"It all started when I returned India."

Sakshi watched keenly as he described slowly, "I had only gotten my studies done from USA and came here to get my hands on family business. Dad wanted me to assist the managers, and then become one so later, I could become the Chief Adminstrative Officer of our company. This was the plan."

"It was my first day and everything went great. All the colleagues were humble that I made friends out of them too soon. Rishabh divided groups for the upcoming projects we had to deliver for the investments plans last year. Five or three in one group."

Sakshi gulped when Shrey lowered his eyes. "That's when I got to know this girl, Myra."

Her jaws clenched as she tried hard not to give any reaction while he continued, "Two-three months, we all worked and in between we became friends. Not that I was interested in her."

Sakshi wanted to scoff but was startled when he squeezed her hand, looking in her eyes. Frustration was clear on his head. "She is really not my type, Sakshi. She never was. When you'll see her, you'll know. It was just a friendly behavior from me, nothing else."

Was I not your type? She kept thinking but focused on when Shrey sighed heavily, "Besides, she was married. She didn't tell me about it until two days after our first meet, her husband bumped into me."

Sakshi nodded and leaned on the table, noticing that woman had not told him herself.

"She was only walking with me and then, she introduced me to him. Coincidentally, he was assigned in the same projects. After them being completed, we were all set out to do regular supervising works and everything. Our cabins were close, in breaks we talked and joked around. We had fun."

Sakshi watched with a sad smile how he was cringing at even talking about them. "But it was all fake. It was me, the stupid one. The fool. We went to clubs, we went to tours together. I had forgotten that I was not a regular employee, I was the future CAO. They were a bad company which I didn't realize sooner."

His voice turned deep as he further narrated, "I got this bad habit of smoking and drinking, going to their apartment, driving late at night. They had spoiled me within months."

By this time, Sakshi had her eyes narrowed at him as she was thinking hard about where things went wrong. "We three became so close that I felt lonely without them. My day wouldn't pass until we all grab some beers and do stupid things in clubs. I had turned disappointing to Rishabh as he had started noticing."

"He warned me not to be such a brat. I was ignoring my mother's tears. She was worried about my new addictions. She had often caught me stumbling over on sofa, drunk and passed out. I was going so well towards this dark hole," he muttered through gritted teeth.

"Didn't he ever deny his wife to not be involved between you boys?" Sakshi interrupted, "Do you remember, Nakul Bhai?" Shrey was only trying to recall when she reminded him, "My brother's best friend."

He nodded quietly. Sakshi patted the table and explained, "He married the girl who is my brother's secretary. Do you get the mix here? Even before they were married, Nakul Bhai never invited Meera Bhabhi to come and have a drink with them or anything."

She shook her head in amazement and described, "Because anyhow, whether or not my brother was crazy for Pihu, Nakul was careful with Meera. He never allowed her to be informal with their boss, means my brother."

Shrey felt his face warming up in shame while she further explained, "Even now, Meera gets a bit teasing to my brother but she doesn't forgets that she has her husband as his best friend. Even a little misunderstanding can cause a knot easily in their unbreakable bond. They are best friends from childhood but Nakul is still that possessive. He never brings Meera with him if Pihu or I are not there for her company."

Shrey looked at her with glistening eyes, making her gasp. She squeezed his hand, "Hey! If you don't want to talk-"

"I do," he gulped. "I just cannot digest how stupid I was." His face had turned all red.

Sakshi wanted to punch him for his stupidity. Too bad, he looked so handsome sitting there. Yet it was so depressing to see him all upset.

"What happened then?"

He looked in her eyes, smiling sadly. "The worst." Looking at the table, he remembered, "Actually, I was shown the signs. But I never was sober enough to notice them."

"Rishabh organised this party at home, and everyone was invited. The couple came there and by one glance, my mother had recognized the wrong in her. That night, she had warned me that I was a bachelor and shouldn't be too involved with the girl. She was too comfortable with me and didn't hide it in the party too."

Sakshi zig-zagged her jaw, feeling an itchy sensation crawling her chest. She looked up at him, observing his thick lashes. She noticed how his cheeks would remain pinkish all the time. Even that day in the parking lot. Earlier in the Chandigarh, he had wheat-ish complexion. Maybe, he had gotten it from living abroad where there was not much heat as in here.

"Actually, it wasn't the real thing that troubled me. It was just an excuse from their side." Sakshi furrowed her eyebrows.

Shrey sucked in a huge breathe and looked at her. "Eight months ago, Vikas Kaushik, my new best friend asked me to lend him one crore."

Sakshi straightened and widened her eyes. "What?"

He gulped, looking in her eyes. "He told me that his ancestral home was close to being snatched by his uncle or whatever, I don't remember. And that his father-in-law needed money for his knee operation. I didn't give a thought to what the reason was. Like the fool I was, I passionately felt the pain for my best friend and gave him the word. I was actually drunk."

Sakshi gasped and leaned back on the chair in shock, covering her mouth. "Gosh! That's a big amount to lend someone as new as them. You just knew them for months, Shrey."

Shrey shrugged his shoulders, not looking in her eyes. "Like I said, the fool I was. The internships I did abroad, the jobs, the money my father and brother used to send there, I had saved it all. I have a good bank balance, Sakshi. I didn't care and I transferred the amount the next day."

Sakshi pressed her lips tight, now staring at her blankly.

"His wife was bawling her eyes out at me, begging me not to help if I couldn't. But they tried hard to provoke me and I was trapped. I lent the money without my family knowing."

Idiot! She thought, biting her lip while trying hard not to clench her jaws and show her anger at his stupidity. She blinked and breathed when he kept staring at her.

"You know, you can comment if you want to." He passed her an awkward smile.

She shook her head quietly. He had gotten the sign. So he continued, "If Rishabh had known it at that time, it all would could have been avoided. The case and everything."

Clearing his throat, he told her, "Two months passed and I started getting nervous. Because I had noticed their pics on social media of his sister's wedding and he had gifted her a luxury car. I was kinda suspicious now."

Sakshi stared at him eagerly. "Then?"

He let out a humorless chuckle, "I kept being stupid. I gave him a very very polite reminder, still maintain the friendship we had. He did nothing but laughed and told me not to worry about it. He will sent me all the money back just as his father-in-law will return from abroad or something. He was making many excuses week by week."

Shrey shook his head. "I was dead."

Sakshi raised her eyebrows, observing him. He looked up at her, all serious. "I was so scared now. My money was close to being lost. But I still was very polite. Four months passed and he paid me some amount. It was not even ten percent, Sakshi."

She covered her mouth, now looking at him like she really wanted to hug him. He was close to lose himself. But he was controlling hard.

"One day, we were all having dinner and Rishabh told me that he needed money to make a deal with this new startup. Along with what, he had decided to get engaged. Alisha is an NRI. She is high class and he wanted to offer all diamond and platinum, all the high-class engagement. He said, he would spent on the wedding himself that he was saving money for it. Right then, he needed our help for both the deal and his engagement."

Sakshi watched quietly when he started laughing like a maniac. "I remembered muttering out loud, 'Fuck me'. I was so damn scared. He had only said, 'from you guys.' My Dad could just lend him some of his and he won't even ask me. But still, so much money of mine was in water."

"From that day, I got a bit strict about it. I confronted them and did it every third day whether I get to meet Myra or Vikas. We stopped hanging out, even looking at each other in the office. I started giving them the cold shoulder."

Sakshi whispered, "You should have informed your family that moment."

He close his eyes. "I know, but I thought that I could handle it. If I just scare them a bit, they would return my money. This one day, I threatened them of their jobs and even said that I would insult them all around for using me all this time."

Sakshi lowered her eyes.

He gritted his teeth and his nostrils flared. "Even if I look back today, I can only see myself paying bills in thousands for their beers, taking meals and costly passes to them. Even for small occasions I had lent him money in thousands before, which he had returned. But this was about a crore. As a bachelor, it was a big amount. I could buy a bungalow out of it or get an amazing vacation tour abroad."

"A poor family might just get the treasure of their life in such money," she told him with a sorry face.

Shrey stared at her, understanding his mistakes. "I only blame myself. But I didn't know they would get this low, Sakshi. At that time, I valued the money I had lost so stupidly."

Sakshi lowered her eyes, feeling pitiful for him.

Shrey had his eyes filled with tears when he remembered, "Two months passed and he didn't return the money. You know what, he never even spoke that he will return my money after that. He would just tell me to have patience."

Sakshi felt like digging a hole and hiding in it rather than watching him controlling his tears. God! She couldn't handle a sobbing Shrey. What would she do? She might start crying too. She didn't remember him to be this emotional. He was a strong guy. A bold one. He wouldn't be so teary that easily.

Now, she knew how much affected he was by the false blame.

"Rishabh, one day, personally asked me why I stopped hanging out with the friends I was so bonded with. He had assumed something was wrong and I was fucked."

Sakshi controlled the sad smile and heard him telling, "He told me that my uncle had a heart attack two years ago. I wasn't told because I had exams and I have a very strong bond with my uncle. I would have came running here leaving my exams and if not, would have failed in all of them. I love him."

"He said that he was worried for his Dad and he wanted to keep him happy by completing his family, bringing a daughter-in-law and working hard for the company." Shrey bit his lip while shaking his head. "I was so moved that day. I felt so irresponsible. I felt so jealous of Rishabh. I had been so immature and an idiot. I was so arrogant and careless."

He stared at her. "The karma got me hard."

Sakshi blinked, filling shivers down her spine at her words. Oh, no! She didn't want to remember what he did to her, moreover mentioning it over between them.

"How did the rape case happened?"

Shrey sighed, feeling now eveready to share his nightmare with her. "Rishabh's honest dedication had got me all serious. Next day, I fought with Vikas and threatened him to return my money or I will call the cops. If there had been someone else, he would have charged interest. Even if he had paid half the money and cried it over that he wasn't able to pay, I would have understand. I might have."

Sakshi gulped and leaned ahead in suspense, staring at him and observing slightly when he played with the watch on his wrist. It was his old habit. Her eyes raked over his check shirt and denims under the glass table. He looked muscular yet so weak with all the sufferings. His eyes were the most depressing, dark circles and the dullness.

So much pain was glinting that she felt she was abnormal for being so empathetic. Or maybe it was different when she was worried about only him.

"Two weeks passed with more threats and half of the office had gotten the idea. Employees discussed it over and the couple started feeling embarrassed. I was expecting them to just beg me that I must leave them as they were not able to pay. But that didn't happen. All these months, Myra kept silencing me that they would pay and Vikas too kept fooling me."

He swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat.

"Then, one day I get this call from him in the evening. 'Bro, I am done with half of the amount. Come and take it. And we miss all the fun we used to do. Let's just forget it and start it over. I will return half the amount slowly.' I was surprised but relieved. That fool in me woke up again by those words of friendship. I felt bad for yelling to them, insulting them. I felt so touched that he at least managed to get half the amount anyhow."

Sakshi now felt scared for what she about to listen and Shrey had observed her discomfort. But he had to explain her. He didn't know why it was important for him to maintain his innocence in front of her. He couldn't let her think like others how low he was, which wasn't true.

"He said that he had some in cash, rest he will get transferred. For now, we could have some drinks like old times." He stared at her and gulped. "I was stupid enough to believe his words and I drove out of home to the apartment their flat was in."

Sakshi pressed her lips tight while he stared at his watch, absentmindedly playing with the silver belt. "They drank with me for two hours, behaved like old times. Fooled me for two hours. Talking and making stories so I could get so trust in them. Things were getting better, I had thought. I was so relieved."

"But then, the scene started happening. They had mixed something in my drink."

Sakshi looked at him in horror. "God. What did you say?" Her mouth was wide-open.

He chuckled at her reaction sadly. "Then, they tied me to a chair. The woman tore her clothes from places, rubbed her lipstick, all the shit she could do to prove what didn't happen but was supposed to."

"Oh my God," she stared at him worriedly.

He observed her fully, taking in the anger she had in her eyes along with the frustration. The same as he had seen in her family member's eyes who cared for him.

"The best friend of mine, Vikas beat the shit out of me. It was so much painful, that the whole intoxication was gone. I was so awake with the pain and continuous beating. My own screams. They taped my mouth and tortured me until I nodded that I won't ask for any money."

A tear fell out of her eye as she immediately turned her head to the right, wiping it immediately behind the curtains of her dark hair. But Shrey had noticed and didn't say anything.

His jaw ticked as he remembered all the torture he had gone through. His eyes were close to shed out as many tears as he wanted. But he won't get anything from it, nor the belief that those monsters would be punished. He only would seem as the loser he was while gulping those sleeping pills.

He breathing hard when he saw her flaring her nostrils quietly while looking at him. Their eyes met but he looked down at the table to continue, "They had made quite a plan. Removing all the proofs that there was a party going on between three friends. Instead the rooms had turned as if I entered the flat and attacked his wife. Later, a guy entered the house and was wearing same shirt as of Vikas."

Sakshi's lips parted in shock.

"Then, the main scene began. I didn't even know they had more in mind. Both the men hit me until I was close to passing out and couldn't speak anything. The woman started yelling for help and went crying out calling for neighbors, collecting them."

He chuckled while wiping his face with both of his hands, looking at the floor. "Then, then a family with two teens and parents entered with an old man too. Then entered more as she kept yelling that I tried to rape her and would have done it if her husband and brother hadn't entered on time. Some stood watching and some started hitting me more."

Sakshi covered her mouth with her hands, lowering her head so he won't see her tears. She breathed hard and tried to control herself.

"The last I know, I woke up in the police station and had caught Rishabh all shock and pale from Myra's accusations on me."

A tear slid down her nose as she wiped it slowly. Shrey felt bad for ruining her evening. He didn't like wasting her time and gaining sympathy. He wanted to tell her that but at the same time, appreciated her concern and that big but weak heart of hers.

"I had said that it would be a meeting without tears," he joked. When she didn't look up for a minute, he was nervous.

He leaned ahead and whispered, "Sakshi. . ."

She didn't look and kept wiping her tears, taking her time to not show her weaker self. "Please don't cry for me," he told her.

"Shall I order something for you? Ice cream or pastry?"

She squeezed her eyes, feeling stupid for even coming here and signing up for this trouble. She shouldn't have even get involved with him in the first place. He was weakening her with all those words, making her feel that same old love again. And she couldn't do anything to stop herself from feeling those emotions again.

Her heart was already beating faster because he was silent now, and even trying to get her calm by sweet talking. She even felt embarrassed at crying for him who was not her relative, not her boyfriend, not anything. But a jerk who had played her when she was experiencing her first love with him.

How stupid she must be looking? He might be thinking that she was just a cry baby or still mad in love with him?

"I know that you are angry. You end up crying hard." He spoke, remembering their moments together. "It's not that bad now. Because of you, I am able to get ready for the court's sessions. My lawyer is working hard."

She breathed and finally looked up at him, her nose all red that he wanted to smile but avoided doing it. He passed her the glass of water that he had actioned for to the waitress passing through. She drank it and exhaled slowly.

"I just hate it when people get so heartless for their mean motive. Especially, whom you trust so much. Whom we love so much." Her voice cracked.

Shrey stared at her, feeling like she had ripped out his heart. It felt like she was talking from personal experience. The experience he had given her so well. He felt ashamed.

Truly, the world is round.

He got what he had done to her.

Lies. Fraud. Cheat. Pain.

He was highly grateful that the same girl was here to listen to his sorrows and feel for them more than she should, just like she used to do before. He missed her pampering him. He missed all of her love.