"Your friend forgot her purse at the hotel yesterday. Go and give it to her." Vennela handed over Mandira's purse to Amar.

"Tell Anirudh. I don't want to go." Amar was tired.

"I asked him. He said he doesn't want to meet her again" said Vennela, coldly.

"You seem disturbed for some reason. Anything wrong?" Amar was surprised to see the change in her demeanor.

"Nothing. She must be worried sick looking for her purse. Just go." Vennela almost shouted at him and left. Amar wondered what he must have done to make his wife yell at him. Nevertheless, he did as told.

Vennela was so angry that she stayed up the previous night and completed the entire work assigned to her. She wanted to keep herself busy. So, she took a broom and started sweeping the entire ground floor.

"Vadina?" Anirudh was surprised to find her sitting gloomily in the music room. 

"I was sweeping. My feet hurt. So, I took a break" said Vennela, hastily.

"Don't lie to me. Your face clearly says that something's bothering you." Anirudh sat down beside her. "If you would like to share it with me please go ahead. I promise I won't tell anyone."

"I hurt Amar with my stilettos yesterday."

"That was an accident. You didn't do it on purpose." 

"Amar hurt me more with his words." Vennela told him everything.

"So, you are sad because he compared you with someone else?" Anirudh asked her.

"No. I'm sad because he is right. No matter how hard I try, I can never reach his standard. He is 'The Amar Pratap Devaraju'. He is rich, famous and intelligent. Yesterday, I understood my place. Don't get me wrong. I know my worth and I have immense amount of self-respect.  What I mean is, being Amar's wife is fun. But, being Amar Pratap Devaraju's wife is difficult. His world is different from mine." Vennela was glad Amar wasn't there to witness this. She didn't want to look weak, especially after previous night's conversation.

"You think you don't fit in with his circle. I disagree" said Anirudh, firmly. "The whole world knows him as this rich and famous businessman. But, you know him for who he is - a man with a golden heart. The businessman image is what society made out of him. You know the real Amar. You affect him in a way no one else can. You made your way to the deepest part of his heart where no one else could ever reach. You bring out the best in him."

Anirudh paused. Vennela was listening to him with rapt attention. "His world isn't different from yours. You mean the world to him."

"Really?" 

"Really." Anirudh smiled. "All this confusion happened because you haven't confessed your feelings. Just tell him. His reaction will be priceless."

"Thank you little brother" said Vennela, affectionately.

---***---

"Three days in Chennai? But, there was no such trip in your schedule." Vennela was talking to Amar on phone. He went to airport directly from Mandira's house.

"Yes. It has been added yesterday. Listen, I'll talk to you later." Amar was in a hurry.  He was calling from Karthik's phone because he forgot his mobile at home.

"I have a surprise for you. Come back soon." 

"Right. Bye." Amar ended the call. 

She shrugged and concentrated on what she was doing. She wanted to surprise Amar with a painting of a couple. A man giving a bunch of lotus flowers to a woman, with the backdrop containing moon and stars. 

She completed it in two days. She was excited to meet Amar the next day. She hasn't talked to him since the day he left. Every time she called Karthik, he would say the same thing "Amar is busy. He will call later." She sat on her bed thinking about him when she heard his phone buzz. She hesitated. 

'What if it is something important? Let me see.' She unlocked his mobile and read the unread messages. She didn't find anything important until she found a message from a bank. Amar has used his card to book a hotel room in Hyderabad for three days.

'Why did he book the room using his personal account? And for whom?' She wondered. She tried to ignore it but she couldn't sleep. She showed the message to Anirudh who called the manager of the hotel to enquire. "Mr. Devaraju is currently staying in our hotel. His friend, Mandira, has accompanied him." The manager answered.

Vennela was shattered. Her worst fears have come true. Amar lost interest in her. He is having an affair with Mandira. He lied to her about the business trip to spend time with Mandira. She felt a sudden rush of hatred towards him. She fainted.

Anirudh sprinkled water on her face. "He b-betrayed m-me Anirudh. He doesn't l-love me anymore." She was shivering.

"No. There must have been a mistake. He would never do that." Anirudh wanted this to be a bad dream. He couldn't believe it even after the hotel manager's confirmation. He called Shruthi and Rishi-Raj who rushed to their mansion. When he told them everything, they thought he was joking. Because according to them, Amar can never be disloyal.

Vennela was crying piteously. Anirudh called Karthik who lied to him that Amar was still in Chennai. For the first time in his life, he doubted Amar. 

"I should have known when he said he booked tickets when he has his own private plane. He lied to us." Vennela stopped crying after a while. "I will confront him tomorrow. I need to know why he broke his wedding vows." She decided. Everyone, including Anirudh, supported her.

---***---

"Hello Amar. Long time no see." Vennela smiled sweetly.

"Long time? It was just three days. Did you miss me?" Amar asked mischievously.

"Of course I did. Seems like you didn't." Vennela's voice was dangerously sweet.

"I was busy moonlight." Amar waved at the others who didn't wave back.

"Busy with what? Oh, sorry. I forgot. You must have been busy giving your undivided attention to Mandira." Vennela was still smiling though her heart ached.

"Mandira?"

"Yes. Mandira. The woman with whom you are having an affair."

"Vennela! What the hell are you saying? Me? An affair?" Amar was shocked.

"I would have believed you if I hadn't known the truth. You lied to me. You didn't go to Chennai. You were in a hotel all these days sharing room with her. Don't you feel ashamed of what you did? You don't even have the dignity to divorce me before getting into a relationship with her. I hate myself for loving you." Vennela shouted at him.

"Vennela I admit, I lied to you. I took her to the hotel. But I don't have an affair with her. How could you even think so without asking me what actually happened? I went to her house in the first place because you forced me to." Amar's eyes welled up. He looked at everyone else. "Trust me guys. Please."

"Akka, I think we should listen to him--"

"No Shruthi. Every word he speaks will give me more pain. I am leaving." Vennela turned around only to be pulled back roughly by Amar.

"You have accused Amar Pratap of infidelity" said Amar, in a voice that could make the bravest of people tremble with fear. "You cannot leave until I give you proof of my loyalty." He pushed her. She landed on the sofa.

He called Mandira's husband, Naveen and put the call in speaker mode. "Naveen, come to my house right now along with Mandira. Please don't ask questions. This is urgent." He ended the call when Naveen agreed.

No one spoke until they arrived. "What happened Amar?" asked Naveen.

"Please tell my wife what actually happened." 

"There is nothing to worry Vennela garu. The murderer has been arrested. He will be jailed. Amar and Mandira are safe now." Naveen assumed Vennela was worried for their safety.

"I don't understand" said Vennela.

"She doesn't know anything. Tell her everything from the beginning."

Mandira started explaining. "Three days ago, when Amar came to return my purse, we heard a gunshot in the neighbouring flat. We rushed to see my neighbour dead and a man running away from the spot. We tried to catch him, but he escaped. We called the police. As we were prime witnesses, the police advised us to be careful until they caught the culprit. I called Naveen. He had very important work in Delhi which needed at least three days to complete. He advised me not to go home until he came back. So, we booked adjacent rooms in a hotel and stayed there until Naveen returned. The police caught the murderer yesterday. We identified him and gave our statement. We didn't tell you because Amar didn't want you to get involved in this." Mandira concluded. Vennela was shocked. 

"I called the hotel manager. He is a good friend. He sent the footage of the floor in which we stayed." Amar showed the video to Vennela which clearly showed him and Mandira entering two different rooms. He showed her the receipt. The billing was done for two rooms. "Happy now? Or should I call the police officer who recorded our statement?" 

"What's happening?" asked Mandira.

"My beloved wife thinks that we have an affair and shared the room for three days" said Amar, bitterly.

"WHAT NONSENSE!" Naveen yelled. "Mrs. Vennela, if you doubt Amar's loyalty you're completely mad. All these days he was more worried about you than himself. I'm very grateful to him for being there for my wife. I trust them. They would never do that. It's a pity you don't understand your own husband and someone else has to explain his loyalty."

"I'm so sorry Mandira. I misunderstood you." Vennela was weeping.

"Apologize to your husband." Mandira left with Naveen.

Vennela tried to apologize, but Amar stopped her. "You don't have to say anything. Now that I have proved my innocence, you are free to go."

"Amar, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me." Vennela pleaded.

"No, Vennela Dhanunjaya. I can't. I have always tried to be a good husband. I never forced you to accept me. I never touched you without your consent. I worshipped you. But you don't deserve this. You don't deserve my respect. You disgust me. I don't have anything to do with you. Just pack your things and leave. I sever ties with you from this moment." He looked at her with eyes full of fury.

"Anna, let's sit down and have a peaceful discussion." Anirudh requested him.

"No. I can't live here while she does." He collected his car keys and left.

Everyone else followed him in another car. Vennela called him repeatedly but he didn't answer. It started raining. He drove for one hour and reached the outskirts of the city, when they overtook his car and stopped right in front of him. He stopped the car and got off.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT?" He yelled at Vennela.

"Amar, I don't want to make any excuses for what I did. I just want another chance. I promise I'll be a good wife." 

"NO. YOU DON'T DESERVE ANOTHER CHANCE. JUST GO AWAY. I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN. NEVER COME BACK. GO." He crossed the road and reached the other end to get away from her.

Vennela followed him. They didn't notice a vehicle zooming towards them. It happened in a fraction of a second. She managed to push Amar out of the way. He heard a loud noise of a vehicle hitting a person. He turned around to see Vennela lying in a pool of blood.

"VENNELAAAAAAA!" Amar screamed and ran towards his wife.

---***---

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