"What the fuck is that?!!! A microchip inside your body?" Abhedya was shocked, would be an understatement.

Before Swarnima could answer, her phone started ringing and she picked it up after taking a deep breath, "hello, no! No! I am fine!! Please don't panic. It just... came out... I felt itchy... yeah I felt itchy and took it out... no Maan... I am telling you, I am fine. Yes! He is with me. No need for any instructions. Please. Yes, I won't go out. Let Arya attend his college, I am not going out. Yes! Bye."

The call ended and Swarnima took a deep breath and leaned to the cupboard for support. She went out and Abhedya followed her. She took out the first aid kit and started cleaning the little blood that came out.

"May I do it?" Abhedya asked and Swarnima nodded in a no. "Please!" Swarnima agreed and Abhedya took the antiseptic liquid and cleaned the blood. "It won't hurt much," Abhedya whispered and blew some air to soothe.

"Do I have the right to know?" Abhedya asked Swarnima.

"It was a tracking chip. When I came here the Council got it inserted in me to keep a track of my activities and for my safety Of course. Chachu said it was against privacy rights so, only Maan had the right to access my movements via the chip. So, as soon as the chip came out it lost connection and Maan got panicked. Now, I think you should go to college. I will stay at home today." Swarnima explained Abhedya and got up to get water for herself.

"I am not going to college either." Abhedya declared stretching on the sofa.

"Why? Exams are coming and you need to attend the classes. Besides, what will Masi and chachu think? You were here last night and you are not going to college as well... no! Please go."
Swarnima told Abhedya strictly.

"I AM STAYING HERE and that is FINAL. Exams I will top this year too, don't worry." Abhedya was firm about his decision.

"What will you do here?" Swarnima asked.

"We will... we will... yeah.. come, I will tell you about my girlfriends." Abhedya teased her.

"At the age of thirteen, you had a crush on a girl named 'Avni' she was two years senior to you. Then there was this classmate of yours who was an exchange student 'Kristina'. You dated her while she was here. Then by the age of sixteen, you had multiple 'flings' on and off. When you got into college you haven't dated anybody after the first year. Currently, you have 75000 followers on Instagram and..."

"Are you writing a biography on me or something?" Abhedya was shocked and embarrassed by the information Swarnima had.

Swarnima let out a small laugh and said, "no! I am not writing but I keep my self updated with the information of people important to me."

"And I do not even know a thing about you." Abhedya was a bit hurt.

Swarnima sat on the adjoining sofa and added, "nothing is interesting to know about me. Whatever was there, you know it now. Okay, shall we study? You have your books and laptop."

"Why don't you have any pictures of your parents, anywhere?" Abhedya asked the question he wanted to know for a long.

Swarnima swallowed hard the lump in her throat and said, "I do not require any pictures to remember them. They are here." She said pointing at her heart.

Abhedya mentally slapped himself for asking such a question so to lighten the mood he asked, "who else is there?" Pointing at her heart and winked.

'It's okay! Relax it's just a wink. Just a question relax! Don't panic.' Swarnima pacified her heart. "I am going to study, my theory is not that good." Swarnima dodged the question and was about to go but Abhedya was quick enough and stood in front of her and demanded, "answer me first."

"You are such a child! You know I am not allowed to date or be romantically involved with anyone until the throne is claimed." Swarnima answered.

"What if you find someone and you cannot deny your feelings and..."

"Nothing of such sort is acceptable." Swarnima cut Abhedya and answered his questions.

"You know death and love come unannounced," Abhedya warned her.

Swarnima moved to the left, Abhedya moved to the left. She moved right, he moved right. Left- left , right-right. Abhedya was not letting Swarnima go.

"You do know I can knock you down on the floor and walk over you.!!" Swarnima threatened Abhedya.

Abhedya went on his knees and folded his hands and pleaded in a dramatic tone, "NO!! Please have mercy! I am just a nobody. I am sorry I dared to ask you questions. Please spare my life princess."

Hahahahaha! The room echoed with Swarnima's laughter. "You are mad! Crazy!! Hahaha!!"

Abhedya also laughed, when the elevator dinged and Maan and Arya came out. They saw Swarnima and Abhedya laughing.

"WHAT???!! NO!! Abhey proposed to you! I could not witness the magical moment... NOOOO!! Goddd!! Please rewind five minutes of my life." Arya begged God.

"Arya! How? like how... can you always pull up such drama?" Abhedya questioned getting up and punching Arya lightly.

"Just like you do... hahaha haha," Swarnima remarked between her laughter and continued laughing.

"I have never seen her laughing," Maan affirmed.
"Me too," Arya agreed.
"She laughs like a maniac," Abhedya told the boys.

Maan and Arya looked at Abhedya in amusement and exchanged some words through their eyes.

Swarnima suddenly stopped laughing and got conscious. "I will just get water for you." On the pretext of getting water, she came to the kitchen and took deep breaths to calm herself.

"See, this is what I was telling you the other day Abhey, she needs to open up. She should show her happiness, anger, sorrow, irritation whatever and whenever she feels it. It was a sight to see her laughing. You know, none of us have seen her laughing like this after that day..." Maan discussed with Abhedya and he remembered the day when...

.............................................................................
"Nim beta, please come down." Rima( Swarnima's mother) told her daughter.

"No mom we are playing hide and seek. This is my safe spot." Little Swarnima told her mother.

"You will fall down and then cry," Rima warned her.

"Aby said he will never let me fall. Don't worry. He will catch me if I fall." Little Swarnima assured her mother.

"You have to be self-reliant, my child. He can't always be there." Rima tried to explain to her child about the unforeseen events.

"Self 'what' mom? I won't fall and Aby has promised he will be there and he never breaks his promise. Now go... you will get me caught." Swarnima did not understand her mother's worries.
Rima gave up and left from there.

"I will find you Nim. I know you are in the treehouse. Come down now." Arya told Swarnima.

"Fine, I am coming up." Arya climbed the little treehouse and found Swarnima there. Kids started arguing and Arya pushed her down but before she could touch the ground little Abhedya came there and almost caught her.
Both of them fell in the mud puddle formed after rains and started throwing mud on each other. Arya gave up his ego and joined the other two.

"I knew you would catch me Aby. You kept your promise." Swarnima hugged Abhedya and he declared, "always SONA. I will be there for you."
"And I will throw this mudball on you both." Arya threw some mud and the kids resumed their play.
The backyard was roaring with the kids laughter.

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Swarnima came back with three glasses of water.
"So, tell me how did it get itchy? Some allergy or mosquito bite?" Arya looked at Abhedya when he mentioned mosquito.

"I don't know. It just came out. And I told you Maan I will not go out then why did you guys come here leaving your duty." Swarnima asked the boys.

"You are our main job sister," Maan told Swarnima lovingly.

"Awwww... how cute they are. huh!! The time when a boy who is not her 'brother' should be saying this to her she hears it from her brother." Arya commented and received a punch from Maan.

"That hurt Man!! You soldiers have heavy hands... watch before you punch." Arya told Maan rubbing his arm.

"Then think before you speak," Maan warned rolling his eyes.

"Maan, can you... request the council, you know... I don't want this tracking chip anymore, please. I can take care of myself and you know I will not break any rules and mandates. Please Maan." Swarnima pleaded Maan but Abhedya's heart pinched. He didn't like her pleading for her own freedom.

"This is the first time you have asked something Nim. If I can't do this for you... I have no right on the 'rakhi' you tie to me." Maan was happy she demanded and put her faith in him.

"So, what am I doing here? Maan I was on duty and you pulled me out. But since my 'mains' are here, I want to say something... confess something... tell something." Arya was for the first time nervous.

"I am smelling something fishy," Abhedya said rubbing his hands and Swarnima put his hands down and gestured him to be quiet and let Arya speak.

Realising her action Swarnima quickly removed her hands but Arya witnessed the scene and stated, "guys please put a break on your emotions for two minutes I am about to discuss my love life and you are busy romancing?"

Abhedya cut him and cleared, "we were not romancing... wait! what did you say?? 'YOUR LOVE LIFE'!! You have found someone?? Wow!! Who is she?"

Arya blushed and disclosed, "you might know her. She studied in your school her name is 'AADYA'. She is assistant to the architect of our hospital's new wing and that's when things started. We are not sure it's love or not but we like being with each other... a lot."

"You mean AADYA NIGAM?" Abhedya asked and Arya nodded.

"Oh! Yeah, I know her... a bit." Abhedya answered in an unconvincing tone.

"What do mean a bit? Tell me Abhey? Your verdict matters brother." Arya told Abhedya.

"Emergency!! Sorry! I have to leave immediately. Don't do anything stupid Arya. Nim I will talk to the Council and you will get your permission by tonight." Saying this Maan rushed out.

"Fine! Look brother if it's still not love then let me tell you that girl was in my class and was a good friend of mine. She was a great girl. Good in studies, sports, other activities and was friendly too. But during our 10th standard don't know what changed...she became a total weirdo. She was quiet all the time and one fine day she almost attacked our history teacher and called him names. Don't know what happened but she left school after that. There was buzz around that she wanted better grades in history so, she... you know... she tried the 'physical' way to get grades but sir refused so she blamed him for molesting her. Yeah, so that's her story. I think before your feelings cultivate and you commit, you should check once." Abhedya narrated the story he knew.

"She did say she left her school and went to a boarding school but never mentioned anything like this. Oh!! Now when I connect dots... You see, she doesn't live with her parents, doesn't mention them also. Maybe after the act, she put up, they don't talk to her or avoid or something. But, I like her man! I guess she likes me too." Arya confessed honestly.
"Should I ask her the truth and demand an explanation that why did she hide this from me?" Arya did not know how to react.

"Of course! You should. She should have in the first place herself told you about everything but now, that she has not, you have the right to demand answers and only then should you take the next step." Abhedya suggested him.

"UNBELIEVABLE! People call us women judgemental but you men are not only judgemental but cynical." Swarnima's voice was a notch higher than regular.
The boys looked at her with surprise.
How did this topic shift to men and women?

Swarnima composed herself and continued, "that girl you are talking about and passing 'judgements' was a victim of molestation. She was a very sincere girl until that monster entered her life. He took advantage of her innocence and tried to touch her whenever and wherever possible.
We are made to believe that we should respect and listen to our teachers. So, she kept giving him the benefit of the doubt. But one day he called her to the staff room and... and... his filthy hand went inside her skirt. She was lucky enough she could escape from him. She came home cried for hours together. She begged her parents to listen to her, believe her but they DID NOT.
Do you know what was worse? That 'hooligan' accused her that she asked for 'favours' from him. The principal called her parents and the poor girl was humiliated, called names and was punished for something she pleaded against. It was that day when she slapped the 'pervert'... and you term that as 'attack'!!
Her parents were powerful therefore the matter was not probed further and she was sent away to an 'all girls' boarding school. What an awesome solution.
I know this, how? Because I was her councillor friend at GHARONDA. Yes!! She was there for a year but our efforts paid off and she is now a strong, carrier oriented and independent girl. It was about the same time I joined Gharonda and she came there for counselling. We were about the same age so got along well and she freely discussed her story with me.
Her parents?? They are least bothered about the daughter who brought them so much defame and was a black spot to their family name. She has not seen them for two years and they have also not enquired about her well being.
But, it's sad why didn't Aadya tell you about such an interesting story. She should have, right?"

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Dear Readers
People tend to hide their sorrows behind their smiles. We are a part of a highly judgemental society. What we wear, how we carry ourselves, the car we have, the house we stay in are the defining characteristics.
In India, we consider teachers equivalent to God. But such teachers who take undue advantage of their students should be severely punished. Sometimes the victims are not even vocal because of the fear of society and those who raise voice are judged.
What will Arya do?
Stay hooked
Lots of love!