Anirudh's POV

9:00pm

Atharva got discharged an hour ago.   His manager dealt without the press knowing. I apologized to his manager and told him to convey my apologizes to Atharva too.

But the thing he told me still lingers inside my brain.

You know nothing Ani.

You are still dumb.

Maybe I should dig deep, into Y/N's past. I trust her enough, but I have to know the story in everyone's point of view.  First I need to question her friends who 'actively' involved in.

I already called them to present in my studio tomorrow morning at 9 without Y/N knowing and they agreed. 

The  following names constantly running in my mind like a marathon :

Atharva

Nisha

Shruthi Hassan

Akshara Hassan

Raja

Siraj

Nisha

And...

Aswin.

My father, as usual, yelling at general how he'd hate the marriage and how he hates Y/N's parents and relatives. 

If I told them our situation, he got one more point to yell at us.

I can't tell anyone, the stakes are high.  Aswin is not some boy.  He's a millionaire's son. Our family will be Officially ruined if this leaked to press.

Imagine:

Love rectangle!! Exclusive story Covered!

Wife to a music director, ex-love of Millionaire, and one-sided love of an actor!  Meet Y/N-an exclusive coverage!.

Is Y/N a gold digger?

Atharva is a drunkard because of Y/N? Page 4!

Secret kiss?  An music director's ugly marriage!

And there will be photos of us where we refuse to take interviews and shut our doors, Y/N crying,  and Atharva knocking out an interviewer.

I can't let that happen.

Aswin needs to stop.

Morning 9:15am

"Ani, we're sorry. We... We were young and we thought it's fun "

"to avenge that guy because he scores marks and was mean to you? "I spat as Thivya and Fiez flinched.

"I'm sorry "I murmured as they look at me.

"Y/N told me a short flashback of what happened. She was crying and weeping a lot so she couldn't explain to me a lot. And I want to know the story on your behalf. So can you tell me what happened from the start?"

Thivya cleared her throat.

"I'd hated him. We'd hated him because he took all our identities in the year he came to school. All the other classmates felt like an alien invading our space and are taking all the trophies to himself. We tried to be nice to him. But he flinches and look down on us or ran away. So we started to hate him as the boys started to bully him for fun. "

"We know it's wrong. It's not his mistake, now we realize. The teachers, our parents, neighbor everybody compares us with Aswin and that automatically made us hate him"

"And when Math teacher ultimately humiliated Y/N in front of the school"

"Wait--she said in class, "I told her.

"No Ani. He humiliated her in the assembly in front of a microphone, our school had a habit of congratulating the top scorers in assembly.  And Aswin is the only one who was the top scorer in all subjects.  And then he called out her, in stage and humiliated her.

Everybody started to tease her since then. It really infuriated us and Y/N agreed to our plan"

Hmmm... I nodded.  The reason I called them is this. Y/N may hide some details because I may hate her or she finds it humiliating.

"But in a letter, he mentioned that he was copying Miss. T's letter to write for Y/N. But Y/N never received those letters from him. " Thivya said.

"Maybe he wrote and then too shy to give it to her. "Fiez said.

"No. It's like he asks Y/N that if she liked the last letter he sent her. At first, we didn't take it seriously " Thivya said.

"How would you exchange letters in class? " I asked.

"We normally shove the letter in their bag or in the hollow space on the bench," Fiez said.

"Some pranksters like to steal the letters and read them aloud just for fun. " Thivya said.

"But this prankster liked to keep it to herself," I said as I realize something.

"I want Sri Devi to come to my Villa. This is my Villa address. Pls, keep it confidential" I said, in a little threatening tone so they won't blabber it to Y/N.

"But Sri Devi didn't support our plan, "Fiez said.

"That's why I wanna see her. I want to know how her side" I said as they stood up and gave me a "Don't you believe us we told you everything "look.

I also phoned Atharva to apologize and to ask about his health. Then we talked for about 5 minutes.

The villa
5:00pm

I'm waiting for her to knock on the door.  I called her three times already and she's late.

I peeked outside the window from the first-floor balcony. Sky with  gray
Clouds scattered almost losing it's blue and tiny droplets started to fall.

In the long-distance, Sri Devi getting off from auto and walking to my front gate.  She's wearing a white saree and she let her curly long black hair-free. I always recognize her with her curly hair.

She walking towards my main door. She didn't even look up at me. She held her one hand up with saree falls on her head as she ran and knock my main door.

I walked down the stairs and opened the door for her. She immediately barged inside to avoid the heavy rain pouring outside.

"I'm sorry it's because of the rain. I'm already soaked."She said in her ever calm, soft, and sweet voice.

"Let me take a towel," I said as I passed her a towel as she used it wipe the dripping rainwater off her body and hair.

"Please take a seat" I said as she sat on the wooden chair.

She chose the wooden chair because the sofa would leave a wet figure of her when she gets up. But she's not that wet. 

I set up a tea table in front of her. I set up three cups and I poured tea in two for us.

She gave me a smile as she took the cup and sipped.

"Coffee in rain days is my guilty pleasure " She said as she took another sip.

"And a little bit of truth would be my pleasure," I said as her eyes widened.

"what truth Ani? " she asked while blinking more often. 

"Why did you hide the letters? " I asked her as she moved her eyebrow.

"Letter?  What letter? " she asked.  I could imagine her pouting inside.

"The letters Aswin wrote for Y/N, "I told her as she placed her coffee cup on tea table and stood up.

"I don't know what you're talking about. It's late so I'm leaving. "She said as she picked up her handbag and walked to the door.

I ran after her and clenched a bunch of her wet hair as she squealed in pain.

She dropped her handbag as she tried to push me. I tried to take her by her arms but she's shaking vigorously so I locked her by her shoulder and she stood still, like a cat which gave up fighting.

"How'd you know?" she asked looking up at me.

"I just know. So can you cooperate with me please"I made her sit on the sofa as I sat on the adjacent side.

"Yes.  I was the one who took the letters he wrote to Y/N" She finally confessed.

I know something was fishy and off while talking to her previously. She kinda talked like she supports Aswin. I felt it.

"How'd you know? " She asked again as I ignored.

"Now you only gonna tell me the truth.  And if I found you lying once again, then I have to manhandle you "I threatened with a heavy chest. No one could punish her with a face of innocence. 

"What do you want to know? "She asked me, plainly.

"Where is Aswin now? " I asked her.

She took a sticky note from her handbag teared up a paper and wrote something. She handed it to me.

"So this is where the bastard lives"I muttered enough for her to hear and she gasped hearing me.

I grabbed her wrist as she kept on squealing and pushing me off.
I shoved her in my car and I started to drove off to the address.

I should catch them both and make them confess and apologize for the  actions. I never thought Sri Devi will have something to do with this.

She gave up fighting like before and sat straight.

"I always thought something was off about you... How you distance yourself despite the friendship you have with the girls. You taking the letters then must have something to do with the hardships Y/N and I am undergoing now. "I said in anger as she just kept looking straight.

"You know Aswin personally, right? " I asked her as she gave a laugh.  A 'ha'.

"What kind of friend are you?  You little liar. Don't you and that punk think could get away from me.  You guys are worse than Siva " I spat as she turned her gaze.

"What about Y/N and other tricks on Aswin? " She asked me.  "weren't they cheap to do this? "She asked me.

She must have a long time vengeance. But the question is why is she doing this?

We arrived at the destination. It's raining very heavily so no one is nearby.

I came out as I grabbed her and lead outside.

I looked at the building at the far-away end.

"Is this where he lives? " I asked as she grabbed my wrist and lead me to the pedestrial.

She opened a big iron gate and what inside looks like a garden.  Once I got inside I realized it's a graveyard.

She dragged me by hand to the very end as we stopped.

She looked at me.

"Here's Aswin. Ask him anything you want. "She told me as she turned her gaze to the tomb.  She removed tree branches from the concrete tomb and started talking to it.

"Aswin, he wanna talk to you about something. Tell him what kind of a life you lived " She said while standing in front of me.

I looked blankly at her.

"Aswin... "

"He's dead, you idiot"