In the gym room where he had been jogging on the tread mill for over 3 hours now, Vivek huffed and puffed, beads of salty sweat trickling down his face, his hair wet with the internal water his body was releasing, but none of this had a soothing effect on what he was experiencing. Every body part of his was shouting for him to go find Khushi, instead of wasting his time here, but he knew her so much more than his insides did. She would feel miserable seeing him there, she would blame something on her self that was not even her fault, that was a guy reaction, and he knew that, it was difficult to get that across to her, not that he was eager to make her understand anyway.

Vishaka walked inside stomping her foot heavily after the rough encounter she had with Khushi, her eyes resting on Vivek's sweaty running form, blood pounding in her eyes, remembering Khushi's ignorant reaction, she knew this was the moment she had been waiting, the moment to get back to Khushi. He was her boy friend, and yet in their talks there was always a Khushi, a Khushi that dominated his life, and she, she had waited for long for that Khushi to go, today she was going to make sure she used her cards usefully, today the Khushi cruse had to let go off her love life.

"I just came back after talking to Khushi." Vishaka said, an air of distaste surrounding her voice, causing Vive to stop running for a second, almost making him trip on the moving sheet of rubber underneath his feet, and instantly he gained composure, continue jogging like he wasn't even listening.

Na chodhe yaariyan (wo oo)

(Will never leave friendships)

"Why are you doing this for her? She doesn't even care for what happens to you, there are some things that are more important to her." Vishaka continued, even though she hadn't even gotten a prompt reaction from Vivek earlier, but somewhere she had seen him collapse for a split second, and that was enough for her to know that he was paying to attention to every word of hers. Vivek kept speeding up, his reflexes growing tired but he didn't want to stop, that would mean putting himself into being mounted in a danger that he couldn't get himself out of, a danger he knew he wasn't capable of coming out, without her, his Chun.

"Are you even listening Vivek? She doesn't care Vivek! I told her what you were doing to yourself, and you know what she told me? She said she doesn't want to talk to you! Did you hear what I just said? SHE DOESN'T WANT TO TALK TO YOU! She's mean and selfish, and only used you till she wanted, now when she get's Arnav, she'll discard you like a piece of rubbish!" Vishaka was literally screaming now, frustration getting the better of her, and half the people of the gym had begun to look in Vivek and Vishaka's direction now curiously, making Vivek punch his finger hard into the stop button, and in a moment he was down on steady ground, dragging Vishaka out of the gym room, saying his apologizes to the rest of the students as he led her out.

"First of all stop shouting? This is not a fish market, where you can come screaming your throat out, this is the school gym room and people come here to release stress, not get more of it Vishaka!" Vivek said in a threateningly calm tone, his sight looking through the glass door of the gym room, relived to see normal activity replaced in the gym room again. Vishaka had had enough, from the two of them, first Khushi had started acting ignorant, like she didn't even exist, and now Vivek seemed to bossing her around for no reason at all.

"Throwing your anger on me won't help. If you want to do it, do it on the person who deserves it. Khushi. She is the cause of it, go be angry on her, and show her her true place." Vishaka said in a dead beaten voice, causing Vivek to inch away from her and look at her face in a ghastly manner.

"Why are you even here Vishaka? Please go to the class you are supposed to be in, instead of here, you are wasting both our time." Vivek said in a cool, icy tone keeping firm check of his anger so that he did not lose it all over again, he had had enough temper problems for a single day already.

"I am wasting your time? You have been wasting your time since morning. I am just trying to get you out of it, and do something productive, instead of stressing yourself out on a self centered girl who doesn't even deserve to be your best friend." Vishaka said hatefully, extending her hand towards Vivek's bare shoulder, his sleeveless vest sticking to his body like a second skin, the rhythmic movement of his chest now going down to something imperceptible.

"That's enough Vishaka. You can keep your Chun related hatred for another day. I am not ready for it now." Vivek told her under gritted teeth, every nerve of his body requiring the massive effort to be composed when literally there were several things that told him that he wanted to get rid of Vishaka right there and then.

"My hatred? It's not my hatred for her, it's my love for you speaking Vivek. You need to understand that she's not worth it." Vishaka said appearing to be in full form herself, trying to take over a demanding persona, but what she did not know was, she was not Khushi, she couldn't be here, and for what was important, she had no effect on Vivek of any sort for that matter.

"Who are you to decide who is worth what? Listen, you are my girlfriend. Stay that. I know you care, and I am grateful for that. But right now, I want to be left alone, this is a best friend things I am dealing with which you won't understand, and don't tell me to explain because I won't. This is a Chun and Me thing, and we will sort it out ourselves. Nobody gets to speak in this matter except for the two of us, not you, not Arnav, not Karan, not our parents, NOBODY. Understood?" Vivek said in a commanding, in control voice, his features edgy with tension, but with a determination that could not be mistaken for anything else at all. Vishaka slumped down a bit hearing his rigid answer, but she knew, there was not point in pushing this further, in the end she might not get to achieve her agenda, and instead end up losing Vivek altogether. She nodded at him solemnly and left, him heaving a brief sign of relief seeing her leave, but for a split second something struck his head and he held her hand before it disappeared completely.

"Thankyou for understanding." He said in a weak tone, forcing a small smile on his face, to which she nodded in an expressionless manner, and as his grip loosened on her wrist, she went away, not looking back at him, taking the other way towards the football field.

Yaari yaari har koi karda ve, Yaari yaari har koi har hoi
Karda ve karda ve karda, Yaari de bas jo peh jaave
Woh pagla woh jhalla ve

(Everybody indulges in friendship,

The one going for friendship

goes mad and stupid )

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The large court where they used to have dribbling practices for the football team was empty, with only a silhouette of a well built, 17 year old teenage boy, tossing the black and white ball about on the ground, that was a meager definition for a football field. It was where they use to play basketball, but it most conveniently served as a football practice field for them, and so the boys had used it to the bets of what it could serve them.

Arnav dribbled the ball about, his triceps and biceps hard at work fueling his body for energy that was required for such a sport, his angry red vest sticking to his body, and dark black shorts clutching to his body like a second skin, giving an impressive view of his well-developed thigh muscles. He had been busy with this sport for what was an hour now, before his attention got distracted, seeing a similar face enter the place, the two boys coming face to face. Vivek's eyes were savage and burned with anger, seeing Arnav their, the two eyes meeting with each other, and almost a split second later he turned out, regretting to have approached the basket ball ground in the first place. He had found himself comparatively safe in the gym where he was on his own, as compared to the cafeteria where he had been before, the place buzzing with news, and one horror look on Karan's face told him, that what he had intercepted had happened. That moment without a word, not even looking at Karan's shaken form he had left the cafeteria and made his way towards the gym room, and now coming here he regretted his decision to no extent. Arnav was the last person he wanted to see all day.

"Vivek wait!" Arnav shouted from the court, kicking the ball on his feet away and pacing towards Vivek who had momentarily stopped hearing Arnav's hoarse voice echo in the empty court, but then had decided against every thing else and started walking out again, until a firm grip on his shoulder stopped him dead in his tracks.

"I said wait." Arnav said in a low expressionless, yet commanding voice, even that not being surprisingly enough for Vivek to turn back and look at Arnav straight in the eye. He knew himself too well, he would lose all his composure once he looked into Arnav's dreaded face again.

Ab jeene ko jaane ko, Na koi raasta
Tanhaayion se hoga, Ab dil ka vaasta

( Now to live, there is no way, no road

Loneliness is now what my heart shall connect with)

"You do know you are making the biggest mistake of your life stopping me like that, don't you? I know you normally don't do favours, but do me one today, will you Arnav? Don't talk to me, and stay as far from me as possible, I promise you won't regret any of it." Vivek said his back turned to Arnav, in a casual throaty voice, his words hanging ideally in the air, like thunder electrons that could gather any moment and attack their prey.

"You have to listen to me Vivek. Khushi and Karan don't want to understand, but you I know you get my point." Arnav said in a firm yet those hints of desperation clearly evident in his voice, and finally Vivek turned for the first time looking closely at Arnav'a slackened features, which had lost that usual edge of arrogance in them it carried, instead he could see every body part of him being tormented, and full of remorse, but that hardly changed anything in Vivek's mind for Arnav, he was just not ready to feel sorry for Arnav, not anymore.

"What makes you think that I will understand?" Vivek asked in a suspiciously daunting tone, his eyes penetrating into Arnav's tensed body.

"Because you love Gupta and you want let any pain come to her. I know you want to know why I turned her down." Arnav said in a confident tone, sure that this would make Vivek stand on his spot and hear him out, but he was wrong Vivek did not even seem to show any signs of curiosity.

"Wrong. I don't want to know, because I already know. I knew it from the moment, she told me she would do it." Vivek said in a thunderous, resentful tone, his body shaking with the grief he felt on Khushi's decision and the pain she had inflicted on her self knowingly. He regretted that he hadn't been dominating enough to stop her, and influence her decision, it made him doubt the strength of their friendship, but right at that moment, the thought flew out of his mind reminding himself that if he doubted his friendship with her now, he would never be able to lay his trust in it ever again.

"In that case, you have all the more reason to hear me out." Arnav countered in an unflinchingly sound tone, his demeanor and objective not shaking with anything, Vivek said or did, he had to hear him out, and because he was Arnav Singh Raizada he would make sure that everything happened the way he wished it to be. This was too much testing for Vivek, he couldn't understand why this was so important to Arnav when he had done what he had to, why he needed to explain things to Vivek when he didn't want to listen, he was not Khushi, he didn't need the reality to be forced on him, he already knew the reality and he was dealing with it, but Arnav was hitting on every spot of his, and just a last strand of calm was remaining within Vivek, he had to not let go of it now.

"Look Arnav, you need to know that I will offer no sympathy to whatever your reason is for doing that to Chun. Because you are right. I value Chun more than anything I have ever cared for, and you have chosen to hurt that very thing which I love. I am not even remotely interested in what your reasons are, because they do no good in changing my mind dude. As much as I feel like digging your grave right now, I know I can't do that, because you matter to her, way more than you know." Vivek said in between gritted teeth, his blood shot eyes lingering all over Arnav's unmoving facial expressions, which were busily absorbing every word that he was saying. He felt uneasy under Vivek's intense glare, but he knew that this was to come, this was not expected, but it was rather fiercer that what he thought it would actually be like.

Hum khudhi khud ko Ab toh kardenge laapata, woo
Maan le tu aise , Hai zara bhole se
Jaante hain waise, Hai nibhaani kaise
Yaariyan

(Now, I shall get lost on my own

Accept it, that I am innocent

But I do know, how to maintain

Friendship )

"How can I not know dude? How can I not know? My forehead never read Fool, and it still doesn't read so. I know what's going on around me, and I have a good idea of how much I mean to her. But you know why I said no? Because I can't hurt her. You and me both know that she expects more than just simple 'like' from me. She loves me. Do you get it? She loves me! That is the problem. That she loves me. But I don't love her, and you know that, that's why you told her not to propose me right? I am still not at that point, when I can promise her life long ties, or guide her through a forever kind relationship. I don't love her, not yet, and that's why I can't give her what she expects of me." Arnav tried putting his point forward, reasonably enough Vivek grasped it, because what Arnav had been saying, he already knew, and that's what he had tried to tell Khushi too, through society and guy choices, but she had failed to understand and ended up getting herself messed up in a disaster. Those streaks of understanding crossed his face, and for a moment Arnav sighed to himself, at least someone knew what was going on in his head, but the moment he saw that unforgiving looks flash in Vivek's doomed eyes he knew, that emotion was already taking over logic in Vivek's mind.

"You got her all messed up Arnav. When she came to you she came without expectations, she needs no guidance in anything, she is strong enough to guide herself. She just wanted to hear your yes, so she knew that for once in her life she was doing the right thing against all odds. But what was impossible from the beginning, couldn't have gotten possible just like that. And she didn't want to accept it. But now that you have thrown it on her face, she will have to accept it, so thank you for making her do what I couldn't, somewhere I was aware that only hard cores could get their way with her." Vivek said in a bitter, edgy sarcastic tone, making Arnav more and more ashamed for what he had done, but he was still holding on to his point, because he knew he was right.

"See Vivek, she means something to me. I know that. I need time to figure out exactly what that is." Arnav said now completely feeble with his attempt, and downright honest in his answer, but Vivek had been standing firm, somewhere he felt sorry for Arnav, because he accepted the fact that maybe he would have done the same thing if he was in Arnav's place. There were a lot of things that were clear to him, lot of things that he understood that Khushi didn't, and maybe a part of him wanted to give him assurance that everything would be alright, but there was more demanding part that told him, that every tear that Khushi was going to shed, would never be repaid, and that single feeling made him back away from his relatively calmer emotions once again.

"Well, all I can say is, no matter how much someone loves you, everybody gets tired of waiting. (Vivek turns around to leave) And Chun hates waiting." He said in a doomed voice, his voice echoing in the entire court, as he marched out of the court, his words still hanging freely, and ringing in Arnav's ears.

Na chodhe yaariyan (wo oo)

(Will never leave friendships)

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Regarding The Title

Tides Of Brutality- Okay, so I know the name of this chapter is dead confusing, I am aware that most of you would expect it to be named something related to broken ties, and friendship imperfections, something like that, but why all the sea mention? I don't know how many you remember but the Chapter 1 was name "Preserved In A Sea Shell". During that explanation, I had told you all how Arnav and Khushi were two shells who could not open in each other's presence, closed within themselves. Inside every shell, that of a oyster harvest's a pearl. In order for that pearl to be magnificent it is tested by how much brutality it has faced in the face of the tides of the sea. These tides form the pearl, and that is what is exactly happening to Arnav and Khushi relationship. it needs to withstand the storm to prove the worth of their relationship. Similarly, these testing time's will test all existing relations, Viv-Kh, Kh-Ka, Ar-Ka, Viv-Vis. When it ends, the relationship's that remain are the true winners, those who lose were never meant to be.

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Events In The Chapter

Amazing what one chapter can do? Thats how life is, even a single moment is enough to shatter years of happiness. It takes only one storm to blow everything away and that's what is happening. Please note that I admire Vivek's character, and as the author of this FF, adore his character the most, but that does not mean that I let this come in between writing my FF. All the characters stick to their own personalities, so please don't think I am character biased, its just that all of this was going to happen, from the very day the FF started at some point or the other I knew this was going to happen.

I understand that all the views of the characters are preety complex, and some of you still cant understand what Arnav did, and why he did it, but maybe if you ponder over it a little more closely you will know that he had a valid point to put across, what he did to Khushi cannot be justified, but he had his reasons which can be UNDERSTOOD.

P.S: I personally love the song for this FF, and just to let you guys know, this song always had to be in this update, there were numerous points before where it could have fitted, but I had been reserving it for so long for this Chapter only.

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Precap

"Vivek, could you give Khushi the phone?" Aparna asked, trying to hide the increasing tension in her voice, Vivek's voice shaky and confused on the other end, until the horror of Aparna's word's registered inside his mind.

"Chun? She's not here. *pause* (his voice trembling) Where is Chun? Aparna Aunty where is Chun?" Vivek coudnt stop his voice, for raising up, and even though he realized he was losing all his manners, and literally shouting to a lady the age of his mothers, the fear that was breeding inside him was too hard to control. That was the last straw Aparna's voice began to break, horrid though'st entering her mind, her daughters safety now of prior importance to her.

"I dont..knoww..she said..she was..going..to the Raizada's..but I called there..and Arjun said..she wasnt there, its..been 4 hours..where is..she?" Aparna asked her voice shattering with worry now, Vivek's entire body shaking with fright now, all kinds of visions marring his straight composed way of thinking.

"Hell! Hell! Hell! She would never go to the Raizada's! She would never go! God! Where are you Chun?" Vivek rambled aimlessly to himself, his voice condensed with a sense of danger and shock that was gripping at him pretty fast, and until he figured out what to do about it, he would be in the grip of it pretty bad.

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P.S: To all the people who have been sending me Buddy Requests, I no longer accept requests until I know that you are going to read the FF, and need Pm's. Kindly make sure you drop by a comment on the FF before Buddying me.

nav_bat2013-01-12 03:52:43