Before I start with the chapter, I wanted to THANK YOU GUYS SO SO MUCH FOR 15K! LIKE SERIOUSLY? WHAT DID i EVEN DO TO GET SUCH LOVELY SUPPORTERS LIKE YOU GUYS?!

Alexander-

I was convinced that this was the safest hiding place. My linen suit was tarnished. Dust piled on the sole of my shoes. It was disgusting yet I knew that my trick would work.

Sitting under King again today felt like I had done it ages ago, but it had only been a couple of weeks.

While I had planned for Jordan to marry Amelia, I had something else planned.

The man I was months ago would definitely not approve of this. But I knew I was not the same man. A certain someone had a great role in changing me.

I imagined her reaction when she would hear what I had to say. Eyes black with anger, mouth in a scowl and body shuddering like she was going to do something bizarre.

A chuckle left my mouth. Did I know her this well that I was even able to contemplate her reaction?

It was dusk. The sun was disappearing at the horizon. The faint twitter of birds could be heard and a faint breeze was flowing. I wasn't expecting her, no. But I hoped she came here.

This tree held a fair amount of memories. And since no one seemed to come here and I know Anvesha loves the quiet, I only prayed that she would come.

And she did. A half hour later, I head the faint sound of footsteps coming near. And then I saw her, looking even beautiful then I last remembered. Draped in a green, probably silk sari, hair tied behind her head and her dusky skin glowing, she looked like a goddess.

Get a grip, Alexander. Stop with those useless comments. I chided to myself.

Her eyes snapped towards and widened as she looked towards me from the book she was holding. She opened and closed her mouth. I smiled to her but an unreadable expression passed her eyes. I wasn't sure what it was, but it passed and all I felt was coldness radiating from her.

"Why, hello. What are you doing here?" She asked me in a tone I only remembered as the one she used when we first met.

I felt perplexed but I let it go. Instead giving her a wide smile. "Hello Anvesha. I was hid-- visiting." I quickly corrected myself as the word hiding almost slipped from my mouth.

But I think she caught it as her eyebrows raised yet she didn't question. "Well, I am going to leave. Good day." She said with no emotion at all as she turned around to leave. Well, that was abrupt.

My eyes widened as I jumped forwards and grabbed her wrist. She turned in a quick emotion and glared at me for touching her. I left her hand and sighed. "I have something important to tell you."

She crossed her arms in front of her and looked away, "I'm sure you have somewhere better to go." She turned her face towards me, her eyes slightly gesturing towards my clothing.

I have her a sheepish smile and shook my head no. "Just please sit. You can leave after I get it out of my chest."

She stared at me, yet again with her guard up. Then she sat down and I followed, making sure to sit a good distance away.

"What is it?" Anvesha said while staring at the hues in the sky and the drowning sun.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I can do this. I will tell her the truth even if she will probably slap me and call it a fantasy. "The day I met you, I considered it the first day of my life. I thought that coming to India was a bad decision, but then our hatred lessened and we became... friends I guess." I paused, searching her face for a reaction. I got nothing other than a nod to continue.

"We became closer and I think...I think I stared to see you more than just a friend." And this definitely got a reaction. Her face snapped towards me faster than lightning as her eyes widened, a small gasp making its way from her throat. The colour from her face seemed to drain slowly.

I gulped waiting for the slap to come. It didn't. She swiftly got up and hissed at me, "What are you saying, Alexander?"

I closed my eyes for a moment. Nothing was going well. What did I expect anyway.

"I think I lo--"

"No! No...this--this is so wrong!" She suddenly shouted at me and then covered her mouth. Shock was evident on her face.

"Please, just let me finish. I don't think I will be able to say it again." I silently pleaded with my eyes yet my voice sounded firm.

But she wasn't having it. She shook her head and then reached for her bag. I grabbed her wrist again, this time not letting her go as she struggled in my grip.

I felt a rush if anger within me. "I love you."

She gasped and then pushed me hard on her chest, repeating the words like "wrong", " liar" again and again.

"There is nothing wrong with this. You cannot control your feelings Anvesha, of you don't already know by now." I said in a cold voice, flames of anger evident in my eyes. She flinched at my tone.

"No Ale-- no it isn't true. This is real life. Wake up!" She shouted at me, her skin red with anger and her eyes lighting dangerously. Yes, her body was shaking too.

Something seemed to snap inside me. "Why are you so keen on believing that this is a lie?" I spat furiously.

"Because this doesn't happen in realy life. Not in India. I can't be with you! What will the people say?!"

A suddenly retreated. I dropped her wrists and stared at her, angry and hurt. "You are a hypocrite Anvesha. You were the one who made me believe that it doesn't matter what the society says. You were the one to be my friend when you knew that too didn't happen. Why Anvesha, were you lying all along?"

Her eyes widened, and for the first time I saw moisture filling them up to the brim. And then I realized that she wasn't shaking because she wanted to slap me, but because she was going to cry. Her hands suddenly reached her eyes and she wiped at them furiously, not caring that I was there witnessing it all.

Then she turned towards me with flaming, bloodshot eyes. "Tell me Alexander, how can you say things like these when you are engaged to another woman?"

It was my turn to be shocked. And then, a sudden unknown relief settled in me. This was the reason she said that it's wrong. "All this is about me supposedly engaged to another girl?"

She glared at me and remained silent. I sighed and asked her to just sit down. She kept boring holes on my face with that ferocious glare. I just rolled my eyes and decided to tell her everything.

"I was only being married off to the girl, Amelia because my parents considered her a safe option as she had been my childhood friend. But I didn't. I made a plan and if it worked, then by now Amelia is already engaged to Jordan." I explained to her, slowly, letting her soak up all the information.

She whispered something inaduble as she played with the edge of her sari. There was moisture in her eyes yet again, and I felt like doing was to embrace her. But then I suddenly remembered what I had seen weeks ago.

"Rajeev? I want to tell you that...I'm not saying no to my father." She had said to the man I barely recognized.

My gaze suddenly hardened and I felt my body getting stiff. "It's not me is it? It's you. You're going to marry of to that man." The words slipped like vemon off my tongue.

She looked up, her black orbs widening and she looked speechless. Then her eyes suddenly narrowed at me. "I'm not marrying him you imbecile."

My mouth dropped open, but not for the reason you'd expect. My anger had dissipated and laughter bubbles out of my mouth at her words. And then I suddenly stopped and cleared my throat. Anvesha was giving me a blank look.

"I head you say things to him. I was here." I said in a quiet tone, kicking myself in my mind for sounding so... sad.

"I did. I was angry. But it doesn't .matter. His parents don't want me now as there daughter-in-law. They said to my face that I was too much work. The sad thing is, because of this, my father lost a valuable friendship." She said, remorse dripping from her voices.

I admired her because she was not angry that she was humiliated like that, but at her father's broken friendship.

I felt calm, yet not fully. She hadn't said that she felt the same about me or not. And I had a grave feeling that she was not going to say it either. Before I could say anything, she answers on her one.

"I love my father Alexander. He cared for me, accepting the job of both mother and father. He raised my without any shackels bound to my feet. But this. This is something I know will hurt him. I shouldn't have started it. I'm.. sorry Alexander." Her voice was thinking, cracking at the end.

But I wasn't looking at her. The sound of her rejection was too loud and clear and seemed to seep deep within me, like knifes were pearcinh me. It felt like something had grabbed my heart and was squeezing at it constantly.

And it hurt.

For the first time in my life, I felt my eyes water. And it was because of girl. I chided myself and continued chanting to myself to be a man, but I couldn't.

A suffocating feeling had been latched on me and all I felt was wanting to leave. So I did. Without looking at her, I made my way through the feilds.

I could hear her calling out to me. But even that felt like a lie.

What else did I expect?

***

Anvesha:

I called out to him as my heart slammed in my chest at his retreating form. He didn't turn around once.

The tears that had welled in my eyes dripped slowly.

"I think... I think I love you too Alexander and I wish it was easier."

***