An Illusion That's Love

Prologue

"Nice Watch," Shruthi said. Ananth unconsciously covered the watch on his left hand with his right hand.

***

In another corner of the city, Vandana smashed shut the old journal which she had found in the storeroom, saying... "Ah...I want to give her a nice big slap."

"To Whom?" Asked her friend Mekha.

"Me. The 15-year-old me. If I could go back in time..." Vandana said, throwing back the journal into the stack of old books. "The silliest ever bimbo ever seen." She said.

***

"So, what are your hobbies?" Shruthi asked Ananth...

"The usual. Movies... Music... Watching Cricket." He said. He was trying to assess her. Shruthi was definitely not his type. But still, his mother liked her so... He drank the tea from the cup in front of him.

"I can call you Ananth ettan, right?" Shruthi asked. It was in their Malayali culture to refer to all older guys as 'older brother' or 'chettan or ettan'. It did not matter if that older male is their to-be-husband or husband.

Ananth nodded. She was 4 years younger than him. Was she too young for him? Will it be okay?

"Have you ever had girlfriends?" Shruthi asked.

Ananth looked at her. "Isn't that too much intimate question? I mean, even if we are meeting for marriage, this is just our second time meeting." He had met her once with his family going to her house. The usual bride viewing ceremony. Was boring and irritating. But what to do... She the same caste as he is. The families have similar financial backgrounds. And moreover anything...their horoscopes matched. So like this, 30-year-old Ananth Nair is going to get married.

"Sorry," Shruthi looked down.

"It's okay though." He said. "I have had girlfriends...in school and college. But nothing too serious."

He unconsciously put his hand over his watch again. And smiled...

"I have..." Shruthi said. "I mean...Had. Until very recently." She looked guilty and conscious about it. "And we were like very serious as well."

"Then why?" Ananth asked.

"He is Muslim." She said looking away. "And I don't want to hurt my parents."

Typical.

"But I did not want to lie to you as well," Shruthi said. "I want to proceed only if Ananth-ettan is okay with it."

"It's over now, right?" Ananth asked.

"Yeah." She said. "We broke up. It's over."

"Then it's okay," Ananth said. His mom adored Shruthi. That is all that matters. It's not like there is anything wrong with the girl. She comes from a nice family. She has a nice job. She is kind of pretty and is younger than him. More than anything, she is from his own caste and their horoscopes match. She meets all the conditions people seek in their future wife/bride. "I am fine with it," Ananth said.

***

Mekha went and picked up the journal Vandana had thrown away. Vandana was searching for some books in the stacks of books and did not notice Mekha. Mekha opened a page and began to read from it...

"Is it fate? Destiny? That our names also match so much...." Mekha began to read from the journal. Vandana turned to her in shock. But Mekha read on. "Ananth and Vandana forever. Nandu and Nandu forever... I love him so so so so much. When he looks at me, I almost melt away..." Vandana jumped to steal the book from Mekha. Mekha jumped away from her grasp and continued to another page.