Her morning turned into mourning when the first thing she heard at the dining table, was her uncle and Aunt watching the photos from last night's party. What even made her heart shrinking in nervousness was when instead of replying to her greetings, her Aunt turned the laptop to show her those photos.

"I think we should have some of these developed." Her Tai ji chuckled while glancing at her. Thankfully, it wasn't that professor on the screen. She couldn't just be disrespectful to them on festival days, spoiling family's environment. "Don't you think? Just like we have many of Raghav and Nakul's.

Sakshi pursed her lips. "Sure. They look nice." She fake smiled at her Tau ji who seemed to have noticed her sour mood and in the way he was looking at her with furrowed eyebrows, she knew he was about to ask her.

"Something wrong?"

Sakshi gulped while thinking about complaining to him. It won't create a massacre in the house but at least, she would be able to give them her proper opinion on dating or marrying anyone.

"Something is."

Her Tai ji looked at her immediately while she herself lowered her eyes on the screen. She nodded towards the man that was standing beside her brother and Nakul in the current photo appearing on the screen.

"This guy." Her Tai ji shook her head in a way to interrupt her and to clear her misunderstanding. But Sakshi was totally understood of what she was planning, for which she wasn't ready when in her heart, she had some of her hopes high for an old love. "This guy is my professor."

None of them gave her any response. Sakshi stared at them in shock. "Tau ji, he is my professor. Freaking professor. So strict, and over smart. I really," she looked at her Tai ji, "Really don't like him. But the way, you have been calling bachelors in the parties and introducing me to them, makes me worried."

Her Tai ji sighed while she lowered her eyes. To her surprise, her Tau ji laughed, "But no one is aiming to get you chosen or anything. Don't you think, it will only help in getting good grades."

"I already get good grades. I don't need special acquaintances, Tau ji."

Her Tai ji looked irritated now but Sakshi didn't care. It was only making her feel angry at her. "Do you guys realize that I am just twenty-two? That professor is twenty eight or something-"

"Twenty-seven." Her Aunt corrected her.

"That is a big number. I am not marrying an uncle." Her voice raised while her Uncle immediately patted the table hard.

"Stop. Raghav would listen and you both know, it won't be good for a festival morning."

Sakshi frowned while looked away. "No one is forcing her. Why don't she understand? I just want her to be reserved with a good man. Like you know, Delhi is such a big city. Crime rates are high and any boy can start stalking or disturbing you," her Tai ji explained.

She rolled her eyes. "C'mon. This is not eighteenth century. No betrothing me to any uncle. Tau ji had said long time ago, that I will marry only after I make my career successfully."

Her Tai ji nodded but she continued, "I understand that you want me safe and there will be someone like Kabir who can take care of me. We can get to know each other and later get married whenever we want but, you will have to understand that he is not my type."

Her Tai ji widened her eyes giving her uncle a dramatic look. "He is old. He is not her type. He is uncle. He is her professor. What is her problem? Didn't she saw his face, his manners? I don't understand this generation. Sometimes, she would crush on those old Hollywood stars and now here, she is-"

"Who is crushing on Hollywood stars?"

Raghav entered with a smiling Pihu behind her. Her face was flushed when she greeted her in-laws and Sakshi. She went back to the kitchen to bring breakfast for Raghav while he sat on the chair to join his parents who had now started munching their breakfast quietly.

He raised his eyebrows at Sakshi who only flared her nostrils and lowered her eyes to continue eating. "There's a problem. I got it," he muttered while straightening up when Pihu returned with his plate and glass of juice.

"What's the problem? Are you guys-" his eyes narrowed at the Laptop screen in the middle on which the last night's photos were on slideshow and the current photos were of the Bhatia's family. Immediately, his mind worked and he knew that this was something related to his mother invading Sakshi's love life again.

"Mom," he looked at her. "Again?"

His mother's face paled and he knew that he had caught the true topic. His eyes moved to his father who sighed and shook his head.

"Nothing. Your mother just can't get over the beauty of this boy. There is no girl to connect him to us, except for Sakshi and you know what goes ahead in your mother's mind," he said while chuckling.

But for Raghav, this wasn't funny. He saw his mother frowning at his father for exposing the subject. This was a festival day and he didn't want to argue with them early in the morning. Pihu was highly religious and she believed in good and bad omens. She would surely get disturbed by him getting angry on them again.

Back in the last month, he had a little argument with his mother when she had asked one of the their relatives to suggest them good offers for Sakshi. He couldn't get over the fact for days that he had been yelling at his mother. Moreover, Pihu had gotten upset at him for that. But how could he control himself when his mother won't understand that Sakshi didn't want it right now.

She was a good student and one should only support a good student in achieving more rather than creating obstacles in his or her path. Unfortunately, his mother was not doing the same.

"Sakshi," he saw her looking at him. "What's the problem?"

Her face had fallen, completely different from the brightness she had last night. "Nothing, Bhai."

His blood boiled at her low voice and his eyes met Pihu's who was serving the tea to his father. She gulped and actioned towards Sakshi, signing that she wasn't fine.

Raghav nodded and looked back at his mother who was now very quiet. "Mom," he sighed. "I told you to not do it. Sakshi has her whole mind in her studies. Why don't you understand?"

His mother fisted the table hard, startling everyone. "I do. Okay. I do understand everything. But you young people don't. This is not about age or any compromise."

She glanced at Sakshi and back at her son. "I don't want her to get hurt by any other boy again. She is of fine age and she is mature enough to start taking interest in someone. I just don't want her to chose the wrong person again."

Sakshi's jaws clenched at hearing the word 'again'. Her eyes immediately went on Pihu who too seemed shock by her mother-in-law's behavior.

"First, you sent her so far away from home for studying. She has more years to complete her qualification, so I found a boy who would be there to take care of her. She will get to know him. He is good one, Raghav. He is responsible. His parents are well educated and have their morals high. They love Sakshi and won't mind us delaying the wedding for years."

She stared pleadingly at her son. "I don't have any desperation of getting her done with marriage and sending away to her in-laws. You know, she is my daughter. You just don't get it. I want her to be dependent on someone else. There will be no need of worrying over a groom later. She will have her engagement ring on. No other boy will bother her. He's a good match."

"Oh my God," Sakshi muttered while getting up from the chair. "Engagement?"

Her eyes filled up in extreme shock as images of that professor entered her mind. Pihu called out for her but she increased her pace, getting away from the dining hall towards her bedroom in order to avoid letting them observe her tears.

Raghav flared his nostrils and glared at his mother who palmed her forehead in stress. "This is very mean of you. She looks like, she is feeling apart from us already. Why are you making her feel that she is like a burden on us?"

His father showed him his palm. "Raghav, you are misunderstood. Your mother has no such intention."

She immediately nodded. "Don't you remember what I had told you about her grand parents? Her maternal uncle had talked to me in his daughter's marriage. He has some good offers for Sakshi. But honestly, none was of level we have dreamed for Sakshi."

Raghav kept listening to her quietly while she continued, "So, it's better to just find the guy ourselves. Sakshi will be comfortable in believing us rather than her mother's family with which she hasn't been that close to."

He wiped his face and gulped down his juice. "But mom, why is this so necessary now? Is this a race or something? It's her life. I am not liking this environment you are creating for her. She is here for barely three days. That's so damn cruel of you."

He got up angrily while his father called for him. "Raghav, listen to her once. We are not forcing her. Your mother is just proposing the idea to give Kabir a chance. Sakshi might really end up liking him."

Raghav shook his head.

"Dad, if she is not ready to date anyone then why even thinking about it? She is our princess. We can get many for her. We don't have to rush it for her. So stop all this nonsense." He said while catching the stairs towards his bedroom.

His father sighed heavily and walked away, leaving his mother alone in the dining hall only to stare at the half-eaten breakfast plates of both her kids.

________

Shrey stopped entering the drawing room just as he heard Rishabh's voice. His jaws clenched and lips twitched immediately. What the hell Mr. Selfish was doing early in the morning at his home?

He turned around and was about to walk away when his mother called out for him.

"Shrey."

His fists tightened at just realizing that he must be here to discuss the case. He shook his head in defeat and turned around to walk towards them.

"Yeah," he stood there, watching his mother quietly.

She only looked awkwardly at him and glanced back at Rishabh who had now leaned ahead on the couch, putting his elbows on his knees.

"Hey," his cousin muttered while his fists tightened.

"Rishabh is here to discuss something about the case," his mother gulped while smiling nervously. "Why don't you sit with him while I prepare some snacks for you both?"

She got up without even waiting for his response and left the room. He stood watching her retreating while feeling dejected. "Great," he muttered under his breath while sitting on the couch opposite to Rishabh.

"I. . ." Rishabh cleared his throat while opening the file on the table. He looked at him. "All the proofs are against you." He bit his tongue immediately, slapping himself mentally at such great beginning to a conversation and ruining someone's morning, that even of his suicidal cousin.

"I mean, this is serious-"

Shrey laughed out loud, making him clench his jaws. "Tell me something new."

Rishabh frowned while staring at him. He breathed slowly, trying to lower his anger for the sake of his cousin's health.

"But there are more details that I have to check to get new clues. Clues that show, you weren't really interested in her. But she was interested in you. Like you had said before."

Shrey's heart dropped at the idea. He didn't want to go through that phase again. He had done this before, actively and with full focus to save his career, his life and prestige. But not again, when he had lost all his hopes in getting away from this case without any punishment.

"We have already done everything. There is nothing left to check about her or me. My views won't change from before. What I had told the lawyer is dead true." He spoke firmly while Rishabh tried to reason.

"Listen, I know. I know that. But the court doesn't. We will have to create the ideas that she must be interested in you from the beginning. There must be photos or anything."

Shrey leaned back and sighed. "Phone, laptop, my profiles, accounts. What else do you need to check, brother? I am done with it. If there is no proof favoring my innocence, then don't bother-"

"Shut up." Rishabh glared at him. "Let me complete, first. I am thinking about some sting operation or anything. I can send a couple who would help us catch them saying the truth within the conversation."

Shrey rolled his eyes. "I know what a sting operation is. But that's stupid. Those monsters are clever. They ruined my life. If you get caught, yours will be too. They won't just share stuff about their deeds to some strangers knowing that media can be after them."

Rishabh's eyes glistened in helplessness at witnessing Shrey's careless attitude. He wiped his face in annoyance making Shrey look away.

"Then, I must prepare for the bail." He muttered under his breath, breaking his own heart.

What was the use of having so much money? What was the use of having contacts when it wasn't coming advantageous to them in such circumstances? Rishabh was disappointed at himself.

Just one clue. Just one.

He knew that Shrey was just acting in deepest sorrows. Inside, he was still his little brother, afraid of punishment, prison and police. Suddenly, his phone rang, stealing all of his attention. Thinking that it was the lawyer, he straightened up but relaxed when he saw Alisha's name on the screen.

"Hey," he muttered while Shrey breathed out heavily.

"Is it working?" She asked worriedly, regarding Shrey's health and the case.

"No," Rishabh wanted nothing but to bring the couple in front of Shrey and hit them with belts until they would die wailing in pain.

"So what will you do now?" Rishabh was clueless and afraid of the consequences. This would ruin everything. "You know how my father's mind would change immediately. Rishabh, I don't want us to get in trouble because of this case. I believe that Shrey is innocent but daddy won't. He will call off the engagement."

Rishabh's heart clenched immediately. Sharp pain jolted in his head as he got up and yelled, "Chachi, I am leaving. Will call you later." Continuing his conversation, he walked out of the house to get in the car. His own heart was shrinking slowly at hearing Alisha's cracked voice in uncertainty.

Shrey's mother rushed out from the kitchen and looked towards the door in shock. She looked back at her son who was staring far away in deep thought.

"He's gone?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Shrey got up. He scratched his head and yawned tiredly, thinking about taking a long shower.

"But did he tell you about the case? Is there any way out?"

Shrey let out a defeated chuckle, shaking his head at his mother's high hopes. He felt sorry for her and for himself. Yet he didn't want to lie.

"There is no way out, mom. No freaking way."

_____

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