A marriage for revenge

Chapter 2

Vinoth Sethupathi, the middle child of the family was a pampered kid. He was born with a diamond spoon and had the whole world under his feet. He met Ananya as a one-year-old when he was an eight-year-old boy. He didn't pay much attention to her. To him, she was the kid who always stuck to her elder sister, Anjali who happened to become his playmate as they grew together. Anjali was a few months elder than him and was a grade ahead of him at school. He and his sister Vaiga had a great time playing with Anjali on the large premises of their mansion. The siblings at first, hated Anu for being a hindrance during playtime and for being nagging, slow, and clumsy. She always ruined the fun for them.

But after their mother passed away, Vinoth unwittingly became protective of Anjali and Anu just like everyone at home. Both the sisters became family more than just a driver's daughter. They were well-behaved, sweet, responsible, and loved by everyone.

So naturally, as a young boy, Vinoth developed a childish crush on Anjali. However, as time passed and they grew up, he understood that his elder brother Vikram had a thing for Anjali and she secretly had one for Vikram. Being the gentleman he was, Vinoth slowly but gradually distanced himself from Anjali. What he had for her was nothing serious but a puppy love that every boy has in his life at some point in time.

His brother was a saint and deserved the world. After their father's death, Vikram became his hero figure and the best person he'd known in his life. Anjali was a perfect match for him. In fact, Vinoth was the one who put a word about them to their mother and convinced her to let them be together. If not for him, his brother would have never succeeded in getting the girl of his dreams. Just like that, his childhood friend became his sister-in-law.

Vinoth always admired Vikram and Anjali's relationship but never once envied them. What he secretly did was crave what they had, a celestial love story like theirs. They were madly in love with one another and supported one another in every step they took. He tried to find that kind of love in the girls he came across but all in vain. No one met up to his expectations and how can anybody when the benchmark was Anjali Sethupathi?

Years later, when the then, teenager Anu was bullied by the boys at her school, Vinoth became her savior by beating the s**t out of those boys. He made sure they or nobody in that case ever hurt Anu. He would personally go drop her at school and keep a close watch on her.

Ananya was always silent and never talked much to anybody, except her sister. She didn't really get along with anybody due to her distant nature. However, she wasn't arrogant or something, she was naive and innocent, or at least that's what everyone believed. Vikram and Vinoth took it upon themselves to safeguard her.

Even when Vinoth's college friends began to tease him about Anu after seeing his protective nature towards her, he knew that she wasn't the girl that he was looking forward to having such a relationship with. Being seven years apart, he could never think of Anu in that way. He never felt the spark in his heart that he was expecting. He was just her well-wisher and he would always be.

Leaving behind his stupid dream to find the perfect girl for him, he concentrated on becoming a made man in the business world. He could have simply achieved all the success in the world if he wanted to by taking over his father's company but he decided to take the long and difficult route. After his Master's in business and management from Australia, he returned to India and started his own Jewelry and watch designing company Nērtti (Elegance) from scratch. When everyone believed that no one could surpass Vikram's achievements, Vinoth proved them wrong by becoming the youngest entrepreneur of the year for his success in a very short time.

As it's said, love knocks at your door when it's least expected, Vinoth too found the love of his life when he was least expecting it. He had gone to Coimbatore for a business deal with Satish group of industries to sign a deal where he met Mr. Satish's only daughter Kavery Satish. She was a gorgeous and confident woman who shone brightly among all others. He spent the whole evening talking to her and without an argument, he confirmed that she was the woman he had been desperately waiting for his whole life. Much to his dismay, he had a flight back to Chennai that night otherwise he would have stayed behind just to chit-chat with her.

Nevertheless, a week later, he went back to meet her and unlike his brother who waited a whole decade to confess his love, he immediately told her that he liked her and would want to know her more. From there on, they went on dates and trips to get to know each other. The attraction between them was undeniable. They were both young, he was handsome and successful while she was beautiful and ambitious. Within six months of knowing each other, they made themselves public.

His mother and brother approved of the girl immediately and then what? They were engaged and ready to be married in a year's time. They became the most famous and celebrated couple in the business world. Vinoth became the happiest man on the planet having everything he ever wanted a loving fiance, a successful career, and a supportive family yet the happiness didn't prolong. The reason was the snake named Ananya whom he had around his neck all along.