Finally! Reached the 10th chapter. Thank you everyone who helped me to come this far. Keeping supporting ❤️ love you all.

*Not edited
*dedicated to SaipriyaVenkat
*past in italics
* thoughts are also in italics
*plesse vote and comment too

Ashwin can't move his eyes form Aparna from the time he saw her in their reception saree. He has to say that she changed a lot.

When she wore that last time she was just a child in his eyes, who got married to him because of the circumstances.

He just want to blame himself for taking that selfish step at that time. But now, when he saw her, it was something different. She looked like a complete woman in that saree.

It's true that Ashwin is seeing her in saree after five long years, and he just wanted to hold her close and admire her beauty. He wanted to feel her fragnence which he missed a lot.

If only he can hold her close once agian, he is ready to pay any price to not let her go this time.

Ashiwn's thought broke when he found annoyence in Aparna's face and he moved his sight to the person who stood there with an evergreen smile. Abhijit.

Ashwin's face shrunk when he saw Abhi walking towards Aparna.

"hey beautiful! Long time no see ahn" he waved his hand and Aparna smiled in response.

That smile... That smile did something to his beaming heart. 'She never smiled at you like this these days' his mind started talking the toll on him.

"Hi Abhi, how are you man! I missed you too much" Ashwin rushed to him and hugged him, Even though he hated him to the core.

"Ash-win, I'm fine I'm fine. Leave me" Abhi said struggling to release himself form the bone crushing hold of Ashwin.

"that's good mate" Ashwin tapped his shoulder friendly but a little forcefully making him gasp in pain. Abhijit, Ashwin's younger cousin always had a pride that he is younger and handsome than Ashwin.

And he often uses that Charm of him on the girls around Ashwin. Whether that is his secretary or Aparna, that had no limits.

Ashwin can point out limitless times, before there marriage Abhi used to flirt with Aparna, but nothing worried him at that time, for two reasons, 1. Aparna was so infatuated with Ashwin that she noticed nothing around her. 2. Ashwin has no feelings for her to bother about that.

But now, the scene has changed and Ashwin got a fear in his heart. Ashwin knows that Ajay won't hesitate to chose a better man for Aparna if she had no feelings left for him.

And Ashwin don't want that person to be his cousin.

Aparna who saw that struggling Abhi let out a chuckle. The jealousy she saw in Ashwin's face is not new. She had seen that for a long time, and at the same time, Aparna knows that this jealousy is not for her, It's just because Ashwin wanted to be better than Abhi, in every way.

"Ashwin, you can leave me now okay" he said releasing himself. And turned towards Aparna again.

"So, darling you look more beautiful now, I think that removing toxic people form your life is doing great goods to you" Abhi said Placing his eyes on Ashwin and Ashwin knows then, where everything is going towards.

This guy here is hell bend on breaking his spirt today. Abhi is the kind of cousin Ashwin's parents parents always point out and say 'avana pathu kathuko, unnoda chinnavana irunthalum evolo mature ah behave pannuran paru'

And he hated Abhi for that for a long time. The one thing which him better than abhi part form his business is Aparna. Even after trying hard, abhi didn't even managed to gain a glimpse of Aparna's attention, while he managed to get that without even trying.

"Abhi, I want to talk something with you, come with me" Ashwin dragged Abhi without his wish and Aparna chucked.

There was a sudden happiness. Within her, a kind of fluttering sensation crept her heart seeing Ashwin like that. He behaved as if he is not the ice cold Ashwin anymore, he behaved like the charming Ashwin, whom she witnessed on the latter days of their married life.

Her face shurnk and a pain shot up to heart when she remembered all of his emotions form that time is just an act, an act to keep her with him, so that his business won't collapse, an act to maintain her as another asset of him.

Her hands started to tremble but when she heard Chitra calling her she got out of her trence and walked to her.

"Leave me you idiot" Abhi shouted when they are out of the crowd.

"who asked you to come here" Ashwin asked moving dangerously close to him. It will be a lie to say that Abhi was not scared of the coldness he saw in the eyes of Ashwin.

"I have invitation, send form your Secretary's mail. Is that okay? And I'm a 6% share holder of all your business, so don't try to rule over me" Ashwin sighed and took a step back form Abhi.

"Already things are messed up Abhi, don't make them worse, just go away, I have mood to argue with you" Ashwin said defeated. He knows that he is not going to win anything by challenging Abhi.

"Who made the things worse Ashwin? You only right. Then bear the consequences" Abhi smirked.

"Don't dare to go near her Abhi, you will see the worst of me, just stay away form my Aparna" Ashwin himself was surprised when he said that. 'My Aparna' that sounded like a melody.

"Your Aparna? That's past Ashwin. She is not yours anymore. Are you suffering form memory loss or did you deliberately forgot the part when she handed over those divorcee papers to your hand" Abhi seriously had an intension to hurt Ashwin that day.

"Look Abhi, don't talk nonsense, I'm already broken to no extant, please" The Pain in Ashwin's voice did moved Abhi but he can't dare to go against Sara's order. He love his job very icu and when that is in her hands, he can't help but do what she asks him to do.

"Ashwin you lost her chance when you had her so close to you. You asked me to stay out when she was your girl and I did then, now why should I do that? Who the hell are you to tell me to stay out, what rights you has on her?" Abhi stopped when Ashwin held his collar.

"I'm her husband idiot. I'm her husband and no one has the rights I have on her stay in your limits" Ashwin pushed Abhi with a force that made him fall down.

The rage he saw in Ashwin's face terrified him. He can't even remember when he last saw Ashwin with this much rage.

Abhi chucked, rubbing his shirt. Standing up be smirked at Ashwin who hasn't even cooled down a bit. "Don't live in past my bro! You are her ex-husband, say ex-husband. So learn to live in present, learn the art of moving on" Abhi patted Ashwin's shoulder who is burning with rage and agony.

'I shouldn't have let her go then' Ashwin thought in his mind not realizing how dangerous that thought would became.

"Misson completed, just escaped before Ashwin squeeze me like a lemon" Abhi reported through the bluetooth.

"Start phase II then" came reply form the other side ana his eyes filled with horror.

"Saavadikama vidamattengala ennaiya? (you won't leave me until I'm dead Right?) " he murmured and got a chuckle as a reply. Stomping his foot he marched towards the party hall, finding his own doom.

Ajay widened his eyes in horror when he saw Ashwin who is holding Abhi by his collar thorough the laptop screen.

" What have you done Sara?" he raised his voice.

"Why that poor Abhi, if you wanted to make Ashwin jealous you should have used anyone else, why that poor guy han?" Ajay expressed his worries.

"And top of that, Aparna, she will feel uncomfortable around this guy" Sara smiled in reply.

"so tell me Mr. Ajay, if I send you to flirt around her considering the fact that she is comfortable around you, can you do that?" her question made him choke the water he is drinking.

"You can't right, just shut your mouth and enjoy the show and moreover, I'm not a idiot like you to give Aparna in Ashwin's hand before making sure of his feelings for her. If he want her, he should yearn her, and that is not going to be that easy" Ajay looked at Sara like he is witnessing a cold hearted witch who kidnaps little children.

But he knows that what she did is for Aprana's wellness and he won't compromise in that.

His trance broke when her mobile ringed and a chuckle left his mouth when he saw Abhi's name on screen.

"Pavam intha paiyan, Iva kitta poi Bali aada mattikittanae" Ajay thought in his mind.

Ashwin kept starring at the Aparna and Abhi who has been talking with each other minutes. And there is no displeasure in the eyes of Aparna, which he has been seen in the past.

'she really moved on form me, it seems' he thought. The Pain his eyes expressing didn't bothered Aparna and that fact gave him more agony.

Reaching the bar, he gulped down few shots which burned his throat but not as much as his heart burning with her ignorence.

His eyes burned with the time passed but nothing bothered him other than the fact that Aparna is hating him.

"Can I have a dance with beautiful" Abhi asked and after thinking for a second she forwarded her hands to him.

Ashwin who was totally drunk at that instant, walked towards them without any his Conscience.

Abhi who noticed Ashwin walking towards them left Aparna's hand immediately and walked back fearing for his life.

Ashwin stood before Aparna and she turned her head to the other side.

"Look at me Aparna" his voice was so deep and it send shivers down her spine.

Aprana ignored him and took a step to leave the spot when his hands held her wrist and dragged her back.

"Running Away form me ah?" he asked moving closer to her and she struggled to release his hold.

"Look at me love" he said lifting her chin with his one hand.

The word love killed and healed her at the same time. "let me go Ashwin" her name from his mouth sounded so sweet that he smiled like a maniac.

"I shouldn't have let you go in the past love" he said moving closer.

His breathe fanned her forehead making her state miserable. His cinnamon flavored perfume filled her nostrils as took deep breath to Clam her racing heart.

"Why are you looking at me like that love" he asked with a smile when he saw her looking at him confusion. That smile made her heart skip a beat.

"Dance with me" he said when he got no response from her. He dragged her closer, trying his best to feel her in his arms, and to memorize every future of hers, he has no idea when he will get a chance like this again.

Aprana twisted her face when the alcohol smell reached her mind.

"Ashwin let me go, you are drunk" she tried to push him away but failed as he tightened his hold.

"I will never drink again okay, It's a promise" his words echoed in her mind.

"when there is nothing left between you why are you even expecting him to keep his promise you idiot" her mind mocked her.

"leave me Ashwin" she struggled but he nodded his head in negative. And her heart melted when she saw his innocent face. He is nothing more than a child when drunk.

Wrapping his one hand around her waist and holding her hand with other. He just moved their body with the melody.

Locking his eyes with her hazel orbs, he murmured, "Missed you love".

His words made her shiver against his hold, the intensity his eyes held made her kness week. She stood there frozen, enchanted by his eyes.

Her mind wanted to push him away and run, but the she stood unmoved bewitched by the rhythm of his heartbeat, which reached her heart with that closeness.

"Why did you left me, Love" he moved closer with just an inch separating both of them, the crowd and the laud music playing in the background failed to break the spell he casted around them.

"When you created all cray feelings in my heart, when you yourself told me to marry you, when you promised me to be the solution of all my problems, why in the hell you left me love" his words started in agony and ended with coldness.

"Answer me Aparna" he tightened his hold on her waist making her eyes tear up.

When her hazel orbs filled with tears, Ashwin left his hold on her. "Sorry love, sorry for hurting you. I know... I know that I'm an idiot to not understand your feelings at that time, I was a fool, but I can't.. I can't live without you - I love you.. I love you so much.." his words failed to reach her ears as she left as soon as he loosened his hold on her.

Abhi who saw the drunk Ashwin blabbering alone in one cornor, rushed towards him and held him before he fell down.

On the other hand Aparna left the venue and took a taxi to reach her place, still stuck in tbe enchantment of his closeness. This night is going to be a long one with his memories
hunting her sleep.

The way he called her as 'love' continued to echo inside her minds.

"calling her 'love' doesn't mean that I had fallen for her. It's just I'm playing along with her, I can't afford to lose her, when she is my fortune" his words form the past killed her soul and the wound was fresh even after years.

So guys here is the next part hope you liked this.

Abhi is here only for this part and he won't be appearing again, so there is no need to worry about him.

Take care. Bye and keep supporting ❤️.