Unforgivable (ArSh): Epilogue - Pg. 35 - Page 8

I continued to scream even though the hand muffled it. At least there was a chance at someone hearing. Maybe someone going up or coming down? I refused to let him have his way again. My hands struggled to remove his hand and my legs began to kick his legs. I realized he wasn't about to move his hand away so I decided to try and push him away. I placed my hands on his chest and pushed as hard as I could as I continued to yell into his hand. I soon realized that it wasn't a good idea at all. He grabbed both of my hands in his one big one and pressed his body against mine stopping my feet from moving. "Don't fight Shilpa." My wrists wriggled in his hold straining for the freedom. Tears were forming in my eyes and I was trembling violently in his hold. I became more petrified as he stared me down with wrath in his eyes. "Will you be quiet?" He questioned in a calm but somber voice. He kept my gaze locked with his the whole time. I stared back into his and nodded slightly. He slowly moved away his hand and began to move away.

If I wanted to run, there wouldn't have been a better opportunity. I glimpsed toward the door with my eyes without turning my head. Once he was completely off my body I went for it. I ran to the door and grabbed the handle. I did it. I made it. "Not so fast!" I was tugged back into the stairwell and he pressed his body onto me again. "I guess we'll have to stay like this then." I didn't feel comfortable with the proximity at all. I turned my face away from his still looking at the door. I was so close. I just needed one more second and I could've escaped. "Armaan let me go." I shut my eyes as I felt his warm breath on my cheek. "Not until we talk. I was hoping to have a normal conversation, but you're making me have to force you." I turned my face to him trying to keep as much distance as I possibly could and looked into his eyes. I saw... I saw pain? "If you don't run..." He continued, "... then I'll move away. I know you're not comfortable with this kind of closeness after what happened." Now he was showing concern? "Agreed?" I gazed into his eyes searching for an answer to why he was behaving like this. All I saw was lots of pain and concern. I hesitated a nod and he moved his body away from me again.

This time, though, I stood still. I didn't even look to the door. My eyes stayed locked with his. His calm expression changed to one of angst as he pushed his hand through his hair. "Shilpa, I'm sorry for the way I've been behaving. I know I shouldn't have thrown you around earlier. But with everything that's going on, it's been hard to stay composed." He looked back at me still staring at him. "Especially after being blamed for what happened to you!" He walked up to me and held both of my hands in his and brought them up to his chest. "You have to believe me Shilpa. I have nothing to do with what happened." His pain filled voice rang in my ears. His hand moved to my cheek and he wiped a tear that unknowingly had fallen from my eyes. "I could never do something like that to any girl, let alone the one that I lo-" He stopped short and my eyes immediately shot up to him. Did he almost say what I think he did? My questioning eyes searched for answers as he just looked back at me. He took a deep breath and turned away. "What's the point? You're convinced that I did it." He muttered under his breath.

Millions of things were running through my mind. I didn't know what to say. Was Aditya lying? Or is Armaan lying to me right now? Was it Armaan, or someone else? But the blue eyes? That triggered a thought and my eyes widened in shock. The lens. "Armaan." I called to him still looking down at the ground. "What?" I heard his exasperated voice. "Are your eyes naturally blue?" He turned around and looked at me unbelievingly, "Seriously, Shilpa? That's all you can say?" "Just answer my question, Armaan." He didn't respond so I ran up to him and looked at his moistened eyes. It didn't look like he was wearing contacts. "Yes! They're naturally blue." He stepped back away from me. I grabbed the railing of the stairway to support myself. Maybe Armaan was right. Maybe he didn't do it.

I was going to continue but a group of people coming down the stairs stopped me from doing so. They eyed us weirdly as they passed by. When they passed and were descending the stairs I heard one of them speak. "Probably a bad break-up..." He didn't say it loudly but the empty stairwell made it echo. I slowly fell to the floor still gripping onto the railing. I heard Armaan scoff at the remark. I shut my eyes and couldn't believe I was going to say the next words. "Armaan. I believe you." The last few words were left in my mouth. It started out as a whisper. More of me telling myself that I believed him. "I believe you Armaan." I repeated except louder this time. I saw his feet shuffle toward me as I stared at the ground.

Just as I looked up at him I heard someone screaming my name. "SHILPA!" The door next to us pushed open and there stood Muskaan. She grabbed my arm and pulled me up. "Muskaan listen..." I tried to tell her but she wasn't ready to listen. "How dare you try and do it again?!" She jumped in front of Armaan and began to yell at him. "Wasn't one time enough?!" I moved to her side and tried to stop her looking at Armaan's hurt expression at the same time. "Muskaan, he didn't do anything to me." "You don't have to be scared Shilpa, I'm here." I grabbed her arm and tried to pull her away but she just jerked me off. I stumbled on the stairs that lead down. "Shilpa!" I heard Armaan as he reached out to grab me. Before he could catch me, I managed to regain my balance before I fell down. "Don't touch her!" Armaan was pushed away by Muskaan as she pulled me back up and walked out of the stairwell. As she pulled me away I looked back to see Armaan's distressed face.

When we came inside the dorm Muskaan faced me and grabbed my face. "I'm sorry Shilpa. I should've come with you! I'm really sorry." I was glad she was concerned but she needed to listen to me. I removed her hands from my face, "Muskaan listen to me!!" I could tell she was taken aback by my tone of voice. "He didn't do anything! Armaan is innocent!" "Shilpa I don't know what he told you, but you don't need to be scared of him!" She tried to reach out to me but I backed away. "You're not listening Muskaan! Stop treating me like I'm a helpless child! I know you care but this is getting to be too much!" She watched and listened to me in disbelief. "Shilpa what are you..." She paused as her phone rang. "Hello? Hey Anjali." She listened to what Anjali was saying. Through the conversation she turned and looked toward me. "Okay, thanks Anjali. Yea, I'll tell her. Bye." Muskaan hung up the phone and then looked at me again.

"She said the DNA doesn't match with Armaan." Muskaan plopped down onto the couch. I rushed and sat down next to her. "That's what I've been trying to tell you. Armaan didn't do it." I grabbed her hand and placed it into mine. "But then who did?" Muskaan wondered. "Everything pointed toward Armaan..." She drifted off into her thoughts. "I think I might know." I saw her turn her head to me. "But we're going to need Armaan and Anjali here." Muskaan lifted her hand up and went through her contact list. "I'll call Anjali." I got up from the couch and walked toward the door. "Where are you going?" Right before I left I looked at her, "To get Armaan." And I ran out.

Halfway down the hall I stopped. I didn't know where he was. I decided to check the stairwell first. I didn't see him. I shut the door and looked down the hall at his door. I'll go there as a last resort. I knocked on the other doors of the floor asking if Armaan was with them. They all answered no. Maybe the roof? I went to the elevator and took it up to the last floor before getting out and running up the stairs to the roof. I frantically opened the door and looked left and right. I saw his tall frame leaning on the railing at the edge. "Armaan!" I ran up to him as he turned around. When he saw me he returned to leaning on the rail. "You're innocent Armaan!" He looked at me with his eyes squinted then turned away again. "The DNA report came back negative Armaan. The police know you didn't do it." I saw him smile as he stood up straight. "I told you I didn't have anything to do with it." He whirled around and began to walk away.

I watched his retreating back. "I know who did it though." I told him when he was about to enter the stairwell. "And I need your help to bring him in." He stopped and glanced at me. "Will you help?" I pleaded to him more than asked. He began to walk over to me. He cupped my face and made me look into his eyes. "Who did it Shilpa?"

"Aditya" I whispered. I saw confusion take over his face. He instantly let go of my face. "He wouldn't do that." He doesn't believe me? "But he did. He's trying to frame you for it." He took a step back. "You're lying. What proof do you have?" I shook my head no. "I'm not lying. Earlier today he called me and Muskaan to his room. When we got there he told us that you told him that you told him everything. And then when I went into the bathroom to relax myself I saw blue contact lens in there. I thought it was yours but when the police came to take evidence they went into the other room. Aditya did it, Armaan. He used blue contact lens to make it look like you were the one responsible for it." I watched the change of expressions on his face as I told him everything. He had to believe me. "But why would he do that to me?" Armaan questioned. "I don't know Armaan, but you have to help me bring him in." He gaze moved back to me and he moved closer. He forwarded his hand and held one of mine. "I'll help." I tightened my grip on his hand and smiled. I led him down from the roof and back to my dorm.

When we entered we saw Muskaan sitting with Anjali. When Muskaan saw us she stood up and approached Armaan. "I've been such a jerk Armaan. I'm really sorry. Can you forgive me?" She said to him sincerely. Armaan smiled and engulfed her into a hug. "It's ok Muskaan; you were only being a true friend to Shilpa." She pulled away from him, "Friends?" He placed his hand in hers, "Friends." When we sat down on the couch Anjali apologized for accusing him so early on in the case as well. "So, Shilpa. Muskaan said you knew who did this?" I nodded my head. "Aditya." Anjali listened intently, Muskaan looked at me bewildered and Armaan just urged me to continue. "He tried to make it as though Armaan did it." Anjali asked me what led me to this conclusion and I told her everything I told Armaan earlier. "But Armaan, where did you go last night in the middle of the party?" Anjali curiously asked. We all looked toward Armaan waiting for an answer. "I'd had a headache all day yesterday. Once Muskaan and I entered the party, it started to get worse because of the atmosphere. Loud music, yelling and all that. So I left and went to the clinic." "But then why didn't you tell us that before?" Muskaan asked him. "If you guys gave me a chance I would have. You never let me talk." Muskaan bit her tongue and realized that it was true and apologized to him again.

After getting all the details, Muskaan finally spoke, or rather cursed, "That bas****!! I just want to go and...!!" Before she got too excited and marched out I pulled her hand and told her to sit back down. "We can't let him realize that we know. We need to make it seem like Armaan really is the one who did it. And I have a plan." They all listened as I explained to them what needed to be done.