In a parallel world, where he was sitting on a rock shelf of some old monument, watching the sunset with his hand squeezing hers. With the sun drowning, he turned his head to look at her beautiful face. Feeling his gaze, she looked at him.

Their soul meeting along with their eyes.

Both smiled.

"There was a time, when I had everything. My parents, my toys, my books, my dresses, my friends, my own home. Then, came a time when I lost my parents. Those precious things," she said softly, looking back at the setting sun. "Left me so unexpectedly. I was too young to even realize the trauma."

He stared at her, kept listening.

"God has been pitiful by giving me Tau ji, Tai ji, and Bhai. I am an orphan but I never felt like one." She gulped and smiled shyly. "Then, came you, the man of my dreams."

She chuckled lightly, watching him staring at her in utter seriousness.

"I always had this figure, this blurry form of a man in my mind. I am sure, every romantic, stupid teen girl like me would have. A dream man. You know the smile is beautiful. You know, he is handsome. He is fit. He is kind. He is hot. But you can't see his face. Like a charming Prince."

She bit her lip and breathed out.

"It was a bliss having you in my dreams. It was a blessing having you in my arms."

His lips parted as a small smile broke out from him.

"You were my dream man," she smiled before looking at him with tears in her eyes, "And you left."

Her voice cracked as she whispered, "I wish I was as young as I was when mom and dad left me. So I wouldn't have felt the trauma of you leaving me, playing with me. How hurtful it is to realize that the person you have been dreaming your future with is playing with your feelings. That the person is pretending."

A faint sob broke her. She breathed heavily while feeling his hand squeezing her. She smiled to herself. "But unlike my parents, you returned."

She looked at him with tears in her dark eyes. "There must be something left for he sent you to me again. What could it be? A kiss? A confession? An apology?" She shook her head, looking at him.

"Maybe, to simply torture me by reviving my feelings. To hurt me again and make me believe again that there is nothing like true love. Nothing like first love."

Her lips trembled as she brought his hand to her lips and left a swift kiss.

She smiled while saying, "What is left, Shrey?"

He breathed slowly, bringing his other hand to cup her cheek. He kissed her forehead, making her close her eyes and breathe.

"A lifetime together."

"A lifetime?" Alisha laughed while having high-five with Shrey's mother. "Blessed are you who will get a lifetime to spend with me. Look at me, Chachi, I will always have to cope up with his complaints and frustration."

Shrey blinked immediately, looking around as he realized that he was still here eating dinner with his family rather than in his reverie of that parallel world.

He shook his head and picked up his fork slowly.

"God, why does everyone think I am frustrated? I am a charming, kind and chirpy person." Rishabh announced dramatically while raising his glass of water, chuckling when Alisha rolled her eyes.

Shrey's mother laughed lightly. "Rishu does complaint a lot, though. This is not clean. This is not tidy. Why are you standing? Why are you seated? Why are you smiling? Why is this table here? He has so many why's. . ."

Rishabh chuckled goofily an nudged his elbow with Alisha. "But I am the one in millions. Aren't I, Chachi?"

Shrey looked in boredom at his mother who blew a kiss. "Billions."

Alisha rolled her eyes, "Oh! Please. Anyway, are we all going to the movies tomorrow?" She looked around.

"Of course," his mother said but Shrey got up from the chair.

Alisha's smile faded. "Shrey?"

He looked at her, shaking his head. "Sorry, I am good at home."

Rishabh raised his eyebrows and watched how Shrey's mother started feeling embarrassed and hesitantly smiled at them. "If only he wakes up early," she chuckled slowly.

"It will be fun," Alisha pointed with a smile, while Shrey shook his head. But his mother spoke up before he could.

"Shrey, I'll bring your milk, son. If you are done with dinner, you must take rest. Rishabh, Alisha, you both too. Would you take blankets? Or shall I bring quilts. . ."

"It's fine, Chachi ji." Alisha smiled, "I'll help you with the dishes." She said, while getting up and picking up used utensils.

Shrey left for his room while Rishabh didn't fail to notice the sweat on his forehead.

Something was wrong, he thought.

__________

"Man, come on." Aarush groaned while looking at the shopkeeper. "I am a loyal customer. I come here often. Even then you can't put an extra scoop."

The shopkeeper gave him a stern look. "You all go to McDonald's, Domino's and pay the price they ask for without any bargaining. Here, you try to ruin my already affordable price. If you like my ice-cream much, you must give me more money."

Aarush was speechless while Aditi burst out laughing along with Sakshi. Both were walking on the side of the road on their way back to the flat as they had returned from the park. They had evening walks and now were buying ice cream cones from a stall.

"Man! What do I say now? Take this extra ten rupees. Now add the scoop. Will you?" Aarush muttered while bringing out his wallet. He paid the money and held the cones, passing them to the girls, who didn't even wait for him and started walking.

The shopkeeper smiled. "Which flavour?"

Aarush's eyes lit up. "Chocolate."

The shopkeeper put one more scoop while telling, "Don't hate me for telling the truth. It's not fine with seasonal products. In winters, I am completely dependent on my grocery store. This ice-cream stall is for these summer evenings so I could earn extra."

Aarush stared at him keenly. "Ah! Employ me. I will sell your ice-cream in winters as well. In winters, they taste better. Ah! Even at the weddings, I am always at the ice-cream stalls." He laughed.

"Sure, you will." Aditi patted his head from behind, licking her own ice-cream. "My MBA. Now, are you coming or this conversation is going to continue?"

The shopkeeper chuckled while Aarush licked his ice-cream, moaning in delight. "If you were a girl, I would have married you. I always used to tell Mom, I would marry an ice-cream seller. So I could eat it all day-"

A loud scream pierced the street, stealing their attention. Aarush and Aditi looked back, their eyes widening.

"Motherfuckers!" He shouted angrily at the two boys on the bike who flew the bike immediately, leaving no time for them to even read the number plate. Aditi had thrown her sandal already that was of no use as they were already gone.

"Sakshi!"

Both rushed to the girl clutching her neck while laying on the road. "Hey! Are you okay?" Aarush asked in fear as he saw horror in her eyes.

"What did they even do?" Aditi asked, while the shopkeeper too came to see her.

Sakshi whimpered while the shopkeeper told, "I just saw the last one pushing her hard that she fell back."

Aditi gasped while Aarush clenched his jaws. Sakshi's lips trembled as she rubbed her neck slowly. "My gold chain," she hiccuped while breathing harshly.

"God! You are shivering." Aditi gasped while rubbing her hands. "Calm down. It's nothing."

"Try to sit slowly," Aarush said while putting his arm around her shoulder. "Brother, stop an auto, please."

The shopkeeper nodded while Sakshi let out a cry, backing away from Aarush. She whimpered hard. "My sh-shoulder. . . It's hurting. . . I can't breathe, it's so painful. . ."

Aarush noticed the redness all over her neck and shoulder.

"She fell on her side," the shopkeeper exclaimed while showing his arm to an Auto-rickshaw passing by.

Aarush noticed the jeans ripped from the side of her knee too and her hands were Stark red. He breathed heavily, "Let's get you to the hospital." He picked her up before she could even scream out in pain while Aditi told the driver for the nearest hospital.

"Why do you even wear a gold chain at this time in this city?" Aarush asked angrily at seeing her whimpering and crying on Aditi's shoulder.

"Because she can," Aditi spat back. "That doesn't give someone right to steal it."

"Well then, be glad they didn't cut her neck and then took it. God knows how many more they would attack on. . . I couldn't even see the faces. . . the number. . ." He grumbled.

"Just take me to the flat," Sakshi pleaded while crying.

Aarush ignored the ringing of his phone and instead focused on holding Sakshi's arm. He was afraid if it wasn't fractured at seeing the way she was crying. It must be very painful, he observed.

"Better hospital than Chandigarh," he shut her up. "Cause if you'll deny again, I am going to call your brother."

_______

All the way, Sakshi wept quietly. Her left hand was on her chest where she could still feel her heart beating faster than ever. Her other hand hand was limping with the aching shoulder that felt like it was almost broken.

It was brutal experience, that she would never forget.

The immediate movement on her neck, as the man had snatched the chain within seconds and pushed her hard when she tried to follow them. She couldn't even see their eyes and she had fallen on her side harder. Her clothes were dirty from the dust on road.

The nurse was treating her knees after she cut her jeans and turned them into long shorts.

"Gently, please." Sakshi sobbed while observing from the window as the doctor talked with Aarush and Aditi who looked quite serious. She was scared of even these little scratches on her knees.

Now, when her shoulder was aching terribly, her blood was turning cold by the thought that it must be broken. She still had a last exam to give and how would she do it if something happened to her right arm.

"Stop crying. It's just a scratch. The doctor will see your shoulder right in." The nurse told her after finishing the task of bandaging her right knee.

Sakshi nodded as the doctor entered with Aarush and Aditi following him. He came near her and stood quietly. She had removed her top and was now just in her spaghetti top.

The doctor slid her strip towards her neck and had only touched her shoulder when she screamed out. "No, stop. Don't. . . Please." She whimpered.

Aditi gulped as they all saw the bluish bruise that had formed on her shoulder.

"How did you fall when they pushed you?" The doctor asked Sakshi, making her close eyes.

"His left hand on my chest. Pushed me so hard, I would have fallen straight on my back and would have hit my head on the road." She wept quietly. "But my balance was lost and I fell on one side."

The doctor nodded and pressed on some points, making her whimper.

"Was this shoulder ever hurt before ever?"

Realization hit Sakshi's eyes as she looked at Aarush and Aditi. "Yes, four years ago. It had sprained or there was internal bleeding, I don't remember. But it would hurt in between always whenever I held something heavy or laid on this side for long. . ."

The doctor breathed out and was already done with his observation as he removed his hand.

"There is no swelling, I don't think anything's broken. But we will have your X-Ray in some minutes. Okay? Till then, I will give you painkiller and some ointment." The doctor smiled when Sakshi whimpered lightly. "Chill, a minor scratch rather than your life. You will be fine."

"My ice-cream, though. Must be lying somewhere on the street," Aarush muttered, shaking his head. "Just when I had the first lick."

Sakshi chuckled while sniffing hard, the doctor too smiled.

"After the X-ray, you can leave and have a good sleep. But you must get checked twice this week, at least." The doctor suggested while shaking hands with Aarush who had thanked the doctor.

When the doctor took Aarush for receiving the painkillers, Aditi smiled at Sakshi. "Should I call your brother?"

Sakshi closed her eyes. "He will be so angry at me," her tears erupted again. "He will be so worried, he will found those goons from any part of the world."

Aditi chuckled, "Pihu, then? At least, someone should be aware from your family, Sakshi. Its not right. Right?"

Sakshi nodded. "Can we wait for X-Rays? Then, I'll call Pihu Bhabhi." She bit her lip as her eyes filled up.

The sudden loneliness appeared in her chest when she felt that if she hadn't been walking alone on the road, this wouldn't have happen. They wouldn't have been having this evening walk, if she didn't have that argument with Shrey.

It was all because she was upset, that her friends felt like cheering her up.

Her heart called out to share this pain with her most loved one.

She needed to find the console in his arms. She needed him.

"Could you call Shrey, please?"

Aditi stared at her before unlocking her phone and calling the number. She kept the phone on her ear, twice and thrice. She called him for five times but he didn't pick up.

"He must be asleep," Aditi murmured while cupping Sakshi's cheek who looked worried. "He might be feeling anxious again, must have took his medicines and slept already. What do you think?"

"Are you sure, he won't be ignoring my calls?" Sakshi asked worriedly. "He is still angry at me."

Aditi narrowed her eyes. "What had we decided about you making it all right? You are still going to his house. Seeing your shoulder, he will melt easily. Play the patient card well, and he will be yours." Aditi chuckled. "Will I go to hell for suggesting you that?"

Sakshi sighed heavily. "I just hope, he is okay."

Aarush clicked his tongue while handing Aditi the ointment. "I hope, you stay okay. Because we are going to his home tomorrow for sure. This isn't skipping by any chance. I am tired of this tough-life shits."

He neared them as Aditi rubbed the cream slowly on Sakshi's shoulder while the nurse handed her the glass and painkiller. "You guys get married soon. Its been long since I last danced at DJ being sober. I need genuine happiness."

Sakshi bit her lip and smiled while Aditi shook her head.

Aarush smiled goofily. "I will do this solo bachelor dance, maybe with some ugly cousins of you dancing in the background. On some peppy, wedding song in some pretty sherwani," he told Sakshi who rolled her eyes. "All the girls at the wedding will be impressed. Even Aunties. Then, I'll get so many marriage proposals."

"None of my cousins is ugly." Sakshi told while Aditi was glaring at him.

Aarush laughed hard and hugged Aditi from side, as he started convincing her that it was a joke.

Sakshi smiled to herself while watching both of them, wishing to see her wedding day soon like the way she would want it to be.

_______

"Thoughts?"

Please vote and comment.