THIS IS IT!

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

The silence that fell was deafening. No one dared to even breathe deeply for the fear of the unknown, that might follow. Prachi's body heaved, gasping for breath. Only after the words that she had been too afraid to even think of had left past her lips, did she snap back into reality.

What she had done in the last few minutes!

Her hands flew to her cover her mouth, suppressing the gasp that left her mouth. Her eyes filled with a new set of tears, and not trusting herself anymore, she slowly backed away before turning and sprinting from there.

"See, she's again doing it." Rhea accused as everyone was about to follow after Prachi.

"What do you mean?" Asked Vikram, his voice ice cold.

"She's always tried to steal away my happiness, and she is doing the same again." Rhea walked ahead to stand between everyone, "She's purposely doing this to ruin everything for me. She's trying to snatch everyone. Why can't no one see this? Prachi is not what she pretends to be."

"Rhea!" Abhi roared, "Prachi needs us right now by her side, and that's where her family will be. I'll be having a much-needed word with you later."

They started to move towards the direction Prachi had rushed a couple of minutes before.

"What do you want Prachi?"

Rhea asked, a sense of superiority dripping from her voice. Everyone turned around to look at the girl, only to realize that it was not something she said now, but something she had uttered a long time ago.

Rhea's blood ran cold as she remembered when she had had this conversation with her twin, and dreaded what followed in it. Her heart picked up the pace and her throat felt dry.

Cold sweat broke on her forehead.

"Rhea, papa loves you a lot, if you ask him not to marry Meera aunty, he will surely listen to you."

Their attention changed to the previously paused screen that now, for the first time this evening, displayed a frame that holds both the Mehra heiresses in one. Their attention was glued to the scene unfolding before them.

"And why would I do it?"

"Maa loves papa, and he too loves maa. This marriage will do no good to anyone."

"It will be good for me, I will have a mother that actually loves me, instead of one that only claims to. I want this marriage to happen. I will make sure this marriage will happen."

*Slap*

Rhea flinched as she remembered the stinging pain Prachi had caused her that day. She clenched her fists, nails digging in her palms. She could not lose now. Not after all she had done for this day. She walked forward intending to stop the video from playing any further. But she felt a tug. She turned back to come face to face with Shahana.

The other girl had her wrist in a death grip.

"Not today." The younger girl gritted as the video continued.

"Don't Rhea. Please don't do this with my mother." Prachi begged, "Please Rhea, Please. She'll break Rhea. She is your mother too. Please, she won't be able to handle it. She's already seen a lot of problems in her life. she's already had a very difficult life. She won't be able to handle this. Please don't do this with my mother, Please Rhea. Please."

"I like this," Rhea beamed, "I- I really like this. I've always wanted to see you like this. I am really enjoying it. Go on, keep doing it. What can you do for me?"

"Rhea, Rhea please don't do this. Tell me, tell me if I could do anything. I'll do anything for my mother's happiness. I'll, I'll sacrifice anything for my mother. I'll do anything you want. Please, Rhea."

"You'll sacrifice anything for your mother?"

"Anything."

"Okay then, sacrifice your love. Sacrifice the person you love for your mother's love. Give the person to me and I'll give your mother's love to her. Give me MY love and have your mother's love for her. It's really a very small bargain Prachi. What do you want? Your love or your mother's happiness."

Ranbir's heart dropped to his stomach when he heard the girl who was going to be his bride utter those vicious words. His stomach churned as he saw the dilemma on Prachi's face, the broken look in her eyes made his heart lurch.

"But, who do Prachi love?" Dasi asked, to no one in particular.

"Tell me, will you give up your love for your mother's happiness? Will you give me Ranbir in return for your mother's love?"

A collective gasp echoed through the hall as everyone tried to believe what they heard.

"What are you saying, Rhea? How, ho- how can I do this? I-I can't do this to him. Ranbir, he- he loves me! He'll break. I- I can't do this Rhea. I- I- Can't. I-"

"The choice is yours. Either you sacrifice your love and get your mother's happiness, or keep your love and lose your mother's forever."

"I accept. I will. I will sacrifice my love. I will sacrifice my Ranbir for my mother's happiness."

"This, this is what I wanted to hear. Now go, go and break up with Ranbir. And make sure, make sure that you don't just have to break up with Ranbir, you have to break his heart, you have to break up with him in such a way that he breaks, and when he breaks, he'll come straight to me. And I- I- I'll console him and then he'll fall for me. Then he'll start loving me. He'll forget you and he'll fall for me."

"You'll stop this marriage if I break up with Ranbir?"

"I promise, here you break up with Ranbir and there I'll convince Dad to break this marriage and accept your mother. But, I have a condition."

"What condition?"

"You'll have to leave."

"What?"

"Yes, I am not dumb Prachi. I know Ranbir loves you, I know he loves you a lot. And as long as you will be in front of his eyes, as long as you will be here in our lives, I will never get what is mine. Be it Ranbir's love or Mom's care. So say, you'll leave our lives?"

"I will."

"Good then."

"I will. I will break Ranbir's heart."

"Then go on, go and break up with Ranbir."

"I will, just give me some time, I will."

The entire family's heart was clutched in different emotions as they witnessed the true colors of the girl who grew up before them. To see what she had transformed into was beyond their worst nightmare.

Their individual emotions were quite different, and yet the same. They all felt the exact same thing as the video of Prachi breaking up with Ranbir progressed in front of them.

Ranbir's emotions were in a wind whirl as he looked at his old self saying those hurtful things to Prachi. How could he be so stupid not to see through her act? How could he be so dumb at that moment to believe that she didn't love him? How could he let those sharp words even comprehend in his mind?

Her words stung his heart but his own pierced it.

And the breakdown that Prachi had after he had left made a memory that will always be printed in his conscious. The way she broke down in front of Shahana was the worst thing he had ever seen or felt. And then she freaking asked Shahana to promise her not to tell anything to anyone.

"How could you do this?" Pallavi snapped at Rhea.

"Dad, dad trust me. I- I can explain." Rhea pleaded, crying profoundly when Abhi just gave her a cold shoulder.

"What? WHAT CAN YOU EXPLAIN?" Abhi shouted, making her flinch back.

"What can you explain?" He asked, defeated, "No, I am giving you a chance. Explain. EXPLAIN."

"Dad, Dad I love Ranbir, Prachi, she- she was snatching him from me. She snatched everyone from me, first mom, then you, and then Ranbir, How- How could I let my Ranbir slip away from me. Dad-"

"So you planned on bargaining my and your mother's happiness in turn of your sister's?"

"She's not my sister. She is NOT my sister. Sister's don't do what she had done to me Dad, She can never be my sister." Rhea ranted.

"Ranbir what is this?" Aliya turned to him, confusing him to the core. Everything was as clear as the day and still she was asking him what this was.

His life had been tossed around by the younger niece of her like a bloody pinata, who had also not hesitated before bargaining their parents' happiness with her own sister, and still, she was asking him what it was.

"Huh?" Ranbir asked, wiping the tear away that had flown down his cheek.

"You loved Prachi?" Aliya asked, "Then why did you always say that you love Rhea?"

"I said?" Ranbir counter questioned in disbelief. "I never said that I loved Rhea."

"Ranbir if you had any confusion for who you loved, you could have asked any of us for help, we would have given you the right advice," Pallavi said, trying to cook up a way to get herself out of mess.

"What?" Ranbir asked, his voice rising. "I- I was confused?!?"

"You always gave indications that you love Rhea," Abhi answered, "And even Rhea said the same. she told me that you and her love each other. Only if you had told us the truth."

"She said and you believed her?" Ranbir demanded, his voice filled with rage.

"Ranbir look who you are talking to," Pallavi warned him.

"Why? Why do I look out?" Ranbir asked, his voice not changing a bit. "Did, did any of you even give a thought before afflicting so much pain on my Prachi? That- that girl was going through-"

Aliya's mind was running miles per second, trying to get Rhea out of this mess. She will, by hook or by crook, have to save Rhea or she might even spill her secrets.

"Then why didn't you tell anyone that you love Prachi? Why did you always say that you loved Rhea? Why did you give mixed signals?" Aliya asked.

"I gave mixed signals?" Ranbir asked exaggeratedly. "To whom did I give any indication that I love Rhea. Tell me, tell me to whom did I say that 'I love Rhea'?"

"Chief?" He asked, walking towards Abhi and standing in front of him. He badly wanted to be with Prachi right now, but this fiasco has to be finished for once and for all.

"Chief did I ever tell you that I loved Rhea? In fact, in fact, I came to you to get advice on love, you remember?" He asked and Abhi nodded, about to say something, but Ranbir continued. "That was for Prachi! I wanted to ask Prachi out." He moved his hands in irritation, "Remember you asked me who was the girl and I said that 'She is like your daughter'. That was PRACHI. You were the one who always used to say that you see Prachi as your daughter. So didn't you understand?"

"I- I thought you were shy to admit that you love Rhea, that's why you said 'like daughter'," Abhi admitted as the realization dawned upon him.

"Is it my fault?" Ranbir asked in a tiny voice, dejected that even his idol was unable to understand him.

"Pragya aunty, at least you say something. You knew it. You knew I loved Prachi. You were there when I proposed to her, then why didn't you say anything?" He asked.

"But you two broke up." Pragya replied, "Prachi herself told me that you two broke up and that she was happy with your marriage with Rhea."

"I never, never-ever, said to anyone that I love Rhea, and you know what?" He said in the air, "Everyone, almost everyone in this room knows that I love Prachi. But still.." Ranbir breathed.

"The entire college knows that Ranbir and Prachi love each other." Shahana commented. 

"You all give me one person who will say that I told them that I love Rhea, and I'll give you ten who will support my love for Prachi." Ranbir challenged.

"Wait," Aryan interjected, "Jay and Anjali had been calling me all evening. They have to say something that could help with the confusion." Saying this, he picked up the call, putting it on speaker simultaneously.

"Hello?" He spoke and that was the word that out leashed their friends' panic-stricken questions and statements.

"What is happening Aryan?" Jay practically screamed at them.

"What is wrong with Ranbir?" Anjali followed, overlapping Jay's voice.

"Why is he marrying Rhea-"

"He loves Prachi-"

"Is something wrong?"

"Prachi will break-"

"We can help-"

"We can help the two of them to run away."

"Guys, guys, guys," Aryan interjected, "Umm, there is no wedding going to happen, everything is fine." He finished looking at Rhea.

"If there's anything we can do, don't hesitate to call." Saloni said before finally ending the call.

"If there is still some suspicion left that I was confused," Ranbir said in a controlled tone, "Dad, remember in Lohri party you told me to approach a girl with my intentions clear. I asked you how can I ask someone to be my girlfriend and you told me to be clear first if I want her to be just my girlfriend or wife? That was the day I realized that I want, no, I need Prachi in my life, dad. That's why I even started flirting with Maya." He spat the name like venom.

"Because I wanted to make Prachi feel jealous." He cried.

"And- and that day, when you told me that you had fixed my engagement with Rhea, that day I told everyone, I told Mom, dad, dida, that I love Prachi, but they didn't listen to me." He continued, making the said persons bow their heads in shame and profound guilt.

"Why are you doing this to me Ranbir." Rhea sobbed as she clutched the front of Ranbir's jacket. "Please Ranbir, please. You love me Ranbir, you only love me, you- you told me that you love me. you proposed to me to be your girlfriend." She pleaded.

"Is this true Ranbir?" Asked Pallavi.

"Yes, yes I did-"

"Then how can you claim that you love Prachi now?" Aliya inquired.

"You can not lie now Ranbir." Rhea continued her own rant, holding Ranbir's face in her cold hands, "You love me. Prachi- she, she had just manipulated you. That's how she is, she's just manipulating dirty girl, you love me Ranbir, you love me."

Ranbir clutched her wrists tightly, his fingers digging in her soft flesh. If it weren't for the fact that she was a girl, he would have ripped her arms off her body. That and the point that Prachi would never forgive him for it. And so, he left her hands.

"If she is any of them, then what are you?" He asked in a steel cold voice, so sharp that it could slice the thick tension in the room in a single swish.

"You know Rhea, you yourself made me fall for Prachi. And that is something I will always be grateful to you for. Had you not placed that bet in front of me in exchange for accepting my proposal, I won't have gotten to know Prachi." He said, folding his hands sarcastically in front of the girl.

"Wait, wait, wait," Piyush interjected, "What bet?"

"The bet she put before me," Ranbir answered, stepping back "Was that she will only accept my proposal of us dating to be the most famous couple of the college, if I win Prachi's heart, make her fall in love with me and then break her heart, so that the humiliation she felt when Prachi slapped her in the college campus and the deep blow that her ego felt could be satisfied."

"Ranbir, Ranbir, Please." Rhea begged, holding his hand between her's, "Please Ranbir please don't do this to me. Please Ranbir I'll die. Please. I'm begging you. I'll die without you Ranbir please."

Ranbir did nothing but pull his hand out of her grasp, shaking her head. "Prachi begged to you too. Did you listen to her? did you?"

"Ranbir, Please."

"I shouldn't have listened to Prachi. I shouldn't have listened when she asked me to forgive you for all the crimes you have committed. Then maybe our lives would have been sorted out. even on the hospital bed where she was because of you, she made me promise not to tell anyone anything. But maybe breaking that promise wouldn't have been bad."

"What crimes are you talking about?" Abhi asked, confused as to how this love dispute got changed into hidden crimes.

"Oh, you guys don't know it Right?" Ranbir asked, wiping his tear strained face. "This is gonna be interesting." He said, looking at Rhea amusingly.

"Say clearly Ranbir." Dida asked, looking quizically at them.

"It was Rhea who was in the hospital because of Prachi," Pallavi grunted. "Don't forget that it was Prachi that compelled her to commit suicide."

"Now that I think of it," Ranbir frowned, turning to Rhea. "Did you really try to commit suicide? Or was it another foul play of yours?"

"Ranbir what are you saying?" Aliya fumed.

"Do tell Rhea, did you really try to commit suicide?" Ranbir asked, he continued on the bigger topic when she didn't respond other than quite quivering. "Well as per the crimes you were asking about-"

"We have that covered too." Aryan cut in, making the audience turn to them once again.

He took the remote from Shahana, who excused herself to go and check on Prachi, skipping about two videos and jumping to the one that had her confessing all her crimes in the isolated area of the hospital followed closely by the one they took from an empty corridor of the college where Rhea proudly confessed to her friend Dimpy, that it was, after all, her plan to plant Maya in Ranbir's life. 

Only one good thing she had was that she didn't take the whole credit of all the mindblowing plannings of the vicious things herself, instead, she paid great regard to her aunt, The Aliya Mehra-Khanna too. Telling her best friend how her Dearest Aunt also played her role of the game maker in this Hunger Games 2.0 exceptionally.

Bringing the reign of Aliya to the end.

The revelations that were unfolded were enough to knock the ground out of everyone's feet. The girl they trusted blindly was the incarnation of the devil and they didn't even suspect it. They literally had no clue that the tiny girl they thought her to be was actually a doppelganger of a demon living among them.

The ground swayed under Abhi's feet and he dropped back on the couch. How could he be so blind in his love for his daughter that he didn't even realize when she turned into a miniature version of his sister. The small girl who innocently used to ask him where her mother was had turned into someone he couldn't even recognize.

He was a fool. He was a fool who made the same mistake twice in his life, and that too with the two persons that mattered the most to him in his life. Firstly he spoilt his sister so much that she became so stubborn that she didn't give a thought before doing actions that were borderline illegal. And now his daughter had even crossed that mark and planned literal murder.

In cold blood.

What provided to be a small participant in being the hurt inflicted on his heart was that his wife, Pragya, knew about this and didn't share it with him.

"How could you Rhea?" Pallavi stepped ahead, raising her hand to slap her right across her face.

Rhea flinched in fear, closing her eyes shut, shrinking in her own, waiting for the stinging sensation to hit her face. She waited and waited for a few moments, but it never came. She tentatively opened her eyes to see what happened, opening them fully when she saw Pallavi's hand stopped mid-air.

Ranbir had caught his own mother's hand and a spark of hope ignited in her heart. Maybe Ranbir had finally found out that it was her that he loved and not her twin. 

But her hope was short-lived.

"What are you doing Ranbir?" Pallavi asked her son in befuddlement.

"What are you doing Mummy?" the boy counter questioned.

"She ruined my son's life-"

"But so did you."

That made Pallavi open her mouth, and then close it back when she registered it to be true.

"You are responsible for ruining my life just as much as Rhea is."

"Ranbir I-"

"I what? What did you do? Lemme tell you what did you do?" Ranbir answered, "You tried to force me into marrying a girl who I don't love. You refused to let me marry the girl who I really loved. And when I decided not to bow in front of your will. You faked a heart problem and you still are faking it to date."

Vikram and Dida gasped at this piece of information, while Pallavi just turned her head, not meeting anyone's gaze. Solidifying that what the Kohli heir had just said was nothing but the truth.

"Yes, mom, I knew it, but just as I was going to tell this to Prachi and confront you for lying, this girl here had already played her cards." Ranbir stated.

"I cried, mummy." His voice quavered, hitching a bit, "I pleaded, I begged to you that I love Prachi. But you didn't listen. You just didn't listen."

"No one listened to me." He stated, a determination in his voice, "Now, why would I?"

He didn't wait at all for someone to say anything but took it upon himself to go to Prachi. No one stopped him, and even if anyone had he wouldn't have stopped. 

It was his right.

His heart pumped in his chest as he walked toward the direction Prachi had run and Shahana had followed. The rapid and loud beating of his pulse behind his ear drowned out any other noise. He had waited long enough for this moment that these few seconds were infinite for him to wait anymore.

He just wanted to hold his Prachi in his arms and say that everything will be fine now. He just wanted to make sure that everything will be fine now.

He quickly jogged towards the kitchen area, looking in a couple of rooms that were there. Panic clutching his heart tighter when he couldn't find her.

"Prachi?" He called again and again through the house, till he reached a room that was locked from inside.

"Prachi?" He called knocking on the door, "Prachi, please open the door. Talk to me please, Prachi. Please open the door."

The entire family hurriedly gathered there, listening to Ranbir shouting from the hall. Aryan stepped forward, knocking simultaneously to Ranbir.

"Prachi?" Aryan called. "Shahana? Open the door."

Along with them a lot of other "Prachi"s and "Shahana"s were heard from the family members who were calling them from behind the two boys. Each passing second was making Ranbir more and more restless and he finally started hitting his palm with full force on the door. The assault on the door soon changed from a palm to his shoulder that Aryan too joined in, trying to blow the door off the hinges if they had to.

With a final push, the boys managed to unhinge the latch on the door, stumbling in the room, hardly catching themselves as they took in the condition in front of them.

A/N:- Hey Lollies, How are you? Hope you are not being scolded by your mums like I am being right now. Here is another chapter for you lot and hey, guess we are again on track, Huh?

Do tell me how you found the chapter. I didn't include the entire slapping and cursing family drama because 'The less information you give, the more space for imagination." 

Please Vote and comment on your favorite part. Inline comments are most welcome.

Quick Question: Your favorite scene from the HP movies?

My Answer: The one where Molly sent Ron's outfit for the Yule Ball and Harry held up the bow in front of that hideous dress and was like 'Aaha!". That scene was hilarious.

Lots of Love, 

Simran