Vandhit's POV:

"Mr Acharya, we would like your presence for the party at CRUNKLETON(a pub in Charlotte) tomorrow as you are our new partner in our automobile production. We would be gladly waiting for your arrival", informed Ms Scarlet.

"Sure, It would be my pleasure. Thank you for the invitation. Inform Mr Hubert about my arrival", I answered her and hung up and left for the conference hall.

"Hello, all. So, I hope you all know the reason behind the meeting. If not, let me tell you. We are in partnership with Williams for our next project. And, I want all your co-operation in it because for this partnership we had invested a huge amount as our share and, this partnership is the precious opportunity to enlarge our empire across the States. Partnership with Williams is like a huge banner for our company. So, I hope you all would have understood the place we have acquired. I want everyone's keen attention and involvement in this project. I had put my heart and soul to achieve this peak, to create the empire, ACHARYA GROUP OF AUTOMOBILE PRODUCTIONS. So I should never have any flaws in this project. Am I clear?", I asked in an authoritative and stern voice.

Everyone nodded. I smirked and continued, "Good. So, now I'm appointing Mr Jayansh as the supervisor and head for this project. Mr Jayansh, I respect your ability and wit, so I expect your best in this project. All the very best and let me know the team within two days. All the very best. Thank you", Jayansh nodded his head with a smile and, I left the hall while patting his shoulders.

Indeed this project is very important for me. I had spent many nights and days building this empire. I have achieved the 'YOUNGEST AND FAMOUS BUSINESS PERSONALITY' for three consecutive years. They are not a show-off thing. I have made ACHARYA GROUP OF AUTOMOBILE PRODUCTION from nothing to one of the trustworthy and guaranteed companies in the States and India. I know the difficulty in developing a company in a country like the States, that too with least investment.

So I cAN never compromise anything from the best. 'Humiliation' was the only fruit I got whenever I stepped inside a company to provide us with a chance. I know they could not give an offer for a company like ours which had a severe blow but humiliating me with that was not needed. This same Williams group's manager called me, a dirty piece of shit from Asia. But now, I am one of the important partners of that company.

I'm going to meet him after 5 long years. How good it would be if he remembers me tomorrow! I am damn excited to meet him.

After a tiring day at the office, the dusk of the day arrived. I left for the party at Crunkelton and, am welcomed by Ms Scarlet. She is the PA of Mr Hubert William, the founder and CEO of WILLIAMS GROUP. I met him and, he introduced me to all his partners of the other projects. These were the same companies who said to me once that my company was no match for them.

I asked Mr Hubert to let him introduce all his senior employees. My eyes were searching for the man who is behind my success today. I went to the manager. I extended my hand. He looked at me and, smirked as he remembered me. Damn! He still remembers me.

Just then, Scarlet came and introduced me as the CEO of ACHARYA GROUP. Man! The look on his face is worth a million dollar. I tried to suppress my laughter and smiled at him.

He immediately took back his hand and looked at me panicked. And, I let him know about the deal we signed with their company. He would have fainted there. Somehow he managed to move to the other end of the pub to relax and retrieve from shock. I laughed loudly and moved to meet others at the party.

I left home from there. I narrated the incident at the club to my family and laughed recalling the encounter with the manager. I had a meeting at a video conference. After the meeting, I looked up only to witness the clock, which is going to strike 12. I shook my head in disbelief and headed towards the balcony. I stood there and let the breeze flow through me. I took a deep breath and balanced my hand in the railing of the balcony.

The week's incidents flashed in my mind. Three days ago on Sunday, I met Vanathi and Emma. I came to know the rejection of Vanathi for marriage proposals. I knew it a long time ago but what shocked me was the reason people said to her. Her divorce.

I felt vulnerable at that time. Little do I know, that I too was not responsible for the current scenarios of our lives, but it hurts me a lot when I see her face. I never wanted to get divorced. We both enjoyed our two years of married life not as couples but as best friends. But our parents were right, that love is not enough for an entire life. She is down to earth, like whom I had never seen in my entire life of 28 years. I smiled at myself. Who will believe that I got married and got divorced with my first CRUSH!!

I and Vanathi were born and brought up in India. But when our company started to collapse both in States and India, we moved here from India. Emma was our childhood friend. Her father, Mr Andrew Summers too had a company in India and in fact, we were partners there. And Vanathi's father was my dad's best friend and he worked as the MD in SUMMERS GROUP. All our dads were friends formally, but we three created a beautiful bond. We started to nudge our fathers constantly to meet each other and thus they too became family friends. Though I am three years elder to these two, I thoroughly enjoyed my childhood with them.

We moved to the States when I was ten. Our company started to run out of the fund and each time Andrew uncle came as our saviour. Such a gentleman he is. That's when I decided that when I grew up I will make our company one of the best and now, I hope I started to fulfil the promise I made myself.

I was attracted to Vanathi when I was 15. Damn those adolescence hormones!! I used to blush like a jerk whenever I see her. Damn! My heart would thump loudly and faster as it would come out at any moment.

I would never see her eyes while we are chatting. I was a lovesick teenager at that time. I would never leave her company, I would roam like her puppy. The best part of this was that Vani knew about this and, I even proposed to her on her 14th birthday.

It took few months for me to understand that it was just a mere attraction and, was trolled by Emma for years.

There was no gang like us in our high school. When kids over there would go for dates to the pubs, we three used to go for the same dinner dates and enjoy dancing in our homes. We enjoyed our teen life but Emma would get lost somewhere else even if she was with us. I knew what happened to her after her mother's death. But I never asked her.

She would look at our families with some sort of pain in her eyes. We all tried our level best to bring her out but couldn't. I wish she could live her life in peace and happiness. Because she is not a girl who deserved all those happenings. She is one of the gems. A perfect and flawless gem.

Memories are like cyclones. Once they hit it brings everything in front of you. It seems like yesterday. It was the same day when the manager of the Williams group humiliated me. And it was the day of our engagement. I was too irritated that day and was in no mood to see anyone.

Then came my saviour, Vani, she sensed my discomfort and dragged me to Andrew uncle and asked him, "Uncle. You said you will give me my gift for my engagement. So I'm asking you now. Give me a small number of your shares. Vandhit and I are going to replenish the ACHARYA GROUP. I want this as my gift. Can you afford me?"

I was numb. I know uncle would have given me if I had asked him but as I said before, I am a complete jerk. "Sure. Is there any 'NO' for my daughter's wish? You are getting your gift now", he said amusing me to the core. 

Vani and Em giggled and winked at me. Our families were stupefied at her sudden act. I was overwhelmed and hugged her tightly.

Everyone was happy looking at us together. Vanathi didn't stop there. She started working in our company after four months of our engagement. She didn't even complete her MBA then. She discussed her ideas with marketing executives. Her strategies were brilliant and, we had good growth in the initial state. That's why I am calling her my pillar. She not only helped me get out of the pit but also jumped inside and taught me to climb on my own.

We both were not at all serious about our wedding. That was the blunder we had done. We never took those rituals or anything serious but our families and society took those seriously. We were too late when we realized it. We realized it at our DIVORCE. We were afraid of one thing what we would do if our parents prohibited us from meeting each other. The thought of separation dreaded us. Shivers ran through our spines. That was the main reason we never wanted a divorce. Luckily our parents were not very typical and let us meet. Slowly things came back to normal.

It has been 2 years since our divorce. I moved from it, not fully, yet to an extent but she is still suffering. That pricks my heart. Whenever we speak about marriage she looks at me with some emotion in her eyes which I can't understand. But every time I can sense her eyes are getting wet. I'm cursing myself for her state.

I can still remember my words, "Vani, I am sorry. I couldn't take any more of this. I tried my best to make it work. But I failed miserably. I m sorry. Bye. All the best." I never meant that I am not gonna come into her life and am gonna leave her forever. But she took it this way. That day will always haunt me.

2 years ago:

I told Vanathi that I couldn't make this marriage work and left our home to get some fresh air. I went to a Bakery nearby. I sat there waiting for my coffee to arrive. I closed my eyes to control my trembling heart but I couldn't and started crying sitting there. My sore voice frightened the waiter there. Yet he left me to do what I want. I was a crying mess.

I could never take the fact that I and Vani are not gonna live together. All dreadful thoughts flashed in my mind. With the same dreading thoughts I came out of the Bakes and left for home. The sight when I went in, made my gut clench. My Vani who never cries, even something worse happens, was a crying mess then. I went near her and made her look at me. Her eyes were fluffy and her cheeks were pink.

"Will...will...you leave me?", she asked me sobbing and sniffing. Tears that dried in my eyes pooled again. I hugged her.

"No. How can I leave you? how can you even imagine this?", I asked her sniffing. "You said that you...you couldn't take more of it", she cried in my arms.

I gently caressed her head and said, "I said I can't take this marriage cause we both are not like a married couple. Our parents wanted us to live like a perfect couple. But we are not meant for it. This is what I meant. Idiot."

 She broke the hug and gave me a questioning look and asked, "Promise?" I smiled sadly at her.

She slept while sobbing in my arms. I made her sleep in her room and moved to my room and started crying. I was irritated with myself. 

She used to say to me, "No matter how much you cry, you should always smile and look your face in the mirror to see your smile and go for your bed. This always motivates you to smile every time, fight for your smile whenever you couldn't smile." But I made her sleep while crying. I laid on my bed crying and cursing.

The next morning, I opened my eyes only to witness our families with tear stricken faces looking at me and Vanathi. I looked at her but she was looking down compressing her sob.

"We are sorry kids, because of our decision you both are in this state. Now, we don't want you both to live like this. So better get DIVORCED", said her dad.

Our heads snapped in his direction. Again the dreadful thoughts filled my mind. We both went to our respective rooms, locked up and cried our heart out. Then our parents made us accept the divorce.

The lawyer was called in the very evening and documents were prepared. After two days, we got a letter from the Family court of Charlotte to summon on that Friday. I and Vanathi looked at each other and left for our respective houses crying and sniffing, leaving the home where we lived and locked our memories in it.

Now:

Tears rolled down my cheeks. How much I say I moved on, I couldn't come out of that day. Always I had a gut feeling that I am responsible for her current state. I don't know. Am I the reason? Can I help her to have a better and bright future? I want her life to be the best. She was my sunshine when I looked for a small ray of light. Yes, she is indeed MY SUNSHINE.

Hey fellas!! I hope you guys are enjoying the story. So plz comment. Every critic is welcomed with an open heart and hands. All your words really mean a lot to me. So do consider my story.

With loads of love,

Harshu