Since I saddened you guys by announcing the end of 'He is in love..', I decided to give the chap you all have been waiting for..

Horoscope : Forecasting a person's future based on the positions of stars and planets at the time of the person's birth.

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A week before the end of the academic year, Vinay strode into my lab tensely, requesting me to come along with him.

Though I was irritated that he called me in the middle of an external lab exam, seeing his petrified face made me follow him in silence.

"What happened?" I wasted no time voicing my doubts.

He paced up and down the empty corridor, looking pale as if he's about to deliver death news made me more afraid "You are scaring me. Tell me what happened Vinay"

"My mom found me a girl" He finally said.

I expected this to happen; but not so fast.

"What are you going to do?" I asked, feigning calmness in my voice.

"I don't know" he replied, looking miserable.

"You don't know?" I yelled furiously.

"Shush" he whispered, taking my hand and walked into an empty class room.

Once he locked the door, he turned his gaze back to me, looking frightened.

"I want you Tuls and I've been trying to tell mom that we should bring you back. I requested her a number of times but she was---" he stopped as if he's scared to complete it.

"What did your mom say?" I asked calmly, though I was far from it.

"She said that this girl is rich and I'd be happy with her" he replied tensely.

"Why would a rich family want an alliance with a married man?" I asked in confusion.

"I don't know, but that's not the issue. What shall we do?"

"Are you asking me a divorce Vinay?" I spat through clenched teeth.

"What? No. Are you crazy? Don't you ever listen to me? I told you I love you. Did you forget that?" he shrieked, looking very angry.

"If you love me, then say NO" I yelled, stressing the last word.

"I did. But, she insisted on visiting the girl's house today. She just doesn't listen to me" He complained.

I thought for a while about a probable solution but nothing came to my mind. He was looking angry and scared too and I was clueless what I am supposed to do. Pacify him that everything's going to be alright or shout at him that he can't fight against his mom.

"When are you going to the girl's house?" I asked slowly.

"Today evening" he mumbled.

"Send me the girl's address" I said calmly "I will take it from there"

"What are you going to do?"

"Do you want me or not?" I shouted and he nodded instantly "Then do as I say. Go to the girl's house as if nothing happened. I will come there and confront your mother"

"Are you sure you want to do that?"

"Is there any other option?" I asked, looking at him in the eye and he shook his head "Then do as I say"

****

After college ended, I went to my house and informed my parents about what Vinay told me. My father insisted that he'd accompany me but I denied him saying that it's my fight.

At 5 PM, I reached the girl's house in an auto and got down, feeling multiple emotions; fear, excitement and tension.

I banged the door quietly as if I didn't arrive to ruin their occasion.

A kind lady opened the door and said softly "Who are you miss?"

"You will know once I enter the house" I said calmly.

Though I am scared to meet my mother-in-law Supraja after months, I wasn't scared of her, like before. I have nothing to lose this time, having already lost my husband to her.

"What are you saying?" she said, looking totally clueless.

"Are you in talks about your daughter's wedding?"

"How did you know? And who are you?"

I clucked my tongue in disappointment "Let me get in first" When she still stood guarded against the door, I said "I am married to Vinay and I want to talk to you about his family"

Widening her eyes in shock, she opened the door slowly giving me space to get in. Closing the door behind us, she moved forward making me follow her until we reached the living where Vinay's and the girl's families sat together, chatting excitedly.

"Who are you?" The person who I assume to be the bride's father spoke.

Seeing me, Supraja's face turned pale, losing the happiness that filled her face seconds ago.

I sneered at her "Hi auntie. How are you?"

"You know her? Is she your relative?" The girl's dad asked her curiously.

Before she could reply, I said excitedly "Yes uncle, we are related. I am her daughter-in-law; I mean Vinay's wife."

Vinay who sat transfixed, gave me a sad smile and my gaze turned to the girl who looked stunned at my confession. I was a little jealous that she was pretty but she might be innocent in this whole issue.

"Oh. So, you are the girl?" The girl's dad asked curiously and my gasp of shock got lost in two other gasps issued by the girl and her mother.

"What do you mean? You knew he was married?" The girl's mom accused her husband.

He nodded, looking a bit ashamed while she continued "How could you do that? To your own daughter"

"They are not living together" he defended "Moreover, we are facing difficulties finding someone that matches her horoscope. We have been searching for years and I am tired of listening to people's taunts about not being able to get my only daughter married"

"But dad, he is married and his wife is pregnant" the girl began, gesturing to my stomach "And if our horoscopes do not match perfectly, it might be dangerous to him. Don't you remember what the priest said about my future husband?"

"Of course I do" he said impatiently "I told his mother about the complications and she said that she doesn't care about it"

"How much she asked you to pay for that minor fault?" I spat furiously.

He shifted his legs looking a bit angry "One and half crore"

"You are buying someone for me?" The girl asked, looking devastated as tears spilled onto her cheeks "How can you do this to me dad? What if something happened to Vinay? I would spend my whole life miserably knowing that I am responsible for someone's death"

"I didn't hide it from his family" he defended himself "His parents knew everything"

I shifted my attention to Vinay, who for the first time ever, looked angry at his mother.

I always knew she'd do anything for money but this is something beyond my expectations.

"If you think that I am a burden to you, you could have simply asked me to leave dad." The girl shrieked fiercely.

"You are never ----" He stopped seeing his daughter leave the room followed by her mother.

"Why are you here?" My mother-in-law shouted at me, looking furious once the drama at the bride's family stopped.

Of course, she is angry. She just lost 15 million rupees because of me.

"I came here for my husband"

"He is my son before he became your husband" she retorted.

"Oh, really? He is your son? Is that why you are ok with him marrying this girl knowing that it might be fatal to him?" I spat bitterly.

"That's none of your business. I'd do anything that I want to do with my son" she yelled.

"Sorry to break it to you bitch, but he is my husband and everything that concerns him, concerns me"

"I SHOULD HAVE ASKED HIM TO GIVE YOU DIVORCE---" she yelled to the top of her voice but I intervened matching her anger.

"OH, WHY DIDN'T YOU THEN? SCARED THAT YOUR EVIL BEHAVIOR WILL BE OUT IN THE WORLD WHEN I TESTIFY AGAINST YOU IN THE COURT --"

"SHUT UP OR--"

"OR? OR WHAT WILL YOU DO? HOW MUCH MORE CAN YOU STOOP DOWN? I WON'T BE SURPRISED ANYMORE AFTER HAVING WITNESSED THIS"

Her eyes were narrowed into slits and I took deep breaths to calm myself. It's not healthy for me and my baby but I couldn't keep my temper under control.

"I've seen selfish husbands, daughters, sons, wives and even fathers but thanks to you, for the first time ever I got to see a selfish mother. How could you think of doing this to your own son for the sake of money? I thought I knew how vicious you are, but I was wrong. I underestimated you"

"Get lost" she spat, not moving an inch from her position and it made me realize that she is still expecting to convince the girl's family.

"If you continue with this proposal anymore" I said firmly, looking at the bride's father and my mother-in-law "I'd go to the police. Our next meeting will be in court where you'd be punished for harassing me for dowry and for finding alliances to your son while married to me"

If she looked furious before, she looked like she'd sprang on to me any second now to kill me.

"If everything's proved, which it will be, you'd be in jail for a minimum of ten years" I said sweetly.

"Don't think you won" she began, looking like a monster "I may not get my son married to another woman but I'll never let you have him. You'll stay a single mother your whole life"

I gave a hollow chuckle "Why doesn't it surprise me that you don't care about your grand kid? Of course, you're the same person who doesn't care if her son's life is miserable without his wife and kid as long as you are happy not having me around"

"And you" I turned to my husband who looked angry and guilty "You still choose her, don't you? Knowing that she doesn't care about you being happy and the only thing that matters to her is money. You chose the woman who doesn't care if her son is alive or not as long as she gets what she wants"

"If you still choose her, its useless fighting for you" I said coldly, turning away from the terrible family that made my life hell.

"Wait Tuls" I heard Vinay's voice and found him gaping at his mother in anger.

"I tried making excuses for you all these months but I am tired now" he began sadly "I always knew that you were wrong, yet I supported you. You know why?" His parents gazed at him in shock as he continued "Because I wouldn't have been in this world if it wasn't for you. There is no 'Me' without 'You'. I respected and stood by you; leaving my wife and unborn kid alone. I went through hell because I didn't want to insult you by being with the person you don't want me to be with"

"But I am done now" he said firmly "Especially after witnessing what happened today, I don't think I can ever call you mother again. You may not care about your son but I care about my daughter and wife. Goodbye"

He took my hand and walked out of the living not bothering his parents' pleas to come back while I gazed at him in horror.

"Where shall we go now?" he asked breaking the trance I was in, once we were out of the house.

"Huh?" I said, confused by his question and amazed by what I saw.

He smiled not bothering me as he said "Let's go to my house first. I need my clothes. And then, we can stay at your parents' until I found a house for us"

I looked at him in awe "Please tell me I am not dreaming"

He chuckled and pinched me in the arm, making me groan "Oww... I didn't ask you to pinch me"

"I thought it'd be a better proof" he said with a smirk and we walked towards the main road to find an auto, holding each other's hands.

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Personally, (Tulasi or Vinay or) I don't believe in horoscopes but at the place I live, people are married only after checking them.

It's just the thought of her mom-in-law being OK with marrying her son for money, knowing that the alliance might be fatal to her son angered them. I hope you understood.

One chap (and an epilogue) left. Karthik and Sindhu will come in this one in the end.. :)

- JANAKI S