Alcohol

Adithan's hands trembled as he poured the red liquid into a golden glass, He set aside the jar and took the glass in his hand, and stared at it for a few minutes.

He had once vowed to himself that he'll never let a drop of liquor touch his lips as he saw the grasping effects it had on its consumers, the become prisoners to the comfort it provided, their hands shackled to the glass which held the poison to their lives.

But at that time Adithan didn't know that he would meet Nandini, he didn't know that he'll fall madly in love with her, he didn't know that he would get crazy about her.

He didn't know that they'll brutally rip them apart.

Adithan's grip around the glass tightened. He arched his eyebrows in anger.

Nandini

He gulped down the wine in one go, it burned as it went down his throat, the bitter taste it left behind triggered some painful coughs.

The drink didn't ease his pain as Adithan hoped it would, it just made it worse. Nandini's voice was getting louder and louder by the moment, Adithan clenched his head, blocking out his ears, but nothing helped, the sound was coming from his own head.

Adithan closed his eyes and took another shot.

"Nandini," Adithan groaned as he fell back on his bed. "Where are you...? Adithan mourned.

Adithan's whole world turned upside down the moment she left him.

The only reason he hadn't passed a dagger through his heart yet was because of the tiny strand of hope he had left. The hope that he would meet Nandini somewhere, that she would come running to him and forgive him. That's what's keeping him alive.

Adithan pushed himself up to pour himself another drink.

"Aditha...?" He heard his mother's sweet voice calling out for him again. She has been doing this for the past three days.

Adithan ignored her calling as usual and concentrated on pouring his drink into the glass, which felt like a hard task all of a sudden.

"Aditha, please open the door, it's been three days and I'm getting worried," His mother pleaded.

"Anna?" Arulmozhi's innocent voice boomed. He too has been standing on his doorstep waiting for him to show his head.

"I'm alive," Adithan mumbled, loud enough for her to hear. "I'm not dead yet, at least not physically," Adithan laughed bitterly.

"Aditha let's talk," Vanavan pleaded repeatedly knocking on his door.

"Did you talk to me before exiling Nandini?" He asked. Vanavan couldn't answer that question. "That's what I thought," Adithan plopped down on his bed.

"Aditha, please, won't you listen to your mother?" Vanavan tried to guilt trip him as her last resort.

Adithan hung back his head and groaned, annoyed by her constant nagging. He placed the glass down and shook his head to clear his cloudy vision before stumbling down his room to reach the door.

Vanavan Madevi sighed in relief as she heard the door being opened.

Adithan pushed open the door and turned back, not wanting to face them. Especially Kundavai who stood there like she didn't do anything.

"Oh my god! Aditha!" Vanavan Madevi gasped as she saw the chamber trashed like anything. The lamps and vases laid there on the ground shattered, the mirror broken to pieces, everything was out of its place.

"Anna!" Arulmozhi ran off to Adithan and hugged him tightly, nearly knocking the drunk prince off balance. "Anna I was so worried," He said burying his face into Adithan's hips. Adithan kept a hand on the wall for balance.

Kundavai followed Arulmozhi with her head held low due to guilt.

"Aditha, you don't know how relieved I am to see you!" Vanavan said cupping his face in her hands. She planted a soft kiss on his forehead.

"Hmm," Adithan mumbled as he tried to avoid her gaze. He gave Kundavai a side eye, She was on the verge of tears.

Vanavan sensed something off about Adithan, his eyes didn't stay in one place, his legs were trembling under his weight, Adithan couldn't even stand properly in one place. Vanavan's eyes fell on the jar of liquor kept beside Adithan's bed.

"Did you drink?" She asked holding Adithan firmly in one place.

Adithan nodded. Vanavan's heart shattered at seeing her son's drunken eyes drowned in sorrow and grief. Kundavai ran out crying unable to see her brother in such a state.

Little Arulmozhi didn't know what to do. He didn't know if he should go run behind his sister or stay with his brother. Arulmozhi decided to go with the former option and followed his sister outside leaving Vanavan and Adithan alone.

"Aditha..." Vanavan sighed. She made him sit on the bed and sat beside him. "I didn't know it would hurt you this bad," Vanavan said pressing Adithan's shoulders. Adithan looked down at the floor blankly.

"Would you have arranged our marriage if you had known, Amma?" Adithan said, bitterly.

Vanavan frowned. "Aditha...I understand your pain--"

"You don't understand me," Adithan blurted out. "No one in this palace could understand my pain, not even you Amma,"

"There are other girls in this world Aditha," Before Vanavan could add anything else, Adithan raised his hands, telling her to stop.

"And you said you understood me!" Adithan laughed like a madman. "Do you think I only loved her for her beauty?" Adithan let out.

"I didn't say that..." Vanavan Madevi sighed.

"Do you know how...innocent she is?" Adithan asked. "Do you know how much she loved and cared for me?" Adithan chuckled sadly and shook his head. "No one could understand it," Adithan began tearing up. 

"No...don't cry...Aditha," Vanavan hugged Adithan and took her in his arms, Adithan wept continuously in his mother's embrace. Vanavan kissed Adithan's hair and tried to console him. But the damage was done. 

"Please bring Nandini back," Adithan cried clutching his mother's saree in his hands, his tears drenched Vanavan's attire. "Amma, please" Adithan begged for her. No one paid heed to his pleadings. The pleadings ceased after a few seconds as Adithan drifted into a slumber due to the liquor's effect.

Vanavan stifled her cry by placing her hands over her mouth. She swallowed the lump in her throat and caressed her son as he slowly cried himself to sleep in her lap. Vanavan wiped away her tears and placed Adithan's head on the pillow gently.

"Nandini," he kept mumbling her name in his sleep. 

Vanavan sighed. She closed her eyes, and prayed, "Parameshwara, please save my son," She gently kissed his forehead.

Everyone thought that he would get over it in a week's time, but no one knew that this moment will haunt his life forever.

*******

"Akka!" Arulmozhi finally caught up to his sister. Kundavai sat on the stairs and hid her face in her knees. Arulmozhi sat down next to her and kept a hand on her shoulder, "Akka?" 

"I ruined his life, didn't I?" Kundavai muttered sadly.

"Akka, you did this thinking it was good for him," Arulmozhi started.

"I was delusional," Kundavai scoffed. "I--I blindly listened to the Jodithar's words without considering how much it would really hurt him," Kundavai started to blabber.

Arulmozhi opened his mouth to protest, but he didn't have anything valuable to say, he knew what her sister did was wrong and how much ever he loved her, he couldn't defend her on this one. He decided to close his mouth.

"Anna hates me now," Kundavai said with a frown.

"No, Akka," Arulmozhi took her hand in his and consoled his sister. "No matter how mad Anna is at you, he can't ever stay truly mad at you forever," Arulmozhi said.

"How do you know?" Kundavai asked wiping off her tears which kept flowing.

"He told me once," Arulmozhi said simply. "Yea, He said, My sister is a little stupid sometimes--" 

Kundavai gave Arulmozhi a glare. Arulmozhi raised his hands defensively. "Not my words, I'm simply quoting Anna," Arulmozhi said. Kundavai let out a small chuckle, He smiled satisfied with cheering up his sister. "Where did I leave? ah yes, She might do stupid things thinking it's good for me, but no matter what she does, I would still love her till death," Arulmozhi continued. Kundavai frowned.

These words just pricked her even more. Her brother loved her very much, what did she give back to him? heartbreak and despair.

A/N

:(

Kundavai genuinely feels bad T_T 

Thoughts?