“I am not going to marry him and that is final.” Anahita announced, angrily throwing her bags on the floor as she entered her home. Mr. and Mrs. Maurya looked at each other before preparing themselves for another episode of her reluctance and outburst.

“How was your shopping?” Mrs. Maurya asked her, gathering the bags and peeked inside, “Looks like Lata got you most of the dresses. Now, we will only do the jewelry shopping.”

“Will you hear me out first?” Anahita grumbled, squinting her eyes, “I just said I won’t marry him.”

“Who dropped you?” Mr. Maurya asked, interrupting her and she rubbed her forehead, “Yuvraaj, but I am saying….”

“And, he went? Didn’t you invite him in?” Her mom questioned. Anahita rolled her eyes before replying, “Seriously? Why do I suddenly have to invite him when he is already considered a family member? Has he ever waited for invite, mom?”

“Anu,” Mr. Maurya intervened, austerely. “He is considered a member of the family but that doesn’t mean you won’t invite him.”

She pouted her lips, guiltily and lied, “I did but he was in haste because he has a meeting to attend tomorrow and he couldn’t spare us time, now will you please listen to me?” she threw her hands in the air, frustrated.

Her mother sighed, folding the crumpled clothes and her father grinned at her, “Okay, but before that, have this.” He dropped a whole piece of white Rosgulla in her mouth. Anahita ate the sweet delicacy in surprise and cupped her chin to prevent the sugar syrup from falling on her dress.

“Tasty?”

“Hmm…” She nodded, chewing hastily and gulped, “But, dad…”

“I know what happened. I know why you are angry but he was just joking.” Mr. Maurya smiled, supporting Yuvraaj and Anahita narrowed her eyes, wiping her lips clean. “You knew? Is he feeding you lies?” She felt her throat choking with sweetness and her mom passed her a glass of water. She drank the water in a go, “He wasn’t joking. He emptied my entire clothes and inspected them, disregarding my privacy. And, not only this, he made fun of my dressing sense. Is this joke?”

“Ugh, let it be, Anahita.” Her mother coaxed, softly. “He was joking otherwise why would he call us and apologized?”

“He apologized?” She blurted out, shocked. Her mother nodded, handing her the bags. “Yes, now go and keep them in your cupboard and come down fast, we will have dinner together.” She palmed her face, lovingly. “You are cranky when you are empty stomach.”

Anahita rolled her eyes, dragging her feet to her room and stuffed the bags in her cupboard. She got fresh, changed her clothes and joined her family at the dining table. Quietly, she ate the dinner where her parents did lame attempts to cheer her up but her mind only registered how they again took Yuvraaj’s side, neglecting her and her feelings. She felt her head throbbing as her mother kept notifying her with the progress of wedding preps.

“Mom, I am going to sleep. I am really tired.” She yawned, holding her head after she finished clearing the table.

“Okay, we already have a long day ahead. I am worried how will I manage everything alone? Your father doesn’t help me with the preparations.” Her mother blabbered without taking her eyes off the laser pad. Anahita rolled her eyes, “You are getting full help from Aai. Why are you exaggerating?”

Her mother muttered something inaudible but Anahita was so fatigued that she staggered to her room and hit the bed directly. As her head hit the pillow, her phone rang and she grudgingly picked the call without glancing at the ID but she already knew who it was.

“What is it?”

“I was wondering….” Yuvraaj drawled, lyrically. “…if you are free tomorrow?”

“No. I am very busy.”

“Doing nothing?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, in that case, I will pick you up for breakfast. Be ready by nine.”

“I take breakfast at ten.”

“Okay. Ten, it is then.” He surprised her by acceding. But, she sighed out. “No need. I am very busy. I am hanging up now.”

“Anahita…” He droned, cackling. “I was joking, mou.”

She twitched her lips, flipping on her back. “I am hanging up. Bye!”

“Listen…” He butted in and she held the phone closer. “…I will show you what actual strangulation means after our marriage,” he husked, “…but in a very passionate way.” And, her breath hitched. All the pent up frustration and disappointment transformed into anger and the venom sputtered out of her mouth. “Do me a favor and die before our marriage before I kill you with my bare hands.”

He chortled, carelessly. “And, if I survived by any chance, get ready for a night more tortuous than this.”

“You wish, Idiot!” She muttered and hung up, twisting on the bed. Her sleep was stolen by him once again. She dialed the only number who could rescue her from the future of insomnia. “Hello? Mukund, please do something.” She cried.

“Anahita, can we please talk about it some other day?” He asked, icily. “I am not in mood of listening how Yuvraaj tortured you or whatever.” She pouted at his coldness but sunk her face in the pillow. “Okay fine. I will not talk about him but what can I do? He irritates me so much.”

“Isn’t it running fast?” He asked, vexed. “Your goddamn marriage, I mean.”

Anahita scoffed, playing with her hairs, “According to our families, we have already delayed much. I am thankful that they didn’t marry me to him in childhood.”

“But they got you engaged which is against the law.” He pointed out, “They didn’t ask you before promising you to him.”

“Yes, but it was all in words. They never held any ceremony that literally could bind us together until the last month.” She mumbled, picking at her nails. “You know what Mukund…ten years back when he went to Australia; I really hoped that he never comes back. I mean I used to pray that he find his love there and settle happily. That was the only way to escape from his clutches but he chose to come back and dominate me. Obviously, why will he give up on…” she paused, listening to the beeps on the other side. She stared at the phone blankly. Did he just hang up on me?

Clenching her jaw, she dialed his number again and as he picked up, she lashed on him. “Who the fuck do you think of yourself to hang up on me? Huh? How dare you just….”

“…because I am tired of listening to this.” He snapped at her, shutting her. “I don’t want to hear about Yuvraaj, Anu. Get a drift.” She was silent as he chided, gruffly. “I thought we will talk about us. It has been days since we talked properly but all you have to say is related to Yuvraaj. I am not entertained with this ‘Tom & Jerry’ episodes of you and your fiancé. Got it?”

“I am sorry, Mukund.” She bit her tongue, “it is just I am very stressed these days. I get nightmares of getting married to him. I don’t know what…”

“Can we please, please talk about something else?” He asked, his voice was dangerously calm.

“Okay, but do you know he has threatened me just now.”

“That is your regular ranting,” Mukund huffed, “Can we pause this?”

“Okay fine,” she pouted, finally curbing her desire to complain. “I won’t talk about that asshole. He doesn’t deserve our attention.”

“You are still talking about him.” He thundered, blowing up and she jumped up. Anger sputtered in her at his casual behavior. She wanted to shout and clamor but she knew she had to get a grip on herself. She calmed herself and sighed. “Okay. I am sorry. I just hate him. But, still I won’t talk about him.”

“That is good,” he appreciated, “So, why didn’t you pick up my calls earlier?”

“I was with Yuvraaj’s mother, doing wedding shopping and do you know what he did? He checked my clothes. Isn’t it insulting? Moreover, he called my parents and lied that he was just joking. And, I still can’t believe that they want me to marry him when he treats me like shit.”

“Guess I made a mistake calling you since you have nothing to talk except Yuvraaj.” Anahita curled her palms in fists and took a sharp breath to calm her down, “Fine, what do you want me to say?”

“Great, so now you don’t have anything to talk with me.” He laughed, sarcastically. “You know what Anahita; I was mistaken to feel that you wanted to talk to me. Surely, you’ve got rather interesting stuff to think about. Fine then, I'll leave you to your musing.” His mockery pricked her soul with hundred needles, extracting as much pain as possible. She opened her mouth to cajole him but was greeted with loud, angry beeps of disconnected call. She kept her ear pressed to the phone and sighed, throwing the phone away.

She covered herself with the blanket from head to toe and flicked off the light, staring at the ceiling. “Duffer! He doesn't even want to think being in my shoes. It's all a game for him and I am dying here in anxiety.” She closed her eyes reluctantly and her phone cried at its loudest. She sprang up, picking her phone from the nightstand, gleaming as she noted the caller ID.

“What?” She chewed her inner lip, grinning inwardly as she knew that he would call her again but it was earlier than she expected.

“Let's chuck this Yuvraaj out of our life. Meet me at CCD ten sharp.” Mukund chuckled and she joined him, “I love you, Mukund.”

“I love you too, Anahita. Don't worry! I'll save you from this demon.”

“I've full faith in you.” She breathed out and blushed, “So now, I guess, your anger has dissipated. Then can we talk about us?”

“Definitely.” He sang and the night grew pubescent with their never ending discourse. They forgot about Yuvraaj together and made plans. Chuckles escaped lips, blush colored cheeks and shyness casted a glow in their eyes as they proceeded to envision a future which was beginning to collapse. Perhaps it was not the end, maybe they were meant to have a happy ending.

***

“Are you going somewhere?” Mrs. Maurya asked as Anahita hurriedly climbed down the stairs and jogged to the dining table. She grabbed an apple from the fruit basket and nodded. “I am going to meet a friend.”

“What friend?”

“Archita is going Bangalore tomorrow. So she wants to meet me, I will be back soon.” She wobbled, biting on the apple.

“Okay but have your breakfast at least.”

“Mom, we're meeting for breakfast. Now I will be hurrying up. Bye.” She hugged Mrs. Maurya and dashed out.

“You're late.” Mukund reminded her as she got closer.

“Shut up. I don't want you starting on it.” She hugged him and sat opposite to him. “Now tell me what have you planned?”

“Plan?” Mukund asked, quizzically.

“Yeah. I mean didn't you tell me last night that we are going to chuck Yuvraaj out of my life?” She confirmed and Mukund swallowed in discomfort.

“Yeah. I...I did but…” He cleared his throat, avoiding eye contact. “I don't have any plan. I mean I have a suggestion for you.”

Anahita grew alert, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. “And what is this suggestion?”

“I was thinking that let's… Let's talk to Yuvraaj and try to explain him our situation.” Mukund proposed, shifting closer and Anahita nodded him to go on. “That way we don't have to do anything in haste and he will be out of our way.”

“If it had been so simple, I would have done that ‘ages’ ago.” Anahita pressed a tight smile. “The moment I will tell him about us, my dad will disown me. Yuvraaj and his family will cut all the ties with my family and dad would never forgive me for that. I don't want to ruin anything.”

“But,” Mukund fondled her hand. “Anahita, we are doing this for us and why do you care what will happen to Yuvraaj and his family. They are nothing to us.”

Anahita redeemed her hand as if scalded, “Have you lost it? He may not be anything to me but Aai Baba is precious to me as much as my parents. I can't hurt them. Why do you think I never hinted them about us? When no one cared for me, Aai supported me. Baba loves me more than his own daughter and you want me to hurt them. You are crazy.”

Mukund stared at her long, waiting for her to change her mind but Anahita was adamant. She didn't waver. “Mukund, I respected when you said let's not run but try to understand, you're asking me to hurt them. It's difficult. Scratch that, I will say it is impossible for me to even think of it.”

He nodded, raking his hands through his hair. “Then I believe we should part our ways.”

Anahita gripped the table, her eyes closed and she tried to assay the damage within. The damage was too much, it had ripped her soul. It had cut her flesh and it had strained her heart but she was strong. She was strong than they thought. Rising to her feet with her dignified head and prestige, she smiled. “I think you're right. We should move apart.” And, moved toward the exit but Mukund held her hand, “Anu, wait!”

He was her mirror image. His eyes were red and his breath was uneven as if he couldn’t bear the pain. He embraced her tightly and kissed her forehead. “We will fight for our love.”

“H…how?”

“We will run away.” he said, looking deep in her eyes and smiled. “Like you wanted, like ‘Jab We Met’, like two love birds.”

“But what about…”

“Don't worry about anyone. No one will know. Go home, pretend to be normal, do whatever you are asked and meet me at railway station on your wedding day.”

She frowned, escaping out of his embrace, “Why that day? Why not right now?”

“I am leaving for Chennai tomorrow and I will be back after a week. Then again, I have to do a little arrangement for us and you will be busy. Since you're the bride, you will be allowed to have rest and that is your chance. Very swiftly and vigilantly, you've to escape out and come to me.” he told her the plan, touching her hair lovingly.

She gulped in nervousness. “Will this work?”

“It will. Have faith on me.”