Prologue

"I don’t know what the future holds. I want to enjoy the present and live life to the fullest. Right now, you are the only person that I want to spend every waking minute with”

There weren’t flowers or lights. No one chased her to the airport and made her miss her flight for a confession. It wasn’t a crazy guy shouting an exaggerated lovesick proposal from the top of a vehicle in the middle of the road. Yet those simple words uttered at a wedding banquet when Aadhira was struggling to find a seat, held all the dramatic effect a cinematic confession could bring.

She could never forget that day. It was one of her wall-of- memories moments. From a headstrong senior whom she hated from the minute she saw to understanding him more and more one fight at a time, Prithvi had amused her in every step of the journey. What had started as a pride war between a senior and junior had quickly turned into something more meaningful for both of them. Though Aadhira tried to push away the senior’s comments as mindless teasing, she had never been able to push away the feelings that the man stirred with his sweet words. Before she knew it, she was starting to fall for Mr. Prithviraj Ilamparudhi, the annoying senior who had made it his life mission to irritate her throughout her entire university life with just his mere presence.

Prithvi had been on the verge of depression roaming every hall in the university with a sad face and a broken heart when Aadhira had started avoiding him after the rumors began to fly about their dating life. ‘Honestly, what’s it with college students and rumors? Why are people so invested in the love life of everyone around them?’ Aadhira had often wondered. While Prithvi was preoccupied with the cat-and-mouse game of spotting Aadhira in the university halls as she had started avoiding him due to the rumors, Aadhira had started questioning her feelings towards the senior.

After a heart-to-heart with her friend Anjali on her wedding day, Aadhira decided to live in the moment by following her heart. She will not miss the present by thinking about a future she had no idea of. After all, as a wise man once said, sometimes it is better to take chances than to live an entire life analyzing the what-ifs.

So, she took a chance. She certainly had her doubts when she asked Prithvi if he would still want to walk behind her even after knowing all her flaws. She had asked that out loud without a stutter in her voice, but her heart was thudding against her chest fearing Prithvi’s reply. But her worries were wiped away in a moment when Prithvi replied, without missing a beat, that he would be happy to follow Aadhira for the rest of her life. The relief and happiness she had felt on that day was indescribable. She could never put those feelings into words no matter how many years later you ask her. Aadhira was ecstatic that she had pulled Prithvi to her to place a soul-searing kiss on the senior’s lips. It had left both with pleasant butterflies fluttering in their stomach. From that moment on they had started walking together through the journey of their life.

Life was pretty good thereafter for the next two years. Though they had some ups and downs along the way, they had always overcome it with their love.

At least that was what Aadhira thought until six years ago. Never did she anticipate that all those dreamy years with the man of

her life would someday become just that - dreams.

Now she had nothing left with her to claim that Prithvi was her man. Nothing left for her to walk with her head held high and her heart beaming with joy to announce to the whole world how happy she was with her man by her side.

It was all over a long time ago. Hell, it had been six years since they parted ways and decided to live their lives without each other.

Yeah, some life it is.

They could never feel complete without each other. Neither could their lives be happy without them being together. It was more of a burden now to walk every day by herself after being so used to having someone to always walk beside her. This was how life was for Aadhira. She didn't know how it was for Prithvi. It had been six years since she even saw the man. She had moved countries, changed jobs, and started a new life. She wanted to get away from him as far as possible once she realized she could never be with him anymore.

She knows some people become friends after the breakup. If not friends, some would at least become civil enough to face each other without an emotional breakdown or getting into a fistfight in the middle of the street. But she could never face him. Hell, she couldn't even bring herself to look at the news or the front cover of some business magazine with Prithvi’s interview on it, no matter how much the urge to at least catch a glimpse of his past lover, becomes compelling. Even if she decides to be masochistic enough to somehow scroll through an article, the minute her eyes land on Prithvi clad in a business suit and a dashing smile that in every way did justice to the article praising the young and successful entrepreneur of London as the most eligible bachelor in town, her heart constricts with impalpable pain. She could not take her eyes off Prithvi to even get through the remaining article.

Aadhira could never forget that smile. The smile that had never once failed to make her swoon over and become a blushing hot mess. She knew it so well because she had been the reason for it, for years in the past. Now that she scrolled through the article on her computer, she could easily say that it was a facade. The smile didn't quite reach his eyes and no one else other than her would be able to say the difference, as Prithvi had always been good at not letting other people know what kind of internal struggles he was going through, at any given time. No one knows what's going on in his mind until he wants them to know.

That's why none of his friends knew about Prithvi’s crush on Aadhira or even their relationship in the early stages after they had started going out. That's why she never knew what was going on in their life six years ago until it was too late. She was too drunk with love to realize everything that was happening around her. How her life was changing just before her eyes and the only one who was unaware of it was him.

Maybe that was what they called being blinded by love. Her mind was slowly reeling back from old memories and her eyes started to focus on the image before her on the computer. She couldn't deny the dull ache in her heart every time she looks at Prithvi. Even after six years, the guy doesn't miss to stir some pent-up emotions inside her.

She hated it. She hated herself for succumbing to his charms even if it was through the front cover of a freaking magazine. Aadhira was angry at herself for letting her heart decide when her mind had been the true friend in keeping her alive this long. She closed the tab with the article on it and slammed her laptop shut. She got to bed with an irritated sigh and decided to turn in for the night. She fell back on her bed and closed her eyes trying to get some sleep. However, the article still stuck to the back of his eyes was tormenting her from catching some rest. 'The young and successful millionaire of the industry, even after turning thirty, remains the man of many young girls' dreams,' the caption has read.

Though Aadhira’s mind was commanding her to erase everything that she had just read, her heart was replaying it like some damn hippie song stuck to her that you are starting to hate, but it keeps on playing at the back of her mind, nonetheless.

All through her sleepless night, there was only one thought floating around in her brain. Yeah, the girls could pine after him all they want but...

He was My Man.