This day was different.

A bad kind of different. It felt as if the bond between the blood relations didn't matter anymore. What mattered was the trend that people followed.

Trend of fighting for your love.

Pihu couldn't make a single move after hearing those piercing words from Sakshi. Never had she thought, the bubbly, pretty girl could disrespect her brother who could bring stars and moon for her.

She sighed, concluding that this wasn't easy.

To be in the middle and pass the message like an owl. So caring ones from one side and so harsh from another. It wasn't fair and Pihu was tired. Her wings ached.

"What happened?" Came the voice from the door just as it opened, followed by the sound of his footsteps. Her eyes didn't move as she wanted to avoid making her already tired husband, more tired of family drama.

"Hey?" The voice now sounded so close, closer to her ear. The velvety soothing sound, the fresh scent of him brought an overwhelming feeling in her chest. Pihu tried hard not to cry. "What's wrong?"

She couldn't speak. What could she even say to him? That his sister was out there meeting a man who had broke her heart years ago, whom she couldn't get over, who could be a rapist. What could she even explain? That she didn't care about the reputation of her family and the heart of her loving brother.

How much it would hurt Raghav? Pihu knew the answer very well. He would be disappointed. He would be broken. He had so many expectations from her.

No matter how worse the circumstances had started to turn out—she couldn't break this beautiful bond between the brother and sister.

"Did something happen at school?" Came his worried voice. So lovingly that she had started to melt. "Tell me," he whispered, staring at her. "Pihu?"

She closed her eyes and breathed hard. Opening them back, she smiled softly at him yet it turned out as sad as she truly was.

Raghav could read her face very well, she knew.

"You are scaring me," he told her.

She let out a soft chuckle, holding his hand and squeezing it. "Nothing much. Just stressed out from all the function and managing rehearsals." Looking at his face, knowing her excuse wasn't working, she tried to make a direction. "And I missed you."

Raghav breathed out, observing her keenly. "What is so stressing today? You have been managing the preparations these past weeks. What changed today? You don't look fine to me, showing me those sad eyes." He checked her forehead from the back of his hand. "Or is it about your health?"

She kept quiet, observing his face. So much had changed over years. The bad boy who had managed to terrify her, kidnap and then marry her —was now a loving, caring and successful family man. He had covered all his sins by showing up the bright side of his heart.

Even in her dreams she hadn't thought, she would get someone like him as her husband. With whom she would spend rest of her life together.

"You are so precious," she couldn't control saying out loud. "So precious to me, Raghav."

A small smile stretched his lips as he pulled her in his arms. She rested her head on his chest, letting out a deep breathe. Closing her eyes, she murmured, "I cannot see a glint of sadness in your eyes. I don't know what I would do to bring a little smile on your face. You are so precious to me."

He narrowed his eyes in confusion, glancing down at her. Looking at her closed eyes, he kept wondering what had made her say those words to him.

"You were bad back then, not evil. You could be bad when you have a rich Dad and no one to scold you for doing wrong. It wasn't your fault-"

"Okay," he laughed mildly. Holding her wrists, he pushed back her bangles. Looking in her eyes, he mused, "What is going on in your head?"

She shook her head, still not able to forget the words Sakshi said.

"I just want you to know that you have never been so bad, Raghav. It was me who never recognized your love earlier. All you wanted to do was make me feel loved and keep us together. If I had understood you earlier than the time I did, some bad moments could have been avoided."

Raghav was absolutely confused as he guessed who could have said something offending to her that she had started to say such things to lighten his heart.

"Pihu," he called out softly. "Relax. No one is calling me bad."

He smiled and told her, "I know you love me endlessly but calling my wrong deeds the right is not good." He looked in her eyes and remembered how terrified she used to be when he would be the bad boy he was so proud of being.

"I am not proud of my past, Pihu." He said, making her eyes stunned. "I have told you before, I regret being a spoilt, stubborn and arrogant jerk. I have done wrong deeds those times."

"I was bad," he told her. "I forced you into a relationship you were never comfortable in. You feared me. I took advantage of your innocence. I kidnapped you. An innocent, alone girl with the help of my four friends."

"Nakul is very ashamed of it even today. He had confessed it to you so many times," he reminded her. She nodded, earning a nod from him. "This isn't what I would ever want my son to do. My father was ashamed of me. My mother cried for me. You, you suffered all that torture when for any student, it was time to focus hard on studies."

"Yes, I was bad. But I am not that Raghav anymore. I do not get into fightings, I do not blew my father's money for thrill. This is not what any father would dream of his son to be," he explained. "We have come along so far and it's you, my support system."

"I tried to do good and you appreciated it. What could a person need more than that? A little encouragement. Your love was what kept me going. Here, I am in front of your with heart stubborn, yet clean. I have dreams of bringing up our kids to big. I don't want them to repeat my mistakes. Not any other child," he told her.

"I would never be ashamed of what I have become being by your side. I won't let our past come into our present and destroy our future, Pihu." He stared in her eyes. "Everything happens for a reason. If those bad moments happened, they taught us lessons."

"They set example for others," he mentioned, making her heart drop.

She shook her head, looking worriedly at him. "What if someone take them in a wrong way?"

His eyebrows furrowed. "Who's taking them in a wrong way." His face turned blank.

Pihu gulped slightly, shaking her head. "No one." She rubbed her forehead, taking a long breathe. "I am just having so many thoughts."

Raghav stood up and started removing his coat, followed by his tie. Putting his watch aside on the drawer, he kept glancing at her. "Why today? Why all of a sudden?"

Pihu got up from the bed and walked towards him. She roamed her hands on his chest, slowly opening the buttons. "I don't know. Maybe, that was all kind of a 'first-love madness'. People who don't believe in second chances and other things, they won't just fight the circumstances to be with the one they love."

Raghav smirked in humour, shaking his head in amazement. "What's up with you?" He chuckled. "Why making theories about first love and everything?"

Pihu slapped his chest gently and gave him a shy look. "Just thinking."

He laughed, pulled her close by holding her waist. "This can't be random, I know. Did you watch some romantic movies?"

She rolled her eyes and poked his chest again. He chuckled and nodded. "Okay," he said. "I don't think it's about first love or second chances. It's just about the person you want to be with. Okay? Whether he has not even met you once, but when you both meet—you can't stop thinking about them. You start to learn about them, more and more."

"It can be someone whom you know very well too. He might have broken your heart," he gave her a cheeky smile. "He might have made you cry so many times. But our heart is stubborn. There's this thrill that it gets by matching with the heart of that person. It is the person, Pihu."

She stared at him, feeling stunned. "Oh!" She lowered her eyes thinking hard how this must be the situation with Sakshi. It wasn't about Shrey being her first love. Maybe, it had always been about him.

Just him for her.

"Some people stay back and wait for their love to return," he explained. "I couldn't wait. I am not the one to wait. I came for you and made you mine."

A scarlet shade had started to taint her cheeks. Pihu blushed and controlled her smile that formed by seeing her knowing looks. She crossed her arms and asked, "What if all the circumstances are against? What if you aren't meant to be with the person?"

Raghav groaned lowly. "I am no love scholar, Pihu. But I know If I wanted you, I could fight any obstacle in my way. We can do things like that for the people we live for," he asked, tapping her chin and walking to the cupboard to take his clothes out. "Things like doing something you haven't done before."

"Love is crazy," she spoke, lost in his eyes, amazed by his words.

Raghav chuckled while closing the door of the cupboard, thinking about his own version of those years ago.

"Or maybe the lover."

________

"What are you thinking?"

He kept quiet, unable to answer the questions he had so many answers to. What wasn't he thinking at this time when she came here taking out her time, just for him.

For someone like him.

Blinking slowly, he couldn't take his eyes off hers. Looking in there, he could see the hidden sorrows caused by him few years ago. Oh, she was naive! So naive. She was innocent. So innocent. She was anything but an arrogant, spoiled brat that he used to call her. She was selfless.

She always had been.

He gulped.

"Shrey?" He watched her fingers clicking in front of his face. Blinking slowly, he looked away. His eyes lowered as he wiped them slowly. He could hear her long breathe. "Shrey? Are you okay?"

"No," he said it out loud. "No," he couldn't stop whispering. "I am not okay. This is not okay."

A hand came upon his shoulder. He sighed. "Shrey?" Her voice sounded nervous than ever.

She was scared for him.

He finally managed to look back at her, giving her a look that had explained it all to her. "Why would you come here to help me? I broke your heart years ago. Didn't I?"

He could see her gasping silently.

"I hurt you. Didn't I? I don't deserve your support, Sakshi." Gritting his teeth, he shook his head. "I don't deserve your presence. Your existence in my life. I. . . I had hurt you."

She was quiet. It was bothering him.

Shrey couldn't even read what she was thinking. She had a blank look on. He knew he had startled her by saying those words. By reminding her of the tragedy that had happened. That they were ignoring discussing about.

"You know, it's not okay." His eyes filled up. "I gave you one call and you're here. Don't you know what people you love can do to you? Of all people you know, Sakshi. You know very well."

He saw her blinking slowly in shock. He smiled sadly. "I was so wrong. I judged you. Thought that your parents are rich. Your brother was a jerk. You guys needed a remand. For Rishabh, I did it."

He pointed at his heart. "I felt like I was hurting you. I did feel it. I did feel ashamed. But I ignored that sane feeling and supported Rishabh. Didn't care about you." His lips trembled.

"You shouldn't care, Sakshi." He spoke. "You shouldn't."

He could feel his heart beating so fast. His legs had started to shaken, his eyes pained so much. They were burning. His throat had tightened and chest was shrinking. He didn't know what was happening but he knew that it was suffocating.

Her pure soul, her very presence was filling him with so much guilt. He couldn't survive anymore.

"I. . ." He rubbed his thigh slowly, ignoring her. "I am sorry," he poured out his heart, staring ahead.

"You were bullied. You were broken. There was no one to understand you except for me. The person who caused the whole pain. The chaos, I know you suffered them all. I am ashamed for every bit of it," his voice cracked. "I hate Rishabh for ever proposing those ideas to me. I hate myself for having the courage to do something like that to you, Sakshi."

"I am sorry," his voice broke. "I am sorry."

Moments passed.

Thick silence hung around for the time, they collected themselves.

Shrey had scattered everything in a blink. Sakshi needed the moment to stable her mind. Her heart.

"You called me here, so you can apologize to me."

"No," he said honestly.

She looked back at him, stunned and confused.

"I am scared, Sakshi. Scared for tomorrow. What it can bring to me? Days in prison or maybe hell," he scoffed. "I needed to pour my heart out. Wanted to meet the person who would care about me. . . If I am gone."

A gasp escaped her mouth, he didn't look at her. "Looks like, there was more than just fear of losing my life. Fear of losing the chance to apologize to you. Fear of not seeing you again."

Something soft moved along his thigh and covered his hand. He looked at her, observing a tear sliding down her cheek.

"You've started to fear a lot of things," she said with a sad smile. "It's not healthy for a boy who used to be so fearless. What could be worse than being blamed for a crime you didn't do? What could be worse than committing suicide? What could be worse than being betrayed by your own friends?"

She squeezed his hand gently, blinking and letting more tears to slide. "My Tau ji says, if it's not our fault, it's not our turn to be scared," she smiled at him. "You don't have to be scared, Shrey."

He swallowed the lump hard, feeling how shaky his throat was. "I am scared, I won't get to see you again. I am scared, I won't be able to prove you that I am sorry for everything I did to you. I want to prove that I care about making myself better in your eyes," his voice shook.

She sniffled immediately, looking away as a round of faint sobs crossed her. It had darkened and only corner lights in the park were on. There weren't many people and those present weren't giving much attention to them.

Even then, Sakshi couldn't cry out heartily. She had to be strong for the person who needed her.

Wiping her cheeks, she looked up at him. "I had forgiven you the night, you risked your life to save mine," she told him honestly. "That was the last image of yours saved in my heart, in my eyes. Brave and caring. You cared for me or maybe not. Maybe, you were kind to do that."

"I don't have any grudge for you in my heart, Shrey. I never wished for you to suffer this," she sobbed faintly. "I believe you. You won't go to jail. You will come back home, free of all the accusations."

Shrey was highly stunned by her words. Could she be pretending, he thought? It was hard to believe that she didn't hate him for what he did. She might have hated him but this moment, he knew she pitied him. She cared for him, she didn't want to see him like this.

"It only hurts me more, as much as these circumstances are hurting you," she told him honestly, blinking another tear. "Just have faith in your righteousness. Things will be fine. You don't need to be afraid."

Shrey gulped, staring at her with emotions swirling in his eyes. Leaning ahead, he slowly wrapped his arms around hers, breathing in when she too wrapped hers around his torso.

He was shaking from emotions but she was strong. Only he knew in that moment, how much he needed her to make himself feel safe.

"Just know that you aren't alone. Your family is there with you. I am here with you. We all know that the justice will be served. They will be punished. Do not be scared. Do not freeze. You just have to pass the day," she murmured on his chest.

"Mom's scared," he told her.

Sakshi closed her eyes. "She has to be. You are her only child."

"I don't want to face the court," his voice started cracking again. "I don't want to go in there, see their faces."

She felt her own tears leaking. "You will have to show them your face before they suffer the punishment."

He chuckled sadly, feeling encouraged by her words. But all of a sudden, a thought came in his mind. He felt his heart dropping.

"What if I lose the case? I won't be able to suffer the shame. I will kill myself, again." He spoke, breathing hard.

She pulled away slowly, staring at him in shock. "You are not going to lose. Do you understand? How easy it is for you to say that? Killing yourself," she said angrily, blocking a sob.

Shrey kept quiet, watching her in a daze.

"You don't know what will happen to your loved ones if you go?" Her lips curled as her eyes filled with immense pain. "Haven't you seen enough? Your own mother? Your father? Your uncle who is on bed because of you? Do you want it to get worse?"

He shook his head, making her breathe hard.

"What be could be the best thing that can happen at this moment?" She asked slowly.

He kept looking at her as she told him. "For you to leave everything behind and think positive. You being confident and hopeful is the best thing that should happen."

He bit his lip, controlling them from trembling. His eyes burned from emotions and jaw ached from clenching so much.

"Tomorrow is the last day before the case. I know you can't meet me. You will be under the protection. Just go through all the events that happened and sort yourself. Believe in your lawyer, believe in your truth. You will have to win the case. There's so much to come in life, Shrey."

He closed his eyes when she wiped the corner of his eye, sprinkling away a drop. She bit her lip, observing him from so close. His face had turned red from being so emotional. Those thick lashes were wet. Those lips were rough from the lack of care.

She wished to taste them, share the life. Share a little liveliness.

She gulped when he opened his eyes and caught her staring at his lips. He blinked slowly, squeezing her hand.

"True. There's so much to come in my life," he said. "You."

A wave of strong flutter crossed her heart. She looked up in his eyes. He glanced at her lips, back in those dark eyes.

"The day I win the case will be the day Life gives me another chance. To be with you. To win you," he confessed heartily, watching her eyes getting stunned. "Will you wait for me?"

She pressed her lips tight, flaring her nostrils when she saw a longing in his eyes. Her vision blurred as she nodded immediately.

"Yes."

______

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