"Oh god. Chachi, these clothes are a mess.", Keya said trying her engagement dress on.
"I know they are not so your type of clothes, but...", she looked down.
"Is she fine?", Keya asked.
"Yes, they have locked her on the third floor, given her food and water.", chachi said looking down, feeling guilty about not being able to do anything.
"Its okay, Trust me, everything will be better.", she assured her aunt.
__________________
"So, its done then.
Zahra , will keep an eye on bodyguards secured around the room Maahi is locked in.
Sam and Aarav will keep a close watch on the gates and check the routine of the bodyguards there.
And Karan and I will be around Keya, keeping a watch on Roka process.

"Why can't I be there?", Aarav whined.
"Aarav! Lets concentrate on the mission right now.", Sam reasoned.
Aarav murmured an expletive inaudibly.
Karan rolled eyes at Hritik and everyone dispersed to the work.
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"Now the bride and groom can make each other wear rings.", the priest announced in a Haryanvi accent.
Keya gave out her hand with a fake smile, and Jog clenched it in possession, and slid in the ring.

Keya struggled to free her hand but couldn't. She slid in the ring hastily, she just wanted the ceremony to get over and get back Maahi.
She gestured Karan about Maahi's well being.
He ensured that she was fine.
She was standing in a corner when Jog approached her, held her by the arm, and dragged her to her room without anybody noticing it.

"What do you want? Leave me!", She said struggling to free her hands.
"What's the hurry?", he suggestively asked coming near her.
She pushed him off and slapped him, losing her patience.
"Bitch! You slapped Jog Singh!? Do you even know who I am?!", he said slapping her back hard, taking his revenge.
Keya's bottom lip got a cut and blood started oozing out.
"Behave!", he said moving out of the room.
Keya dabbed a tissue on her cut and then she moved out of the room like nothing happened.

"Have you seen Keya?", Karan asked Hritik in a hurry.
"No have you seen her Fiance?", Hritik asked.
They saw Keya coming out of the corridor.
"Where were you?", Karan asked.
"I am okay don't worry.", she said dabbing the tissue on her lower lip.
"What's that?", Hritik asked.

"Nothing! Will take care of it.", she said not meeting eyes with either of them.
Karan, snatched the tissue from her hand and they saw the cut on her lip.
"He did this to you?", Hritik asked pointing at Jog Singh.
"Guys, let's not...", Keya tried to say.
"Bastard is going to pay for this!", Karan said advancing towards him.
"No! Guys! Maahi is still with them! Please don't do anything!", Keya pleaded.
"Karan, we need to get out of this place as soon as possible.", Hritik said examining her cut.

The function got over and it was announced that Keya's marriage was in 3 days.
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*Next morning*
"Di, are you sure that we will pull this off? We will run away?", Maahi asked.
"Yeah.", she said with a smile.
"Come on girls, its shopping and showing around time for you and your friends!", chachi came and said with a grin on her face.
Girls gave her puzzled looks.
"Chalo na!", Chachi said again winking at Keya.
Keya got it, that it was some idea they had for something else in the plan.
"Okay.", she said winking back.
_____________________________

"Three hours. That's it okay?", Chachi said to all of them, once they were outside the spying of the Mittal family.

The idea was that Keya and her friends get some time alone so that they can start planning for the escape. Chachi accompanied them, so no body guards were sent with them owing to the fact that a family member was trustworthy.

All of them kept getting separated into small teams until: Chachi-Maahi, Karan-Hritik, Zahra-Sam, and Aarav-Keya were remaining as pairs.

Keya was looking around Mohali after a long time, whatever gory past she had here, she also had good memories with Maahi, mom and Akaash. 

"How does it feel to be back in Mohali, K?", Aarav asked her in order to start a conversation.  she just smiled looking around. They came to a bridge where Keya abruptly stopped. Aarav stood next to her and gave her some time to herself. 

She finally broke the silence, "Do you see that factory?", she asked pointing at a large factory at a distance. He nodded.

"That was his factory site, his hard work, his devotion, his dream, his everything and even where I saw him alright the last time.", she said with tears brimmed in her brown eyes. Aarav was at a loss of words, he didn't know what to say or do, and he got a bit hesitant what to do. 

"Keya, have some water.", he finally managed to say. She hugged him tight immediately and plopped down to the ground, in his arms. "Keya, everything will be fine. I am here, your...your best-bu..buddy is here.", he said with his voice breaking, with her in his arms, so vulnerable, so delicate, it was getting more and more difficult for him to not love her, he had to try very hard to just be a friend.  

"Aarav...", she called out. 

"Yes? Tell me.", he said taking her in the arms a little tighter.

"I like you. Not in the friend way. Something more, something special. I..", she was interrupted by Aarav saying, "Hey! You don't have to! I am even here as your best buddy." 

"Aarav, Listen to me. Very carefully, okay?", she asked and he nodded.

"Aarav, I like you. I really do. I like you from a long long time. You didn't keep being friends with me in a pity or charity way like people might do after knowing where I come from, instead you helped me get up, made me stronger and reprimanded me whenever needed. I like you too, I was scared to say it earlier, maybe even accept it earlier.", she sighed. 

"And now? What made you change?", he asked in shock.

"When we started hanging out more and more with you post you listening out about my past, my feelings for you started developing.", she said and took a little pause. 

"And that is what it is? Are you sure? You might just be habituated to me.", he said looking down, maybe Keya was having mixed emotions, maybe she didn't love him, he was not going to creat an illusion for her and drag her into anything.

She took a deep breath before blurting, "I cut myself the last time, the reason was you.", he looked at her in utter shock as she continued, "I was not able to understand my emotions and as I was getting closer to you, I could feel my heart beat louder and louder, I took it as a signal that maybe I am cheating on him, maybe I am cheating on Akaash and maybe I will be cheating on you if I am not  able to love you fully. It is due to this only that I did what I did on the prom night when you confessed your feelings to me. I thought it would be unjust to you and what if like you told I was just habituated to you?I thought it was better to keep you away."

"But when I came here, I started missing you, Maahi told me I used to take your name in my sleep as well, I just called Zahra because it felt like maybe you would come, when I saw you guys here, I was so glad to see you, standing by me, supporting me, as always. I...I am sorry Aarav, I haven't been very brave but I like you, I really do.", she said looking at the factory again, not knowing what Aarav would think of her.  

"Hey! Look at me.", he said cupping her cheeks and making her face him. 

"I like you and maybe I have started falling for you harder than I imagined. I am with you Keya Mittal, whatever the hell happens, I am here.We will get out of this as soon as possible, this is my promise not only to you but to the once owner of that factory .", he said abstractly pointing in the direction of the factory while his gaze pierced her gorgeous light brown eyes. 

They were in each other's arms.She didn't know if things were going to be fine, if they would get out of Mohali safely but they knew they had each other. He looked at her lips and then at her eyes. She followed his movements with her eyes. In that moment, the worries, the difficulties, problems and the world around just blurred when his lips touched hers and her lips responded with equal love and passion. When they parted, she smiled at him and leaned on his shoulders. 

After a while, he asked, "Should we go back now? I have a girlfriend who I got to elope from her house.", he completed with a wink. 

As they were walking back, "Who told you I was your Girlfriend?", Keya asked with a raised brow. Aarav just rolled his eyes at her and pulled her in his hug a little tighter.

"Karan is right perhaps.", she said with a smirk.

"Yeah, sure. Mr. Know-it-all is right always.", Aarav said rolling his eyes.

"He told me, he sees Akaash in you many a times, you care like him, you love like him, do little gestures like him and act impulsively like him, and that is why he is so protective of you, he doesn't want you to end up like him, he says I wouldn't be able to bear it." , she completed with the toothy yet sad smile. 

"Hey! cheer up! Nothing is going to happen to me but whenever we meet all of us are together, how come did he tell you all this and no one knew?",  he asked curious. 

"We met a couple of times in the night, last week.",she said shrugging.

"WOW! And I don't get to meet you!?", he whined like a baby.

"They know how to escape guards and stuff, they are Akaash's friends from childhood, I can say they have lived a part of the story with us. We can't put you in that danger.", she reasoned. 

_______________________________________________________________________________

  *At midnight, in Mittals House*

*knock knock*

Keya shuddered in sleep and looked in the direction of the window. Karan wasn't coming to meet tonight, then who was it?

"Di, should I open the window?", Maahi asked. 

"No! That could be dangerous, stay there.", she instructed abstractly and advanced towards the window. She opened a little crook to see Aarav standing there with a big grin. 

"What are you doing here?!", she whisper-asked in shock. 

"Let me come in and I will tell you", he replied with a cheeky smile. "No! This could be dangerous, go back to the guest cottage. Please!", she said in panic. He stood there smirking like he feared no one.

Keya slapped her forehead with her hand at the idiot in front of her. She helped him in and carefully closed and locked the windows, as well did the same with the room door.

"Idiot! Why are you here?", she asked twisting his hand in her classic Karate move.

"Just for this, no one has 'Wo-manhandled' me in a long time.", he said with a toothy smile.

"Di, think about him very nicely for once, waise toh muhje sirf branded cheeze pasand hai, but yeh waala toh mein aapka second hand bhi le lungi! ", she said jokingly winking at Aarav.

"Why not? Waise bhi tumhari family see mom aur maasi ko toh Aarav Kohli ne pata hi liye hai, ek Saali bhi lage haatho free mil jayegi... ", he said pulling Maahi's cheek.

"Wait a minute! Who Saali? What Family?", Keya asked folding her arms. 

"If you think you are attempting to keep me safe from the problems in your life and getting successful in that, let me enlighten you Keya, you are wrong.", He said coming near her and holding her shoulders.

"They killed him Aarav, I don't want to lose you as well.", she said looking down.

"Hey! No one can take you away from me. I promise you that.", he said giving her a forehead kiss.

"Aww, I want some popcorn to enjoy this romcom now!", Maahi said winking and the other two laughed. 

He stayed their till wee hours in morning to talk to the girls, there was so much more to Keya that Maahi told him. 

They helped him to get back to guest cottage safely without anyone's eye. 

Or was their someone who saw Aarav? 

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Hii Readers, 

I know its been very long but here I am with another chapter, soon this story is also coming to a close.

Vote and Comment, 

Monu-Unique <3