Chapter 2

• Anya was having her dinner with her parents Mr. Vikram Arora and Mrs. Chitra Arora. They were dining when Mr. Vikram asked
• "Where is Tanya?"
• Anya lied as she received a message from Tanya that she is in a movie with her boyfriend.
• "She went to her friends for an assignment."
• Vikram proceeds with his food when he saw his wife was fighting with the food and was sighing after every 10 seconds
• "What happened? Why are you sighing?"
• Chitra says sadly
• "Mrs. Sharma's son got married yesterday, you know."
• Vikram becomes confused as the news and his wife's reaction was extremely opposite.
• "So?"
• Chitra speaks dreamily
• "His son was so handsome and successful, you know he was from the navy. How I wished that he and Anya..."
• Anya interrupts her mother helplessly
• "Please mom not again!"
• Chitra argues back
• "What again? Everyone of your age is getting married and here you are running from it and even your friend Karan and Priya are also getting engaged."
• Anya flinches slightly with these words while Vikram gets surprised and asked Anya
• "Karan and Priya are getting engaged? You never told us that they were together?"
• Anya mumbles bitterly
• "I also came to know about it later."
• Sensing it as an opportunity Chitra continues
• "See, now you should also think about getting married, we won't always be there for you."
• Chitra looks at Anya who was lost in own thoughts
• "Anya I'm talking to you!"
• Anya comes back into her senses as Chitra called her, she open and closes her first in nervousness and speaks
• "Mom Dad! I want to share something with you both."
• Vikram looks at his daughter's sudden tense state.
• "What my dear?"
• Anya takes a deep breath and announces
• " I decided to go to the US for my MBA in medicine."
• Vikram and Chitra were shocked from her daughter's announcement, Chitra couldn't help and retorts
• "What do you mean you decided? And how are you going to go there?"
• Anya tells her plans in detail
• "Well, I applied for it several months ago and after going through the entrance test, I achieved a scholarship so I don't need to worry about any expenses and moreover I will be working as a Trainee in a hospital. So everything is managed"
• Vikram was shocked to see his daughters complete and whole planning.
• "Anya, you took such a big decision and didn't even consult with us."
• Anya explains
• "Dad at that time I didn't know that I would be selected and you know I always wanted to do that and it is one the best business schools in the US. It's a rare opportunity for me and I don't want to miss it, please try to understand."
• Anya requests her parents as they were conflicted for this decision.
• "Mom, please tell dad."
• Chitra says worriedly
• "But Anya, how will you live there alone? How will you adjust and manage everything?
• Anya assures while Vikram was looking at his daughter as he never saw her this desperate for something so he assumed that she really wanted to go abroad for this.
• "I will mom, trust me. I will manage everything. Just give me these two years then I will do whatever you both want."
• Chitra confirms
• "Promise?"
• Anya nods as she needs to go from her at any cost.
• "I promise"
• Chita signs to Mr. Vikram then he questions
• "When are you going?"
• Anya answers
• "Three days later"
• Mr. Vikram sighs defeatedly.
• Anya was packing her clothes when Tanya barged into her room furiously,
• "What was mom saying? Are you going to the US for further studies?"
• "Yes, I got this opportunity with so much hard work I don't want to lose it"
• Tanya holds Anya's hand and jerks her towards her which makes her clothes fall from her hands.
• "Oh really? Who the hell are trying to fool Anya"
• Tanya points her finger to Anya then herself
• "You and me we both know that you are running away because you can't see Karan with Priya"
• Anya takes her hand from Tanya's hand and starts to pick her clothes from the floor with a little fumbling.
• "What nonsense! I'm not running away from anywhere, I'm just availing this once in a lifetime opportunity."
• Tanya folds her arms on her chest and says sarcastically
• "Then why you never told me that you applied there and how everything is already confirmed like you knew you would be selected? Don't take me as a fool Anya, I know you very well."
• Anya continues to pack her clothes so that she doesn't make eye contact with Tanya.
• "Tanya I had promised someone, I need to go there as I have someone's fidelity and I need to return them to their rightful owner and you know I never break my promise."
• Tanya angrily argued,
• "But for that you need to go for 2 years, 2 years away from us, when did you become this selfish Anya, you are only thinking about yourself and not about us"
• "I was always a selfish person Tanya"
• Anya snaps at Tanya but seeing Tanya shocked she calmed herself and tries to make her sister understand
• "and you are acting you are alone, you have Rohan and mom and dad have you plus I would be just a call away whenever you need me but right I need to fulfil that promise too."
• She zipped her bags then turns to Tanya and hugged her
• "I hope you understand."
• Tanya sadly mutters
• "I will miss you"
• Anya mutters while tightening the hug
• "I will miss you too"
• Next day Anya was standing outside an old house, she entered the house with the help of keys. The interior of the house was cosy and warm which gives you a feel like family just like the residents of this house. She first goes to the garden which was filled with different colours and categories of lilies looking beautiful, she waters them for a while then goes towards the stairs but stops near a black colour piano and slowly moves her fingers on its keys. After a while she was sitting on a bed and was holding a folded double sided picture frame in which on the left side there was a black and white photo of a young couple looking happy and smiling at each other and they both were their centre of world. The right side is a photo of the same woman with 18 years old Anya sitting on the same black piano which was downstairs. The woman in that picture was also looking happy, her wrinkled face wasn't able to block her charm but what about the eyes which were having a flash of sadness and loneliness. Anya slowly caresses her face as her sadness was never hidden from Anya because this what their relation was, they were each other's Painmates. They could easily feel each other's pain and that's how their relationship grew stronger. Looking at that woman's face Anya speaks
• "The lilies are still beautiful like you always liked. I'm going to the US, there is nothing left here for me. He is getting engaged to the one he loves and you know what's ironic is that the date of his engagement is the exact date on which I proposed to him. You know it means that he is disregarding our relationship, he is disregarding me. I don't know that I was even important to him."
• She chuckles bitterly
• "I miss you, I feel like I'm alone now. I don't have anyone to share my pain, to guide me. To tell me that just trust in your love. I also lost my love like you and I'm also running away like you. You said it correctly when you always said that I'm like you. We both are cowards, Grandma Nan."
• She wipes her tears
• " We both loved the wrong person but now I have decided that I will be away from this word Love and would never be involved in this as this path is not for me so from today no compromise, no bending, no sacrifices and no tolerance. I won't allow anyone to affect me anymore and if anything will stop me then I will cut that thing from its roots but as I promised you I will meet your man as you loved him so much and I need to give him your things whose rightful owner is him."
• Anya stands up then goes to a wardrobe then she opens it and opens a drawer which contains many letters and a document. She takes them out and locks the drawer.
• After two days Anya bids farewell to her family and was sitting in the aeroplane when she heard the announcement of take off.
• "Karan, let's never meet again."