-• you owe me •-

Agastya scoops me in his arms the moment I enter the living room. I can only response in shrieks of shock at the unexpected welcome, and then he does the unthinkable by tossing me in Yuvaan's arms.

"What's going on here!?" I demand hoarsely, kicking my legs in the air to get down. Instead of getting a reply, I'm being shifted to another pair of arms. These ones belonging to my favourite brother's. "No, don't!" I warn him when he tries to pass me back to Agastya. "Let me down!"

He defies me by throwing me in Agastya's arms. The eighteen year old grins down at me, a wicked glint shining in his onyx eyes, which proves its existence when he tosses me in the air and then catches me again.

"Are you nuts!?" I wrap my arms around his neck, locking them tightly so he doesn't try the stunt again. I feel his chest vibrate as he laughs, holding me securely in his arms and carrying me to the couch. Fortunately, he drops me on the cushioned softness. I quickly scramble to sit straight, my body alerted enough to retaliate if he attempts to pull another prank. "What was that!?" I bellow across the room.

"A test," Agastya plops down on the seat adjacent to mine.

"What sort of test?" I frown.

"You know we'll have to carry you in a doli when you're married off, right? I needed to make sure I'm not giving up on my arms for a simple tradition. Doesn't sound like a fair deal to me." He shrugs.

My nose twitches in annoyance. Agastya is like a sneeze, you don't like it, but it lingers like a tickle in your senses, so you can't help but want it.

"Are you telling me I'm not fat?"

He squints his eyes, then nods slowly.

"Is that your way of comforting me?"

"Yup." He owns his stupidity proudly.

"And you two were into it?" I look at the remaining two. "No offense, but I can't imagine him telling you about his plan and you guys replying, oh yes, this sounds smart."

"We didn't know the context," Vivaan quickly shakes his head.

"I should have known when you said this was his idea," Yuvaan looks down at him with a face of disappointment, before he turns and walks off upstairs.

"You hear them?" I turn to Agastya. He eyes me with a bitter look. "How did you even convince them to do this?" I probe curiously.

He grins like a child. "Bhai says I've got some solid convincing skills."

I glance at Vivaan to confirm. He nods. "He does. Which is why Yuvraaj Bhai wanted him to take law." I look back at Agastya, my mouth agape in a mixture of disbelief and confusion and when he man-spreads his thighs, heeding me with a cocky gaze, it clamps shut in disgust.

"I don't know." I shake my head, not sure about the claim. "I mean, even common sense is rare for him."

"Damn!" I hear Ayush say from the end of staircase as he walks off.

The egoistic look on Agastya's face drops, replaced with fury. Then he leans in, bracing his knees with his fleshy forearms, prominent veins running beneath his skin like vines. "You know if a zombie apocalypse breaks out, you'd be the first to die."

"Why? Because I've no survival instincts?"

"No. Because you're so fat you can't even run!" He disappears like a genie into the lamp.

"Agastya!" I holler, almost shaking the walls with my voice. My throat feels dry and scratchy but I don't let that stop me from screaming the next words, "If I turn into a zombie, watch your back because I'm coming for your unused brains next, you knucklehead!"

"I'm waiting!" He shouts back from the floor above, laughing like a fucking donkey. I scoff and drop down on the couch, swallowing a glass of water to soothe my parched throat.

"Tara," Vivaan calls out after a moment of silence. I turn my head, giving him my utmost attention. "Are you okay?"

Not really, but I don't feel as much unworthy as I felt this morning.

"I'm fine." I force a smile for his sake.

"Since when did you think you could lie to me?" He tucks a stray lock of hair behind my ear. My gaze falls sheepishly. "Did you forget I always play alongside you when you're trying to lie?" He holds my hand in his, catching my wavering gaze with his stable one. "I do that because I know you're not ready to face the truth yet. But you need to draw a line when you start wishing your lies become your truth. Remember what you said to me at the restaurant? Strength is not defined by erasing your worst memory, it's defined by your ability to accept it, smile, and make new ones."

"Her words hurt me," I nod, opening my feelings to the one person I know is willing to hear me patiently. I've been through people who treated my emotional dump like a burden. People covet positivity, and I understand that. No one's interested in hearing you sing a sad song of your life. But sometimes you wish for someone to just sit there and listen to the shit you went through without expecting words of motivation or tears of sympathy in return but a comfortable silence where you know you're not judged or ignored or heard on impatiently because they've better things to do. "But rather than what she said to me, what hurt more is that it was her saying those words to me. You know there are people in your life that you believe will never hurt you and when they prove you wrong, it's not their actions, but the realisation that it's them who did that to you, said those words to you, that's what hurts the most. I guess that's what we call Karma." I swallow the thick urge to bawl my eyes out in my brother's arms. "Atharva must have thought the same about me. That I'd never hurt him. I can't complain, because I know I deserved it." I whisper as tears prick at the corners of my eyes.

"Hush you," he tugs me closer, his nimble fingers swiftly swiping off the tears that roll down my cheeks. "No one deserves to be treated so harshly. No one. Well, except when they are charged with cognizable offense." He adds with a nod, eliciting a chuckle out of me. His ability to crack a joke in a situation like this is amazing. Hearing me laugh brings a smile on his face and he drops a peck on my forehead. "There are two ways to deal with a broken relationship, Tara. One," he holds up an index finger. "You can be either mature. Or two," the middle finger goes up. "You can be extremely petty." He drops his hand to his lap. "The way you ended your relationship with Atharva was you being mature. You didn't do it over a text or a call, nor did you ghost him. You met him personally and broke the news to him gently. One cannot help if they lose feelings. If you pretended like nothing was wrong and kept him in the dark, it would have been harder on you both in the future. I'm so proud of you, because unlike us adults who choose the messiest way to end a relationship, you chose the most beautiful, humble and kind one. That requires courage, and you my darling," he cups my chin, "have plenty of it."

"Now coming to your friendship with Anagha," he continues, "She chose the second option to break it. And that will leave you both with nothing but bitter memories. Because that one harsh moment between you both, where she called you those ugly words and you believed them, wiped off every other good memory that you must have created in past. All those moments when you genuinely smiled at each other, were happy with each other, are now meaningless, ambiguous, and with a question mark of insincerity because of this one memory that ended it all."

I feel a sob build up in the back of my throat. "I caused it."

"No, you didn't, my love. You didn't cause anything. Somethings are meant to end early so they don't break you in the future. When you lose something that once made you happy, it's inevitable to not miss it. But it's also almost impossible to have it back. If it's not in your fate, it's not in your fate. There must be a reason why it's no longer your reality but rather just a memory of your past." He strokes my hair gently.

"Learn to let go of what's already gone, Tara." He smiles down at me. "That's how you can move ahead with time. You need to keep holding it, because if you get left back, it's never returning and you'll have more distance to cover."

"She'll remember me as a regret,"

"Unfortunately, that's life." His voice turns gentler. "Like nature, it comes with seasons. She met you in the one she likes the least. Maybe she thought of you as warm summer but you brought rain with yourself. And it's no one's fault. She expected something different, and you had something else to give. Maybe this is the time you're becoming the best version of yourself. Just because she didn't like your change, doesn't mean it was wrong. If she had waited longer, perhaps you could have given her the summer she desired. And if it was never possible, maybe it's the fate's way of telling you why your friendship might have never worked out."

"So I just forget everything?" I tilt my head to the side.

"No," a kind smile spreads on his lips, his eyes softening more. "You remember it. You must. And you move on along with it. But it depends on you what you want to remember it as. A regret, a lesson, a mistake or a memory."

I nod, understanding his words, somewhere even agreeing with them. "Thank you."

"There are so many things you should be grateful for, but having yourself heard, understood and sympathised is not one of them. So don't thank me." He shakes his head.

I can't help but smile hearing those kind words. His profession truly suits him. It's like he's born to save lives. I wonder what his soul is made of, where so much generosity comes from, this grace that makes him so admirable. I've always heard of the saying standing in the ashes of who I was. Vivaan defies those words. He stands in the blooms of who he was. Because I know for a fact, he blossomed like a flower in each phase of his life.

"You know why you're my favourite?"

He smiles. "Now you got me curious," He cocks a brow.

"Because it's you." I nod, strangely satisfied with the way I surmised my love towards him in three simple words. "You make it seem like loving someone is so easy. When it's not. You can't just put your trust, hopes, and expectations on anyone and blindly believe they'll never misuse it. But you make it possible. And that's, that's such a huge thing in today's world."

His eyes lower, a fond shyness slipping into those amber swirls.

"Sometimes I'm envious of the bond you two share," a third person says, surprising both of us. I look up and find Dad at the threshold of the living room, holding his briefcase and mobile phone.

"Dad!" I get up excitedly and rush to give him a tight hug. He chuckles, wrapping his arms around my body, embracing me with all his might. I feel him drop a kiss on top of my head before I allow him to pull away. "How was your day?"

"I don't remember how it was but now it's amazing!" He flicks my nose playfully.

"Oh, flirting huh," I tease, making him laugh heartily. "Alright, I gotta go and get notes from Ayush. So, see you two during dinner!" I say and take my hasty leave.

Seeing Ayush studying with so much concentration sends a flicker of shame to my subconscious. I request him for today's notes and he barely even looks at me while handing them over. One thing I know for sure is that if Shourya wasn't so fucking naturally smart, Ayush would have easily beat him to become a topper.

"Tara," he calls out when I turn to leave.

"Yes?" I face him again, my brows rising in question.

"Our class teacher wants you to call Shourya for the notes she left with him during extra lectures. She said you need them."

"But I don't have Shourya's number." I inform him. I don't even want it. It's better if that guy stays hundred and one feet away from me. Just the thought of him and I feel annoyed beyond the limits.

Ayush gives it to me from his phone. I take the books and the small note back to my room. Putting the books on my white desk, I sit on the chair, lamenting the fact that I will have to call him first. For some reason, I don't like the sound of it. Even if I was dying and he'd be walking past, I'd choose death over asking him for help.

Yeah, you didn't remember that in the pool when you were clinging to him like a monkey.

That's because....... Survival instincts. Yes, survival instincts.

"Let's just get over with this," I say to myself encouragingly. We've already chalked down the boundaries between us. Except for annoyance, there's nothing we feel towards each other. Opening the note, I copy down his number on my phone and hit the call option.

"If it's luck that's getting me your attention, why do I feel so unfortunate?" Is the first thing he says upon receiving my call.

"I'd have believed you if this wasn't our first time talking over phone. Should I call it love or obsession?" I remark cockily.

"Awareness," he states. "But to eliminate all the hypothetical theories you must have made in your head, let me tell you it was our class teacher who gave me your phone number this evening."

"And you already memorised it?" I feign a gasp. "If you were anyone but you, I'd have blushed."

"Remembering the way you clung to me in the swimming pool, I find it hard to believe you're doing anything but fanning your cheeks right now."

I scoffed. I'm definitely not doing that. "In your dreams."

"If you were to come in my dreams, Esther, you'll heard yourself screaming."

My cheeks heat up at that and eyes go impossibly wide.

"In rage." He adds nonchalantly. "What else did you think?"

"Shut up."

"You're blushing." I hate that it's not a question or an assumption but a statement said with certainty.

"I'm not entertaining your crap. Send me the notes of today's extra lectures." I say and immediately hang up, clutching my head tightly in my hands as I release a groan of frustration.

This guy is so fucking infuriating. How does he even exists without rising every other person's blood pressure he comes across? If I was him, which I'm so glad I'm not because God forbid existing as him sounds like a sin, but I'd never get out of my room because of how hideous my personality would be.

It baffles me that no one has ever told him being hot and good looking is not an excuse to his bad attitude and douche behaviour. I wish the girl he falls in love with makes him grovel and beg at her feet.

My phone pings, notifying the newly arrived mail. I quickly download the content and shift to my laptop to get a start on my studies. I've already procrastinated a lot.

After dinner, I resume my studies until it's past midnight. I know Yuvraaj has told me to forget about the punishment. Not told me actually, he warned me to keep myself out of the Saxena family's business. But I can't do that to Anagha. We were friends until yesterday and she deserves to know what sick plans her father has made for her without her consent. I don't really care what happens to him as long as Anagha and Atharva gets out of his controlling clutches. From what I know, he's not a good person. Also, their mother runs an individual business and is rarely even involved in her husband's side of family's politics. I don't think Bhai will do anything to her. So even if their father becomes incapable of providing for them in future, their mother can very well take the charge.

Unintentionally obliged to take on my brother's challenge, I write a letter addressing my ex- friend and detail everything to her, starting from her father's plan to shift them to the States followed by marrying her off to someone in his late twenties once she turns eighteen. I make sure none of the words imply who's writing this letter. To void all possibilities of revealing my identity, I copy the letter in my laptop and print it out before sealing it in an envelope.

Now, I need to find a person capable of delivering this letter to her without the risk of revealing our identities or leaving any evidence behind that will later come back to bite me in the ass.

And I happen to know a perfect candidate for it.

The only problem is finding him.

When I step out in the dark, the only thing accompanying me is my shadow. I swear even Alice's wonderland is easier to find than this mystery man. In the end, I come back to my room empty handed, and drop down on the bed to sleep.

This continues another night.

And another.

Until I'm ready to give up.

"If I say abracadabra, will you come?" I ask to the empty room, seated on the bed, hopelessly waiting for him.

"Might as well try it,"

I yelp, my eyes snapping to the window where he appears, his arms crossed on the sill as he regards me with a mischievous gaze. An unintended smile comes over my lips, my heart fluttering just at the sight of him. I wait as he jumps inside the room, his body fluid like soft clay, the agility of his limbs making me blush. He's so fucking perfect.

"How long did I make you wait, Princess?" He leans in, his fists pressed down on either side of me. I automatically lean back, my senses sending out an alarm of overload.

"Four nights and three days," I reply.

He stands straight and shoves his hands in the pockets of his trousers. "I'm sure it's not because you missed me."

I did.

"I and miss you?" I raise a brow. "You sound delusional."

"No, I sound like you."

I scowl. "Overconfidence."

"You find it hot." He smirks. I can't see it on his lips, but it's visible in his ebony eyes.

"Stop flirting with me." I roll my eyes.

"I haven't even started yet, Princess." He chuckles.

Commanding my inner voice to focus on the task in hand rather than shrieking like an insane fangirl, I get up and hold out the envelope to him.

His dark brow pull together. "What is this?" He takes it from me.

"I need you to deliever this to Anagha Saxena anonymously. She mustn't know it was from me or has any connection from someone in Chauhan palace." I instruct.

He gives me a poker look. "What am I? Your personal delivery service?" He snorts, tossing the envelope to me. I catch it before it falls.

"You owe me." I grit out, slapping it against his chest.

"I don't owe anything to anyone." He steps closer threateningly, letting the letter fall to the floor.

"Yes, you do," I don't let my tone falter under his naked intimidation. "For all the times I've helped you, you owe me more than these petty returns. You should be grateful I'm still quiet about you in front of my family. I believe you are a good person, don't prove me wrong."

I see his eyes smile wickedly.

He quickly cups my chin, leaning in impossibly closer that I have no place to escape from his possessive claws. "Princess, I'm a sword. And if you hold me so fucking confidently, I'd be tempted to taste blood for you."

"Are you promising me your loyalty?" I frown.

He chuckles, deep and inky like his eyes, endless depths reaching nothing but consuming darkness. "Not yet." I feel his callous thumb stroke beneath my lower lip. "Not until you realise I am fucking evil and still accept me."

I feel my heart skip a beat.

He bends to pick up the letter. "For my princess," he flaunts it sexily, throws me a wink and disappears into the night like a fallen star.

I sit with a thump on the bed, my heart racing wildly in my chest. I can hear it echo loud and clear in my eardrums.

If I get a heart attack right now, my unhealthy lifestyle is not to be blamed.

You know what makes their interactions so special? It's because they are rare, unexpected and still memorable. Imagine when he isn't secret anymore, I'm excited and sad about it at the same time lol.

Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Don't forget to vote and comment. Makes my day.