Meghna clasped tightly to kavin's arms.

"kavin, yeh mazaak nahi hai....kismat achi thi, bach gaye hum ek baar, baar-baar yeh mauka nahi milta." Asserted meghna.

"aur iss baar bhi kuch nahi hoga, kyunki main khatam kardunga yeh sab." Proclaimed kavin.

"baat khatam nahi hogi, aur badhegi...samjhta kyun nahi hai tu!" yelled meghna.

Kavin let of meera's hold onto him.

"kya gunna kiya tha papa ne! Kya gunna kiya tha unn sabne! Ek arthi le jaane ke liye maare gaye!" screamed kavin.

"police report nahi likhti inn mamloon mein, toh gunna nahi hoga na...toh iska hisaab baraabar karna bhi gunna nahi hai." Stated kavin.

"puri zindagi bhugatta hai maine apne naam ke kaaran...par main chup raha....kyunki maine samajh liya ki awaaz uthane se toh meri zindagi aur kharab hogi! Par ab yeh darr, dobara mujhe nahi rokega." Warned kavin, as he pointed his finger right at her. That vengeance was in his eyes again, as it was when he saw his father's funeral pyre. But this time, it was stronger.

                                                                    ***

the bell had rung thrice by now, as dushyant opened the door, with annoyance. 

"i'm so sorry, itna late ho gaya..subha baarish ke baad, pure ghar mein paani bhar gaya tha.." explained ishita, as she pulled down her wet kurta. 

dushyant, looked at the clock, to realise it was only ten minutes past seven. 

ishita looked up after pushing her hair back, to find dushyant out of her sight. she got perplexed as she looked around, and finally found him. 

He handed over a towel to her, as she raised a brow at him. 

"abhi baal hi sukhalo, purvi se keh dunga, tumhe kuch kapde dedegi..." he stated. 

ishita, who just looked at him with disbelief, did not comply.

"acha main doctor ka hi number le aata hoon, pneumonia lagwana hi hai tumhe.." remarked dushyant, as he turned to walk away. 

"nahi, nahi, sorry, woh.." replied ishita immediately, as she took the towel from him. 

"woh, yeh towel, i mean koi problem toh.." hesitated ishita. 

"nahi, nahi, koi problem nahi hogi..." assured dushyant, as purvi came out from neelu's room. 

"arre, aa gayi tum...bus mil gayi thi?" asked purvi, as ishita nodded in agreement. 

"isse apne kuch kapde dede, yeh toh puri tarah bheeg gayi hai.." said dushyant to purvi. 

"arre haan, main abhi laati hoon..." said purvi, as she walked to her room, leaving ishita and dushyant to pass awkward glances. 

"main, taiyaar ho jata hoon..." excused dushyant, as ishita acknowledged. 

 dushyant was opening the door to his room, when purvi grabbed him by his arm. 

"nahaye aap hoge nahi?" questioned purvi, as dushyant looked at her with disbelief. 

"usse apna towel de diya, ab kya mera use karoge!" exclaimed purvi. 

"arre woh saamne tha, maine nahane ke liye nikala tha, main guest wala use kar lunga na.." responded dushyant, as purvi tried to hold in her laughter. 

"ab tune dekha hi tha, sar se leke pair tak bheeg gayi thi woh, ab beemar pad jaati.." attempted dushyant to explain, as purvi nodded in agreement. 

"nahi, bilkul..." uttered purvi, still holding in her laughter. 

"main aapke liye guest towel le aati hoon." stated purvi, as she walked to ishita. 

"yeh lo, woh saamne waale bathroom mein change karlo.." handed purvi, ishita a pair of clothes. 

"thanks." replied ishita. 

"bhaiya ko bada acha lagta hai red colour waise..." remarked purvi, as ishita looked down on the suit she was wearing. 

purvi giggled to herself, as she looked over at dushyant's room and ishita's face. 

                                                                     ***

dushyant and purvi waited for the lift by the elevator, when suddenly his phone rang. 

"haan kavin, bol." received dushyant the call, as purvi turned her attention to him. 

"kya? iss hafte nahi aayega?" confirmed dushyant, as purvi was alarmed. 

"par achanak kyun jaa rahe ho kahi?" questioned dushyant, as purvi too, got perplexed. 

"acha, nahi-nahi theek hai, dhyaan rakhna nani ka...hmm. haan tension mat le, woh main dekh lunga. haan, chal take care." hung-up dushyant, as purvi's gaze was fixed on him, which he noticed. 

"woh uski nani nahi rehti amritsar, beemar hain, aur unki umar mein pata bhi hota, toh college nahi aayega iss hafta." informed dushyant, as purvi acknowledged. 

"tension mat le, sab thik hoga." assured dushyant, but purvi could sense that the truth was far from what he had told. 

                                                              ***

dushyant was studying in his room, when there was a knock on his door. 

"woh, main nikal rahi thi, purvi ke kapde maine washing mein daal diye hain..."informed ishita, as dushyant noticed she was wearing her clothes again. 

"purvi nahi aayi ab tak?" questioned dushyany, as ishita shook her head in no, as dushyant wondered where she might have been. 

                                                         ***

"haan bas, yahi rok dijiye." stated purvi to the auto-driver, as she paid him. 

she sighed as she walked to kavin's house, in what appeared to be, a crowded chawl.

she stopped on her way, when she found meghna, and started to follow her. 

she hid from her sight, as meghna entered her house quietly. purvi walked to the back of the house, as she stood by a window there, to peep inside. 

"sahi kaha tha tumne, mera kisine peecha nahi kiya..." stated meghna. 

"woh mere college gaye the.." informed kavin, as meghna got worried. 

"kaise pata chala tumhe?" asked meghna. 

"mere ek friend ka phone aaya tha, usne kuch aadmiyon ko dekha tha joh mere baarein mein puch rahe the guards se." responded kavin. 

"dhamkane aaye honge tujhe..." remarked meghna. 

"badla lena hai unhe maa, maarne se pehle tadpayenge, daraayenge..." stated kavin. 

"toh kal woh..." attempted meghna to say the inevitable. 

"humare ghar aayenge..." agreed kavin, as meghna face palmed herself. 

  purvi was overhelmed with fear and shock. all she knew was, she couldn't let anything happen to kavin, no matter what. 

                                                      ***

Author's note: hey guys, i'm finally back, and i can't tell you how glad i am. I mean, firstly i had exams on consecutive days, literally paper dete hi agle ke padhna padhta tha, and aaj aakhri exam ke aadhe ghante baad hi, phirse classes...basically, pure manhoos din mein bas yeh ek achi cheez hai, all thanks to you guys. Seriously, itna cooperate kiya, wait kiya, really grateful.