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"Sometimes the person who makes you feel safe is the same one who leaves you questioning your worth."

AS they reached outside her house, Sidharth turned to Sana and said softly, "I'm sorry."

Sana looked at him in shock. "Sorry for exactly what, Sidharth?" Her tone was sharp, her anger from his earlier behaviour still simmering beneath the surface.

Sidharth took a deep breath, his fingers gripping the steering wheel tightly. "For touching you. For forcing you to sit in my car. For coming with you. I know you didn't want to be with me at that time. But I had no choice, Sana." He paused, his voice laced with sincerity. "It was getting dark outside, and I couldn't just let you go. Alone. Walking in anger. Or in a cab. You know things aren't safe nowadays."

"And you say you don't care for me," she taunted, a smirk playing on her lips.

"Don't put your words into my mouth," he corrected, his tone curt. "Sana, when you're with me, you become my responsibility. Your safety is my priority. If it were someone else-another girl, for example, my friend Payel-I would have done the same. There's nothing special about it."

"Oh!" Sana's heart sank. For a moment, she had thought she meant something to him. She stepped out of the car and then turned to face him.

"I still hate you," she said coldly before slamming the door shut. She walked backwards toward her house, her eyes still on him.

Sidharth nodded, his expression unreadable. "As I said, the feelings are mutual."

"I'm still mad at you," she reminded him, crossing her arms.

"Should I be worried about that?" he mocked, a smirk tugging at his lips as he reversed the car a little, waiting for her response.

"You should coax me," she replied firmly.

"And, why is that?" His voice was playful.

"Because if you don't, I won't let you touch me," she replied, her voice deadpan.

He understood she was serious, and found it childish. It's a little funny, too. He felt like laughing at it but controlled himself. She's already upset with him; he doesn't want to make it worse.

"You can't resist me. My charm. No one can resist me," he said, attempting to sound smug. But his voice faltered slightly, a flicker of pain slipping through his facade.

Sana, oblivious to his inner turmoil, felt a sharp sting of hurt at his nonchalance. She wanted him to fight for her, to care enough to try, but instead, he seemed indifferent.

"Fuck you, asshole," she spat angrily, flipping him off before storming toward her house.

Sidharth shook his head in disbelief, muttering under his breath, "And she's upset that I called her a bitch in a fit of anger. When it wasn't even meant for her in reality." His bitter laugh echoed in the car, but it didn't last long.

His thoughts wandered back to the other women in his life-his careless mother and the monster who had scarred his childhood, his aunt Manisha.

The bitterness in his chest tightened as he sped off, his car tearing through the quiet streets. He drove recklessly, weaving in and out of lanes as if racing with invisible rivals. But in truth, he was racing against himself, against the chaos in his mind.

Maybe, just maybe, if he lost control-if he collided with something-he could finally find some peace. A silence that had eluded him for years. A sleep undisturbed by the nightmares that haunted him.

But even in his darkest thoughts, a small part of him clung to the hope that he didn't deserve to give up. At least, not yet.

"I deserve to live. And Manisha deserves to die. Not me. Not me," Sidharth mumbled to himself, his voice trembling with a mix of anger and despair, as he drove to his house.

---

In the college canteen, the usual chatter and clinking of plates filled the air as Sana sat quietly with her friends Julia and Siya.

After sorting out their differences the previous day, the trio was finally back to hanging out together. Sana was nursing her hot coffee and munching on sandwiches, letting the warmth of the drink and food soothe her while the two girls chatted animatedly.

"So," Julia said, leaning closer to Siya, her eyes twinkling with excitement. "What's the plan, Siya? How are you going to coax Ram? You can't just leave it like this."

Siya groaned, resting her head on her palm. "I have no idea, Julia. He's still not talking to me, and it's killing me! I know I messed up, but how do I make it right?"

Julia grinned mischievously. "Don't worry. I've got you covered. I've been watching all the romantic Bollywood movies lately for some inspiration!"

Siya raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. "Oh, no. Julia, if you're going to suggest something cringe, please stop now."

"Cringe?" Julia gasped, placing a hand dramatically on her chest. "Excuse me, ma'am! My ideas are pure gold. Okay, hear me out. First idea: You show up at his doorstep with a boombox, blasting Tum Hi Ho. Classic, right? Who could resist that?"

Siya burst into laughter. "A boombox? Julia, it's not the 90s! Ram will probably call security on me!"

"Fine," Julia huffed, rolling her eyes. "How about this? You stand outside his office building with a placard that says, I'm sorry for being an idiot. Please, accept my apology and take me back."

Siya shook her head, giggling. "No way. I'd die of embarrassment before I could even say a word, let alone holding a placard outside his office building. I would look like a clown."

Julia pouted. "You're no fun. All my ideas are awesome, and you're just making fun of them. Maybe I should coax Ram myself."

Siya chuckled, reaching out to pat Julia's hand. "I'm sorry, Jules. You're right, your ideas are... interesting. But I think I'll have to figure this out myself. I'm the one who hurt him, not you. I need to make a proper plan to get him to talk to me."

Julia sighed dramatically but relented. "Fine. I guess you're right. But don't come crying to me if your plan isn't as epic as my boombox idea."

Siya laughed. "I'll keep that in mind."

After a moment, Julia leaned forward, lowering her voice slightly. "By the way, did you talk to Sid? You know, to clear things up?"

Siya nodded. "Yeah, I did. He's gone on a solo trip to Jaipur for a month. He said, he needed time to think and reset. When he comes back, we'll talk. I think he's finally starting to understand that my feelings for him were misplaced. And, I am really guilty about it. I was such a fool."

Julia's expression softened. "I'm proud of you, Siya. You're doing the right thing, choosing Ram."

"Thanks, Julia." Siya smiled warmly.

While the two girls continued their discussion, Sana sat silently, stirring her coffee absentmindedly. Her heart ached as she listened to their plans to coax Ram. It reminded her of how things were with Sidharth.

Almost a week had passed, and he hadn't made any effort to talk to her. No calls, no texts-nothing. He was ignoring her completely, as if she didn't exist.

Her chest tightened as she thought about it.

Am I really nothing to him?

Her mind taunted her with the truth she didn't want to face.

Of course, you're nobody. You're not his friend or his girlfriend. You're just... you're just his fuck buddy.

The words echoed in her mind like a cruel mantra. Their relationship was nothing but physical, devoid of emotions or attachments. No strings attached. That's what he had said from the beginning.

And yet, she hated that she couldn't blame him for his indifference. The problem wasn't him-it was her. She was the one who had fallen in love.

A bitter smile played on her lips as she murmured to herself, "I hate you, Sidharth Vyas. I hate you. But I hate myself more for loving you."

Her voice wavered as she continued, her tone laced with pain, "You made it so clear, didn't you? This... whatever we have, it's just physical. No emotions, no expectations. And yet here I am, expecting you to coax me. To care."

Her fingers tightened around her coffee cup, her frustration bubbling to the surface. "God, I hate to love you."

The words lingered in the air, heavy with the weight of her unspoken feelings.

"Did you say something, Sana?" Siya asked, noticing the faint murmur.

Sana quickly shook her head, forcing a smile. "Nothing. Just talking to myself."

Julia eyed her curiously. "You've been awfully quiet. Everything okay?"

Sana nodded, taking a sip of her coffee to avoid further questions. But inside, her emotions churned.

She wanted to scream, to demand answers from Sidharth. But she couldn't. He had been upfront about his intentions from the start, and it was her fault for crossing the lines she had agreed to.

"But why does it have to hurt so much?" she thought, her gaze dropping to the untouched sandwich on her plate.

As Julia and Siya returned to their discussion, Sana sat quietly, lost in her thoughts, the weight of her emotions pressing down on her like an anchor.

After hanging out with her friends, Sana and Siya were heading back to their classroom for the last class of the day when she noticed Sidharth and his friends coming from the basketball court.

Sidharth was dressed in a full-sleeve black T-shirt under their college jersey. She found it odd that he wore a full-sleeve T-shirt when his friends were just in their jerseys.

"He is such a mystery," she thought, narrowing her eyes as she observed him.

Sana stood in her spot, watching him and his group heading toward the cafeteria. A small smirk curved her lips. "He won't eat with them," she muttered under her breath.

"Why is he like this?" she wondered, feeling confused but oddly intrigued.

Siya, noticing Sana's distracted state, frowned. "What happened, Sana? Did he trouble you again?" she asked, her voice laced with concern.

Sana shook her head quickly, her smirk fading. "No, nothing like that," she replied. "Let's go."

"Yeah, okay," Siya said, still eyeing Sana with mild suspicion.

They finished their classes, and as they left, Siya bid her goodbye. Sana walked toward the parking area, where she leaned against her scooter, waiting for Julia. Moments later, her phone buzzed with a text message from Julia:

"Sorry, Sana! I have some important work. I'll go home with a classmate."

Sana frowned, disappointment washing over her. Lately, Julia had been acting weird. She seemed to be spending more time with this new "classmate" than with her.

"Go to hell, Julia," Sana muttered under her breath, sitting on her scooter in frustration. Turning it on, she sped off toward home.

As she rode through the busy streets, a peculiar sensation crept over her. Glancing in her rearview mirror, she noticed a man on a bike following her.

"Who's this now, God?" she grumbled, her nerves kicking in.

She increased her speed, weaving through traffic, but the biker stayed behind her.

"Great! Just great!" she hissed.

Suddenly, as she reached an empty stretch of road, her scooter sputtered and stopped.

"Not now, Laila!" she groaned, stepping off her scooter to inspect it.

After a quick check, she realized the tires were fine, but the fuel tank was empty.

"Damn you, Laila!" she cursed, giving the scooter a frustrated kick.

With a sigh, she called the nearest gas station for help and started pushing her scooter along the road. She had almost forgotten about the biker, but a sudden roar of an engine behind her made her freeze.

Turning around, she saw the same biker pulling up a few feet away.

Her heart sank as he dismounted and started walking toward her, his strides slow and deliberate.

"W-What do you want?" she stammered, her voice trembling.

The man said nothing, his silence unnerving her further as he continued approaching her with an air of menace.

"Stay away!" Sana yelled, backing up. "I swear I'll call the police! Don't come any closer!"

Her words did nothing to deter him. He kept coming, his face obscured by his helmet.

Panic surged through her, and Sana turned on her heels, abandoning her scooter and breaking into a run.

"Help! Someone help me!" she cried out, her voice echoing in the empty street.

Looking over her shoulder, she saw the man jogging back to his bike and revving it up. He started following her, this time at a slower speed as if to taunt her.

Tears pricked her eyes as she ran harder, her legs burning. "Why is this happening to me?" she cried, her voice breaking.

Just as her despair reached its peak, the sound of another bike filled the air. A second biker sped past her, cutting off the stalker's path.

Startled, the stalker turned his bike around and fled at full speed.

Sana stumbled to a halt, gasping for breath as the second bike screeched to a stop in front of her, blocking her way.

"Please... please don't come near me," she begged, tears streaming down her face.

The rider dismounted and removed his helmet.

Sana froze. Relief flooded her as she recognized the face.

"Sidharth!" she gasped, her voice breaking.

His brows furrowed in concern as he stepped closer. "Sana, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

Without thinking, Sana threw herself into his arms, gripping his shirt tightly. The sudden impact caused Sidharth to lose balance, and they both fell onto the road.

Sidharth lay beneath her, stunned, as Sana clung to him, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Thank God you're here, Sidharth," she whispered between her sobs. "I don't know what he would have done to me. I was so scared..."

Her words trailed off as she buried her face in his chest, trembling violently.

Sidharth blinked, trying to process what just happened. His hands hovered awkwardly above her back, unsure whether to comfort her or push her away.

"Uh... Sana," he said hesitantly, his voice unusually soft. "It's okay now. You're safe."

But Sana didn't seem to hear him. She continued crying, her tears soaking his shirt as she held on tightly.

Sana's sobs filled the empty road as she clung to Sidharth, her fingers gripping his shirt tightly. Her tears dampened his collar, and her entire body trembled against his.

For a moment, Sidharth was frozen. The weight of her body on him, her vulnerability, and the sheer intimacy of the situation sent a wave of unease rushing through him. His mind flashed back to painful memories he'd buried deep, threatening to resurface.

Sidharth's jaw tightened as he fought to suppress the uncomfortable memories that her proximity was triggering. The weight of her body pressed against him, the desperation in her touch-it was all too much.

"Sana," he repeated, a little louder this time. "Get up... please."

She pulled back slightly, her face streaked with tears, and looked at him with wide, vulnerable eyes.

"Sidharth," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I didn't know who else to turn to. You came at the right time... Thank you."

He exhaled, his expression softening slightly. "You're okay now. That guy is gone. Let's get you up."

He gently helped her to her feet, brushing gravel off his jeans as he stood. "Where's your scooter?"

"It... it's back there," Sana said, sniffing and wiping her face. "It ran out of fuel."

"Of course, it did," Sidharth muttered under his breath, shaking his head in exasperation.

Sana stared at him, her heart still racing. For once, she wasn't annoyed by his sarcasm. Instead, she felt a strange sense of safety in his presence.

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