She pondered for a moment and a thought came to her. She would tell Suresh that she had an assignment to complete over the weekend and would be staying over at her friend Jane's place. It wasn't a complete lie - she did have an assignment to work on, and Jane was a real person. She just wasn't staying at Jane's place.
Ilakiya knew that Suresh would be reluctant to let her go, especially since they were living together and he was used to her being around all the time. She tried to play it off casually as she packed her bags and announced her plans.
"Suresh, I have an assignment that I need to complete over the weekend," she said, trying to sound as casual as possible. "I'm going to be staying at Jane's place to work on it."
"What kind of assignment is it?" Suresh asked, looking skeptical.
"Remember the mooting assignment I told you about? Presentation date is coming soon. We have to do some case studies and preparations ," Ilakiya replied, trying to sound as convincing as possible.
"Why do you need to stay over at Jane's place to work on it?" Suresh asked, still not convinced.
"We want to work on it nonstop, so it's easier if we just stay together and work on it," Ilakiya said, trying to sound convincing as the sweat started to bead on her forehead. "It's not really practical to keep cross-referencing over the internet."
"I can drop you off. I know Jane's home. Besides, I'm not busy now," Suresh offered, but Ilakiya knew that would not work.
"Nevermind, It's alright, I'll take the LRT, " Ilakiya declined, trying to sound as casual as possible. "Another friend will also be joining me at the LRT."
"Fine, but why not just ask them to come over here?" Suresh asked, now sounding more suspicious.
"We'll probably stay up all night working on it and your mother won't like the noise during her sleeping time," Ilakiya said, thinking on her feet.
Suresh's demeanor relaxed somewhat, but Ilakiya could still see the disbelief in his eyes. "Alright," he said, his tone conveying that he was not entirely convinced.
Ilakiya felt a wave of relief wash over her. She quickly hugged Suresh and thanked him before leaving the house. But as she walked out the door, Suresh called out to her in a demanding tone, "Just make sure you don't forget to keep in touch with me. Send me message or call every once in a while."
Ilakiya turns around and throws a tantrum, "Why do you always have to be so controlling? I'm a grown woman, I can take care of myself."
Suresh sighs heavily and said, "Fine, do whatever you want. I'm just looking out for you."
Ilakiya left the house, her heart heavy with guilt for lying to Suresh and for making him feel that way. But she knew it was necessary to do so. She couldn't allow Suresh's possessive attitude to limit her actions anymore.
Ilakiya was feeling guilty for misleading him but for now, she choose to put those feelings aside. Her mind was preoccupied with the thoughts of being with Anbu and that's all she can focus on.
***
Ilakiya was riding the LRT to the prearranged meeting point at Bukit Jalil station, where she was supposed to wait for Anbu. Her mind was racing with concern. She had been so preoccupied with her plans to be with Anbu, that she overlooked an important detail. Suresh also knew Jane, and if he were to contact her at any point over the weekend, Ilakiya's deception would be exposed. "Oh no," she thought.
Acting quickly, she picked up her phone and called Jane. At first, the phone rang and rang, but just as Ilakiya was about to hang up, Jane answered.
"Hey Jane, it's Ilakiya," she said, her voice shaking slightly.
"Hey Ilakiya, what's up?" Jane replied.
"I need to ask you a HUGE favor," Ilakiya said, taking a deep breath. "I told Suresh that I'm staying over at your place this weekend to work on that mooting assignment, but in reality, I'm going to be with Anbu. Please don't ask me where and all. The less you know is better. If Suresh calls, can you please cover for me and tell him that I'm there with you?"
There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Woah, Ilakiya, I don't know if I'm comfortable with lying to Suresh like that. This is too risky. You're going to get into trouble.," Jane said.
"I know, I know. It's asking a lot, and I completely understand if you don't want to do it," Ilakiya said, her heart sinking. "But please, Jane. I wouldn't ask if it wasn't vital. You know what I go through every day. For once I want to escape this reality and spend some time with Anbu. Just for a day. Could you do it for your best friend?"
"Ilakiya, this dangerous game that you're playing with Suresh and Anbu is going to backfire on you one day," warned Jane. "You have to decide, Ilakiya. Either you should stay committed to Suresh or break up with him. Otherwise, the consequences will be dire. The responsibility will fall solely on you."
Ilakiya: "Jane, I know you're trying to help, but you don't understand. I care about both Suresh and Anbu. But lately I'm having doubts about my feelings towards Suresh. Perhaps I committed myself too quickly. At the same time, Anbu checks all my boxes. If I had met Anbu before Suresh, I'm sure I would have chosen Anbu over Suresh."
Jane: "Ilakiya, you can't have your cake and eat it too. You're hurting both Suresh and Anbu by leading them on. You need to make a choice."
Ilakiya: "I know it's not fair, but I can't just turn off my feelings for Anbu. I've been unhappy in my relationship with Suresh for a long time and I believe Anbu is the one who can make me truly happy."
Jane: "And what about Suresh's feelings? He's going to be devastated when he finds out. And what happens if Anbu turns out to be the wrong choice?"
Ilakiya: "I know it's not going to be easy, but I can't continue living in a relationship that makes me miserable. I'm willing to take that risk for my own happiness. And I believe that Anbu is the right choice for me."
Jane: "Ilakiya, I just don't want you to get hurt. But if this is truly what you want, I'll support you. But please, be honest with both Suresh and Anbu about your feelings and be prepared for the consequences that may arise from it."
"Thank you, Jane. I appreciate your understanding and support. I'll make sure to handle this as sensitively as possible. Could you do me this one small, no big favor once?... Please," pleaded Ilakiya.
There was another pause, and Ilakiya held her breath. "Okay," Jane said finally. "I'll do it. But only because I care about you and I want you to be happy."
"Thank you so much, Jane," Ilakiya said, feeling a wave of relief wash over her. "I really appreciate it. Love you."
"Just make sure you resolve this issue at the soonest." Jane replied.
"I will, I promise," Ilakiya said, feeling guilty for deceiving both Suresh and Anbu.
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