43(2)

As they were traveling in the chariot returning to the palace, Aathiyan kept staring at the bare fields while thinking about Kayanangai. She was his only thought in the past two days. What the devil might be doing with her. The one thing he understood about it was how much it deceives him every time. He kept falling into its trap and he couldn’t stop it at all.

He was intervened by Narenthiran. “Are you still thinking about what happened?” he asked.

“What happened?” Aathiyan was clueless and then he remembered. “About the marriage proposal?”

“Yes,” Narenthiran nodded. “What’s there to think? I can’t marry another woman at this time. It’s so absurd to even think.” Aathiyan said. He’s under social and political pressure at this time. The King of Northern territory has again asked him to marry his youngest daughter, Aathiyan first refused it and when he requested him again and again, Aathiyan couldn’t deny it; he asked for some time to think about it only to refuse it later.

“But they have asked you for the third time,”

“Even if they asked me a thousand times, my answer would be the same. I promised Kayanangai that I won’t marry again,” Aathiyan said. Narenthiran couldn’t say anything other than that. He brought this topic because this is a great chance to expand their boundaries, later Aathiyan could become the supreme King.

He also sees something is bothering Aathiyan, that occupies his head more than anything else and he’s not in the mood to share anything.

“Let’s not talk about this infront of anyone. I don’t want this to reach Kayanangai’s ears,”

Narenthiran smiled, “Why are you so afraid of her?”

“It’s not fear, it’s just…” Aathiyan stopped having no words to describe this feeling.

“I understand, you don’t want to hurt her feelings,”

“Yes,” Aathiyan nodded.

“But Aathiya, words travel faster than you think,”

Aathiyan frowned hearing that there were a lot of people in the King’s palace, many have relatives in his town and even in the palace so it will reach Kayanangai’s ear somehow.

When they came back to the palace, everyone was there to welcome him except Kayanangai.

“Where is she?” Aathiyan asked Sumitra.

“I don’t know, I haven’t met her since you left,” she answered.

That’s very strange, Kayanangai never acted like this before. He walked fast to see her wondering whether she already knew that and she’s upset with him but as he got closer he realized that’s not the reason. He heard her laughing in the distance, and approached that to see her smiling with Nakan disguised as him.

He was stunned and he couldn’t take this anymore so he walked in, interrupting them.

“What’s going on here?” he yelled.

Hearing his voice, Kayanangai realized that she had been spending her time not with Aathiyan but with the impostor.

For a moment, she slipped her mind and thought it’s Aathiyan. Hearing his voice and face, her mind eventually thought of him as her husband.

She quickly sat straight and looked down feeling remorseful like being caught while cheating her husband.

“How was your trip?” Nakan asked.

Aathiyan glared at him. “I have told you not to use my face, how dare you do this?” Aathiyan yelled.

“Calm down, why are you getting angry?” Nakan asked and changed like Aarani. Seeing that Kayanangai felt so embarrassed of herself because without knowing it was Nakan she has done so many things in front of her. She’s ashamed because of that.

“Look, you have crossed your limits way too much and now when I am not here you are making her laugh by putting up my goddamn face. What the hell do you need from us?” he gritted.

“And where’s my son?” he asked Kayanangai instead of asking our son.

Kayanangai got scared hearing that tone from Aathiyan, she can understand that he’s so angry not only with Nakan but also with her. Even if she dies now she would be so happy instead of being in this situation.

“Don’t raise your voice and get everyone’s attention on us. She’s just lonely and I gave her company,” Nakan said and that embarrassed her even more.

“Can you please stop this?” Kayanangai burst out.

Aathiyan suddenly became aware of what type of situation he’s creating for her. Her eyes were sad and she would cry if he said something now.

“Every moment I am wishing to die. I never wished any of this to happen in my life but I feel like I have done all these mistakes,” her eyes welled in tears and she sounded so low.

“Why are you crying? You shouldn’t be sad,” Nakan said before Aathiyan could utter a word.

But she’s too guilty to listen to anything and got up to leave.

“Aathiyan, you should marry that King’s daughter,” Nakan said, turning them to pay attention to him.

Kayanangai looked at Aathiyan and wondered when this would happen. “Stop blabbering,” Aathiyan frowned.

“I am not. Isn’t it true that you again got a marriage proposal from the King, you should accept that,” Nakan said.

“You don’t have to tell me what I should do,” Aathiyan retorted.

“’ And why do you want me to marry that woman, are you planning to exploit her too?”

“No, she’s the special one. I don’t need anyone else,” Nakan said looking at Kayanangai and continued,

“It’s because you are so clingy, and want all her attention on you even when you are not here. Don’t you think that’s unfair,”

“You are talking about fair and unfair, huh?” Aathiyan chuckled.

“Yes, why not? I have been so generous with you,” Nakan said, “I could have ruined your life totally but I didn’t do that. You have a general picture about what a devil can do but I am helping you, don’t you think I am kind enough to you,” “Well, you might have a reason for that,” Aathiyan said. Nakan smiled. “It’s not about you and me, it’s about you and her,”

Aathiyan looked at Kayanangai, he wanted her to say something right away because her word might stop all of this. Even now, he wants her to talk to him, which she’s reluctant to do.

She knows if she says what’s in her mind she will regret it later.

But for both of them, Nakan said, “You never considered her feelings; you are greedy and thinking that you are good to others but you are not. You choose kindness in the situation where you look good,”

Hearing all this, Aathiyan clenched his fist and he couldn’t control this anger building inside him. Nakan is playing with his ego.

“That’s not true,” Kayanangai finally spoke. Nakan turned to her, “You are fooling yourself,”

“I don’t care. Please leave this matter here,” she said.

“You have to tell him what you are thinking right now, Kayanangai,” Nakan said, “I can hear what she’s thinking but you don’t know anything. I know more than what you both know about yourself,”

Aathiyan turned to Kayanangai, “Is that true? What he’s saying. Is that how you see me?” he asked.

“No,” Kayanangai nodded.

“Tell him the truth,” Nakan frowned.

“Yes, sometimes, I think that you are selfish,” she confessed.

“But you are…” before she could complete her sentence Aathiyan asked her to stop.

“You are playing with my patience, Kayanangai,” Aathiyan turned his anger on her. Nakan thought he should use this chance.

“Tell him what’s your opinion about this?” Nakan asked Kayanangai. “Only the truth,”

“Yes, tell all the truth now. It’s so good to hear everything from you,” Aathiyan said.

For the first time, she wanted to hurt his ego so badly, and make him understand how she must feel when he talks to her that way.

“Yes, you should marry someone else. I am so tired of fulfilling all your expectations. You need someone else to please you all the time,” Kayanangai said.

Aathiyan’s heartbroken to hear that. He stared at her and expressed in his eyes that she indeed hurt him this time.

“This is the truth you guys keep hiding, masking it to not hurt the other and pretending that you both were in love,” Nakan said.

“Stop it. You don’t have to be involved in this,” Kayanangai scowled.

“No one gets to decide what I have to do. I can marry a hundred women if I want. But having you is already a nightmare for me,” he blurted out and looked at Nakan. “You think you can do anything you want?” Aathiyan asked, “I won’t let that happen from now on,”

He sounded very confident, his eyes lacked that fear, and looked at Kayanangai in that same disgust before walking away.