Priyanka hissed at the sudden burning sensation that erupted after her thump abruptly made contact with the brewing kettle for her morning coffee; she winced slightly as the burning sensibilities soothed gradually.

Krishant watched her with a nonchalant expression, but fervency at the thought of the future possibility of more accidental burns to Priyanka excited him. Not wanting to linger in the corner anymore, he quietly approached her near the kitchen island.

"Are you okay?" He asks with a frown as if her pain worried him.

Priyanka abruptly turned around at his startling presence as she was little expecting him for the day, after her silent treatment towards him for three days constant - looking at him was traumatic enough for her from the beginning, but she was getting accustomed to it, but after witnessing Krishant and Ruby together was insufferable: a perpetual reminder of his betrayal.

Why would he lie to me? She kept wondering, even after the question suffocated her.

There was no possible or genuine explanation for his actions as he clearly proved to be hiding something: Something that could harm and reshape their relationship soon drastically; Krishant couldn't hide the truth forever; neither was he planning to do so.

Priyanka avoided looking at his dark, almost rheumy eyes; unlike him, she actually felt guilty for ever hiring Faruqui and lying to him. His every deceitful lie had a reason to cover the truth, no matter how much irrelevant move that was. He wasn't just an acknowledged person to her anymore, but he unknowingly became a companion when she felt alone.

She nodded and continued to wash the burned part of her thump. Guilt bought the nervousness, as if she had sinned, but she soon recognized the fear; fear of Krishant learning about her betrayal, and the slight panic rose in her pit. He had no shame for lying to her as he had already revealed the reason for it, but she would have no relevant logical explanation for her actions when the time would come for that.

"Let me help." He said and moved near her as she breathed more intently the slower he neared her as if he was asking for her permission.

Before Priyanka could respond, the ringing halted them both. She exhaled, realizing how intensively she was breathing just a moment ago before the call startled her.

Krishant watched her with scrutinized gaze, questioning the early morning unknown caller.

Priyanka puffs at the caller ID before excusing herself away from the questioning stare. She quickly invaded the backyard garden where she could make sure Krishant wouldn't eavesdrop on her, and he didn't.

"Hello?" She asked and waited.

"Good morning, Priyanka." A familiar hoarse sound greeted. Priyanka sighs, but panic still strikes her.

"Morning, Faruqui."

"How are you doing? Any trouble yet?" Faruqui sincerely inquired.

"No," Priyanka responded sceptically, "Why? Is there any trouble to come? Should I be counting on it?" Husky laughter of the detective echoed in her ear.

"You live with trouble." He answered. Priyanka could deduce that Faruqui sounded tired, but she couldn't understand his sudden cause of joy. It was just his affable personality that made it easy to talk with him.

"What does that mean?" She asked before making sure that no one could hear her talking. "Did you find something on Sanghvi?"

"Are you hoping?" Priyanka stiffened. "Did you change your mind about Krishant, somehow Priyanka?"

"I mean, no." She responded unassertively. She would never be accustomed to lying as the hesitation always lingers over her tone. "Why would you call then?"

"To check up on you."

"Oh." Faruqui again snickered from the other side, catching Priyanka off-guard. "What's funny?"

"I was kidding, relax. I mean not the checking up on you part." He said. Priyanka rolled her eyes at the childish detective. "I think you should pack your bags. I talked with Vijay before calling you. He will come to receive you."

"What? Why? What happened?" She bombarded him. "I just cannot leave."

"I think you should," She listened as all the bubbliness disappeared from his tone, "They still haven't sent me the lab results of the blood samples, but I know something else."

"What else?"

"Something that'll thrill you, which might even scare you, Probably it'll scare you more." He stated solemnly.

"Something that bad?" Priyanka warily inquired. Bravery slipped off her subconscious as the feeling of precarious sealed her fragile trust in her companion. Her anxiety rose as the hues of the apparent betrayal already cognized in her expected preconscious. She relied on her instincts from the beginning, anticipated, and now facing the manifest results.

"Yes," Faruqui confirmed.

Priyanka dishearteningly sighs, knowing Faruqui would never reveal anything on a phone call, "Alright, I will come to meet you once I have done here."

"The sooner, the better. See you soon." She groaned and dreaded to face Krishant again.

For once and for all, she deemed.

_________

Packing again wasn't too hard after more than three weeks exactly. However, facing Krishant was. She already somewhat predicted his reaction: disheartening, disappointment. After all, he expected too much from Priyanka but very little she could give him, not even her trust.

Dejection was inevitable. But they both had to say goodbye anyway. They just never expected it to be sooner.

"I have to leave."

"Why?" Krishant panicked as the colours from his face vanished. Priyanka was standing ready with an explanation that she had to leave because she decided to reconcile with her family and stay with them again before leaving for Mumbai.

She didn't understand how she would explain the cause of the abrupt discontinuance of their relationship. She never asked for his opinion as she had already decided everything for them both. "What is happening? Why are you leaving?"

"Because I have to." Priyanka sighs, "Ever since I came here, all I hear are your lies. I don't remember how we were before, but right now, I don't feel any connection with you as you have said we had between us before."

"What rubbish you are talking about?" Krishant almost yelled. His was raging like a bull, about to pounce on delicate Priyanka. "And you're telling me this now?"

"I am sorry. I know I should have told you sooner, but everything happened so fast." She tried to grab his free paint-stained hand, but he was quick to reject it. "I am really sorry."

"Fuck your sorry," he yelled, making Priyanka gasp at his harshness. "You think I am a joke? You think I am that easy?"

"You are misunderstanding this? Why are you getting so hostile?"

"Why did you even bother telling me that you're leaving?" He sarcastically chuckled. His dark eyes pierced with hatred. He couldn't stop laughing at himself. "You should have just left." He quietly said and panted with anger written all over his face. "Just leave." He snapped.

Priyanka was bewildered by his sudden outburst. The unexpected upheave of charming and always calm Krishant was a warning bell for her. If she had to move, she would move now.

Realization must have stuck down on him as he looked at confounded Priyanka. An expected series of events led to such a hazardous state of their relationship: unexpected and heartbreaking.

Krishant calms down but still remains disoriented to explain any of his harsh words from earlier. He felt defeated as if he wouldn't be able to tell the world about his failure.

He groans, glistening his eyes, and he gulps down the lump in his throat before moving forward to clasp her slender hand, "I don't want this." He whispers before cupping her face, and lifting it to look at him, "I don't want you to leave, please." He withers to begging, "I love you."

"You don't!" She was too quick to protest.

Priyanka shakily exhaled; Krishant's reaction shook her more than she would confess. He really shook the roots of her beliefs. His rage was understandable, but his sudden calm demeanour scared her; No sane person clams down this easily. A moment ago, he was ready to pounce on her, and the next thing, he was imploring. But he was just devasted. He never expected to lose the love of his life this early or quickly. The fact that she wasn't ready to fight for him upset him, and after learning that he would lose her, he started begging, concluding his outburst to be reasonable.

"I have to," Priyanka mumbles, expecting a positive response. The musky smell tortured her as a constant reminder of how close her self-proclaimed lover was standing to her. Her embraced hand securely stayed in the warm grasp of Krishant; she feared he would never let it go. "Please." She begged to release her, glistening her own eyes. Krishant couldn't resist them; they were too pure for his wicked soul. He drops it.

"Forget everything I said," He demands, "I want to start over. No more secrets." Priyanka gapes at him, and he nods. "I know you're leaving because you don't trust me. But we can start over with no more secrets if that makes you happy."

"Krish, it's not about the truth anymore," she says, "We can't be together because we really can't."

"What does that suppose to mean?"

"I don't know how..?" She fumbles with her words, "I mean, I don't remember what exactly happened between us, but you need to know something about me, which you clearly don't know and why we can't be together."

She couldn't continue her confession as the heavy thudding at the front door, along with the constant ringing of the doorbell interrupted them.

Krishant grunted in annoyance, and both of them hissed at the constant nuisance of a desperate visitor. He flounced to the door, and Priyanka followed after him to witness the upcoming uproar.

As he swings open the door, the intruding visitor lunges at him. He loses his balance at the startling attack before falling back on his back along with the person.

It was a woman in an agitated state.

Priyanka gasps when Krishant pushes her off of her relentlessly before realizing who was she.

The woman snarled at him, and warm tears spills from her bloodshot hazel eyes as she defeatedly stayed on the floor. Priyanka oddly found them familiar.

"Kajal?" Krishant rasped out in disbelief.

______