I came out of the college date and stretched. There were a huge number of students around me, either discussing their answers or just calculating the marks they needed to get promoted. I crossed them and reached the other side waiting for Sanyukta.

And the punctual her arrived exactly at time and took off her helmet.

"Exams over?"

"Yeah, finally." I sighed and she smiled.

"How was the paper? It was maths so must have been easy for you."

"Yeahh, kind of. I mean the paper was difficult but I have answered most of the questions so I don't really know." I said sitting behind her and putting on the helmet.

"Do you want ice cream?" She said starting her Phantom.

"Uhh sure. But it will be my treat."

"Nuh uh."

"Sanyukta, you can't do it all the time. My treat means my treat."

"Not happening."

"Ms. Sanyukta Aggarwal, I am telling you I will be the one paying for this time. You paid for the last time and the other time too and before that also." I was going on rambling when a black Mercedes crossed us and I couldn't help but admire it.

"What a beautiful car, isn't it?" I asked her as my eyes followed the car till it went out of sight.

When I didn't receive an answer I looked at her through the rear view mirror and her face looked blank. Again. She just looked in the direction where the car went with a stony expression.

"Sanyukta?" I tapped her shoulder as she looked as if in a trance.

Without a word she stopped her bike near a pavement and asked me to get off and she followed. "Drive Phantom today."

Confused I looked at her as she took off her helmet and handed it to me. Her face looked pale as if she had seen a ghost.

"What? Drive." And the dangerous look in her eyes was back and I followed without a word. I knew that now wasn't the time to ask any questions so I started the bike without any word.

Behind me Sanyukta took out her black RayBan and put them on covering her brown eyes and I knew for sure that they weren't there to block the sun.

We reached the apartment soon and I got off the bike.

I turned to greet her but she said bye before I can say it. Distracted she dragged her bike along with her to her apartment and I came up in my room hoping to see her through the window.

It had been 15 minutes since I stood at the window without moving even an inch but she hadn't reached to her room yet.

I decided to give her some space and also change my clothes. After some time I came back to the window to find her standing in her balcony with a lit cigarette in between her fingers.

Is she really going to smoke? After a month of being sober? She is going to loose all her self control just because she saw a Mercedes. What the hell is going on? I saw her like this after such a long time and I don't like this version of Sanyukta. She looks so far away, so indifferent, so unapproachable. All my efforts on her, making friends with her and everything just went down the drain. Just because of a god damn Mercedes. I don't even like that car now. Why did I have to show her that car? It's all my fault. Nothing good can happen in my life because of my stupidity. Ugghhh....

After this session of cursing myself, I noticed that she hadn't taken even a drag of that cigarette. In fact she looked a bit hesitant. Frustrated it seemed as if she cursed and stubbed the cigarette and threw it.

As she did this, a smile came on my face but right now there was another tension. What had happened to her?
Who was there in the car?

                          ****
It had been a week after that incident. Next day, she was as normal as ever. Driving me to the college and back and me sitting at the back. Everything back to usual. Though she didn't want to talk about that day... In fact she didn't want to talk at all. She just hmmed or huhed in response to everything.

Today was Sunday, so we had gone to the old age home. People there are used to me now and they even like me. Everybody asked about what had happened to Sanyukta. Now how do I tell them that even I don't have an answer to this.

We had just exited from the gate of the old age home with Sanyukta leading me and I, following her and blabbering something about Parth. As I was looking at my shoes while walking, I don't even know why, I couldn't see that Sanyukta had abruptly stopped in her tracks and I, like an idiot, bumped into her.

"Sorry, did you get hurt?" I apologized looking at her but she seemed as if she didn't hear a word. She was looking, actually glaring at something or someone. I followed her line of vision and saw a familiar Mercedes.

Is it the same Mercedes by any chance? Ahh no, that's not possible. I mean what are the odds of it being the same Mercedes?! It happens once in a million cases.

Well, this was the one in a million cases today because it was the same Mercedes.

A middle aged man got off it in a military uniform and stood near his car as if waiting for someone. He hadn't seen her.
Is it Sanyukta he is looking for? But why?
I looked at Sanyukta in apprehension, hoping that she will say or do something, but it was as if she was in a trance, hypnotized with everything. She just kept looking at that man with what it seemed as anger and hatred in her eyes, though her face remained stoic.

After a while, she cleared her throat,"Randhir, bring Phantom to the back exit. I will be waiting there for you."

Of course, it wasn't the appropriate time to ask any questions, so I just took the keys from her hands and she hastily turned back to go to the back exit.

"Sanyukta, wait!" The old man called her and she sweared. It must be something really serious because she never swears.

She tried to ignore his calls and hastened her steps but that old guy catched up with her very easily and held her hand stopping her in her tracks.

She closed her eyes for a moment and then sharply turned towards him, taking her hand out of his grip.

What the hell is going on? Should I help her? But she is capable of beating that guy by herself then why isn't she doing anything?

"I was waiting for you Sanyukta. You haven't been receiving my calls from such a long time and now you are ignoring me." That is when his eyes fell on me.

"Who is he?" He asked her looking at me up and down and I suddenly felt intimidated.

"My friend, Randhir." She answered folding her arms and looking at her directly.

Everything about this man looked intimidating, his army uniform, the scar on his forehead, the way he talked. Every. Damn. Thing.

I think I should give them their space.

"I will get your bike." I said, but none of them paid any attention to me as there was a staring match going on between them. I scrammed off as fast as I can, but made sure that I could keep a look out for her. Don't want any of them to get hurt, do we?

As I put the key into ignition, I noticed that Sanyukta and that guy were in a heated discussion. Maybe it will be a good idea to just stay at a distance right now.

I couldn't hear anything but it seemed as if that guy was trying to convince her of something and she looked unpleased. Both of them were using a lot of violent hand gestures and were practically on the verge of ripping each other's throats out. Sanyukta's hair looked messy because of her running her hands through them many times. Many passerby had stopped and were enjoying the show. Man, people are so jobless these days. Everybody leaves important work and gathers together to enjoy fights.
Should I interfere?

I was thinking all this when Sanyukta shouted, a bit too loud, and thus pulling me out of my thoughts, "No. I said no once. Enough now. I don't want to talk about it again or even see you again."

She stomped towards me leaving that guy alone and for a moment I was literally scared. She had never looked like this. Her face was red, hair messy, eyes wide and she looked that she can kill anyone with just a look.

"Please drive." She said through gritted teeth and we reached our apartment in some time. All this while, she didn't say a word and I dated not ask anything.

"Please take the bus to college for some days. I won't be going there." With these words she took off with Phantom. I ran up the stairs to my room and ignored the funny and concerned looks by Parth and Aryan. I had more important thing to take care of right now. Pulling open the window, I looked at her balcony. She also had just reached her room and threw her keys in random direction instead of putting it in the key holder like usual. Then she took off her jacket and threw it in her bed and dropped on the floor doing push ups.

She had just done them this morning, then why again.

20, 25, 30. What the hell? She ain't stopping now. She will get a cramp or something if she goes on at this rate. 35, 40. After this she wasn't able to go on, so she just sat on the floor drenched with sweat.

"Deep... breaths, Sanyukta. What had the.... therapist... told you? --- Do it. It's not the time..... to loose your mind. --- Keep calm.... Think about it." She was talking to herself, albeit in a laborious manner as her breathing was heavy.

She will be okay now for sure. She will be calm and then maybe call me. But could I be any more wrong?

She was lying on her back by now taking deep breaths and then suddenly got up frustrated and just swept everything off her study table on the floor.

"I hate you."

"I hate you." It seemed as if she was possessed. I was so horrified that I wanted to turn my eyes away but just couldn't. I was paralyzed with fear looking at her throwing off everything and just shouting maniacally. What the hell is going on?

Why isn't Vidushi or Sanaya coming here to help her or anything? Damn they aren't at the house. Should I call them? What the hell should I do?

That is when I heard a crash and sound of glass breaking. Sanyukta was standing in front of the mirror in her room, which was now broken by the way, and her knuckles were bleeding.

"Sanyukta..." Subconsciously, I screamed without thinking about its consequences. She looked in the direction of the sound and looked confused for a while, trying to locate the source of this sound and then her eyes fell on me. As she looked at me, I wasn't able to move or hide or anything. I just stood there like an idiot looking at her horrified. Gritting her teeth, she slammed the door of her balcony.

Great! Now she has blocked my view. She has got a wound. And we know what a frustrated Sanyukta can do...

"Where is my phone?" I shouted to myself looking for it under the pile of clothes.

"Where the hell is it when I need it the most?" Then I found it lying on my study table.

Picking it up, I tried to dial Sanaya's number, but wasn't able to as my hands were shaking badly.

"Parth... Aryan... Parth!!" I shouted in a inhuman pitch.

"What the hell? Why are you so... Randhir?" Parth came into my room and just shook me as I wasn't able to speak.

"Aryan, Randhir is having a heart attack. Call the ambulance." Parth shouted and I tried to say no.

"What no? Oh my God! Try to breath Randhir. The ambulance will be here soon." I tried to speak but he would cut me off everytime.

In the end I had to do what felt like the best thing to do. I slapped my hand in his mouth, this effectively shutting him up.

"Aryan, don't call the ambulance. But please dial Sanaya or Vidushi." I said in between laboured breathing.

"But how will they help in your heart attack?" Aryan asked confused and I resisted the urge to punch him.

"I am not having a heart attack Aryan. Please call any of them. There is something grossly wrong with Sanyukta." This brought them to action as even if they denied it but they also had gotten close to her in these six months. Now they didn't think that she was freak and had learnt to accept her different nature than us. Well, it may or may not be that their respective girlfriends had a huge role to play in this.

"Hello Sanaya... Randhir wants to..." Before Aryan could complete his sentence, I snatched the phone from his hand and held it to my ear.

"You need to come back as soon as you can. Sanyukta... She is not okay."

"What - Randhir what has happened?"

"She - angry. Mirror - broken. Knuckles - bleeding. Come soon." I don't know why I wasn't able to form full sentence. Was I actually having a heart attack? The phone fell from my hands as I also dropped to the floor and everything blanked near me.

                            ****

I opened my eyes after I don't know how long. My ears were buzzing and everything seemed blurry but soon it came back to normal except my head which was throbbing like something. The buzzing sound was actually Parth and Vidushi talking.

"Water." I coughed out and Parth brought a glass of water to my lips as Aryan helped me sit up.

I gulped the water hurriedly and then looked at them.

"What had happened?"

"You fainted because of exhaustion. Doctor said there is nothing to worry about. And also you should stop taking tension and stress like this." Aryan repeated what I have been told zillions of times but how is it possible? My life is stressful.

"And Sanyukta?"

"She... Was having a tantrum." Vidushi spoke.

"Having what?" I asked again not exactly understanding what she wanted to say.

"Tantrums. She hadn't had one since last year and now again. I don't know what triggered it?"

"Well... She met a guy outside old age home and then they had a heated discussion about something and then she shouted and we came back. After this all the destruction took place. Then she slammed the door on my face and now I can't see her. Why can't I see her?" I questioned rhetorically.

"Well that is one of the many functions of the door." Aryan said wisely and I glared at him.

"How is she now?"

"Not good. She is sleeping though. I think it will be better if no one meets her for some days." Vidushi replied. Sanaya was still at the apartment with Sanyukta.

"And what about that man?" Parth asked randomly and Vidushi frowned as if she wasn't ready to answer that question.

"Did that man have a scar on his forehead?" She asked me and I nodded in affirmation and her eyes narrowed in realization.

"This was her father."

"Her father?" This was surprising and quite unexpected.

"Yes."

This is when I started noticing the resemblance in them. Both had broad shoulders and same eyes. Even their frown were at same places.

"Why was she angry like this?" Aryan asked and Vidushi said tat she couldn't answer this as it was not her story to tell.

"What about her tantrums?"

"She was diagnosed of clinical depression a few years back and had a practice if self harming whenever she got angry. Moreover, she is used to of bottling her emotions and then this bottle suddenly explodes thus causing all this. This was nothing as compared to what used to happen a few years back. She used to get more violent but then she met a therapist, she has recovered a lot but not completely."

"But why? Her?" I mumbled and I was having second thoughts about her. Were my roomies right? Is she not the one for me? What if she has these tantrums again and I am not able to help her? And of course she can't fall in love with all this baggage on her shoulders. Maybe this isn't a good idea. Maybe she is not worth these efforts. Maybe she was just a phase in my life and I already have so much going on with me how will I able to handle her mood swings too? Is this not a good idea? Is she not worth loving?

And then I reprimanded myself. What the fuck am I thinking? How can she not be worth loving? Everything about her is beautiful and worth giving lots of love to. How can I even think like that? I cannot back off. I have been backing off from everything in my life and then there is she for whom I am so passionate about. I can't leave her. No matter what happens. Even if she doesn't loves me back I can't stop loving her. And I really need a punch on my face for thinking like this.

"Randhir, don't worry. She will be fine in a few days. It's just a phase. You please don't take any more stress as you aren't well yourself. It's just she has seen more problems than an average kid of her age should have seen and now she has trust issues and what not. But please don't give up on her Randhir. You may not know but she needs you. A lot. She has trusted someone after so long so please don't ditch her." Vidushi held my hand and I looked around the room to find Parth and Aryan standing in a corner with an understanding look in their eyes and very silently.

I just nodded in her direction and smiled, "How can I do that to her? And moreover to both of you? Also I want to live longer than this." At this she chuckled and stood up and Aryan patted me on my back.

"By the way, how did you know about Sanyukta?" Vidushi looked at me with narrowed eyes and I blushed looking anywhere other than her. The window was closed so she didn't know what it overlooked. Parth who was standing silently all this while started laughing his deep laughter and a chuckle escaped Aryan's lips too.

Nervously I pointed towards the window and she opened it. Gasping she turned to me and looked at me with wide eyes.

"You were spying on her?" She asked in an accusing tone in her voice.

"Only sometimes. I never looked at her in her personal moments. I swear." I spoke a bit too quickly.

"Ok, you are forgiven. But did Sanyu see you?"

"Ye... Yes." I sighed sadly.

"Crap! She will be angry at you like something." She stated the obvious.

"I know." I said my head hung low.

"Nevermind, give her some time to sort out things and recover. Then you can talk to her I guess and also apologise." She patted my shoulder and then went to Parth's room to check if his window also overlooks her balcony.

Aryan also left me alone with my thoughts and I flopped on my bed looking at the ceiling.

Sanyukta's door was still shut.

                --------------------------

                 AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hey guys,
Did you like it? A long chapter for all those who complained that the last chapter was short.

Also please don't get angry at me for mentioning that Sanyukta's father is from military. There is a reason for it and you will get to know them in upcoming chapters. And please do know that I respect military men but if you have seen Main Hoon Na then maybe you will get my perspective.

Next: Sanyukta has still shut off Randhir and it has been days since he has seen her. He decides to do something about it.

Until then,
Love love 💕
A.S.