The day and the date was finally there from which she was running away, but no longer. She has some really bitter memories attached with this day, on this day it happened, and she's still hurting herself even after two years.

She turned off the tap, she couldn't break down, not in college. Wiping off the water, she got out of washroom to take her biology class. She couldn't concentrate on any word the teacher was teaching.

The restlessness got more, she couldn't breathe, her body limbs were giving up. Stumbling on her steps, she ran out of class, ignoring the teacher's faint callings.

She got out of her department and ran towards the main gate, on the half way she collided with someone.

"Are you okay?" Viyaan asked making her stand on her step. She nodded, and ran away.

"Naira." He called her but she left already.

"Where you looking at?" Kartik asked, handing him soda can.

"It was Naira."

"What about her?" Came his quick response.

"She was crying and-

The soda can long forgotten, dropped on ground. Just those words that she was crying and it was enough for him, Kartik ran towards the main gate to follow Naira.

"Kartik." Viyaan called him from behind.

"Idiots." He yelled, shaking his head at their weird behaviour.

___________________________

"Naira." He shouted running behind her.

"Whats wrong with you?" He yelled grabbing her shoulders and turning her towards him. But he came in view of her teary face.

"Hey, what happened? Why are you crying?" His voice instantly softened.

"Nothing, just leave me alone for sometime. P-please." She said trying to get out of his hold.

"You're not okay. Tell me what happened?" He cupped her cheeks and made her face him.

His eyes fell on her wrist, she was continuously rubbing her wrist over the band she always wore, he asked her a few times about the band but she always ignored.

"Is it about this band or whatever the secret you hold?" He asked holding her wrist.

"N-no." She took her hand back.

"You need to relax first. You're shivering." He said and made her sit on the ground. They were far from college, more likely at an isolated area.

"I'm f-fine." She said hugging her knees.

"I can see how fine you're." He sat besides her.

"Why are you so disturbed?" He asked her.

"Its nothing, just something happened on this d-day."

"Exactly what happened?" He sensed her hesitation.

"You can trust me." She looked at him, his eyes were void of everything but care and honesty was visible in his eyes.

But again, no, she can't trust him. He's just like others.

She smiled, "So that I share everything with you, and you make me believe that you won't leave and then one day you'll end up leaving."

He looked at her confusingly. "I never said that. If you let me stay, I won't leave."

"Thats why I don't want you to stay. I don't want anyone to stay." She said, building up a pool of tears in her eyes.

"I don't know what happened to you, what past you've, but just know one thing never be ashamed of your secrets. You don't like talking out loud about your secrets because you're ashamed, you're afriad that they'll judge you. You shouldn't be afraid, everyone has secrets, good or bad, you should have the guts to accept them." He tucked her hair strand behind her ear, "You know why I don't have any secrets?"

"Because you're so blunt about everything."

"Did you see anyone judging me?" She shook her head.

"See thats why no one judge me because I never held anything in me, I have things with my father, everyone knows. I don't respect my stepmom, everyone knows. So they don't judge me, I don't act like dual personality. You know alot of people come and ask me why I don't have a good relation with my father, I tell them everything. Because I'm not ashamed of my secrets, I'm right or wrong I don't care. I don't respect my parents, thats it. Everyone has accepted the fact.  People will never stop judging and interfering. If you want to live happily, you need to heal your scars." He caressed her cheeks. She relaxed a little.

She held her wrist, and slowly removed her band. She painfully closed her eyes, a tear drop fell on her wrist.

He looked at her wrist and saw a deep blade scar. It didn't take him a second to know what this scar was.

He looked at her, she was crying by then.

"Why you did this?" A whisper came from him.

"I was broken that time, I had nothing left. I didn't mean to do this, I didn't realize when I did this. And I regret it." She took a breathe.

"Before you judge me, let me tell you. My mom ran away with her boyfriend, I was left with my dad. He was really nice to me, but I don't know what happened to him, he started changing. One day, he got home drunk and yelled at me. He said that he hates me, that I remind him of my mom. He left me with my guardian and left I don't know where. My aunt was really nice, but she died. I had a few friends, and a boyfriend. My boyfriend cheated on me with my bestfriend. And that night, at this day, I tried to end my life." She gripped his knees, not being able to hold her breathe steady anymore.

"Hey, relax. You need to relax. Calm down."

He held her close, her back touching his front, seated on ground. He trapped her legs with his, and held her closer to him through her waist. She relaxed in his hold.

"Listen to me." His grip tightened on her as he said, "Life gets hard, really hard. You can't see which way to go, you feel helpless. But its never the end, we can't give up without trying. And I'm glad you made it through, whatever happened it made you strong. And trust me you're really strong. And don't worry, okay?" He kept whispering, and she kept nodding.

After a while, he looked down at her, she was asleep. He made her comfortable in his lap, and kissed her forehead.

He never cared for anyone like this, his heart never ached for anyone the way it did for her.

_____________________________________

A bit longer.