FINE

Ranbir and Aryan stumbled into the room. Holding themselves just in time to stop from stepping on the vase that lay broken on the floor. Their eyes rose to take in the fragmented state of the room. The bedside table turned to the side, the beddings sprawled all over the place, the mirror shattered. It took them full seven seconds to come to their senses, and then the next four seconds to comprehend words in their minds.

"Prachi," Ranbir mumbled, bouncing a bit on his feet before moving around the room, checking from behind the headboard of the bed to the washroom, unable to spot her anywhere.

"Prachi?" He shouted, the reply coming the sheer void.

"Prachi?" Pragya asked, looking at Abhi, panicking.

They all pushed through the entire house looking for the two girls, only to gather back in the hall empty-handed. Frown lines settled on everyone's face. Any emotion anyone had for the two generations of Mehra heiresses was overtaken by worry for the missing girls.

"Did they- did they leave?" Mitali asked tentavely.

"Why?" Pragya asked, "No- no they can't leave. My- my child can not leave.."

"But your child only asked her to leave." Mitali commented tauntingly, "And after everything that happened today, anyone would have left everything behind. After all, who would like to live somewhere where their own sister is snatching their parents and marrying someone's love. After everything Rhea had done to Prachi, I don't think she would have stayed here any longer."

"Mitali bhabhi please," Abhi snapped, "if you can't say something positive then please try and restrain yourself from uttering anything at all!"

"Pragya, you- you don't worry, we'll get them back. I'll bring our daughter back." He consoled Pragya who was becoming a crying mess by the second.

"I've already called the police, they must be here in about half an hour," Purab informed.

"Half an hour?" Aryan asked, "That would be too long, they could go too far by then. God knows what had happened in that room."

"Haven't you seen the condition of the room, something fishy sure happened there." Piyush said, and for the first time since he had entered the house, anyone ever saw the true emotions of fear and tension shadowing his visage.

The remembrance of the disheveled room started a ringing sound in Ranbir's ears. The shameless girl that stood on the side with no ounce of worry added to his anger even more. There was no shame, no emotion, no worry, no guilt whatsoever in her eyes. She just stood there, empty, staring at him with no regret.

His mind went blank and he saw Red.

"What have you done?" He strode towards Rhea. Grabbing her arms from below the shoulders in a death grip. Rhea whined, trying to free herself from his hands.

He spun her around the one-eighty degree, "I know this is somewhere or another your deed, TELL ME!" He jerked her, "TELL ME WHERE IS PRACHI?!?"

"Ranbir, Ranbir you are hurting me." Rhea stuttered out.

"Ranbir, Ranbir"

"Ranbir let go of her,"

"Ranbir, bro control." Aryan and others tried to get him away from her.

"What control Aryan?" Ranbir left Rhea, pushing her away. She whimpered when the blood supply returned to her arms, clutching her arms and bending over in pain.

Ranbir ran a hand through his hair, frustratedly pulling on them. "This girl," he pointed at Rhea, "I know her better than anyone here, she can do anything, that's why I'm telling you all. I am sure it's her that had done this."

"I- I didn't." Rhea pleaded, "I didn't do anything, I promise, Dad, believe me, I didn't."

"Tell the truth Rhea," The father of the girl asked, "Tell the truth, if you have anything to do with this, tell the truth before it is too late."

"I swear dad, I have nothing to do with any of this, Mom," She turned to her mother, still a sobbing mess, "Mom, believe me, I- I have nothing to do with this."

Pragya looked on and on at her daughter, torn between what to say and what not to. Just as she opened her mouth to say something, the police came to the view, gathering everyone's attention. One of the four policemen, that was most probably in charge for the night, moved forward to shake Purab's hand.

"Purab Khanna, I called you here." Purab introduced himself.

"Hello, I'm Sub Inspector Kaushik, I'll be looking over this case till the official charge sheet is filed." The SI informed.

"Why hasn't the FIR written yet?" Abhi asked, walking forward and introducing himself when the officer gave him a confused look. "I'm Abhishek Mehra, Prachi is my daughter."

The policeman nodded in acknowledgment before answering the question, "An official complaint can't be registered before twenty-four hours Mr. Mehra, but since the subjects are two young girls, we are here to help."

"So," SI began, "What had to lead the girls to disappear?" He asked and the family members shared a look before Abhi finally spoke out the truth.

So he filled the policemen with every bit of information, not leaving anything out for the sake of his daughters, one who was missing and another who was in desperate need of some suitable punishment.

"Hmm," Mr. Kaushik nodded, grasping the whole concept, "Mr. Mehra, for one, after everything you have told me, we will have to file a complaint against your younger daughter and your sister under many charges," He said gesturing his junior to call for two or more lady constables.

"And as per the question of your other daughter, the chances are fifty-fifty that either it could be another of your younger daughter's planning or..."

"Or?" everyone urged him to continue.

"Or as per the condition put against her and being fed up by the way she was treated, she had finally decided to leave."

"No, no, no, my girl- my girl can't leave me." Pragya cried out.

"Ma'am," The concerned officer said in a soft voice, "To be honest it would be in their best interest if they left themselves, at least they would be safe, instead of the other one. Trust us, we'll send a team to look around the city for the girls, only if some photograph could be provided..." he trailed off.

And with the picture, they left, assuring them that they will be looking at every possible place that the girls could be. The assuring, however, did not do much good for anyone. Pragya was still crying, leaning forward resting her elbows on her knees, and holding her head in her hands while Abhi sat down next to her, his hand resting on her back as he stared into nothingness. Too caught up in his own thoughts to say anything to console his wife.

Aliya and Rhea were cornered aside, but not overlooked. Aliya had been under someone or another's close gaze for she might try an escape while Rhea was sitting senseless. Her mind was blank, as per how she lost everything and everyone close to her in a span of one evening. A few hours ago, she was discussing her bridal look for tomorrow while now she was not even sure if she will have anything ever?

The rest were not much different, they too were caught in nettings of their thoughts. Trying to let all the information that got uncovered today sink in their brains.

Ranbir stood to one side, leaning against the side railing of the staircase. His back rested against the cool iron bar as took deep ragged breaths. One hand pinched the brim of his nose while the other was clutched tightly in a fist against his heart. If it were up to him, he would be running the whole city.

Aryan's condition was no better. He had had a double blow. For one his sister that he met after so many years was missing, and for other, his best friend, who he could strangely connect to despite having so many differences was also not here. He didn't want to lose any of them. And that was what confused him more.

It was one thing to feel protective for Prachi. But for Shahana, it was a whole another thing. The stress he felt for Prachi made him worried, but for Shahana..... It was making him restless, as he paced around.

Being with Ranbir for about all his life, he spotted something the same in him too. As the other boy stood still against the iron bars, he could easily pass for a statue if it weren't for his heaving shoulders. And at that moment, he could identify the same restlessness that Ranbir has for Prachi. And he knew where this would lead him. Yet, he didn't deny it once, for he had seen many around him craving for this feeling.

So he will, he promised himself, not fight it anymore.

"Ranbir," Pallavi gathered some courage and made her way over to her broken son.

"Ranbir?" She muttered softly, placing a hand on his shoulder, successfully breaking his trance. "Don't worry beta, we are here, we will do something-"

"Don't." Ranbir snapped, making Pallavi flinch back.

"Please don't do anything now," he said, straining to control his voice a bit after seeing the reaction from his mother, "Please mummy, you have already done enough to last a lifetime. Please be kind and don't do anything now."

"Ranbir go," Vikram said, finally coming out of the shock he was in after knowing that his wife had been lying to him and was assaulting his care and worry towards her for her selfish interests.

"huh?" everyone turned to him, looking at him befuddled.

"Ranbir, go and look for Prachi and Shahana, we can't just sit here doing nothing," Vikram told his son, who nodded.

"Ranbir wait," Aryan called, "I'm coming too, I can't just stay here." And with him, Aarav and Piyush joined too.

"Vikram what did you do?" Pallavi asked after the boys had left.

"What else did you want?" Vikram replied, "Weren't you seeing how restless he was?"

"But how could you send him out to look for that girl in the dead of the night?" Pallavi asked.

"Did you want to get more insulted by your own son then?" Vikram asked.

"And don't forget Pallavi," Dida added, "That girl has a name."

~*~

Ranbir, Aryan, Aryan, and Piyush moped dejectedly back into the house, head down, in the early hours of the morning. They came and slumped down on the couch, shoulders low.

Ranbir leaned forward, balancing his elbows on his knees and burying his head in his hands. Fisting his hair, pulling at them sightly to hold his head as silent tears dropped from his eyes to his jeans, darkening the dirty grey fabric.

His courage has been deteriorating more and more by the minute. The restlessness he was feeling wasn't coming down a notch, instead, the fear that was residing within his heart was spreading to his entire being.

A couple of hours passed as he sat in the exact same position, or maybe just a few minutes?

He would have continued his self-disdain much longer if he haven't been called out of his thoughts.

"Sir?" He heard someone from the family calling and looked up to see the police officer that came last night coming towards them, followed by some new faces that weren't there last night.

"I'm sorry to inform you but we haven't been able to get any lead on the girls," The SI informed them, "We've done our best, but it only leads to one thing that the girls have left on their free will." 

And that was all they had to say before they left.

About half an hour had passed since the police had left, and everyone who had some big or small connestions or plans had been calling non stop to pinpoint each and every help they can get. 

Ranbir was once again going to leave to search himself when their security guard came huffing and panting in the house, almost bumping into Ranbir as he ran blindly. 

"Sir, Sir, Sir..." He called, trying to catch his breath.

"What happend, why are you running?" Mitali asked, "And what is that?" she gestured to the packet in his hand.

"Sir," the watchman adressed Abhi, "sir someone left this parcle a threw this box near the gate. There were two of them, on their motercycle, they threw it near the gate, I chased them but they flee." He said, and Ranbir quickly took the packet from him.

He opened it and picked out the mobile that was in it, handing it to Aryan. There was even a letter in the envelop.

"This is Shahana's!" Aryan exclaimed, as he turned the mobile over and about in his hands, turning it on. And sure enough, the screen lit up in the picture of the girl as the wallpaper.

"This is not good." Dasi commented. "Something is definately wrong."

Ranbir turned the parcle upside down in his hand, the letter dropping on his palm. He shook the packet, tossing it away when nothing else came out of it. 

"Dearest family and distant family of Prachi," He read out.

She really loved you guys, and you people seemed to love her too, but only from the outside. Isn't that why you left her alone on the day just before her wedding. That too all broken down and crying. Such cruel beings you guys are!

But thank you. Really. If it weren't for your blind love for that she devil of your's,--Yes, Rhea Mehra and her booji, I am talking about you.-- Well if it weren't for you all, kidnapping a bride to be from her house would have been way difficult than it turned out to be. 

Well, I can assure you that your girls --yes, that talkative girl is here too-- are pretty fine. Till now. The proof is in the mobile.

If they will be fine any longer, is not in my hands. I have quite personal business to settle with them as well as some of you guys, and it won't be completed as long as they are fine.

Yours enemy,

The kidnapper of your princesses.

P.S.- The filmy line applies here too. 'Don't even think of contacting the Police.'

Piyush quickly took the mobile from Aryan and joined it to the projector that was there since the last evening.

"Password?" He looked up to the panicked faces of the family members, "what is the password of Shahana's mobile?" 

Everyone looked at each other, waiting for someone to say the word. 

Aryan looked around for a minute, his brows furrowed as he racked his brain to remember the word he had once saw her type in and had teased her for days after it.

He snached back the phone from the light-eyed boy. Holding the blue object in his left hand, clenching and unclenching his right hand in a fist. He quickly typed something, hitting enter.

Error.

He hissed in frustration, looking at the face on the lockscreen as his thumbs hovered over the keyboard. something clicked in his brain and he again typed. Crossing his heart as he pressed enter.

He let out a breath he didn't realised he was holding and quickly played the video that was already on the screen. Looking up to see it play out on the big screen.

Prachi and Shahana were tied to two chairs, both unconcious. Everyone's breaths hiched as the camera zoomed on the girls. Shahana had a cut on her forehead from which a thick strak of blood trailed down the side of her face. Prachi on the other hand was bloodless but not better. Her left cheek was swollen and there were some bruise marks on her arm. 

And that was it, that was the sixteen second video. 

Ranbir's blood boiled, that bastard, he wrote that they were fine! If this was fine he didn't even wanted to let his brain go toward what could be 'not fine'.

The hall once again had been filled with Pragya's sobs. Loud once again from the soft sniffles that had not seized the entire night. Only this time joined by several other people sniffeling and Pallavi cursing herself in guilt and self hate.

Ranbir slowly walked towards his room, leaving unnoticed by anyone. He reached his room and softly closed the door behind him. His legs lost the little strength they and they gave out beneath him. He pulled his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms securely around his knees as if trying to hold himself together.

A sob he had been suppressing the whole night left past his lips. Followed by another and then another. The pain of the last several months came crashing down upon him, joined by the new one he felt while looking at everything that his Prachi had gone through.

His shoulders rose and dropped rapidly as he tried to catch a breath, anexity rising. His throat felt on fire and breathing felt a whole lot difficult. 

His chest clenched and he stood up with great difficulty. He knew what this was. It surely was new to him but he still knew what it was. He groggily walked to his bed, sitting in the middle of it. He blindly sat on the bed, tears rushing unstoppably down his cheeks. 

He was working on his thoughts when his hand brushed against something cool that was situated on one corner of his bed. He picked it up, his mind replaying the memory of how Prachi had freaked out when she had spotted a similar box in her room. 

A wooden box with small peacock feathers carved on the sides, with P.A. on one edge. The initials weren't carved skillfully but they were quite old, one could say by the darkened wood. Maybe by the owner when she was a small girl with the help of a compass or something. 

He opened it and his breath stopped altogether. Staring back at him, were his own eyes. Looking at him tauntingly as his picturized self had his arm wrapped around his life anchor.

He picked it up, running his hand over the slightly burnt edge of the picture which had been put off hastily. His eyes landed on another picture in the box and he again found his paper self looking back at him, this time accusingly for half the picture was burnt. His picture self seemed to hate him, thinking that he was the reason for his Prachi was not with him.

Neither in the picture nor in present.

His throat again clenched, and so, he flicked that picture away. It made a soft flick sound as it landed on the floor. The next picture was like a cool splash of water to his burning heart. 

His love, his Prachi stared back at him. Her innocent yet confident and loving smile lighted up his surrounding. She smiled at him, assuring him that she will understand, and she will forgive him. Just once he will have to go to her and she will gather him in her arms without a word spoken. Seeing her eyes portraying the love she have for him, his breaths became slower and sturdier. She could work her magic on him without even being there. 

She was like his own moon in the dark night.

"I will not let us drift apart that easily Prachi," Ranbir talked to the picture, caressing his fingertips softly over the smiling girl's face. "I won't let anyone's dirty game to overpower our love."

He stood up from his bed, grabbing a change of clothes and went for a quick shower before going back to give the upside down room a meaningful and focused search.

A/N:- Hey Cottoncandies, how are you doing today? Here is another chapter for y'all that I hope meet you in your best of spirits. If not, hang on guys, these bad moments shall pass too!

Do tell how you find this chapter. Make sure to leave lots of reviews.

Quick Question:- What is your patronus?

My answer: A hippogriff.    Quite odd for someone as tiny and petite as me.

Lots of Love,

Simran