Chapter 4

Hearing some strange sounds, Shruti woke up from her sleep. When she glanced at the wall clock, it struck 2: 33 a.m. She decided to go and check on the sound. Walking across the hall in search of the source from where the sound was coming, she halted in front of Shaurya's room. Waiting there for about three minutes, she was confirmed that it was from his room only. She peeked in from the door that was ajar, Shaurya was drenched in sweat and his hands in blood. He was hitting the punching bag with his already injured bare hand. She rushed inside to stop him. 

"What the hell are you doing Shaurya, stop it." 

"Just go from here Shruti."

"Stop it or I'll tell Mehek everything you are doing."

She threatened him and he stopped. He can't take a chance. "When you're so much in pain then why are you doing it Shaurya?" Shruti asked. Tears swam in her eyes. She couldn't see him in pain, after all, he was the only true friend she ever had in her life. "You know it na Shruti. I can't break his heart. Rahil has helped me a lot in my struggling days. This empire that I hold now, agar Rahil nahi hota toh I could never be here. I would have been still depending on my damn father. He's my best friend like you and Mehek. That day when he showed me Mehek's picture and told she's his mother's friend's daughter he always loved, I have seen that glitter in his eyes. I can't let him down. I can't." He sat and cried, cried like a baby. 

( Haha! Now you know why I have never shown Shaurya-Rahil interaction? They always knew each other. Rahil thought Shaurya is there for his wedding and Mehek thought he's for her wedding. It was all the deeds written in destiny. Took some liberty of actually typing the story and not shooting in real. I hope you all could digest this nonsense of Shaurya. I told you, he's dumb and has no solid reason for all this crap. )

The world woke up to a beautiful winter morning. While is was pleasant for other people in the world, he was feeling cold, not that physical one. It was cold that was freezing certain things within him. He wasn't able to breath. He was suffocating in his own drama. If you have only one person you could give up on your life for, she was that one person in his life. Taking few deep breath, he went inside. He needed to gather himself. Neither Rahil nor her will like this depressed Shaurya. Masking all the pain and fear in an hour long shower in icy cold water, he dressed in a business suit, unlike the traditional dress. He had a flight back just before the pheras. He, at least, can't see her taking pheras just in front of him. The cold water has left his fingers numb and blue. 

Mehek was in her room and was being decorated like a cake by one and only, Nehal Sharma. Highlighting her cheek bone a little too much, she smiled. "Aaj toh Jiju is done!" She teased Mehek. Mehek didn't even smile. She was in a different thought altogether. Putting on the Chunni properly on Mehek's head, Nehal put a dot of kohl behind her ears. "Meri Di ko kisi ki nazar na lage." Just then a girl came and informed the Baraat is at doorstep. Nehal went with her. Few tears parted with Mehek's big black kohl filled eyes. 

"Vadhu ko varmala ke liye bulayein!" The priest ordered. Meera told Nehal to get Mehek to which she nodded and left to get her. There she was, in a pinkish red lehnga, jewellery and Makeup. Shaurya looked at her and couldn't blink his eyes. She proceeded towards the stage where Rahil was standing smiling. He told Shaurya to help her get on the stage. Shaurya gave her his hand. She gave her hand in his. Time froze. She looked into his eyes and he, in hers'. A moment of eyelock. 

"Tu abhi bhi yeh natak karne ko ready hai Shaurya?" Rahil said bringing them back to present. "Kya?" Shaurya was confused. "I hate you yaar. Tu friend nahi bhai tha mera. I just helped you out of love and brotherhood. Aur tune kya kiya? Vo toh accha hua Shruti just called me yesterday night and told me everything."

After Shaurya's breakdown, Shruti couldn't take it anymore. She called Rahil. Afrer three rings he picked it up. "Ya Shruti. What happened?" Rahil was worried. "Shaurya and Mehek love each other since their childhood. Shaurya feels indebted to you for helping him in his worst days and that's why he's sacrificing his love for you. Please save him. He can't live without Mehek. Please Rahil. I beg you." Shruti told everything. 

"Tujhe kya laga? I'm selfish. Yaar mere, it's better if you both love each other, you stay together. Businessman chahe jitna bhi accha kyun na ho tu, pyaar ki baatein tujhe kabhi samjh nahi aayengi." Rahil smiled. "Sorry Mehek. I can't marry you. You belong to Shaurya." Rahil stepped down from the stage. Shaurya was the happiest person. He looked towards Mehek who had tears in her eyes. "Will you Marry me Mehek?" Shaurya held her hand and asked genuinely. 

"Am I some commodity that you friends are passing among yourself. I hate you Shaurya. Get lost." She had anger. She wasn't wrong. Kisi ne usse nahi pucha ki use kya chahiye. She left the stage and walked out of the wedding hall. Shaurya walked behind her. She threw the heels which he picked up. She threw her chunni that landed on his face. She was blabbering to herself and sat on a bench in a park that was nearby, Shaurya sat beside her. "I'm sorry." He said. "Mann toh kar raha ek chiped lagau." She said showing him her hand. He took her hand and put it on his cheeks. "Laga hi do ek." He smiled. 

( I made this GIF out of a ZKM promo for better visualisation. I hope this helped. Got the idea of this scene because of this promo only. )

"I hate you."

"I love you."

"I missed you."

"I missed you more."

"Toh?"

"Toh?"

"Koi Mili?"

"Haan."

"Shruti?"

"Nahi."

"Phir?"

"Will you be my partner in crime for the rest of my life?"

"Maybe."

"Kya Matlab?"

"Kya pata."