Arjun snatched his phone out of Parth's hand, "Man, come on. She's at work. Don't bother her."

Parth replied smacking his lips, "So? I'm not telling her to check the snaps right away. Though she did."

"She did?" Arjun asked surprised and pulled open the app to confirm. The only reason he was surprised was because when she was at work, she almost never checked her phone. She had no time to. "She must be on her break I guess."

Parth assessed Arjun's reactions who played it off as well. "Must be. It sucks that she couldn't get off work."

"Yeah, well, you know how medical school is."

"And you're okay with that?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

Parth scoffed, "Okay, let's cut the crap, alright? It's been a little over two months since my parents' anniversary. Two months since you've been avoiding talking to her about you two and the person who shall not be named."

Arjun rolled his eyes at the exaggeration over Jiyah's name, though he did still appreciate that he didn't have to specifically hear the name. "There's nothing to talk about."

"And what if you run into her tonight? You know there are very high chances of that."

Arjun shrugged his shoulder, "Then I'll just walk the other way."

"That's it?" Parth was finding it hard to trust that. "As simple as that? Arjun, if you've forgotten, let me remind you what happened the last time you met her. Or what she's done."

Arjun shut down the topic in a clipped tone, "I don't need history lessons, Parth. In case you're forgetting, it happened to me."

He snapped back just as well, "I don't care if you want to get mad at me about this, Juno. Fact is, you need to sort this mess out before it gets worse. Sanam may have been busy with her classes and she may not have asked you about her but she did see her at the party. She may be the Queen of composure but I know it has to bother her."

Arjun dismissed the ridiculous title his friend was allotting to her. "Now's not the time."

"You can't wait for the right time, man. There is no such thing as 'right time'. If you care about Sanam, tell her everything."

"We're assuming here she'd want to know or that she even cares." Arjun voiced out his insecurities. "It's exactly like she has said it since the beginning... if not for some random moments, I don't even know what she thinks about me. She keeps me at an arm's length and there's nothing I can do about that."

"Are you serious?" Parth scolded him, "Did you not hear Esha clearly? That is Sanam's default. Her go-to in situations unfamiliar to her. She said she would push you away and focus on her studies. You were the one who had decided to not give up, so fight for her man. Even if you have to fight against her for her."

"That makes no sense."

Frustrated, Parth lifted his hand and slapped the back of his head.

Arjun exclaimed, "Dude, I'm driving!"

Parth ignored it as he went on to chide, "Are you purposely being dumb right now? Because this guy in front of me cannot be my best friend Arjun Mehta."

Arjun didn't reply right away. He was letting the words sink in. All the advice, with his own thoughts. After minutes, he finally broke the silence. "I don't know how long I can keep compensating. In a relationship, there's always two people but right now, it feels like its just me. That never lasts long."

"Then take a risk. I know its scary but tell her that you want something real with her."

Arjun parked in front of the temple and both of them just sat inside to finish their conversation. "What if I already have?"

"You did? When? You didn't tell me that."

Arjun gave him a look, "I don't gush to you about every single of our moments or conversations."

Parth faked offense dramatically by placing his hand over his heart, "I'm hurt, Arjun! I thought we shared everything with each other. How can you keep things from me?"

Arjun scolded with a groan, "Can you not do that right now?"

"Sorry," Parth toned it down right away and got back to point, "How did she react then?"

"She didn't say anything really. And I haven't known how to bring it up again when she's always busy."

"Why do you pick girls who are always high maintenance?"

Arjun defended, "She's not high maintenance! You can't blame her for how her life has been like. We all do the best we can. She finds comfort in books and I can't..."

Parth put his hands up in surrender, "Alright, chill. Don't get all hyper. I didn't mean much by saying that."

Arjun let his head drop back against the seat. Where was his life going? Where was his relationship with Sanam going? If it could even be called a relationship.

"You said it's all she knows, right?" Parth went on to suggest and Arjun turned his head towards him, "Then show her differently. I know you said it's tough but keep showing her that you'll always be there for her no matter how hard she tries to push you away. She'll have to see that sooner or later. If you let her be thinking you don't want to disturb her, she's never going to see anything outside her comfort zone. You need to give her that push."

Arjun considered it. He knew she was afraid of relationships and why. Esha had shared that much with him and even Sanam had expressed the things in relationships she feared. Losing her independence. Her identity. Being forced to stick to the gender stereotypes. It all started to clink in his head. He just had to show her that relationships could be otherwise if both partners are willing to work on it. It didn't have to be like her parents... that she could be happy and have the things she wants in life too. She didn't have to pick one over the other.

"I know exactly what I need to do."

~

Frustrated, Sanam shut her book with a slam. No matter how hard she tried, tonight, she simply could not focus on studying. Her mind kept traveling back to the surgery room. The flat line of the heart monitor. And in between, flashes of that face she briefly saw two months ago. Jiyah. Arjun never brought it up but now that she was taking a second to think over it, she couldn't help but wonder if he still loved her.

Her mind commented, ofcourse he still loves her. Why else would he get so mad?

She had lots of questions. Did he see her after that night? What originally happened between them that caused their break up? Parth had once told her about a girl who had picked her career over Arjun. She was sure this was her. She had no idea what to think, as it was no secret to her. Arjun had said it himself, after all. He had lots of flings in his past.

Even though she understood his dedication and love to his family after his childhood trauma, she had no idea of what had followed after. There was just so much he was keeping from her. Yes... she didn't talk to him much lately on topics that mattered but atleast she wasn't hiding anything. She had given him an idea of how her relationship with her parents was.

One thing that bothered her the most... the idea that maybe, they did meet after that party. Maybe, they sorted out their issues. Maybe, that's why he never brought up the topic of turning their marriage into real after that moment in the rain. Maybe, he doesn't want that anymore.

Then she had to scold herself.... Why was she only thinking about him when it was convenient for her? Why was she curious, and if she was... why wouldn't she just ask him?

Yes. That's right. She was afraid of the answer she'd get. She didn't want a confirmation of his feelings for Jiyah. And yet, a deep part of her was shattering on the inside. A deep part that kept telling her she couldn't compete with Jiyah. What he had with her... it was real atleast. She didn't even have that and there was no one but herself to blame for that.

Why can't I just have something normal? Something that's just mine? Something that's not complicated?

She gritted to keep from crying but tears did eventually flow. There was no logic in her thoughts as they moved on to her parents and she thought of why this was happening in the first place. Over the years, she had pushed the exact words out of her head. She only remembered the fighting, and the pain afterwards.

But, she did remember the very first time she had heard it straight from her parents' mouth. The first time when she was old enough to realize her parents weren't happy in their marriage. A fight had started about something and these were the only words she remembered which her mother had yelled to her father's face. "You and your family forced me to have children! I did not even want her. It's because of her I have to stay with you!"

Since then, the feeling never went away that her mother hated her. That her mother blamed her for being tied down in an unhappy marriage. That if her own parents did not want her, then why would anyone else?

Since then, she always tried to do everything the way they wanted. She always tried to make them feel proud of her. In a little girls' mind, she wanted their love and the only way she knew how to have that was to not disappoint them. She'd seen her classmates and how their parents would be happy when they got good grades. So, she worked her heart out over it, holding on to hope that one day her own parents would look at her with happiness as well.

Even when it didn't, she was by then too wrapped up in studies that she couldn't let go. And having realized that, she dedicated her feelings only towards one person: her little sister. She wanted the last thing for Esha to grow up feeling the things she did. Esha was the only person she'd let in her heart until Neha too warmed her way in and became her best friend. Other than those two, she never knew anything else. And now, with Arjun, she struggles as her childhood keeps pulling her away from him just when her heart tries to push towards him.

~

"Walk the other way."

Arjun glanced up from his phone and sideways at Parth when he ordered that. "What?"

Parth turned him by the shoulder to insist, "Go. You'll thank me later."

Ofcourse, Arjun didn't simply listen. He had to turn around and see what was suddenly up with Parth. He was already walking away from him as Arjun followed the line of path he was heading towards, he understood why. Parth was saving her from Jiyah and walking over to stand in between the two before Jiyah made another attempt to talk to him.

Yes, thankful, Arjun turned and walked the other way towards Neha and Rahul.

Parth blocked Jiyah's path and ordered with his arms crossed over his chest, "Stop following him."

Jiyah spoke back in an attempt to offend him, "What, now he sent his right hand to do the work for him?"

Parth laughed least bothered by her comments, "Any more insults before I give you a piece of my mind?"

"This is between me and him. Why don't you just get lost?" She tried to walk around him but he took a step back to once again stand in her way.

"Just stop it, alright? What are you hoping to gain out of doing this? You left him, remember? So, why are you back now, hmm? When he's moved on, why are you trying to create issues in his life?"

Jiyah challenged, "Moved on? I refuse to believe that."

Parth exclaimed in a whispered scolding to not create a scene, "He's married, Jiyah! Have you so self-respect?"

"Oh, yeah? That's why I don't see his wife around?"

Parth sighed for she was being stubborn instead of accepting the reality. "Jiyah, I never much liked you but you are being pathetic right now. Are you really one of those jealous ex's? Just let him be."

"You done?" She asked in impatience and then walked around him.

He grabbed her elbow and glared into her eyes, "Jiyah, whatever little respect he might still have for you, don't lose it by doing this just because you're suddenly realizing what you let go of when he married and moved on." She jerked her elbow out of his grip, "But if you still keep this up, you'll only be hurting yourself."

"You're so sure, aren't you?"

"Yes, because I've known him longer and I know who's in his heart."

"He's just playing hard to get. He'll..."

He interrupted her speaking with sharpness, "Stop deluding yourself, Jiyah! His past is his past. Let it stay there; else I swear, if anything with Sanam is ruined because of you, I will make you regret it."

He didn't wait for her argument as he knew whatever would come out of her mouth would be in ignorance. He didn't think he could have made anything any clearer to her.

~

Sanam blinked through her tears hearing the knob turning. Realizing that Arjun was coming back, she quickly got up wiping her wet cheeks and disappeared inside the washroom. She could feel her eyes puffy. She had no idea of the time but it had been a long time that she'd been crying. This was a moment that hadn't happened in years. She kept such a high control over her emotions that she would let nothing get to her but when she would let go, it would be equivalent to a dam breaking loose and drowning everything with it.

Arjun turned on the lights as he was taking off his shoes by the doorway. His eyes fell on the books on the coffee table. "Sanam?" He called out thinking she must have returned home since they weren't there earlier when he'd left.

Dropping the keys on the island counter, he walked down the hallway towards the bedroom. His thoughts were confirmed seeing the lights on in the washroom. Having an idea that she always went for a shower right after getting home, he called out through the door, "Hey, did you just get home?"

She couldn't pretend to have not heard him as the shower wasn't on. Just the sink tap. She breathed out her mouth and looked at her reflection. Her eyes were definitely puffy and no amount of cold water was going to help take it down a notch. Fisting her hand around the hand-towel, she pulled it off the rod and wiped her face with gentle dabs. Doing so, she walked out hoping the towel would somehow shield her face.

"Yeah, a few minutes ago," She told a white lie proceeding to the bed. "I'm so tired. I think I'm going to go straight to bed."

He looked up from his phone to where she was on the bed with her back facing him. "You want to change first then?"

She tried to keep her voice from shaking, "You can go ahead."

"Okay, I won't be long." He said just in case she was planning on waiting till after he'd change to change herself. He walked to his side of the bed to plug his phone into charging. As soon as she saw him approaching in her peripheral, she shifted to keep her face hidden.

His eyes traveled to her finding the sudden move suspicious. He straightened up, leaving the phone on the side table. He opened his mouth to say speak, how her shift was, when she lifted the covers to slip her legs inside. He wasn't understanding why she was avoiding looking at him but he figured she must be really tired like she claimed seconds earlier and so let her be. He walked away towards the washroom to change.

When he returned minutes later, she had turned the lights off. Making as little sound as possible, he walked out of the room to munch on some snacks and watch TV as it was barely 10 at night.

Once the door closed, she opened her eyes. Her muscles relaxed and she finally sniffed. She shifted on her back, removing the covers off her face to let some fresh air flow in. With a headache, runny nose, puffy eyes, and an aching heart, she called it a night.

~

authors note;

Hello, hi! Update so soon? I had to. I'm so excited to write what's coming next! 

She's breaking but trying to hide it. Only a matter of time before she confides in him! 

Don't you love Parth?  Such a best friend he is. And this Jiyah. She needs to get to her senses *rolls eyes* Agreed?

Vote, vote, and comment! More the response, quicker the update ;)