"Explain" Amar sat down, facing Prakash.

"Amar, I, er, you see--"

"I'm seeing." Amar's voice was calm. But everyone in the Dhanunjaya household felt invisible rays of fury emanating from him.

"What's going on?" Gayatri asked looking from Prakash to Amar.

"He will explain." Amar pointed at Prakash.

"I don't know what Anirudh has told you. He must have made it look like everything is my fault and he is right."

"If that is what you think, let me inform you. My brother has just told me that he will be leaving for San Francisco next week. It was Shruthi, who told me that he had this little chat with you and left angrily. He has blocked her number. So, it was something you said. I need to know what happened before solving the problem." Amar tried not to be emotional.

"Your brother is the problem. I don't want him anywhere near my daughter." Prakash replied angrily.

"May I know the reason?" asked Amar.

"Your aunt. I can't send my daughter into a family which is headed by a woman who threatened to send me to prison. I am her father. I am worried for my daughter." Prakash explained.

"You may be right. Let me ask you. Is your worry limited to your daughter? Or is it extended to your niece too?" Amar looked at Vennela.

"What kind of a question is that? Let me tell you, you are not Shambhavi's son. But sadly, Anirudh is. She has more control over him than you. And Shruthi will have to be under her control once she marries him. I will never let this happen."

Amar sighed."Control? This is twenty first century. People cannot control their children like they used to. This is ridiculous." 

"But I have a right to decide who my daughter should marry" said Prakash.

"I am not here to discuss your rights as a father. I just want to know what you told my brother. He is ready to leave. Why is he leaving? Tell me why." Amar demanded.

"I asked him to break up with Shruthi. I told him to stay away from her until I send her away for post graduation. It is easy to forget and move on if they never meet again. I made him promise." Prakash told him everything.

"That's fair. It's also fair to point out that you didn't just separate him from Shruthi. You separated him from me. Do you even know how much he respects me? To him, I am the most important person in the world. And you have denied him the right of attending his brother's wedding. By all means take your daughter away. But free him from the stupid promise of going away." Amar requested him.

"I can't. He has to stay away until Shruthi completes engineering." Prakash didn't change his decision.

"Let me rephrase that. I can't marry Vennela in the absence of my brother. If he leaves, the wedding will be postponed indefinitely." Amar announced.

"Do you even hear yourself? You are abandoning your wife--"

"Excuse me!" Amar raised his voice for the first time. "Me abandoning my wife? That's never going to happen. We are inseparable. I just want my brother to drop this stupid idea of leaving and be with me when I marry Vennela again. And it can happen only if you tell him to."

"But--"

"I agree with Amar." Vennela spoke for the first time. "Anirudh must stay."

Amar looked at Vennela with increased admiration. "Now that I have made myself clear, I take your leave."

Amar touched his heart and then pointed at Vennela assuring her that she will stay in his heart forever. He left before anyone could speak.

The elders, including Nanditha, started scolding Prakash for his stupidity. Now that he thought about it again, Amar's demand seemed reasonable. But his ego didn't let him admit that.

Rishi-Raj and Vennela tried to console Shruthi. But she didn't speak a word. She received a call from Amar.

"Are you angry Shruthi?" asked Amar. 

"No bava garu. I am just sad. You were my last hope. If you couldn't succeed, no one will." Shruthi replied.

"Don't lose hope. Making Anirudh stay is more important at present. I can't let him go to another country alone. That doesn't mean that I don't care about your feelings. I will try to convince your father a few months later." Amar was desperate to make her understand. He felt guilty for not fighting for her that morning.

"My father is stubborn. He will never agree." Shruthi wept.

Amar's heart sank. "Don't cry Shruthi. You trusted me in Vennela's case. I ask you to trust me one more time. I will set things right."

"I trust you" She spoke after a few seconds. "I won't blame you if my father doesn't understand that Anirudh is perfect for me. But, promise me you won't let him go. Tie him up if he doesn't agree. Punch him, break his bones if you have to."

Amar chuckled. "Sure. You really are Vennela's sister."

---***---

"What do these Dhanunjayas think of themselves? Amar let's go and get Vennela back and break all ties with them." Shambhavi was furious. Bharat nodded. He too was angry.

"No, we can't" said Amar. "Even if we can, it won't stop Rudy from going away. That idiot has given his word to stay away for four months. I don't know how to stop him."

"That's okay. I do" said a voice.

Amar turned around to see Vennela. "You are here? Did they allow you?"

"This is not a 1960s movie where the heroine obeys her father and doesn't meet the hero. Vennela is fire. No one can stop her" said Vennela.

"Right. How can I forget?" Amar smiled.

"Take me to Anirudh" said Vennela.

"He is in the library. He asked us not to disturb him."

"And you agreed? Now let's go and talk to him." Vennela pulled him along.

They reached the library. "Anirudh, your eyes are red. Your have been crying." Vennela felt sad to see him like that.

Anirudh lowered his head. "I should have stayed away from her vadina."

"Stop it Anirudh. Woman up!" She ordered.

"But, I am a man" said Anirudh.

"That's your biggest problem. You men feel that you are torchbearers of honour and principles. Who asked you to make promises? This is idiotic." said Vennela.

"But a promise is a promise. I have to go. Only for four months" said Anirudh.

"But how can you go? Your passport has expired last month." Vennela remarked.

"No. It hasn't" said Anirudh.

"I saw it with my own eyes" said Vennela. "Check once again."

Anirudh was slightly alarmed. If Vennela said it expired, it has to be true. He went to check it. Everyone else followed. Vennela gave her access card to the locker room to Amar. He understood the plan.

Anirudh opened his passport and checked the date. "You were wrong. It will expire next year."

"Show me" Vennela took the passport. She threw it towards Amar. He caught it and ran towards the locker room.

Anirudh tried to follow. But Vennela blocked the entrance. 

"Move aside."

"I won't. You have to push me if you want to go." She smirked. She knew Anirudh will never do that.

Anirudh stared at her for a few seconds. "Alright. You won." He sighed in defeat.

"Vennela, you did what we all couldn't do" said Bharat.

Amar returned after a few minutes. "I'm sorry Mr. Anirudh. You can't go abroad. You don't have a passport. Vennu, the plan was brilliant. I have hidden it in your personal locker. Rudy knows the password of my access card. But he can never guess your password." Amar and Vennela exchanged fist bump.

"But that doesn't mean that I am free to attend the wedding." Anirudh smiled sadly.

"There won't be a wedding." Vennela announced. "I will move in tomorrow."

"Yes. Come back home Vennela" said Shambhavi.

"No. She won't. I promised her a beautiful wedding. It will happen" said Amar.

"What's with this family and promises?" Vennela sighed.

"Since the day we got married, you have never asked me anything. You made a request for the first time in the party. I have to fulfill my wife's desire. We will get married. Prakash uncle will change his mind" said Amar.

"How?" asked Vennela.

"I know how" said Shambhavi. "I am going to buy the eleven percent shares from Narayana garu's brother."

"And how is that going to help? Mixing up business and personal lives will further infuriate Prakash." Bharat tried to stop her.

"No uncle. This time I agree with her. We need to show my uncle that we are not someone who would tolerate injustice" said Vennela.

Anirudh looked at Amar, whose eyes mirrored his own belwilderment. "Since when did these two start supporting each other?" Anirudh whispered.

Before Amar could whisper back Vennela said, "Amar, we need to talk." She went to their bedroom. Amar followed. She closed the door. 

"We can't close the door. We are just friends. Remember?"

"As far as I remember I am your girlfriend. Or am I the friendzoned wife now?" Vennela asked him.

"No no. We are just friends." Amar repeated it thrice.

"Oh! That's very sad. I was thinking of kissing you" said Vennela. "Can't do it. Because we are just friends."

"Friends? What friends? Is there any such word? I have never heard of it" said Amar.

Vennela rolled her eyes. "You have this talent of bringing a smile to my face no matter how distressed I am."

"I am really sorry Vennu." Amar tried to apologize.

"Why do you always keep saying sorry? Don't apologize. I'm really proud of you. I know how hard it is for you to stay away from me. But you chose this path because it is the right thing to do. I support you." She placed her hand on his shoulder.

"May I say something, your highness?" asked Amar.

"Yes you may" Vennela said in an authoritative voice.

"I love you" said Amar. "You really are a queen."

"I know. And you are my..."

"King?" asked Amar enthusiastically.

"No. You are just a soldier in my army" said Vennela.

"Hope the queen changes her mind and call me her king after this." Amar lifted her up in bridal style and placed her on the bed. He tickled her feet until she said, "Okay, okay. I love you too, my king."

---***---

Just a few more chapters and the story will come to an end. 

Thank you.