First love.

Something that people never forget. No matter how many come and go, first love stays there in your heart as alive as it can be.

You compare it with every other that comes in your life. You ask yourself again if you have find someone better than the first one. Because your heart demands the same love, same level of intensity, same standard of craziness that creates havoc all inside your body, mind and soul.

It's a storm that never goes. It might get silent. It might disappear. Until a trigger, a shake happens that follows the eruption of the strongest of feelings your heart which you possess for that someone special.

It comes back to you, there—in your heart.

It is the hardest phase all along and it mustn't happen. It would be painful yet full of thrill and if this eruption really happens—you are into it more than you ever had been.

The worst thing is, even if this phase never happened to you and you have already find the better one—there would still be that magic in your heart created by that first love that you can never let go.

"Never."

She kept thinking and biting her lip while rushing through the corridors. As alive as heart had become, as if someone had charged her, Sakshi wanted to run away and fly.

Her whole skin had turned scarlet from recalling his voice, his words and charms. He never changed. Just became a little depressed. A bit hurt. But he was the same. As charming as he was.

How he talked politely to Aakriti—playful but polite. There was humor in his voice but mixed with seriousness and utter sorrow. How intense it could get! She was troubled.

Why was she able to feel his pain so much? Through his words, only. What was this? Was she becoming obsessed? Why was her heart begging her to turn around and jump on him?

A fool she was when she had thought that she was over with this and she just wanted to help, bring positivity in his life and motivate him as any other kind person would do. But, no!

A kind person won't feel much more than sympathy and pity. He or she won't want to cry for him, hug him, crave his touch and need answers. A kind heart won't feel the pain he was going through. A kind heart won't try to again beat faster for him.

She wiped her cheek while smiling, blushing to herself, realizing how warm her cheek felt. Get a grip, Sakshi! She wanted to follow her conscience, and even did. But that madness was increasing again.

"What have you done to me, Shrey?" She murmured to herself while fastening her steps. She had reached the ground floor but it felt as if she had left her heart there only, above. Closer to him. With him.

Sakshi wanted to sulk in self-pity again. "I am crazy," scolding herself. She was fighting herself.

Taking long breaths, she looked around. She slowed down, matching her speed with all others as she saw the exit that would lead her to the parking. Nodding to herself, she was about to fasten her steps again, away from this charm that was following her.

But her phone rang.

She halted, lowered her eyes while pulling out the phone from her jeans' pocket.

Bhai!

Her eyes widened, heart started beating in utter horror that made her look around immediately. Gulping, Sakshi received the call, breathing so he won't realize that she was running.

Running away from that dangerous first love

"Sakshi." His worry was audible and Sakshi couldn't be more afraid.

She smiled while walking towards the side, giving time to her legs to rest. "Bhai," she tried her best to sound cheerful.

There was a brief silence that followed his stern voice. "You, okay? Why are you breathing so harshly?"

Sakshi raised her eyebrows and looked around, gulping again. "I had taken stairs just now. Was going to the other building. You tell me? How are you? Bhabhi? Riaan?"

He hummed slowly and she could finally relaxed as he replied, "They are missing you. Pihu is frustrated here, shopping alone for everyone. When is your break? It's just a week left for Diwali. Last year, you had came earlier."

She smiled, "Yeah, I think—within two-three days. Actually, I am stuck with this new subject. I can't afford losing any of the class." She rolled her eyes at the irony. "Just two days more, I will book the tic-"

"I will do it for you." She giggled at his hurried tone and heard him saying, "Listen, is mom trying to set you up again? Tell me. I heard her discussing something with Mihir's mom-"

Her eyes widened in disbelief. Her brother knew about that guy. Then, he must have seen his cousin too. "Mihir?" She was shocked that she herself had never got to know about them.

Raghav clicked his tongue. "Um, Bhatia Aunty, her son. Well, she was here yesterday. They were talking about you. I am telling you, if mom disturbs you by any way even if after you get here, you must not listen to her. Alright?"

Sakshi rolled her eyes while smiling. "Yes, Bhai. You don't have to worry. I am not into this, you know that-"

She could imagine him smiling proudly. "Yeah, okay. But yeah, try wrapping up soon. We are planning to organize a little function. Okay? Inviting some relatives and all?"

Sakshi chewed her lip while silently stomping her foot. A nurse had just turned her head at her, with narrowed eyes. She hesitantly started walking ahead, remembering that she had to get out of here before Rishabh Malhotra could come back and catch her or even Shrey himself.

She breathed out, "That's great, Bhai. So anything else, I have this lecture in five minutes-"

"Ya, the last thing." She narrowed her eyes while exiting the building and walked hurriedly to the parking. Why was her brother taking long about this last thing? What was he thinking?

"Bhai?"

"Um, never mind. I was just worried, if you were stressed. You hadn't call for like four-five days. What have I told you about reporting me everyday?"

Sakshi looked up while shaking her head. That was so sweet of him. "I told you, na. Just busy days. Now, listen. I will call you back. Five minutes over and I am getting into the class."

"Okay. Bye."

She hung up the call and breathed in relief while leaning on to her car.

She was finally out of the building. Removing the scarf from her nose, she took lung full of breaths and ran fingers through hair.

She had missed five lectures for this one thing and that was to see Shrey Malhotra for the last time. She had surely enjoyed positive words from Aakriti about how this was the chance of getting him back. But she knew deep in heart, that it was all impossible.

It was all complicated.

Malhotras and Rathores were rivals. Moreover, Sakshi had her own spine that was full of self-respect. She couldn't just go and show up in front of the person who had played with her heart. He surely deserved her sympathy as a human but not her love all again.

She had her future lying on her path ahead and she couldn't be distracted by stalkers, admirers and her own strong emotions for Shrey. She needed to be strong. She needed to be emotionally intelligent and get over this.

By leaving this hospital, she was leaving the last chance of meeting Shrey Malhotra, last chance of getting him back or even keeping a little contact.

But shaking her head, she finally removed her hands from her hair and turned to unlock her car door.

"Sakshi."

She halted. Her actions halted. The heart beating in her chest, halted. The blood rushing in her veins, halted. The air surrounding her, halted. Everything around her had halted but something was still moving.

Her mind.

Her mind which had processed immediately that this voice belonged to that someone special.

"Sakshi."

It happened again and she finally gulped. Her throat tightened and veins started shrinking as she felt like curling and hide somewhere in a hole rather than facing this. Her eyes moved slowly along her head and finally the nature stole her breaths away. She gasped.

Eyes filling with immense longing and she didn't blink. She was able to see it all, process it all that he was standing there.

She gasped again.

The clean view turned blurry as his rising figure reached her slowly, rising the storm from the deepest corner of her heart. The eruption began and finally, the strongest of her emotions were spreading through her chest, making her realize that she was forever trapped in this magic created by him.

Her first love.

_______

Aarush bit his nails while staring at the phone screen. Sakshi's phone was going busy and he couldn't guess, with whom she was talking to. The desperation in him was creating a real headache.

Never give excuses of poor health. The universe listens and gives you what you had asked for.

Aarush sighed in frustration. First, that professor had bored him by calling him in his office. All he had done was buttering his ass by offering notes and a tablet for his head ache.

He was sweet but too much for his taste. When he had told him about his fake headache, the professor didn't let him go. Instead, tried to stretch the conversation by asking about his dear Miss Rathore.

Aarush was glad that he denied. It seemed creepy that he was noticing their group more than he should. Just because they were being naughty in two of his classes, didn't mean that he could be playful with them.

Though, at least he had brought out one good thing from this meet. Aarush smirked to himself.

"If you have any kind of problem because of which you are so stressed, Aarush. I am here for you. I had said same to your friend and she shared it with me. I expect you to do the same. I will try my best to help you."

The Professor was so curious when he had told how he really had one problem going on. Aarush chuckled at recalling how he was shocked.

"Yes, Sir. There is one problem."

"Um, okay. What is that?"

"Ronnie Shekhawat."

That boy had punched him, irked him and tried to molest his best friend for two times. Aarush was vengeful. Playful but vengeful. He couldn't describe how relieved he felt seeing the Professor extremely angry when he had told him about the molesting episode.

The professor looked as if he would either fail that guy or even complaint to the principle. Though, even if he wouldn't do anything. At least, he showed that hatred for the guy. Especially when he mentioned how there was a guy being secret admirer for Sakshi and was stalking her all around.

". . . and I think, it's Ronnie. He keeps watching her from far like creeps and even sends her winks and flirtatious smiles, it irks me up. If I hadn't been so serious about my good reputation, I surely would have taught Ronnie a lesson by now, Sir. But now, I have shared it with you."

Aarush chuckled to himself. The Professor had assured him that he would be there to help him if Ronnie would try to do something in future. The man got his back and there was nothing better than this.

Especially when it was Ronnie's final year and Kabir Sir was taking one of his subjects.

Suddenly, his phone beeped. Aarush jumped up and reached his pocket, pulling out the phone only to check a message from Aditi.

Submitted your desperate reports. Professor got lit by your decoration. *Rolls eyes* Will take back my favor soon.

~Aditi

Aarush sighed in relief and smiled to himself. Sending an 'okay', he realized how it was still boring without Sakshi. Where had she gone? The half of the day had vanished already. She didn't even call him, asking for the topics that she had missed just like she used to do before.

Shaking his head dejectedly, he flipped his phone in his hands while thinking about the guy.

Aakriti

the hospital

an old friend

suicidal

hospital's name in the newspaper

His eyes narrowed. Biting his lip, he immediately unlocked his phone. A sudden enthusiasm built inside him as he googled about the recent suicide cases of Delhi.

Scrolling down, he ignored the first two cases which were about two girls from two different rural areas. Sakshi had no contact with that area and it wasn't a girl that she had gone to meet.

The third one was a link to a news report and his eyebrows raised.

"Friday night, in Malhotra residence was staying the younger son burdened with the accusations of a traumatized woman, attempted to give up his life by gulping down the sleeping pills. . ." Aarush stopped reading and breathed shakily.

All of a sudden, his mind was taking him to the afternoon, three days ago when he was watching television. This guy's cousin was reporting media about his poor health after the suicide attempt.

He looked far at the empty table of the cafeteria while he remembered the day in the court, he had gone to invite an advocate for a seminar that Miss Khanna had told him to volunteer for. He had taken Sakshi along him. He widened his eyes and gasped.

"Damn!"

She was staring at the guy with worried eyes. He had seen her shocked face when he had mentioned about the rape. She was stunned and he had even felt weird but hadn't mentioned. He had let it go thinking that she was just concerned as a normal human being. Even now, for one percent he was trying to conclude that she was kindly worried.

But, no!

She got to know a devastating news about her old friend.

Aarush gulped while glancing back at the screen and checking photos of the man. He couldn't digest the fact that it could be true but as more as he was reading about the incident, the more his mind recalled how horrified she looked that day and the more his heart was recognizing this hidden truth.

Biting his nail, he shook his head in disbelief. "Bloody hell! Sakshi was friends with Shrey Malhotra," he muttered, feeling the hair on the back of his neck raising.

"The rapist-guy."

______

"What do you think?"

Please vote and comment.

_____

Shrey has reached her.

What about the admirer?

#tuesdayupdate