Mihir looked around his house, seeing the unusual cheerfulness. His uncle and Aunt were there much to his own parent's delight. They were discussing about families, relations and most importantly, Kabir's future in-laws.

"What are you thinking with such a grumpy face?" asked Kabir while scrolling through his phone, checking his mails.

Mihir shook his head slowly, looking at him. "You don't know that we are going to get in a big danger. Aditi has given this long abusive speech to me on phone, threatening to share the pics with the police. She will tell Sakshi and eventually, her family will know about it too. I don't want to go to jail," he fearfully said.

Kabir raised his eyebrows, locking his phone and putting it away.

"First of all, no one is going to jail. Even if my fate comes to that, I and you won't go alone there, I promise. I will make sure to take them along," said Kabir, putting hand on his brother's hand. "Aditi will not share anything with police. She will go to jail too. In the end, she will be quiet."

Mihir breathed heavily.

"But Shrey is in Chandigarh. Didn't you hear what mom has told me just now? What Raghav's mother has told her? Shrey is in the city. He met Raghav and talked directly about marrying Sakshi, about how of a pervert you are. Mrs. Rathore was angry on the phone. She had been all supportive and made all efforts so that Sakshi could like you. But you spoiled it for our own bad," said Mihir while shaking his head.

Kabir let out a chuckle in amusement.

"Quite the drama. Huh?" He leaned back on the sofa. "Look at my mom. Look at her smile," he whispered, smiling at seeing her talking. "After years, I have seen her like this. The reason is Sakshi. She isn't even home yet and she can light up my mother's face. My mother has a hope that her son will finally be able to smile, have kids and a future with the love of his life."

The smile wiped off Kabir's face when he looked back at Mihir.

"Do you think I will let that smile wiped off on my mother's face by that penny-less Shrey, sense less Raghav?"

Mihir gave him a serious look. "But Sakshi hates you. You wasted a lot of time in intimidating her rather than loving her. If only you had been nice, she would have forgotten Shrey and be yours forever. I would have genuinely been happy for you, brother."

Kabir scoffed, "I did what I thought was right. Now, we can't fret over what has happened and can't be changed."

Glancing back at his mother, he took a soft breathe.

"It has been said that 'a villain is the hero of his own story'. I have become hero of my own even if it means being villain in Raghav's eyes, in Shrey's story and so of Sakshi's life."

Kabir gave him a dead look.

"When everything already thinks I am a villain, there's no point of being a hero now," he said, his jaws clenching from remembering his past. "Because I am not scared of losing Sakshi."

"I won't get crazy if she doesn't come to me," he smirked, his grey eyes glinting mischief. "I am the man who will get crazy if she comes to me."

"And I am waiting to get crazy with a glass of wine by my side," said Kabir while picking up his glass, making Mihir chuckle who picked up his on. They cheered and gulped for once.

"What if it all ends up in her marrying Shrey?" asked Mihir, seeing the calmness on his face.

Kabir took the last gulp.

"I'll make sure, I will be living in the darkest side of her heart forever."

________

Aarush spread himself on the bed while breathing hard. He closed his eyes, cursing the pollution. His head was jolting with pain.

"God, how do people travel so long without friends? I feel like I am the most lonely and unhealthy person," he groaned, making Shrey look at him.

He was putting the plates for their dinner on the table and brought out a towel and brush for him in the bathroom.

"You should take bath, first and then, can curse all you want. I have cooked the dinner already. Come fast before it will get cold," said Shrey.

Aarush sighed before looking at him. "Man, I am so scared of her brother. I can't face him."

Shrey let out a humorless chuckle. "And I have to fight to make him my brother-in-law. Good fate!"

Aarush burst into a laughter, swinging his legs to sit up. He started loosening his laces and removed his socks.

"But bro, things are going get messy. You know with all the revelation. It will all be quite a drama. There can be cries and beatings," he said, shaking his head. "Sakshi doesn't deserve this all."

"Well, she ain't going down without it. She doesn't want to see my face. Reason, my dumbass brother," cursed Shrey while glaring at the wall.

Aarush controlled another laughter.

"This is so thrilling. I get those movie vibes where the hero needs to woo her brother or father before wooing her."

Shrey gave him a Stern look.

"These bruises aren't funny. Look at my lip. He tore it apart with a mere punch. I look like I have gotten liposuction done," Shrey said while going towards the mirror.

Aarush chuckled while getting up from the bed, removing his jacket.

"Everything will be fine, Shrey. We have all the proofs and all the blames on that perverted professor. Kabir is out of the game already. What is left will be you to give your plus points? Because in her brother's sight, you too aren't any better."

Shrey turned worried at listening to his words.

"Not to forget, we are going together and he likes me," said Aarush, giving him a goofy smile.

Shrey gave him a blank look that made him chuckle more.

"It's completely on you to show yourself the best choice for her," Aarush said, seriously. "You have defeated cases and death. You can defeat Kabir and Raghav, easily."

He walked towards the bathroom to take a quick bath. While Shrey remained in his place, thinking how he didn't have to defeat Kabir or Raghav.

He had to defeat Sakshi's belief that she could live without him.

________

The new day arrived with new blessings. Pihu was praying with most grateful smile on her face. She thanked God for protecting her family from the worst of situations and now, she wanted nothing but every problem to get solved on its own.

But how would this one problem be solved? Raghav was upset with her again.

No, he didn't say anything.

That was the problem.

He wasn't saying anything to her. Not talking. She had been observing this from last evening. He came from office, smiled and laughed with everyone else but no words for her. He slept without any word. It was awkward so she tried asking him. But before she had even collected her courage to ask him, he was deep in slumber.

Even in the morning, he woke up and got off the bed without any morning kiss. Without any usual tactics of his to make her blush. She had gone to the kitchen, made breakfast for everyone, thinking when he would be done with his morning routine, she would talk to him.

But going back into the room, had worsened her mood. Rian was still asleep.

"Raghav, why didn't you wake him up? He has school today." She nearly shrieked, looking at the wall clock. "Oh my, it's just fifteen minutes for his bus to arrive."

She was getting exhausted these days easily and now, suffering the burden of getting ready which Raghav used to help her with as she had to help the maid with the breakfast, she glared at him angrily.

He hadn't responded, and was tying his tie, completely ignoring her.

"I am talking to you," she said, angrily.

Raghav shrugged his shoulders. "He never gets to miss the school. Let him enjoy today."

"That was fine years ago. But one day could be a big deal. He will miss out on a lot of great moments and things to learn. Not to mention, the bad habit will grow." She walked towards the bed, wiping her face. She started shaking Rian's shoulder.

"Baby, wake up. You have to go to school. Don't you?" She caressed his face and shook his shoulders.

"Let him be. One day won't matter," said Raghav, bored by her act.

Pihu couldn't believe him. "Look, whatever you have against me. Have it with me. But that shouldn't affect Rian's study. You had to help me by waking him up, and bath him," she said, her voice cracking already.

Raghav flared his nostrils, turning around from mirror to glare at her. "When I said, he is not going. He is not going. He is in kindergarten. Don't make it an issue. He's not doing Masters."

Pihu felt her eyes turning glossy. He hadn't cleared the fact that he had nothing against her.

"What is wrong with you? You would help me daily by cooperating. Do you have to go to office early? Is something wrong?" She lowered her voice, walking towards him, palming his back, feeling the smooth fabric of shirt.

He stopped moving and threw the tie on bed. He looked at her sternly, a hurt reflecting in his eyes.

"Everything is wrong."

Pihu gulped while removing her hand from his back. "What?"

"I try everything to be good to you. To make you forget about how corrupt I was in the beginning. I love you. But at the end of the day, I am the bad boy who forcefully married you. I am the culprit who dared to kidnap you and torture you with my forced love," he ranted it all out, making her gasp.

Pihu stared at him in disbelief. "But I don't care about those times, Raghav. I love you too-"

"Then why our days go with getting upset over that topic again and again? Days ago, I had to prove it all again. I had to apologise again for my acts that I regret every night, every moment. You never listen to me. You don't understand me-"

Pihu shook her head, getting confused. "I am not hating or judging you again. I was referring to those times because Sakshi is suffering the same. Or she wouldn't have taunted you about those things."

Raghav clenched his jaws. "But she did tell you about Shrey from the beginning. Four years ago, you hid about her dating him. Four years later, you hide about her dating him again. Am I joke to you? Is my trust on you a joke?" He asked desperately.

Pihu opened her mouth in shock. Terror filled her chest at realising, she was at mistake. But her intention was good. "You are not one who suffers your anger. I hide it so you won't get angry."

"You could have stopped all of this from happening. If you had told me of this the day Sakshi told you about Shrey, I would have stopped my sister from falling in love with that douche," said Raghav while looking in her brown eyes with fury in his own dark one.

Pihu smiled humorlessly. "You are just releasing your anger on me. Well, I don't mind since that's what an uncontrollable man would do. Target the only person he could dominate the most. His wife," she said, flaring her nostrils, turning around with a huff.

Before she could even leave, Raghav grabbed her wrist, turning her around to grab her chin.

"You don't talk to me that way," he muttered through gritted teeth.

Pihu removed his hand from her mouth, but couldn't loose her hand from his hold. She writhed while saying, "You don't behave that way. If you are frustrated with everything that's going on, I am here to listen. But putting all the blame on me won't settle things."

Raghav poked her right at the curve of her left breast. "You never stop hiding things from me. This is all your doing. I could have stopped Sakshi. Saved her from falling in those traps. I have had been angry but I wouldn't have feel betrayed like I do now. I just know that you knew about Shrey from the beginning."

"You didn't give a fuck about it," he growled.

Pihu widened her eyes, looking at him in hurt. "I had been thinking ways of telling you. But sometimes, Sakshi seemed ready and sometimes not. There would have been a whole lot of drama."

"What is happening right now?" Raghav glared at her. "Fucking drama!"

"You are just triggered because Shrey is getting beyond your expectations. But you are still egoistic about the scene with Rishabh. You can't dare to make peace for your own sister. You can't talk directly to Kabir if he really loves Sakshi or not. It's all you. Not me. Even if you had known, Sakshi still loves Shrey and he loves her. You can't stop them!" She ranted, angrily, breathing hard.

Raghav breathed while glaring at her, watching her letting out a sob. He rolled his eyes, rubbing his forehead.

"My own brother is in the city with his wife and kids. Do you remember that, Raghav? No, you don't. Holidays have arrived and I can't find my peace. If I am not teaching school, I have to teach everyone here to calm down," she sobbed. "I refused my brother about not being able to meet them, thinking that anytime Shrey could come here behind our back, anytime Kabir's family would arrive. Who will handle? Who will call you in the office? I am needed here. So, I am helping."

"Everything that I am doing is for you and yet you focus on the only thing I was helpless with. I was avoiding drama as long as I could. Your anger is worst. I hid it from you so won't take any angry decision," she told him, wiping her tears. "It's just all getting to me. I feel suffocated. Of all, you make it worse for me."

Raghav's anger lighten down and now, his eyes were full of hurt. "You shouldn't have hide things for me."

"I did what I felt was right. Fuck you," she glared at him, sobbing afterwards.

He gaped at her. "You don't get to say that to me," he said while coming closer to her as she started walking away.

"Pihu!" He warned her.

"I am done with you. You want to be angry with me. Be angry. I am not going to do anything. I have self-respect. I won't be your punching bag again and again," she sobbed, while getting out of the room, angrily.

"Daddy?"

Raghav looked away from the door, at his son who was rubbing his eyes, sleepily. He pressed his lips tight and flared his nostrils, kicking the bed angrily.

Walking towards Rian with a tight smile, he sighed heavily and sat on the bed. Pulling his son in for a morning hug, he breathed slowly.

"Hey, bud."

He kissed his neck, while closing his eyes, already regretting his actions.

Making her cry early in the morning, was the last thing he wanted to do.

______

"What do you feel?"

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