(🚨 Long chapter ahead 🚨)

∆~×~∆

Everything was done; chocolates, flowers, candies, a black forest cake, and the most important surprise gift for Ved which I was planning to give to him for so long. I had even prepared a custom ring by using some of my old jewellery - I was broke, so I couldn't afford an expensive one at the moment.

Though it took me about a week after the college fest to get my Princess' ring finger's measure with the help of Nikhil, the wait was worth it. And finally, the day had arrived when I would confess to Natural Heater that I liked him and wait for his response if he fainted after hearing the proposal.

Yay! I am so happy - I feel I can give a treat to the whole college if Ved accepted my confession.

Even though I was still worried about the fact of getting rejected... I didn't want to-

"Miss Sandhya Rai!" Mehta Sir shouted directly in front of my face.

"Yes, that's my name," I replied.

Surbhi gave Mehta Sir a tight lipped smile when he glanced at her for an explanation since I wasn't giving him one for zoning out in his class, that too while sitting in the front row. After realising that his scoldings were having no effect on me, he shook his head at me and continued with his lecture.

I turned my head to the back and saw Ved looking at me with a weird expression. I gave him a huge smile and exchanged a look with Nikhil who texted me that he had everything prepared; I just had to meet them at the basketball court and then he would help me with the surprise.

Honestly, I wanted to include Surbhi and Parth in the plan too, but since both of them were too hyperactive and would have telecasted my proposal everywhere, I decided to save their hearts from an heart attack and roped in only Nikhil because he was good at keeping secrets.

"You don't have any problem with being on the same group as Ayush, Sandhya?" Mehta Sir questioned while writing down students' names in his laptop.

"What group?" I queried.

"I am giving you guys one more group project. You have been teamed with Ayush, Kriya and Bindu. I just don't want you coming to me later and complain about the group formation."

I thought over it for a moment and nodded my head in positive when I remembered that there was nothing to worry about. If it had been, Ved would have himself told Mehta Sir to rethink his decision. So, after day-dreaming through the rest of the lecture, I was able to grab Nikhil and confirm with him about our plan.

"Don't worry and just act normal, or else he would get suspicious," Nikhil suggested. "Do you have the stuff with you?"

"Yes." I smiled.

"All the best, Sandhya." He gave me a thumbs-up.

I was getting impatient but decided to have patience and let Ved leave and reach the basketball court. It took exactly thirteen minutes and twenty nine seconds for Natural Heater to go and for me and Nikhil to carry out my surprise.

Both of us were walking down the corridor with Nikhil carrying the cake box while I was holding my bag close to me as it had the rest of precious stuff in it. Nikhil smirked at me as I couldn't stop smiling and asking him how Ved would react.

He chuckled at my enthusiasm and gave me a side hug, assuring me that his best friend would not reject me - not even in his dreams. I thanked Nikhil and increased my pace, but when we were about to round the corner and head on the hallway reaching the Sports department, my left wrist was grabbed by someone which made me halt abruptly.

"Ayush?" I furrowed my eyebrows when I saw my childhood best friend glaring at me intensely.

Without answering me, Ayush increased his hold on my hand and started dragging me outside. I yelled at him to leave me and tell me what the issue was, but he waved off my protests and took me to the vacant spot behind the library, which was totally deserted except a few students leaving the place as soon as we arrived.

"What is it?" I shouted and yanked my hand from Ayush's grasp.

"What's up, bro? Why did you bring her here?" Nikhil asked in confusion.

"What the fuck would you take to stay away from Ved?" Ayush thundered.

"What?!"

"Didn't you have enough pleasure playing with others' lives that now you are trying to hurt Ved too?" Ayush accused and snatched the cake box from Nikhil's hands.

He opened the lid of the box and raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Wow. Just look at this shit."

"Ayush, would you calm down?" Nikhil questioned him with caution, but Ayush ignored him and threw the cake on the ground.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I shouted at Ayush and went to pick up the cake, but he pushed me back forcefully.

"I hate you, Sandhya."

"I know that, okay?" I huffed. "But I don't care; that cake was for Ved, not for you."

"How many guys do you want?" Ayush mocked.

"Excuse me?"

"Don't act so innocent." Ayush tilted his head and motioned towards Nikhil. "First, you went behind Nikhil, then Shree, and when both of them didn't give you any attention, you turned to Shreyas and then Karthik? Oh yeah, let's not forget that Sahil from another city too. Now when nothing is working out for you, you are directly targeting Ved? Don't you have any shame?"

"Ayush, you are going overboard, bro," Nikhil said in concern.

"Why do you hate me so much, Ayush? What did I do? If you are still angry with me for ruining your birthday, then I already apologized for that. What else am I supposed to do?" I complained.

"Stay away from Ved."

"I won't," I challenged. "I am sorry; I know that you are possessive about Ved, but I can't do that."

"That's the only thing you are good at, Sandhya. First causing problems and then saying sorry like an innocent soul. But guess what? You are the root of every problem - my whole childhood was ruined because of you!" Ayush curled his hands into fists.

"I so wish I had never met you or made you my friend. Why did you come in our lives like a bad omen?" he added and began crying.

I tried to decipher why he was suddenly mad at me when he hadn't said a single word against me after Ved told me that Ayush had no problem with me being around them. I tried to control my tears from falling down as I saw Ayush crying his heart out and blaming me for everything.

"I hate you... Ved also hates you... Why did you come back?" Ayush mumbled. "Why won't you let us live in peace for once?"

"Ved doesn't hate me," I argued and glanced at Nikhil for assurance. "Right?"

"No, he doesn't-"

"He hates you!" Ayush bellowed.

I stopped Nikhil when I saw him getting agitated and leaving to call other guys. It was clearly evident that Ayush had a lot of hatred harboured towards me, but I never knew the real reason behind it - there was something else too which made him react like that and even drag Ved in it.

"What exactly happened, Ayush?" I enquired.

He didn't reply for what seemed like ages, but when he did, my heart stopped for a second. I felt that someone had sucked my soul out of my body and slammed it on the ground; I didn't want to believe that I was awake and not dreaming.

"I was raped!" Ayush choked on his words. "On my birthday..."

"Wh-what?" I squeaked.

"I said," Ayush stared directly in my eyes," I was raped on my tenth birthday."

I gulped nervously as I let Ayush's confession sink in. "Who... hurt... Who hurt you?"

"Why are you asking now?" He shook his head. "You had already left when I needed you - now, I don't."

"Ayush..." I moved my hands to hug him, but he swatted them away and stepped back.

"Stop those crocodile tears." He made a disgusted face and wiped his eyes.

"I am sorry - I didn't know," I cried. "I don't even know what to say to you... Please, Ayush, do you really think I am happy right now?"

I cried incessantly while Nikhil rubbed my back and told Ayush not to stress himself out or his condition would worsen. After seeing their exchange, I understood the reason behind his continuous absence from classes and why he cried that day when I had conversed with him regarding his birthday.

Ayush, my best friend... he suffered because of me. Not only him, but Ved too... That was why Ved was so over protective of Ayush and warned me to keep my distance, but I didn't listen and kept fooling around.

What the fuck, Sandhya?

"I will tell you what happened that day to clear out everything for once and all, and I hope that you would fucking keep out of Ved's life after hearing that," Ayush informed.

Seeing no point in arguing with him over Ved, I gave him a short nod and grabbed Nikhil's arm for support when I felt my legs going weak. I again hoped that it would be a nightmare and I would wake up soon, but unfortunately that didn't happen, and I witnessed Ayush reliving that dreadful day as he recounted every detail.

"After you managed to make a fool out of me in front of everyone, I locked myself in my room. Ved followed me and kept knocking on my door, but I didn't let him in. I told him to leave and kept crying on my bed; I didn't want to see anyone at that moment. Since I was in my own world and dehydrating myself, I didn't realise when I fell asleep.

"I woke up in the evening and when I opened my door, I saw Ved sitting outside with a worried look. When he saw me, he instantly hugged me and informed me that my parents were busy arguing with each other after the incident and other guests had already left.

"He asked me if I was okay and after I assured him that I was done crying, we both laughed and he took me inside my room. He tried to cheer me up and began telling me random stories to distract me from the voices of my parents yelling downstairs. Thanks to Ved, I was able to focus on something else, and since it had gotten quite late, he offered that he would bring me some food from the kitchen." Ayush cracked a small smile as he mentioned his best friend's name and wiped a lone tear which had slipped from his left eye.

"Just the moment after he left, I decided to go downstairs and look for the doll you had gifted me. I was actually happy to receive it, but when other kids had started laughing at me, I was really embarrassed and didn't want to suffer their taunting stares. I was aware that Ved would have gotten angry, but since he wasn't there, I took that chance and went towards the dustbin when I spotted the doll in it.

"I picked it up and dusted it after making sure that no one was present there. I was busy admiring it - that fucking doll - when that 'bastard' sealed my mouth by his palm and abducted me. I tried to get out of his grasp, but that man took me to his room and threw me on the ground. The hit was too hard but as I didn't faint, I managed to see my perpetrator - my uncle's friend who had come to attend my birthday party." Ayush took a huge breath and popped a few pills from a small bottle.

He waited for some time, and after checking my reaction, he continued again. "I don't need your pity, so save your tears for something else," he taunted. "If it wasn't for Ved, I wouldn't have been alive today. When that man was assaulting me, Ved arrived on time, and I don't know how he managed to get the door unlocked at such a young age, but he did and landed in the room.

"When he saw what was going on, he yelled loudly and called for help. But Ved also knew that my stupid parents were too busy fighting with each other, so he took on protecting me himself and pushed that man off of me. I was observing everything - that man beating up Ved for interrupting him, my friend getting bashed up black and blue and still trying to take on a person triple his size.

"While Ved was risking his life, my Dad arrived with Ved's dad and my Uncle and managed to save Ved from that monster. Ved's stepmom quickly carried Ved and picked me up too even though it was difficult for her. Ved fainted in her arms, and I did too after I couldn't bear the pain anymore.

"I woke up in the hospital with Ved beside me and though he suffered too, he was there, taking care of me and telling me that I was safe and he wouldn't let anyone hurt me again. That incident took a toll on me and I was traumatized for life; that's why both of us were absent for weeks before returning to school," he paused and drank some water, "And you left soon after."

What was I supposed to say? I had nothing to assure him or any excuse to defend myself. I had promised myself that I would protect Ayush if anyone ever tried to hurt him, but when he actually needed me, I wasn't there...

"Hey, Sandhya, you okay?" Nikhil shook me lightly.

"You also already knew?" I asked Nikhil.

He nodded with a sad look and patted my head. "I am sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry, Nikhil; you were just doing what a friend would have done," I said. "Ayush, I-I am... I don't know what to do."

"I already told you." Ayush narrowed his eyes at me.

Leave Ved? But my Princess... How would I be able to even look him in the eyes now?

"I beg you, Sandhya, I don't want Ved to suffer again. I don't have anyone to rely on - please, don't take my brother from me," Ayush requested painfully.

Ayush's words kept ringing in my ears, and after standing like a corpse for minutes, I slowly nodded and shook my head at Nikhil when he grasped my hand in worry. Ayush sighed in relief but he told me to confirm it again because he had learnt to never trust anyone so easily.

"I am sorry..." I mumbled more to myself and ducked my head in shame.

Ayush didn't react and went past me. Nikhil glanced between us and told me to stop wailing. He knew that I was hurting myself, but I didn't know what to do other then cry for ruining both Ayush's and Ved's childhood.

"Don't blame yourself, Sandhya," Nikhil consoled.

Why shouldn't I blame myself? If only I wasn't Ayush's friend, if only I hadn't gifted him that wretched doll, if only I had stayed away from him as Ved had warned, if only I had never come in their lives, things would have been a lot better.

Thanks a lot for being a nuisance and ruining lives, Sandhya.