Renaming Destiny : Apsara To Myla

The Announcement

Apsara's POV

The party continued for a while and I decided to talk to Ashwin and ask why he was being a grumpy grandpa. It was a special evening for me and I wanted my only best friend to be happy for me. But he was stuck to a wall in the party hall refusing to move. "Ashwin, this is getting annoying. Ok? If you don't come with me now-", he looked at me with red eyes and that is when I knew he was crying. I grabbed his shoulder and asked him what was wrong but before he could say anything, I heard Adarsh speak again on the microphone. "I am very sorry to disturb you all in this lovely party. But I have a very special personal announcement to make", Ashwin stiffened under my hold. 

I felt my stomach twist in an unknown emotion as eagerness filled me to hear him say what I had always wanted to hear. Suddenly, I felt Ashwin grab my arm and pull me away from the crowd. He only stopped when we were in the back where no one could see us but everything going on on the stage was visible to us. "Ashwin! Have you gone mad?", I scolded him. He let go of my hand and turned to look at the stage. I rubbed my wrist which was burning slightly because of his tight hold and looked back at the stage. 

"Ok, so, everyone! Thanks for coming here tonight. You know, I've always loved a good party, but tonight's extra special as I had said before, and I'm glad you're all here to share it with us", he winked at the crowd earning loud laughs and cheers from them. "Now, I know what you're all thinking. The party is about to end in a few moments. 'What's he up to this time?' Well, I've got some news that might surprise you", I sucked in a deep breath and held my purse tighter. "See, I met someone a long time ago and I recently realized my true feelings for her, who's been by my side since we were kids. My childhood best friend", I felt goosebumps grow all over my skin.

He paused, letting the suspense build, his smile growing wider as if reflecting mine. "And guess what? A few weeks ago, I did something I never thought I'd do. I popped the question. Yeah, I know, me, right? But it gets better – she said yes!". The crowd reacted with a mix of gasps, cheers, and applause. But I was confused. Nothing like that had happened with us. I thought he was popping the question today but he was saying he already had. 

"So, without further ado, I want you all to meet the amazing woman who managed to tame this wild heart. Akanksha, my love, come on up here!", my eyes widened painfully as I saw a woman dressed in a blue dress walk up the stage and hug him tightly. I felt my purse fall out of my grasp as I took a shaky breath in and took a step back. "Everyone, this is Akanksha Gupta, my fiancée. We're super excited to share this moment with all of you, and we can't wait to see what the future holds. Cheers to love, laughter, and a whole lot of surprises! Thank you for being here tonight. You all made this evening one of the best for us!" 

I felt Ashwin wrap his arms around me and whisper something in my ear but I heard nothing. I felt nothing. I only saw him kiss her lovingly on her lips as the crowd cheered for them and popped open another champagne bottle. "Ashwin....", I cried weakly. "I know, I know, Apsara", he pulled away and caressed my hair. "H-he - did you... did... oh my god.... did you see that, Ashwin?", I asked unable to breath properly. "I saw, baby. I'm sorry you had to see that. There was no way I could stop that", he was crying too. "Ashwin.... He just announced that he was en-engaged to someone else. I-i thought-t he was going to... Oh god! I thought he... What just happened, Ashwin!?", I let him hold me as I heard the cheers in the background for the new couple. 

"Come with me, Apsara", he pulled me away to an empty place and I could not think properly. I wanted to cry, my heart was physically aching. But I did not understand anything. It was as if I was in a dream where I was unable to have any control over anything. "Say something, Apsara. You are scaring me", Ashwin said while rubbing my shoulders. "I don't know what happened there, Ashwin", I simply said. I felt a tear drop down my face onto my dress making me look down. And one after the other, my tears poured down my face and Ashwin held me tightly as I cried in his chest. "What did I do to myself, Ashwin!! I feel disgusted about myself."

He kept caressing my hair as I fisted my hand in his shirt. "You did nothing wrong, baby. He is an asshole. I kept warning you about him but it was too late", I wiped my tears and pulled away from him, "Who is that woman, Ashwin? How dare she calls herself my Adarsh's fiancée? There is no way this is true. Childhood best friend? I am his childhood best friend. Apsara Adhiraj is his best friend. Not some other woman!! I need answers!!!!!", I cried loudly. I hiccupped and said, "I will go to him and ask him what that was. He can not play with my feelings like that, Ashwin! I will not let this happen with me", I said and ran away from him while he kept yelling my name. 

I opened the door of the hall where very little people were left but a group of our close friends were still around him and that woman was hugging him. The last guest walked out and then I went to him. "Apsara!! How was my surprise? I bet you hadn't imagined that in your wildest dreams", he put his hand out for a high five but I stood still as tears welled up my eyes. His smile fell and he sent her away and turned to me. "What happened, Apsara?", he asked in a low voice. I gritted my teeth, "How could you do this to me, Adarsh?", I asked. "Huh?", he looked clueless. I chuckled humorlessly and raised my voice, "How could you do this to me?? I devoted everyday of my life to you and suddenly you claim to be in love with someone else. When did that happen?".

He looked around and smiled awkwardly before grabbing me by my shoulders tightly, "I have no idea what you are talking about, Apsara. Keep your voice down. We will speak later", I threw his hands away from me, "SPEAK WHEN? AFTER YOU MARRY HER!?? IF THIS WAS HOW IT WAS ALL SUPPOSED TO END WHY DID YOU GIVE ME FALSE HOPES, ADARSH??! WHY DID YOU GIVE ME MIXED SIGNALS?".

"Apsara, dear, what happened? Why are you crying?", I felt my mother call me from behind. "What should I tell her, Adarsh? Tell me!! Who will answer her?", I cried louder. "If you really had no intensions of marrying me someday, calling me your fiancée, why did you keep flirting in every event? Why did you keep giving me hopes about us? Why the fuck did you make me think we had something special???", he finally spoke, "Apsara, I flirt with everyone. It was not my fault that you were easy to talk to. You should have known better as a woman. You talk about mixed signals, woman, that is how I speak to everyone. There are probably hundreds of girls like you out there heartbroken by this news. And coming to answering your parents, that is none of my business. They are your parents and you will be the whole and sole owner to the scene you are creating here today".

"Apsara, what are you doing? Go downstairs to the car! Now!!", I heard my father command. But I was done listening to him. "You took me home in your car one day and told me no woman had ever sat next to you. Not even your mother. You took me on a date to my favorite ice-cream parlor and spent the evening with me. What about that?", Aniket Bhaiyya who was quiet all this time spoke, "Seriously, Apsara? Ice-cream parlor? We all know him too well to know that he probably treats every single woman he sees like that. How could you fall for that?".

"THAT IS ENOUGH!!! APSARA! IN THE CAR, RIGHT NOW!!", my father yelled. I looked right in his eyes and said, "No! I need answers. He couldn't do-", I felt a hard slap land on my cheek and I fell on the floor because of the hit by my mother. "Apsara!", I heard Ashwin call as he knelt down beside me to hold me. I looked back at my mother who was panting while looking at me angrily as Ashwin kept rubbing my back, "Why are you embarrassing us like this? What was lacking in your life that you had to go destroy everyone else's like this? Don't you feel ashamed to even say all that out loud??!!", she yelled but suddenly, my father clutched his chest and collapsed while the others ran to hold him. 

"Papa!", I called but when I tried to get to him, he said while biting his teeth, "S-stay away from me-e, you d-disgrace! I do not w-want to see-e your face again", his breathing got louder and I tried to get to him but he started to breath loudly and pointed at me. "Go away from here!! Don't kill my husband!", my mother yelled as Ashwin pulled me away from them. 

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