" I should ask you the same, Mr. Jeevan Iyer!" Arjun said angrily.

" This is my hometown, where would I be?" He shrugged.

" First answer my question, Shakti is My Yaazhini right?" Arjun asked impatiently.

" Earlier even I had the same question as you, but let me clear it to you. She is not your Yaazhini!" He cleared it to him.

" But..."

" Shall we talk about everything else after going home?" Jeevan asked impatiently.

" Huh, let me inform my siblings and join you?" Arjun asked.

" Sure, come to the entrance I will be waiting for you..." Jeevan said and walked away from there.

After a few minutes, they both were in the backseat of Jeevan's car while his driver drove the car towards his home.

" So, how is life? What are you doing? How is Andrea?" Arjun asked his first best friend.

Jeevan sighed with a bitter smile.

" She must be in peace leaving us here..." He sighed.

" What? What are you saying?" Arjun frowned not understanding him.

Did he break up or what?

" And..." Jeevan was interrupted by a phone call to be precise a video call.

" Dadda, daddda..."

" Haa, babba..."

"Vaaa...Vaaa..."
(Come, come) A little girl called him cutely.

Arjun could understand that it was his daughter with the way his eyes sparkled.

" Varen da Kanna... Amma ta phone ah kudu" He said sweetly.

( I am on the way dear, pass the phone to Mom)

"Maata," She said gesturing no with her fingers.

( No...)

Nee vaa..." She said once again.

(You come)

" Yes, baby I am on the way..." He smiled knowing she would not pass the phone.

"Byee!" She ran away dropping the phone somewhere.

Jeevan laughed at her cuteness.

" Your daughter?" Arjun asked with a smile.

" Yeah... Aadhirai, we call her Aadhi." He smiled at him

" Andrea?" He asked once again.

He sighed and started telling the story.

" I knew where Yaazhini was, in Germany. Alan was taking care of her, so we went to see her and share the news about our wedding. We were at a restaurant waiting for Yaazhini and Alan. I still remember how happy I was but everything was in a few minutes. I just went to the washroom and returned only to see Andrea missing, people there said she went out speaking on her phone. When I went she was already on the road, dead! It was an accident. I still couldn't find out what happened there, Yaazhini was the last caller.

I informed my family and they were with me, I still don't understand what happened back then..." He sighed.

" Oh, my god! That's so much!!" Arjun said exasperated.

" That was not the end... After that incident, I was not able to contact either Yaazhini or Alan. I tried so many times but there was no development and in the end, I had to give up..." Jeevan said sadly.

Arjun frowned hearing this, it was so much to take.

" Why did you disappear from my life?" Arjun asked him.

He was guilty of not being with his best friend at his lows.

" I just didn't want to see you... At first, I blamed everything on you, it was because of you that Yaazhini went away from us and the chain of events but then later I realized It had to happen so it happened, not because of you but later I just didn't have the guts to face you... " Jeevan said closing his eyes.

" I deserved it, leave that aside. Tell me about your wife, how is your life? And what are you doing with Sakthi?" Arjun asked to Jeevan.

" Ah, that... I was working as a researcher at JeevanuVidya, you know Lime Tree Group's research institute but later Dad planned to sell his business so I wanted to invest in Lime Tree Group and that's when I met Mam. I mean Sakthi Laya, just like you I was so confused at first but then eventually I understood she was not her. Then it went on formally then we were friends, though she had asked me to call Sakthi sometimes I just can't stop myself from doing so, because she deserves that..." He smiled proudly and started to tell his story.

" After a year of all this happening, my parents forced me into marriage because my mom was not well and three months after my marriage she passed away. It was the period where I hated myself, I lost my mom, and I lost my friends but it was it was Sanghavi, my wife who helped me come out of the grief and guilt. Without her, I might not be alive now... Slowly I fell in love with her and accepted my past. Then Aadhirai was born, and she brought all the happiness and wealth with her that's why we named her Aadhirai. " He said with love love-filled voice.

( For those who do not know who Aadhirai is. Aadhirai is a character in the Tamil epic Manimekalai. She donates her invaluable bangle to the "Atchaya Pathiram" (the vessel of inexhaustible food) This act of charity is significant in the narrative as Aadhirai's donation contributes to the magical vessel's ability to provide endless food to those in need. So like that Jeevan's Aadhirai filled his life with endless hope, happiness and wealth.)

Jeevan spoke so much about his wife and daughter that Arjun couldn't help but admire.

Soon they reached Jeevan's home.

" Sanghaviiii!" He yelled as he kept his bag and blazer on the couch. 

Sanghavi the dusky woman in his mid-twenties wearing a simple Kurti walked towards them with a smile. 

" This is Arjun!" Jeevan introduced Arjun to her side hugging her and dropping a small kiss on her head.

" Arjun, you mean your best friend?" She gasped as Jeevan nodded positively. 

" Oh my god, welcome!" She welcomed him with a handshake.

That's when  Aadhirai ran towards Jeevan who picked her up and twirled her in the air. 

By now Arjun had tears in his eyes, it was Sanghavi who noticed it first. 

" Arjun, what happened?" She asked worriedly. 

Jeevan turned towards him. 

" Arjun, what happened?" Jeevan asked as he dropped Aadhi on her feet. 

That's it, Arjun broke into sobs falling on the couch. 

" I lost everything, Jeevan. I lost everything!" He sobbed onto his friend's shoulder. 

Sanghavi took Aadhi aside to give them some privacy. 

It took some minutes for him to sober up. 

" I am sorry, Jeevan. But, I couldn't stop myself. You know right? She is my everything, more than a family more than my whole life. If I hadn't been like that, acted like a heartless bastard she would have been with me right? Even we would have had a daughter or son right? Each and every time I see a happy family it pricks me. My mind keeps taunting me ' You sick bastard you asked for it, why did you hurt her?' 

I can't take it Jeevan, each and every time I want to die, but you know what keeps me alive? A point one per cent chance that I would meet her once again and say sorry to her and plead her to accept me. 

The amount of hope I had when I first saw Sakthi and her daughter, everything crashed when I found she was Shakthi Laya, not my Yaazhini. And when I met you today with her today I was once again hopeful but everything crashed down! I don't know Jeevan what should I do? Where is she? Ask her to come to me, please... I can't bear this pain! " He cried, for almost an hour, Jeevan's heart broke seeing him like that, but what could he do? 

After a lot of consoling, he sobered up. 

" I am so sorry, Jeevan. I might have scared your wife and daughter. But I couldn't, you were the only one with whom I could share anything and everything!" He said apologetically. 

" That's fine Arjun, who am I? Your friend right? What are friends for?" He smiled and gave him a big bro hug. 

" Thank you so much!" 

Then the night went with Aadhi's blabbering and happy giggles. 

It was time for his departure. 

" I am sorry Sanghavi it was our first time meeting and I spoiled it!" Arjun apologized.

" That's fine Anna, I call you Anna and I mean it. So no hard feeling!" She gestured for a hug which Arjun gladly accepted. 

He then left from there as he had asked his driver to bring a car. 

************************************************************

OOpsiee! I know I am irresponsible 

But I was soooo busy so I totally forgot that I am writing a story 

But Yaar, I am so envious. I don't have readers or people who demand chapters so no motivation to write 

It sucks! 

So enough of my blabbering, I will try writing another chapter but can't promise anything! 

Byeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Do vote and comment and gimme some motivation