"Please follow me, this way ladies", Prabir said with a charming smile.
He led them to a small table at a corner of the restaurant and pulled up a chair for Ms. Nalini pleading, " Maa..please sit here", then he pulled up a chair for Bhawani and gestured her to sit down.

"But you said that Brijesh uncle and Aditya uncle, would also be joining us", Bhargavi enquired uneasily.

"Aah! Did I say that? Well, then surprise!! No one else is joining us", he said with a mischievous twinkle.

He pulled out a chair next to Bhawani and prompted, " Mam, please have your seat"and Bhargavi sat down slowly.

Prabir occupied a seat next to Ms. Nalini, as an authoritative ruler, crossing one leg over the other, and asked politely, " Maa...what will you like to have?"

Ms. Nalini was feeling very uncomfortable, this was the first time she visited a restaurant in years. She did not even remember the last time, she visited a restaurant. She shyly said, " what will I say Prabir, you three decide."

Bhargavi had a puzzled expression on her face, her mind was filled with question marks.

Bhawani was extremely quiet and could not understand what was going on either.

Prabir called up the waiter and placed the orders, he had placed the orders himself but it included almost everything that was Bhargavi's, Bhawani's and Ms. Nalini's favourite.

Bhargavi glanced at Prabir with a look demanding explanation, and he smiled heartily.

"I convinced Keya's parents...that Keya's decision had nothing to do with Bhargu...

Punishing an innocent person won't bring back Keya to them or help bring her out of coma.

So..they won't be filing any case against Bhargu and there is nothing to worry", he clarified gleefully.

"But Prabir Bhaiya..what about the suicide note?" Bhawani asked curious.

"Tomorrow if I commit suicide and blame the prime minister of the country, for my death, will he face any kind of hassles Bhawu?

There is no evidence that police found against Bhargu...and there could be no motive behind Bhargu...wanting Keya's death, that the police could trace, even if they investigate."

Relief flushed on Ms. Nalini's face, she held Prabir's arm and said, "thank you Prabir", again and again with tears tumbling down her cheeks.

"You lied to me. You are a lier. Why didn't you tell me all of this earlier?" Bhargavi snapped.

" Hey! Bhargu...I am sorry, I wanted to surprise you all and yes, I also lied to you about one more thing.

When Nishwas Sinha's henchman had called me, I didn't ask for time to think, I threatened him.

After what Mayank tried to do with Bhawu...there is no way that I'll ever try to persuade you ...to stop digging into his past, rather I'll only help you with all my might", he replied solemnly.

"How in the world did you convince Keya's parents? Her mother had grabbed my collar in the hospital and...she yelled at me." Bhargavi enquired curiously.

Prabir regarded her carefully and began, " I ..I went back to the hospital after I had seen Maa beat you up and I spoke to Keya's parents.

I told them about Keya...our friendship and what she meant to me.

I became friends with her when we were in class 9, while once I noticed her crying alone in a corner in the library. I approached her and asked, ' Hey! Are you okay?'

She replied sternly, ' just leave me alone'.

"Yeah! I surely will, but first you'll have to tell me what's wrong with you Keya", I had asked her.

She looked up at me once and then looked down on the floor, then shyly admitted that she had a stomach ache.

' If it is that bad, you should just go home Keya", I insisted. This was how we became friends.

Though I have always had many friends but I used to mostly hang out with Abhijit, Sachin, Vishwesh, Sekhar and Rakesh earlier in school.

I never paid any special attention to Keya, Rachael and the rest of my friends' and had no clues to what Keya felt about me untill the day when KitKat scratched up her face.

I even told Mrs. Kavya that I love Bhargu, not Keya and this was the only reason why she had taken this drastic measure. It is none of Bhargu's fault, I should be punished instead.

I care for Keya but it is only as a friend.

A part of me wants Keya to survive and live, while another part of me wants to let her go as she will be suffering from an excruciating pain, the moment she gains back her senses."

"Mrs. Kavya also asked me why I couldn't love her child instead of Bhargu. If only I had reciprocated to her feelings, this would have never happened", he said mournfully.

"So what was your reply?" Bhargavi enquired.

"One cannot choose to fall in love with someone. I can never reciprocate to her feelings, that was all I could say Bhargu", he admitted.

"Bhargu...I....I felt like I just fell onto  knives and daggers,tearing me apart.  I couldn't face them staring at me with such pain stricken pale faces.

It felt as if I was chained and being given liquid poison to drink.

Was this all a game to her? This is the way, she chose to torture me all my life.... for eternity, for being her friend? ", he concluded with anger as tears filled up his eyes.

"Prabu...please calm down", Bhargavi said softly.

"I can't Bhargu...the look on  Kavya Aunty and Bhairav uncle's face is going to haunt me for a lifetime. The misery, the helplessness and agony I saw in their eyes...

How many people - friends and family will I have to see dying Maa?" Prabir asked Ms. Nalini anxiously, blubbering.

The waiter arrived and Prabir looked away, then excusing himself he went to wash his face. Bhargavi wanted to follow him, but Ms. Nalini asked her to leave Prabir alone for sometime.

Prabir had known that he definitely would break down while speaking about Keya and thus, had decided not to bring Parul along.

He splashed water on his face again and again. Even after facing such an ordeal, where he felt like he was a cold-hearted,cruel, manipulative arch-villain, urging Keya's parents to not file a case against Bhargavi, when they were desperately praying for their daughter's life, he prayed wholeheartedly for Keya's recovery.

He returned after a while, with a facade of joyfulness on his face. Everyone was waiting for him and hadn't touched anything on the table, as the numerous dishes were served on their plates one after the other.

"The food is getting cold, why did you all wait for me?" Prabir asked.

Ms. Nalini who was seated on Prabir's right, placed her left palm on Prabir's head and said, " you call me Maa right? Then how can I eat up before my child has eaten?

Prabir...grief and sorrow are a part of life like happiness,enjoyment and peace of mind.

It always hurts to lose a loved one - a friend or a family member, or even a pet, but one has to keep on going.

Keya may or may not survive but she'll always be a part of your memories.

We cannot control life and death."

This was nothing that Prabir didn't know, but he strangely felt like he was re-born again. He still was grief stricken but the emotional pain now seemed to be endurable.

They had their dinner quietly for sometime and then Bhargavi uttered, " Prabu...Keya made her own choice, she chose to die.

Similar to that if you choose to suffer throughout your life, for a choice she made for herself, you will be doing even worse than her.

Don't let that guilt settle down in you and ...choke and suffocate you.

Yes, I too feel sorry for her parents.
They will be cursing themselves throughout their life, blaming themselves and their fates, for their own daughter's condition now, that they... can't blame you or me for it.

When Keya never thought about her own parents once, before taking this step, how could she have imagined what you would be facing Prabu? 

Prabu...we need to take care of her parents now. They need support, else they won't survive. She meant everything to them, being their only daughter. We might not be able to save Keya anymore, but at least we have to ensure that Bhairav Uncle and Kavya Aunty are able to cope up with this immense pain."

Prabir knew that Bhargavi was a very emotionally stable and intelligent person. Emotions never swayed her into doing unreasonable things.

Bhargavi on the other hand felt that Prabir truly possessed miraculous powers of convincing people. She never thought it would be possible to convince Keya's parents to not file a case against her, when Keya had mentioned her name particularly in her suicide note.

A/N: Hey Guys!!

Hope you enjoy reading this chapter.

Please forgive me for any typos.

Prabir and Bhargavi, both are extremely ordinary people, just like us...they don't possess any supernatural powers...it is only their mindset that makes them extraordinary....

Not all heroes need to wear capes...I believe...

Please share your views and opinions...

Thank you all!!