[So, everyone who thought it was something related to Maya was right. ;)]

"Ranbir! What happened? Why are you so shocked? Is everything alright back at home?" Prachi placed a hand on Ranbir's arm and looked at him worriedly.

"Nothing is alright, Prachi. When? When is this Maya going to go away from my life, Prachi? How do I get rid of her?" Ranbir stomped his foot on ther hard ground beneath in utter frustration. 

"Ranbir, calm down. Take a deep breath. And now tell me what had happened. Why are you so upset?" Prachi tried to calm Ranbir down.

"Maya's doctor has said that she is fine now and hence, the Chowbeys decided that it was time to get us married. So, the Chowbeys consulted their priest and the d-day for the beginning of my lifetime prison sentence is day after tomorrow." Ranbir sighed dejectedly.

"What?" Sahana shrieked.

"Oh God! But that's too soon. What do we do now?" Aryan looked around at the others in utter bewilderment. 

"We won't be able to do anything if you guys get so worked up at the prospect of facing a difficult situation. The first thing we need to do in this situation is keep a cool head and then work out the solution to this immediate predicament." Prachi elucidated with her composure never wavering.

The other three looked at each other and nodded, conceding that she was right. 

"So, what will be our immediate action now?" Ranbir looked questioningly at Prachi.

"Return home and plan our future course of action." Prachi stated decisively.

"Let's go and take permission from the professors then." Aryan suggested.

All four of them walked up to the professors and citing family emergency as the cause, sought permission for their early return. Though the professors objected initially but after Ranbir suggested them to talk with his parents and his parents affirmed what he said, the professors permitted their early departure.

The four youngsters booked a cab and after the cab arrived, bid farewell to their other friends and professors and embarked on a journey back to Delhi.

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After dropping Prachi and Sahana off at their home, Ranbir and Aryan reached their home. As they entered the living room of the kohli mansion, they could immediately sense the gloom prevailing over the ambience within the room. 

Ranbir's dida, Daljeet, was sitting on the couch with her head on her hand and Meera was consoling her. On another couch, Pallavi was sobbing while Vikram was trying to calm her down. Abhishek was pacing up and down the room restively like a caged panther. Even Aliya and Rhea, who were standing at a far corner appeared to be in the grip of utmost tension.

"Hey" Ranbir's gloomy greeting roused them out of their own miseries and focussed their attention on the person on whom the upcoming disaster was gonna have the umost adverse effect.

Before Vikram and Pallavi could get to their feet, Abhishek, who was nearer to Ranbir, walked up to him.

"Hi, Chief." Ranbir's tried to smile but it came out as more of a grimace.

"Hey, Champ." Sighing at the young guy's plight, Abhishek pulled him into a warm embrace and patted the back of his head affectionately. 

Ranbir tautened his arms around the man who was not only his friend, philosopher and guide but also his idol and a father figure. Abhishek was a person for whom Ranbir had immense love, respect and trust. 

"Are you alright?" Abhishek looked worriedly at the guy who was more of a son to him than his own nephew, Aryan.

"Yes" Ranbir stated while shaking his head negatively.

Even at such a tense moment, Ranbir's childish antic made Abhishek chuckle. 

"Scared?" Abhishek looked at Ranbir with concern.

"No" Ranbir stated while nodding his head affirmatively.

Abhishek grinned and swatted Ranbir's head playfully with the flat of his hand. 

"If you are not alright, if you are scared, then say so. That won't make you any less of a man. A man who reveals his true feelings is a courageous one. Okay?" Abhishek smiled.

"Okay, Chief." Ranbir smiled back.

"Wow, Mamu. That's an awesome advice." Aryan praised.

"That isn't my advice. Someone gave it to me when I used to hide my true feelings thinking a man doesn't reveal his fears and insecurities." Abhishek smiled as he reminisced the words of his beloved wife.

"Who, Mamu?" Aryan stared at Abhishek curiously.

"Your Mami." Abhishek smiled sadly.

"Chief, if you miss her so much then why don't you go get her back?" Ranbir suggested.

However, before Abhishek could answer, an agitated Aliya interrupted their conversation.

"Ranbir, why don't you focus on your own predcament right now? Bhai will decide what to do on his own." Aliya cut across, surprising the others.

"Why don't you mind your own business, Aliya? Why don't you refrain yourself from barging into somewhere unwanted?" Abhshek chastised.

"But Bhai..." Aliya began.

"Just shut up and get lost." Abhishek roared.

Gnashing her teeth, Aliya turned on her heels and trotted off.

"Don't worry, okay. Your marriage with Maya won't happen. We will work something out. We just need to keep a cool head at the moment." Abhishek tried to alleviate Ranbir's fears.

Ranbir smiled as Abhishek's words reminded him of Prachi's words of assurance.

"What? Why are you smiling? Oh no! Did the trauma affect your brain?" Abhishek regarded Ranbir warily, making Ranbir chuckle.

"My brain is functioning properly, Chief. It's just that your words are uncannily similar to what prachi said to me." Ranbir clarified.

"Prachi is a very intelligent girl and also a very good human being. She is a true friend indeed. It seems I have known her forever." Abhishek smiled as he recalled the first moment he met the girl who had become dearer to him than his own daughter. 

Abhishek still didn't know why he always felt that there was a deeper connection between him and Prachi. Infact, strangely, Prachi was closer to him than Rhea. 

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Prachi was standing in front of the open window in her room. A soothing breeze was ruffling her long, dark hair but was failing to alleviate the disconcertment she was concealing beneath the facade of an eerie calm. 

Saritaji and Pragya were sitting on the bed while Sahana was pacing up and down restively, wringing her hands. Saritaji ws engrossed in thinking of a way out of the problem while Pragya was observing her daughter's unnaturally still form. Since childhood Prachi had the habbit of squeezing a sponge ball in her fist when she was agitated. Pragya gaze moved towards her daughter's fist and right enough, she was squeezing the ball. Pragya smiled slightly. Whoever said that noone could understand a person better than his or her parents was right it seemed. No one who would come across Prachi at the moment could say that a tempest was raging within her seeing her outward composed demeanour. 

"Saritaji, I want to talk to Prachi. Alone." Pragya muttered under her breath, audible enough for Saritaji who was sitting beside her.

"I think that is a very good idea. I will take that non stop talking headache with me." Saritaji gestured towards Sahana.

Saritaji stood up and walked over to Sahana and grabbing her arm, walked away, taking a protesting Sahana with her.

Pragya turned back towards her daughter who was still perturbed and didn't even notice Sahana's highly audible departure. That was all the more proof of her disturbed state of mind.

After Saritaji and Sahana left the room, Pragya walked over to Prachi and placed a hand on her shoulder. Startled, Prachi whirled around. Pragya eased out the sponge ball from her daughter's death grip.

"Don't you think it's better to channel your anger into getting Ranbir out of his predicament rather than taking it out on this poor ball?" Pragya suggested with a smile.

"You are right as always, Ma. I will definitely fulfill my promise to Ranbir." Prachi smiled, her eyes shining with determination.

"That's the spirit. I know you are a fighter and as always, you are the one who will emerge victorious. All the best." Pragya gave a warm hug to Prachi.

"Thank you, Ma. you are the best mother." Prachi reciprocated the hug.

"And you are the best daughter." Pragya patted the back of Prachi's head, smiling.

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Two days passed in a jiffy and finally the night before the fateful wedding day arrived. Ranbir was pacing up and down his room restively, sometimes sitting on the bed and sometimes walking over to the window and stare out in the pitch black darkness that resembled his life and future at the moment.

It was at such a moment that his phone rang, bringing him out of disturbing chain of thoughts. Praying for the call to be Prachi's, Ranbir hurried over to his bed on which he had dropped his phone out of frustration a few while earlier. He sighed in relief as the caller ID that flashed on the screen of the expensive device proved that his prayer had been answered.

He accepted the call but before he could say a single word, a feminine voice cut in. 

"Calm down. Stop running all over your room and taking your frustration out on inanimate objects." She instructed.

Was there a smile in her voice? He didn't know. He only knew one thing and it was that her voice had, as was the norm, successfully alleviated the anxiety which had been thrumming through his veins and tightening its choking hold on him as the fateful day was drawing nearer with each passing moment.

"How did you know what I had been doing? Are you here somehwere?" Ranbir looked around but was unable to locate her.

"No. I am still at my home. Stealthily breaking into someone's home through the window is you hobby, Mr. Kohli, not mine." Prachi giggled.

"Then there is only one way by which you can know what I had been doing." Ranbir smirked.

"Really? And what is that?" Prachi raised a brow.

"Well, since we love each other so much our hearts are connected and hence, we can tell accurately what the other one is doing." Ranbir grinned. 

Blushing, Prachi lowered her eyes as her lips curved into an adorable, shy smile. She began to twirl a lock of her hair as she usually did when she was lost in some thought or is feeling shy about something.

"So, you can also tell what I am doing? Let's see it then." Prachi challenged.

"You look adorable both when you blush and when you twirl a stray lock of your hair in your finger." Ranbir stated with smug confidence.

"How did you know?" Now it was Prachi's turn to look around to see if he was present anywhere near her.

"Quit looking here and there. I am still at my home. You always blush when you feel shy and twirl your hair when you are either shy or lost in some thought." Ranbir chuckled. 

Prachi was stunned at the accuracy of his observation and ended up smiling shyly. However, as the immediate predicament they were in made its way back to her consciousness, her smiled dwindled away gradually and was replaced by concern, for Ranbir.

"Are you alright?" Prachi asked quietly.

Ranbir's smile dwindled away too and he sighed in resignation.

"No. I am not. Prachi, I don't want to marry anyone other than you."  Ranbir's voice was dripping with helplessness that made tears prick Prachi's eyes.

However, Prachi knew that she had to be strong to get him out of this mess and just could not wear her heart on her sleeve. She wiped her eyes dry resolutely.

"Ranbir, do you trust me?" Prachi asked in the same quiet voice.

"More than anyone else, even myself." Came Ranbir's instant and unambiguous reply. 

"Then just keep your faith on me till the last moment. I will fulfil my promise of getting you out of this mess. You just go with the flow and leave everything else on me. Okay?" Prachi assured.

"Okay. And Prachi?" Ranbir called out.

"Hmmm" Prachi frowned lightly.

"I love you." Ranbir stated simply.

"I love you too. And don't worry, we will be the one to win." Prachi frown cleared and was replaced by a sweet smile.

"If you are with me then I know we can win over anything." Ranbir's words displayed his unwavering trust on her.

"Goodnight, Baklu." Prachi smiled, touched by his trust on her.

"Goodnight, Chikchiki." Ranbir smiled, finally at peace after her assurance.

So, this part is a break from cliffhangers. LOL 

Cliffhangers will be back from next part. ;)

Aur yeh 2000+ words ka update hai toh chota mat bolna. ;)

Hope you all like this part. :)