"Why can't I sleep?"

Abhimaan groaned in frustration. He was just lying there for the last 2 hours trying to fall asleep but it seemed today, he was not getting any!

Whenever he tried to close his eyes, a pair of frightened eyes flashed before him.

Her beautiful eyes!!

They should always shine.

Her trembling lips!!

They deserved to wear a smile.

"Goodness!!"

"Have I become so jobless? Why the hell am I just thinking about her?"

"Maybe I should check her once and then I might get some sleep." He told himself and got up.

Maybe it was his restless heart that didn't let him sleep.

He strode out and was standing at her door. At first, he thought to knock, then dropped the idea thinking her sleep will be disturbed.

At least, let her sleep. He mentally rolled his eyes at his stupidity. But he wanted to check on her once. So, he silently opened the door which - thankfully - was not locked.

He looked around the whole room that was wrapped in darkness. He saw her sleeping on the bed, comfortably.

He sighed.

He didn't go close to her as he didn't want to disturb her. Also, he didn't want to look like a creep again!

"I already have an issue to apologize for."

He turned but stopped on his track hearing something. A low murmur followed by whimpers of cries.

At first, he frowned but it didn't take a lot of time for him to understand what the noises were about. He walked fast towards her and saw her clutching the sheet tightly to her chest. Her whole face was covered with beads of sweat and she was trying to say something.

"Please... Don't... NOO..." She was mumbling with her eyes tightly shut.

her tear-stricken face appeared to be so restless.

"Samaira... What happened? There is no one. You are safe." He patted her cheeks but she didn't hear him. She was having nightmares. She was shivering out of fear.

"God!!"

"That bastard!"

He clenched his fists knowing who she was pleading to. His heart ached, watching her like this. He cupped her cheeks and wiped her tears.

"Mumma... Ss... Sorry..." She sobbed.

Why was she saying sorry?

"It's not your fault baby."

"He is gone, Samaira."

"Shhh... Listen... Baby, I'm here. I won't let him touch you or any girl again." He said but she was still shivering. He looked around not knowing how to handle it.

He sat near her and scooped her in his arms. He rubbed her back to soothe her fear.

"I'm here... Don't worry." He kept on repeating and placed gentle kisses on her hair and her forehead to assure her that he was there with her.

After some time, she calmed down. Her breathing got normal. She held his arm tightly, not wanting to leave it. As if her life depended on it.

Her Saviour.

Abhimaan.

She opened her eyes a little. She felt his presence, his touch even in her nightmares. She thought it was her nightmare, where he had appeared to hold her and save her.

"Don't leave me." She whispered looking at him. He cupped her face and pecked her forehead assuring his presence.

"I won't, I'm here with you."

"Now sleep." He said.

She gave him a small smile and closed her eyes. He kept on looking at her for some time.

"You have become a mystery to me." He said caressing her hair. He too closed his eyes after some time. He leaned back on the bed stand for support and fell asleep in a half-seated position.

.

.

.

The sun rose with new rays, new hopes and new equations.

Both were sleeping holding each other's hands. He was still cupping her head with one hand, his mouth was slightly open.

She was the first one to open her eyes.

The first thing she noticed was her hand holding something. She frowned and looked up to see his bright and handsome face. His face - that now showed relief, tranquillity and not his usual arrogance.

He was looking cute with his half-open mouth.

She twisted her lips thinking about his angry mode.

The angry bird looks good like this.

Calm and quiet.

She didn't realize when he had opened his eyes too. He looked around a little then at her. Both were lost in each other's eyes but it was interrupted by the vibration of his mobile.

She didn't want her dream to end. It felt good to be close to him.

"Umm... Good Morning." He said, making her eyes go wide.

He is real!!

She took her hand back and got up immediately as if she was given an electric shock. He watched her, narrowing his eyes. He then sat straight, keeping some distance.

"I... You... I... I mean... How?" She fumbled for words. She closed her eyes and mentally scolded herself.

He wanted to laugh watching her turn into a puddle of nervousness and realized she always behaved like this with him.

"I thought to check on you at night, and you were having some nightmare. So... I sat here... And... Well..." He said, rubbing the back of his neck. He felt a little embarrassed.

Then realization drew into her. It was not a dream. It was not a fantasy. At night, his presence was true.

"Oh My God!!"

"How could I behave so immaturely?"

"I didn't mean to invade your privacy but you were shivering and crying... That's why..." He explained to her, getting up on his feet near the bed.

Nightmare?

No. It was her sad reality.

Her face fell. The whole incident played in front of her.

Everything.

That monster's behaviour towards her.

Her helplessness. Her pleadings.

Her cries!

Tears formed in her eyes. She looked away not wanting to show her weak side again.

"He had already seen you in your most vulnerable state. What are you trying to show now??"

She thought and blinked rapidly to stop her tears. She turned to his side and looked up to face him. He understood she was trying to hide her tears.

"I... I... Am... Sorry... I didn't realize... Sorry for disturbing you." She said after clearing her throat.

"It's okay, actually I have just received a message! The police want to talk to you about... yesterday. To file the complaint." He said. He didn't want to say all these things right now. It would once again remind her of the horrible night.

But this is the damn process! This was how legal procedures worked!

It was getting hard for her to behave normally. She was on the verge of breaking down, she nodded and shifted to climb down the bed and wanted to hide inside the washroom. In the hurried moment, her parent's photo frame fell and broke.

He looked down at the sound of something shattering.

She gasped and hurriedly tried to keep the photo back, hurting her hand in the process.

"Ahh!!" She gasped when the sharp pieces of glass pierced the skin on her fingers and palm. "What the ...?" He immediately held her hand and made her sit on the bed.

"Shit!!"

"Are you out of your mind??" He yelled at her.

Blood was dripping from her injured hand. He quickly got up and searched for the first-aid box in the washroom.

"You are seriously stupid!" He said while cleaning her wound. He was busy, he didn't realize that all the while she was crying - still clutching on to that broken photo frame.

"It's my parents' only photo I have." She whispered, caressing the photo. Her tears were rushing down. But now she didn't care if he had to watch her like that.

He stopped hearing this. He looked up. He felt the pain in her voice for a second.

Only photo?

What does that mean?

"What do you mean by this??" He asked out of curiosity. What the hell was she talking about?

"Auntie only sent this photo along with my stuff. She didn't... send the other album... I have... o… only this now..." She looked up at him, complaining to him. She didn't have much memory of her parents, just an album of her childhood when her parents were alive.

"Oh my God!!"

It didn't take much time for him to understand what she meant.

"She doesn't have parents!!"

He never knew this. He was stunned by the newfound information. He was too worried - about her wounds and her words also. His heart pained watching her in that state.

"Let me apply some bandage first then we will talk about this." He replied. He had nothing to say. It was a huge revelation for him.

He realized that he knew nothing about her.

"Why are you saying this now Abhi? Was it not your decision to stay away?"

"My papa... Must be angry with me. I... I didn't take my studies seriously. He... he wanted to see me become a doctor and... What am I doing? I....." She broke down completely in front of him.

He had never seen her in such a vulnerable state. Not even when he behaved rudely to her. Not even when he spoke nonsense about her, when he accused her of God knows what...

"No, it's not like that. Look at me." He immediately cupped her face and said.

"Listen to me and listen to me once, for I’m not going to repeat it. Whatever happened yesterday - it was NOT your fault. Not even one percent! Got it?" He stated the fact to her. He wrapped his arms around her. She rested her head on his chest - still sobbing.

"You know what! That Sandeep Mishra was doing this with many freshers. He had harassed other girls too but because of his influential status in society, no one ever filed a complaint against him. And that boosted his perverted mind." He shared the information that he had received from the police with her. He clenched his jaw while saying all these.

Samaira was listening to him silently. She never knew this.

She was not the only one. There were many. Her eyes brimmed with fresh tears.

"I want you to stand strong and register a complaint against him to show him his real place."

He detached their frames and held her face between his palms.

"Will you do it?" He asked her. She could see the anger he was hiding, and also the hopes he had for her.

But she was scared.

"I'll be there with you every single second." He answered her unsaid question. He knew she was scared. Anyone would be feeling this way after going through something so terrible.

He could have finished that bastard in a blink of his eyes but he wanted her to do it. A girl should show a man like him his real place.

How can someone do this!

A real man would never do that!

She nodded at him. She would do this.

"Words, Samaira. I told you to use your words." He said. She licked her dry lips and cleared her throat.

"I... I'll tell everything and register a complaint against him." She replied. He beamed at her and wiped her tears with his thumb.

"I'll ask someone to re-frame your parent's photo, okay?" He said brushing her hair off her face.

Her face lit up and she looked at him with bright eyes.

"You will?" She asked with her gleeful innocence. He nodded, kissing her forehead and assuring her. She closed her eyes, feeling content. She was feeling good for the first time - with him by her side.