"Missing you, oh Never"- she smiled genuinely for the first time in the party and he stood there with his mouth opened at her answer.

"You know you are very bad at lying bhabhi jaan"- He pinched her nose quickly so that others don't see his antic.

"and I guess you are expert at it Asim bhai"- she crossed her arms across her chest to look intimidating but failed miserably. Asim laughed at her fake strict demeanour and niharika too couldn't help and gave a sweet smile to him.

"You don't have to call me bhabhi. You are elder than me bhai"- she reprimanded Aseem.

"That crazy husband of yours is elder to me by one year. So technically he is like my elder brother and according to that relationship you are my bhabhi (sister-in- law) and I love to call you that"- Asim lips twisted into a carefree smile.

Rest of the party night was easy going for Niharika with Asim accompanying her and trying to cheer her mood.

It was past midnight when lata came downstairs to go to the kitchen to fetch some water. She looked up through the kitchen window to see that Niharika was sitting on the concrete floor pathway which led to the garden area.

She went to her and sat besides her. "What are you doing here at this hour. Come let's go inside". Lata wrapped the fine shawl which she was carrying around Niharika when she felt her skin has gotten very cold.

"How my life changed. What I was and what I have become. Four years ago , I could have never imagined my life would be like this"- Niharika  said blankly .

Lata got the hint that Niharika was remembering her past and pain and sadness associated with the incidents was wrecking havoc in her mind and heart.

Lata engulfed her body and slightly caressed her hair to comfort her. She put her head in lata lap and closed her eyes.

Past timeline

Niharika was physically present in her history lecture but her mind was wondering to disastrous incident that happened with her in the morning. She wanted to forget it but her mind wasn't letting her to do.

But most importantly her heart was thinking that she couldn't even get a chance to thank her saviour for protecting her dignity. She got goosebumps thinking what could have happened if he hadn't come on time.

"Stop thinking about that incident"- Samidha  gently nudged her elbow with hers and spoke in extremely low tone. She was maintaining eye contact with the professor  so as to not get caught by him for not paying attention in lecture.

"I will "- Niharika lied to her friend and tried to clear her mind.

After college both the girls went to their respective houses.

"Toh Maharani aaj 15 minutes late aayi hain(So the queen has come 15 minutes late today)"- Niharika heard her mother voice as soon as she stepped inside her home.

"Maa, I got late because of traffic"- Niharika replied meekly. She knew that her mother wouldn't believe her but nonetheless she told her the obvious reason for her delay.

"You and your lame excuses are never going to end"-  Her mother spoke in loud voice and went to the kitchen.

It had become like a habit to hear such words from her mother , so Niharika didn't mind it and directly went to her room.

As soon as she kept her bag on the table , someone hugged her tightly and made her go round.

"Didi"- The person screamed on top of her lungs.

"Bas kar Muski"- Niharika made her stop and clutched her head which was spinning due to the force.

"Didi , I got first position in the pre boards"- The person spoke whole sentence in one breath.

"Sach mein(Really)"- Niharika voice was a mixture of shock with slight glint of happiness.

"haa".

Niharika kissed the person on her cheeks who was none other than her little sister. Her name is Muskaan Sharma but everyone in the family calls her Muski. A family which consists of Niharika , her little sister Muskaan and her mother and father. This was her small and sweet family except her mother who rarely let Niharika have a taste of sweetness in her life.

"That's wonderful"- she lightly pinched muskaan cheek. She was genuinely happy for muskaan for she knew that her dream is to become doctor  and she is slowly inching towards her goal.

"Okay , Now I am going to tell Maa and baba"-  Muskaan said in joy and left.

It was evening time and niharika was preparing dinner for the family when her phone rang.

She picked up after looking that it was Samidha call.

"My parents have given me the permission to go"- samidha spoke from the other side in cheerful tone

"Where"- Niharika asked absent-mindely.

"Don't tell me that you have forgotten"-samidha voice changed into serious tone.

"You are talking about going to that club"-Niharika remembered after thinking for sometime and saved herself from her friend scolding.

"Yes Miss Sharma. I am talking about that only"-samidha replied.

"Good for you yaar"- she said.

"It's going to be good for you too. You are also coming with us".

"Its not possible. You know how my mother is. She will not allow me"- Niharika said with a heavy heart.

"Okk. If you are not coming, I am not going too"- samidha replied in a stern voice.

"don't be crazy".

"Its my full and final decision. We are going together. That's it"-Niharika know it is futile to make her friend understand.

"I will try to take permission"- The girls then cut the call.

Niharika knew that it was hard task to get permission from her mother but she had to do it for her crazy friend sake.

Luckily for her , her mother was in good mood today due to muskaan results and she got the permission to join her friends at the club partly due to the heavy pleadings by her and muskaan.

Samidha took Niharika at her house to make her get ready. She dressed her up in deep blue colour dress with white Diamond patterns. It was reaching just above her knee. She made heavy curls at front part of her hair and completed the look with big round but simple earrings.

"This dress is too short"- Niharika pouted like a child.

"Nothing is too short. You are looking gorgeous in it"- Samidha made her mouth shut.

"All the boys will fall over you"- she gave niharika her mischievous smile.

Both Niharika and Samidha reached the club and were soon joined by their three other friends.

It wasn't some big occasion for them. In fact it wasn't even a occasion at all. They had just decided to break free from their mundane lifestyle of college and home to enjoy. So they chose clubbing.

Judging from the interiors , the club seemed to be an elite one. The one where the rich folks would come to enjoy.

All the girls danced to the beats  of music till their hearts core. Suddenly Niharika felt thirsty and excused herself from the group.

She went to the bartender and asked for simple water. As there were previous orders, the bartender was serving them first and she could do nothing but wait for her order.

"Why wear such dress in which you are not comfortable"-  She heard his voice. The same voice which helped her. Could it mean that this voice is of her saviour.

Her eyes immediately moved towards the source of voice  which she found to be in a person sitting besides her on a barstool. He was holding a drink in his hand.

She couldn't properly see his facial features due to the dark settings and dim lighting of the club but enough to recognise it anywhere if they met again. She could make out that he was indeed very handsome from his physique.

He was wearing a black shirt with the cuffs folded up that was properly defining his muscular arms and broad chest.

Realising that she was shamelessly checking him out , she turned her eyes away but before that she wanted to answer  his remark. She didn't know why.

"I am not uncomfortable"-she replied curtly.

He lips curved up in a smirk when he saw that she was again pulling the hem of her dress.

"Mam your water"- The bartender gave her drink and she gulped it down in one go.

"Ranveer Sir , your drink is ready"-  she heard his name. She got to know about the name of her saviour but she couldn't muster courage to  thanks him maybe because of his intimidating demeanour.

She went from there and again join her friends on the dance floor. But her eyes were absentmindely  staring at him even from a distance.

But her mood dropped when she saw that he was gone from there. She unknowingly felt some void that they didn't talk anything apart from her dress.

"You want to talk with some stranger"- her mind nagged her.

"Yes"- her heart replied which made her confused.

She shrugged off her mind and heart thoughts and decided to enjoy her time with her friends...............

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Author Note:  We are first going to have past chapters which will reveal the past incidents.

Thanks for reading.