Renaming Destiny : Apsara To Myla

The Angry Groom

Ashwin's POV

"Namaste, please come in", a middle aged aunty welcomed us as soon as we stepped inside the house which was filled with many people who were making some preparations. "Amma, illnodu yar bandidare anta!", she said smiling happily and an woman who was probably in her 80's walked out and looked at my brother with a serious face. "Why are you here? Don't you know you both aren't supposed to see each other before the wedding?", she asked in a stern voice. I was shocked my brother, the great Aniket Simha was letting someone talk to him in that tone. 

(Amma, see who is here!)

"I am here to introduce my brother to her. Nothing else", he said in an equally stern and annoyed tone. The lady looked at me and I joined hands and smiled at her. She looked at my brother and nodded and we walked into the house and up the stairs to meet a closed door. Aniket Bhaiyya looked at me and sighed before knocking on the door. "Yaru?", I heard a feminine voice ask. "Umm.. It's me", my brother croaked. Some shuffling sounds were heard from behind the door before it opened and a girl opened the door. 

(Who is it?)

As soon as she saw my brother, she smiled and said, "En ri, madve hudga? Madve ago tanka obranna obru nodbardu anta gottilva nimge?", she placed her hands on her hips and two other girls joined her. "I'm here to introduce my brother to her", Aniket Bhaiyya said. They looked at me and I awkwardly waved. I saw one girl checking me out from head to toe and shifted in my place uncomfortably. "If you have come this far, then Ajji might have said yes. You can talk to her but can't look at her. Ok?", they asked and walked out with teasing looks. 

(What is this, dear Groom? Don't you know that the bride and the groom aren't supposed to see each other before the wedding?) 

After they all ran away while laughing at my brother, we walked in to a dimly lit room. I saw a woman sleeping on her bed while her arms were inked with henna and left to dry. I immediately turned around and waited for my brother to do something. "Prasiddhi!", he called softly. I heard someone humming and then gasping in fear. "What are you doing here? Ajji will kill you if she sees you here!! Are you crazy? I asked you to come here in the midnight!", I bit on my lips awkwardly. 

"You don't have to worry about that. I told her that I wanted to introduce my brother to you", I turned around and looked at my brother's fiance who looked very familiar. "Wait a fucking minute!", I took a step away and ran my fingers through my hair. "Prasiddhi!! What the fuck! Bro, you are my brother's fiancée?", I asked to the woman I had known from school. She looked at my brother and put her head down. "How the- Oh my God!!! Bhaiyya she always had a huge crush on you since our school days", I blurted out and immediately regretted it. She widened her eyes at me and scolded me inaudibly. 

My brother looked amused and looked at her who was still busy scolding me with her eyes. "Ok. I'm going to shut my mouth now", I said. "Why did you call me here?", my brother asked. She looked at him and took a deep breath before saying, "I want you to cancel this wedding", my jaw dropped. "Are you crazy? There is not even a week before the date and you want me to do this now?", my brother asked angrily. "I was scared, sir. I was in no state to make such a huge situation".

My brother took a deep breath and closed his eyes before he began, "You already know what is at stake and are saying this. I can not believe you, Prasiddhi. I begged you to stop the wedding since the day it became official and now when there is no time left, you want me to announce this to everyone and become the villain?", she shook her head but he did not stop, "No, tell me what else you want. Do you want me to go out right now and announce everyone why we are getting married? Huh? I'll go say we were fucking drunk and we did not know what happened until I woke up in your bed naked with your grandmother witnessing us like that? No, just say it. I'll go say that".

I knew I wasn't supposed to be there but I couldn't go out too. It would create unnecessary questions. I walked to a corner and turned to the wall looking at the door of her cupboard. "You don't have to say anything, sir. I will take the blame. I just want you to help me get out of the country for now. I have a friend in Dubai and she has agreed to help me. I'll make sure to not let anyone think it was your fault". 

"How?? Everyone will point their fingers at me once they see you aren't here. Do you want to destroy me, woman?", he asked angrily. "Ashwin! You know Priyanka. She lives in Dubai now. She has agreed to help me out. Convince your brother to help me plea-", he grabbed her arm in anger and I walked to them to pull him away. "I do not believe you and I never will. And do not bring my brother into this nonsense you have created", he said furiously. "Bhaiyya, let her go", I said and pulled him away while they both looked at each other angrily. I saw her henna was smudged near her elbows. 

"Pradiddhi, don't do anything stupid. There is no time now. After the wedding, you both sit down and think about what can be done in calm minds. Ok? Bhaiyya, let's go now", I pulled him out of the room and turned to look at Prasiddhi after he walked downstairs. She looked at me with tear filled eyes and asked, "Is this how my life will be from now on?", she sat on her bed and sobbed. I walked to her and sat on my knees and said, "Hey, hey! Look at me", I wiped her tears and said, "I know my brother, okay? He can be too aggressive sometimes. But he has been through some real tough times to become like that. I know this is hard but just wait until the wedding gets over. I'll stand with you. Okay?"

She cried while I said, "You always liked him. Now, when you have the chance to marry him-"

"Things have changed since school, Ashwin. I have worked for the past 6 years with him and I know him. Like any other girl I had dreams of marrying the man I was in love with but now- What have I done to myself??", she cried. I wiped her tears again and said, "I'll be there with you and make sure nothing wrong happens with you, okay? You will be my sister-in-law, Prasiddhi!", I said making her smile through the tears. "Shut up! Don't remind it to me!", she said. I stood up and she walked me out while introducing me to her family. 

I sat in the car and saw my brother playing with his fingers like he always did whenever he was frustrated. The car had just started and we had moved just a street away from her house when my brother yelled at the driver to stop and opened the door and ran away. I looked at the driver who looked just as shocked as me. I took my phone out to call him and he did not pick my call. I gave up after two tries and waited until he came back which he did after a few minutes. "What the hell is wrong with you?", I asked him as soon as he closed the door behind himself. He was panting as he looked at me and said, "I kissed her".

"Huh?"

"I kissed Prasiddhi. In front of her whole family and confessed my feelings for her"

"Wha- I thought you did not love her"

"Ashwin, I have had the biggest crush on her for the past 6 years and I kept pushing it away all this time. I know her and I also knew she would never stop until she left to Dubai by any means. Even if it meant putting her life at risk. I had to do it to stop her"

"So you didn't mean what you said to her now?"

"I fucking meant every single fucking word I said. I just don't know how she will take it"

He looked out of the window and breathed loudly while I turned away to think about how so much had happened in just a few minutes. So much drama! I opened my phone to scroll until we reached home. And just when I thought I had had enough surprises for a day, I saw a new post from a fashion page. 

"Myla Moretti to star in an Indian themed photoshoot in Mumbai!! Watch her walk into the airport in grace as she flies to her native with her whole family!"

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Hmmm. So who's excited for the next chapter?

Do you want Myla to meet her biological parents?

Let me know in the comments

Lots of love💗