IS THIS IT?

Prachi walked out of her room and into Shahana's. The words Ranbir had spoken to her weren't letting her rest. Those words that he uttered had caused a whirlpool to arise in her. The things he had said were as true as they could be.

Will she be able to ever accept Aarav? Ever? Well, the answer was as bright as a day, never.

But today, there was a much bigger perspective that Ranbir showed her. That she's doing hell wrong with Aarav too. The person who was trying to take her out of her toxic family, who is trying to pull her out of whatever hell she is in, she is going to throw him in a bigger one.

She is intentionally or unintentionally ruining his life with a stupid decision of hers. This is not her. She is not selfish. She can not use someone to get out of the mess she or her sister or some stupid decisions of her had created. She can not use Aarav as a step. And ultimately, on the path they were headed on, that is exactly what she was doing. And now she wanted to talk to someone she knew won't judge her.

The night has fallen and god knows why, Prachi felt like something big is going to happen, and so, she wanted to talk to someone that she knew will always be there for her. The first person that came to her mind was Shahana. Seeing the time, she decided to join Shahana in her room. Unaware that the person she wanted to talk to was one of those who were planning to do the 'Something Big' in her life. Soon.

Just as Prachi opened the door of Shahana's room, the other girl ran into her. Literally.

"What Shahana? At least look where you are going." Prachi exclaimed, rubbing her shoulder where Shahana had bumped. Just as she was about to continue, she saw all Aryan, Piyush, and Aarav there. The four of them looking at her like deers caught in headlights.

"What is going on here?" Prachi asked, looking at them skeptically.

"Party."

"Planning."

"Preparation."

"Prachi."

Exclaimed Aryan, Piyush, Aarav, and Shahana respectively.

"Huh?" Prachi asked, eyebrows knitted together.

"Uh... We are planning for a party and just doing its preparations." Aryan lied masterly, walking forward to stand side by side Shahana.

"And, umm, I was coming to call you so...." Shahana added with a too bright-to-be believable smile, but Prachi brought it nonetheless.

"And when is this party going to happen? Actually, I wanted to talk to you." Prachi asked, looking behind her tall sibling.

"Right about now." answered Aarav stepping ahead as well.

"Now?" Prachi asked, subtly surprised. "It's seven, and-"

*Clank* *Clank* *Clank*

Prachi turned around to see no but the curtain flying with the wind and the ornament that is situated next to her door lying on the floor down the corridor. Shahana took the distraction and quickly tossed something over to Aarav, who swiftly caught it, returning to their initial position.

"What I was saying was that I wanted to-"

"Oh, leave it, let's go. We have prepared a pretty surprise for you. It's gonna be amazing." Shahana cut Prachi off and turned her by her shoulder and made her walk in front of herself, pushing her softly with hands still on her shoulders.

"Let's do this," Piyush said, smiling excitedly looking at the other two boys when he felt a stinging on the back of his head. He turned to look at his brother, who had swatted his head, rubbing it still, with a shocked expression.

"Planning? Seriously?" Aarav asked and shook his head.

"What?" Piyush whined like a child, "I panicked!"

"Let's go." Aarav smiled at his antics, "Dramebaaz."

~*~

Till the three boys reached down, Shahana had already rounded up every single Mehra and Kohli. Seating them up on the couches so that no one misses anything.

"What is it? What are you all planning?" asked Alia, royally ignoring Shahana who had just explained them.

"We have a pretty surprise for our to-be couples, mom." Aryan answered, setting up the screen with the help of Piyush, and took his place next to Ranbir, he knew who would be needing great support in no time.

Ranbir gave him a puzzled look which he replied with a reassuring one.

"Really?" Rhea asked, excitedly, "we need to see what my brother prepared for us." She said, taking the place next to Ranbir and winding an arm around his, and placing her head on his shoulder.

Ranbir badly wanted to shrug away from her touch. He didn't want to come within an area of her where even her shadow could be cast upon him, but the small smile that his chief shared with Pragya and the awed look that his mother supported restrained him from doing so. 

Prachi's heart felt a similar twinge she had been feeling for months now, but still, it hurt as much as it had the first time. She looked down and blinked a few times to let the stinging feeling fade. She looked up to see that while she was channeling her inner self to calm, everyone else had seated down, and now only she remained on her feet.

She looked around for someplace to sit and Piyush quickly got up from beside Aarav, giving her space to sit. She gratefully smiled at him and took the place between her ideal to-be and Shahana.

"You are going to be really happy with it." Shahana whispered to Prachi making the other girl shoot her a confused look.

"Everyone will know how these four truly are, after this." Shahana commented, as Aarav started the projection that was connected to the mobile Shahana had tossed him back in the room.

Everyone intently stared at the white screen as the projector threw the colorful beams of light on it, constructing different pictures and recalling different memories for every family member. 

The first part was the most enjoyable for Abhi and Pragya, for it consisted of the baby pictures of the younger ones, most importantly of Rhea and Prachi. 

Abhi wrapped his arm around Pragya and she, in turn, laid her head on his shoulder as the pictures progressed. Moisture twinkling in both's eyes.

"You know, this was her first day of school," Pragya said laughing as a tear escaped her eyes and she wiped it by the back of her hand.

As the pictures continued, something stirred inside Prachi. There was a picture of her childhood and she still vaguely remembers it. It was an evening picture when Shahana wanted to go to the corner of the street they lived in. She and aarav would have convinced her to wait for the next day if she had not mentioned the ice cream and Piyush too had joined her in the fit. 

They had quietly snuck out of the house, without the knowledge of any elder. Or so they thought, but Pragya had seen them and had clicked a picture of them where Aarav was keeping a watch while the other three escaped without anyone's knowledge. 

How can she deceive someone who always looked out for her?

The pictures then turned to their resent ones, with every one of them together. 

In these pictures, what they all portrayed was way too precious. She could not throw it all away. The bonds she had were too important and she couldn't let them go. It was too hurtful. 

And then came the picture that was the final nail in the coffin for her. That face, that smiling, bright, happy face staring back at her. The smile that had been lost somewhere never to found back. 

She softly turned to see him, not even a ghost of happiness on his face. Instead, there was restlessness and pain as she saw him watching the pictures she had with Aarav. 

She can not break her promise with Rhea and give sorrow to her parents, but there must be something she can do to reduce some of his.

The deep void of the dark abyss that he was in could be lessened somehow.

But what could she do?

Just as she let the walls around her heart down, thousands of memories she shared with her lively boy came rushing back. She drowned in the sea which she had kept at bay for weeks. The moments drenching her completely. She shuddered when the words Shahana had said to her joined the memories, along with the new one Ranbir had breathed on her skin the very day.

She shuddered as she once again felt his touch, very much fresh in her mind and very much alive in her body. Her breath hitched when her mind recalled the sweet fragrance he wear. 

This was all too much for her.

She practically felt how he had held her whenever she was about to kiss the ground.

"Enough, ENOUgh, I Can't, I CAN'T DO IT," She screamed, standing up. Taking everyone by surprise.

Shahana, who had been on the edge of her seat waiting for this moment, quickly paused the slideshow for letting everyone pay better attention to her friend.

Prachi, who was still numb by all the pain, not fully registering what she was doing, let it all go.

She finally, after months of torturing herself, let all the agony, sorrow, frustration, stress, trauma, added up with the emotional abuse that her sister had caused her flow free as condensed emotions.

The entire family stood up, seeing the miserable condition of their girl. The girl who they had thought was fierce and strong, watching the same girl crumble before them was a scene before them that knocked their feet off the ground. 

"Prachi, Prachi what happened?" Pragya asked, alarmed, walking towards her daughter.

"Please," Prachi pleaded, taking a step back, tears flowing down her face. "I- I- I caN'T" She sobbed, gasping for air.

"What is it, Prachi? What happened?" Asked Abhi, tensed beyond anything.

"I can't marry Aarav. I can't do this to him. I can not do this to anyone." Prachi uttered, shocking the wits out of everyone.

Ranbir who has had his heart in his throat, hitched on his breath as Prachi uttered those words. His heart had been ripped to shreds as every tear left her eyes, but as she voiced the words, his heartbeat stopped altogether. 

A bunch of 'what's' and a couple of gasps echoed in the hall, along with the heart-wrenching sobs of Prachi, but as they drowned out, the entire world seemed to freeze at the revelation just made.

"What do you mean that you won't marry Aarav Prachi?" Pallavi was the first to find her voice.

"I can't ruin his life. I tried.. I tried to mold my heart but it doesn't obey me." She uttered, her eyes downcast. "I can't do this."

"Why Prachi?" Aarav asked, his voice calm.

"Prachi," Pragya called, trying to handle her daughter. "Prachi what happened? Tell us, child, we'll help you."

"No," Prachi exclaimed, "No one, no one can help me. The only option I have is to call off this marriage."

"Do you think it is a joke?" Aliya asked, leaning ahead threateningly, "You can not just call the marriage off. Once you have agreed, you will have to marry the boy."

"No, you don't." Said Purab. He mostly prefers not to talk in the matters to make them any more complicated, but he had promised his niece that he would always be there for her, and he is a man of his words, he ain't going to back out now. 

"Prachi," he gently said, approaching her and standing in front of her, "If you don't want this marriage to happen, no one will force you. But please tell us what is the reason behind this decision of yours? Only if you want to, only, if you are comfortable." He added quickly.

"Prachi," Pragya took her daughter's hands in her own, wiping her tears softly, only for new ones to retrace the previous' tracks. "I am here. Tell me, what is it? Tell me baccha, what is the matter."

Pragya cooed at her to share the matter with her, but it only caused Prachi to cry harder.

"Prachi," Aarav called her, and everyone moved to the side to let the 'Heartbroken' boy talk. 

"Prachi I know you don't love me, but neither did Pragya aunty loved your father when they married each other. But look at them now, they really love each other, don't you think we could achieve something remotely close to that?"

The girl only shook her head in response.

"Why Prachi?" Aarav asked, his voice way too calm, "Everyone has a spot vacant in their heart." He said, his voice rising gradually. 

"I can't" Prachi quivered.

"Everyone does! So must you," He remarked as Prachi shook her head, "you must have that place Prachi, Then what is the problem? I'll be in that place someday, the empty place should be filled."

"There is no such place," Prachi screamed.

"WHY?" 

"BECAUSE I AM IN LOVE WITH SOMEONE ELSE!!!"

A/N:- Hey Taffys, How are you all doing? Getting cozzy in the winter's eh?

God, why did I wrote 'eh'? Something's Siriously Ron with me. 

So, here is next chapter for you, hope you all liked it. I actually had planned to have the big revelation a couple of chapter's away, but the track where the cv is going right now made me just go for the big chapter already.

I actually wrote it way ahead, but it would've been too long for my liking. So enjoy this for now.

Quick question:- A character in HP that you thought deserved better?

My answer:- Remus Lupin

Lots of Love,

Simran