"Just keep walking" Tara pushed me through the long corridors, Arjun was scanning the whole places like a hawk. Like someone is going to pop up and shoot me.

"What the hell is going on Arjun? and tell your woman to stop manhandling me." I demanded and got a slap in the back by Tara.

"Just walk asshole" she hissed. I gasped. and then she pushed me into a room and shut the door. Arjun was pacing the room rapidly. Tara appeared stressed as well.

"okay someone better start talk right now" I yelled.

"You should sit down" Tara said.

"Arjun what's wrong? You're scaring me" I worried.

Arjun ran a hand through his face "Jeeth is here".

SILENCE

I couldn't talk. Jeeth had left for Canada almost immediately after mom and his dad got married. He had left me alone when maya got terminated from the college. It was as if his plan had succeeded. Khushi left the college and Jeeth got hurt, Now maya left and I died inside.

But I still believe he hadn't expected his dad to marry my mother. That mustve been a shock for him. And on top of that the man who he loathed for all these years now became his step brother, surely he mustve felt the urge to kill his dad. When he left for Canada I had thought of it as a blessing.

At least one good thing came out of all off this.

"Adhi say something" arjun pleaded.

I curled my hands into fists. I will kill that bastard right here right now. If he even lays his eyes on maya-

MAYA! oh god. Had she seen him already?

I jumped up from the seat and ran towards her but arjun stopped me. "Adhi control yourself"

"I m not going to that bastard, I have to find maya" I pushed him and ran to the door.

I ran to the 1st floor towards her and tara's room but she wasn't there. I checked Vivek's, varun's and even that flirty girl's room but no luck.

Where are you maya? please don't run into him before I see you.

I turned around to go somewhere but ran into soft body. I saw a pouting greeshma staring at with me with her hands crossed across her chest.

"Where have you been? I've been looking for you all day yesterday but you weren't here" she stomped her feet like a stubborn child.

"greeshu not now" I tried to push past here but she sidestepped me and stood infront of me again.

"Why not now? you never have time for me. You'll yearn for my attention when we get married and I ignore you" she pouted.

I swallowed a scream and glared at her. All the playfulness left her face "Let me get one thing straight Greeshu. I will NEVER marry you. Understand? How many times have I told you youre like a sister for me. "

Tears welled up In her eyes "But your mom said you are mine"

I softened my expression at her tears "Greeshma im sorry I have to hurt you. But my mom has no say in my life. I decide my life and my partner. And I have chosen that a long time ago. So please stop hurting yourself with false hope and stop this sweetheart" I patted her shoulder softly.

She was sniffing softly. But she nodded. I led her to the outhouse and came back towards maya's room to check on her when I saw Vivek carrying an unconscious maya up the stairs. A frantic Dhriti running by him.

I immediately ran towards him and helped him carry her. He was mumbling something about Oranges and Peas. It didnt make sense. Was maya allergic to Oranges? is that why she fainted?

"What happened to her?" I asked a blubbering vivek.

"I don't know man. One minute we were talking and the next minute shes on the floor." He actioned with his hands and maya almost fell down. I completely transferred her to my arms and carried her towards her room.

"it has to be the peas." he was still muttering.

"Peas?" I slowly laid her down on her bed and splattered water on her face.

I splashed some water on her face, her eyes fluttered.

"yeah, she was holding a pack of peas to her face when we talked about the chopper guy and the next thing BAM! she's on the ground" he said.

OH GOD SHE KNOWS!!!

And he fainted? is she that scared of him? I mean I cant blame her. I was one of the reasons the fire inside her flamed even higher.

My poor baby, I stroked her cheeks with the back of my hand unaware of the cavalry behind me. Dhriti's eyebrows raised, Vivek's eyes narrowed. I immediately wiped the hand on my pants

"There is dirt on her cheek"

"That's not dirt, that's her father's artwork" he hissed.

There was 4 handprints on her face, red and swollen. My heart squeezed. How much pain had she gone through because of my selfish actions? maybe I don't deserve her.

Just then Tara, varun and his wife and amumma burst into the room with worried looks on their faces. They went straight to maya and didnt even notice me standing there. Vivek started narrating his story again and I slowly slipped out of the room.

When I reached the threshold I saw maya's dad standing in the opposite room with a clear view of maya's room, with a.... Worried look on his face? He suddenly looked at me and when he saw me he sneered and walked away.

Guess he does have a heart.

I was walking over to my room when I saw someone leaning on the wall next to my door. he was looking at the floor and his hood covered his face. And then he lifted his head.

SON OF A BITCH!

"Hello Adhi. Miss me?" Jeeth smirked just before my fist met his jaw.

I heard the ringing first. Then a pop and then the world came back. A strong chest, then a shift. Another strong chest but this chest was warm, its heart was beating so fast. A soft mattress, A splash of cold water, and warm hand stroking my cheek.

Then a soft slap on my face. I slowly fluttered my eyes open. The light was too bright I squinted.

"Maya.. maya can you hear me?" another splash of water. This time I wiped it off y face.

"Stop drowning me, im not dead" I croaked. I don't know what happened. The exhaustion of the bike ride, the food poisoning, dad's slap and now lucifer himself. All of it must have drained me.

I sat up and smiled to the concerned faces hovered over me. "im fine, I don't have cancer" I pointed to vivek. "I don't have brain disease" I pointed to dhriti "and im certainly not pregnant" I pointed to amumma and Tara.

All of them sighed together. chuckles erupted In the room. I laughed, we talked about the trip, I told them every detail, how Raji aunty had thought I was pregnant, How she even gave me tips to conceive, I did not say we slept in the same room, Everyone was aware of it because two people pretending to be husband and wife cant sleep in separate rooms, but no one asked or said anything.

I tried to joke around and ignore the obvious elephant in the room.

JEETH.

I thought he was gone for good, but he had to be here. I was hoping to spend some quality time with adhi when we got here. guess that's off the table for now. The crowd dispersed and I got up an took a shower, just to feel fresh. I slipped into my comfortable unicorn hoodie and sweatpants. I applied little bit of lipstick and mascara.

There are things I cant change now,

1. Jeeth is here

2. He like everyone else is stuck here for the next 21 days. Or if im lucky he will fly away in his chopper and crash and die and burn.

So I decided 2 things. No matter how scared I am of him, no matter how much he intimidates me I will never back down. This time the ball in my court. This is my home, my family, not his. I have nothing to be afraid of. This time I WILL FIGHT BACK.

I tied my hair up in a ponytail and walked out the door.

CRACK

My fist hit his jaw and he double over in pain. He stood up and a line of blood traced down from the corner of his lips. But that didnt do anything to wipe the smile of his face.

"I deserve that." he wiped the blood from his lips with the back of his palm.

"What the fuck are you doing here? Do you even have a little bit of shame in you? No one wants you here Jeeth. Its my brothers wedding. MY FUCKING BLOOD. Not yours" I screamed. There was a moment I thought I saw pain in his eyes, but who are we kidding its Jeeth.

"Dude, I fucked up. I did terrible things to you and Maya... god that poor girl. I saw the engagement picture in Arjun's Instagram and there she was. And all the things I did to her just came rushing back and...." he sighed. I was confused as hell, Jeeth? apologise? no fucking way.

"Khushi messed me up. I was into drugs in college man.." he ran his hands through his hair.

yeah I knew that already, I tried to expose him once but the management didnt do anything. Obviously.

"I don't remember half the things I did in college. But I remember you and her, maya. god she's gotten so beautiful isn't it?" he smiled mesmerised.

My hands curled into fists again. "if you even think about her-" I warned. He started laughing. The old maniacal Jeeth laugh. Yeah it was foolish of me to believe that he could change, nope. He's still the same.

"You still think you have a chance with her" he laughed even more.

It was my turn to smirk "oh little do you know".

"oh you got her didnt you? you fucker" he patted me on the shoulder, I shoved his hand away.

"If you stay here Jeeth, keeps your hands and cameras to yourself. if you so much as think of hurting anyone here, I will beat you up. and this time I wont be alone." I walked away from him.

"Dude you say im not wanted here..." I stopped " don't you wanna know who invited me here?" he stood there with a wicked smile.

"Who?" I snarled.

"ooooooh you're feisty. I like it. The old Adhi was so boring." he picked invisible lint from my shirt. "Your blood did" he snickered.

He shoved me and walked away.

MOM? no she wont do that.

Would she?

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