Lathika's alarm blared for the fifth time that morning. The sun was long up in the sky, casting its rays over the city as people bustled about their daily routines. Yet here she was, trapped in her apartment for the last three days, unable to break free from the thoughts spiralling in her head. A deep sense of indecision weighed heavily on her—her mind tossing between the future of her business and the nagging fear of running out of options.

Since Tara's betrayal, things had felt off. Trust had been shattered, and so had her confidence in continuing the path she had once felt so certain about. Instead of pushing forward with finding clients and expanding her Business-to-Customer (B2C) services, Lathika had decided to focus on something she could control better—Business-to-Business (B2B) partnerships in the event planning industry. It was a field she knew like the back of her hand, where her skills could shine. She had the experience, the connections, and the knowledge, but there was one major hurdle standing in her way.

MONEY.

To shift her focus, she would need funds, badly. Her revenue from past projects had been modest—enough to pay her employees, cover office and apartment rent, and keep up with her car payments, but there was little left for growth. Emergency funds had been allocated, but she wasn't about to dip into those unless it was absolutely necessary. Unless she goes broke.

For the past month, she'd been desperately trying to find an investor, but those attempts had hit dead ends. Loans were out of the question, not with two months of no income on her books. Her friends had offered to chip in, but Lathika knew they too had their own financial struggles living in Mumbai. She had politely declined, only for them to transfer a small amount into her account the next day anyway—enough for her to order samples and continue working on her vision.

But even that wasn't going to solve her problems for long.

Then there was her grandmother, Jaimathi—the woman who had once ruled her life with the promise of a secure future through marriage. The very thought of turning to Jaimathi made her stomach churn. Lathika hadn't spoken to her in five months. The last conversation they'd had had been about the marriage proposal, and after the disaster of that situation, Lathika couldn't bring herself to reach out for help. What if Jaimathi insisted on another match, another proposal—this time for a different man? The very idea sent a wave of frustration and panic through her.

"NO," she groaned aloud, flopping back on her bed, kicking her legs in the air. "Why do I keep coming back to the same two options? Ugh."

The thoughts rumbled through her mind again, louder and more persistent.

Option One: Call Jaimathi. But the cost would be more than just the money—there would be strings attached, expectations, possibly even a forced marriage. The idea felt suffocating.

"What if she tries to marry me off again?" Lathika screamed in frustration, her voice echoing in the room. Her thoughts turned in circles. She couldn't escape it. She couldn't.

Option Two: Take Prashanth's offer.

Lathika sat up straight, rubbing her temples as she stared at the ceiling.

The memory of that conversation at the airport had been lingering in her mind like an itch she couldn't scratch. "If we agree to this arranged marriage—just on paper—I get the inheritance. And I'd be willing to give you a share. Let's say... a quarter of it," he had said. The words kept playing over and over, and the more she thought about it, the more appealing the offer became.

She rolled back down onto the bed, her thoughts racing. "But what if he doesn't really need the money? What if he says no?" Lathika felt a strange sense of doubt. It wasn't just about the money—there was a part of her that didn't want to seem desperate. And yet... Desperate was exactly what she was.

She closed her eyes and let out a heavy sigh. "I need money. Fast. Shit! You are getting desperate Lathika!"

Her head throbbed with the weight of her decisions. She couldn't let herself get stuck in the same cycle, where every problem came down to two equally difficult choices. What if there was another way? What if there was a solution that didn't require her to compromise on anything—her dignity, her freedom, her future?

"Is there any other way that is not striking my little head?" She tapped on her temple with her palms.

But no matter how hard she tried, all her ideas felt like they required too much sacrifice. Borrow from friends? She'd already done that. Ask her grandmother? Never again. Lean on Prashanth's offer? That was still an option, but... what if he didn't even want to be involved?

"Why is this so difficult?" Lathika muttered to herself, tossing and turning on the bed.

Finally, she sat up and grabbed her phone. She needed a distraction, something to pull her mind away from the spiralling thoughts. Scrolling through the news, a headline caught her eye: "Local Event Planner Creates Waves in the Industry."

Lathika paused, curiosity piqued. She clicked on the article, and a familiar name popped up—the article was about a competitor in the event planning space. It highlighted their recent successful event, and Lathika couldn't help but feel a pang of frustration.

"Why does it feel like everyone else is moving forward except me?" she thought bitterly.

With a groan, she threw the phone aside and lay back down. She couldn't afford to keep thinking like this. She needed to take action, not just keep spiralling. But how? What was her next step?

She glanced at the time. It was already past noon. She hadn't even eaten yet. Her stomach growled in protest, but her mind was too full to focus on food.

With another heavy sigh, Lathika stood up, pacing the room. What would Prashanth think if I asked him for help? she wondered, her hands running through her hair.

The question lingered. The thought of asking him, of being vulnerable with someone she knew just a little, seemed intimidating. But wasn't that exactly what she needed right now? To stop overthinking and actually take a risk?

There was no harm in asking, right? And who knew—maybe Prashanth would be willing to help. Or maybe he wouldn't.

But soon Lathika realized something, she had to take the chance.

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The sun had long dipped below the horizon, and the once-bright room now sat in near-complete darkness, save for the soft glow from Lathika's phone screen. She had been staring at the number for what felt like hours, wondering whether or not to dial. Her thoughts were scattered, her mind racing between possibilities. The instant noodles she had hastily made earlier had been devoured, and the empty bowl sat beside her, a silent witness to her lack of motivation to clean up.

Lathika sighed deeply, frustration evident in the way she slouched in her chair.

"What is so difficult? Huh... what is so difficult? Just a call..." she muttered under her breath, still eyeing Prashanth's number on her screen.

She felt like she was standing on the edge of something, but every step forward seemed to require more courage than she had. The stakes felt high—asking for money from Prashanth felt... wrong somehow. She had worked hard for everything she had, and yet here she was, considering asking a man she briefly knew for help. It wasn't even about the money anymore—it was about the embarrassment. The vulnerability.

She stared at the screen, the "Call" icon staring back at her like a challenge. Her finger hovered, a mere breath away from making the call.

Should I?

Before she could second-guess herself any further, her finger slipped, and the call icon was pressed by accident. Lathika's eyes widened in shock as she watched the screen light up, indicating the call was going through. Her heart leaped into her throat. She scrambled to cancel it, but the phone was already ringing.

It rang. And rang.

Her palms were clammy, and she felt her pulse in her ears. Each second stretched longer than the last, until finally, just when she was about to hang up, the call was answered.

"Hello?" came Prashanth's voice from the other end.

Lathika froze. For a brief moment, she couldn't find her voice. All the words she had rehearsed were suddenly gone. She was left with only a whisper, almost a breath.

"Hi," she managed, her voice barely audible.

A soft chuckle echoed through the line. "What's up, Lathika?"

Forcing herself to take a deep breath, she tried to pull together some semblance of normalcy. "Are you free tonight? I'd like to meet you."

"Tonight?" he repeated, his tone dragging as if he were considering it. "Not possible. I'm flying to Singapore in two hours. Back-to-back flights. I'll be available tomorrow night."

Lathika felt a wave of disappointment but tried to mask it. She shifted in her chair, heart still pounding. Tomorrow night isn't too far off, right? She shook her head at her own impatience.

"Tomorrow?" she repeated, trying to steady her voice.

"Is it urgent?" Prashanth's voice softened, a hint of concern threading through.

She hesitated for a second, weighing her words. She had no reason to lie—she just didn't want to sound desperate. But urgency... well, urgency was as good a reason as any.

"Yes, it's urgent," she said, surprising herself with how calm she sounded.

There was a brief silence on the line, and then Prashanth's voice came through again, a little more relaxed. "Okay, let's meet at Chennai International Airport around eleven, will that do? I can't be there any sooner," he added, a slight chuckle in his tone.

Lathika could feel the tension in her shoulders loosen as a strange sense of relief washed over her. She'd done it. She'd actually called him. Now it was time to make things right.

"Okay, I'll see you then. Thanks," she said, the words coming easily now.

The call ended with a click, and Lathika dropped her phone onto the bed, exhaling in a mix of exhaustion and relief.

"Well, one part is settled," she murmured to herself, clasping her hands together in a silent prayer. "The other part..." she trailed off, looking up at the ceiling.

"Hopefully it turns out well," she whispered, almost to herself, as if trying to convince the universe to agree with her.

Her own words seemed to settle in her chest, and she repeated them as though they were a mantra. "Turn out well?" she echoed, blinking as if the words only just made sense.

A small chuckle escaped her lips as she lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Like what? Marrying Prashanth? Or getting the money? she asked herself, the thought lingering uneasily.

She shook her head, trying to push the thought away. That wasn't it, was it? It wasn't about marrying Prashanth. And it wasn't about just getting money either. It was about finding a way to stand on her own two feet again—to make sure she wasn't being carried by anyone, to make sure she was doing this on her own terms.

But right now, maybe it's okay to lean on someone else... just this once.

She closed her eyes, the weight of the decision pressing on her chest, but after days in distress, she allowed herself a moment of quiet. Tomorrow, everything would unfold.

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