Through the window of her room, wind was interfering with her silence, speaking secrets in her ears. The smell of coffee competed with the smell of soil in her pots that were bathing under the pour in their gallery.

Sakshi turned around to look around her room. She had cleaned her bookshelf, changed her bedsheet and packed her suitcase already. She wanted this similar looking room to have a new face. Because it reminded her of all the new memories she had formed with Shrey.

It wasn't a long relationship but they knew each other from years ago. Months felt like lifetimes and she knew him more better. It was harder this time to distract herself from thoughts about him.

She wasn't trying to forget him, she kept telling herself. She was just being practical. Just like Rishabh Malhotra had taught her that day. She was enemy in his eyes but he did give her enough wisdom.

Having a future with Shrey was not just tough but impossible. Their brothers were rivals, their families wouldn't get along because of it. True it was, that first love was so hard to become last.

Her phone rang again, must be thirteenth call. She didn't pick up after looking at the cutest selfie of his on her phone screen. It hurt her to ignore him but it was for good of both of them. It wasn't like he would trust her again after getting that truth about Kabir being her fiance.

"When are you leaving?"

She turned around, catching Aditi looking at her tiredly. "Day after tomorrow. I was booking tickets for tomorrow but Bhabhi has already messaged me telling about her brother and family leaving for Chandigarh. I'll get along."

Aditi smiled. "It's good. They are family and it is convenient to have company."

Sakshi nodded when Aditi chuckled lightly. "I was thinking if we could celebrate Christmas together. Even New Year. You're going, Aarush is going. I'll be alone," she said, quietly.

Sakshi frowned immediately. "Come along with me," she smiled.

Aditi chuckled, waving off. "That trip is booked for your wedding. I'll be fine. My school friends will be in Delhi. I'll call them and have fun."

"Why aren't you going home?" Sakshi asked lightly.

"Dad and mom are helping my uncle build their home back at town. It's a long journey. I will be better off here than there with my judgemental cousins."

Sakshi pouted. "Why don't you ask Aarush to stay? He'll stay for sure, I know. He will do anything for you."

Aditi rolled her eyes. "Right. He is there at his flat, calculating the possible marks he would be scoring in this semester and already applying for internships."

Sakshi chuckled. "I'll tell him to stay for you. He will," she said, confidently.

Aditi shrugged her shoulders and sighed. "I am tired and now watching some series. Do you wanna join?"

Sakshi shook her head. "I'll sleep after reading the novel I left in the middle before exams."

"Sure," said Aditi, giving her a smile. "The Coffee was good."

Sakshi smiled, nearly blushed since Aditi would never give her a serious praise. But her face dulled when she asked, "Are you going pick his calls or not?"

This was the question, she had been asking herself all the time. She didn't know. Why was he even calling when he had left all hurt and betrayed like that? He hated her already. She couldn't think of a patch up. Even if he was calling to lighten things, Sakshi couldn't get Rishabh's words out of her mind.

She accepted that she was brainwashed by him. But he was right and was only saying that because he cared for Shrey as much she did.

"No," she said, gulping while feeling her eyes turning glossy.

Aditi sighed heavily, not reacting much. It had been a long day with exams getting over and them completing pending tasks.

"Good night."

"Good night." Sakshi smiled, turning around when she left and shut the door after her.

How can the nights be good without listening to his soothing voice?

________

Aarush kept staring at the laptop, thinking hard. Pihu had suggested him to collect proofs against that professor and here, right under his nose, someone else was having proof to ruin his own reputation.

His mind was burning while remembering properly. He hadn't used that ID much but something was signing him. The ID reached this guy because of his own carelessness only.

He looked at the screen and observed the pics that Ronnie had sent him. The girl was removing her top and had lace undies. He swallowed, feeling his heart throbbing in fear if this was any of Aditi or Sakshi. For all he could remember, both did shopping together. They had twinned many times. They could surely have same underwears.

He cringed at imagining Sakshi in her undies. "God!"

He scratched his forehead, leaning on the bed rest. Why was he thinking that it could be Sakshi or Aditi? Because both had raven hair. Because both had figures like that.

He hadn't seen the girls in his batch with such hawk eyes that he could recognize the girl in the picture. But he could guess on his instincts. The worst clue of all was the door of Aditi's room.

The posters of bands at the back were same in Aditi's room. His heart was dropping by each minute thinking if some stalker was after Aditi too.

For a moment, his mind would form these images of Aditi sexting with some other guy. He knew, Aditi was outgoing and flirtatious when it came to parties and handsome strangers.

He would lose his mind if this was. . .

He closed his eyes, shaking his head. "Damn! No!" He gritted his teeth, bringing out his phone.

He had so many pics of night outs and at their flat when Aditi had worn many backless tops. He could easily find out if this was her or not.

Checking the photos, zooming in and out, he sighed heavily.

His eyes squinted all of a sudden and widened them immediately.

"A mole." He gulped. "Aditi doesn't have a mole on her back," he whispered to himself.

Did that mean it was Sakshi?

He gulped, breathing hard. He rubbed his forehead and looked at the time in his phone.

It was quarter past twelve.

He gritted his teeth and finally called Ronnie after not thinking much. The bell rang for longer when he thought, he would have to give another call, Ronnie received.

"Man! Don't you sleep at night or jerking off with those pics."

Aarush swallowed. "Listen, how do you know its the girl you think she is."

A silence followed by a mild cough. Ronnie's voice was thick and sleepy. But now, it sounded awake when he said, "I just know. I have seen the curves and I can recognize."

Aarush gasped silently. Ronnie had eyes on Sakshi during last year which gives him another hint that he could truly be guessing Sakshi too.

"But still-"

"Boy, listen. I have read the mails. They are all about online shopping ads but none of deliveries. Okay? The man's clever enough to confuse us. What else? The pics. Yes, it is the girl I think it is. I won't tell you who she is. But since it's your ID, I can guess she is connected with you. Or why would this man will try to frame you in victimizing her?"

"Right," Aarush sighed, feeling his heart curling up. "You have the ID. So that means, this man would be worried about these photos."

"If he remembers that he didn't delete the mail, yes. It was his bad luck, I found the username while shutting down the computers. I logged and it did."

Aarush disagreed. "No, it looks to me that someone did it on purpose. So teachers could get it. This guy wanted to frame me and humiliate Sakshi-"

Oh God!

"Sakshi?" Came his curious voice, Aarush bumped his head in air, imagining hurting himself for the slip of the tongue. "You think so too?"

Aarush was getting a heart attack. "What do you mean? You think, it's Sakshi. I'll choke you in your sleep."

"Woah! Woah!" Ronnie chuckled darkly. "I don't think, I believe it is Sakshi. Because she has a mole on her back."

Aarush pretended to not believe him. "Dude, that's very cheeky. It happens in films, not rea-"

"Then, observe the piercings in the pics. Sakshi has two piercings on each ear, but on one each she has an extra piercing. Right? Though, she doesn't wear anything in it."

Aarush's jaws dropped. How many Stalkers did Sakshi have? "How the hell do you know that?" He asked through clenched jaws, his blood boiling.

"Oh!"

The silence that followed irritated Aarush to the core. He waited as Ronnie let out a long breathe. "Man, I don't know if Aditi told you about it or not. But she was in my group in her first year. She had a school friend in my group and we helped her as her seniors."

Aarush knew this already but he didn't say anything. He wanted to know what else.

"I remembered, one of my friends had asked her about this girl she was becoming friends with. Sakshi. Aditi used to tell us about her in between talks and that's how I know about this. Her piercings. It's silly but that's how I know it."

Aarush breathed heavily. He needed sleep to think properly. Because right now, he couldn't work up his mind. His mind had stopped.

"Why did you take Sakshi's name?" asked Ronnie.

Aarush immediately replied, "No. I didn't."

Ronnie chuckled, understanding everything. "Man, you believe she is the girl in the picture. If that's the truth, then Sakshi is in grave danger. Because this person can take her nudes. I believe she only gets naked in her own home."

Aarush's lips parted.

"And if all of this doesn't make sense. I'll believe that you are the one taking her nudes, carelessly leaving your username logged in and now, making fool of me. I'll beat the shit out of you."

"I am not the one."

Ronnie snickered. "Then, find out who he is. Because either she is getting blackmailed any soon or someone is crazy jerking off seeing her pics. I won't deny, I did too when I got my belief that it was her."

"You moron. . ." Aarush had only started when Ronnie clicked his tongue.

"Night, boy. I am exhausted."

He hung up while Aarush stared at the screen, his stomach churning at the thought of masturbating. He was clearly disgusted with the idea of lusting for Sakshi and wanted to beat anyone who thought the same.

His doubts were forming slowly but he won't take any action without being confirmed. And he could confirm these only if he catch the photographer red-handed.

_______

The whole day went in discussions and work. Shrey was happy being productive after a long time. But how could this happiness match the one which we would get at the sight of Sakshi.

He missed her, brutally.

Not picking up calls, not seeing his messages, he knew that he had done worse by leaving so impulsively that day. He should have listened to her explanations. He should have heard her.

He called Aarush but he too didn't pick up. What could he do now? He would have gone to her flat but how could he leave when both Rishabh and Mom were at home and it was raining. They never allowed him to leave and he too didn't try to, to not raise any doubts.

The first thing in the morning, was checking up on her. Reaching her flat, telling her everything, listening everything from her and concluding their future.

With this thought, he closed his eyes. Even though, sleep was miles away just like his Sakshi.

But he knew, he'll get her back. She was his already. All he had to do was remind her.

________

The rain hadn't stopped and so was the thoughts forming in his mind. Kabir was excited to know her reactions.

"Did she ask about my past?"

Mihir shook his head. "She seemed bad. Dull and dried. I feel like they had a terrible break up. I pity her."

Kabir's eyebrows raised.

"She was angry when I asked her to give you chance. But she was listening to me carefully. Now, that is something."

"She was curious, anyway." Kabir commented while looking through the window.

Mihir nodded, not happy while mentioning. "I feel like you should make the most of this chance. Not in the game that you are okaying. I feel like, you can get the love of your life in her, Kabir. If only you try the right way."

Kabir snorted. "She rebels. No path will impress her. I'll just have to do what the time requires."

"Bro," Mihir twitched his lips. "You don't get it. When break up happens, the person is capable of moving on easily if he or she gets a better option sooner. But you are a stalker, a creep and a molester in her eyes. What you did in the office has traumatized her, it seemed."

Kabir blinked, now taking it seriously. "I couldn't stop it. It was hard to wait. She was saying things that I didn't like."

"Then, make her say good things about you. This is the time. Because she really needs someone at this time."

Kabir breathed, thinking about it. "She is leaving for home. How could I play my ways when she is at her home?"

"Do it before she leaves," said Mihir. "So, when she goes home. She comes back saying Yes."

Kabir smiled at the thought, his heart fluttering.

"I know what to do."

_____

"What do you think?"

Please vote and comment.

___

I am concentrating on the content and the speed. Just know, that I am trying to complete the book and it's hard, with having a life outside Wattpad.

I'll update continuously the most I can so it doesn't feel like a drag but a flow. We aren't far from the end.

Lots of love to all of you. You inspire me, motivate me, and make me feel loved.