Chapter 1

4 years ago

ShiriHoonMain

@ExoticDisaster

He tried her number for the nth time but there was no response. It was the first time she went for a party without them and he was concerned how it went. She would always call him-them, after every smallest event of her life but she didn't call him today. Atlast, he decided to visit her.

**************

He was in deep sleep when he realised someone trying to wake him up and obviously, he didn't have to even guess who it was. 

''What is it, Ruhaan?'' he asked in his groggy yet husky voice.

"Did you meet her, or at least talk to her?" Ruhaan asked back.

''No," he replied as he realised the worry in his voice. "I tried calling her but she didn't respond."

"I tried for million times, she is still not picking. We need to see her, Abhimanyu."

Abhimanyu didn't take another second to pick his car keys and they moved towards the main gate.

****************

They rang the bell and waited impatiently for someone to open the door. After a minute, Jenny opened it.

"Rroohan, Ah-bimayu?" she said sleepily in her American accent. "What are you doing here at 2 in the night?"

"Why is she not picking the hell phone?" Ruhaan said and moved towards her room.

"Is she fine?" Abhimanyu asked Jenny.

When they entered the house, it took no longer for them to realize that it was mess. Their concern was right that something was wrong.

Abhimanyu, Sarah and Ruhaan were friends from the 9th standard. It was quite strange that even after years in the same class, they did not know each other well, and when they bonded, it was a farewell party for the seniors. They were volunteering. The moment they started working together, they knew they were going to be best of friends. One meeting and another, few more coffees, few more parties, few more movies, few street shopping, some college admissions issues, further study tensions, one day picnic's, exams and they had each other. They were so close that they fought with their parents to join the same college and here they are; studying in the most popular college in London. While Abhimanyu and Ruhaan stayed together, Sarah lived in rented flat with her roommate Jenny.

They moved towards her room only to find her sitting on the bed, lost in her thoughts.

"Sarah?" they called in unison and she came out of her stupor.

They tried to move closer to her but stopped listening to her words. 

"Can you just go away, guys? Please. I don't want to talk about it." Sarah said. She was crawled up in a ball on her bed, wearing a tight black party dress with sky high heels. Tears started streaming down her face - her mascara and eyeliner running. She looked like a mess. 

"But Sarah-" Abhimanyu started, but was stopped by Sarah again.

"Abhimanyu, please. Just leave me alone. Please," Sarah sobbed, looking away from her best friends.  

They didn’t speak after that but the boys didn’t leave. Abhimanyu sat on the couch, while Ruhaan lied on the other side of the bed.

"WHY??" Sarah yelled through her tears after a while. "Why did you do this to me, Nick?? WHY??!!" 

Ruhaan and Abhimanyu sighed looking at eachother. Sarah had been dating Nick since last 7 months. Though neither Abhimanyu, nor Ruhaan liked him a little bit, they didn't say anything because they didn't want to invade her love-life.

They moved towards her and sat on the bed. They didn't speak anything, just put their hand on her head, caressing her hair.

"Everything changed tonight, guys. We went to this nightclub. And what did I see there? Nick. Making out with that Russian chick! No one loves me!" she screamed. "No one."

Her bedsheet and pillows were stained with tears and makeup.

"Stop wasting your tears for him Sarah," Ruhaan said trying to control his anger on him.

"Sarah, please don't cry. We're here for you. That good for nothing Nick-" Abhimanyu said.

"But I love him, guys. I still do. Do you even know what I had planned out for us? I was going to spend the rest of my life with him and...and...look at what happened!!" Sarah said.

Ruhaan and Abhimanyu pulled her in a hug.

"Don't waste your feelings for a cheap fellow like him," Ruhaan said.

"We will take care of you," Abhimanyu said.

"And also him," he whispered as he looked at Ruhaan.

*****************

Nick gulped down a glass of alcohol and scrolled down something on his phone when all of a sudden he fell off the chair in a thud. He felt a burning sensation on his cheek and found Ruhaan and Abhimanyu looking at him with disgust. 

"How the hell did you enter my house?" he screamed.

"How dare you hurt her?!" Ruhaan screamed and punched him.

"You will regret it for the rest of your life!" Abhimanyu held his collar and slapped him. 

Nick tried to fight back but Abhimanyu and Ruhaan were too strong for him. They continued beating him till he turned black and blue. 

"If we see you around her again, you would be inviting your death then," Abhimanyu held Nick's collar and effortlessly laid him flat on the ground.

"We never forgive the reasons behind her tears," Ruhaan said and punched him hard on his jaw.

Ruhaan and Abhimanyu were Sarah's shields and would always be, but for how long; only time will tell.

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