Hritika stopped the car in front of the building she was supposed to meet with Maanvi. She looked at Neer, who was sitting in the passenger seat. Although half of his face was covered in a mask, his nervousness was clear from his darting eyes.

"It's going to be okay," Hritika said, squeezing his hand in comfort, keeping her own pain at bay.

Hritika felt sweating in Neer's hand, which she was holding. She raised her head towards him and saw his other hand tightly holding the handle as if he would fall if he let it go.

She got concerned looking at the sweat forming on his forehead and hearing his deep, forceful breathing.

"I don't think I can do this," Neer said, puffing as it became even more difficult to breathe.

"Okay, okay, you don't have to," Hritika said trying to comfort him in the midst of panic.

She hurriedly removed his mask so he could breathe easily and waited for him to calm down as she didn't know how to help him. Hritika had her phone on, ready to call the pack doctor if Neer didn't get better within two minutes.

Fortunately the need never arrived, as Neer managed to calm down on his own.

The car was silent for another ten minutes as Neer tried to get his thoughts in check, while Hritika sat there quietly, patiently waiting for him to talk on his own.

"I want to go, but I really don't have the courage to face her," Neer said, letting out a shaky breath.

"Take your time," she told him, but her eyes went to her watch. They were already late. And just in time, she received Maanvi's call.

Hritika looked at Neer with a question in her eyes, not knowing what to do.

"Let's not keep her waiting more. You go first," Neer said, hoping he could gather courage in a few minutes.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, in fact it's better. She doesn't even know I am coming or even the fact that I am alive. You can soften the blow first then I will come."

"Alright." Hritika nodded, before ordering, "Wear your mask before coming out of the car, and please don't fall sick again."

Neer laughed at the change of her tone. How fast she went from being on business mode to a concerned friend.

"Don't worry, I will be fine and will join you soon," he assured.

★★★★★

"What the-"

Hritika was shocked to find a stranger sitting with Maanvi as soon as she entered the small office.

"I told you to come alone," Hritika said angrily to Maanvi. Although unintentionally, this girl was going to put Neer in danger.

"Don't worry he is trustworthy and he knows about everything," Maanvi said, while clasping her hands with him.

"No...fucking way," Hritika cursed, her eyes narrowed at their joined hands.

"Please tell me it isn't what I am thinking," Hritika said, even though the scene was quite clear.

"Yeah we are together," Maanvi dropped the bomb. "You can judge me all you want, I don't mind."

"That fast?" Hritika blurted out the question, before palming her mouth in shock. The question wasn't meant to be spoken out loud.

"I didn't mean...," Hritika started to apologize, but Maanvi stopped her.

Looking at Hritika with kind eyes, she explained, "He was there for me from the start. He didn't have the power yet he stood beside me to face all the problems."

"From the start?" Hritika asked, her tone taking a dark turn in an instant.

"Yeah, from the very start. But he was just a friend at that time. He helped me unconditionally. I only started seeing him in another light after Neer's demise. It was only because of Paras that I am still able to stand here now. Or else I would have drowned and killed myself in guilt a long time ago."

Hritika's hand moved towards her head, clutching her hair tightly to stop them from attacking Maanvi.

"A nice love story," Hritika said, faking a smile, while lava spread throughout her body.

Yes, with Maanvi having a new boyfriend, her way to Neer was clear now. But Hritika didn't feel even an ounce of happiness. She was angry, too angry on behalf of Neer.

"I made a huge mistake," Hritika muttered to herself, "I shouldn't have brought Neer here."

Maanvi and Paras glanced at each other with confusion seeing Hritika mumbling and frowning at herself continuously.

"Are you...okay?" Paras tried to ask, but he was royally ignored as Hritika was busy thinking of some excuse to get Neer out of there. She had to stop him from meeting Maanvi at any cost.

Not being able to find any excuse in the panic mode, Hritika decided to just chuck it. She was just going to drive the car back to the pack house without any explanation.

Hritika moved to walk out of the office, only to find Neer standing there at the entrance with glistened eyes.

Maanvi and Paras who had followed Hritika to stop her sudden departure froze upon seeing Neer.

"Neeeer," Maanvi whispered, hurrying towards him, almost pushing Hritika in the process.

Her hands moved to touch his face but stopped midway

"You... are alive," she whispered, while looking at him with wide eyes. She kept repeating, "You are alive." The first one was in shock, the other in happiness while the last one was out of guilt.

"Yeah I am," Neer answered, while wiping his eyes and looking at her with a small smile.

"I am so glad," she said, tears falling from her eyes.

"Really? It doesn't seem like the case where you would be happy to see me," Neer let out a sardonic chuckle, looking at Paras.

Sensing Neer's anger, Paras immediately came forward and pulled Maanvi behind him. He was scared but still stood still as a wall between Neer and Maanvi.

Neer's eyes softened seeing his actions and he raised his hands to show he didn't mean any harm.

"I...I am so sorry," Maanvi apologized, coming forward to stand beside Paras instead of behind him.

"I shouldn't have released that video. Because of me...you...," Maanvi broke down mid-sentence.

"Don't apologize for that, never for that. I would have released my video myself if it meant saving you," Neer said in a broken voice, making Maanvi's head snap towards him in shock.

"What hurts me the most is that you didn't come to me for help. Why Maanvi? I was your boyfriend then why him? I had the power to help you then why him? Why him and not me?"

Maanvi shook her head amidst the tears, trying to answer but not being able to as Neer kept asking one question after the other. He, himself, fell apart as the questions increased and he started questioning his actions, his mistakes, his shortcomings to prove her his worth.

"I was ashamed," Maanvi yelled to stop him from questioning, to stop him from degrading himself any further.

"I was ashamed," she whispered, staring down at the floor. Looking at the now silent and frozen Neer, she spoke out the bitter truth. The reason why she couldn't go to him to ask for help.

"I was ashamed to face you. I didn't know how to tell you that those guys had seen me in a state that even you, as my boyfriend hadn't."

Maanvi completely broke down, falling on the floor, crying her eyes out. Neer moved to hold her, but Paras was already beside her. Hugging and comforting her, letting her know that it wasn't her mistake.

Whilst still holding Maanvi, Paras looked back at Neer. "She didn't tell anybody else, not even me. I found it by chance. She really wanted to come to you. Trust me, she really tried, made so many attempts, but couldn't find that courage. Please forgive-"

Neer interrupted him saying, "Don't. Please don't. If anyone here needs to ask for forgiveness, then it's me. I was the one who couldn't create that trust in her. It's not her fault."

"Neer," Maanvi whispered in guilt, looking up at him.

Wiping off her tears, she looked at him with an apologetic smile.

"Please don't blame yourself. Me not trusting you was not your fault.

"Remember the first time I found out you had powers. Despite having feelings, I had run away from you. Your powers scared me. It took me so long to accept your real self. We should have known then and there, that we weren't meant to be. That I wouldn't be able to trust you with blind eyes, no matter how much you loved me.

"I am really sorry, Neer. So so sorry."

Neer inhaled a deep breath hearing everything, knowing that it was time to part ways with Maanvi.

"It was beautiful while it lasted. But you are right, that we weren't meant to be," Neer said, before gesturing to Hritika that it was time to leave.

"And Maanvi?" He called out, just before he was about to step out, "Don't feel too guilty. I didn't do any better either."

"Hey! What do you mean you didn't do any better? What was your fault in all this?" Hritika asked, pulling him from his collar so he would face her.

She was angry about the whole situation. But what really raised her temper was Neer blaming himself, despite not being at fault.

Neer sighed, gently removing her hold from his collar. Looking at the closed door of the office, he said, "If I say that she was wrong for not trusting me. Then it makes me a culprit too. I didn't trust her either. The moment I saw the video, my first thought was that Maanvi betrayed me."

"So? She was the only one with the video. What else were you supposed to think?" Hritika bursted out, throwing her arms up in frustration.

Neer shook his head with a smile at her reaction, before explaining, "Trust doesn't need evidence, Hritika. I should have trusted her even when the whole world was pointing against her. Just like the elements trusted me at that moment.

"Just like Avan did for his parents. Even when they outrightly badmouthed him on the television, he always thought that they did it because they had no choice. He said that they were probably forced to say this. Someone was making them say it by putting a gun on their forehead." Neer chuckled, remembering the excuses Avan gave.

"Why didn't I have such blind trust in her? Why did I question her intentions on the very minute I saw the video was telecasted? Why couldn't I make excuses for her behaviour? Why didn't I think that either she didn't do it or if she did then she was probably forced to do so?

"Neither did she trust me, nor did I. We loved each other, but there was no trust. And without it, we weren't going to last even without this tragedy."

Hritika patted his shoulder, looking at him with saddened eyes. She knew that even though he was saying all this, trying to look like an understanding person, he was falling apart from inside.