love to be precise? Argh, it is all because of Nithu. She was the one that has confused me with her stupid preaching and cheesy movie stories. How can you possibly love someone without even knowing who he is? I agree that I have a fatal attraction towards him but that is not love, in my point of view. On the other hand, I know everything about Arun. I know his habits, hobbies, character and his family. We acknowledged the mutual feeling we had for one another and we moved our rtionship from friendship to love. We know for sure that we will be happy in each other''spany. Now this is love! But all this seems so nned. Like Nithu says, love is a feeling and that is not something we n. Argh! I just want to run away. I have so many problems already and I really don''t want to add more to the list. What if I ask someone to rify? Not Nithu, ofcourse. She is the main reason that I am confused right now. I decided to mail the stalker. I like him so much. Hees in handy at all my distress times. ''Hello Mr. Stalker, How are you? Hope you are doing good. I am in need of your view on something on a little personal level. Hope you don''t mind me asking. What is love? How do you know if you are in love? I am in total confusion and if you can shed some light, I will be grateful to you. Thank you!'' I sent this mail to him and decided to sleep but sleep decided to run away from me. I set the phone aside and covered my head with my nket and tried sleeping when my phone pinged. Who messages me at this hour? I looked at the phone and was happy to see a message from the stalker. ''Hello Beautiful, I am too good. Thank you. You have asked the wrong person about love. Honestly, I thought I had the love of my life. I waited for it to bloom ande to me. I gave it time only to realize that it was just me, not her! I am a busy man and I really didn''t have time to LOVE. But when it came along the way, I epted it wholeheartedly and gave my everything. To me, love is very painful. But my friend says that what I had was eptance and not love. She says that love is a feeling where you have no control over it. You may want to deny it but you will know in the heart. I think I have confused you more than you already were. I am sorry I could not help you with this topic. Regards!'' Sutham! He has a friend just like I have. Friends are very troublesome and confusing. But I could read the mncholy that ran between the lines. He is not happy? Why does it bother me? Chapter 28: 27. Calculations Went Wrong! Chapter 28: 27. Calctions Went Wrong! Arjun''s PoV I went to my officete in the morning. I really am getting a migraine because of that intermittent sleep I hadst night, thanks to that super annoying girl. I didn''t bother to see all the other envelopes dad gave me as I was sure that I would only see her in every damn picture. I just shook my head for all the good mornings I heard on my way to my room. Just when I settled, my phone rang. I picked it up to see Harish calling me. Oh yes, I told him to call me in the morning. What is he going to talk about? "Hello, Yes Harish." I picked it up. "Hi Arjun. How is your day?" "Not so great as of now." I told him honestly. "Haha, then is it a good time to talk?" "It is. Tell me, Harish!" "It is about Preethi. She told me what you are trying to establish between us." he said. ooohhh! Awkward! "I just wanted to ask you straight and she was the one that stopped me stating something like a spark which is non-existent. So I thought to make it happen without you two realizing it. Thanks to her brilliance she caught me and reported it to you." I told him. "Hahaha, I know it is kinda awkward. But trust me, Arjun. I truly appreciate your initiative to mend your friend''s life. But I have to be honest with you, there is a girl in my rtion who is longing to marry me. Though I like her, I dodged her every time she approached me fearing the rejection from her parents. Now, she has convinced her parents and they are ready to marry her to me. I have never thought about Preethi in that way." he said. "Ok, That''s a shock! I am sorry I made ns that involve you without even asking your side." I told him. "Please don''t be sorry, Arjun. Preethi is lucky to have you as her friend. She would be even lucky if you happen to be her life partner. I could see that she fantasizes about you. I can literally see her joy when she talks about you. You could be her soul mate. Sometimes we won''t see things that are near to us until someone points that out to us." he said. "Haha, you are getting it all wrong. We are friends from our 2nd or 3rd grade. She is the most important person in my life but she is not my soul mate. I will even kill for her but I can never see her the other way. Anyways thank you for being so honest with me, Harish. I appreciate it. Anyways she will be coming to work with you. Keep an eye on her for me." I told him. "Will sure do. I am sorry to have popped your idea." "Oh don''t be. I am not going to stop until I make her happy again. She deserves that." I told him. "Of Course she does. And so are you. Preethi is worried for you too. We spoke about our pasts and relished some memories in our personal lives. I don''t regret my past but she does and when ever she regrets, she also worries for you. I don''t know anything about your past life, but whatever it is, I hope youe out of it soon." he said. "Thank you, Harish." I said. I truly don''t know how to react to this talk. We hung up after a little chit chat. Talking to him made me think about my past life. Anamika! She made a scar in my heart and a dent on my name forever. No one or nothing can make it vanish. I still remember the time I went to see her with my parents. She was a timid and shy girl and when we were left alone to talk, she never once raised her eyes to see me. "Are you feeling ok?" I asked her. She just nodded to my question and I am not a talkative person and I don''t know how to initiate a conversation. "Are you happy with this proposal? Do you wish to marry me?" I asked her what I wanted to know. "I do!" she said, still looking at the ground. But I saw her smile and that made me think that she is really ok and maybe she is shy as it is our first encounter. "Ok, do you have any questions for me?" I asked her for which she nodded her head in a NO. I got my answer and as she didn''t have anything to ask of me I went in and gave my consent for the wedding to happen and everything happened at a fast pace. My ''Tinite'' was ready to be released in the market and it took up almost all my time. I could not talk to her in the 2 months we had for marriage. When mom said she had her birthday just before the wedding, I sent her a flower bouquet along with a gold chain with a diamond pendant. She called me that night to thank me. "Hello, who is this?" I asked, picking up the phone. "um... This is Anamika here." I heard her voice for the first time and it was like a song to my ears. "Oh, hi Anamika. Happy Birthday!" I told her, saving her number in my phone. "Thank you, nga. The pendant and the flowers were beautiful. It was a pleasant surprise." she said, happiness evident in her voice. "I am d you liked it. How was your day?" I asked her as her happiness spread to me too. I am actually happy that she liked my gift to her. "It was good. We went to the temple in the morning, had a nice lunch outside, went for a movie and just came home." she said. "Good. I am surprised to hear you talk this long." I told her. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. "um... I was a bit scared to see you on that day. I could not talk." she said in a small voice. "Haha, so you are going to talk to me on the phone even after we get married?" I am amused by her answer. She was scared? No wonder, everyone is scared of me. "No, I mean, I just need time. You are tall and well built and I am so smallpared to you. That frightened me." she said. I didn''t expect this answer. She talks like she is a school kid. Of course she just finished college. "Don''t be afraid. Take your own time to getfortable with me." I assured her. "Thank you!" she said and we hung up. I made up my mind to give her some space to settle herself after our wedding. We never talked after that and I saw her only on the wedding eve at our reception. She was beautiful in her silver and beige lehenga at our reception. I introduced my friends and rtives to her on stage when they came on stage to greet us. She did the same. I felt her inhibitions loosen with the talks we had. The next day, our wedding was early in the morning and we didn''t talk much. After all the rituals we went to our home and did some rituals there. We started from Chennai to Tirupur to go to her home for the continuation of the rituals. All this time, we had people around us and we didn''t talk much. She was crying all the time as she was parting with her parents. I consoled her with a light dab on her hands and gave her space to recover. In our first night, I waited for her and she came in like an angel. She gave me milk and took my blessings. "God, Anamika, please get up. Enough of the formalities." I helped her get up. "My mom asked me to do all this." she said. "It''s ok. You don''t have to do all this." I said, smiling at her. I could see fear evident in her face. "Sit down. Don''t be afraid. We will take it slow. Now tell me about yourself. I don''t know anything about you." I started the talk to make her feelfortable. "um, I am a B.Tech, IT graduate. I know how to cook. um... I am good at painting. I like the color red." she said and looked up at me. "Good, I like the color red too. But my favorite color is ck. I am an MBA in administration. I run our family business. Do you want anything specific to know about me?" I asked her. This talk is not my forte! It is so hard to talk. "um... I... I know what will happen now. But I am scared." she said. "Don''t be! I wont hurt you." I said while holding her hand. Her tender hands shivered under my touch and was waking up a sleeping desire in me. When I advanced on her, sheid on the bed like a wooden log. There was no response from her and that killed my mood. "Are you ok?" I asked her. "I am sorry, I am scared." she said. "Huh, alright take your time. Now you look tired, get some rest." I left her to rest and slept on the other end of the bed. The feeling of disappointment was more but the feeling to take care of her was greater than that. She is a small girl and from a very conservative family. I thought of taking it slow. Our sleeping arrangement never changed from that, all the time she was with me. Mornings were usual and I refrained from talking about the night to her. Slowly she started talking normally to me and took care of me like her life depended on it. I saw her love for me in that or that is what I thought. All my family were very fond of her and at that time, that was more than enough for me. I decided to wait for her to break her shell but that never happened. I don''t like remembering the past life for I feel betrayed whenever I think of it. There was no sign that she disliked me or anything for that matter. Now, back to our current problem, I felt so stupid when Harish said he have a sweet heart. Preethi should have a sweetheart too. Maybe not him, but there must be someone. No matter what it takes, I will find her soulmate. I will make her life happy again. Why the hell do I keep thinking of Anika whenever I think of the word soul mate or sweet heart? With the little talk we had, I knew that he likes his rtive girl. He said, when she went to an extent that is far beyond her, to make her parents agree, he understood her love for him. Only then he agreed to marry her. I am happy for him that he found his love for the second time. He is a blessed man. Here I am very unlucky to have one love. I know I have feelings for Anika from the moment I saw her. But I am not sure what kind of feeling is that?! That instant calmness I got when I saw her smile, that has never happened to me before. I really don''t want to think about her but my mind keeps shing her face in my heart at every chance it gets. Chapter 29: 28. Destiny Chapter 29: 28. Destiny Sivaprakasam''s PoV It was a wedding where I happened to meet Arjun and his family again after that talk on the phone with Hariharan. I spoke to Anandhi and asked her to send Anika''s photo, horoscope and biodata as soon as possible but she said that she will send it to me on an auspicious day thates after a week. Dhanam is notfortable yet in facing friends and rtives in functions like these, so she stayed home and I came to attend this function. "How are you, uncle?" Arjun came and spoke to me. He is a nice, gentle man. "I am good, maapii. How are you?" "I am good too, uncle. How is aunty?" he asked me. "She is fine too. She is not yetfortable meeting rtives. So she didn''te." I told him. "Oh, so how is your manufacturing unit?" "It''s all good. No big changes." I told him while his mom and dad approached us. "How are you, anna?" Yashodha asked me. "I am good, ma. How are you?" I asked her back but all the while Hariharan didn''t speak a word. "How are you, Sammandhi?" I asked him to break that awkward silence. "Fine, thank you. Arjun, Harini was looking for you. Go and talk to her." he said to Arjun. I know Harini. Harini is the daughter of our rtive Selvam. Selvam owns a cotton mill in Coimbatore. Harini is a beautiful girl with wealth. "Dad, I already spoke to her. Please, don''t embarrass me more." Arjun told his dad with gritted teeth. "Harini is a good girl, Maapii." I tried to tell him. "Please, Mr. Sivaprakasam. Please don''t interfere in our son''s life anymore. We made a huge mistake in his life and we want to make it right for him. I just want to start his life fresh. You have already done enough damage to our family and my son''s life. I don''t want even your shadows to be near him." he said, calm andposed, that felt like a harsh sting in my heart. "Dad, stop it. It is not fair to talk to him like this. He is very generous and considerate. I have told you so many times that he is not to be med. He is trying to be nice in spite of his loss and you are disrespecting him. Please dad, stop seeing him as an enemy for he is not one." Arjun spoke for me. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. "It''s ok, maapii. Your dad showed me my ce when I called him to refer an alliance for you. It is my fault that I spoke about your life now. Remember one thing, Sammandhi. I always want your son to be happy." I told him and turned to leave. It is just my luck that no one was listening to our conversation. It saved me from a public insult. "Uncle, please. I am sorry dad spoke that way. He is a father. I think you know why he feels what he feels. But trust me, Uncle. I always think of you as my rtive and well wisher. I respect you. Now to make it up to you, I am going to first consider the alliance you bring. I give you my word that if everything is fine with the alliance you give me, I will for sure proceed to marriage." he said. "Ajju! Wait!" Yashodha tried to stop him but he halted his mother with a wave of a hand and gave his word to me. Arjun is a man known for keeping his word. "You are a grown man, Arjun. You know what is best for you. All we want is to see you lead a happy life. We want to see you getting married. We have some expectations that the bride should have. We respect your decision." Hariharan told Arjun and excused himself. "Thank you, maapii. I will send the details as soon as possible. Talk to your dad. It is ok if he is angry at me. But it is not ok if he gets angry with you because of me." I told him. "I will handle it, Uncle. Take your time. No rush." he told me. I can say he is not ready for another marriage. But he can''t be like this for his whole life. He needs a life partner to enjoy his life. Anika will be the perfect one! Anika''s PoV I pushed the week days and waited for the weekend. I tried calling Arun to ask him about his ns for the weekend but he didn''t pick up my call many times and the times he picked up, he didn''t give me enough details on it. I am really worried about his recent behavior. I saw his facebook and Instagram posts where he is more active with pictures of him and his new friends. I am happy for him that he is epted in his new environment. But what about my issue? Why is he not showing any interest in talking to me? I decided to call him and ask about his decision. "Hello, Arun." "Hi Anu! What''s up?" "Tell me a date when you cane and meet my parents. I have been trying to ask this to you for the whole week and you keep on dodging my question." I told him. "Whoa, rx Anu. Don''t you think it is too early for us to talk about marriage? I have some responsibilities. I have to take care of my sister. My mom says I can''t marry until we marry off my sister. I just got myself a job. We have time, Anu." he said. "You are right. We have time. I agree that you have your responsibility as a son and a brother. All I am asking you is toe and meet my parents and give them themitment they want to hear. I am not asking you to marry me tomorrow!" "That is what is bothering me, Anu. Listen to me, we are young and we still have many chances in our life. We are humans after all and are bound to change over time. I don''t want to promise you the "Very well! Your argument is wonderful, Arun. It is true that we are after all humans and will change to situations like a chameleon. I could see that. It was just 4months after we stopped talking and I could see immense change in you. I am happy for you, Arun. I think you are right, it is foolish to close all other opportunities for a sillymitment. All the best, Arun!" I told him. I never expected him to say this. What am I feeling now? Disgust! "Anu listen, I love you. But I don''t want to lock myself with you now. We still have a lot of time to explore. I can stille and meet your parents as your friend." he said. "No thank you, Arun. I don''t want to give false hopes to my parents. I thought of you as the best choice to be my life partner. We were good friends before we moved up our rtionship to love. Now I think that you are meant to be just my friend. Let''s just leave it at that. All the best for you to explore whatever you mean. Bye, Arun." I disconnected the call. I couldn''t even believe I had this conversation with him. Also I think it is because of the confusion made by Nithu. Is this a break-up? Arun will call me back topromise me. I know he will! ''Ding!'' I heard my phone ping. ''Dear Anu, I know you are upset. You will get to know what I meant when you ponder about itter. You asked me for a break 4months ago. I granted it to you without much of a fuss. I ask you for a break now, until I settle things for my mother and sister. I hope you will understand.'' I re-read the message over and over again. I couldn''tprehend my head around it. Why does he need a break when there is no change in his circumstances? Or the change is that he has gone out of the bubble for the first time and he is overwhelmed by it? Either way, he doesn''t want to proceed our rtionship to the next level for now. ''Is this a suspension or a break-up?'' I sent him a reply to be sure of what I should do next. ''I would be happy if you would wait for me. I would be even happier when you proceed through your life!'' Ok, I should call it quits. I never expected this from him but surprisingly, it doesn''t hurt me. I feel like it is just another piece of news. I feel like I am relieved of a suffocation. How cruel am I? Does this mean that my rtionship with him was suffocating me? I should feel bad and sad now. But why am I void of any such feelings? ''Alright, thanks!'' I replied to him and deleted his number from my mobile. I tried bringing Arun''s face in my eyes but all I saw was ARJUN! He is driving me nuts! Chapter 30: 29. Horoscope Match Chapter 30: 29. Horoscope Match Arjun''s PoV Sivaprakasam uncle sent me and my mom a biodata, horoscope and a picture through WhatsApp a weekter after we met him in that wedding. I couldn''t even believe that dad could talk like this to someone on face. It was so undiplomatic of him. He literally hurt Anamika''s dad''s feelings. I know he doesn''t like them much. Everyone in my family thinks that she eloped with her past love or something like that. Though they don''t talk like that in front of me, I know what they all think. My family holds Anamika''s parents responsible for this mishap. My dad thinks that her parents forced her into this marriage because we are rich. No one ever tried to disrespect her parents because I was always in support of them. I could see their shock and genuine sorrow which proved that they are unaware of anything that concerns their daughter. Though it is their mistake not understanding their daughter, it is also true that no one can get into someone''s heart to know what they have in there, not even parents. I stopped dad''s sudden outburst and gave my word to Sivaprakasam uncle. I know I have to get married anyways. What is going to go wrong in giving him a chance? Besides all the girls, dad showed me screams of money andvishness. I cannot put up with someone like that for a whole life. I could not believe my eyes when I looked at the picture he sent us. It was her. ANIKA! It is unbelievable and impossible. How can I marry that little girl? She is in love with someone else. Mom liked her in the picture. Of Course everyone will like her. She is beautiful. I couldn''t say no to mom, I don''t know why. I know I cannot marry her. She is in love with someone else. I cannot do the same mistake of marrying someone who is not in love with me again. Anamika and I married without love. I thought love will bloom after we start living and understanding each other, just like it happens in thousands of marriages in our country. I was patient enough to give her time to settle herself in her new surrounding. I had that physical attraction on her, I was 26years old man and I had no previous experience in sex, so I was eager, yet, I refrained myself when I saw doubts in her. Anamika was a perfect girl. She was a perfect blend of cuteness and beauty. No one could point their finger at her except that she was notfortable being with me alone. I thought she was shy but it turned out that she doesn''t want to be with me. It was aplete shock for me when she asked me to go to her parents'' ce one day out of nowhere. Though, I took her to Tirupur only to lose her forever. She could have told me anything that was bothering her but she chose not to. Now I hate her for what she did to me. It was them who approached us for that marriage. She came into my life and caused chaos. "Ennanga(an endearment a wife uses to call her husband), shall I go to Tirupur today? I feel like I want to see my mom and dad." she told me on that day, ironing my outfits for the day. I was getting ready for my office. "Why today, Anu? Can you wait for the weekend?" I asked her, getting my belt from her. "um... I don''t know, I just felt like visiting them." she said looking down. She never talks to me looking me in the eye. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. "Ok, I will take you." I told her as I felt that she is sad and maybe visiting her parents will make her happy. "No, I can go by myself. It''s ok. I know you are busy." she said hurriedly. "It''s ok, Anu. It won''t be right to send you alone. I shall take you. Wait, let me make some calls to manage my absence today." I told her for which she just nodded. "Are you ok, Anu?" I asked her in the car. "I am good." she said. "Why this sudden n? It wasn''t even two months until you saw themst." I asked her. We visited her parents'' ce two months before when we had to attend a rtive''s wedding. "um... it''s nothing. I had a bad dream. Just wanted to see them and make sure they are fine." she said. "Haha ok, Don''t worry, they will be alright." I told her, holding her hand. "Thanks!" she said, pulling her hand away from me. This is not new, she doesn''t like me touching her. That doesn''t mean she will not let me, she will let me touch her but will soon free herself from me. I could not understand it at first but as time passed, I found it odd. "Anu, Why are you notfortable with me? It''s almost a year now that we are married. I am ready to give you enough time, but you have to tell me what is bothering you." I asked her, breaking my inhibitions. "I... I am sorry. I am scared." she said. I felt pity on her. She is not yet ready to start a life with me. I feel like our culture and our upbringing is so strict that she is not ready to let the natural thing happen. Sex education is something we must give our kids to make them aware of which is good and bad. We were grown up thinking that talking about it is sin. Anamika is the perfect example of such a brought up. She thinks it is bad and that is why she is scared. "Don''t be scared, Anu. I want you to develop your trust in me. Do I look like a monster?" I tried to ease the situation. I am not a talkative person. Actually, I was ok with the silence between us and maybe it is my reserved nature that made me stay apart from my wife for a whole year even after marriage. "No no! It is not your fault. Please don''t say anything to my dad." she said. "What? No. Don''t worry. I won''t talk about this to anyone. Take your time. I am ok as long as you make my mom and dad happy. I am happy the way you are." I told her to ease her. I switched the songs on for the rest of the trip to calm her down as she looked so worked up. I didn''t know that would be thest conversation with her. Mom took Anika''s and my horoscopes to an astrologer to look for our matches and she came with wide smiles. "Ennanga , the astrologer says that their horoscopes are made for each other. They have 12 matches out of 12 and he says that it is very rare. He said we are good to proceed." my mom told dad while eating our dinner. "Good, I am ok if you are ok. I am not going to give anyments on his wedding, Yasho. I leave it upto you. All I want is his happiness." dad said. Yeah, dad is still mad at me for taking up Anamika''s dad''s side. "Pa, please. Just ept that you are wrong in talking to him like that. Imagine what it would be like if they me us for their daughter''s disappearance. There are many chances for them to do that but they understood that it was not our fault and gracefully gave me divorce too. Even now, he wants my happiness just like you do. How is it fair to talk to him like that? If you think out of your shoes, you will know that I was not wrong that day. I understand your concern for my life. But I also understand his plight." I told him. "Arjun, whatever it is, you shouldn''t have talked against your dad in front of him." Rajesh told me. "Please, Rajesh. Let me and dad talk about this." I shut him up. "Ajju, he is my husband. It is not right to talk to him this way." Priya came in. "Oh, for god''s sake, please mind your own business. If you interfere in other''s, you are bound to be put in your ce." I told Priya. "Amma, look at your son. He is not at all respecting my husband. He doesn''t even talk to him. I was ok with that so far but now he is disrespecting him. I cannot tolerate it anymore." she squealed to mom. "Shhh, Priya. Stop making a scene here. We will talk about thister. Let them finish their dinner first." Mom tried to stop her. "Am I making a scene here? Why are you doing this to me, amma? You always support your son." She started whining. "Quiet! This is dining table. Arjun, even now I am telling you, I don''t like their family hanging on to us anymore. You got a legal divorce which means that you are free of your ties with that family. It is for your best interest that I am telling you to cut ties with them. I don''t me them or find fault in them. I know they are good people. But if they don''t know the basic etiquette to clear ways, we should make them move away. I tried to do the right thing and you conflict with me. You are a grown man and I respect your decision. And about your issue, Priya, Rajesh''s opinion on this matter is uncalled for.¡± Dad said and left the table. Priya and Rajesh were upset and I know it was because of me. I was already worried that dad mistook me and Rajesh just spoke the wrong thing and I could not stand it. So I reacted and Priya over-reacted. "I am sorry, Rajesh. But please refrain yourself from interfering in issues not rted to you." I told him to stop this fuming further and left. I heard Priya shouting to mom and I least care about her. I know dad is right from a parent point of view but it is not in my system to just eradicate someone who is not at fault. They are not clingy as dad says. Now getting back to the problem at hand, mine and Anika''s horoscopes match perfectly. So now, mom is going to proceed with this alliance. What should I do now? Why can''t I just say a no? I tried, I couldn''t. Anika is in love with someone and she hates me. Hopefully she will say no to this madness to her parents. It is enough if either of us say a Big NO! Since I know that she will never say ok to marry me, I decided to go with the flow. Strange but true, I feel a bit of happiness and a bit of confusion on who she is in love with! Chapter 31: 30. What I Want? Chapter 31: 30. What I Want? Anika''s PoV I told mom that Arun is noting to meet them. I really felt bad to say this to my mom. My mom is always against this new age culture. She always says that the culture they were brought up in was the right one. Talking friendly to the opposite sex is offended by her. Throughout school and college, she wanted me to stay away from boys. She never used the word LOVE in our house. She thought it to be a sin to fall in love with someone before marriage. I should have listened to her advice. If at all I have listened, my dad would be fine now. Looking back, I realized all that has happened, has happened for no reason. Arun is no more in my life. My mom''s advice would have saved me from that embarrassing moment when my mom caught me the other day. It would have saved that awful fight mom and dad had because of me. It would have saved my reputation in my family. It would have saved those slpas from my mom. It would have saved dad from this horrible state he is in now. Everything would have been on a happy note if at all I had listened to her. "Ma, Arun won¡¯te. He said he wants time." I told her. "That mean?" she asked me with a question on her eyebrows. "That means he is noting, ever." I told her. "Are you ok, Anu?" she asked me. What should I tell her? I am really ok. This break up made no dent in my heart. But it sounds awful! "I am fine, ma." I told her and left the ce. I don''t like this conversation. "Adu, keeppany with Anu. She is very upset." I heard mom talk to Advay. I wanted tough out loud but I thought to leave it as such. "Ennanga, looks like Anu said no to Arun. She is very upset. I think we must fasten her wedding process. She doesn''t have to endure a heart break at this age." I heard mom talk to dad. She is so na?ve. "Then talk to Sivaprakasam. Send her horoscope to him." I managed to understand what dad replied. Adu, mom and dad started being so kind to me. Adu stopped fighting with me. Mom stopped asking me for help. She gave me all her bouquet orders to keep me upied when I am home. It all seems so absurd and meaningless. I actually am very normal and I wanted to shout that I am not broken. Thinking back, I remember what all the stupid things I oath myself when dad said a strict NO. ''I should prove dad that I didn''t decide things out of hormones. I should let dad know Love is not just a feeling but a feeling without which life is nothing!'' How stupid was I? Turns out that dad was right. It was just hormones. Why else would I not be sad? ARJUN!? No, not him. He has nothing to do with this state of my mind. I just let my family think that I am in a heart break. I didn''t want to bother Nithu with all my mncholy. Her engagement was fixed with Praksh. She is very busy talking to him all day. I am totally happy for her. After marriage she will move to Chennai as he is working there. Her wedding is 3months away. I told her that I broke up with Arun on the phone. I said something was wrong with me and she said that I didn''t feel sad because I was not in love with Arun. She said I would be devastated if this happened with Arjun. I don''t want to think about that. For hell, I don''t know why she always brings him up, it''s not like he is submerged, he is always up in my mind and she doesn''t have to do that. There is something wrong with mom and dad for the past two days. I don''t know what is happening with them but I know it is not good. She was breaking all the petals while making the gand. She is not concentrating on her work. "Ma, what is bothering you?" I asked her straight. "Nothing, dear. I am alright." She said, continuing to break the petals. "What is it ma? Tell me. Did Arjun sir call you regarding my work?" I asked her. Maybe he said that he can¡¯t help me. If he had done that, it is not his fault. "No, Anu. He didn''t call yet." she said. Oh, ok! He is not bad, remember? "So that is the problem? It''s ok ma. I can find a job myself. I have sent my resume to many job openings. If I am called for an interview, I am sure I will get a job. Don''t worry, ma!" "I know dear." she said. She is not right. "Ma, look at me. Tell me what is pestering your mind." I asked her, turning her to face me. "Nothing Anu." "Ma!" "Pch, it''s Sivaprakasam anna. He said there is a good groom for you. I sent your horoscope to him. Looks like your horoscope matches perfectly with the groom." She said. "Oh, so?" I don''t like it one bit. "He sent the groom details. Now we don''t know how to say No!" she said. Wait, what did I just hear? "You are going to say No?" I asked her, surprised. I am really happy. But at the same time I wanted to know who it was that my parents wanted to reject. "Yes, dear. The groom he sent is Arjun. We don''t like to marry you to him as a second wife." she said which came in as a shock. Nope! Shock is an understatement. "What?" is all I could manage to get out of my mouth. This No is something I don''t like one bit now. "Don''t worry, dear. We will say a No to them." she said with conviction. "Hmmm!" was my response. I ran into my room and called Nithu. ¡®The subscriber you have called is currently busy. Please try againter!. Ugh! I have been hearing this same recorded voice for the past hour. How long is she gonna talk to him? I decided to talk to her in person. "Ma, I am going to Nithu''s home." I shouted from outside and started walking to her home. On the way, a series of questions bombarded my mind. Why didn''t I feel sad when Arun broke up with me? Why am I feeling happy that there is a chance that I can marry Arjun? What does this mean? Am I agreeing to marry that man? Nope! It is not my decision. It is an arranged marriage. I am just going to give my consent to proceed! But mom and dad want to say NO! Is that ok with me? Argh! I feel like pulling my hair out. "Come in, Anu. Nithya is upstairs." her mom told me when she saw me. "Thanks, aunty." I told her and ran up. I saw her sitting on the wall and talking on the phone. I wonder what they are talking about for so long. "Ok Prakash, my friend is here. I will call youter. Bye." she hung up on him after I red at her. "What the hell? Don''t you look for second calls? I have been trying to call you for the past hour and came here to talk to you. You are getting insane." I almost shouted at her. "Shhhh, don''t shout. I turned off the second call indication as it was getting annoying when we talk." she said. "Are you for real? Second call intimation is invented to let you know that there is someone else trying to talk to you." I said. "Pch, I know, de. Stop taking sses. Ok tell me, what now?" She asked me, pulling me to her and making me sit beside her. "Mom was talking about an alliance to me, right? It looks like our horoscopes match perfectly." I told her. "Very good! So are they going to take it to the next step?" "Nope. They are going to say NO!" "What? Why?" She asked, confused. "Because the groom is ARJUN! It is his second marriage." "WHAT? Is that real?" she almost shrieked. "Yes." "So what do you feel?" "I feel nothing. What should I feel?" I asked her back. I really am very confused. I feel like I cannot trust myself. "Listen to me, Anu. Be truthful and tell me what you want now. You have to be open to me. Hiding your heart to me will not benefit you." "I really don''t know, Nithu. I felt happy when mom said Arjun was the groom. I felt sad when she said she was going to say NO. I should be sad about my breakup, but I don''t. My mom and dad think that getting me married will save me from that ''Non-Existent heart break''. I don''t know what I want. I feel like things are chaotic in my life and I need time to understand what I really want. All I want now is a good paying job, nothing else. Definitely not marriage!" I told her what I really felt in my heart. "Good! You have been trying for a job, right?" "Yes! But nothing positive turned up. Nobody has called me for an interview so far. I think I should go to Chennai or Bangalore and stay there to find a job. Sending a resume and waiting for them to call is useless. Going in straight may yield better results. But our financial situation is not good right now and I cannot even think of going out to search for a job." "I would say, you go with the flow. You do what you think is good. Put your full effort in looking for a job. Let your parents do what is good for you. ept whates to you. Trust me, Anu. Whatever belongs to you will reach you no matter what. Don''t think too much and react to everything. If marriage is fated for you, you cannot escape. So be casual and open to ept anything." She is in a way right. But I couldn''t shake off Arjun. He keeps on lingering in my eyes and mind. I could not stop but see visions of me being together with him. I said OK to her and left for home. When I entered our home, I saw Sivaprakasam periyappa''s car outside. He must havee to compromise mom and dad to say OK to this wedding. "Anna, we know he is not at fault. We know their family is good. They are our rtives too. But whatever said and done, at the end, it is his second marriage. Anu is our only girl and we wish for her happiness." I heard mom talking to him. I decided to stay out and listen to their conversation. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. "Trust me, Anandhi, Saravanan. Your daughter will be happy for sure. Arjun is a very nice gentleman. Though we didn''t want it, his life has been spoiled by our daughter. All I want is to make it better for him. Anika would be the right choice for him. I know Anika and I know Arjun. They are made for each other. If this wedding happens, all your problems will be solved. Saravanan will get better treatments, Advay will study in the best college. Above all, Anika will be happy." he said. "No anna, I have already told you, we don''t want Anika''s marriage to benefit us. She is our precious. All we want is her happiness." "Can you tell me one good reason to avoid this proposal other than it is Arjun''s second marriage?" he asked defeated. I don''t want him to get defeated. I want him topromise my parents. "Nothing, anna. But I think that is more than enough to reject this proposal." my mom said. "Ok, Saravanan. Think well and ask Anika''s opinion on it too. I am not going to tell them your rejection this week. Call me after a week with your final decision. I will take your leave now, Anandhi. All I want is wellness and happiness for both the family. Take care." he came out. "Anika, How are you, ma?" he asked me as he came out. "I am good, Periyappa. How are you? How is Periyamma?" "She is good. Ok ma, will see youter. Take care." he left with a tap on my head. I went into my home and went straight to my room. I decided to know what Arjun feels like on this matter. I took my mobile to message him. Chapter 32: 31. The Confirmation Chapter 32: 31. The Confirmation Anika''s PoV Would he think I am desperate, if I message him? He will! ''Hello Arjun, if I am not disturbing you, may I ask if there is anything positive regarding my job?'' Iposed this message but was hesitant to send it. He would think that I am starting a talk deliberately. Or what if he thinks that I don''t even know that he is a possible to-be groom for me? Then he won''t think bad of me for texting him. Besides, it''s been two weeks since I sent my resume to him. He is a busy man and it is my responsibility to follow-up on him. I need that job after-all. I hit the send button. Soon after he read the message, he started typing a reply to me. I waited impatiently for him to finish typing and send a response to me. ''Hi Anika, Sorry, I missed sending you the venue of the interview. I thought it would be helpful for you if you work in Coimbatore itself. That way, you can take care of your family and it will benefit you in savings also. My friend owns a softwarepany named ''Nishta Solutions'' in Saravanampatti. It is located on the second floor of the tidel park. You can visit him tomorrow at 10AM for the interview. Tell them your name and that will do. All the best.'' Wow, he can talk this long? Ok, he did what he promised. He is so considerate and thoughtful to have fixed an interview in Coimbatore itself. It is just like he heard my mind voice. He is just climbing to the hilltop in my heart with his goodness. I feel like his goodness is filling in me and it makes me feel ted. Why is mom so adamant in rejecting him? ''Thank you so much, Arjun. I will never forget this timely help. I am sure I will ace the interview. I will talk to you after I am done with the interview tomorrow. Thanks again.'' I sent it to him and ran out to tell this to mom. "Ma, happy news. Arjun sir just texted me with the details of an interview tomorrow. The best part is it is here in Saravanampatti. I just have to make my resume and things ready." I told her. "Oh, thank god. I know you will do good. All the best, Anu. Prepare yourself for the interview." she said with a happy smile. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. "I am already prepared, ma. He is a very nice man, ma." I told her. "Yes, he is. I wish him all goodness in his life." she said looking up above. "Am I not good enough for him, ma?" I asked her and I want to cut my tongue for saying that out loud. That was so dumb. "Anu?" my mom looked at me with wide eyes. "Nothing, Ma." I tried to leave but she stopped me. "Anu, he is a divorcee. His wife went missing. He is 29years old. And above all, you hate him." "A divorcee with no fault on him. I remember you asked me, How can you hold him responsible for something that is not his fault? Do you think Anamika akka disappeared because of him? I know you don''t think that. He is 29, what''s wrong? I am going to be 22 next month. The age gap between you and dad is 10years. You are both happy. Above all, he is a good man and I don''t hate him." I told her. I don''t know why I am doing this. Maybe it is time that I give in to that damn feeling inside me instead of denying it. "Why are you doing this, Anu? Have you heard Sivaprakasam periyappa talk?" she asked me. "I did, but..." "No Anu. I can see what you are trying to do. You don''t have to sacrifice your life for our well-being. We can''t trade your life for our selfish gains." she said. God! How can I tell her that I am not sacrificing anything by marrying him but I am marrying him out of my likeness towards him? "Not that, ma. You know that except that it is his second marriage, there is nothing you can point out to reject him. And I don''t see that as a problem at all." I told her. How will I tell my mom that I like him and I am happy to marry him when my mom thinks that I am struggling with a break-up? I just broke up with my boyfriend and I am ready to marry another man just like that? It sounds so ugly. "You have insulted him every time you saw him and yet you want to marry him? You like him?" my mom asked me, for which I stayed quiet. I could not say that out loud. Something was stopping me from doing it. "Anu, think it through. Don''t make decisions hastily. If you like him, we don''t have anything to stop this except that it is his second marriage. Again, if you are OK with that, we are OK too. They are a very good family and he is a very good man. I am telling you again, only if you like him. Don''t you dare think of all the benefits periyappa told. We can live without it." my mom told me and left me alone. THINK IT THROUGH?! I know I like him, I have a fatal attraction towards him, his face is the only thing that is been disturbing my sane mind ever since I saw him, I like to hear his voice over phone, I want to repair my reputation with him, I want to start fresh with him, I hate myself for insulting him, I am sad that I am an arrogant egoist in his eyes and above all Nithu thinks that, I AM IN LOVE WITH HIM! "Ma, I am OK to marry him. But I will go to work and will help you out, for which I would need some time." I told her, getting into the kitchen. "We don''t need your help, Anu. We will be happy to see you lead a happy life. Are you sure about your decision? Or is it because you want to forget Arun and move on?" I wanted to hit my forehead hard but I refrained from doing it. "What? No. Arun has nothing to do with this or anything in my life." How can I make her understand that Arun is a no-one when I myself couldn''t understand how he became a no-one overnight? "So you whole-heartedly are giving your consent for this proposal? You won''t change your mind after we tell our consent to them?" She asked me. "Yes and No!" "Ok, I will talk to Anna and will tell our consent. Trust me dear, I am so happy that you said yes to marry him. I could see his genuine character when he helped us at our most critical time and extended his help in finding you a good job. I really kept him in my prayers when he came to visit us to check on us. That is out of the line for even the greatest of men. He is a man with boundless goodness in him. You will be happy and prosperous throughout your life." my mom told me, kissing my head and went in to talk to my dad. I can see that she is happy that I said yes. I said OK to marry Arjun. What will he say? I have insulted him more than once and with the message he sent, it looks like he doesn''t even know that there is a wedding talk between us. What if he disapproves of me? Can I handle his rejection? I ran in to call Nithu. She is the only refuge I have. I prayed to all the gods that Prakash''s phone must be broken. Only if that happens, Nithu will be free. "Hello, Sollu de(tell me!)" "Nithu, I uh... I told mom that I am ok to marry Arjun." I closed my eyes tight and said that to her. "You did what?" she asked me, more like shouted at me. "I gave my consent to marry Arjun." "I asked you to go with the flow and now you managed to make the flow favorable to you?" she asked me sarcasm evident in her voice. "Nithu, please. I don''t know why I said what I said. But mom said she will let them know that we are ok to proceed." I told her. "Ha, don''t lie to me, Anu. You know very well why you did what you did. You like him, all your heart wants to be with him. You Love Him. You still want to deny it?" she asked me. "Nithu, I am scared. I agree that he is sitting fat in my heart. I couldn''t push him out. I agree that I lost my heart to him at first sight. But all I did was to disrespect him. What if he refuses to marry me?" I asked her. "Hmph, there is a strong possibility for that to happen. The way you behaved with him, he might think that he cannot put up with an arrogant girl for his whole life." she said. "Nithu, you are not helping. I am already scared. Don''t make it worse." "What? I just stated the facts. Wait for his response. Make him realize that you are truly sorry and if you get a chance, tell him that you love him." she said. Easier said than done! "You are an idiot. How can I tell him that I love him when all I did was to insult him at every chance I got? He willugh at me!" I yelled at her. She is very insensitive. But that thought of me expressing my love to him did give me chills down my spine. It was a feeling of thrill. "Then go with the flow. Now that I see you are brilliant enough to change the tracks of the flow in your desired direction, you should be good. But all I tell you is, open up to him when you get a chance. Truths are the most important building blocks of life." she said. "Ok ok! Bye!" I hung up on her. Should I tell him the truth? Would he believe me if I said that I fell hard for him at the first sight? Chapter 33: 32. The Engagement Chapter 33: 32. The Engagement Arjun''s PoV I don''t know what to do. Things are getting out of hand and I cannot stop it. I truly don''t know if she knows that we are about to get engaged with each other. Everything is happening so fast and my mom is very happy about it. Sivaprakasam uncle is euphoric and he came straight to my office to thank and congratte me. It is because of him and the word I gave him, I could not stop this. I clearly know that she is in love with someone but I cannot state it to stop this wedding because it would be immoral of me to spoil the reputation of a girl. I thought she would deny me but we are now travelling to Coimbatore to see her. It is more like a confirmation, an engagement. I still remember that message she sent me to check on the job for her and I replied to her with Ashwin''s office address. Ipletely forgot about her job as I was busy with my work. I spoke to Ashwin after I replied to her and asked him to arrange an interview for her for which he said ok. With that message, I knew that no one had told her about the possible marriage between us. The next day, she called me at 11 o''clock when I was in a meeting. I declined her call and called her back after the meeting. "Hello, Sorry I was in a meeting. Why did you call me?" I asked her as soon as she picked up the call. "um... I did well in the interview and Ashwin sir said I can join tomorrow. My starting sry is 18k per month excluding tax. Thank you so much for making this happen. You don''t know how important this is for us." She spoke with gratitude evident in her voice. "Don''t mention it. I am d I could be of help to you. All the best." I said. "Thank you, Arjun." she said and I really liked how she called me. "Is there anything else?" I asked her. I don''t know what else to say to her and at the same time I don''t want to hang up on her. I just wish to hear her voice for some more time. "um... No. I mean, yes. I am sorry I behaved rudely to you. That was not me." she said. I wanted to laugh, she is very brilliant and an opportunist. She doesn''t want to be my enemy anymore. Though I hate her color changing character, I could not hate her and I don''t want to find reasons for it. "You said that already. Besides, I am willing to grant your wish." I told her. "My wish? What is that?" she asked me,pletely clueless. "Do you remember what you asked of me when I came to your house? All I want from you is not to see you anymore in my life ever." I told her what she told me. "I just apologized for it. Please, Arjun." her voice sounded like she was pleading and that broke something inside of me. I know I am going to see her soon but I just told her to know what she feels like about it. With her apology, I can sense that she didn''t mean that before when she told me. She wants to see me just like I wish to see her in spite of everything she said and done. "I ept your apology, Anika. And in addition, I am going to grant you that wish of not seeing me anymore. All the best for your life." I told her. I admire her. I love seeing her beauty. I love her talks and voice. But that doesn''t mean I should marry her when I clearly know that she is in love with someone. "So you are not ready to forgive me? I know I made a mistake and I really feel bad for it. I just hope that you understand it. Thank you again for everything. I will see you, Arjun. Bye." She spoke thest words strongly and hung up on me. She is rude again. It has always been me who hung up a call, she is an exception in my life! Within two days after that call, things started to heat up. Anika''s parents said ok to the wedding and asked us toe to their home for a formal meet up. My mom, on the same day, went shopping to buy a saree and jewel for her as a confirmation. My mom and dad were happy that she is not a divorcee or a widow. They never gave importance to the financial status of people, so they least bothered about her family''s current situation. Besides, they know her family, they are rtives after all. Priya was the one that opposed the idea of this proposal stating Anika''s financial status. In fact she was against my first wedding too stating the same reason. She was not a fan of Anamika when she came into our family first but she went under Anamika''s spell as soon as Anamika took very good care of Tarun. I am stuck in this arrangement as I gave my word to Sivaprakasam uncle that I will proceed to the wedding with the proposal he gives me if nothing is wrong. I could still point out that Anika is in love but I chose not to because I don''t want to tarnish her name. "Ajju, don''t think too much. I truly think she is the one for you." Praveen said when I told Praveen and Preethi about this. "Dei Ajju, you like her and you made it happen with your uncle''s help, right? Now don''t act like you don''t want this marriage to happen." He added. He is an idiot but still my best friend. He is trying to make the situation light with his stupid talk. "Pch, shut up Praveen. Ajju, look at me. You know this girl. As far as I know you, Anika is the only girl you have ever talked about. I know she has made her imprints in your heart. It may not be the best one but who knows, maybe she is the one that you are looking for, just like Praveen said. Don''t fight it, Ajju. Just ept whates your way." Preethi told me. Deep in my heart, I know what I want. I want this marriage to happen. I want to spend my life with her. I like the way she behaves with me, a total opposite of how people behave with me. My life would be exciting everyday if I marry her. But I can''t do that. I cannot marry again thinking that love will bloom after marriage. I am not ready for another heartache. I drove straight to her home. Mom, dad, Preethi, Praveen and Sharanya in my car. Another car with Rajesh and Priya, Tarun, Anvi and Avni with trays of flowers and fruits and sweets and saree and jewels. When I stopped the car in front of her home, I was shocked to see so many people in and out of her house. I thought that it was a simple function. I thought of talking to her in private and ask her to say No. But with the crowd they have gathered, it is impossible to say No anymore. "Come, Come. Come in!" her mom came running to the car as soon as I stopped it. We all went in and sat and everyone started talking about all irrelevant things. I stayed quiet almost all the time except for the times to answer questions directed to me. I could see many known rtives. Everyone looks genuinely happy except me. My eyes were constantly in search of HER. Where the hell is she? How can she do this? Or her parents are forcing her to marry me? Why this crowd for just a formal meet up? We are not here to engage, we are here to just see her in person. "It''s auspicious time now. Bring the girl." someone from the crowd said. Everyone went silent and I was terrified with my own heartbeat. I saw here to the hall from that room and her mom gave her a tray of coffee, maybe. She is beautiful is an understatement. She is exquisite! A purple silk saree with a single braid full of jasmine. A small ne and a single bangle on both her hands. Eyeliner streaked big eyes! A small maroon bindi with a white stone on it on her small forehead! Bare skin! No one can say no to marry this treasure. But I have to. I cannot risk my life for the second time. She gave coffee to everyone and came to me. She looked up at me with a beautiful smile, the same smile that once gave me calmness in my heart. I am ttered. I felt like I was melting for that addicting smile. I took the coffee and she went and stood by her mom near the kitchen. I could not peel my eyes off of her. I could see her stealing nces at me. I decided to ask her straight if she is in love with anyone. "If you want to talk in person with the girl, you can go to the garden behind." a rtive close to her told me with a teasing smile. I looked at her and she looked at me too. Her eyes talk and if I read it right,This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. she seems genuinely happy. Should I stop questioning the unsure thing and ept this with happiness just like she is? "Go on, Ajju. Talk to her. She looks beautiful and happy. I for sure think that she is the one." Praveen whispered in my ears. "Go, Arjun. Talk to her." my mom said and I stood up. She started walking to the backyard through the kitchen and I followed her. "um... How are you?" she asked me as soon as we reached the backyard. "Good!" I said. "I like my work. I am in training for this month and I will be allotted a new project from next month." she said. Is she for real? "Good!" I said. "um... Are you not going to say anything?" she asked me after an awkward silence. "I don''t know, Anika. Why are you agreeing to this wedding?" I asked her straight. "I don''t see anything to disagree with. Wait, you don''t like to marry me?" she asked me, the shock evident in her eyes. "Not that. From the meetings we shared, I inferred that you don''t like me." "No, that is not true. I said I am sorry for what had happened. Can''t we just forget that and start fresh?" She asked me, looking straight in my eyes. "Huh, ok, but be honest with me. Do you really like this arrangement? Do your parents force you to agree to this? " I asked her. "What? No! No, no one is forcing me to get married to you. I really am happy to marry you. I just want to say that I am sorry for everything I did before. I was scared of you and myself that I wanted to keep you away. I am really sorry. " she said looking down. "What does that mean?" I asked her. She is scared of me? I feel like the past is repeating itself and I don''t like it one bit. I knew she wanted to keep me away from her behavior but I want to know why. "I . uh... You... um... I thought that you were the reason for Anamika akka''s disappearance until Prakasam periyappa told me differently. I am so sorry." she said, looking away. That hurt me but it is not her fault. Everyone thinks that and nobody ever said that on my face and she did. She is always an exception. I like her blind boldness. "So you now believe that I am not the reason behind Anamika''s disappearance?" "Yes" she said looking down, I have noticed this in her, whenever she is not confident she looks away or down. She still has doubts or she is lying. "Do you have anything to tell me before this proceeds to the next step?" I just wanted to give her time to realize what she is getting into and to confess to me what I should know. "um.... You know my family''s state. I want to help them financially. I want to go to work even after our marriage to support them. Is that ok with you?" she asked me. I expected her to tell me about her love but I never expected this. With the way she talks to me, I think I don''t have to worry about the mail. "It ispletely your wish. I have no problem with you going to work. But your family is mine too if we are married. So they will be my responsibility." I told her. She doesn''t have to worry. "Thank you, Arjun. That is your generosity. But I wish I could help them." she said with a beautiful smile that spread calmness in me in an instant. "You don''t have anything to ask me? What do you know about me?" I asked her. "I just want to ask you only one thing. Do you like me?" she asked me looking straight in my eyes. I could not bear her eyes on me so I looked away. "I do!" I told her and turned to leave. I cannot stop that stupid smile that came out of me. I cannot stay with her alone anymore. Our families were ecstatic and they confirmed our wedding. I didn''t want a big wedding again and when I said that, everyone agreed for a simple wedding in our kdeivam temple. I also was against inviting many people and we settled for the first circle of rtives on my side and important rtives on her side. Since there was nothing much to do for the wedding, our wedding was fixed on the next auspicious day that is 15days away. Chapter 34: 33. Somersaults Chapter 34: 33. Somersaults Anika''s PoV Things happened so fast once I told my consent to my mom. My mom informed Sivaprakasam periyappa about our approval and he was more than happy about this. I really wonder if there are real good people in this world still alive like Periyappa who can oversee his sorrow and wish goodness for someone else. Mom, after talking to him, told me that he will let Arjun''s parents know about our consent. I started going to my office, I liked the ce and people there. I don''t know, but I felt like I was given special care and help in the office. Maybe that is how they treat neers there but I felt it is because I was referred to by Arjun. That gave me a kick inside and it made me float in the skies. Two days after I said ok, things actually started to happen at a very fast pace. An indescribable feeling of fear and enthusiasm hit me straight in my face. Mom spoke on the phone to many of our rtives. Even though I heard everything she spoke, I never remembered anything because of the fear that was building inside of me. I called up Nithu to ask if she felt the same before Prakash came to see her. She said she experienced the same that I experience now. But she said she was ok when she talked to Prakash over the phone. Talk to him on the phone? I still remember the talks we hadst on the phone. I called him to let him know that I aced the interview and I got the job. He didn''t pick up my call and the worst part is he cut my call. I felt broken inside and didn''t really know what to do. I mean I just said yes to marry him and here he didn''t even want to talk to me? When my horses tried to reign my heart in more deep shit, my phone rang and saved me. I involuntarily jumped looking at the caller id. ''Ardent Arjun'' . I picked up immediately and he APOLOGIZED to me for not picking up my call. He did that!? I am so ashamed of myself for disrespecting him and insulting him when he is such a down to earth persona. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. But the talks didn''t go as I expected. He spoke like he didn''t know that there is a talk between our families to tie us together that literally wounded my heart. And above all he said he is going to grant my ''wish''. I genuinely don''t remember what I wished from him until he said what my stupid ''wish'' was. Yes, I wished for that. But not anymore. I want him to be with me. I want to spend my life with him. I love him. I love his manliness. I love the way he carries himself. I love his voice. I love the goodness in him. I am attracted to him like a ma. But something stops me from admitting all this to him. My mind says that I have the ego to admit my feelings to him and my heart says that he may think cheap of me if I say that out loud. I mean there is enough room for him to think that I am an opportunist which I am not. I could only say that he would see me again and hang up on him before he could say something and hurt my already wounded soul. I cannot talk to him to make me feel better like Nithu said. I am afraid that the chances for the opposite to happen is more if I call him. So I let it rest and decided to go with the flow just like Nithu said. My dad looked genuinely happy about this arrangement and he looked a lot healthy in just two days'' time. It is just a wonder what good things can do to people''s emotional and mental health that reflects on our physical health. I went to work in the mornings and helped dad in the evenings. I also helped mom and Advay in organizing for the uing event. Advay was actually happy on the inside about this marriage but spoke to me like a very caring brother to know how much I am into this wedding. Remember, my family still thinks that I am broke. I felt blessed to be a part of this caring family. My dad, despite his condition, tries to help do little things and his enthusiasm is just enough fuel for mom to carry on with the work. My mom, I don''t know if my birth mother would be this loving and considerate to me. Even though there is a high chance that this marriage could wipe away our sorrows she was ready to throw that away just for my happiness. Mom started inviting people over to our house when Periyappa called her to inform that Arjun and his parents agreed to visit us the next day. I was thrilledpletely. I expected a call from Arjun at least to acknowledge the things happening around us but I got none from him. I was at the verge of calling him at times but stopped myself at the end. I cannot look desperate in his eyes. I am already a super arrogant girl in his eyes and I cannot stoop any low in there. Here, atst the day hase and our house is filled with people. Periyappa said he will attend my wedding and excused himself from today. Though mom was upset that he could note, she had many preparations to do that kept her upied and from worrying. Dad was all happy and smiling. Advay looked like the man of the house, nothing like a school kid anymore. He took care of everything from food to snacks. I wonder how situations bring out the better in you. Nithu came yesterday night and I didn''t sleep a bit. She keptforting me but I am more than scared for the next day. Just like I helped her in her engagement, she helped me in mehendi and getting ready. I decided to drape a purple saree which I have gotten hugepliments from my college once. I wanted to look beautiful in his eyes. "Nithu, will these jewels go well with this saree?" I asked her. "God, you have been torturing me with your silly questions, Anu. You look as beautiful as you are always. These jewels are beautiful andpliments you well." she sighed. I decided to finish my looks with a single braid full of jasmine. A small ne and a single bangle on both my hands. I stroke a thick line of Eyeliner, a small maroon bindi with a white stone on it and that is it. I usually am not a fan of make up and I always go on bare skin with just a sunscreen moisturizer. So I left it at that. I felt so weird in my own behavior. I kept looking at myself in the mirror ''n'' number of times and I was so self conscious of my appearance. Weirdly it happens only when it involves him. ARJUN, he is a magic that happened to me. When In the room, we heard a lot ofmotion on the outside that informed us about their arrival. He hase! It is really happening and I am not dreaming or making it up. A sudden ball of fear gathered up in my stomach and I felt hard to even breath. I could hear him talk even in all those chaos outside. His metallic voice is the one that I wish to even hear when I am asleep. My mom came in to fetch me and Nithu decided to stay in my room. I went outside and stood near my aunt when my mom gave me a tray of coffee. All my insides jitter in anticipation and fear. I don''t know what the oue of this would be but still I wanted to see him at least. But my head, all of a sudden felt heavy and I could not lift my eyes up to see him. I started serving the coffee to everyone from his family and when it was time to give it to him, all my heart ordered me to lift my eyes to meet his¡¯ and I did the same. When I met his eyes, my stomach made somersaults and I felt chills run down my spine. Those eyes, it looks like he is wearing a mask on it to hide his feelings. His eyes though looked dead, felt like looked at me inpassion and that made me feel light in the heart and I smiled at him. He looked like he was frozen in his spot at my smile. He might be in shock, he wouldn''t have imagined me to smile at him, ofcourse, I am an ever angry girl who probably doesn''t know to smile, in his eyes. I could feel his eyes follow me and that made me super ufortable. It felt like his eyes were pasted on me and I could not stop myself from looking at him. He is super charming and handsome in his dark blue striped formal shirt and grey pants. His clean cut hair is perfectly styled and set. That dense ck beard that covered his cheeks and chin made his lips look as luscious as possible. I could see him look at me so intensely but his face is like a rock, expressionless. I was super afraid to look him in the eyes and someone literally gave me a heart attack when they asked us to talk in private. I walked to the backyard and he followed me. Once there, I knew that he was not going to talk. I have to talk to him and make him understand that I am nowhere near that girl he painted me in his mind. I started the talk exining to him about my work and it felt more weird talking about that stuff at times like this. Fed up with the meaningless talks, I finally asked him if he is not going to ask me anything or talk to me. "I don''t know, Anika. Why are you agreeing to this wedding?" He asked me with a straight face. "I don''t see anything to disagree with. Wait, you don''t like to marry me?" I asked him. I felt like I was facing my worst nightmare. "Not that. From the meetings we shared, I inferred that you don''t like me." He said the exact same thing I imagined him to tell me. "No, that is not true. I said I am sorry for what had happened. Can''t we just forget that and start fresh?" I tried telling him. I just wish the past days would just vanish from his mind. "Huh, ok, but be honest with me. Do you really like this arrangement? Do your parents force you to agree to this?" He asked me after a long sigh. "What? No! No, no one is forcing me to get married to you. I really am happy to marry you. I just want to say that I am sorry for everything I did before. I was scared of you and myself that I wanted to keep you away. I am really sorry. " I said as sincerely as I could to make him understand that this is completely my decision. "What does that mean?" He asked me. All of me wanted to tell him the truth that my heart fell at his feet on the very first meet and I was so scared of my physical urges towards him but I could not and I searched for any other sane exnation for my insane behavior. "I ... uh... You... um... I thought that you were the reason for Anamika akka''s disappearance until Prakasam periyappa told me differently. I am so sorry." I said looking away. I know I am a thick skull. I saw a glint of hurt in his eyes and I just want to kill myself for telling that to him. "So you now believe that I am not the reason behind Anamika''s disappearance?" he asked inly. "Yes," I said. Now I really feel like I should have listened to Nithu''s advice and confess my feelings to him instead of hurting him like I did now. "Do you have anything to tell me before this proceeds to the next step?" He asked me. Ok! This is a positive sign. He doesn''t want to stop this wedding. "um.... You know my family''s state. I want to help them financially. I want to go to work even after our marriage to support them. Is that ok with you?" I said gaining a little more confidence. He is not going to deny me. He said I have all the freedom to do whatever I like and that made my heart do a somersault. But he also said that my family would be his, If we are married. Who in the world would talk like this to a girl who did nothing but insult him on all the asions? He did! If I was in love with him before, I am addicted to him now. He is a perfect man with loads of goodness. "You don''t have anything to ask me? What do you know about me?" He asked me when I was hugging and kissing him in my head. "I just want to ask you only one thing. Do you like me?" I asked him the only thing that came to my mind. I don''t want to force him into a wedding if he hates mepletely. I held my heart in my hands for his answer. "I do!" He said with a little smile and turned around swiftly to leave. That smile! That is more than enough for me to push that 15 long days to our wedding! Chapter 35: 34. The First Night Chapter 35: 34. The First Night Anika¡¯s PoV I still couldn¡¯t believe that we are married. Yes, we are married! It was like a dream. The 15 days rushed off like a minute in all the wedding preparations we had to do. Since my dad was not in his best health, I had to apany mom and Adu for everything including invitation distribution. Arjun¡¯s parents took care of everything that regards the wedding like, catering, clothes, decoration, transportation and mangalyam. I just had to give them my measurements for the wedding clothes. Mom and I went to jewelry shops to exchange the old jewels for some new ones that are in trend. Mom got me some change of clothes and some essentials for me to take to the new home. We literally didn''t have enough time to even breathe. And yes, I didn''t call Arjun neither did he. From today morning, I have been spending my entire time with him, brushing shoulders and inhaling his addicting scent. He had my heart and body on a leash. He talked to me whenever required like introducing his rtives to me and I did the same. He is a man of little words and I can see that he is not a fan of talking. So I stayed quiet most of the time. He looked genuinely happy and smiled at me sometimes. I think my life will be happy with him. My aunt came along with me to Chennai to stay with me for 2 days until I got used to this new environment. She prepped me up for this night and I am now on the way to the bedroom where our supposed first night is going to happen. Am I scared? Ha, no! I am terrified. What am I going to do? Is he going to ept me as his wife right away or is he going to take his own time? I feel like I can''t wait for him. I just need him all to myself. I was left at the doorstep of a room all alone. I knocked on the door mustering up all the courage after making sure I am looking good for the 1000th time. ¡°Come in!¡± I heard his voice calm and deep. I opened the door and he stood up from the bed. My breath hitched looking at him. He is the most handsome man I have ever seen. He was standing there tall and built in his shorts and a Maroon t- shirt. OMG, he is going to kill me. I lowered my gaze as I could not take him anymore. He is all casual here and I am all caked up with silk saree and jewels. I felt like a stupid to have stand in front of him like this. But this is not my fault, my aunt and Arjun¡¯s mom did this to me. I walked to him and gave him the milk I brought for us. He stopped me when I was about to take his blessings. ¡°No, Anika. That¡¯s ok. I don''t like these formalities.¡± he said. He kept the milk aside on the side table near the bed and looked at me so intensely that I felt a drop of sweat trickle down on my spine. This is not fear, this is something beyond that. An expectation, anticipation of what toe! ¡°Do you want to change? There is the restroom and I believe all your things are in that pink cupboard in the dressing room.¡± he showed me a door. ¡°Thank you!¡± I told him and started walking to the door while looking at the room. This room itself is as big as my whole house. This house is not just a house. It is a pce. Everything in here screams of money and the littlest like a hairbrush to the biggest like the furniture all look extremely expensive. I am scared to even touch anything as I am afraid I would break something. The restroom''s aesthetics are like in star hotels. I couldn''t get the tap open without someone''s help. This home has an elevator to take you to different levels. The first floor for his parents, second floor for his sister and the third floor for him, or us! I have been left in a room with my aunt on the third floor since I came here. As far as I could see, I saw a beautiful garden elevating outside and a huge swimming pool. I don''t know if I can merge in this alien ce. I even feel inferior myself and doubt that if I am worthy of this life, but I also make up my mind that my love for him is more than enough to live my life with him. I walked into the door to reveal a very luxurious dressing room with cupboards on two sides and a huge mirror on the other side, the fourth side being the door. I opened the pink shaded cupboard to see a whole lot of clothes in hangers, all expensive ones and I am sure I didn''t bring them with me. I saw my clothes that I brought with me on thest partition of the cupboard. I took a pajama and changed it in there while cing all the jewelry in the locker in the cupboard. I went to the restroom and cleaned up my makeup and made sure I still looked appealing. After what I thought to be 20 minutes I emerged from the dressing room and found my hubby sitting on the bed looking at his phone. ¡°Ah, you look better. Come.¡± he called me as I was struggling to move my feet. I went near the bed with a pounding heart expecting him to make a move but he just set his phone aside and took me in with his piercing eyes. ¡°Sit down. Why are you acting like you are a timid girl?¡± he asked me in a casual tone. I could not make out whether he is serious or sarcastic about that remark. I sat down near his leg. ¡°You are not going to talk to me?¡± he asked me. ¡°I don''t know, ask me something and I will answer.¡± I said. I hate being tongue bound in his presence. ¡°Haha, what are we doing now? A quizpetition? I know you are very good at quizzes.¡± he said. I gained a little courage, I looked up at him and smiled. ¡°Yes, I am very good at quizzes, you know why? Because I am brilliant.¡± I said. ¡°I know that too. You are brilliant enough to marry me to satisfy your family¡¯s financial needs.¡± he said that felt like a nuclear missileunched at my heart. I am hurt and more than that, I am angry. ¡°Who told you that I married you because of your wealth?¡± I almost screamed getting up from the bed. ¡°Shhh! Prove me otherwise. You hated me and insulted me every time we met. You avoided me like gue. And all of a sudden you were ready to marry me. I like you. I like your blind boldness. I like looking at your beautiful smile. I like how you broke the stereotypes with me. I married you because I want to live my life with you. Now can you exin why you married me?¡± He asked me, calm and composed. What is he implying? He married me because he likes me and I married him because of his money? Why is this happening to me now? He is not going to forget those awful behaviors of mine. ¡°Arjun, I love you!¡± I said. I don''t know what else to tell him to make him understand that I am not after his money but after his heart. ¡®Truth is the building block of a strong rtionship, Anu.¡¯ Nithu was right. It''s time I tell him the truth. Damn my ego! I need to save my rtionship with him. ¡°What?¡± He looked genuinely shocked. He might not have expected this reply from me. ¡°I said I love you! I fell for you the very first time I saw you in Tirupur even in that very bad situation. I could not take my eyes off of you. You barged into my heart and sat there without my permission. I could neither shake you off nor forget you. Every time I saw you, I tried hard to push you away but you kept getting even stronger in my heart. All my body reacted differently when you were near. I thought it to be a physical attraction but when my mom said that you were the groom, my heart literally made a somersault indicating to me that I am in love with you. Every Time I hurt you, I felt a sting in my heart. I am sorry, Arjun. Can we start fresh?¡± I asked, looking at him blur in my vision. ¡°Shhh, rx. We can start fresh!¡± he said, stepping towards me. He stopped literally at a finger gap between us, his breath fanning my face. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°Arjun¡­¡± I could just whisper, words stuck in my mouth and I felt hot on my cheeks. I couldn''t believe that he said that. I thought he wouldn''t believe me but I was wrong. ¡°I am ready to start fresh with you!¡± he said cupping my cheeks with his hands wiping away my tears with his thumb. ¡°Thank you¡± I said, holding his hands on my cheeks, not sure of what else to tell him and I waited no longer to seekfort in his wide chest and he engulfed me in a tight hug. Ah, this ce feels like heaven and it¡¯s made just for me. Chapter 36: 35. Reasoning Chapter 36: 35. Reasoning Arjun¡¯s PoV The 15 days went by in a blink. I went on a shopping spree to buy anything and everything I thought would look good on her. I filled up a whole cupboard with her clothes. I was happy to marry her and thought that she was the one that I have been waiting for, for my whole life. When I saw her in the morning, in her beautiful maroon and golden saree that I chose specially for her, I was spellbound. She was stunning in that saree and itplimented her fair skin very beautifully. Our wedding happened with only 100 people and all the time, she stood beside me brushing her shoulders with mine. She was doing indescribable things to me. She was waking up a sleeping monster that was inside of me and that monster craved for her. I just wanted to devour herpletely and relish every part of her body. I could not stop my evil mind from thinking about all the dirty stuff on her rather I enjoyed everything it pictured. We came by car to Chennai after lunch from her home. She was weeping all the way and I tried to console her but her aunt was sitting beside her and I restrained myself from the attempts to make her feel better. Once home, mom took her toplete the rituals and I was left alone to sit in the hall. Sivaprakasam uncle didn¡¯te to Chennai but Dhanam aunt came along with us. I saw her talking to Preethi and I started listening to them when I heard them say Anika. ¡°Anika is a brilliant girl. She knew that marrying Arjun would uplift her family. Anandhi and Saravanan first opposed the idea of marrying her to Arjun as a second wife. But after my husband exined to them the benefits of this marriage, Anikapromised her parents for this arrangement.¡± Dhanam aunty said. ¡°It doesn''t matter why she married him, aunty. It only matters if she could make Arjun happy. Arjun deserves happiness and if he thinks that she is the one that could give it to him, then I would say you don''t go on and talk about her like this to anyone else.¡± Preethi told her. I didn''t stay there to listen any further. I went to my floor and locked myself in. There is a huge possibility for that to be true. I thought that her parents must have forced her for this marriage but I failed to think of it¡¯s vice versa. She knew I was rich. She hated me and despised me every time we met and all of a sudden agreed to marry me. She took advantage of the situation and as the opportunist she is, she used me to satisfy her family¡¯s needs. But she doesn''t have to do this for that. I was ready to help her family out even when she disrespected me. I was deeply hurt and felt like an idiot to have fallen into this trap all over again. I guess I am not destined to have a love life. I waited for the night to confront her and I rejected all the calls from my mom and dad who were trying to get me out. I told them that I was tired and I needed some alone time.They left me alone after some attempts. I could not stay sane when I saw her in my room with a beautiful pink silk saree. She was like a sculpture with the right amount of flesh in all the right ces. I fought with my mind to stay angry for what she had done but the feeling of lust was overtaking my anger. I tried to keep my cool as the urge to feel her under my fingers was growing as much as the anger that shot up thinking how much of an opportunist she is to marry me. I am not ready to be in a loveless marriage again. But I love her, she made my heart flutter with happiness. I asked her consent for this marriage and she gave her full consent. Argh, I could not determine if she is good or bad. Once she came outside changing into her pajamas, she turned into a little girl. She looked nothing like that beautifuldy in saree but she was damn cute. Her pink pajamas had floral prints on it and it didn''t stand a chance against her pink cheeks. She looked troubled and I started the conversation to break the awkward silence. Once she gained her confidence back, I told her what I have been practicing to tell her on her face. But the reply she gave took me by surprise. I never expected her to tell me that she is in love with me. But she did. ¡°Shhh, rx. We can start fresh!¡± I said, stepping towards her when she asked me if we can start fresh. I still remember every single time she wanted to erase those memories of her rude behavior. From what she said, I can understand the reason behind why she tried to push me away. When she knew that was impossible, she started to give in to the feelings. But then, she felt bad for all her actions before. That was why she kept on telling me to start fresh. It all made sense. ¡°Arjun¡­¡± I could just hear her whisper my name as I closed in on her. I could see her closing her eyes letting the tears roll down on her cheeks. ¡°I am ready to start fresh with you!¡± I said cupping her cheeks with my hands wiping away her tears. ¡°Thank you¡± she said, holding my hands with her tender fingers. She looked down and when I tried to see her face she dug herself into my chest and I felt content. She just fits perfectly in my hands. I could feel her shiver on me and that oddly satisfied my male-self. I could not wait any longer to im her for myself. I took my hand to her bare waist beneath her pajama top and heard her gasp out loud. I could see her shiver under my touch, goosebumps all over her very sensitive skin. She hugged me even more tighter and dug her head more into my chest refusing to look up at me. The more she put herself on to me, the more I wanted to see her face. ¡°Anika!¡± I called her ever so gently, squeezing her waist for which she scrunched my shirt on my chest. ¡°Look up at me.¡± I told her. ¡°Mhum.¡± she shook her head in a No still hugging me. ¡°This is not the girl I knew. Are you really Anika?¡± I asked her, inhaling her scent, resting my head on her head. ¡°Then you never knew me well.¡± she said. I like this witty side of her. ¡°Hmmm maybe. But are you ready to show me the real Anika? I just wish to know more about you.¡± I told her, curling her shirt up. ¡°You are bad, Arjun.¡± she yfully hit me on my chest. ¡°No, I am not. You want to see the bad me?¡± I asked her while making her sit on the bed. ¡°Arjun, I am really sorry to have insulted you. Please forget everything that has happened and promise me that you will never bring that up in future.¡± she asked me, sticking her hand out for me to promise. ¡°I have already told you that I am ready to start fresh. We shall erase everything that has happened.¡± I told her. ¡°Thank you!¡± she said, looking me in the eye and rested her head on my shoulder. I felt more content with her behavior. She was a natural and all these touches never felt awkward unlike it was with Anamika. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°And besides, when the reason behind your arrogance was my charm, how can I stay angry at you?¡± I asked her. I was amazed at myself because I am not a person who goes easy with talks. ¡°Ha, don¡¯t over think yourself as some handsome hunk. You are very average and I happened to like average.¡± she said with a smirk. I love this side of her. She is witty, funny, bold and beautiful. No one has ever talked to me like this. She will always be an exception in my life. All I want to do now is to listen to her talk all day. ¡°Arjun!¡± She called me. ¡°Yes¡± I brushed my finger on her cheek. ¡°Are you going to sit and look at me all night?¡± she asked me, enjoying my touches. That nerve of this girl! ¡°What else do you want me to do?¡± I asked her, smiling. ¡°Asking me!? I don''t know. You have prior experience. I am new, you know?¡± she said. She just spoke casually but she hurt my heart unknowingly. What does she mean by I have had experience? She doesn''t know anything about my past life and I did not wish to tell all about it on this day or any day for that matter. I think that part of my life is a disgrace for me. Besides, I am yet to know herpletely and I do not wish to open up to her on the very first day. But she had already spoiled this day for us unknowingly. ¡°I know. It has been a long day and you should be tired. Get some sleep as we have many formalities to finish tomorrow. We have to go to Tirupur for ¡®Maruveedu¡¯ (a formality where the new bride and groom go to the bride¡¯s ce for a night stay).¡± I told her with a straight face not wanting to let her know that I am hurt. ¡°Oh, ok. Good Night, then?¡± she told me, more like asked me unsure. I can see that she is disappointed. I am too. And the reason is her tongue. ¡°Good Night!¡± I told her and we shared the bed on each end just like it happened some years ago. She is an amatuer! She doesn''t know what her words can do to people. She is still young to learn about the consequences of her words but I don''t have enough patience to handle her naive side. I dozed off to sleep thinking all the ways I should practice to keep my cool. Chapter 37: 36. The Disappointment & The First Kiss Chapter 37: 36. The Disappointment & The First Kiss Anika¡¯s PoV I don''t know what made him shut off all of a sudden and retire to sleep. I mean he was all ready to make love to me and suddenly he went off just like a flick of a switch. Though I don''t understand, I had no other choice than toply with his decision of sleeping on our first night. His nearness, his breath, his hands on my waist, his hard chest, that friction we had when we hugged each other, everything triggered something in me which I have not experienced so far in my life. I was waiting for a hot, steamy love making and here he slept all peacefully. I turned to his side and looked at the rhythmic ups and downs of his chest that tells me he is fast asleep. He is an idiot, how can he sleep when I am this close to him? He said he likes me, but is he not attracted to me the way I am attracted to him? I couldn''t sleep, not even close my eyes. The burning desire to make love to him kept me wide awake. But I felt it so wrong to approach him for sex. What if he think all bad of me? He already does and this will only make it worse. Maybe he is giving me time to understand him better before getting intimate! But I feel otherwise, if we explore each other in love making, we will be morefortable to share about ourselves to each other and in turn it will make the process of understanding much easier. That is why this practice of consummating the wedding on the wedding night has been here ever since our culture started. He is holding his inner self from me, I don''t know why I feel like it but I do. He is trying hard not to show his feelings. That will only make it hard for me to understand him. I closed my eyes to find sleep with so many disturbing thoughts but the majority of them being his hands on my waist. The following week passed by travelling to my parents ce and rtives homes and temples. And the distance between us grew on the bed. He spoke to me for necessity and I saw him talk very little to everyone. I knew that he is not a fan of talking which is the exact opposite of me. The wedding commotion atst settled down and we were left alone to start our life. It is Monday today and I woke up at 5AM as usual. This house is still alien to me as we were roaming the past week here and there. I have not even had a proper house tour. Since the wedding excitement all died down, all the rtives that were staying in the house went by yesterday. I went on doing my Yoga and refreshed myself. When I came in after a bath I saw him lying on the bed with his phone in his hand. Oh, he is a delicious man! His hard abs and chest shows that he never misses to hit the gym. He is wearing a sleeveless shirt that makes me drool on his biceps and triceps. His clean cut fingernails shows that he is a very disciplined man. ¡°Good morning, Anika.¡± He said as soon as he saw me. I stopped drooling over him. ¡°Good morning, Arjun. Sorry, did I take up too much time?¡± I asked him awkwardly. ¡°No, It is just 7AM. I have to be ready by 9, so I still have time. Don''t worry.¡± He said whileing to me. I could not stop that tingling sensation in my stomach as he advanced towards me. ¡°Are you not going to move from the door?¡± He asked, tugging a loose strand of hair behind my ears with his finger. That little touch ignited fire in me and I wanted more. I closed my eyes and leaned in to him. ¡°I have to refresh, Anika.¡± He said that broke my trance. ¡°Uh, Sorry.¡± I told him and made way for him. Why is he doing this to me? I told him that I love him, what else is stopping him from iming me? I can''t wait anymore. I must talk to him today. As I was drying my hair, he came out of the restroom and walked past me. I ran behind him. ¡°Arjun, do you really have to go to the office today?¡± I asked him still running. ¡°Yes, Anika. I have to resume my work today.¡± He said and entered a room. I went behind him and was awestruck. It is a gym with all the strength training equipments. ¡°You can use this gym. Or you can use our garden to do your Yoga.¡± he said. How did he know that I do Yoga? ¡°Don''t let your eyes pop out. I saw you doing Yoga in the morning. Use the garden. Doing it in the fresh air yields more results.¡± He said looking at me with a little smile. ¡°Oh, did I disturb your sleep?¡± I asked him. I felt guilty. ¡°No, you didn''t. It was actually a visual treat. You should do more nks to reduce that little tummy bag of yours.¡± He said, dropping his eyes to my tummy. I was wearing a saree and I hid my tummy with the pallu of my saree. ¡°I don''t have a belly.¡± I tried to deny the fact. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°Haha, nothing can hide that little belly from my eyes.¡± He said pulling me to him with his hand on my waist. ¡°Huh!¡± Inded on his chest. He squeezed my waist hard and I dug his chest with my nails. My stomach made somersaults and my womanhood made a knot that I clenched my thighs. ¡°Now, go and get me a coffee. I will be out in half an hour.¡± He said lifting my chin up to meet his eyes. I looked up at him in his embrace and I felt like I could even die at this moment. I lifted myself on my tippy toes and kissed him on his lips. That little peck made him go wild on me. His eyes changed to a darker shade in lust and he lifted me up and sat me on the bench press. He captured my lips at the speed of lightning while giving gentle strokes on my thigh. He sucked in my lower lips and inserted his tongue in mine exploring my mouth. I started to struggle to match his speed. His hands started to explore my body and he pushed me down on the bench almostying on me. My saree was a mess and so am I. He was on me like doing push-ups without touching me and I was holding him in his arms. He looked straight into my eyes and I couldn''t wait. He took my pallu and dropped it on the ground and took me in his eyes. I felt tingles all over my body and closed my eyes. He dipped down in my neck drizzling wet kisses down to the middle of my bosom. ¡°Ahhh!¡± I moaned out loud and pushed myself up. He grabbed one of my bosoms and pushed me back down. The first time my private part was being man-handled, I jumped up and the sudden jolt made the weights fall down. ¡°Argh, shit!¡± He stood up in pain and I realized I knocked the weight down on his foot. ¡°Oh my god, I am so sorry. Let me see.¡± I sat down near his leg. His pinky and it¡¯s nearest finger was bleeding. God, I am an idiot. I picked up my saree that was on the floor and started wiping the blood. ¡°It¡¯s ok, Anika. I am fine. Don''t spoil the saree.¡± He said taking his leg back from me. ¡°Sorry, Arjun. Really sorry. I am so sorry. I am an idiot.¡± ¡°It¡¯s ok. Now get up and correct your dress. You are making it hard for me to stay sane. Go bring me a coffee. I think my gym time is over. Our servant maid wille at this time to water the nts.¡± He said. ¡°Do you have a first-aid box here?¡± I asked him. ¡°I am going to take a bath now, Anika. I will take care of it. First cover yourself and go.¡± He said turning away from me. ¡°Ok!¡± Though disappointed, I obeyed him and went to the elevator to go downstairs. But I am happy. I am happy with the way he reacted to my kiss. There is nothing wrong in our rtionship. He must be tired and disturbed with all the wedding rituals and travel. My life is going to be a happy one from today. He has the same desires as I have. As I got down, I saw Arjun¡¯s mom sitting at the dining table reading a magazine. There were two servant maids in the kitchen, preparing breakfast maybe. I saw another maid cleaning up the furniture and light fixtures using a vacuum cleaner. She turned to look at me but when I smiled at her, she turned away. Rude! ¡°Good morning, Aunty!¡± I wished for Arjun''s mom. ¡°Good morning, Anika. Come, dear. Did you have a good sleep?¡± she asked me. ¡°I did, aunty. A good sleep after ten days of chaos.¡± I told her. ¡°Yes, after all the weariness you should be tired. Don''t worry, dear. You can stay back and rx from now on.¡± She said. ¡°Arjun asked for coffee, aunty. Shall I go and make it?¡± I asked her. ¡°Sure, Ask for help from Savithri.¡± She said. ¡°Ok, Aunty.¡± I went into the kitchen to make coffee for him. ¡°Hi, can you get me a vessel to boil milk for coffee?¡± I asked the maid, aunty pointed to. She must be around 30 years old. She just pointed to the shelf where the vessel is. I took one from the shelf and opened the fridge to look for milk. ¡°Milk is on the induction stove.¡± she said in a in tone. Why is she talking like this to me? ¡°Oh, ok. Thank you.¡± I told her and took the milk. I don''t like to ask her help to find coffee powder so I searched for it, opening all the doors. ¡°Here.¡± she pushed the coffee powder jar to me. That is it. ¡°Excuse me? Your behavior is not nice. I don''t like you.¡± I told her. She is outrageous. I made coffee and took it to our floor. When I went there Arjun was already ready with his green formal shirt and ck pants. I just wish to jump on him and kiss him senseless now. ¡°Arjun, Coffee.¡± I went into the room. ¡°Put it there ande here.¡± He called me. I went to him and swung me in front of him caging me between his arms. ¡°Arjun.¡± I whined on his sudden attack. His touches are very fiery that even the thought of him touching me makes my hormones jump all over the ce. ¡°I wille homete today. I have to go to the manufacturing unit today. Wait for me. Don''t sleep.¡± He said brushing his nose with mine. ¡°I won''t sleep. My husband is finally ready to move to the next step. So I will be waiting for you.¡± I told him, doing the same thing he did. ¡°Haha, I like your blind boldness. Brace yourself for the impact, dear.¡± He said. ¡°I am waiting!¡± I told him. ¡°Arjun, how will you wear your shoes? Change to casuals.¡± I told him when I saw his bandaged foot. ¡°Oh yes, I forgot.¡± He started surfing his wardrobe. ¡°First, have this coffee. It is getting cold.¡± I told him, giving him the cup. ¡°Oh, I don''t drink milk coffee, Anika. I drink ck coffee with one t-spoon of palm sugar. Didn¡¯t Savithri tell you?¡± he asked when our door was knocked. ¡°Come in,¡± he said. ¡°Sir, your ck coffee.¡± Savithri came in with a tray. ¡°Leave it on the table. You were not in the kitchen when Anika came down for coffee?¡± He asked her. ¡°I told her that you will have only ck coffee. But she got angry and asked me to mind my own business, sir.¡± She said that was aplete shock to me. Why is she doing it to me? ¡°You can go.¡± He sent her out and turned to me. ¡°Anika, Savithri has been here for more than 4 years now. It is not right for you to talk like that to her. If mom gets to know this she will be sad.¡± He told me in a tone that tells me that he is not happy. ¡°Are you not going to ask me if I did that or not?¡± I asked out of shock. ¡°Well, I know you have a sharp tongue. You have to be careful in talking, Anika. You might hurt someone. Besides, Why would she lie?¡± He asked me back. Well, I don''t have an answer. He thinks that I will talk disrespectfully to everyone. That hurts. I stayed quiet and he changed into his casual wear and got down. I went behind him to the dining table to have breakfast. Well, this lifestyle is very alien to me. No cooking but food at the right time. No cleaning but everything is so clean. Maids do all the work and the maids dont like me for some reason. I felt eyes on me at the dining table and I saw Savithri with red eyes that shows she has been crying. Ok, not so great start in my inws'' home. Chapter 38: 37. Oops, Wrong Timing! Chapter 38: 37. Oops, Wrong Timing! Anika¡¯s PoV I dared not to look up at anyone as I am the new one here and my husband himself thinks that I am not a polite girl. So the chances are, everyone here must think the same. I don''t know if she had already told her lies to Aunty or she has yet to tell. ¡°Anika, you sit too. Savithri will serve for all of us.¡± Aunty told me. I dragged the chair as silently as I could and sat on it. ¡°If you are free after breakfast, I can give you a tour of our home, Anika. Feel free to ask for anything from me or any of us. It is your home.¡± She added. ¡°Sure, Aunty.¡± I said. ¡°Uncle, I have to go to Goa for this month¡¯s visit to our unit. I will leave tonight and will be back by wednesday.¡± Arjun¡¯s Sister Priya¡¯s husband said to Uncle. ¡°Ok, Maapii. Safe travels.¡± Uncle replied. ¡°Arjun, Why don''t you take off for another week and take your wife on a honeymoon?¡± Uncle asked Arjun. ¡°I will, pa. But the new ¡®Tinite¡¯ is ready for theunch. I have nned for the advertisement next week. I have to make sure all the retailers have it before the ad goes on TV. I will take a break after I pull this off.¡± Arjun said. I love his talks. He doesn''t do it often but the little time he does, I love to hear his voice. ¡°Ok, I am really happy about your marriage, Arjun. I can see your smiles.¡± He said. ¡°Pa, I am just as usual. Don''t be so dramatic.¡± Arjun dodged his dad¡¯sment. Aunty and Uncle had little smiles of content, Priya just stared at me, Rajesh tried to smile at me. Ok, Aunty and uncle are genuinely happy, Priya is not happy with me and Rajesh tries to fit in. We all had breakfast and Arjun, Rajesh and Uncle left home. I didn''t get alone time with him to bid him an intimate bye as he went just after breakfast with Uncle. I miss him already. But I have other important work here. I must get along with Aunty and Priya. I must find out why that servant maid lied to Arjun. I also must take a tour of this home. It is like a pce and I will for sure get lost if I am left at some ce in this home. ¡°Aunty, is there anything I can help you with?¡± I asked her. ¡°Oh, nothing, dear. We have maids for everything. The only help you can do to me is keeping Arjun happy. That smile he had today was totally because of you. It was long lost, dear. Just make him happy and give us a grandkid to spend our old age with.¡± She said. ¡°I will keep him happy, Aunty.¡± ¡°Good, about Savithri, she is a very gooddy, Anika. She was very hurt because you denied her help and talked rudely to her.¡± She said and I truly don''t know how to defend myself against a servant maid. Aunty sounded a little worried and Arjun is not going to be happy if I make his mom sad. This is not good for me. ¡°I didn''t start it, aunty. She was the one that behaved rudely to me. I will be careful next time.¡± I told her. ¡°She was rude to you? What did she do?¡± She asked me. Thank god, at least she asked me this. ¡°Her way of talking was so rude. She pushed the coffee jar towards me. She¡­¡± I stopped. When I said it out loud I felt like it was not a big deal. It all seems like bickering between two kids. Argh, I am a grown up and a married girl. I should be mature. ¡°Leave it, Aunty. I will see to it that this won''t happen again.¡± I told her. She walked with me showing the two floors and she stopped in front of a door and knocked on it. ¡°Priya.¡± she knocked louder. ¡°Priya can be a little short tempered at times. But she is a very nice girl if you get to know her.¡± Aunty told me. I just nodded to her. I don''t really know how to manage everyone here. I realize how hard it is for every girl in our country to get married and mingle with a new family all together. Priya opened the door and let us in. ¡°Hi Anni(way to call a brother¡¯s wife/ husband¡¯s sister)¡± I greeted her as I went into her room. ¡°Just call me, Priya. Come in.¡± She greeted me back in her own way. ¡°Oh, ok, Where is Tarun?¡± I asked her. ¡°He is ying in his nursery. It is summer break for him.¡± She said. ¡°Oh, is he ying alone?¡± ¡°No, he is ying with his nanny. Come, let''s go see him.¡± She walked out and we followed behind her. We went into the room next door and I was awestruck again. It was painted blue and had almost all kinds of cars, trucks, robots, dinosaurs and godzi. Tarun was a cute little boy. Once we got in, he jumped up and came to me. ¡°Aunty!¡± He jumped on me. ¡°Hi, Tarun. What are you doing? Shall I join you in your game?¡± I asked him, sitting down to meet his eye. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°Sure, Aunty. I was actually getting bored. Shall we go to the swimming pool?¡± He asked me. ¡°Awe, I don''t know how to swim. Do you have floaties? I can look after you while you swim.¡± I told him. ¡°I have, I have!¡± He jumped up and ran to get them. ¡°Haha, looks like Tarun likes you. He will keep youpany. Come to my room anytime you feel bored or need something.¡± Aunty told me and left. ¡°Shall I take him to the pool?¡± I asked Priya. ¡°Of course you can. Bring me when he starts to trouble you. Take care, Anika.¡± She talked very nicely to me. Well, strange but it felt good. ¡°I will. Bye Priya.¡± I told her and picked Tarun up to go to the pool on the third floor. ¡°Aunty, Arjun uncle doesn¡¯t like anyone else using his pool. Besides, it is very deep. Let¡¯s go to the pool in the backyard.¡± He said. ¡°Oh, Ok, then. I don''t know where the pool is. Will you take me there?¡± I let him down. ¡°I will. Follow me.¡± He ran down the stairs and I followed him to the backyard. The House stands in the middle of a hugepound. The front side has a huge roundwn with a beautiful fountain in the middle. Both sides have many rose nts and hibiscus of different colors. We walked through the rose garden and reached the backyard of the house. The breeze and the sound of the waves crashing the shore is absolutely divine. The backyard has coconut trees and some fruit trees and five small cabins. ¡°That is where the nanny, Savithri, gardener, cook and driver stays with family.¡± Tarun said, pointing to the cabins. ¡°Oh, I see the swimming pool.¡± I told him as I saw the huge pool. ¡°Yay!¡± He ran towards the pool and I started walking faster to catch him but stopped in my tracks when I heard someone talking about me. ¡°Huh, she can nevere close to Anamika madam.¡± ¡°Yeah, she is not even beautiful. She is too short and not a perfect match for our Arjun sir.¡± ¡°She is much poorer than us and some rtives said that she married Arjun sir for his money. Greedy Bitch.¡± ¡°Oh, that might be true. She is a rude bitch too. She said that she doesn''t like me on my face. I told on her to Arjun sir and Yashodha madam.¡± ¡°Everyone in the home is going to miss Anamika more than ever because of this stupid girl.¡± God, they seriously don''t like me. They think I am not pretty enough to marry Arjun. I am not as good as Anamika? Huh, my mom had said the same thing many times growing up. That didn''t hurt but this hurts. I ampared to another girl and was graded less than her. ¡°During Breakfast, madam and sir were happy about the happiness Arjun sir has got. But they don''t know this girl¡¯s true face. She is going to be Arjun sir¡¯s misery.¡± I heard them go on. I hate to have heard this conversation. I walked past their houses and reached the pool. Tarun was in it already and I sat down dipping my feet in the water. All my mind was stuck in the conversation of the maids. I have to excel Anamika to find my ce in this house. The servant maids said that out loud but uncle, aunty, Priya and Arjun may not say it out loud but they willpare me to her. My heart felt tired of this thought. Being judged aspared to another girl for a whole life? I must be too good to take my ce. Thinking of it, I must know what Anamika was like to excel her. I cannot talk about her to Arjun, that would be awkward. I can ask aunty or priya. Priya is the best choice. After about an hour I picked Tarun up and went inside the home. Savithri was making lunch and I went in and asked her if Lunch was ready as Tarun was tired after all the ying in the water. ¡°I will bring it to the table.¡± she said to me. I took Tarun to his room and got him ready after a bath in the freshwater. When we came down to the table, the food was already on the table. I took a bowl and spoon and made him sit on the chair. I made him eat by himself. I put a bib on him that catches the spilled food. I corrected him when he spilled too much. ¡°Wow, you made him eat by himself?¡± Priya came down. ¡°He is a good boy and a big boy. So he said he can eat by himself.¡± I told her. His nanny came and took him for a nap after lunch and Priya and I went to her room. ¡°Wow, you paint?¡± I asked her unbelievably. Her room was filled with canvases and paints. ¡°Yeah I do. Do you like them?¡± She asked me excitedly. I know she is an easy girl when we know the right buttons to push on her. ¡°I love them. This one is so good. Are you nning to decorate your room with it? But you have many. nning to make an art exhibition? You can even sell some.¡± I told her. ¡°You think it''s that good? I have thought about it many times but have not gained the courage to take them out of this room.¡± She sat on the bed. ¡°I don''t know anything about painting but I sure know you have some good ones here. Maybe you can post it on instagram and facebook and look for reviews.¡± I told her honestly. ¡°Awe, that¡¯s a nice idea. I can try that for sure. Thank you, Anika.¡± She said. ¡°No issues. Anytime. Priya, do you mind if I ask you something?¡± I asked her. ¡°Of course not. Shoot.¡± She sat turning to me. ¡°May I know about Anamika?¡± I asked her. ¡°Anamika was a very nice girl. She was a charmer. Everyone in this home loved her. From the servant maids to my dad. She was very respectful and a quiet girl. Such a beautiful girl. Don''t know what happened to her all of a sudden that she disappeared into thin air. She loved Tarun and took care of him more than I ever did. Tarun doesn''t remember her at all but I think it is for the good.¡± She said. ¡°Oh, Was Arjun happy?¡± I asked her. ¡°Arjun was never an outgoing person to show his feelings out. He was always an introvert and you can never judge his mood looking at his appearance. To me he was his usual self in the term of their marriage which suggests that he was happy with her.¡± ¡°Oh, ok. How did he react to her disappearance?¡± ¡°He didn''t talk much about it and we never talk about her in front of him as it infuriates him. You don''t do it either.¡± She said, I know that much to not talk about his ex-wife. ¡°Thank you, Priya.¡± I told her and left for our room. I started waiting for Arjun toe. I wish we would consummate our wedding tonight. Maybe that will make him think only about me. I forgot the date and when I felt ufortable in my tummy and back I knew that I had got my menstrual periods. Dang, wrong timing. Chapter 39: 38. Arjun Meets The Uninvited! Chapter 39: 38. Arjun Meets The Uninvited! Arjun¡¯s PoV I couldn''t stop myself from feeling her under my fingers. She is so pretty and curvy. I turned to her in the middle of the night and hugged her close to me. She fits perfectly in my hand and I felt content when she scooted into my chest in her sleep. It felt so natural the way she soughtfort in me. In the morning, I woke up with the sounds of shuffling in the wardrobe. When I woke up, I saw her getting ready to do her Yoga. She was a cute bundle of surprise. I never thought of her to be an early morning person or a Yoga person. I watched her do her poses for straight forty five minutes and when she finished, I pretended to sleep. I saw her in trance when she came out after bathing. Her literally calling eyes were making me hard in my pants and I hate that her talks are a perfect mood-off. Her peach color saree that looks like her second skin ispletely sexy. Her messy bun with free strands of hair on her face that drips water, her boozy eyes, her perfectly carved hourss figure, her wet lips, everything was making me go crazy for her. I don''t understand this pull towards her. Though I wanted to make love to Anamika, I was patient enough to stay away from her and eventually that feeling of sexual drive faded away on her. But with Anika, this feeling is like a forest fire that cannot be put off. ¡°Good morning, Anika.¡± I told her to divert my mind. I have to go to the office today and looking at her like this will never end well. ¡°Good morning, Arjun. Sorry, did I take up too much time?¡± She asked me, getting back to earth. She sure has the same desire as I do and I can''t wait anymore. ¡°No, It is just 7AM. I have to be ready by 9, so I still have time. Don''t worry.¡± I told her and went to her. I could not stop myself from touching her. ¡°Are you not going to move from the door?¡± I asked, tugging a loose strand of hair behind her ears. I loved the way she reacted to my touch. She yearns for it. She closed her eyes and leaned in to me and I remembered the day when she stood like a statue with her eyes closed when I touched her chin to look at her cheek. Her lips were so inviting but she was fresh and I was dirty. ¡°I have to refresh, Anika.¡± I told her, diverting my dirty mind from her. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡°Uh, Sorry.¡± She said disappointed and made way for me. I hate to burst that mood but I have work and this is not the right time. When I went to the gym she followed me there. It was hard for me to avoid her. I told her to use the garden for her yoga and she looked at me with her lips open. I resisted myself from grabbing her lips with mine. She is a little girl and she cannot handle my force. When I told her to do more nks to get rid of her cute belly she covered her belly with the saree. That was so cute that I yanked her to me with my hands on her waist. God, that was so soft and I refuse to let go of it anytime soon. ¡°Huh!¡± Shended on my chest with her face. I squeezed her waist hard as she dug her fingers in my chest. I love that pain that she inflicts on me. ¡°Now, go and get me a coffee. I will be out in half an hour.¡± I told her, making her look up at me. She lifted herself on her tippy toes and pecked me on my lips. That was my breaking point. I lifted her up by her waist and sat her on the bench press all the while kissing her hard on her lips. I started exploring her mouth and she struggled to match my speed. Oh her mouth tasted as sweet as honey and her addicting soft lips are the one that I die for. She grabbed my nape and fisted my hair. I pushed her down on the bench while grabbing her thighs. When I felt that she was struggling for breath, I left her lips and looked her in the eye for her permission to move on. She was a moaning mess and her saree was almost off of her revealing her treasures. Her ups and downs are making me go wild. She looked back in the eye and I waited no longer to free her saree from her. I dipped down in her neck drizzling wet kisses down to the middle of her bosoms. Her mounds were so tempting that I stayed in the middle of her bosoms smooching and giving love bites. Her moans were the sexiest thing I have ever heard and she was wiggling beneath me. I grabbed her bosom to make her stay put but she jolted and knocked off the weights that fell on my foot. ¡°Argh, shit!¡± I retreated from her in pain and she did that again. Spoiled it! I made her go downstairs for my coffee and got ready for my office. Though disappointed, I made sure to take herpletely for myself tonight. When she came with coffee, I told her the same and she yet again spoke so boldly to me. She is not afraid of me and she is waiting for me to take her. She sure loves me and I am lucky to have her. Savithri came in with my ck coffee when I was telling Anika that I don''t drink milk coffee. Anika has started her amature behavior on the very first day? I can''t handle her tongue. It is ok if it bothers me for I enjoy it rather than getting hurt or temper but I can''t allow her to do this to people in this home. I warned her to control her shrewd talking and went to the office. I must teach her to talk, god, I prayed that I should be patient enough to handle her. My day was so busy that I hardly had time to breathe. It was 10.30 P.M. when Praveen and I decided to leave. He took his two-wheeler and went. I went to my car and drove it out of the gates when someone ran in front of my car. I stopped the car with a sudden break when the watchman came running to the car and started arguing with the man. I got down when the man refused to go. ¡°What is the problem?¡± I asked them. ¡°Sir, he has been waiting here since morning to see you. I have told him so many times that you will not meet random persons without appointments. He refused to go but disappeared an hour before. I thought he went but he has been hiding here.¡± The watchman told me. ¡°Who are you? Why do you want to meet me?¡± I asked that guy. ¡°Sir, My name is Arun and I want to talk to you about something very personal. Please sir, I won''t take up much of your time. Just 10minutes.¡± He said. He looked like a decent guy and has been waiting since morning, so I thought of listening to what he has to say. ¡°Get in the car.¡± I told him and started to drive. ¡°So what is it that you want to talk to me about?¡± I asked him. ¡°About Anika.¡± He said. ¡°You want to talk to me about my wife?¡± I asked him. I don''t like this. ¡°Yes, sir. Please listen to me. We both studied in the same college. I was her senior and we are in love with each other. I just got a job here and was about to go to her parents to ask for her hand in marriage but your wedding happened so soon that I couldn''t meet her parents.¡± He said and I felt like killing him. ¡°So you say you were in love with my wife? Ok, not everyone is married to their love. She is my wife now. Anything else?¡± I asked him, indicating that I am not interested in anything he has to say. ¡°Sir, I can understand what you are thinking now. Anika¡¯s parents found that we were in love and they wanted us to break up. Her father said a strict no to our love and her mother asked her to cut ties with me until she finishes her college. She had told her that if after we settle in jobs and still have the same feeling for one another, she will talk to her dad about our love. But her dad got a stroke and we decided to suspend our rtionship until I get a good job. We were not talking while your wedding happened. She must have been forced into this wedding.¡± He said that all sit very well with everything that has happened so far. I now see all red. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± I stopped the car at the curb of the road. ¡°Sir, Anika and I can''t live without each other. She sure is not happy now. Please Sir, give her back to me.¡± He said. ¡°Who do you think I am? Some hero of a movie where I send my wife with her lover boy? I am not who you think I am. She is my wife and this should be thest time I see you in my life. If at all I see you again, then you are a dead meat. If you don''t want me to harm you or your family in any way, stay clear of my sight. Anika is mine.¡± I told him and looked at the door. ¡°Sir!¡± ¡°Get out before I kill you myself.¡± I took out the gun from my dashboard. I am a good man but I have a bad temper. He ran out of the car and if I am right, he won''t bother me anymore. But what about the things he said? I thought Anika was in love with me. But it looks like that is not true. How dare she y me? I went home but I am not in the right mindset to confront her. I went straight to my bar and spent my time there with some very old wine. I have been nice to her ever since I have seen her. But all she did to me was betrayal and insults. She cannot get away with this. She is yet to find my bad side. I will make sure that she regrets getting on my bad side. I called up a private detective that helps me in my business and asked him to verify whether what Arun said was true or not. He said he will update me tomorrow with the reports. I truly wish that whatever Arun said must be a lie but deep down something tells me that he is not lying. This background check is something I should have done before marriage to avoid this mishaps. I decided against my sane mind purely out of the love I had for her. I decided to wait until the reports before I react to it. When I went to the room she was fast asleep with her hair sprawled all over the pillow and her legs across the bed. I couldn''t help but feelpassion towards her and I hate myself for that. I decided to get away for two days andpose myself to give her what she deserves. As nned, I packed my stuff and left home even before she woke up. I usually will go on trips to the sites where our manufacturing units are, so it won''t be seen differently by the people in my home. Chapter 40: 39. His Disappearance and The Disaster Chapter 40: 39. His Disappearance and The Disaster Anika¡¯s PoV I waited so long that night for his arrival but I didn''t know when I fell asleep. When I woke up the next day, it was already 7.30A.M and I felt a wave of guilt surge through my veins. I ran to the restroom and finished my morning routine and searched for him everywhere on our floor. He was nowhere to be found. I ran downstairs on the steps and looked for him in the dining room and drawing hall and there was no trace of him anywhere. I felt so disappointed and went to the kitchen to see if I could help there. ¡°Good morning, Anika. Here is your coffee.¡± Yashodha aunty was there in the kitchen. ¡°Good morning, Aunty. Sorry, I slept a little too much.¡± I said timidly. ¡°No problem, dear. You are free to do anything you please.¡± ¡°Um¡­ Shall I cook today, aunty? I am good at making Biryani.¡± I told her. ¡°But Arjun is out of town, Anika. He will be here on thursday. You can make Biryani when he gets back home.¡± She said that took me by surprise. My husband is out of town? He didn''t care to let me know? ¡°Oh, where did he go, aunty?¡± I asked her. ¡°He didn''t tell you? He has gone to Maharashtra to supervise our production unit there. He will be back in two days.¡± She said. Looks like it is his usual trip. Maybe I was asleep when he came homest night. It must be past 1.30A.M. He must have taken off early today. Maybe he will call me. I went back to our room and waited for his call but I got none. I grew impatient and called him over and over again all in vain. He didn''t pick any of my calls so I decided to text him. Maybe he is too busy to take up my call. ¡®Hi Arjun, sorry, I slept yesterday night. I called you so many times. Call me back when you are free. I miss you already.¡¯ I sent this message and waited for him to call. I started walking around the garden on his balcony. It is so boring here. There is nothing I can do and killing time literally kills me. I leaned on the rocky fountain which had a beautifuldy on top. I never knew that this would happen but thedy fell down as the rock that I leaned copsed. It was carved in marble and with the force it hit the ground, thedy broke into pieces. It knocked off a pot too. God, what should I do? ¡°Aunty, I identally knocked off the fountain in the garden upstairs.¡± I ran to Yashodha Aunty. ¡°Oh no. That one was from Belgium. Arjun¡¯s favorite. Don''t panic, Anika. It¡¯s ok. I will send Arundhadhi to clean up the mess.¡± She said worried. ¡°I am so sorry, aunty. It was an ident.¡± I told her. Guilty is not the right word for what I feel. There should be a more strong word for the strong emotion I feel now. I don''t fit in here. Though she says it¡¯s ok, I can see that she ispletely disappointed. That might be very costly. God, I just wish that the land opens up and eats me alive. I went back up and started to clean up the mess I made when Arundhadhi came in. She came in without knocking. Servants here are so mean and rude. Of Course they would be, for they don''t like me at all. ¡°Oh my god, you broke this? You know how much this was? It was fifteenkhs when Arjun sir bought it 5years ago. It was imported. Huh, how would you know it¡¯s value? Just in a blink of luck you came here. You are a disaster.¡± She told me with a face that exhibits disgust. How dare she? ¡°How dare you talk to me like this? Remember that you are a servant maid here and you have to respect me.¡± I almost shouted when aunty got in. God, everything at the wrong time! ¡°Anika, it is not right to talk like this to the maids here. Arundhadhi, you go downstairs. Come a little later to clean this up.¡± She sent her down and stared at me. ¡°Aunty, she was¡­¡± I was cut off by her. ¡°Whatever it was, you were so wrong in talking to her like that. People here have been working for us for years and I always treat them like one of us. I hope the same from you.¡± She said. Ok, I have got on the wrong side of my mother-inw. ¡°Sorry, aunty. She said that I broke it without knowing the value of it and she said that I am just lucky to get married to Arjun. That is why I lost my cool. I will be more careful next time, aunty.¡± I told her in the plight to at least let her know what actually happened. ¡°If she had spoken like that, then it is wrong of her. I will talk to her. But she was right in hing. You clearly didn''t know the value of it. It was a much valued possession of Arjun. He won''t be happy when he gets to know about it. Please be cautious when handling things around you.¡± She said and went away leaving me in dismay. I know I made a mistake. It could happen to anyone and it was an ident. Besides, I am not used to being around costly things. Nothing is right here and I decided to make it right. The pieces were not crushed and it is still mendable. I got down after gathering all the pieces in one ce. I am unsure of any ces here and I went out to see the driver standing leaning on the car. ¡°Anna (bro), I have to buy some epoxy y, some adhesives and a color corrector. Can you take me to a shop where I will get them?¡± I asked him. ¡°Sure, madam. Get in.¡± He said, opening the back door for me. Whoa, the first time a person that works here talks to me politely. ¡°Thank you, Anna.¡± I got in. We came back in two hours and I started mending my mistake. I used the mix of y and stone adhesive to put the pieces together. It took me about 4hours toplete that and Then I started correcting the colors of the y to merge it with the statue. It took forever for me to finish, so I refused to go down for tea or dinner. It was good as new when I finished working on it and I decided to let the driver help me put it back where it belonged. I retired to sleep with a hungry stomach, hurt heart and no calls from Arjun. No one cared toe and see me, if I was alright when I refused to go down. I felt very lonely in this huge pce. Why is Arjun avoiding me? I just hope that the next day will not be a disaster like today. The next morning, I got down to help with breakfast. I helped Savithri even when she was rude to me. When everyone showed up at the dining table except for Rajesh and Arjun, Uncle asked me to join them. ¡°Sit down, Anika. Are you ok?¡± He asked me. ¡°I am good, uncle. Thank you.¡± I told him. ¡°I heard that you broke the fountain. It is no big deal. I can rece it with the same piece. Don''t feel guilty for it. I value people more than things. I guess everyone in this house is the same.¡± He said while looking at everyone. His tone is rather strict and there is a pin-drop silence. ¡°Thank you, uncle. I fixed it already. I just need help to put it back up.¡± I broke the ufortable silence. ¡°Oh, really? I would like to see it.¡± He said. ¡°Sure, uncle.¡± I stood up but he stopped me saying I have to finish the breakfast. He came along with me and aunty to see the statue after we were all done with the breakfast. ¡°It is wonderful, Anika. Good job. It doesn''t look like it was broken at all.¡± He said. ¡°I warned Arundhadhi and she said she will never talk to you like that ever again. All good, Anika. You don''t have to stay in the room anymore.¡± Aunty spoke to me. ¡°Anika, consider yourself queen of this home. Everyone here must be respectful to you. You have to earn that respect from the family members and you can demand that respect from the maids here. A warning is not enough, Yasho. Terminate Arundhadhi. That will teach lessons to other maids here. They cannot disrespect our daughter-inw. They must know that we won¡¯t choose them over her.¡± He said to Aunty. Great! I am sending home a person within a week I got here. ¡°Ok nga. I will do it.¡± Aunty said and they both got down. Uncle is my most favorite person at the moment. He is supportive enough, no, more than enough. I ran behind them when I finally came to earth. ¡°Arundhadhi, you have crossed your line yesterday and Hari sir thinks that a warning is not enough. You are being terminated.¡± Aunty was talking to Arundhadhi in the kitchen while uncle was watching it from the hall. ¡°Uncle, can I tell you something?¡± I went to him. ¡°Yes, Anika.¡± He looked up at me. ¡°Uncle, I want to let this go for this once. I feel terrible for doing this to her. If at all she behaves badly to me again, I will make up this decision of sending her away.¡± I told him. ¡°Alright, then. Handling the maids is your responsibility from now on. You can send them away if you don''t like them.¡± Uncle said to me with a mild smile, just like Arjun. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡°Thank you, Uncle.¡± I told him. ¡°I trust that you can never make a mistake. Don¡¯t shrink in a room. Try and get along with your new home. We are here to help. You can count on me for any help you want.¡± He said and stood up from the sofa and left, leaving me in Awe. At least the maids problem is solved. Chapter 41: 40. His Indifference Chapter 41: 40. His Indifference Anika¡¯s PoV The next morning, I was too eager to see Arjun. It has been two full days since Ist saw him or talked to him. Aunty said he will be here early in the morning. Sleep went far away as the excitement came hugging me. I was wide awake when I heard the door creak open. I jumped up and sat on the bed to see him. He came in sneakily and I sneakily got down and advanced on him. ¡°Arjun, I missed you so much!¡± I jumped on him, hugging his neck. ¡°You didn¡¯t sleep?¡± He asked me, freeing him from my hands. ¡°No, were you so busy that you couldn''t even attend my calls? I really missed you so much, Arjun.¡± I whined, still clinging onto his neck. He hugged me by my waist and lifted me to meet his eyes. ¡°You missed me?¡± He asked me, looking me in the eye that sends chills down my spine. His eyes on me make tingles in my stomach. ¡°Yes!¡± I said but just air escaped my mouth. ¡°Right! Are you ready now?¡± He asked me and I buried my face in his neck. ¡°Just ready. Actually I had a three days girl¡¯s problem that has just got over.¡± I told him, swallowing that ball of something in my throat. ¡°Perfect.¡± He let me down and switched the lights on. He settled himself on the bed and made me stand in front of him. ¡°Strip!¡± He said coldly that made my stomach knot in fear. ¡°Arjun?¡± I asked him unsure of what I heard. ¡°You missed me and are ready to make love to me, right?¡± He asked me with a tonic voice. Priya was right, you could never tell his mood by his looks. ¡°Arjun, are you alright?¡± I asked him, stepping closer to him. ¡°I am perfectly alright. I missed you too. Let''s do this now. Strip.¡± He said tracing my body with his lust dipped eyes. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Arjun¡­¡± I tried to talk but I could not form any words. My womanhood was drenched with anticipation and my hands automatically went to unbutton my shirt. His cold voice excites me more than he could imagine. He wants me to be submissive and I am ok with it. ¡°Faster!¡± He growled. I dropped the shirt down and stood there in front of him with my ck bra and pajama pants that covered my ankle. His eyes raked my features from top to bottom and his eyes turned to a darker shade filled with desire. I gulped down the ufortable feeling and looked down. ¡°Now your pants!¡± He said making himselffortable on the bed. ¡°Arjun!¡± I tried to move towards him as I felt shy to do so. ¡°Come on, I don''t have all day.¡± He said. His authoritative voice feared me and I did what he asked me to. Now I was standing in front of him with just my underwear and his eyes never left my body. I tried to cover myself with my hands and he asked me to drop my hands to the side. I never looked up as I could not meet his eyes. ¡°You are so beautiful, Anika. I could see you like this for hours. What do you think about love? Having sex or more than that?¡± He asked me. All my excitement went into the drain and that ce was filled with fear and distress. He is clearly not alright. He is not the same Arjun that kissed me like there''s no tomorrow. He is someone else. What happened to him? ¡°Not just sex, Arjun. Love is a longingness, a feeling to spend every second in your embrace. A feeling that controls the time. Like these two days felt like two years for me. What happened to you Arjun?¡± I asked, walking to him. ¡°Nothing! Get dressed.¡± He tried to turn away from me. He is hurt and I don''t know what happened to him that made him talk like this. But I know I can soothe him. I turned him towards me and hugged him with his face under my neck. He hugged me back and dug his face between my bosoms. His beard and mustache made drawings on my skin that fueled the fire in me. I fisted his hair and climbed on him straddling him between my legs. He flipped me in a sudden move making mey down on the bed hovering over me. He squeezed my cheeks that made my lips pout at him. He dipped down on me, capturing my lips in his, kissing the life out of me. He started with slow strokes and started to force himself on me that I struggled to keep up with him. After a little while, he started to hurt me by biting my lips and gripping me with his iron fist. He left pain on me wherever he touched. ¡°Arjun, please.¡± I tried to push him away. ¡°You are hurting me, Arjun.¡± I told him when he was vigorously dry humping on me. I could feel his member on me and his size made me cower in fear. He started kneading my breasts, giving me so much pain. I was covered in bite marks and his hand imprints all over my body and my body hurts like hell. I couldn''t even move my finger. I was longing for his hands on me but he made it a nightmare for me. It was neither pleasant nor a pleasure. ¡°Here, have this money.¡± He threw a stash of cash on the bed near me when he stood up from me. He never wasted a second in front of me, he went into the restroom in a jiffy. What did he say? What did I just hear? What is this cash for? Did he say that in the context that I think? Did I do anything wrong? Or is he hurt that he showed his anger on me? Whatever it is, his behavior was so harsh and unbearable. He cannot treat me like shit. ¡°Arjun, what did you just say?¡± I asked him, knocking on the restroom door. No answer. ¡°Arjun!¡± I knocked harder. ¡°What is it, Anika?¡± He came out like nothing had happened a little before. ¡°What is this cash for?¡± I shouted at the top of my voice at him. ¡°I gave you some money, what¡¯s wrong? You might need it if you want to go shopping. Driver told me that you went out. I am sorry I didn''t give you money before I went on my trip.¡± He said. God, I was wrong again and misjudged him. Thank god I didn¡¯t say anything stupid and hurt him again. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s ok. I will get it from you when I need it.¡± I told him when his eyes got down to my breast. I just remembered that I am still in my underwear. I felt shy and looked down. ¡°Sorry about this, I was not myself.¡± He said tracing his bite marks on my breast with his finger. His touch now gave me a tingling sensation in my stomach. This is my Arjun. ¡°It¡¯s ok, Arjun. But it really hurts so much.¡± I told him honestly. ¡°I''m sorry, Anika.¡± He hugged me ever so gently. I almost forgot everything that has happened a little before and started melting in his hands. ¡°Don''t be, Arjun. I love you.¡± I hugged him back. This feels like home and I can endure anything to be in his arms. ¡°Alright, I have to get ready. You get ready too, I will show you around ourboratory where you are going to work.¡± He said. Well, he wants me to work along with him. Silly me, Ipletely forgot about what I told him before our marriage. It should have been me that asked for a job for me but he beat me to it. He is my better half and I should not let little things make me feel low. He is a good man and I should not react to anything soon. ¡°Ok, I will get ready!¡± I told him, getting in the restroom. He is behaving like a split personality person, all lovey-dovey at a moment and like a beast the next moment. He is making it hard for me to understand him. Maybe he is tired after the trip or the trip didn''t turn out to be fruitful. I came out of the restroom after a soothing bath that my body ached for and opened my wardrobe. The first time I am going out with him, I decide to wear the clothes that he had got me. I surfed through the heap of clothes and picked out an elegant peach color salwar. It fit me perfectly and Ipleted my look with a high ponytail and a bold eyeliner streak. When I emerged out of the dressing room, I saw him all ready in his slim fit brown pants and a dark blue shirt. He is absolutely a handsome man. ¡°Oh, Anamika¡¯s clothes fit you fine!?¡± He asked me, that burst the bubble of joy I had so far. So these are Anamika¡¯s clothes, not the clothes that he had got me? How stupid am I to think that he would buy me clothes even before Ie here? ¡°Oh, sorry, I didn''t know that these are Anamika¡¯s clothes. Give me a minute, I will change.¡± I ran into the dressing room as I couldn''t control the sobs that escaped my mouth. This disappointment is too much to handle and he seemed like he was free of any feelings when he said that. I cared less about the salwar I wore but made sure that it covered all the bruises that he made on me, or should I call it hickeys? We set out after a very silent breakfast. As we reached a huge factory, he stopped the car a little further to the gate and asked me to get down. Though intrigued, I did as I was told as he never spoke a word in the car and his posture is too stiff. ¡°Walk to the reception and tell the receptionist your name and that you are here for a job. She will guide you. We are not husband and wife in these premises.¡± He told me and drove past me at the speed of lightning. I stood there watching the gatekeeper open the door for him and his car glided in. Is this normal for a newly wed couple? Is this normal for any human being? It all seems so weird to me. Why is he doing this to me? Is this who he is or is there more to what he shows? Or did I do something wrong? Chapter 42: 41. The Shock And Pleasure! Chapter 42: 41. The Shock And Pleasure! Anika¡¯s PoV I started walking towards the factory when the sun started to scorch me. My feet struggled to move as I neared the building and I suddenly felt pain all over my body. I saw a beautiful woman at the reception desk and she smiled at me warmly as I approached her. ¡°Hi, how may I help you?¡± she asked me. ¡°Hi, my name is Anika and I am here for a job.¡± I told her. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s you. Here is your appointment order. You have to go to thest room on right to meet Mr. Praveen. He will brief you on your job.¡± She gave me a paper. ¡°Oh, thank you.¡± I told her and went to the room she showed me. ¡°Excuse me, may Ie in?¡± I knocked on the door. ¡°Yes!¡± I heard a voice and I went in. I know this man. I saw him at our wedding. He was the one that came along with him to my home on the day of engagement. ¡°Hi, Anika. What are you doing here? Came with Arjun for a tour?¡± That guy stood up and invited me in. ¡°Sorry, I don''t remember you well.¡± I said. ¡°Oh don''t be sorry, I am Praveen. I am Arjun¡¯s friend and a partner in Tinite. Sit down please.¡± He showed me the chair. ¡°Nice meeting you. But I am here for this.¡± I gave him the paper the receptionist gave me. He had a question mark on his face while he got it from me. ¡°Who gave you this? Where is Arjun?¡± He asked me confused. ¡°The receptionist gave me this. Arjun asked me to see the receptionist.¡± I told him. ¡°Come with me.¡± He walked out of the room to the elevator near his room. I went behind him. We both got into the elevator and he punched the 3rd floor button. He walked out and I followed him to a room that had Arjun¡¯s name on it. ¡°Ajju, what is this?¡± He didn''t even knock on the door. He just went straight in and threw the appointment order on the table in front of him. I don''t understand why he is angry over this. ¡°Praveen, calm down. She asked me to let her go for a job to help her needy family. I thought of using her in our office. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Arjun asked him. I don''t find anything wrong in it. Why is Praveen making a fuss out of it? ¡°There is nothing wrong in making her work for you. But it is wrong to appoint her as an attender here. She is your wife,da.¡± he said. Ok, I am here as an attender. Attender as in? ¡°Any work that pays you well is good work. Isn¡¯t that right, Anika?¡± He asked me with his dead eyes looking straight into my soul. ¡°That is right.¡± I told him. Well, I truly don''t know what else I could say at this point. ¡°See, she is ok with it. And besides she has prior experience at this job. She will do good. Also, I don''t like to bring personal rtionships to the workce. So we are not husband and wife.¡± He said, looking at me. ¡°Here!¡± He added after an aching pause. ¡°Arjun, I don''t like it..¡± Praveen sounded like he was angry but he went out defeated. He knew Arjun cannot be won. ¡°Go with him, he is the one that will brief you about the job.¡± Arjun told me with a little smile. He smiles, so there is nothing wrong? Argh, how can I live like this? Without knowing my husband¡¯s real intentions? I ran out to catch Praveen. I missed the elevator and so I used the stairs to get down. I knocked on the door again of Praveen¡¯s room and went in after his permission. ¡°What is my job here, Praveen? Um¡­ can I call you that?¡± I asked him. ¡°You can. What did you do?¡± He asked me. ¡°What?¡± I asked him confused. I myself don''t know what is happening around me and how the hell can I exin to him about anything. ¡°You did something wrong. He is angry at you. He is not this kind of a person who treats a girl like this. Find out what you did that infuriated him. I tell you, don''t get on his bad side. He will go to any extreme to get back at you.¡± he said that almost scared me to death. I was right, he is angry with me. But what did I do? ¡°About your work, you need toe an hour earlier than regr work hours from tomorrow. You need to tidy up the workstations on the second floor. You need to supervise thedy thates to sweep and mop the floor daily. In the morning break, you need to serve people who order beverages and snacks to their table. You will do the same in the afternoon break too. You will leave the factory premises after every daytimebor leaves the building and make sure that the manufactured tinites are moved to quality control.¡± He said. I can do this job. Like he said, any work that will help me earn money is good work. ¡°Ok, Thank you.¡± I told him. ¡°Come let me show you around.¡± He told me and we set out of his room for a tour. He showed me a small room where he said I can rest. Not bad, an attender gets a room. The day was tiring. I didn''t get to meet Arjun all day. The work was not so bad. It was just like I worked in my college. Helping people carry on their work. This is a huge factory. The ground floor is for disy. The second floor is theboratory and manufacturing. The third floor is Arjun¡¯s room on one end followed by the quality control. The cafeteria on the other end. I kept walking to the third floor and the second floor all day hoping to at least get a glimpse of him but all in vain. I decided to confront him after we got home. It was already time and everyone started leaving. Praveen came to me and bid bye. I am now confused as to how to get home. Arjun said he doesn''t want anyone here to find out that I am his wife. So will he even take me along in his car? I knocked on his door to rify or at least get instructions on how to get home by bus or other means. ¡°Come in!¡± I heard his voice boom. That metallic voice that I can hear all day. ¡°Everyone on the second floor left and they moved the tinites to quality control.¡± I told him. ¡°Come here, Anika.¡± He called me. I moved closer to the table and stood in front of him. ¡°Here.¡± He showed hisp. Is he really doing this here in his office with the door unlocked? ¡°Arjun!¡± A frail whisper left my mouth. ¡°Come here, Anika.¡± His voicepelled my feet to move towards him. Text content ? N?velDrama.Org. He yanked my hand as I neared him and I fell on hisp. He lifted my chin up and captured my lips in his. He kissed me ever so passionately as I fell into his spell and started kissing him back in sync as our lips and tongue started moving to the same tune. He pulled me up and made me sit on the table. He stood between my legs and pulled my pants down. All my mind ordered me to stop him but my body aches for his touches. He rolled my salwar top up to my breast and started kissing my stomach. He dipped his tongue in my navel that made me jump. I fisted his hair and pulled him up. All the way along he kissed me on all the bruises he made on me in the morning. It was like he was healing my wounded heart and body. He pulled my bra down releasing my bosoms. He gently kneaded them with his hands and rubbed his thumbs on my buds. I was a moaning mess under his strong gaze. ¡°Arjun!¡± I tried to stop him but all that were fake tries. I don''t want him to stop anytime now. He bent down nuzzling into my neck drizzling wet kisses down to my bosom. He flicked his tongue on one of my nipples that made me drip on my panties. He continued his attack on my bosoms while his other hand freed my underwear. ¡°Arjun!¡± I held his hand stopping him as I was shocked to be naked in front of him in his office room. ¡°Let me pleasure you!¡± He said , his eyes hooded with lust. He kissed me on my lips making me stop thinking about anything else. He fumbled his fingers on my clit that made me see stars. ¡°You are dripping wet down here,¡± He said, making circles on my clit. ¡°Yes, I am wet! I am wet for you.¡± I told him shedding all my humility. ¡°Oh, yes! You belong to me. Only me.¡± He said inserting his finger inside me. ¡°Aahh, stop, Arjun.¡± I opened my legs more for him. He started it slowly but picked up pace and started pumping faster and faster and I reached a ne where I saw stars inside my closed eyes and felt like my body was floating in space. I came on his fingers in seconds. ¡°Dress up and wait for me outside the gate.¡± He said and went into the restroom in his room. Is that it? Why do I feel like I am used? He is my husband and it is nothing wrong, or is it wrong? I did as I was told once again and he picked me up. How can I ask him what did I do wrong when all he does is get intimate whenever we get alone time? Chapter 43: 42. Let Her Sink!? Chapter 43: 42. Let Her Sink!? Arjun¡¯s PoV I couldn''t wrap my mind around the things that I''m supposed to do. My mind was constantly adrift over her. How could she do this to me? She lied to me when I gave her a chance to admit her love to me. I knew something was off then, but I made the decision to marry her because of the blind feeling I had on her. I love her and that doesn''t change now. She will be mine now and forever. But she lost the chance of enjoying being mine. Now she will be mine paying for her deeds. When Inded in Kolhapur airport, I got a call from my detective. He said that Anika was in love with her senior boy Arun since her second year in college. It was no secret and almost all of her batch mates knew it. So Arun was right. They were indeed lovers at college. Everything sits so well. I remember the email she sent me about doing something wrong and the very next day I saw her in Tirupur, she was ming herself for her father¡¯s condition. Arun said it was when her parents knew about their love affair. So there is a huge possibility that Anika talked to him about taking a break until they settle themselves. How dare she? She said her parents did not force this wedding upon her even when I asked her. Maybe that is true, her parents are not to be med. It is her, she lied to me about falling in love with me. She talked like she was in love with me. She deceived me by acting genuinely happy for marrying me. Her smiles, her blush, her longingness all fake? How can I be deceived like this? Am I that dumb that I cannot tell apart truth and lies? I knew she was lying when she refused to look me in the eye that day. Above all, she used a huge lie on our first night to stop me from further questioning her. How clever is she and how dumb am I!? I melted at her words because that is what I wanted to hear. I was deprived of love and when I got that from the girl I love, I was ttered. Sure she behaves like a good wife who is in love with her husband so far. She even yearns for intimacy. She is a natural at acting. She used me to settle her family¡¯s mary needs and ditched her boyfriend even without informing him. How cheap she is! Ever since I saw her, she was constantly pestering my mind, in good ways before our wedding but in a terrible way now. She messed with the wrong person and she will reap what she sowed. I got another call from an unknown number when I was travelling to our factory. ¡°Hello, Arjun here. Who is this?¡± ¡°Arjun mama, Advay here. How are you?¡± I heard that innocent little boy¡¯s voice over the phone. I still remember how he carried himself like a man topensate for the absence of his father in the wedding. Such a nice kid. ¡°Hi, Advay. I''m good. How are you? How is your mom and dad?¡± ¡°We are all good, mama. Dad is getting better day by day. We all miss Anika. I''m missing her more as I dont have anyone else to fight with. I called her number but she didn''t pick up the call. It¡¯s been two days since we spoke to her.¡± He said. ¡°Oh, she is sad too, Advay, about Arun.¡± I told him. I must know if the whole family is behind this or just her. ¡°She told you about Arun?¡± He asked in shock. ¡°Yes, she did. Don''t let your parents know that she told me. They might get scared.¡± I told him. ¡°Are you cool with it? I won''t let my parents know. But why is she still sad?¡± He asked me back. ¡°Well, I don''t know. Maybe she is missing him.¡± ¡°No, mama. My mom and dad didn''t want to marry her to you as it was your second marriage. Mom told her that she doesn''t have to say yes considering the benefits Sivaprakasam uncle said but only if she likes you. Anu said she really likes you. Only after that my parents said ok to the wedding.¡± He said. Ok, so her family is not part of anything that she had pulled. Just like me, they all think that she agreed to this wedding because she liked me. ¡°Do you know what happened between Arun and Anika? I can console her better if I know what exactly happened.¡± I asked him. I felt guilty to use this boy for my understanding but I am left with no choice to get to know the situation better. ¡°Mom and dad didn''t approve of their love and asked them to stay apart. Anika told Arun that she needs a break until they are settled. But she did that only after dad got a stroke. When Sivaprakasam uncle brought your proposal, mom and dad wanted to give Arun a chance before they proceed with anything else. But after a week, Anu said Arun won''te to meet them and they broke up.¡± He said. Ok, no one knows what happened between them. Arun looks like he is genuinely sorry that she got married to me. ¡°Did she break up before she knew that I am her groom-to-be?¡± I asked him to be more clear. ¡°Um¡­ I don''t know, mama. But I think she said that they broke up after we knew that you were the groom.¡± He said. Cleared. She got to know that I am the groom and she calcted the benefits and decided to marry me. She never spoke to Arun but told her parents that she broke up with him and said yes to the wedding. She is a criminal. ¡°Ok, Advay. You guys don''t have to worry about her. I will take care of her. I am in Maharashtra right now for a business visit. Try calling her number a littleter. Also, I have arranged for your admission in the engineering college that is affiliated to the college that your sister studied. You are free to pick any major you want. All your college expenses are paid for and all you have to do is pass the four years with flying colors.¡± I told him. That feeling of guilt cannot be wiped away but can be subtled. ¡°Thank you so much, mama. I will make you proud. In my school final exams, I will score more than 90%. I will be responsible, mama and I will not take things for granted.¡± He said. I love this boy. Such a good and kind kid. ¡°I trust you on this. Make sure you are in your best behavior. I am really a good person and I can also be really a mean person. That depends on how you behave with me. I hope I will always be good to you!¡± I told him. She thought I would do favors for her family? I will. Not because I married her but because her family is full of nice people except for her. I will arrange for the best treatments for her dad. I will arrange a ce for her mom to start her bouquet shop. In turn, she will pay the price that I didn''t ask for. All my burning rage to take revenge on her melted away when she came running to me. She hung on my neck talking non-stop about how she missed me. Her nearness and her beauty is something that I cannot handle. I wanted to insult her just like how she insulted me in the past. I wanted to strip her naked and leave without touching her but I couldn''t do it. I could not stop my burning desire as she took off her shirt and pants. As much as I wanted to devour her, I got infuriated with myself for being so weak. I asked her what she thinks about love. Her reply truly melted my heart and she sounded truly genuine. My heart that holds unbound love for her masks all her altercations and shows her to be truly in love with me. I hate it. I tried to get out of there but she moved boldly closer to me and hugged me half naked. My manhood took control of me and I started exploring her. I remembered her betrayal half way through and all my anger drained on her. I inflicted pain on her but I didn''t want to make love to her yet. I marked her mine in the most brutal way. Her reddened face and bruises on her body when I finished on her, made me feel ashamed of myself. I am not a characterless man to do this to a girl. That too to a girl I love. I hate her for changing me to a man I hate. And that hate turned on her and I threw her some cash from my wallet for the intimacy we had. I locked myself in the restroom to calm my nerves. It is hell. I cannot forgive her. I cannot punish her. I cannot send her away. I cannot live with her either. What kind of life is this? I opened the door after showering. She stood there in her underwear and I regret doing that to her. Her milk-like skin has bruises all over. She confronted me about what I said and I didnt want to hurt her more than I already did, so I told her differently and looked like she bought my lie. I wanted to offer her a job in my factory. She cannot be in this home enjoying the luxury. I asked her to get ready and she came out with a beautiful salwar that I bought for her. But I told her that that was Anamika¡¯s. It gave me a weird feeling of satisfaction to see her get hurt. I decided to hurt her heart rather than hurt her physically. It makes me feel inferior when I hurt her physically and I don''t want that. She changed and came in a different cloth. She is beautiful no matter what she wears. I made her an attender and refused to answer her questions. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Again, when she came to me in the evening, I wanted to hurt her but I retreated when I saw her bruise. I wanted to right the wrong I did to her. I decided to pleasure her. I made her naked on my office desk and pleasured her with my finger. Her plushy mounds and her smooth folds made me a demon of desires. I made sure her hymen stays intact as I wanted to break it in a proper sex. She tried to speak to me on the way back home but I refused her any chance to do so. ¡°Anika, shall we spend some time in the pool? It¡¯s been more than a week since I had a refreshing swim.¡± I asked her after our dinner. I heard from Tarun that she doesn''t know how to swim. ¡°I don''t know how to swim. But I can givepany to you.¡± She said, looking at me. She is unsure of my mood and behavior. That is what I want too. She doesn''t deserve to know why she is being punished. ¡°I will teach you!¡± I took her to the pool and shredded my clothes. ¡°This pool is specially built for me. It is 6ft deep in the right end and gradually increases feet by feet to 9feet on the left end.¡± I told her walking towards the left end holding hands with her. ¡°Do you want to change to swimsuits?¡± I asked her. ¡°I don¡¯t have one.¡± she said. ¡°There should be some of Anamika¡¯s swim suits in your wardrobe.¡± I told her and looked at her shrunken face. Ah, satisfying! ¡°No it¡¯s ok. I am fine in my pajamas.¡± She said with a little anger. I loved her anger and that love turned to hate almost immediately and I pushed her in the pool at 8feet. ¡°Arjun!¡± She started struggling toe up in the water and I stood there watching her getting tired of trying and slowly drowning in the water. Chapter 44: 43. A Friend? Chapter 44: 43. A Friend? Anika¡¯s PoV I woke up on a bed. Am I dreaming? Am I dead? Is this heaven? Or is this hell? I died from drowning in a swimming pool. My husband whom I love dearly pushed me in the water though he knew that I didn''t know how to swim. He tried to kill me precisely. But why? He is angry at me, why? Angry that he would even kill me? What did I do? ¡°Shhh, rx, Anika. Don¡¯t strain yourself.¡± I heard ady sitting beside me. ¡°Am I dead?¡± I asked her. ¡°Haha, you are pretty alive. I have told Arjun not to teach you swimming anymore. How are you feeling?¡± she asked me. ¡°Feeling numb, I guess.¡± I told her unsure of what I actually feel. ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked her. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°You don''t remember me? I am Preethi, Arjun¡¯s closest friend. I came to visit him as he didn¡¯t go to the office today. Guess what, he is taking care of his sick wife.¡± She said, winking at me. I remember her, she came to our engagement too. She has this uncanny resemnce to someone I know. Who? ¡°Also, I am Praveen¡¯s twin sister.¡± She said that answered my unasked question. ¡°Oh I was just thinking, who do you resemble?¡± ¡°I could read that on your face. Arjun has gone down to bring some hot tea for you.¡± She said. ¡°Oh, you are awake?¡± I heard my man¡¯s voice from the door. He is ever so handsome in his grey t-shirt and a ck shorts. God, why am I feeling scared and aroused all at the same time? Yes, he tried to kill me. ¡°Here, have some tea. How are you feeling?¡± He sat near me on the bed and felt my cheeks and forehead with the back of his hand. I couldn''t stop but to lean into his touch. ¡°I am feeling better.¡± I took the tea from his hands. ¡°Arjun, I want to get some party supplies for the uing party in my office. Will you take me shopping?¡± Preethi asked him. ¡°Why not? I can take you this weekend.¡± ¡°No, not this weekend. I have to be ready by this weekend. So I want you to take me today.¡± She whined and I don''t like how she is clinging on to my husband. ¡°Anika needs someone to take care of her. Maybe we can go tomorrow in the evening?¡± He asked her. ¡°Now, Arjun. Please. See you changed your priority.¡± ¡°Of course, his priorities have changed. You can always take up your brother¡¯s help.¡± I told her. Arjun is mine to flirt or whine or love or get angry! ¡°Oh, looks like you took it in a different sense. Sorry, Anika. He is my friend. My only friend. It¡¯s ok Arjun, I will take care of the shopping on my own.¡± She started with me and ended with Arjun. Arjun¡¯s face changed to a harder look and I know that it is not good. ¡°I will take you now, Preeth. You don''t have to apologise to her. You go and wait downstairs. I will be down in a minute.¡± He told her. ¡°Oh, you don''t have to...¡± She was cut off in the middle by my husband. ¡°I told you to go and wait down.¡± He told her in a passive aggressive state. Now I know I should brace myself for the impact. She went out without a word. He is used to people obeying him without a word and I am not exactly that type. ¡°How many times do I have to tell you to control your tongue? Don''t you dare hurt Preethi. She is very important.¡± He said gripping my elbow hard. ¡°Aww, you are hurting me. Let me go. Let me go.¡± I struggled to get out of his grip but soon I realized it is not easy to escape his grip. ¡°You are angry at me. You tried to murder me. Why? What did I do?¡± I asked him defeated. ¡°Murder you? Haha, you think of yourself as a match to me to consider you my enemy? If at all I wanted you dead, you wouldn''t be talking to me now.¡± He told me coldly that sent chills down my spine. I could feel the string of sweat trickle down from my forehead near my ears due to the heat of his coldness towards me. ¡°Why are you doing this, Arjun? I don''t understand what I did. At least tell me what I did wrong that infuriated you to get to the extreme to kill me or enjoy the sight of me drowning in the water?¡± I shouted at him gulping down the ball of fear. It is no time to fear. ¡°Well, for starters, you have never been pleasant to me. So me being obnoxious to you serves you right.¡± ¡°I apologized to you so many times. I admitted to you the reason behind my behavior. You were good to me before you went on that stupid trip of yours. Talk, Arjun. Talk to me, let me know what bothers you. I truly cannot wrap my mind around the things you do. You hurt me in the name of sex. You threw cash on me in the context of paying me for the pleasures you got from hurting me. You tried to treat me like a whore. You took me to your workce and employed me as an attender that doesn''te close to my degree. You pleasured me on your office desk and made me euphoric like you wanted to make the wrong you did in the morning right. You brought me home and tried to sink me in the water. Obviously you pulled me out when I gave up trying to save myself. You are so confusing! Why, Arjun? Why?¡± I bursted out to him. I cannot take it up any longer. ¡°You want to know why? I don''t like you.¡± He turned away to leave the room. ¡°That is not true.¡± I got down from the bed and ran in front of him stopping him from going out. ¡°Well, it is true now. I hate to even see you. You are nowhere close to Anamika.¡± He said. That was the last string. So hepares me to her. He doesn''t like me as much as he liked her. The very issue I was afraid of has happened. Hepared me to her! I stood aside making way for him. He brushed my shoulders as he walked past me. He likes me, I can feel it. Something is bothering him from admitting it to me. I am making problems with the maids and now I tried to put his friend in her ce. I should stop talking my mind out. I should try and be more diplomatic. Advay was right, my sharp tongue and big mouth is always a problem. Yashodha aunty taught me my daily routine as my uncle asked me to take care of the household along with maintaining the maids. I got down to let the maids know of today''s menu and to greet aunty and priya. Since it is a huge home, the only time we all meet is during breakfast. As I missed breakfast today, I wanted to go meet them. Also, I think I crossed a line in talking to Preethi. Priya said Anamika was so friendly with Preethi and Praveen. Now that I ampared to her, I truly want to excel her. I was amazed at the scene I saw when I got down. I saw Preethi sitting in the dining room and Savithri was talking to her with all her teeth out. She gave her something to drink and it looks like Preethi is a well known character to this house. I should stop making enemies with the people that hold a good ce in the hearts of my inws and my husband. As I stepped down, I saw Yashodha auntye to her giving her a hug. Ok, time for me to apologize to Preethi. ¡°Come,e, Anika. How are you feeling now? You should use our backyard pool to learn, dear. Arjun¡¯s Pool is too deep for new swimmers. Thank god, he was there to save you. Imagine what if he was not there. You gave all of us quite a scare.¡± Aunty said as I neared her. How could she know that her son was the one that drowned me in the water? ¡°I am feeling better, aunty. I will go tell the maids about today¡¯s menu.¡± I tried to walk past them but she stopped me saying she took care of the things for today. ¡°Come sit here, Anika. You met Preethi? She is the one that broke Arjun¡¯s little shell and got to him. She is his childhood friend. Only because of her, Praveen became his friend. Arjun is very protective of her.¡± Aunty said. ¡°Yeah, I met her, aunty. So Preethi, I am feeling better now. Would you mind me joining your party purchase? I am all idle here for today.¡± I asked her. ¡°Of course you cane. The more the merrier.¡± She told me. Aunty got a call on her phone and excused herself from us. ¡°I am sorry to have talked like that. I got a little possessive over my husband. Please don''t mind me. I am a girl with a loose mouth.¡± I told her. ¡°It¡¯s ok, Anika. I know what you feel, I have experienced the same when Anamika came into his life. I am his only girlfriend.¡± she said. ¡°What?¡± I asked her, confused of what she actually meant. Actually, it all sounds too bad and weird to me but everyone has a different meaning to what they say here. ¡°I mean, Anamika said she felt possessive over her husband and hated me at first. But we got along so well when she got to know that I am his only friend who is a girl.¡± She rified. See, itpletely sounds different than what I thought. His only friend that is a girl oddly made me remember Arun. His only friend who was a girl was me. Arjun came down the stairs in his light blue jean and white v-neck t-shirt. All my anger and confusion flew away through the window at his sight. All I want to do now is make love to him. He is delicious! We went to his car and Arjun threw me a look when Preethi said that I am joining their shopping but said nothing. I sat in the front seat and Preethi sat in the back seat. He drove us out to the shops and all the while I saw a very different, friendly, easy to talk Arjun. Praveen and Preethi sure hold a sweet spot in his heart. ¡°Ajju, we will go to a different shop.¡± Preethi told Arjun when we walked into a shop. ¡°I will trash him.¡± Arjun fisted his hand. ¡°No, let''s go, Ajju.¡± She pulled him back out of the shop. I saw a man with pity eyes with another woman looking at us. Chapter 45: 44. Car Ride Chapter 45: 44. Car Ride Anika¡¯s PoV After getting out of the shop, Preethi told me secretly that the man we saw in the shop was her ex- husband with his mistress. She told her shback, that she is a divorcee, a single mother, working in a shipping unit, a friend of Arjun, and her husband cheated her big time. I pity her but I also hate her for the ce she holds in Arjun¡¯s life. He is ready to indulge in a fist fight in a public ce for her. I also hate her for that control she has on Arjun. Something inside me finds it unsettling for a friend. But I dare not to tell it out loud. I may be over possessive of my husband and also I should not disrespect their lifetime friendship even after his warning. ¡°Anu, what are you doing here?¡± I heard a very familiar voice behind me when we were shopping for some biodegradable disposable tes and cups. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. ¡°Hey, Harish Anna(brother)? How are you?¡± I jumped in joy. Harish Anna was my neighbor in Coimbatore. His family moved to Chennai after he got a job here. He was the one that used to teach me until I got to my high school. It¡¯s been like 4 years since Ist saw him at his wedding. Heard from mom that his wife passed away. ¡°I am good. Next week-end is my son Nitvik¡¯s birthday. I came here to buy some party stuff. When did youe here? You got a job here? How is aunty and uncle? Advay must have finished his school now, right? What is he going to choose for college?¡± He bombarded me with lots of questions. ¡°Whoa whoa, rx, anna, Everyone back home is fine. Advay has opted for Electronics and communication Engineering. I am here because I got married.¡± I told him. ¡°Whoa, what? You got married?¡± ¡°Yup, I am. My husband¡¯s friend needed to do some shopping. So here we are.¡± I showed him Arjun and Preethi who were standing in the queue for billing. ¡°Arjun? You married Arjun?¡± He asked me in shock. ¡°Yes, You know my husband?¡± I asked him. ¡°I know. Preethi, there is my college mate, now she is working along with me. I have met Arjun with Preethi. I even saw themst month and he said nothing about his wedding. He was so keen to set me up with Preethi.¡± He said. ¡°Wait, what? He tried to set you up with Preethi? But she just got divorce from her husband.¡± ¡°Yeah, he tried to y cupid between us but I told him that I already have a girl whom I would like to remarry.¡± ¡°Wow, you finally agreed to marry Shivani akka(sister)?¡± I asked him with unbound happiness. Shivani akka was Harish anna¡¯s uncle¡¯s daughter who loved him dearly. But their parents didn''t ept the wedding so he married another girl. But Shivani akka refused to marry anyone. Now that his wife has passed away, Shivani akka must havepromised her parents for this wedding. I am so happy for them. ¡°Yes, Shivani wille to Nitvik¡¯s party. I didn''t n on inviting anyone but some friends of Nitvik from his y school. Now I would like to invite you, Shivani will be happy to see you.¡± He said. ¡°I would love toe.¡± I told him while Preethi and Arjun came near us. ¡°Love to go where? Hi, Harish. How are you?¡± Arjun asked me and greeted him. ¡°I was inviting her for my son¡¯s birthday next weekend. I am good, Arjun.¡± He told him. ¡°Wow, you know Anika? How?¡± Preethi asked him. ¡°Anika was my neighbor when I was in Coimbatore. I have known her since her childhood. I just happened to meet her and got to know that she is Arjun¡¯s wife. So found your soulmate huh, Arjun?¡± He asked him. ¡°Sort of.¡± Arjun answered him unwillingly. ¡°She is a very good girl with a witty character. She will make youugh by her silly behavior. You are so lucky to have her, Arjun. Anyways, I will text you my address. I hope to meet you all at my son¡¯s birthday party next week. I will expect you for sure, Anu.¡± Harish told us. ¡°We will surely be there.¡± Preethi said. ¡°Do you have the same number?¡± Harish asked me and I nodded yes. We went home after dropping Preethi in her house. The friendly Arjun just disappeared in thin air and the grumpy old Arjun reced him. I hate this ufortable silence in the car and I switched the music system on. He turned to look at me and switched it off. He won¡¯t talk and he won¡¯t let me listen to the music too? I switched it back on. I am done being Miss Goody Shoes. ¡°Can¡¯t you be quiet for sometime?¡± He yelled at me, switching it off again. ¡°I can¡¯t. I hate silence.¡± I barked back at him and switched it on again. ¡°Are you not going to stop it again?¡± I asked him when he didn''t do anything. ¡°Why should I? Anyways you will turn it on again. I am not a 5 year old to fight with you.¡± He said with his eyes on the road. ¡°Oh, you are not a five year old. I agree. You are a grooooown up who will only try to murder your wife.¡± I mumbled but made sure that he heard it well. ¡°I didn¡¯t n on killing you. I just wanted to see you suffer.¡± He said, looking me in the eye. He is not joking. ¡°What? What are you? You are some sick person. I''m sure there is a great chance that you killed Anamika and buried her somewhere and tricked the world to believe that she has gone missing.¡± I blurted out but immediately regretted it. He stopped the car. ¡°You know what? You must learn to shut up your bloody mouth. You are not good with words.¡± He told me, turning to me. ¡°I am sorry.¡± I said timidly. He is right. I should have not talked like that. ¡°Your sorry means nothing when you do the same thing over and over again. You are not a small kid anymore where people let you go easily for your mistakes. I won''t be talking to you like this again if you don''t control your damn tongue.¡± He said calm and clear that made my stomach fall into a pit. His words bear more promise that he would not think before he kills me if I talk trash again. ¡°I won¡¯t talk like this again. I promise.¡± I said. ¡°You better don¡¯t.¡± He turned to the road again and concentrated on driving. ¡°Arjun¡± I called him. ¡°Yes¡± He said, still his eyes on the road. ¡°Why did you want me to suffer? What did I do wrong?¡± I asked him. ¡°You know what you did. I leave it to you to decide whether it is right or wrong.¡± He said. ¡°Are you going to torture me by talking in riddles? You yourself said that I am behaving like a kid. I am not brilliant enough to crack your riddles, Arjun. Tell me what I did and I will correct it or atleast exin to you why I did what I did. Please Arjun, I could not understand you. It hurts me to even think that you hate me. I asked you before marriage if you like me. You said you do. I saw genuinity in that answer, but now you behave like I am your grave enemy. Why, Arjun?¡± I asked him and I didn¡¯t realize that I was crying. I felt too low to beg for his love. Love is to be earned, not to be gained as alms. ¡°Anika¡± He called me ever so softly. It almost felt like being caressed with a peacock feather. I don¡¯t understand how he manages to take control of my heart and body with just whispers. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Anika. I have happy news for you. I have bought that corner building near your house in coimbatore. I already made arrangements to set up a bouquet shop for your mom. Also, your dad is admitted in the Nivas Hospital that specializes in curing stroke affected patients. He is well taken care of.¡± He said, gently taking my face in his hands. He wiped my tears with his thumbs. I felt content. ¡°They didn''t tell me any of this. Only Advay said that you got him his seat in your college.¡± I told him. This news is aplete shock to me in a very good way. ¡°Maybe they wanted to surprise you. Your family doesn''t need your support anymore.¡± He said, pulling his hands away from me and I felt so disappointed. ¡°Maybe they won''t. But I need to work for you to thank you for all you have done for my family. A mere thank you will never suffice.¡± I told him from the bottom of my heart. ¡°Oh, you don''t have to, Anika. When are you going home?¡± He asked me, out of nowhere. Something in his demeanor changed and it twisted my stomach. ¡°Why should I go home?¡± I asked him when he parked the car in our home. I know it is not good. ¡°Because you got everything that you married me for.¡± He said coldly. Chapter 46: 45. Nitvik鈥檚 Birthday! Chapter 46: 45. Nitvik¡¯s Birthday! Arjun¡¯s PoV The weekdays went by with me avoiding her and she pestering me for reasons. I stopped taking her to the office partially because Praveen was so angry with me and also because I don''t like to see her round the clock. I hate her for how much she had upied my heart, that even after her betrayal, I couldn''t punish her without feeling guilty. She always pushes me to the edge with her insensitive talks. I was surprised to know that Harish was Anika¡¯s neighbor. That reminds me of the days I visited Praveen and Preethi in Coimbatore during our college days. They studied in PSG college. Anyways, now we are getting ready to go to Harish¡¯s son¡¯s birthday party. He has invited us for lunch followed by cake cutting. She came out of the dressing room with a beautiful turquoise color designer saree and open hair. She looked as if she glided down from heaven. I couldn''t peel my eyes off of her. She walked past me, without sparing me a nce, towards the elevator. I have been avoiding her for the whole week, dodging all her questions but now she avoids me and I could not take it. I went behind her but the elevator closed before I could get in. I ran to the stairs and I don''t know why I am doing this. When I got down, she was already out. ¡°Aunty, I don''t think I wille back soon. But I will be home before dinner for sure. I have already instructed maids regarding their work for the day. I also finished that crochet beanie you were struggling toplete.¡± She was talking to my mom. ¡°Wow, Anika. I was struggling to undo thest line on it where I did the knots wrong. Thank you, dear. No worries, enjoy your time at the party.¡± my mom told her. ¡°Come, Ajju. Are you going somewhere too?¡± Mom asked me. ¡°Yes, ma.¡± I told her but my eyes never left her. ¡°Anna, here is the address. Shall we go?¡± She asked the driver. What the hell? She is not going to come with me to the party? ¡°Ranjan, I will take her. You can have the rest of the day to yourself.¡± I told him. ¡°Oh, you are going to the party together? Good. Then have fun at the party.¡± Mom went in after bidding bye to us. ¡°Get in.¡± I opened the door for her from the inside when she stood outside without moving even after I started the car. ¡°I don''t want to go with you.¡± She said. ¡°Don''t make a scene. Just get in.¡± I whisper yelled. ¡°I will go in a bus or call a taxi. Thank you for offering to help me.¡± She said, that nerve of this girl. ¡°I don''t like people talking back to me. Get in the car before I shove you in and ruin your beautiful saree.¡± I told her, getting out of the car. I stood so close to her that her intoxicating fragrance made me imagine her naked in front of me. She looked up at me with her heaving breasts and frightened big eyes. Her naturally pink lustrous lips are partly opened inviting me in. I took her lips in mine while pulling her close to me by her waist. She grabbed my shoulders and willfully kissed me back. We parted hastily when we heard a sound at the door. ¡°Shhhh, rx. There is no one. Get in the car.¡± I told her when I saw her all worked up. She got in the car and never opened her mouth. She usually would never stop talking but now I want her to talk and she refuses to even turn to my side. ¡°Anika.¡± I called her. ¡°Mmm.¡± She hummed, still looking out in the window. ¡°You knew that I was getting ready for the party too, right?¡± I asked her. ¡°Yes.¡± She said. She sure is a shrewd girl. ¡°Then why did you ask the driver to go to the party?¡± ¡°How would I know if you are going to take me with you when you didn''t even say a single word to me all week? I thought you would take your FRIEND Preethi with you.¡± She told me. ¡°She woulde by herself.¡± I told her. I don''t know what else to tell her. She is right. She has no reason to think that I am going to take her with me. But also she doesn''t deserve toe with me. ¡°Oh, I thought she didn''t know to go out alone since she seeked your help for a petty shopping.¡± She said, sarcasm evident in her voice. I could see a tinge of jealousy in her tone and I am happy about it. ¡°Preethi is my friend. Just a friend.¡± I reassured her. Though I love her jealousy and possessiveness, I also want her and Preethi to be friends. I cannot lose either of them because of her silly baseless thoughts. ¡°Why do you even tell this to me? I don''t care if she is your friend or more than a friend. I don''t like her. For some reason I feel like she is not genuine.¡± ¡°Shut up. You don''t talk about her. This is not going to end well. How many times do I have to tell you not to talk everything that shes on your mind? People opposite to you also have a heart that could get hurt with your words. For god¡¯s sake, shut up.¡± I told her. ¡°See, I was not the one that started this conversation. You did. I know that youpletely hate me and that is why I chose to stay quiet but you wanted me to talk and when I do, you ask me to shut up. I truly don''t understand you, or your ignorance or your punishment. I truly don''t know what I did to deserve this.¡± She said calm andposed. ¡°Listen, Anika. I like you. But that does not mean I will tolerate everything you say. You hurt Preethi, you will be out of my life in no second. Be careful of what you say.¡± I told her withpassion. ¡°You like me?¡± She asked me with her wide eyes. ¡°You only heard that? What are you? Do you have selective hearing?¡± I asked her. She really did amuse me with her question and I could not stop that smile that erupted out of me because of her silly question. ¡°Do you really like me?¡± She was persistent to get the answer out of me. ¡°Yes!¡± I told her, looking her in the eye. ¡°If that is true, you have to answer my question. What did I do wrong?¡± She asked me, that made me fist my hand. ¡°Look at me, we are going to a party and I want you to be happy today. Let''s just pretend that we don''t have any issues between us. Don''t talk about irrelevant things now, babe.¡± I told her, drawing lines on her hand and watched her eyes grow big and her cheeks turn crimson. ¡°Even I don''t want to be sad, confused and angry. Alright, we will talk about thister.¡± She bounced on the seat. I literally saw a kid there. We switched on the music system and talked about Harish and his girlfriend Shivani. When we reached there, Preethi and Avni were already there. Just as we got in, Anika ran in to a girl who hugged her back with equal excitement and enthusiasm. I knew that it was Shivani. Harish came and received us. It was a very simple party with just us as adults and some kids. ¡°Please, feel at home. Sit down, Arjun.¡± Harish told me when he saw me standing all alone. Preethi came to me. ¡°Hey, Ajju. How are you doing? Heard that you didn''t bring Anika to work all week, why? Is everything alright?¡± She asked me with a side hug. ¡°Everything is perfectly alright. I just wanted her to take some rest. Besides, she is aplete distraction when I am in the office.¡± I told her. ¡°You are trying to lie to me, Ajju. You know I know you in and out. Why bother to hide away from me? Tell me what is bothering your rtionship.¡± She said. I truly don''t want to talk about it right now. I am busy ogling my super sexy and beautiful wife. ¡°Not right now, Preeth. We are perfectly fine.¡± I told her without even seeing her. ¡°Arjun,e, you have to meet Shivani akka (sister).¡± Anika held my hand and dragged me with her cutting the conversation me and Preeth were having. ¡°I aming. Stop dragging me.¡± I pulled her closer to me with a little chuckle on her behavior. ¡°Pch,e, Arjun. Akka, he is my husband, Arjun. Arjun, she is Shivani, Harish¡¯s fiance.¡± She introduced us while Harish came along. ¡°Oh, you have already met. Shall we cut the cake and have our chit-chat after?¡± He asked us and took Shivani in his arms. They sure do make a beautiful couple. Nitvik and Avni were ying with the kids and when called out, all the kids came running in. All the while, I just saw Anika. My eyes never left her, she is a beautiful girl with a child-like face and smile. Herughter was filling the room. She kept ncing at me at regr intervals and I loved how she sneakily looked at me, she made me feel like a teenager. She helped cut and serve the cake for the guests and came to me to give me a slice. ¡°Stop looking at me like that, Arjun.¡± She whispered to me while turning all red on her cheeks. She looked like she was flushed. ¡°Looking at you like what?¡± I asked her, maintaining my innocence. ¡°Like you are going to eat me. Shivani is making fun of me. You are so obvious.¡± She said, still handing me the te. ¡°How did you know that I am looking at you like I am going to eat you?¡± I asked her. ¡°Shhh, everyone here knows.¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°God, I saw you.¡± She said finally with a little girly shyness. ¡°Haha, I know! You are so beautiful, Anika. I can''t help it.¡± I told her and watched her shiver with goosebumps erupting all over her hands that I could see. She is so sensitive, just my words are enough to excite her. She is under my spell. All of a sudden our little world was disturbed by chaos. ¡°Avni, shut up! Let¡¯s go.¡± Preethi was shouting at Avni. ¡°Preethi, rx. What happened?¡± I ran to her and lifted up Avni in my hands. ¡°Nothing, Ajju. Let her down. We need to go.¡± She said. ¡°What happened? Avni, you tell me, dear, what did you do to make mommy angry?¡± I tried to ease the awkward situation. ¡°She did nothing, Ajju.¡± Preethi stopped her. ¡°Pch, what is the problem now?¡± I got impatient and irritated. But as I yelled at Preethi, she started crying. ¡°Shhh, calm down.¡± I let Avni down and made Preethi sit down on the couch. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°She asks for her dad, Ajju. She asks me why her dad didn''te to her birthday party. I have told her so many times not to talk about him. But she is very persistent to see him and be with him. I can''t handle her anymore, Ajju.¡± She started crying on me and I felt pity. Avni is a baby and she must be puzzled to see Nitvik¡¯s dad in his party and questions why her dad was missing on her birthday. Preethi is not at fault too, she is already hurt and Avni needs care. ¡°Sorry, Harish! I think we must leave now. We will meet on some other day. Anika, shall we go?¡± I turned to them. ¡°I will drop Anika in your home a littleter, Arjun. Let her stay for a little more time. You go ahead.¡± Harish told me but with her looks, I know Anika wants to be with me. But she was so excited for this meet up and removing Preethi from the situation will bring back the enthusiasm. I didn''t want to ruin it for her so I left with Preethi and Avni with a little nod to Anika. ¡°I wille and pick her upte in the evening. Thank you, Harish.¡± We left the party. Chapter 47: 46. Harish鈥檚 Doubts Chapter 47: 46. Harish¡¯s Doubts Anika¡¯s PoV It was a DRAMA! She spoiled the mood of the party. I still don''t understand why she had to make such a fuss about a little girl¡¯s question about her dad. I wonder what rights her dad has on Avni. Like, at least he should be able to meet her once a month, shouldn''t he? I don''t know how to exin my hate for her. My hate may be meaningless and even hurtful and arrogant but something inside me always disagrees with her and I know enough to trust my intuitions more than my eyes could see. I truly wanted to be with Arjun as we were really hitting it off this time. It was like my dream that he spoke to me with such an ease and it felt like we never really had any disputes between us. But she had to spoil it all for us. Maybe I am a very self centered person, I could not understand the pain she is in right now as her married life has just ended on a bitter note. I am very new in Arjun¡¯s life and she is with him right from the beginning. Maybe I should respect their friendship and also her. ¡°Anu, are you alright?¡± Harish Anna asked me. ¡°Yup, I am!¡± I straighten my confused face to a happy one. ¡°Sorry to have made you stay back, Anu. But I did that for a reason.¡± He said. ¡°Oh, Anna, don''t worry. I am perfectly alright. I am actually worried for Preethi. Good that Arjun is with her.¡± I told a fat lie. ¡°Oh, I wanted to talk to you about that. What do you think of Preethi?¡± He asked me. ¡°What should I think, Anna? She is Arjun¡¯s childhood friend. They have history together. He cares about her. She does the same.¡± I told him. ¡°Right! Arjun cares about her. That is why he tried to set me up with her. But even before he could try to put his n into action, she told me that he is trying to set us together.¡± He paused. ¡°So? Maybe she felt awkward and didn''t think it was a good idea. So she told you before it got ugly. What do you infer from it?¡± I asked him. ¡°I don''t know how to put it in words, Anu. But Preethi spoke so highly of Arjun. She said his married life was not a good one for him. She said she knew everything that happened to him. She also said he didn''t get to live a married life.¡± ¡°Didn''t get to live a married life? What does that mean?¡± I asked him, I don''t like the direction it travels. ¡°Hari, don''t beat around the bush. You are confusing her. Anu, dear, Harish feels that Preethi likes Arjun more than a friend. It is just his feeling from the two encounters he had with Preethi. It may be wrong but it is not to be ignored. Keep a watchful eye on her to save your life. We all can see Arjun¡¯s visible affection towards her. Arjun is genuine but we don''t know about Preethi. Even now, all our eyes were on you and Arjun. We loved that little bickering and your blush with Arjun, we loved how your eyes never left each other, we loved that visible love you both had. But Preethi looked at you with a grumpy face, or a more unhappy face.¡± Shivani said. ¡°Shivani, she might be in distress thinking of her life and maybe she felt sad when she saw us together. That is not a big issue, but no married life means Arjun and Anamika never lived like a married couple, is that right? If so, how did she know it? I''m sure, a man like Arjun, will never tell this out loud.¡± I told them out of pure astonishment. ¡°It may necessarily not mean sexual life. But I felt like it. The way she spoke of his life, I felt she knew the nook and corner about him. She also said that she is the only person in this whole world that he will open to. She was rather proud of that fact. Arjun is the center of her world, she even said that she dissolved the idea of suicide only after she heard Arjun¡¯s voice.¡± He stopped. ¡°Anu, it may all be false but it is not wrong to be vignt, right? We know you are a brilliant girl. Be wise. Also don''t talk this out loud, if it is not true, you may make a big scar in Arjun¡¯s heart that it will erase all the love he has for you.¡± Shivani said to me. We had a nice tea with some snacks and a little pleasant chit-chat before Harish took his motorcycle to drop me home. Nitvik is a very sweet and smart boy. We yed hide-and-seek and statue games with him. He kept calling us for video games but I insisted, he yed these games that we enjoyed as little kids. I really loved the time with them except for that talk we had about Preethi. See, they also didn''t like her or her motive. It is not just my problem that I don''t like her. Again I have no solid proof that will implicate her wrong which means it is all in my head and it just means I am insecure in my rtionship. I am insecure because my husband is aplex man. I should sort out the differences we have between us before I start to snoop into Preethi. I got a call on my phone when I was about to hop on Harish¡¯s motorcycle. ¡°Arjun!¡± I picked up the phone on the first ring. ¡°Anika, I am almost near Harish¡¯s home. Get ready!¡± He said. ¡°You are about time, we were about to leave for our home. We are already outside the home.¡± I told him. ¡°Five more minutes and I will be there.¡± ¡°Ok, is Preethi better now?¡± I asked him as I thought he might expect me to ask that. ¡°She is ok. She even apologised to Avni. They are good. Avni told me that she will never talk about her dad anymore. I think they will be fine.¡± He said with a long breath. I am actually d that he spoke to me this long about his feelings. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org: ?. ¡°They will be fine. Don''t worry.¡± I told him. ¡°He ising to pick me up, Anna.¡± I told Harish as soon as I hung up with Arjun. ¡°Ok then. Just remember what I told you and be on guard.¡± He said when Arjun¡¯s car stopped at our feet. ¡°Hi Harish, Hope you guys had a good time. Will see you sometimeter.¡± He told Harish, opening the door for me from the inside. ¡°Sure, Take care.¡± Harish and Shivani bid bye to us and we moved away from their home towards our home. ¡°You were about toe in his motorcycle?¡± He asked me. ¡°Is that wrong?¡± I asked him back. I don''t like him being a male chauvinist. He can roam around with Preethi and I cannote in a motorcycle with Harish? I even address him as my brother and he didn''t say that Preethi is like his sister. ¡°I didn''t say that it was wrong. I don''t think my mom would appreciate it. She is still very conservative.¡± He said. ¡°Yet she has approved of your friendship with Preethi!¡± I told him for which he turned to look at me and then continued to concentrate on the road. ¡°What? Are you not going to say anything?¡± I asked him when I saw him fist his hand hard on the steering wheel. ¡°I can''t wrap my mind around you. What is this you are going through, Anika? Is this jealousy or suspicion?¡± He asked me very calmly. I hung my head low as I didn¡¯t have an answer for this. Or rather I am not ready yet to tell him what I actually feel. I don''t have enough grounds to stand on my point. ¡°I asked you a question, Anika. You are testing my patience. I am not a very cool man. I am already pushing my limits to stay calm around you. But you are not helping. You talk very insensitively every time even though I have warned you so many times about it. I am now trying to understand you better, so answer my question.¡± He said, stopping the car inside the garage of our home. ¡°What if I say suspicion?¡± I asked him. I know it is a wrong choice but I truly want to know what his reply will be. ¡°Then you have to leave my life. I can''t live with a person who doesn''t trust me. Above that, you can''t question the dignity of a woman I am truly affectionate with. I am to meet and greet many women in my business and if you are going to not trust me, then it will be a living hell.¡± He said. How can I tell him that I am not suspicious of him but of Preethi. Again, his answer is straight to the point. There may come many women, but if I trust him, then I have nothing to worry about. I trust him! That is all that matters. ¡°I trust you, Arjun. But I am so insecure about my life. You talk to me all sweet at an instance and behave like a total stranger the next time. How can I be sure when I could not understand you completely? Help me here, Arjun. People always say that talking out will sort all the problems. Talk out, Arjun.¡± I told him desperately wanting to know what I did wrong. ¡°Oh, you should stop talking to sort out all the problems!¡± He said very seriously that somehow made meugh. I know I have a big mouth. He is being sarcastic. I love this Arjun, funny and sarcastic. But I stoppedughing when I didn''t hear himugh with me. His brown orbs stuck on me changing to a darker shade every passing second. His look on me made my stomach knot in anticipation. I felt hot in the car and literally could feel my cheeks burn. My breath hitched and I felt my heart thumping loud in my throat. His intense ogling made me low my eyes to my lap and I felt hard to breath. He moved closer to me palming my face, lifting it to meet his eyes. ¡°I love it when youugh wholeheartedly. It really wipes out all the chaos in my heart. You lift my soul up with just yourughter. You are stupid but you do have a string to my heart, Anika.¡± He said with a deep voice that sent chills down my spine. His words did weird things to me, it made me happy, it made me excited, it made me turn on, it made me feel so low about my acts. My mind stopped thinking further as his lips met mine with sensual strokes that took me to a different dimension altogether. Chapter 48: 47. We Sail On The Same Boat Chapter 48: 47. We Sail On The Same Boat Arjun¡¯s PoV Preethi ispletely upset and so is Avni. Avni never stopped crying saying that she didn''t do anything wrong to upset mommy. Poor her! I can totally understand the turmoil Preethi is in. I remember very well when I lost my cool whenever I heard her name during those horrible times of my life. I never wanted to talk about it or acknowledge my hurt. She was not worthy of my feelings. All I wanted was to pretend that Anamika was never a part of my life but people just don''t disappear from your lives. There are friends and rtives to bring her up all the time and once I burst out in anger that stopped them from bringing her up. I can now understand that Preethi is in the same boat as I was once. But I can also understand Avni. Avni is a blessed kid with immense knowledge and maturity for her age. She is a very considerate kid given the situation. There is nothing wrong if Avni wants to meet up with her dad. The court order says that Nilesh can visit Avni once every month in the presence of Preethi. Since Preethi is not yet ready to face Nilesh, she has been blocking all the ways that Nilesh tries to contact her. Preethi closed her eyes and leaned on the window of the front seat and Avni cried to sleep in the back seat. I wanted to give her some time to realize her mistake before I talk her out of it. She never spoke a word but held my hand on the gearbox and stayed quiet all the time in the car. ¡°Preeth, I don''t think what you did was fair. Avni is a beautiful child and it was so wrong of you to scold her in a ce where there are people aside from family. Imagine what she must have felt. Try to withhold yourself better. Whatever the disputes are, it is between you and your husband. It is not between Avni and her dad. Try and get it in your thick skull. You have been dodging all the requests he has been making to see Avni. She is a child and you know well that she is longing to see him. If you are notfortable with meeting up with him, I can take Avni to meet him.¡± I told her as soon as we entered her room. ¡°I know. I am feeling terrible already and don''t make it worse, Ajju. I will make it up to her and it is my fault so I have to make it right. I will take her to meet her dad. Thank you for being there for me, for us.¡± She said. ¡°Don''t be so formal, Preeth. You know I will be there for you no matter what.¡± I reassured her. N?velDrama.Org owns ? this. ¡°I know that but I also know that your wife doesn''t like me very much. She disyed her hatred for me already and I don''t want to aggravate it further. It will only make your life moreplicated. I am actually happy about your life. I am seeing that easy, fun, charming Arjun in her presence too. So far, that side of you is exhibited only to your mom, me and Praveen. Now that she is in, I could say, you are finally happy in your life. I wish it stays that way. So I think it is time for us to give a little break.¡± She said, I know she is a brilliant woman and a very practical person. ¡°Huh, nothing escapes your eyes. Preeth, I am sorry she made you feel that way. I''m not going to lie, she does feel intimidated around you and that is because she is possessive of me. It doesn''t mean she hates you. She needs time to understand our friendship. Give her that time. I am not going to give up on you for her. So don''t talk about this again. Now, I know you are not yet ready to see Nilesh. You just leave it to me.¡± ¡°No, no, no. It is absolutely fine. I should face my own demons. I cannot rely on you for everything.¡± ¡°If you think you can do it, then I am fine with it. But don''t just pretend to avoid me.¡± ¡°God, no. I am really ok. One day or other, I have to do this on my own and I now feel the sooner the better.¡± She is right and now more than any other time, I feel the urge to y cupid in her life. She must feel loved again. Only that can subtle down the scars of betrayal. Just like it happened to me. Only after Anika hase into my life, I feel like I am owning my life. Her love makes me forget that betrayal by Anamika. Her submission to me gives me an authority that tells me that she belongs to me. Even though she had a boy in her past, I don''t me her. It is just the age, but all I am furious about is that she conveniently hid the fact that she had a boyfriend. Everyone has a good side and a bad side. I don''t believe in heroes. One is a hero until he/she gets an opportunity. A human without a w is impossible and I think that love consumes everything including their ws. Simrly Anika has her own ws. She is an opportunist, she has a big mouth, she is very bad at choosing the right word or she doesn''t know when to shut up. But besides that, she is a very straightforward person, as long as I have perceived her. She, though knows that it will make me furious, says things that shes on her heart. I like that quality of hers. Though I am angry at her, I could not withhold that anger whenever I see her. Though I wanted to hurt her, I could not help but feel terrible for doing that to her. I wanted to mark her mine and take her completely on the very first day but I couldn''t do it without getting her consent. I felt so cheap for even thinking that she will be mine if I fuck her. But all my sanity flew through the window when Arun came to meet me. I did horrible things to her but felt awful when I realized herplete submission. I know she is in love with me at that moment. But when I came back from my trip, I learnt that she broke my very dearest possession of mine, the beautiful fountain. I was already raging on the fact that she hid her love affair from me and it added to that burning rage. My anger drained down on her but when I realized that she mended it and is also truly in love with me, I decided to try and make it work for us. She didn''t help it, she kept on saying the wrong thing and hurting Preethi. Despite all the troubles she gives me and all the anger I get at her, I cannot deny the fact that she calms my heart. She has a magic that wipes out all my worries and tension. When I see her, all my mind and heart is filled with her and there is no distraction. I am not a fan of public disys of affection but with her I don''t care about that. I love looking at her, I love the way she reacts to my looks. I love the bold side of her. She is definitely the one for me. I must find the one for Preethi to make her feel safe and loved. I drove to Harish¡¯s home to pick her up. I called her on the way to give her a heads up when she said she was already out to get home. I got angry when I got to know that she was ready to get on his motorcycle. I didn''t like it one bit. But when I said that to her, she bounced back at me. I love that insensitive side of her. She never cares for the after effects of her reaction but, she just speaks her heart out. In fact she was right, she calls him her brother and also a childhood friend. I cannot tolerate their closeness and expect her to understand my friendship with her. I could not admit that I was wrong to ask her that, though. I shifted the me on my mom. She retaliated for that too and she was not wrong either. But I wanted to know the real intentions behind her behavior. If it was jealousy, I would be happy and if it was suspicion, it is my responsibility to clear the air. As I already knew, she was brilliant enough to give me a question as an answer for my question. She said she feels insecure, that results in her behavior and indirectly pointed her index finger at me for all her misdeeds. In a way she is right but I am not going to agree to it. She wanted me to talk out my feelings so that it would be easier for her to understand me. She said talking out will solve problems but I asked her to shut it to solve all the problems for which sheughed her heart out. Thatughter did the trick. I couldn''t peel my eyes off of her. I felt light in the head and herugh made my manhood rise up. She stopped when she realized I was looking at her and looked down. Her cheeks instantly turned pink and her breathing became irregr. I love that effect of me on her. I cannot hurt this girl. She is a precious gift from god to me. I cannot punish her for a mistake she made because of immaturity. I have a past and so does she. I should let it go and make her feel more comfortable and loveable in our rtionship. I must just see her love for me now rather than worrying about her past love. I took her face in my hands and made her look up at me. ¡°I love it when youugh wholeheartedly. It really wipes out all the chaos in my heart. You lift my soul up with just yourughter. You are stupid but you do have a string to my heart, Anika.¡± I told her while seeing her eyes grow wide for every word I said. Such an expressive eyes she has. I bent down and captured her lips in mine kissing the life out of her. She is an addiction to me from which I never wish to rehabilitate. Chapter 49: 48. Consummation! Chapter 49: 48. Consummation! Arjun¡¯s PoV We parted our lips when we heard the garage door close. She fisted my shirt, not letting me go. I don''t want to stop this either. She is driving me crazy and as I decided, I wanted to let go of the past and start a new life with her. There is no special day than today. N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content. ¡°Car will not befortable, baby. Let¡¯s continue it in our room.¡± I told her, she was still panting, recovering from that stupefied kiss we just shared. ¡°Arjun!¡± She hugged me burying her face in my chest, stopping me from seeing those crimson cheeks of hers. ¡°Come on now, let''s go in before someonees to get us. I am sure everyone knows that we are home already and are spending more than enough time in the garage. We don''t want to give them a chance to imagine what we would be doing in here for so long, do we?¡± I asked her, hugging her close to me. ¡°I just wish this time would just freeze and keep us together like this forever.¡± She whispered. ¡°So you just want to be in my embrace and you want nothing more?¡± I asked her yfully. ¡°Arjun!¡± She hit me on my chest and whined like a baby. ¡°I meant, I love you and I love this side of yours. I get scared easily when you go all grumpy. I tried to remember what I did wrong but I am getting nowhere on it and it adds to the frustration. Everytime I try to understand you, I fail. I don''t know what I have to do.¡± ¡°Shhh, listen to me. I am sorry I made it difficult for you. I just want to start fresh. Remember you asked for a fresh start, now it''s my turn to ask for it. How about we start fresh?¡± I asked, pitying her. ¡°I would love to!¡± She said looking up at me in my embrace. ¡°Shall we go to our room now?¡± She mumbled a hmmm and moved away from me. ¡°But we have to eat dinner. Aunty will be waiting for us.¡± She said while getting out of the car. ¡°I am not hungry for food tonight. I am hungry for you, Anika.¡± ¡°Huh!¡± I heard her gasp out loud before running into the house. I couldn''t stop but to imagine her soft yet tight boobs with a cherry nipple. I feel my member trying to burst out of the pants by just imagining her facial expressions when I fingered her on my office desk. She was ecstatic and euphoric that time when she came all over my fingers. I still remember her pants, shivers and those trembling thighs when she went high. I ran behind her but saw her talking to my mom. ¡°Arjun, the dinner is ready.¡± My mom told me. ¡°I''m not hungry, ma.¡± I told her looking at Anika. ¡°He means that we had our tummy filled at the party, aunty. We will skip our dinner today.¡± Anika answered hastily to mom that made a smile crawl to my lips. ¡°Alright then, good night.¡± ¡°Good night, ma.¡± ¡°Good night, Aunty.¡± We went to the elevator to get to our floor. The elevator is made up of ss on all sides that makes it see-through. Once in the elevator, I grasped her hand and pulled her to me. ¡°Aahh, Arjun, Aunty can still see us. Let me go.¡± She said, but made no attempt to move away from me. ¡°Says just your mouth!¡± I brought her in my embrace, inhaling her under her chin. ¡°Arjun!¡± She whispered as her sensitive skin made goosebumps. I nuzzled closer to her, hinting her of how deprived I am for her by hitting my grown member between her thighs. Her breathing became uneven and rapid, which tells me she is excited as well. I moved away from her but kept her still in my arms and walked towards our room out of the elevator. As soon as we entered the room, I locked the door and banged her against the door trapping her between my hands. ¡°Are you wet down there?¡± I asked her for which she shook her head in a NO. ¡°You sure? Your face is flushed of colors and you are pale. Shall I check?¡± I dropped one of my hands down to her waist. ¡°NO!¡± She grabbed my hand in a blink of an eye that made me chuckle. ¡°So you are wet?¡± She nodded her head YES, but I wanted her words. ¡°Say it, baby! Are you wet?¡± I squeezed her cheeks making her lips pout. ¡°Yes.¡± She said looking at me with half opened eyes hooded with lust. Oh she is a drug to me. ¡°Whom are you wet for?¡± ¡°For you.¡± she mumbled between her pants. ¡°Louder!¡± I growled as I was getting impatient to get into her. ¡°FOR YOU! I am wet for you.¡± She said looking me in the eyes and I waited no longer to initiate a sensual kiss. I pressed her hard against the door, tasting her luscious lips. We continued what we stopped in the car. We explored each other as our lips danced together in unison, my erected member still between her thighs. She fisted the back of my neck digging her nails on my skin for every flick of my tongue inside her mouth. ¡°You are so beautiful, Anika.¡± I told her, giving her time to catch some breath. Her beautiful saree, now refused to cover her up from my eyes. Her heaving bosoms and her cleavage is the most erotic sight I have ever seen. I have seen them naked before, but I was not in my right mind to enjoy them before, but now, I couldn''t even blink my eyes. Her single pleated pallu was already sweeping the floor partly doing its job. I tried to remove itpletely to get a good view of her cleavage but she stepped aside when I brought my hand between her bosoms. ¡°You shouldn''t have moved!¡± I told her, lifting my feet up. I was stepping on it unknowingly and her sudden move tore the saree that she had pinned on her shoulder. Now all of her pallu wasying on the floor giving me aplete view of her treasures. ¡°Arjun!¡± She whispered while trying to cover herself with her hands. ¡°I love it whenever you say my name. That kinda turns me on.¡± I dipped in her cleavage, arresting her hands above her head with one hand and holding her in ce on her waist with the other hand. That shape of her from her head to the bosoms to the waistline to the bottoms, god, she is just like a sculpture in our temples. As my beard and mustache drew paintings on her bare skin, she closed her eyes in pleasure, while biting down on her lower lip arresting those sexy moans. ¡°Let them out, baby. Don''t hold it back.¡± I said while dipping my pointer finger in her navel. ¡°Huh!¡± She sucked in a huge breath pulling her belly in. I squeezed her stomach smooching on her cleavage. As my tongue yed between her boobs and my fingers yed on her stomach,she lost her control and started moaning loudly with trembling legs. I dipped my hand in her skirt closer to her pussy and pulled out her saree. The saree fell on the floor and I picked her up as she went weak on her knees. I dropped her on the bed and slid next to her. I turned her sideways facing me and hugged her chest to chest, her bosoms crushing on me. She cupped my face with her hands and started kissing me on my forehead, cheeks, eyes, nose, and she skipped my lips, dunking to my chin. ¡°That is cheating.¡± I said, pecking on her lips. I started unclipping her blouse and she helped me take it off of her. ¡°Oh, you look damn sexy.¡± I said, kissing her in her neck and trailing down to her plushy mounds. ¡°Aahh¡± She eximed when I grabbed her boobs. I started kneading them, feeling those erect buds between my fingers. She stopped me when I tried to unsp her bra. ¡°Now this is cheating. How is it fair that you are fully clothed?¡± She asked me, still trembling. I love her. I took off my shirt and vest exposing my toned abs and arms. ¡°You are incredibly manly, Arjun.¡± She said in trance, tracing my arms and abs with her fingers. I felt supreme with her appreciation and content that the gym hours are well paid off. I hovered over her unsping the bra freeing those babies. She tried covering them with her hands and I swatted her hands away. ¡°You ran your fingers on me, now it is my turn.¡± ¡°Mhum, no, Arjun. It is a bad touch. Haven''t you learned in your school?¡± ¡°Nope, I am a good student in biology.¡± I ignored her yful pleas and flicked my tongue on one of her nipples. She bounced off of the bed but I held her in ce. I suckled on her bud and pulled her other one between my fingers. I mimicked the actions I did with my tongue on the other one with my hand. She was a moaning mess when I decided to leave her. I pulled her skirt down impatiently revealing her ckce panty. I went to her toes and started kissing her from her toe towards her pussy. I skipped her pussy and kissed her stomach and under her boobs. She hugged my head closer to her, enjoying my every move. I went back to her underwear and pulled it down leaving herpletely naked under me. She cowered under my gaze yet was bold enough to undo my belt and pants. I helped her take off my underwear and we were both naked on the bed hugging each other as tightly as possible. She gasped out loud when my member touched her bare thighs. ¡°Will that go in?¡± She asked me, fear evident in her eyes. ¡°It will, don''t be scared. I will be gentle.¡± I reassured her. I kissed my way down to her womanhood and ced a thick kiss on her smooth hairless folds. ¡°Huh!¡± She jumped up stopping me. ¡°E, that is gross, Arjun.¡± She said. ¡°Gross? Wait and watch. I will show you stars.¡± I pushed her down again and opened her smooth folds with my fingers and licked on her clit. I flicked my tongue in pattern on her clit making her jitter. I sucked in her clit while pumping a finger in her glistening red hole. Even before I picked up pace, she came on my fingers. She got super sensitive in her pussy and clutched her legs together denying me ess. I could still feel her body trembling under me. ¡°Now open your legs for me.¡± I told her as my patience was thinning every second. ¡°Nope, now it is my turn.¡± She said, turning to me. Whoa, she could talk bad? She knows what to do? ¡°Your turn to do what?¡± I asked her. ¡°I have heard my friends talk in college. I just want to try it out. You correct me if I am wrong.¡± She said, holding my erect member in her tender hand. Her touch made him twitch in anticipation. For the first time ever, I was afraid to spill with her simple touch. ¡°Anika!¡± I grunted as she started measuring my length. ¡°You are so big!¡± She eximed. ¡°God, enough, Anika. I want to be inside of you, now.¡± I freed myself from her and pulled her to the corner of the bed as I stood between her legs. I opened her legs and put them on my shoulders. Her pussy is glistening, so wet and gooey with all the forey. I positioned myself in alignment with her hole and pushed the head inside her. ¡°Aaaahhh¡± she screamed. ¡°Shhh! Rx. Just a little bit. You will be fine. I promise.¡± I massaged her legs and her waist until she was calm. ¡°Do it fast in a go, Arjun. It really hurts.¡± She said with tears in her eyes. ¡°Oh, you are fucking tight!¡± I bent down and squeezed her boobs harder and pushed myself in a quick pump. ¡°Ahh¡± she screamed at the top of her voice. I stayed there without moving to give her time to adjust herself. ¡°I''m fine, Arjun.¡± She said after a little while, still her eyes pouring. ¡°You sure?¡± ¡°Are you going to stop if I say no?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What? How can you stop now? Don''t stop, Arjun. I need you. I want this. Just kill me, Arjun.¡± She openly pleaded to me that boosted my male-self. I started moving slowly and picked up pace and fucked her madly and spilled inside of her. She shivered while I grunted, spilling everyst drop in her. I felt content and her tired drowsy face tells me that she is ted too. A beautiful start! Chapter 50: 49. Mine! Chapter 50: 49. Mine! Anika¡¯s PoV That was out of the world. It is true that getting physical makes the rtionship morefortable and trustful. Yesterday night was a beautiful start for our life. His long, stout, and erect shaft almost made it to my uterus. I could feel him deep inside me and that hot gush of liquid he spilled inside me. Oh, I couldn''t get enough of him, all I could do was to touch and feel his junior. I was just gaining confidence in holding him, giving him a handjob, but he was an impatient man. He didn''t let me finish what I started but hepletely finished me off. He threw me off guard when he swallowed my pussy. Oh my god, he surely showed me stars. We didn''t know when we slept but we woke up all bloody and sticky and yucky and stinky and naked in the morning. I remember him massaging my back and spanking my ass cheek after we are done. He groped my boobs and pulled my nipples between his fingers and teeth that gave me pain and pleasure all at the same time. I swatted his hand away when he tried to put his finger on my clit as I was super sensitive after we were done, I could even feel it swell. We never spoke then, we cuddled and I don''t remember anything else. He is still sleeping while tangled to me all naked. His face between my boobs and his hands around my waist. A part of me felt shy but every other cell in my body is jumping in joy. We finally did it. We have started our life. I admired his very manly face and his toned biceps that are holding me. I tried to move away without waking him up, but when I tried, I couldn''t even feel my legs. A sharp pain shot down from my waist to the thighs and my feminine part was throbbing in pain. ¡°Good morning, baby! Don''t move. I will help you.¡± He said all of a sudden. ¡°God, you are awake?¡± ¡°Yes, I was waiting for you to wake up. I think you cannot walk today. I have taken a day off today to take care of you.¡± He said inhaling between my breasts. ¡°God, stop.¡± I pulled the nket up to cover myself but he was fast enough to stop me holding my hands. ¡°You are so sexy!¡± ¡°Arjun, stop.¡± My stomach does weird stuff to me and his hot breath on me is not helping either. He never stopped teasing me until I pushed him out of the bed. He carried me bridal style to the restroom, all naked, and let me stand under the shower of water that is perfect in temperature to calm my nerves and subtle my pain. He then picked me up again and let me down in the bathtub with warm water that hit my feminine part with gentle waves. God, that hurts like hell. ¡°Rx and call me whenever you are ready.¡± He said to me, Am I dreaming or is this really happening? He is all lovey dovey to me and he even took a day off from his work to take care of me. If there are clouds beyond nine, then there I am right now. When I got out of the restroom after a nice bath, I saw him talking on the phone to someone in the kitchen to bring our breakfast to our room. He is fully clothed and still sexy. I could not stop but to recall all the things we didst night. I could not bring myself together to look up at him. I felt shy all of a sudden. ¡°Um¡­ Arjun, it is ok, if you want to go to work. I will be alright.¡± I told him. ¡°Why, you want me to go?¡± ¡°Uh, no no. It''s not that. I ¡­ uh¡­ I just don''t want to stop your work.¡± ¡°Why didn''t you call me? Are you ok? Can you walk?¡± He came to me and I felt my legs buckle up and my stomach made knots that pulled me to the ground. ¡°Hey, rx. I will go. But you take care, ok?¡± He stopped right on the spot. Oh my god, he mistook my reaction to anxiety. But I think I need some time away from him to stop feeling all goofy. So I let him go. ¡°Did I hurt you?¡± He asked me, stopping near the doorway. ¡°No, no,no! That was out of the world.¡± I told him hastily for which he chuckled sexily. ¡°I thought the same. Take care. I told mom not to disturb you.¡± He left. Gosh, embarrassing. What would everyone think? It is so painful to walk but I managed to get down to my aunt¡¯s room after breakfast. When I went in, she came at a fast pace to me. ¡°Are you alright, Anika?¡± She caressed my cheek and took my hands and walked me to the sitting area in her room. ¡°I am fine, aunty. I am not sick.¡± I told her. I didn''t know what excuse Arjun made up. ¡°I know! I am so happy. You are glowing.¡± She said. Ok, she knew that we did that just yesterday. Awkward! I looked down at my feet not knowing how to respond to this weirdness. ¡°Take rest, dear. All I want is a grandkid to y with.¡± She said contented. Well, I don''t know about it, but an image of a cute little boy just like him shed in my mind for no reason and that oddly made me happy. ¡°I wanted to ask you this, why do you keep wearing the same clothes repeatedly? There are so many dresses in your wardrobe. Why don''t you try them on?¡± She asked me. Awkward again. ¡°Um¡­ How can I try on Anamika¡¯s clothes, aunty? I don''t think Arjun will like that.¡± ¡°Anamika¡¯s clothes? Nonsense. Who told you that? There is nothing in this house that belongs to Anamika. Arjun and his dad made sure of that after their divorce. Arjun himself went shopping for all those clothes and they are for you.¡± She said. Wait, what? ¡°Oh, but , never mind. I will for sure try them on, aunty.¡± I told her and went to our room. So they are for me. He bought them for me. That is why that dress fitted me perfectly. Yes, Anamika was a little taller and more slender than me. Why didn''t I think of it on that day? There is something that is seriously bothering him. Why else would he want to hurt me? Though he said we would start fresh, I feel like there is something he needs closure to. For that, I must know why he got angry at me. As far as I have known him, I know that he won¡¯t react if there is no action in the first ce. So I am at fault here and I truly don''t know what I did. I must find that out and if possible, exin to him if there is any misunderstanding. I have bought myself some y and am following some youtube tutorials for making jewelry out of it. I want to kill time since he doesn''t want to take me to work. I took Tarun with me for y molding and gave him some ydough moulds for him. He did it with utmost interest and together we made some lovely danglers and baked them. Now they are all ready to be painted. I went to Priya¡¯s room to borrow some paint and I took Tarun along. ¡°Hey, Priya. What are you doing?¡± I asked her, entering her room. ¡°Come in, Anika. Tarun, are you having fun with your y art?¡± ¡°Yes,mommy. I made a ser ball and a car. Anu aunty even helped me make windows in my car.¡± ¡°Wow, that is cool. I can''t wait to see it.¡± ¡°Not yet, mommy. We are yet to color it. Anu aunty has made a lot of big earrings.¡± ¡°I am waiting to see them. Go have a little snack with your nanny. Run along.¡± She sent him out. ¡°So how is your crafting along?¡± She asked me. ¡°Just like Tarun said. We need to borrow some of your paints, Priya. Pretty please.¡± ¡°Haha, drama queen. Get that palette. Tarun is spending most of his time home with you. I am now thinking about terminating the nanny for him. She is almost useless now. He is already getting big. Half of the day in school and half the day with you!¡± ¡°I am d to have him with me. I would be bored to death if not for him. And that wolf painting is so natural!¡± ¡°Thank you. So how are things with Arjun? I saw mom so happy today. She even asked the maids to prepare sweets. And I noticed your walking, any good news?¡± She winked at me. ¡°God, you could at least pretend that you didn''t notice.¡± I felt so ufortable. ¡°Hahaha, easy, Anika. I am so happy for you. Congrattions.¡± ¡°Thank you, I guess.¡± ¡°Whoa, rx. I just got a call from my dad. He asked all of us to get ready to go meet dad¡¯s mom. She is the only one alive. Dad brought her to Chennai a couple of years ago since her health is not at her best. But she refused toe live with us in this home. So dad purchased a betel grove in the outskirts of Chennai and left her there. Dad said she wants to see us all. Arjun must be on his way home already. Go and get ready. You can do your danglerter.¡± She rushed me. I arrived at our room with the color palette she loaned me and kept it safe on the table. I went to the wardrobe and started surfing for a beautiful saree. This is the first time we are going to meet her after the wedding. I remember seeing her at the wedding. Someone took her as soon as the rituals ended. We didn''t even get her blessings. I took an olive green cotton saree with a maroon blouse. Arjun¡¯s has a very vorful taste in clothing. I took a quick shower and came out to drape the saree when a hand snaked my waist. ¡°Huh, Arjun. You scared me.¡± I swatted his hands away. ¡°Who else has that courage to enter my room and hug my wife?¡± He asked, dipping in my neck from behind. ¡°Arjun, let me go. Go and get ready.¡± I pushed him in the restroom. ¡°That saree looks so good on you!¡± He said with guilt. ¡°I know these are mine. I also know that my husband had a fine taste for clothes. You are bad, Arjun.¡± ¡°Sorry, Anika.¡± ¡°It¡¯s ok. Now go refresh!¡± I closed the door behind and got ready when he came out handsome and sexy in a casual yellow v-neck t-shirt and light blue jean shorts. ¡°Like what you see?¡± He asked me, snapping his fingers on my face. Embarrassment! ¡°I do.¡± I chained my arms around his neck. C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. ¡°How are you feeling now? Are you ok?¡± Awe, he is a super soft man and I don''t know what people see in him tobel him as a strict arrogant man. ¡°I ampletely fine.¡± I raised myself on my tippy toes and kissed his cheek. He kissed my cheeks with a sexy chuckle. ¡°Appatha (dad¡¯s mom) has dementia, Anika. Alzheimer¡¯s. She will say the same thing over and over again and may not remember you. She loves talking and she is a very lovelydy. Be nice to her.¡± ¡°You talk to me as if I am a school kid. I will be on my best behavior. Is that fine?¡± ¡°You are known for your sharp tongue. What should I do?¡± He raised his hands in the air like he was surrendering to me. This casual talk is very soothing to my heart. We all set out to visit his granny in the same car. Arjun and uncle sat in the front seat, aunty, Priya and Rajesh in the middle and Tarun and I on thest seat. I feel like one in this family just now. That alien feeling is slowly washed away with the love I gained from my husband. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!