MAYA'S POV

"Maya... thank you so much for giving him a chance. he was such a mess. he used to cry every night like a baby and. . ." Arjun couldn't complete his words as Adhi clamped his hand on Arjun's mouth and dragged him away from me.

Adhi was a mess? What was he talking about?

Arjun was mumbling something loud, probably curses, I couldn't make it out with the hand gag on his mouth. Tara started laughing and started pushing him out of the room. Before he closed the door behind them Adhi spared me a glance. And then shut the door on my face.

I waited a few seconds after they left, and grabbed a throw pillow from the couch and screamed into it.

This is a nightmare. Even bad than the ones I had every day. I had to be his pretend wife. And he agreed without a second thought. Of course he did. He couldn't spare a chance to torture me now could he?

I hate this. I hate this. I had to do something to cancel this trip. but again they are doing this to help me. if Raji aunty gets to dad with this proposal he wouldn't think twice before accepting it. Anything to get rid of me, anything to throw away the disappointment of a daughter.

I was about to leave the hall when vivek came charging in.

"we have to do something to cancel this trip" he muttered.

I was taken aback and remained silent for a while when vivek spoke again" they are going to take my baby on 70 km ride, most of it offroad through shortcuts, in this shitty whether" he started pacing "we gotta do something maya, I know you don't wanna go with that guy. lets help each other and stop this" he looked at me and attempted a puppy eyes, but miserably failed.

"why are you making that face?" I cringed

"its my cute face" he did the face again.

"there is nothing cute about that" he gasped and clamped a hand on his mouth.

"you are bitchy today, you are definitely upset" he spoke through his covered mouth.

"brother, im bitchy everyday. its just that you are on the receiving end today" I grabbed the hair from my face and tugged it behind my ears.

"as much as I would like to partner with your shenanigans, I need this trip to happen. its life or death for me." I plopped down onto the floor, vivek plopped beside me.

"Maya, if there is something going on, something serious, you would tell me right?" he asked. ive never heard his voice this serious.

I was lying to him. Lying to all of them. The only ones that actually cares about me. If they knew what happened to me in college they would beat Adhi to a pulp. As much I would like to see that happening, I cant do that to Arjun or Tara now. she was his family too.

"of course I would." the lie rolled around my tongue with ease. I was used to saying this particular lie for 5 years. But the winner was 'Im Fine'. Vivek had this super power to identify when I was upset or sad. He always had a soft corner for me. Varun says its because he didn't have sisters and I was the next girl baby born. so he kind of took the parent role for me whenever he was around. and it was one of the reasons I couldn't say this to him. he was so protective of me, god knows what he might do.

I gave vivek a hug and left for my room. I had to pack for the first trip with my fake hubby.

ADHI'S POV

"What are you doing? stop pulling me asshole" Arjun's cursing made tara laugh even more louder.

"Why are you laughing so hard? What is going on? And who gave you permission to get married before you elder brother?" Arjun scowled.

"I didn't get married you idiot. its an arrangement." I told him about the fake marriage, and trip me and maya have to take early morning tomorrow. Arjun started squirming.

"You are telling me that you guys got me excited about nothing?" he was . . . pouting?

"aww look at that adorable face" tara started.

"dude. . what the hell are you doing? and what makes you think maya will suddenly agree to marry me?" i snapped.

"I thought you were going to talk to her. and I don't think maya is that evil to not understand." Arjun gave me a pointed glance

"Nuh uhh. no amount of talking or convincing Is gonna change her mind arjun. what he did to her, do you really think he deserves forgiveness?" tara said, her temper hidden behind that innocent face was starting to show

Arjun flinched. It hurt me too , but at this point I was kind of used to it. No one can blame me more than I blame myself.

" if you knew what happened, what really happened on the other side of that story, you wouldn't be saying this tara" arjun took hold of her hands and talked in a soothing voice.

"Arjun shut up!!" I snapped. He was going to tell her. He was going to ruin the secret I sacrificed a lot to keep hidden

"She's s gonna be my wife. she deserves to know" arjun said. and I knew there was no arguing with him when he decided to do something.

"What are you talking about? what other side?" tara looked from me and arjun repeatedly

"The truth. Why I had to do what I did to maya" I told her.

And then I Told her. Every thing that happened, with our family, with mom, with jeeth , with maya, everything. And then arjun filled in the aftershocks of the incidents and how it affected us. How it ruined me.

And when he finished, tara's eyes where lined with tears. Arjun was sniffing hiding his tears and me just staying there, reminiscing my mistakes.

Tara looked one look at me and put her arms around my neck. She said that my situation was unfortunate and she understood why I had to do it. She pulled away from me and went to Arjun's arms and assured him his mother's mistakes or past would never affect their relationship or the way she felt about him.

Relief spread through me like a tidal wave. The main reason I was afraid to share this with anyone is because of the prejudice of the people. How their opinions clouded their judgment. And if Tara was one of them and she chose to reject arjun for their mother's mistakes it would have the last straw. Im not sure what I would've done if Arjun got his heart broken because of my actions. He was the stable the one who clear headedly picked the right choices and I wasn't sure if I can see him any other way.

I decided to give the happy couple some space and turned towards the door but tara called my name.

"Adhi, I understand why you did it. And im sad you had to face such situations, no one deserves that" tara said. I smiled and bobbed my head in awkward nod, I knew there was a but coming.

" but.." her entire demeanor changed, her voice turned hard and angry " that doesn't not justify what you did to maya. The pain you put her through."

i swallowed hard, i knew there was more coming.

"Do you have any idea what that girl has went through? Already she'd been through hell and back and her dad is nothing less than the devil. She was so happy when she finally met someone whom actually liked her for who she was. Who would stand up for her, she would talk endlessly about you when i called her"

my heart split into a million pieces.

"after that incident did you know what her father put her through when she got terminated from college, because of you?" tears started flowing from her eyes.

"did you know he almost beat her to death and disowned her that day? Did you know she was so overwhelmed by grief that she lost the two people whom she loved with all her heart the same day, that she tried to kill herself?" tara yelled and immediately shut her mouth.

I froze, my heart was beating 1000 times a minute. Pain unlike anything I've known in life spread through my body, my breath came in short pants. Arjun was immediately on his feet and ushered me to sit down. but I shook his hands off

"She did what??" I breathed. My vision blurred with tears

Tara was sobbing now. she tried to steady her breath and talked but her sobs clouded her words and all I could hear was, "Wrists". She slit her wrists.

Maya tried to kill herself because of me. I made someone think of dying. My breath caught in my chest and it got stuck there. I couldn't breathe. My vision covered in black spots.

Arjun was calling my name, Tara ran somewhere and returned with a bottle of water. a small crowd of maya's relatives started popping around, asking what happened.

It was too much, too much pressure, too much people. So I shook off Arjun's arms from my shoulder and ran. Ran and ran until my head cleared and I reached my room. I went straight to the shower, didn't even bother to take off my clothes and stepped right in. The cold water clearing my head a little bit. i slid down the bathroom wall and sat under the shower for what felt like hours.

Sat there until i could breathe. Sat there until the tears came and when they did, they threatened to never stop. And i didn't object.

When it felt like i had emptied the water tank i stood up and exited the bathroom. i changed out of my wet clothes and plopped onto to the bed.

I don't deserve Maya. I deserve to be alone. To suffer for my actions.

But i love her. so damn much. And i will try, try to make things right. Tomorrow will be a perfect opportunity for that. But i wont push her, it is her decision. And if she decides that im not worth it, i will simply let her have her choice.