Aarush spat the very cold drink, he was gulping when Sakshi crossed them angrily. Her eyes stern and jaws clenched, her hands fisted while she asked Aditi about the car keys.

"What's the problem? The moustache?"

Sakshi wanted to kill Aarush for that comment. She ignored him and raised her eyebrows at Aditi who was looking at her keenly.

"How was it? What made you angry? Did you fight with him on your first dat-"

Sakshi kicked the tire of the car and groaned loudly. Gritting her teeth, she told them everything. While Aditi was having a hard time understanding what just happened, Aarush couldn't control the laughter that erupted from him.

Another gulp lead to another spat. Sakshi slapped his arm as some spray came on her too. "Gross fucker," she muttered while Aditi herself laughed hard.

"Oh my God. So, you are pissed that he didn't come by himself."

Aarush chuckled while holding his stomach. "I am so impressed. Her tai ji played her. Mihir played her. This guy played her. Bless you, Sakshi."

Sakshi's eyes twisted in anger. She stared far at the parked cars and thought of Mihir's words. "Such a loser, that cousin of your dumbass senior. I don't get it what has been stuck up his ass. Why couldn't he come to see me? Wasn't good enough, maybe. You know what, I am so going teach this fucker a lesson-"

"Really? You can just call your tai ji and reject him," suggested Aditi in confusion.

Aarush shook his head. "She secretly liked this and curious to know how he looks. The man who blew her in his absence would burn her with his appearance. I am so intrigued with this. Set another date, Sakshi."

Aditi snickered while Sakshi turned around from them, crossing her arms over chest and grunting loudly. "I will have that loser on my foot, I am telling you. This is so going to be costly for him."

If only she got to meet this guy, things would have been different. She would have been distracted from other things. Things like ex-boyfriends, fake boyfriends and accused rapists. But how could she just forget it when the universe would keep revolving him and his elements around her.

She didn't have the answer to her thoughts and just kept staring at the couple that was walking out from a car. Rishabh Malhotra with some girl?

By his face, he didn't look happy nor sad. There were blank expressions on his face just like she had always caught him. All those days replayed in mind. He was the one because of whom she was able to get Shrey in her life. But should she thank him? After all, he was the one who told him to play with her.

Play

This was what happening all along. This world was playing her. The God was playing her. After all, she was just a play thing for everyone.

"I will kill him," she muttered while feeling her face warming up.

Aarush walked around the car and stared at her face with a fresh laughter erupting from him. "You are red, Sakshi. Aww, little Sakshi got played. Do you feel bad, baby?"

She didn't know what just happened to her. Was she red with anger or self-pity? She didn't know. Her eyes left Rishabh with a sigh and she shook her head tiredly.

Aarush pouted while hugging her. "Don't be sad, Sakshi. You know, if no one is there. I will be ready to forget Miss Khanna and be with you. You can always count on me as your back up plan."

Sakshi couldn't control the sweet smile that curved her lips while Aditi chuckled behind them, getting in the car to start it.

Aarush rubbed her back while giving a light kiss on her forehead. "Hey, you okay?"

Sakshi shook her head, showing him her tear-pooled eyes. "No."

A serious concern etched on Aarush's face as he looked back at Aditi who too was stunned. He stared back at her with serious eyes. "It was just fun. Don't you understand, Sakshi? Mihir liked you as his future sister-in-law and he would tell same to your guy. Maybe, he is truly shy. There is nothing like rejection or ditching or playing. Maybe, he is already in love with you. Or Mihir wouldn't have begged for you to forgive his cousin. Right?"

Sakshi shook her head. "I don't care what that loser thinks. I myself will reject him the next call. I just am having a heavy head."

Aarush collected his lips, making his mouth so small that would always made him look cute and Sakshi couldn't help but smile at his adorableness. "Do you still love Tina?"

His lips parted while Sakshi stared at him for an answer. A true one. Aarush glanced back at Aditi who had stopped from entering in the car and was taking support of it to watch their melodrama.

"I do." An answer that took much efforts from him. His nostrils flared and a forced smile tightened his lips. "A bit, maybe. Not more than Miss Khanna."

"Oh! Shut up." Aditi groaned at him, clearly frustrated with his craze for the young teacher.

Sakshi thought of asking herself, that could she ever love anyone more than Shrey. Her heart beats fastened and eyes filled with sudden pain.

She knew that she couldn't. It was impossible to think of a life without him. Maybe, he won't even remember her. But she was one romantic girl. She liked fantasising and she would continue until God would change his mind on playing her and would finally send someone who could make her alive again.

Who could tell that someone else could fantasize about her too.

"What if I love her more? I can still love other girls and have fun. Who knows if she is somewhere stuck with a rude, creepy boyfriend while look I am here with one girl in my arms and one staring at me dreamily. " He chuckled when Sakshi punched his chest and Aditi couldn't pick her dropped jaw.

"Don't worry, Bitsy. The guy seems too shy and I feel that we will have good fun with him later. Just check him, have him fallen for you. Life is about to change for you. No emptiness, no loneliness. It will be fun." He hugged her again with a chuckle and gave a kiss in the air for Aditi who rolled her eyes that made him chuckle more.

Sakshi pulled away and finally, three of them got in the car to get out of the place for a night together at Sakshi's flat.

Mihir chuckled while patting his cousin's back, "She is so pissed and almost hurt. You are gone before even coming in her life."

The cousin smirked and shrugged his shoulders, "If your love is true, the love comes back to you. And mine is truer than an obsession, a craze. She is so going to be the thrill."

Mihir raised his eyebrows and watched as the car finally got our of the place. "She is a virgin for sure. Never heard her being taken or something else. If you know what I mean, she is untouched. Not even in college parties. She is always stuck with these cartoons. Though it's useful since she is safe because of them. Completely, pure. A saint like you can only be suited for her. Do it fast, man. She can raise heartbeats, I tell you. I was in a trance when she yelled at me."

Mihir rolled his eyes as a glare came his way. "Don't you dare," the cousin said. "She is mine."

He stared at the place where the car was parked minutes ago. His jaws clenched and nostrils flared, a sinister smirk came on his lips.

"Only mine."

_______

The water kept flowing from the tap while Shrey stared at the pills in his hand. He glanced up at the mirror and observe his bloodshot eyes. Dark circles under them and his dull face. His head throbbing from all the pain he was suffering in life. For no reason. But maybe, for one.

For helping someone.

How could this happen for real? How could God be so opposite in his theory? When he did bad, he had fun. When he did good, he was taking round from advocates' offices to courts.

He kept strength, he had courage. But the media person who didn't ask him the question regarding the case. Who didn't ask him if he had raped the woman. He asked him something that opened his eyes.

"Have you ever hurt a girl before too, Sir? Do you think this is all a payback for you even if you are innocent now?"

Shrey closed his eyes as a tear fell from one. That one face flashed in his mind. Four years ago, a girl mere of eighteen years. Sweet and innocent. Fragile and fresh like a flower.

He had girlfriends before, the girls who would shower themselves on him. But she was innocent. She didn't came in his life. He came to hers. On Rishabh's words.

He played her. He used her. For mean motive.

Pihu must be happy somewhere with Rathore guy. His brother was happy with his Alisha. Maybe, Sakshi would be happy too. Of course, she was.

The night when he had gone to drink to forget his pain, he had seen her. He almost chuckled at himself.

She had grown. Taller and more in shape. But what of the guy who took her from his sight. Of course, a rich, innocent and sweet girl won't be left behind for long.

She was lovable and loving.

She loved him at one point of time. But he threw her away. He liked her but she was a child. A child he had used to hurt Rathore, on Rishabh's words.

Shrey laughed at his own thoughts. "Rishabh is happy. Pihu is happy. Sakshi is happy. And I am a rapist."

More tears fell from his eyes as he stared back at the mirror. "I am sorry, mom. Dad. I am sorry. I am sorry, Roy." He sniffled hard. "For beating you, boy. Sorry dadi, for ignoring your words. Sorry chachu, for always being an ass to your kids. Sorry all the juniors, for bullying you."

His eyes filled again as he breathed deeply. "Sorry, Rudra for ever believing in you," he gulped. "For helping you as a best friend. For trusting you."

The picture of that sweet and shy girl emerged in his mind. He breathed slowly. "Sorry, Sakshi. For breaking you."

His lips trembled while his throat tightened at seeing the sleeping pills again. "I had hurt you all at some point. Now, God is hurting me for you all at once. But I can't suffer it anymore. I am done. I am defeated. And I am sorry."

Withing in a hurry, he pushed all the pills from his fist in his mouth, closing his eyes and gulping all of them hurriedly. His throat felt like being bruised from gulping so many pills together. His stomach felt heavy and heart was beating so fast as if it knew it was going to stop soon and was doing its last service for it's nature.

"I am sorry," a sob broke out from him. "But I didn't do it. I didn't rape her. I am sorry."

He kept staring at the mirror while sobbing slowly. Slowly looking away, he roamed his eyes all around his room, smiling sadly at all the photographs. A toy tiger, his grandfather had gifted him when he was a kid, he still kept it. It's life was longer than his.

His watch gifted by his colleague. The keys of the car, he had bought himself from his first salary. His dirty clothes on the chair, his mother would always get angry on. His own photograph on the wall, in which he looked like a true heartbreaker.

He laughed to himself.

"Maybe, some would cry for me. Some sweet girls who would regret not fucking me," he sniffled to himself. "Sorry ladies."

His eyes falling on the bed and the floor. "Let me sleep, now. So many nights gone awake from all those accusations," he hiccuped while laying on the bed, not caring to remove his boots.

He turned over and stared at the copy of the file on the drawer that Rishabh had given him for the last recheck before the next date of the court's trial. He gulped slowly, his face turning cold as sudden numbness came all over his arms.

Relaxation reached his muscles, his veins as he closed his eyes and remembered his parents who would suffer because of him.

"I am sorry, guys. But. . ."

He swallowed slowly as the coldness reached his feet and all over his arms.

"Let me sleep."

______

Sakshi stared at her phone as another message came.

"Come inside. The professor hasn't come yet. Where the hell are you? I can't suffer him without you. C'mon.

~Mr. Khanna"

Sakshi chuckled and shook her head slowly. She still remembered how one day she had saved Aarush's new number as Dreamer and he changed it to this. Though right now, she just focused on his message and fastened her steps.

But she was secretly thankful to the God for letting that over smart professor being late when she was too. She hoped that whenever he would come, she won't catch his eyes and he would be forgotten that he threw her out of the class yesterday.

"Get inside. I bet he must be on his way to the class room. Bitsy, run fast.

~Mr.Khanna"

Sakshi jogged towards the classroom, bursting through the doors startling the whole class and the professor whose lecture she had interrupted and who was now glaring at her.

Her jaw dropped and she immediately looked at her best friends who were controlling their laughter so hard. Their face turning red as Aditi put her head down and shook so violently. Sakshi could imagine how hard she was laughing.

But Aarush was a moron as he kept staring at her with that cheeky smile mixing with a silent laughter. She just wanted to dig another hole and hide herself for eternity.

"Miss both-of-you. Isn't it?" The professor's face was strangely amused as he watched her staring at her friends who were trying hard to keep their scarlet faces straight.

Sakshi gulped and felt her legs giving up when the amusement turned into irritation. "So, you aren't punctual even. Not listening to the lecture, not keeping up with the time, there might be more irregularities within your nature? I am sure there must be because I can't seem to recognize any kind of sincerity on your face, Miss. . ."

Her jaws clenched while her all face turned red. "I am asking your real name. After all, I can't call you that again and again. I have my strict rules unlike you."

She could feel stares at her and smirks on the girls' faces who were jealous of her sincerity in the last year when teachers used to praise her. What just happened to her luck? Hadn't he met any of her old teachers yet? Hadn't anyone talked about her good marks to him? He was so going to regret when he would come to see her scores at the results, she promised herself.

"Sakshi Singh Rathore," his lips quirked at noticing her shaky voice. She could feel that he was enjoying her nervousness and it had marked him as her official enemy.

She won't forget this.

"Well, Miss Rathore, I am not sorry to say but today, you aren't welcomed in my class. I don't allow students without sincerity in their hearts here. It won't do justice to other students who came ten minutes ago just to listen to my lecture with all their hearts."

Sakshi swallowed as she nodded slowly. Her eyes filling with immense embarrassment as she glanced at him one last time.

"I am sorry, Sir. It won't happen again," she choked out and he did notice the tears in her eyes.

Taking a long breath, she turned around and walked out of the class to sniff a lung full of air. Tears now falling off her eyes as he continued the lecture.

Again, it happened.

How the God was playing with her. Her friends played her, and now this professor. She breathed slowly.

"Keep playing with me until I would burn out and reach you up there to strangle you," she muttered while wiping her eyes and walking to the path which would lead her to the main gates, minutes later. She didn't have courage left to spend the day with those jerks and suffer those stares which smirked at her.

She was done with the day.

_______

"What do you feel for the leads here?"

Please vote and comment.

___

I can remember how so many times, my friends had done that me. It's very common though the difference was that my friends would never laugh silently. They would shamelessly crack out in front of the teacher while the dumb teacher, even knowing that it was a prank would focus on me being late and scolding me until I would walk out of the class with a death glare at them.

It is simple but very much embarrassing. Especially, when your teacher is hot and you don't want to be on his bad side.

And teacher surely starts ignoring the students who don't improve up to their expectations. #PersonalExperience

So, be punctual. It surely is a discipline that impresses people smoothly.

___

Until next,

Nikki ♥