13.12.2019 , At Chennai

Aparna's P. O. V :

" For the hundredth time, I won't get my eye brows done! It hurts! " I said to Shwetha.

" Okay, then try this detan facial! " Shwetha said with her eyes closed under the cucumber slices.

" You are the one getting married! Not me! " I said laughing.

" Ma'am, you should try the fruit facial! " The beauty parlor lady piped in.

" No thanks! " I said and laid back on the sofa.

Shwetha went silent after the parlor lady started scrubbing her face and applied another new layer of cream.

" Another, 20 minutes, and you are good to go! "The parlor lady said to Shwetha.

I smirked as I took a pic of her with the weird facial.

" I am going to sleep! " Shwetha complained to me.

" Get all the sleep you need " I said and went back to scrolling posts on my phone.

After a strenuous battle with the parlor lady, I escaped the place unscathed. With two days left till the wedding, we still had lots of things to do. I was forced to stay with Shwetha in her house , because I promised her that I would be the wedding manager.

Shwetha's house, which was usually empty besides her parents, was jam packed with people.

We packed our bags and moved to wedding venue that evening. We decided to have a small success party the same night.

We booked a small meeting Hall in the wedding venue and invited everyone from the office.

" Let's keep the make up simple! " I murmured as I helped Shwetha get ready.

" Done, done! Let's move out! The guys are here already! " Shwetha said as we both rushed out of our hotel room.

The meeting Hall was at the terrace and had a huge spill out area outside.

As I walked inside the hall, the first thing that caught my eyes was the variety of liquor arranged neatly over the center table.

Hari, Shiva and Karthik were having some heated discussion that they didn't notice us entering the hall.

" Don't tell me that you guys brought these! " Shwetha shouted looking at the table.

The three boys jumped and turned towards us. Karthik uselessly tried to hide two bottles in his hand.

" You said party! " Hari said defending his team.

" That doesn't mean you can drink! I have had enough of you guys being drunk! Throw away these bottles " Shwetha said to Hari.

All the wonderful moments from our last trip crossed my mind.

" Okay, then we will have our own party after you guys leave! " Shiva said.

" Good! " I said and sat down near the table.

Shwetha sat beside me. The interns too arrived after 10 minutes.

" What's next? " Karthik asked.

" We all take a break! " Shiva said. And I looked down my table.

" What's next Aparna? " Karthik asked me.

" How would I know! " I said rolling my eyes.

" I saw you working silently on something yesterday " Karthik said.

I was filing a letter to the Chennai Architect's association to hear my side. The final decision would be taken on December 31. I knew that i had no way out of the trap, but I can't stop trying.

Shwetha looked at me concerned about my answer.

" Well, I was planning to send our design for the design competitions at Chennai level. We can apply for awards with the previous designs. We may not win anything, but if we do, we will get recognition. " I said.

" See, this girl always has something on her mind! " Karthik said laughing.

Shiva looked at me flustered. I was confused on seeing his reaction.

" So, the next client is that office design, right? " Hari asked.

" When are we starting the work? " Karthik asked looking at me again.

" Yeah, please schedule keeping in mind our honeymoon. " Hari said laughing to me.

Shiva smirked a bit and looked down. I was starting to get nervous.

" That is for Shiva to decide! We can start when he says! " I said looking at Shiva.

Shiva smiled a bit and looked away.

Was I the only one reading the tension in his eyes? Were everyone really oblivious to him?

" Let's talk keeping in mind the reality! If Shiva had to face that project deadline without you , he would have definitely murdered one of us before completing the work! " Karthik said laughing.

" He is not that short tempered! " I said defending the silent Shiva.

" You think so! , maybe you haven't seen that side of him yet! " Hari piped in.

I shook my head and decided to change the conversation.

" Let's all go out and eat! The food might be ready now! " I said getting up.

I was pulled back to my seat by Karthik.

" Don't you remember the dare? " Karthik asked me.

" What dare? " I asked confused.

" You said you will go out with me if all the work is done! " Karthik said.

Shiva looked at me tensed.

" Well, all the work is not yet done! We have the next project in line! " I said.

" Don't chicken out! We are going on our date next weekend! " Karthik said.

" Keep dreaming! " I said and laughed at him.

" Stop with this stupidity! Don't you have self respect! She rejected you twice! " Shwetha said and knocked on Karthik's head.

" I am hungry! " Shiva said and walked out of the hall to the dining area outside.

We ate at the buffet and the interns left soon after.

Hari and Shwetha were asked to check the decorations of the wedding hall, so they went out.

I found Shiva standing alone in the balcony, staring into the city view.

" Hey! " I said.

He looked at me and gave a small smile.

" So what were the after effects of my shoot out with Anjali? " I finally asked him.

" Nothing new. She is still here. I don't know when she will leave " He said and turned back to the view outside.

He smirked to himself.

" Are you okay? " I asked him.

" Why? " He asked glaring at me.

" I don't know, I am just feeling that you are not in good mood today " I said.

" Yes, correct. " He said looking down.

I gulped hard as my mind was coming up with countless reasons.

" Do you remember your notebook? " I asked him.

" That one which I threw away at the old paper store? " He asked me.

" Yes, You wrote so many things about your career in that. In fact, that motivated me too. " I said to him.

" You are joking! " He said to me.

"No, really. For some people, your dreams will appear as nothing but stupid goals. But as long as you believe in them, you can do them! " I said to him.

He shook his head and smiled again.

" Trust me, you are going to achieve even more greater things! I will help you reach them! Don't stress about work. We all are here, we can do it. " I said and looking at his eyes, I knew that all my words were in vain.

" You don't understand! " He said gritting his teeth.

" Enlighten me! I am here to listen! " I said.

" You are telling me that I have achieved my dream by successfully winning this project. But Aparna, why do I feel like I lost? Why do I feel like I won nothing? " He said, nearly shouting at me.

I looked at him shocked. He walked past me and went downstairs without giving a second glance towards me.

I placed my head on my hands and gulped down all my tears.

I ran quickly back to my room, Karthik was calling me as I ran past him, but I decided to not talk with anyone.

I rushed into my room and locked the door. I fell straight on my bed.

I didn't know how to stop Shiva from blaming me,but I also didn't know why I was feeling bad instead of being angry as he shouted at me.

I decided to wash my face and go back to the meeting hall. I had to talk to Shiva again and make him understand the situation. He shouldn't suffer this alone, I should at least tell Hari about this. They were really mean to Shiva.

I combed back my hair and checked my face on the mirror.

My phone screen showed me that I had received a mail back from the Chennai association. I instantly opened it.

The subject read, " Request for hearing cancelled " .

Suddenly I felt like my world is coming to an end. All the pressure I was holding back came out as tears. It felt like there was no hope left for me.

I threw my phone on my bed and sat down on the floor. I picked a pillow nearby and buried my face into it.

I wailed into the pillow trying to block my voice.

A sharp knife over the table caught my eyes. I was heaving with my uneven breadth.

I wiped out my tears and took the knife in my hand. I placed it over the vein in my left hand.

Let's end this. For once and all, I can't bear this anymore.

A hand snatched the knife from me and I looked back to find Shwetha and Hari standing behind me.

She threw away the knife and hugged me tightly. I cried on her shoulder and she patted my back.

" It's okay " She said crying.

I shook my head and I was not able to control my tears.

" It's okay. Your career is nothing bigger than your life. You idiot! " Shwetha said in between her tears.

" It is! It has always been the only thing I earned with my hard work ! I can't stand watching it fall! " I said and broke on her hold.