16/11/2019 - Saturday -At Chennai, Copper kitchen.

Aparna's P. O. V :

I was standing near the balcony of the restaurant, taking in fresh air.

Too many things were running inside my mind. I was feeling guilty for confusing Shiva and for allowing my expectations to grow on him.

All the girls were inside deciding on who should pay the bill. We had taken up two huge tables.

Shwetha walked out from the group and stood near me.

" What happened yaar? I am missing the old kick ass Aparna! " She said.

" I wish I could go back! " I said.

" You know what, just spill it! Even on my engagement, you looked anxious, now this is too much. " She said.

" I don't know if you will get it! " I said.

" Try! " Shwetha said.

" Okay, I am actually in Chennai , not for my office work, but for my sister. " I said.

" What do you mean? " She said.

" Remember, she got married against the grooms family. Now they agreed to take back her and my brother in law. But my sister underwent IVF. So she can't travel.

But my brother in law's family wanted her here. So I came here imposing as her to attend the bloody engagement of the brother of my brother in law! " I said without taking a breath in between.

" You and your sister look the same, so it will work out. I can see through this. But what's the issue in this? You just came for the engagement right? " She asked.

" The engagement is not the problem. I got close to the brother of my brother in law and he sees me as sister in law, but also seems to like the real Aparna " I said.

" Stop saying this brother of brother of sister in law! Say his name! " She said.

" Shiva! That guy for whose engagement I came was Shiva! I am staying in his home as his Anni! He is best friend of Hari. He was there in your engagement. I hope now you can get why I ran away! " I said.

" Wait, Shiva? " She said shocked.

" Yes, that tall one with beard! " I said.

" Aparna curse me to hell! I fucked up! " She said shaking.

" What do you mean? " I asked.

" Hari was pestering me to make a meeting between you and Shiva! And I called them few minutes ago telling you are here with me! " She said.

My head was spinning and I was about to faint.

As we were standing out, I saw Shiva's bike at a distance.

I turned to Shwetha and took a long breath. I don't have enough time to kill this girl.

I can't run out. I will be caught on the entrance.

I need to hide inside this restaurant in two minutes.

" Look Shwetha, when they come, tell them that I ran out, that I got some news. I am going to sit in the furthest corner of our table.

He will be looking for me, only me. Before they come close , you go and tell them that I ran out! They will stop looking! I would be turned back. " I said as I threw my shawl over my head, making it look like a half pardha.

She nodded her head and we both rushed and sat down.

I was trying to control my breathing, but I wasn't able to breathe at all. I was facing the wall, while Shwetha was sitting facing the entrance.

Suddenly Shwetha got up from the table. That's the cue, Shiva has come.

She walked across me in a composed posture. She made them stop few tables before ours.

I could hear them talking.

"Sorry! " Shwetha said.

" You said she was here! " Someone said in a shocked tone, must be Hari.

" She was! She got a call from her mother. That her dad was sick! She ran out! Few seconds ago! " Shwetha lied fluently.

I heard someone dragging a chair behind me and sat on it.

Shwetha walked back to our table.

All the girls were eyeing Shiva. Two girls near me were passing comments on him.

" Oh my god, that sad one looks exactly like Arjun Reddy. " One girl said.

" Yeah, hot and sexy. Beard definitely adds points to it. " Another one said laughing.

I had a huge fire burning inside me. People can make barbecue with my rage.

Why was I even feeling angry on them, oh god, save my soul.

Admist all this, the only thing my brain wanted to worry about was girls eyeing him.

" Shiva! Dude, you weren't this broken even on that day Anjali messed up with you. I thought you would clear off your mind if you talk to Aparna in person. I didn't know , this would affect you this much. " Hari said slowly to Shiva.

" I didn't know too " Shiva said in a breaking tone.

I was gulping hard.

Shiva started speaking again.

" I didn't know, I can be this much insane. The problem is not Aparna. It is me. Me trying to find a way out of my marriage with Anjali. Me being useless.

I didn't really see any chance with Aparna, but the mere possibility of choosing something, deciding something in my life excites me. But in the end, I am always proved wrong. I am not capable of choosing." His words broke at the end.

At too many instances, I have seen this part of Shiva. He sees himself not worthy enough. I have tried to help him.

I always did what I thought was right. So self centered at many instances. I was grown that way. I had complete freedom over my life.

After hearing Shiva's mom side, I knew that I couldn't really help Shiva.

Unknowingly I have made this more difficult for him. My eyes were flowing with tears.

Shwetha sat near me and held my hand looking at me.

" They have left " She said slowly .

I removed the pardha and hugged Shwetha.

All the pressure blasted out as tears.

" I am so sorry! " She said.

After few seconds, I rubbed off the tears and looked at her.

" God, Shiva likes you girl. And you do too. " She said.

" Only I can make this easy for him. " I said . I need to go away from him.

" What are you going to do? " Shwetha asked.

" Making sure that Aparna won't cause anymore trouble to Shiva. " I said and called Rajiv.

As soon as Rajiv picked up the call, I told him to book my tickets to Bangalore as soon as he can.

He knew that I can't do this anymore. I told him that I was missing my home.

He immediately accepted and told me that he would talk to his parents.

" I am really sorry! " Shwetha told for the hundredth time as we both sat on the Auto.

" It's okay. I needed to listen to his side more. " I said.

Shwetha got down at her home and I went back to Rajiv's home.

I knew that Shiva wouldn't be there.

Rajiv's mom was healing quite slowly with her sprained ankle. I ate dinner together with Rajiv's mom and dad.

" Rajiv told us that you are leaving tomorrow! " Rajiv's mom said.

" Yes, it is urgent. " I said .

" Come back in a week dear. We need your help with the engagement works. " Rajiv's dad said.

I smiled at him and nodded back.

I went to sleep early that night. It started raining outside.

The constant thunder woke me up. I was sweating profusely, the power was gone .

I walked to my cupboard, nearly slipped and fell down. The floor was all wet.

I stood up and saw that water was splashing inside through the top window. I tried to pull the window in one hand, and holding my phone torch in another.

I fought with the wooden window for ten minutes and then gave up. Only someone who has lived here will know to close this thing.

Shiva might know.

But I was not comfortable with the idea of waking him up. Then I remembered me falling down, uncomfortable is better than a broken hip bone.

I walked to Shiva's room and knocked his door.

He came out with sleepy eyes. He was shirtless. I stood there frozen for a moment. He doesn't really know how much he looks like a Greek god with his bed hair and of course his chocolate abs.

Wait, I came for the window.

"Sorry to wake you up, I tried closing the top window in your brother's room. It is completely stuck. The rain water is splashing inside. Help closing that!" I said stuttering.

He nodded his head and walked in after me.

He swiftly climbed over the table and started working on the window. The rain water was still splashing in.

His muscles were flexing under the light of my phone. His back was sculpted. Does he work out everyday?

My innocent intuition was shouting at me saying that this is a sin, for a virgin like me to eye him like this.

My devil intuition was telling me, I am going to hell anyway, what's wrong with few more sins?

" Do you have any oil? " He asked. I broke away from my trance of thoughts.

" Coconut oil? " I asked dazed.

" Will do! " He said.

I nervously took the bottle and handed it to him.

Was I sweating more because of the power cut or because of him?

Focus, you are playing the part of his sister in law right now! Behave!

I smiled at myself and tied my hair into a bun over my head.

After few minutes, Shiva successfully locked the window and jumped down from the table.

The lights and the fan came back to life.

"Finally! " I said.

I took the oil bottle and kept it in the cupboard.

When I turned back, I realized that Shiva was still shirt less and the lights made it more clear. His hands were covered with water droplets as he worked on the window.

My eyes then landed on his shocked eyes.

" Aparna? " He said with his eyebrows furrowed together ,Like a realization finally hit him.

Broken hip bone was definitely a better option than waking up this idiot.