Shiva's P. O. V:

Amma was sitting and watching TV. I sat beside her and turned off the TV.

" What Shiva? Why do you look so down? " Amma asked me concerned.

" Amma, can I ask you something? I need genuine answer from you. I want you to think about it hundred times before answering " I said to her.

She nodded her head with a confident smile.

" How did Anjali attempt suicide? " I asked her.

" After your brother ran away, your uncle was having hard time finding a groom for her. She got depressed and drank pesticides. She was found unconscious and then taken to the hospital. By God's grace, she was saved. Why are you asking me this old story? " She asked me.

I took out my phone and showed her the text message from Anjali.

" Anjali told me that she attempted suicide by taking sleeping pills. But you are saying pesticides. Which is the right one? " I asked my Amma.

" What is this?, your uncle told me the news about Anjali. He definitely said pesticides. How would I forget that day? He cried to me over phone for days. He was my own brother and how would I mix up this? " Amma said confused.

" Amma, I know. But please, just this once, please clear this. " I pleaded to her.

Amma instantly picked up her phone and walked inside her room.

My mind was running over million reasons as to what Anjali is hiding.

I knew that she was calling someone. After few minutes, my appa arrived and he too rushed inside the room towards my mother. He dropped the wedding invitations bag on the floor without any thought and ran inside.

I started getting text messages from Anjali and I knew that some bomb has blasted. I ignored all of her messages and didn't attend her calls too. I waited in the living room nervously.

I heard my appa shout and I barged into their room.

My appa was shouting in the phone and my Amma was sitting over the bed crying.

" We no longer want any relationship with such toxic people! We are done! " My appa said and cut the call.

My heart was beating so loud that I can't hear anything else.

I rushed in and sat beside my Amma.

" What happened? " I asked her.

She was crying holding her mouth with her hands.

" Amma, please! " I said to her.

" I am sorry Shiva! " She said and hugged me tight.

" What is it? " I asked her.

" I did a huge mistake. I don't deserve any trust from you. " She said and laid back on her pillow.

" What happened? What did Anjali say? " I asked.

" I called my friend in the village. She told me that Anjali didn't suicide at all. I asked her again and again, maybe if the issue was kept secret. But she was very sure that none of the people in that house ever got admitted to a hospital. I called your uncle immediately. He initially was telling me that I was being deceived by others. But after a point, he gave up and told that, it was a trap. " Amma said.

I stood up and looked at my Amma in disbelief.

" What are you saying Amma? What is the use in trapping me? " I asked.

" That useless fellow, I can't believe they planned to use my son! " My father shouted.

" Because you are the heir to all my farmland in the Village! He was planning to sell them to a college. Since I didn't accept, he wasn't able to sell his land too. By marrying you to his daughter, he can get that land easily. Even if he did this under the desire for the land, why did Anjali support him. I should have known, this stupid mother of yours nearly forsake your life by trusting others! I deserve this! " Amma said and cried again.

I hugged my amma and consoled her.

" I was telling this from the beginning. To not trust your brother. Imagine if we had blindly married off Shiva, he would have used our son's life to blackmail us. This type of relationship is not good for our son and you are responsible for bringing this headache! " My appa shouted at amma.

The last time these two fought like this was when my brother ran away from the home.

" Shiva, listen to amma " My amma said to me.

" What is it? " I asked her.

" We have already given out the invitations. Your uncle won't do anything to ruin this marriage after this now. Imagine what could happen to you and Anjali if this marriage breaks. Also so much of financial investment has been done already.So let's just go on with the wedding. " She said wiping away her tears.

" Amma, you have no idea how much I hate Anjali. She tortured me endlessly using suicide as a threat. She manipulated me to fight against my own friends. I don't love her Amma. I accepted to marry her only because you forced me. She doesn't love me, she just treats me like her possession. Do you really want me to live with such a kind of bitch? " I asked my Amma, my eyes welled up and I cried out in front of my Amma.

" When she touches me, I feel like snake crawling on my skin. She doesn't respect my profession, she was never the right one for me. She wants car, she wants chennai life style, she wants me. And it is really pathetic for me that I have to be with her! " I said and my appa suddenly hugged me.

" Sorry Shiva " He said.

I was dumbfounded on hearing his words. He wiped away the tears from my face and patted my shoulder.

" You should have told us this before. " He said to me.

" If I had told, nothing would have changed. Amma would have still wanted me to marry Anjali. And I being a coward, would have did that. " I said.

" Shiva, I am sorry. Listen to Amma, I didn't do it knowingly. Why would I force you to marry her if I had known all this? " My Amma asked me.

" Even after knowing that her suicide itself was fake, you still worry about the financial investment and not your son? " I said to her in disbelief.

" It's not like that, Anjali is a good girl. I have met her, I have known her for years. That's why I trusted her. I didn't know she was mistreating you. " My amma said.

My phone rang and it was Anjali.

" Let me show you the true face of your niece Anjali! " I said and turned on the call with speaker.

" Shiva, Shiva, listen to me! " Anjali said nervously.

" Listen to what? " I asked her.

" I did that mistake. I shouldn't have lied to you. It was my mistake. Please forgive me, don't stop this marriage." She asked in a sobbing tone.

" You think I would still trust you? Why would I marry you? " I asked her.

My parents silently listened to the call.

" Fine, I am done with this begging shit! " She said in a more confident tone.

" I am done too! " I said.

" You know what, maybe I lied about my suicide last time. But this time, I really have a bottle of sleeping pills in my hand. I am also writing a letter that your parents asked for huge dowry. How beautiful it would be when police finds this? " She said and my amma placed her hand over her mouth in shock.

Appa shook his head in disbelief and gave a death stare at my amma.

" You know what Anjali, the one who really decides to suicide won't be telling that they would do it. Just do it already " I said and cut the call.

" Amma, tell me, what guarantee do you give me that Anjali won't black mail me everytime like this? " I asked my Amma.

" I am going to see her face to face and break her mouth. Marriage or burial, I am going to take care of her. How dare she black mail my son? " My Amma said and picked up her phone.

" Go kill her ! Let's at least make sure that Shiva will stay peaceful after we break this wedding! " My appa said angrily.

" Amma, Appa, I will handle her. " I said.

" Shiva, I am sorry. But I am really worried about you. If we break this marriage, what if this becomes an issue for you? " She said.

" Issue? " I asked my Amma confused.

" You know, if we search another bride for you, this breaking of marriage would be an issue " My Amma said.

" Well, what if I already know someone who would agree" I said slowly.

" This punk, who is it? Did you have a secret girlfriend? " My appa asked shocked.

" No, not girlfriend. It was someone we know. I know that you want to marry me off within our caste and you want gold , but their family is different from ours. " I said looking at the floor.

I looked up at my Amma, who was looking at me with devil eyes.

" Is that a girl or a boy? " My Amma asked me.

" What are you asking Amma? " I asked shocked.

" You know we can't trust the kids these days, as long as it's a good looking girl, I am okay, but who is she? " My Amma asked.

I hugged my Amma in happiness and shouted out happily.

" You have seen her! " I said happily and instantly regretted it.

" When? Where? " My Amma questioned me.

" No, no, technically you have seen her. She is Prerna's sister, she looks just like Prerna. That's what I meant. " I said slowly.

" I should have seen this coming. Thankfully it's a known family. And Shiva, thanks for letting us know and for trusting your parents. Thanks for being patient with our mistakes. And for having the courage to finally speak up! " My appa said smiling at me.

" I am okay as long as she brings gold too " My Amma said whining.

I hugged my Amma and ran upstairs. I wore my shirt quickly and picked up my phone to call Aparna.

Anjali had called me around 50 times. I decided to put an end to her suicide drama.

I picked up Anjali's call.

" Shiva, don't you dare hang up on me again! " She shouted at me.

" I will fucking do whatever I want! " I said.

" Fine, I ll just show you then. Wait till the police knocks at your door! " Anjali said.

" This is the third evidence " I said.

" What evidence? " She asked me confused.

" I have two recording of the threat calls you gave me and I have the text from you. Wait till police knocks at your door! " I said.

" Shiva, did you really forget whatever I did for you? " She asked.

" How would I forget that? , You manipulated me to fight with my friends, I was blindly trusting your words. When the office was going very well, you supported me, you told me that I was the hero and I should take charge.

But when the storm came, you abandoned me. You even persuaded me to jump out again. I am done Anjali.

I don't need someone who would see me as the only star in the sky. I just want someone who sees all the cracks in me and still stays with me. You are not that someone. " I said.

" Please Shiva, for one last time, listen, I loved you. I really love you. I really did everything for that " She said.

" How many lunatics like you are roaming in this earth by justifying whatever you do as love?, every minute I am wasting talking to you , I am loosing my chance to stop the mistake I did. Please fuck off. " I said and cut the call.

I blocked Anjali's number and called Aparna again.

The number was switched off.

I instantly called Shwetha.

" Shiva, what " Shwetha asked and I cut her off mid sentence.

" Shwetha, where is Aparna? " I asked Shwetha.

" She is at the bus stop. " Shwetha said.

" Where is it? When is her bus? " I asked nervously.

" The usual one where she goes, the bus is at 10 " Shwetha said.

The time was 9, if I drive as fast as possible, I might reach the stop in time.

" Okay, Thanks " I said and cut the call.

I picked up the hidden gift box hurriedly and shoved it inside my pocket.

I ran downstairs and walked out without telling my parents. I started my bike and drove out.

The roads were filled with traffic, some places were totally blocked. People had already started partying for the new year. I was silently praying that the bus should get delayed.

I drove through the loud noises and packed roads, the only thing that was in my mind was to stop Aparna from leaving. I can't waste even a minute more by not telling her how much I love her.

I reached the bus stop and parked my bike haphazardly. I ran to the orange travel office.

" Has the 10 O clock bus to bangalore left? " I asked breathlessly in the reception.

" Yes Sir, it left 15 minutes ago " The receptionist told me.

I walked away from the reception and cursed myself. I kicked the ground hard and pulled down my hair.

I was sweating and I couldn't breathe properly from all the running.

Should I just book the next bus to Bangalore and run after her? Or should I wait till she comes back? , if I do something wrong, she would feel like I treated her as a push over, what should I do?

An old man was standing near me, he was taking a smoke and was speaking loudly on the phone.

" I am telling you Ramesh, there are people who book tickets, show up at the bus stop and then cancel the ticket! Trust me, I have seen someone do this for nearly three times now! Yes , the tickets on the night of new year are expensive but still they play with it! " The old man said.

His words resembled someone I knew very well who had this habit.

I walked close to him.

" Thatha, who are you talking about? " I asked cautiously. He looked at me and moved his phone away from his ears.

" There , that girl sitting alone in the lounge! She was that stupid, if she had cancelled early, we would have sold that empty seat at least ! " He said pointing to the travel agency lounge.

I walked towards the lounge holding my heart in my hand. If I had only one wish that I can choose before I die, I would want that stupid who cancelled the ticket to be Aparna.

Please, please, let that girl be Aparna.