I close the door behind me and take out my heels. I throw them on the bed and sigh. Every inch of my body is tired. It had been an unusually long and busy day.

I take out a wet wipe from my bag and clean my face which is smothered with makeup. Then I simply change my clothes into my favourite pyjamas and shirt and finally, lie down on the bed.

My feet hurt. It’s probably because I had been wearing heels and literally running around in them for the past 6 hours. It’s funny how heels could be really hurtful but lifesaving at the same time. Not only did they make me look taller than I actually am but also they helped me a lot in driving. I mean, I would probably be dead right now due to a car crash if it had not been those heels. It is a boon and a bane at the same time.

I close my eyes and simply, rewind the day. 

It was the placement day in college. Not that I was looking forward to it as I had already made my own plans. With the help of my bhaiya Aman I would be becoming an event manager in Gurugram. I know it’s a lot but I think with a little help I can work this out. Moreover my parents are going to be there to guide me, so I had no worries.

Still I attended the interviews as a backup. Not that I have said yes for a job right now. My main focus is on becoming the fucking best event manager in the entire Gurugram and do my parents proud. I had worked continuously for the past 6 months to open a website, make the brochures, buy a shop and even organise a team. It had finally worked out and I couldn’t wait to get my first request.

But these interviews told me that I had a scope in engineering too. I mean my interviewers looked pretty much satisfied with my answers. And 8.9 CGPA is good enough to land me a decent job. I have one more round of exam to go and I would finally be free. But that’s practically two months from now. 

There is a knock on my door and then Ananya walks in.

“You know, you need to wait for my reply and then open the door. It’s the entire reason for knocking the door.” I say as she lies down beside me. 

We are in the fourth year now so we have our own rooms but when I was new here, Ananya was my first roommate. Actually she was the only one. That’s why we were close. The other reason was that she was my cousin sister. Well it should have been the first but I see her more as a friend than a sister. Ananya’s father is a businessman and quite a powerful one I must say. He is very conservative and doesn’t want her to fall prey to ‘modern and unethical culture that pollutes the mind of a young lady’ and hence he had asked(ordered) the collage authorities  that she would stay with me, the ‘innocent’ daughter of  her brother. 

The truth is, I am nowhere near innocent. Being bought up in the city I had been exposed to many ‘modern thinkings’ and our traditions were just a tale that was buried somewhere deep down in my memory that I no longer remembered them. My parents were down to earth when it came to these matters but yes, some of the thinkings that they grew up with still retained in their memory. And there were many cases to show that. First off, I never had a friend who was a boy let alone a boyfriend. Everyone on my entire school knew that I was the no-zone. Then I wasn’t allowed to wear shorts or skirts(except the uniform) after I had crossed the age of 10.  But still they were pretty modern considering the standards of their family. 

It was my father who supported me throughout my 11th and 12th standard and pushed me to become the best version of myself. My mother always guided me to make the right decision. Moreover they were glad (although a little terrified too) when I told them that I wanted to become independent and open my own business with Aman bhaiya.

The main reason I was considered as susheel by my chachu was because I was susheel in from of them. I always wore suit and did Namaste when he was around. He was pretty much strict about these things. Even my own mother was careful around him. She wore her saree and covered her head when he was around. She spoke only when she was asked to otherwise she was so quite that I could hear her breathing.

That had explained why Ananya was very shy when she first came to collage. After her parents had dropped her off and seen the entire hostel, she had quietly cleaned the room , adjusted her bed and set up a mini mandir next to her bed. It was weird because in Gurugram I had never met a girl like her. It took me 3 days to get her to speak and trust me, the topic of discussion was her town, Hisar. Unfortunately I was one of those brats who never came to know about the place she was born in. it was hard but I am glad that my father moved out of Hisar when he got a job in Gurugram. I don’t know how weird would I be if I had been bought up there.

Anaya was a sure hard nut to crack but after 2 years of hard work I had finaaly cracked her open. She was now a freaking 22 year old girl from a highly conservative family who knew how to be a city girl like me. Man, she looked sexy in the dresses that I bought for her that I guess half of the guys in the collage had a crush on her. She was really hesitant at first but then with a teacher like me she had nothing to worry. She could now literaaly be India’s Next Top Model if she wished. I mean that girl was a pretty genius. 

Of course we had to be careful about her dad but it worked out. Her mother rarely came to visit so we knew there were no chances of getting caught with the ‘wrong’ clothes.

I looked at Ananya and noticed that she was really quite. She didn’t even reply back with a mocking voice like she used to. Then I realised that she wasn’t at the job interviews even. That meant only one thing- something was really very wrong.

“Anu yaa, what’s up? You are really quite. You weren’t there at the job interviews even. Although I didn’t notive initially as I was worried about myself but what’s up?” I say .

But she still remains quite. She is busy gazing at the ceiling, lost in her own world. I don’t know what to say so I remain quite.

But then I notice a tear rolling down her cheek and falling on my bed sheet. She turns to face me. She glares at me for a minute and then finally speaks.

“Pack up, we are leaving tomorrow morning at 8.” She says.

I glare at her. What is she talking about? My phone beeps and I look at to see there are 5 calls from my mother. 

I start to panic. Is someone dead? Is chachu alright? Why is Anu crying then? 

“What the heck is happening Anu! You have a fucking mouth. So open it and tell me!” I scream at her.

 She looks at the floor and runs her hand to make a pattern of my bed  sheet.

She finally gets up and faces me. Her eyes are blood shot red and her lips are swollen. She had been biting her lips a lot.

“I am getting married in two weeks. My freedom days are over.”