THE GOLDEN BREAK

Chandru was expecting his school friend, who had promised to pick him up at their hangout tea shop for their usual snooker game at Snook City in Vadapalani. As time passed, Chandru's impatience grew, and so he lit a cigar to kill time. When he was about to light another cigar, Kiran arrived just at the moment and apologized.

"Cigarette?" Chandru offered.

"Smoking is injurious to health," Kiran quoted.

"More than love?" Chandru retorted.

"Cut the crap and hop in quickly. Vikram and his cousin are expecting us. I have received two missed calls from Vikram as of now. " Kiran informed.

"Alright. Let's get started. " Chandru said as he hopped onto Kiran's bike.

Despite the fact that it was the hottest time of day, they arrived at the location and found Kiran's college friend Vikram and his cousin waiting for them in the lounge. Both apologized politely, and Vikram introduced his cousin, Vinay, to Kiran and Chandru. Following a formal introduction, they reserved a snooker table for the next two hours. Kiran and Chandru agreed to form one team, while the rest formed another. While Vinay was stacking the balls in the triangular rack, Kiran flipped the coin, and Vikram called for a head. But it landed in a tail, so Chandru used the cue to break the pool and pocketed 13 of the stripes.

"Nice break, Macha!" On the other end, Vikram complimented him.

"So we go with the stripes and you go with the solids," Kiran explained to everyone.

Chandru attempted to steal another stripe, but he was unsuccessful.

It was now Vinay's turn. He pocketed one of the solids and made a foul by pocketing the cue ball while attempting to pocket 7 of the solids.

"Nice try, da!" Chandru complimented him.

Now it was Kiran's turn. Because of the foul, he took the cue ball and placed it near 10 of the stripes on the table. Kiran easily snatched it. He also pocketed 14 and 15 of the stripes back to back, which left everyone puzzled. He missed touching the ball by a whisker while attempting to pocket 9 of the stripes in the far right corner, resulting in a foul.

"Oh, shit!" Kiran yelled.

"Thank you for the opportunity, macha," Vikram exclaimed.

It was now Vikram's turn. Before taking a stand, he sharpened his stick and aimed for his solid ball. He went for 3 of the solids and pocketed it without hesitation. His concentration was unflappable, allowing him to pocket 4 and 5 of the solids consecutively. He also pocketed 6 of the solids with the spider stick and made a wicked grin.

"Go for the kill, man!" Vinay exclaimed with glee.

Unfortunately, while attempting to pocket 7 of the solids, he made a foul by pocketing 9 of the stripes.

"Thank God. Macha, make the most of this opportunity. " Kiran told Chandru.

It was now Chandru's turn. He pocketed 12 and then 11 of the stripes in no time. His ultimate goal has now moved to claim victory with the 8-Ball. He sharpened his cue stick and looked for the ideal angle to pocket the 8-Ball. He built a bridge and took a firm position to play the shot. He struck the cue ball with considerable force. As soon as the cue stick made contact with the cue ball and it spun and struck the 8-Ball. The 8-Ball hit the corner pocket and jumped off the board, resulting in not just a foul but also a loss for his team.

"Oh, shit!!" Chandru screamed angrily.

"Damn it!" Kiran yelled.

Vinay and Vikram began to celebrate their triumph with a high five.

For the next two hours, a lot happened both inside and outside the table. Apart from winning and losing, there was fun and excitement.

After the game, the teams headed to Chettinad Restaurant for lunch. Vinay started a conversation with the group after they ordered their meals.

"I had great fun with you all. Thank you very much. " Vinay thanked everyone.

"The pleasure is all ours. You are welcome to join us for a game of snooker at any time. " Kiran informed Vinay.

"That's very kind of you guys. I forgot to tell you about my upcoming engagement, which will take place in a fortnight. Except for Vikram, I'm inviting all of you." Vinay invited everyone.

"Thank you for the invitation, Vinay, and don't worry, I'll pick up only Chandru while coming to your engagement," Kiran informed Vinay and mocked Vikram.

"Very funny!" Vikram quipped.

"Love marriage or arranged marriage?" Chandru inquired.

"Arranged marriage," Vinay answered.

"Congratulations. There will be no break-up." Chandru stated.

"I agree with Chandru." Vikram chimed in.

"Don't listen to these jerks." Kiran teased them.

Before they could continue, an assortment of non-vegetarian delicacies was served on their table. Vinay initiated another chat with the group while they were eating lunch.

"To be honest, I wanted a love marriage. But I couldn't because I went to a boys' school my entire life. Despite the fact that I studied engineering at a co-ed college, the management was pretty strict about speaking with girls. I wonder how it would feel to be in love." Vinay admitted.

"Not bad," Kiran replied.

"It's a blissful feeling, but it may give you nightmares after the break-up," Vikram said.

Vinay noted Chandru's silence and inquired, "What's your opinion on love, bro?"

"It's a blessing for some and a curse for me," Chandru replied.

"Why is love a curse for you, bro? Could you please tell me about your love story? I would like to listen to it." Vinay inquired intuitively.

"In 12th grade, I fell in love with a girl. We attend the same tuition center. She was our batch's so-called "beauty with the brains," and every single boy tried to strike up a conversation with her, but she paid attention to no one. She had a soft spot for me and Kiran because we had good academics. In addition to that, we regularly attended doubt clarification sessions with our teacher after tuition hours. We gradually began to talk after class every day. I once got into a fistfight with a classmate for spreading rumors about her, which almost got me expelled from the tuition center. I proposed to her on the last day of the public exam, and my joy knew no bounds when she accepted. My joy came to an abrupt halt when we both enrolled at different colleges and it became difficult for me to avoid seeing her face. No day would pass without hearing her voice. We texted each other on Facebook during the week and decided to meet every Sunday. Life was great for the next two years, till I found out through Kiran that she had been in multiple relationships at the same time. My life came to a complete standstill when I learned the truth. I was heartbroken and depressed. I couldn't get over the fact that I had been cheated, and so love became a curse for me." Chandru narrated his story in one breath.

"That's terrible," Vinay exclaimed.

"Indeed!" Chandru sighed in relief.

"Okay, bro. Why don't you tell us your story, Vikram?" Vinay inquired, tilting his head towards Vikram.

"I can't say it like Chandru. I'll summarise my narrative." Vikram stated.

"Okay. Go ahead," Vinay urged.

"We represented our college in various inter-college culturals, especially for block and tackle event, and in the process, we became friends. We had a great rapport and eventually fell in love. Due to family pressure, we parted ways as soon as college concluded." Vikram concluded his story.

"This is the shortest love story I've ever heard." Vinay teased and everyone burst into peals of laughter.

"You both haven’t mentioned your ex-girlfriend's name. What's her name, bro?" Vinay inquired.

“It disgusts me even to say her name,” Chandru responded.

"Bharathi," Vikram replied.

"Bharathi Kannama?" Vinay cracked a joke.

"Divya Bharathi," Vikram responded.

"It can't be!" Chandru exclaimed.

"Not again!" Kiran added.

Vinay was taken aback when he heard the name, so he stopped eating and pulled his phone from his pant pocket. He browsed for a minute or two and then showed everyone a picture of a girl.

"Is she the one?" Vinay asked.

"Yes," Chandru and Vikram said in unison.

"How is this even possible? How can I believe you, guys?" Vinay asked.

Both Vikram and Chandru presented pictures of them with her at different times, and it acted as the moment of truth.

Vinay couldn't believe what he'd just witnessed. His mind was racing with unanswered questions. "Why did she keep her relationship hidden during our first meeting, despite my repeated requests? Was she thinking of me as a fool, or was she planning to cheat me as well? What if she has a relationship after marriage and hides it from me? How could I bear the agony of being cheated for the rest of my life? How can I trust her now, especially after this incident? Is this a wake-up call from God?"

He broke his silence and admitted, "She is the bride in my engagement, but she never told me about her relationship despite my repeated requests when we first met."

"Cheaters never confess," Chandru replied.

"We have enough evidence to cancel this engagement. Let us inform your parents, Vinay." Vikram stated.

"I'll definitely take a call after hearing from her. First, let's devise a plan to teach her a lesson and push her to confess the truth." Vinay said.

"Agreed," Kiran added.

"Oh, yeah!" Vikram continued.

"On target," Chandru concluded.

Later that night, Vinay informed the group, "I have fixed a meeting with her by saying that my friends are willing to meet you before marriage. Let us surprise her at EA tomorrow evening!"

The next day, Divya was waiting for Vinay in the EA Food Court. Vinay arrived a few moments later and apologized for being late. He took a seat beside her. He informed her that his friends were on their way. Vikram arrived at the table a few minutes later and took a seat next to the pair. Vinay introduced his cousin to Divya. Vinay attempted to strike up a conversation with Divya while placing his order.

"Have you ever been in a relationship?" Vinay inquired.

Divya turned to face Vikram. Her facial expression changed, and she began to sweat.

"Yes." She blurted out

"Why didn't you tell me about it when we first met?" Vinay asked.

"I was nervous at the time," Divya admitted.

"You are not alone, and this is not a closed room. Despite the fact that I'm his cousin, I'm an amazing buddy. Please feel free to share your love story with us." Vikram stated.

Before she could continue, a familiar voice from behind her interrupted, "Wait a minute. Let me take a seat." It was Kiran's voice. He took a seat next to Vikram. Vinay introduced Kiran to Divya. Divya's face was flushed with perspiration. She dabbed it with a wad of tissues placed in front of her. Her face was filled with confusion, so she sipped a glass of water before delivering her story.

"During my 12th grade, I fell in love with a tuition friend. I ended my relationship with him the moment I discovered that he was having an affair with another girl in college. Nothing serious. He was only a passing cloud in my life."

"This school day's love story is very interesting," Vikram added.

"What is his name, by the way?" Kiran inquired.

Before she could continue, Chandru appeared from nowhere and said, "Chandru."

Divya began to panic, much like a thief caught red-handed by the police. She instantly left the place, stating, "I have urgent business at home. I'll call you later."

When Vinay offered to drop her off, she bolted from the scene and fled.

“Cheaters never prosper.” Chandru quoted and everyone burst into peals of laughter. 

Later that evening while the team was playing snooker, Chandru made "the golden break" and everyone began to rejoice. Vinay then informed everyone, "Without loyalty, no relationship exists, thus I'm canceling this engagement." Everyone supported and celebrated his decision, and a new relationship named "Friendship" blossomed between them.

Later that night, Bharathi posted a heartfelt message in the WhatsApp group "The Wolf's Pack," saying, "Thank you so much for your support. This is something I'll never forget. Being a part of this wolf pack is weird, but I am so proud to have you guys as my best friends. When my parents learned of my relationship with Kiran, they arranged for me to marry a distant relative. I had no idea what to do or how to fix the problem. I informed Kiran of the situation, and he sought your assistance in this matter. Due to family pressure, I agreed to meet the groom for the first time. Vikram informed me a day before our first meeting with Vinay that the groom was his cousin. The plan you devised worked wonders for me, canceling my engagement and also allowing Kiran to tell his parents about our love story. Kiran's parents will be visiting my parents tomorrow to make a proposal. I hope everything goes well. Fingers-crossed."

“At least don’t cheat him,” Vikram made a joke.

“Because cheaters never prosper,” Chandru joined.

“Oh, shut up! You idiots,” Kiran yelled in a text and everyone burst into peals of laughter.