Rain in December was not a very familiar scenario but since last morning it'd been a consistent picture around Kolkata. With gloomy and grave face the sky over the city was pouring its heart out on it mercilessly. Lovers were plotting rendezvous, romantics were reciting poems, heartbroken poets were writing poetry, children were busy in making paper boats and floating them on the shallow puddles on the road or splashing on them and then getting a earful from their mothers on having dirt splashed over their dress's and school uniforms. Middle-class Bengalis were mumbling and growling abuses facing upwards while running to the works in morning, and upon returning home eating khichuri and omelette, pleasing their tongue, heart and stomach, curling inside warm duvet with sleepy and satisfying faces, were anticipating a bone chilling winter in the coming days. Thus the city was somehow fascinated with bitter sweetness of the wet weather. It seemed, the only option for a company the dark horizon of the city had, was Ipshita Roy Choudhury, for it seemed all the gloomy cloud of sky had its source or its reflection on the only daughter of Suvro.

Her above ordinary beautiful face was looking dull and dark as she sat on a sit by the big glass wall of a coffee shop of South Kolkata. Her gaze averted towards the window unmindful as she looked with keen concentration the raindrops rushing towards the glass with all their forces and the being interrupted by the huge glass wall, making a lamenting sound of 'pitter patter' were sliding down the same glass submitting to the defeat. Ipshita suddenly wished to remove this huge piece of glass. How wonderful must it feel to have the raindrops splash on her face and pour on her body! How calming must it feel. It would ne cold! But it would be fun. She thought.

Putting her face on her palm she was diving in deep ocean of thoughts when pulling the chair across the table Abhijit sat down.

"Onekkhon?" He asked her whether she was waiting for a long time or not as he waved at the waiter.

Being put out of the depth of thought Ipshita sighed deeply. "No..." she lied out of habit. It had been almost an hour since she was waiting. But this situation and the conversation had been repeated so often, the answer was now rehearsed even in her subconscious. But today as she answered, something flipped inside her.

Abhijit had started blabbering, "You know mom was saying we should not meet anymore until the marriage, but I just wanted to see you..." but unhearing that Ipshita snapped.

"Actually yes."

"What?" Startled he asked.

"I have been waiting for a long time now. Almost an hour." In the firm voice she said.

"Oh, okay. I'm sorry. I was stuck in the traffic, you know the rain is making the traffic situation worse. Any way as I was saying. So mom was-" Abhijit tried to move, unknown about the barrage that had broken.

"What about the other times?" In a stern voice she interrupted again.

"What other times?"

"You are always late Abhi. Every time. Don't you know that?"

"What-"

"Like all the time. All the time. It's like it doesn't matter to you anymore. You would come late and ask 'were you wating for long?' And I would say 'no' because that's how I suppose to be. Isn't it? I always have to wait for you and you will be there when you be there. When it's time for you!"

She blabbered out everything in one breath. Sitting across her, the fiancée of hers was facing someone completely unfamiliar of his for the very first time in his life. With mouth open in ajar Abhijit gaped at her while his mind dueling the surprise was trying to register it.

"Um... okay, I am sorry."

He tried to calm her down again after the waiter put the ordered coffee mugs on the table and bringing him out of the shock in process.

But the formidable and deafening sound of the wrecking of the barrage inside her let not hear her anything.

Turning deaf to Abhijit's apology, Ipshita continued, "it's like I don't even matter to you anymore, I, waiting here doesn't matter to you anymore." She mumbled. "Will it be like this always? I mean in here, I still have friends and family what will I have in Dubai? No one!" Last few words came out in such a low voice it seemed like a soliloquy.

Unable to hear or understand what she was saying, Abhijit asked, "what are you saying?" making her look up at him.

"I am saying, that this idea of marrying you, it doesn't really feel right." Looking into his eyes after a moment, Ipshita murmured in calm yet firm voice, as if a curtain had been uplifted from before her eyes - all the storm inside her head, cloud over her, had decamped. Heaving a conclusive sigh she added. "You don't make me happy, and I am sure, if you think about it, I am also not the person you feel happy about either. And it had been a long long time in this way-"

Shutting his eyes in disbelief, Abhijit raised his hand in front of her asking her to stop talking. "I- what - I mean, what the-!" He moved his hand closer to his face and pinched the bridge of his nose.

The suddenness, the absolute surprising occurrence of the situation, caught him dead and defenseless. Ever so practical and business minded Abhijit did not see the complete ridiculous situation coming from anyway. He had always been a career oriented person, driven by the his aim in life and the very common trait in Ipshita was the very reason of him falling for her in the first place. He never gave the relationship more thoughts than he should and believed his girlfriend also wanted the same thing. Hence the present out of the blue accusation grabbed him completely blind folded, that too just one week before the wedding. Getting one day off from the busy schedule of wedding planning and his work he arranged one last date with Ipshita as a betrothed couple, but now as the very girl was making all the situation question all over, Abhijit couldn't believe whether it was nightmare or reality!

"Are you - are you telling me, you are having doubts about this marriage?" After a chain of moments Abhijit managed to ask looking at his apparent fiancée. She didn't reply but kept looking at him. A feeling of guilt shadowed her big eyes as for a moment they lowered in shame and guilt before meeting Abhijit's eyes, as if they were not doing anything wrong. "One week Ipshita! There is only one week left in between. What am I supposed to tell everyone?" He shrieked making the few heads present inside the shop snap for a moment at them. But ever so calmly she kept looking at him, placid. Unable of getting a response out of her somewhat frustrated he ran his fingers through his hair as his mind kept running scattered around coining thousands of questions. It seemed to him that he would turn into a crazy person when the cause of his all this sudden misery, just sat there nonchalantly, as if she had nothing to say. "Why are you doing this?"

Taking his face off his palm after a moment Abhijit hissed. His nostrils flaring up along his eyes. His palm on the table balled up in furry.

"We won't be happy-" she said finally in a firm tone.

"How can you say that? Eight years we have been together!" He threw hand in the air passing a hissing growl in frustration, very much aware about the surroundings, but the flaring in his eyes of furry let out his expression clearly.

"Yes. And tell me you don't feel bored out of your mind! Cause I certainly am." She growled back matching his tone as anger shot up in her head suddenly.

"Is that it? You are bored? That's why you want break up? you are still a child Ipshita! Its a marriage we are speaking about here!"

'Child' the demeaning gibe somehow put fire in Ipshita's mind, grinding her teeth she retorted taking every word with gaps, "well, I am, only twenty four. So maybe I am indeed a child, but your mother did not give that a second thought did she? Neither she asked before she announced in front of everyone and nor did you!"

"Ipshita we are in a relationship for eight years! We are supposed to be married!"

'Supposed to be' the part of Abhijit's argument just did the work of fuel to a fire in Ipshita's head and nailed the last nail on the coffin that had this notion of 'Ipshita weds Abhijit' in it. The word jerk up something inside her making a flash go off in her eyes. But not noticing any of this Abhijit chuckled dryly and proceeded even.

"Well, do you want me to propose to you? Well, then let me - Ipshita Roy Choudhury will marry me?" Desperately Abhijit asked, but the tone of mockery, as if, he was manipulating a five year old by establishing how silly the toddler's demand was - didn't stay unnoticed to Ipshita. So quickly she spoke up.

"No!" Conclusive tone poignantly echoed in her stern voice. She was decided and the cold, guarded black eyes of hers behind thick glasses were just mirroring that decision. "I am not marrying you Abhijit. Because we certainly won't be happy together and the future we are 'supposed' to have, I don't want that future, I am certain about that." She told him making air-quotes. And taking a small pause she added, "more so, after what happened today, than ever!"

***

"Are you serious!!!" Riti's eyebrows created folded lines on her forehead as her voice shrieked in it's highest pitch. Startled Ipshita looked around throwing Riti a scornful look. Noticing some of the faces that were behind the cubicles around the office, peeping over the dividers to shoot curious glances at them Riti mumbled "sorry"s a few times before focusing on her best friend. And then she repeated hissing in whisper, "Are you serious!" Making a scowling face Ipshita zeroed her attention and eyes on the computer screen in front of her. "Just one week, one week to go until your wedding Ipshita! It's not a time to have second thoughts!" Riti hissed with confused mind.

"I am not having second thoughts Riti, I am decided." clenching her Ipshita snapped at her best friend before standing up pushing her office chair and strolling away.

"Hey! Where do you think you are going? Answer my question first Ipshita!" Riti tailed behind her.

"I am not answerable to you," Ipshita respond turning around, thus facing Riti with a horrible scowling face once they were at the lobby area t the lobby area of their office floor.

"yes you are!"

"what the-"

"I bought Sarees worth 10K, then made blouse, petticoat, for you this damn wedding. I spent almost over another ten thousand planning on the bachelor's bash and you are telling me those are suddenly for nothing? You fucking owe me answers!" Riti made a equally scowling face crossing her hands over her chest.

"I will pay you off!" spitefully Ipshita scoffed and turned around. But again her best friend's hand stopped her grabbing her hand and wheeling her around.

"Cut the crap Ipshita." a serious tone resonated in Riti's voice wiping the moment ahead's agitation. "What is happening? Why are you behaving like this - complete reckless being that I know nothing of?"

"I told you, I don't feel happy!"

"god this again! Is this about that guy?" the question left Riti's confused and desperate mind and as soon as that Ipshita turned around heading the elevator, clenching her jaw along her fists. The girl behind her refused to leave her yet again and followed screaming behind her thus grabbing attention from co-workers, but giving no damn about that what so ever. "That guy! God! He is thousands of miles away from you lady and here you are giving him the power to manipulate you, so much so that you are willing to break off a marriage with the person you are in love with, always been in love with since you were like child! Why? Because one year ago he kissed you, accidentally might I just add, and now, he sent you a cryptic message 'hoping you are happy'! You gotta' be kidding me woman!" Riti made a nasty face making air-quotes when finally halting in front of elevator Ipshita faced her with malicious and hurt smirk.

"And here I thought my happiness will be the first priority to my 'best friend'" she scoffed pushing the elevator button more than once forcefully.

"do not make air quote, and of course it is, but -" Riti started arguing back but interrupting her mid-sentence the elevator opened with a 'ding!' and studiously ignoring her appeal Ipshita walked into it.

"and funny that you mentioned 'love' in the scene, because the guy with whom I am in this loving relationship apparently, made every other argument of the whole world but did not even utter the particular word once, even by mistake!" hurt blazed in her eyes as a lump forming inside her throat started poking the skin, as she spoke out loud what made her surprised the most in Abhijit's argument. "not once!" with quivering lower lips she mumbled the complain to her best friend standing before her.

With another 'ding' the elevator door shut, before Riti, realizing what happened to her best friend finally, could engulf her in a hug, or the tear drop that gather around Ipshita's glass covered eyes could come into her notice...

So here was the part. A very long one I must point out.  Please, VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! and comment!...