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Anurag tilted his head towards the sky and sighed as the first rays of sun touched his face. His lips slowly morphed into one of those rare smiles.

His Ma's face appeared in his head, the memory was so clear it almost felt like she was standing right next to him. But she was not here. Today was her birthday, another year without her presence.

Every year he felt anger simmer through him along with the impending sadness that his Ma was not there with him but this year the intensity of the sadness was larger than the constant anger that he felt.

He swallowed the lump in his throat and his eyesight blurred slightly. He snapped out of his trance when he felt a firm grip on his shoulder.

"Hey, she would have been proud of us and she would not want us to be sad, especially on her birthday," Aarav said softly, Anurag sighed and closed his eyes for a second. He cleared his throat and his thumb traced a faded scar that was near his wrist.

He remembered how he wanted to get the cricket bat from the top of the wardrobe but no one was at home so he decided to climb the stool and get the bat all by himself. He was successful in grabbing the bat but along with the bat, a few more titbits that were kept on the top of the wardrobe fell on him. One of them was a steel tumbler which had a sharp edge.

The tumbler scraped his wrist as he tried to keep it from falling. About a minute later his Ma arrived and shook her head. He was scared that she would scold him but all she did was hug him and smile at him as she tended to his wounds. He still remembered the warmth of her hands and the peaceful demeanor that she exhibited as she tended to his wound.

"Anurag, be careful next time." She kissed his wound and hugged him tightly before cleaning up the mess he had created. That was one of the last times when he saw her face without any bruises. His heart pinched and his throat constricted at the reminder that he would never feel that warm and calming presence.

"We should go." He muttered, Aarav who seemed to be lost in thoughts snapped out of his reverie and nodded.

"Yeah we should, Mom is waiting for us. She insisted that we have breakfast with them today." Aarav said Anurag nodded and the two of them began walking down the peak-like structure in the huge park. This park had harbored numerous memories for them. When things got hard at home this was the place where their mother used to bring them.

She would play with them, chase them around, and sometimes help them pick flowers. Sometimes they would sit under the tree where the two of them would lay on their mother's lap and listen intently to the stories that she told them. They would eventually fall into a deep slumber in the warm embrace of their mother.

"We can take practice off today if you are not up for it," Aarav said as they exited the park.

Anurag shook his head and sipped his water. "No, I don't want to take today off. I have a practice match today with Amit Sir and a couple of matches which will be closely watched by him."

Aarav sighed and nodded. He sat in the driver's seat. He knew that Anurag had been pushing himself rather roughly since he had played in the underground match. He had noticed a weird shift between Anurag and Amit for the past week. It felt like Amit was watching Anurag more closely than ever.

"I feel like you are pushing yourself rather roughly." Anurag sighed and looked out of the window as Aarav started the car.

"Amit Sir knows that I play underground matches." Aarav's mouth hung open.

"What?" Aarav spluttered, he had seen Anurag go to Amit Sir's on the day their interview was taken but Anurag told him that Amit Sir was busy and he had not spoken anything. Aarav assumed that the meeting would eventually take place later and that it would be something related to the upcoming boxing matches which were crucial for the selection.

"Yes," Anurag said and went back to look outside the window.

"How does he know?" Aarav asked with a frown on his face. Anurag shrugged his shoulders and tousled his hair.

"I'm amazed I've managed to get away with it for so long; I always anticipated getting caught much sooner," Anurag said, he was caught off-guard when Amit Sir called him out on it but he was not completely surprised. Aarav seemed tensed, Anurag could tell from his facial expressions that he was worried about Anurag's chances of permanently losing his spot in the Olympics.

"Don't worry, if he wanted to remove me he would have removed me the day he got to know that I played underground matches. I'm not going there anymore." Anurag said trying to ease his brother's worries.

"Fine, if you do then I'm bringing Red with me again. That ought to put some sense into your head." Aarav chuckled and wiggled his brows.

"Shut up!" Anurag muttered, he felt a strange sort of calmness hit him. His lips tilted slightly when he opened his phone and found a message from Priyanka. She sent him a quote that she wrote each day. He would text back with a thumbs-up. That was pretty much how their conversations moved.

Anurag sighed and shook his head. He needed time, he wanted to keep her at a distance. She made him smile more often than anyone, she spread happiness and her sunshiney attitude always seeped through even when things were hard. If his Ma were alive she would have loved Priyanka. The two of them loved almost the same things. They would have gotten along so well. He frowned and pinched his forehead. What was he even thinking?

The kiss flashed in his mind. No one had ever made him feel that way, his chest felt weird again, he subconsciously rubbed his chest and shook his head.

"I am willing to bet one crore that you are thinking about Red." Anurag scoffed while Aarav laughed.

"Tell me are you thinking about her?" Aarav wiggled his brows while Anurag asked him to shut up. Aarav laughed and decided to leave him alone for the rest of the ride.

About a ten-minute drive later they reached the Khatri residence. Revathi greeted them both with a quick hug and kiss on the cheek. Ram patted their shoulders and Sana hugged both of her brothers tightly.

"How are you both today?" Revathi asked and poured them a glass of smoothie that she especially made for them.

"Good," Aarav answered and sipped his smoothie. Revathi and Ram both glanced at Anurag waiting for him to answer.

"Fine," Anurag muttered, Revathi could see the pain behind her son's eyes she wanted to ask him more but when her husband shook his head discretely she sighed and smiled at them softly. She served them both breakfast and helped Sana get ready for school.

Ram conversed with Aarav and Anurag while Sana added her inputs every once in a while making the adults in the room chuckle and smile once in a while.

"Okay, time to go Sana. Say goodbye to your brothers." Revathi said and helped her down the chair.

"Bye Anurag Bhai, Bye Aarav Bhai." Sana waved her hands at her brother and ran towards the door. Revathi came back a few minutes later. She wanted to talk to Anurag but was hesitant. The rest of the breakfast was spent in silence. Ram asked some questions and Aarav answered.

Ram and Aarav moved to the living room while conversing about the latest cricket match. Meanwhile, Anurag helped his Mom clean up the dining table.

He noticed the troubled look on her face and her tense shoulders. He passed her the bowls as she placed them on the counter and began packing a box for Aarav and him.

"Mom," Anurag muttered and leaned against the counter.

Revathi hummed and smiled at him softly.

"I am okay Mom. Don't worry about me." Revathi sighed and turned to face him.

"I know it hurts you to talk about this but I worry." Anurag held her hand.

"You don't have to worry. I am fine. It still hurts especially on days like this one but," Anurag swallowed the lump in his throat.

"But I am sure she is watching over us and is happy." Revathi wiped the tears that fell down her eyes and smiled at him.

"She would have been so proud of both of you." She said and patted his face softly. Anurag nodded.

"Anyway, do not over-exert yourself during practice. Eat and rest on time. Here, I made lunch for the two of you." Revathi said and passed him the boxes.

"Thank you, Mom," Anurag said and smiled lightly, Revathi smiled back, she was happy and relieved to receive one of Anurag's rare smiles.

Anurag grabbed the boxes and walked to the living room. Revathi followed his queue.

"We should go. Practice starts in an hour and a half." Anurag said, Aarav nodded and stood up from the couch. Anurag nodded at his Dad who in return smiled.

"All the best boys! Do well!" Ram said, Anurag and Aarav nodded and were about to leave when Ram called for them.

"Hold on before you both leave I want to give you both something," Ram said and looked at Revathi she grinned widely and went to the room to grab it.

A minute later she came back to the living room and passed it to her husband. Ram gestured at his sons to come closer. Anurag and Aarav frowned at each other but walked towards Ram.

Ram passed them each a photo. Anurag's breath hitched, it was a picture of his Ma holding the two of them and laughing as they tried to get away from her.

"How did you get this?" Aarav asked and his voice trembled. Anurag's vision turned blurry. He knew that his father had destroyed almost all the pictures that his mother had taken with him and Aarav. They had an album but after losing their Ma none had wanted to open the album.

"We were cleaning a few of your stuff and we found the album. Most of the pictures were destroyed but this one was still intact." Revathi said.

A tear slid down Anurag's eye, he wiped it immediately and cleared his throat. "Thank you," Anurag said, Aarav smiled at Revathi. The memories of that day played in the bother's head.

After taking a moment to gather their thoughts they bid their parents goodbye and drove to the national sports center. "Her smile was always like a balm," Anurag whispered as he stared at the picture. Aarav smiled and nodded.

***

Anurag panted and dodged the punches that were thrown at him by Amit. He jumped on his legs lightly and ducked down when Amit threw an uppercut, Anurag moved aside and threw a counter punch towards Amit which he blocked easily.

Anurag hissed and rolled his shoulders. The points were again tied. They still had a few more minutes left in the match. The punches were thrown back and forth. The tie stood still no one gained a point for the next few minutes.

"That's all you have got. I expected more Anurag!" Amit shouted anger and frustration coursed through Anurag at that statement. The tie at the end of each match where none of them emerged as the winner was frustrating Anurag.

The anger of wanting to prove himself, the anger of losing his mother everything ran in his blood making him see red. His muscles pulled and burned. They had been going at this for a long time.

Anurag growled and gathered every ounce of power he could. He threw a direct punch at Amit Sir almost knocking him off his feet. Amit panted for a few seconds and got back in his stance.

"That was not bad." Amit Sir said and removed his gloves. Anurag took deep breaths and wiped his face with a towel before following Amit Sir out of the ring.

"But you can do much more than that." His mouth turned with disappointment. Anurag sighed but did not say anything.

"Finish up the rest of your routine and meet me in the office today." His coach said and walked away to check on his other students.

Anurag went on with the rest of his day but his mind was elsewhere. He managed to complete the rest of his practice but with some minor injuries because of his distraction. He was on the edge about the conversation that was to take place with Amit Sir in a few hours.

Anurag sighed and sat on the stool. He watched as everyone else shuffled towards the locker room. Aarav sat beside him and passed him an ice pack. Anurag took the ice pack and pressed it against his left shoulder which was hurting.

"Shall we leave?" Aarav asked, Anurag shook his head.

"I have to meet Amit Sir now. I'll catch up with you in a while." Anurag muttered and hissed as the coldness from the ice seeped into his skin.

"Don't worry it'll be okay. I'll wait near the parking lot." Aarav said and left the room.

Anurag took a few seconds to gather his thoughts, he stood up rotated his shoulders, and walked towards Amit Sir's office. He hesitated but knocked on the door. He heard a loud and clear "Come in." Opening the door he entered the office or the Lion's Den as his friends had named it.

Amit had his glasses on and was going through some papers. He glanced up briefly and pointed at the chair silently asking Anurag to sit down.

Anurag nodded and sat down. He clasped his hands together and waited eagerly for this meeting to end even before it had begun.

"Why did you choose boxing?" Amit asked and placed his hands against the table leaning forward. Anurag frowned at the question but answered.

"I love the sport. I am good at it but that's not the only reason. Every time I get into the ring I have a chance to prove that I'm worth something, I have a chance to fight for me. A chance to represent my country." Anurag sighed, A chance to prove that he was nothing like his vile birth father. He didn't say that out loud but clenched his fist.

"I know why you went and played in the underground matches. To vent out your anger. Am I right?" Amit asked and waited for Anurag's answer.

Anurag had a blank expression. He gave a curt nod and Amit clicked his tongue.

"What initially drove you to start playing the sport?" Amit asked, Anurag tilted his head with a confused expression. He did not know where exactly this conversation was headed. Amit tapped his hand on the table waiting for an answer.

"To vent out anger, to channel it all while playing the game." Amit hummed and leaned against the chair.

"I thought as much. Look Anurag there's no doubt that you are one of the best players that I have ever trained. But let me tell you one thing, I can see that you are still angry, and as much as anger can be a driving force to play this sport to help you thrive it can also be something that might sometimes end up being the one thing that will destroy you beyond recognition."

Amit paused for a second and glanced at Anurag who still had the cold look intact on his face.

"While anger and the drive to prove yourself may be the main motivations, there is more to you than just that. Consider embracing another, more positive emotion as the primary driving force to help you achieve your goals."

Anurag shook his head and scratched his brow. "There is more to life than holding a grudge against something that happened or someone. I'm not saying you should completely forget everything and the anger will dissipate all I'm saying is while anger might be one of the reasons other things drive you to be good at this sport find those. They are the ones which are worth fighting for."

Anurag did not completely understand but he got the gist of what his coach was implying. Aarav has been saying that for years.

"Yes Sir." He replied.

"I won't be this forgiving if I find out that you played again in the underground match," Amit warned, Anurag nodded.

"It's not easy to let go of that habit. I know what it feels like to want to destroy everything. I have been there but trust me son going there might be initially gratifying but it will only bring you misery in the long run. Don't do anything stupid to jeopardize your career. Everything can get over with a blink of an eye."

Anurag was always aware of the consequences. He nodded and stood up.

"Yes sir, I will not go there again." Amit stared at him for a few fleeting minutes and then nodded.

He got back to reading the papers in front of him which was a silent dismissal from his side.

"If you ever want to talk my door is always open," Amit said as Anurag was about to open the door.

Anurag tilted his head and nodded. "Thank you, Sir." He said. Amit nodded.

Anurag went to the locker room and took a quick shower, the conversation kept looming in his head. It's not that he never had any other reason that always encouraged him and drove him to be good in the sport. Anger had always been a dominating emotion in his life.

He zipped his jacket and grabbed his bag from the locker. He went to the parking lot where Aarav was waiting for him. Aarav did not say anything as he knew that Anurag would tell him when the time came. He drove quietly towards their apartment.

***

Priyanka bobbed her head as she listened to the music and walked around the apartment. Nyra usually would have accompanied her but she had a last-minute meeting. She would have stayed back and read a book but her head was a mess and she needed to clear it.

The cause of her messy head was the giraffe. She sighed and pulled the earphones from her ears. While understanding his need for space and willing to grant it, she couldn't help but feel curious about his thoughts. The memory of their shared kiss often surfaced unexpectedly in her mind.

As she groaned, her gaze drifted skyward. The twinkling stars framed a crescent moon, adorning the night sky. A cool breeze blew by sending shivers down her body. She pulled the jacket closer around her body and continued walking.

She decided not to think about him for the time being. She walked around for a few more minutes, during which she gathered her thoughts for the upcoming article, and noted them down on her phone saving them in her notes app. Just as she finished typing the last line she noticed Anurag seated on the bench that was near a lamp post. He was frowning and looking at something that was in his hands.

Priyanka bit her lip and hesitated but a moment later she walked towards him and sat down beside him. Anurag jerked slightly when he felt a presence beside him. He blinked his eyes for a second and frowned at her. He pocketed the picture inside his jacket.

"You know normal people would say Hi or hello. But it's okay I concluded long ago that you weren't normal so I'm used to your frowny greetings." Priyank chuckled while Anurag rolled his eyes.

"Did anyone ever use the word sassy for you? I think you are sassy." Priyanka turned to face him completely and her eyes beamed with a teasing glint.

"Did anyone use the word annoying for you? That's exactly what you are an annoying brat." Anurag said he smirked when Priyanka gasped and shoved him.

"I am not annoying. I always brighten up your day." Priyanka chuckled when Anurag scoffed but she could see him smile.

"We'll agree to disagree." He replied and tapped his fingers on the armrest of the bench.

They sat in comfortable silence. "So what is going on in that complicated mind of yours?" Priyanka asked and scooted a bit closer to him.

"My mind is not complicated," Anurag said with a frown.

"We'll agree to disagree." Priyanka imitated him, while he chuckled softly.

"I have an important match coming up in a couple of weeks." He stated after a few minutes. Priyanka did not expect him to reply.

"Are you nervous about it?" She asked him even though it was highly unlikely that he would give an honest answer to her.

"No, I'm not nervous." He answered immediately. Priyanka raised her brows waiting for him to admit the truth, he sighed and tousled his hair.

"Okay yes, I am a bit nervous. Don't you dare ever tell anyone that I said that!" He added and let out an annoyed snort when Priyanka laughed softly.

Anurag was someone who was always on guard. He hated being vulnerable so for him to admit this to her warmed her heart.

He narrowed his eyes at her and she bit her lip trying not to laugh at his cute face. A few months back this was an intimidating face but now everything about Anurag was endearing to her.

"Okay, I won't say anything." She said and the two of them went back to gazing at the sky.

"It's normal to be nervous you know. That is what makes us human. Besides you said it's an important match, it's only natural to be nervous. Relax, you have been playing for almost half your life! You will do great!" Priyanka said, Anurag sighed and nodded. Her soothing words sent a wave of calmness through his body.

Priyanka hesitated but a minute later she slid her palms against his and squeezed it lightly. She poised to retract her hand, but he intertwined their fingers. As he remained fixated on the sky, her gaze lingered on him.

She leaned her back against the bench and got comfortable. He brushed his callous thumb against the back of her hand every once in a while sending tingles down her arm. A comfortable silence surrounded them. Priyanka's phone vibrated it was a meeting link sent by Rhea. She wanted to discuss something about the latest article.

Priyanka sighed and glanced at Anurag who seemed to have a content look on his face. "Do you have to go?" He asked and turned to look at her. Their eyes locked, Priyanka was lost looking into his beautiful eyes and nodded.

"Yeah, I have a meeting in half an hour." Anurag gave her a small smile and nodded. He leaned forward and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. His thumb lingered across her cheek for a minute longer. He pulled his hand away and turned his head to the other side.

Priyanka squeezed his hand one more time and slowly pulled away from his grip. "Thank you," Anurag whispered huskily. She smiled and nodded. Before she could change her mind she leaned forward and kissed his cheek.

"Don't think too much!" Priyanka said and stood up. Anurag blinked his eyes trying to digest what had happened. His cheek tingled where her lips had touched and he felt warmth surround him. He shook his head and chuckled softly. It was never a boring moment when she was around him.

He watched her, she turned back and waved her hands at him. His lips tilted slightly and he raised his hand giving her a small wave. He had lost a lot in his life, but there were still people who meant everything to him. Maybe, just maybe, he finally understood what Aarav and Amit Sir had said: anger isn't always the only driving emotion.

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A/N: To understand emotions of a person is hard. Even if they are only a fictional character. I think Anurag might finally be realising a lot of things. The only question is if he willing to acknowledge the change of emotions in him.

I loved writing the scene between Priyanka and Anurag. It made me feel tingly hehe.

More of their moments to come in the future chapters! So look out for that!

Hope you guys liked this chapter! If you did please do vote and comment! I would love to know what you guys think!