chronicles of da red sneakersch45/pg16 - Page 12

Chapter 35- Issues

"Vidya?" She tried to peel her off her.

"You have no idea how happy I am to see you." She said, tightening her grip on Mahi.

"I have a bit of a clue." Mahi said, short of breath. "Vee babe, I can't breathe."

"Sorry. Sagar's been trying to talk to me all night." She said leaving Mahi. She swang her eyes to a very handsome Angad. "Hey Jiju…" Vidya said flirtatiously. Angad laughed.

"Hello, saaliji." Angad said, chuckling.

"You're looking very hot today." Vidya said, smiling foolishly.

"Stop hitting on my husband, Vidya!" Mahi shouted.

"Why are you getting so pissed? Saali to waise bhi aadhi gharwali hoti hai." Angad grinned.

"If you ever get rid of her, poori gharwali bhi ho sakti hai." Vidya flirted. Mahi was turning red, "Vidya!" She yelled.

"What?!" She asked, innocently. She glanced at Sagar who was eating banana chips carelessly by a pillar with the OM sign on it. Vidya rolled her eyes.

"Vidya, please tell me you have lots of food for after the moon decides to grace us with its goddamn presence." Mahi complained.

"Tons." Vidya sighed, staring longingly at the food sitting on the dining table.

"Why don't you go eat something?" Mahi eyed her suspiciously.

"Nah. Not hungry." She said, trying to hush her growling stomach.

"You're fasting, aren't you…?" Mahi smirked.

"No. For who?" She rolled her eyes, avoiding Mahi.

"You're fasting for Sagar?!" Mahi said, all too loud.

"Nope. I'm fasting for my fiance." She glared at her ring, angrily.

"Who?" Mahi tilted her head, confused.

"His name is Amit." She rolled her eyes, and smirked, saying the first name popping into her head.

"What?!" Mahi exclaimed. Vidya ran to the bathroom, Mahi followed.

"What is going on?" Mahi asked, truly clueless.

"There is no Amit. I'm not engaged, but Mummy and Papa are seriously starting to bother me about getting married…."

"Tho? Kar le na shaadi." Mahi said simply.

"No one will propose to me…" She said, gritting her teeth. "My parents talked to his parents and he flatly refused. I fought with him all night. He apologized this morning but I ain't buying it."

"You shouldn't."

"I know. And he's been eating like a damn buffalo all day, right in front of me…." Vidya said, pouting. "I'm really hungry, Mahi." She whined.

"Me too babe. Let's go wait for the moon…" She said, rubbing her back. The two went back to the main hall, finding Suhani and Niharika.

"I'm hungry." Vidya whined.

"Me too!" Suhani yelled.

"It's starting to get to me too…" Mahi sighed.

"Sucks for you guys." Niharika grinned obnoxiously.

"Lucky." Suhani rolled her eyes. "Her man is in Goa."

"I hope he's cheating on her." Vidya said bitterly.

"Yeah, and next karwa chauth. I hope you're three times hungrier than us."

"You guys are seriously bi***es." Niharika shook her head. The four laughed. Vidya decided to go and stare at the food until the moon came out.

She looked at a plate of vegetable biryani and heard her stomach growl, not the best idea she resolved.

She went and stood near a line of diyas. She stared at the flame as it burned its way down the wick. She felt like the cigarette burns on her neck were burning new holes there, staring at the flame. Since a child, Vidya sported a strange fascination with fire. She burnt herself numerous times and the feeling made up an unrecognizable portion of her life. She sighed as she moved her finger back and forth across the flame. Sagar approached her, she saw from the corner of her eye, she burnt her hand. Without flinching, she pulled her hand away slowly.

"It's pretty…" He stated, dumbly. She shrugged.

"It's pretty while it lasts…" Vidya said coldly. Sagar rolled his eyes, another emotional moment, he thought.

"Like us?" Sagar asked, amused.

"Yeah. I guess. We've been through practically it all and nothing blew us out and now this little whisper of a word comes out and blew it out of existence." Vidya sighed.

"Nothing lasts forever." Sagar explained.

"Maybe we should…" Vidya started, moving her finger across the flame again. It burnt terribly but she couldn't stand seeing Sagar right now.

"Call it quits? You think we should stop seeing each other?" Sagar asked, amused, as if she were joking.

"His name is Krish." Vidya said, unaffected, now her pointer was completely red and burnt like she had been to hell and back. She switched fingers clumsily.

"You're cheating on me…?" Sagar asked slowly. Vidya threw her head back and laughed coldly.

"Hardly. That's your domain." Vidya laughed. Sagar had cheated on her twice, but like everything else, he had asked for forgiveness and she granted it to him lovingly. Sagar bowed his head in what seemed to be regret. "Krish is a childhood friend. He's flying in tomorrow."

"So? Why do I care?" Sagar asked, annoyed.

"When we were little, we said if by 21 we weren't married or betrothed, then we'd marry each other." She said, smiling distantly.

"You're only 20." He defended.

"He's a year older than me." Vidya added. Sagar looked at her in disbelief.

She made no eye contact; she brought her hand up to show him the diamond. There was no Amit, but sadly there was a Krish.

"What's his whole name?" Sagar asked, indifferent.

"Krish Mehra." She said, bringing her palm atop the burning flare.

"Mrs. Vidya Mehra…Hmm…" He chided, deep in thought. "What does he look like?"

"He's tall. 6'3" Green eyes, brown hair…" Vidya's voice trailed as she was near tears. Not because Sagar literally didn't care, because her entire right hand was burnt to a sun burnt crimson.

"What does he do?"

"He's a lawyer." She said, still holding her hand above the candle. Now, she was going to burn a hole through her palm. She could feel the heel of her palm approaching her goal.

"Nice. When's the wedding?" Sagar inquired, finding something oddly amusing about her ring. He held her left hand and examined the ring like there was not a care in the world.

"As soon as possible. I don't know. Depends on Krish. Will you come?"

"Of course." He replied, amused. Vidya glanced at him and finally pulled her hand away from the fire.

"You're a jerk!" She yelled, near tears. Sagar's head shot up at her outbreak.
"After practically four years, you'd think you care."

"I do." He defended.

"You're a selfish pig! You insulted me in front of our families and now that we're over, you act like I don't even know you!" Tears streaming her face, she went to wipe them when she felt the burn on her hand. "Damn." She muttered.

"I didn't insult you."

"My parents talked to your parents and you FLATLY refused." Vidya said, unable to wipe her tears. Sagar was still holding her hand; he muttered something under his breath.

"You think this is funny, don't you?" She cried, breaking free of his grip.

"Vidya, I love you…" He sighed, trying to touch her cheek. She backed away.

"NO!" She yelled. "I don't want to hear it! You don't love me." She cried.

"All you care about is yourself, you self-centered dog."

"I care about you. I care about us. If you want, we can…"

"Live together?" She asked, mockingly, still in tears. Sagar had proposed the idea long ago, but Vidya found it all the more insulting.

"Forget it, Sagar. It doesn't even matter. Find yourself someone else. I free you." She said dramatically.

"Find myself someone else?" He chuckled. "I could've done that years ago.
But I didn't…" He said like a self-righteous pompous dog. "Vidya you're more trouble than you're worth." He said coldly. He shook his head in disappointment upon seeing her hand. Deeply, he wanted to go put some ointment on it and dress it while scolding her, like Vidya had done to him years ago when he had hurt his hand. But neither of them was in any condition to do that.

Vidya face was streamed with tears as the words played again and again in her head, "You're more trouble than you're worth…." She chuckled like an escaped lunatic, as she repeated to herself 'Don't make a scene. Don't make a scene.'

"With those words, I never want to see you again. Bye Sagar." She said, leaving.

Ironically, she looked up and saw the vague outline of the moon. Ha, enough of that. She had fasted that day for almost four years now, and now they were over.

It was painfully near impossible driving home with a burnt hand and it wasn't any better that the pooja was at the Banquet Hall farthest away from her house. Still crying, she entered her house. She threw her keys down and changed into her pajamas; a pair of shorts and a tank top that Sagar had bought her. She made a mental note of burning that, too, later.

She struggled with the dressing on her hand, she sighed completely frustrated.
"Need help?" A voice called happily from behind the kitchen door. In walked, (Our Very OWN!) Sukhi with two cups of tea.

"Sukhi!!!!" Vidya yelled, hugging her.

"Hey hun. What's wrong with your hand?" Sukhi asked concerned. Sukhi and her boyfriend, Krish were friends from way back. Well, actually Krish was Vidya's childhood friend, as mentioned before and being common friends of Vidya, Krish and Sukhi hooked up and fell in love. They were a darling couple.

"I burnt it over a diya. I'm in love with a commitment impaired idiot." Vidya sighed. "He said I wasn't worth the trouble."

"You most certainly are!!!" A voice called from behind Sukhi.

"Krish!? Oh my god." Vidya went and hugged him, resting her hands against his chest. "Okay, Ow." Vidya said, pulling her hand back. Krish kissed her head.

"Nobody tells my Vidya she isn't worth the trouble. I know these commitment impaired idiots…"

"Yeah, you are one. You'd definitely know one..." Sukhi rolled her eyes. Krish glanced at her.

"You're mean. I'm here to help my friend." He said, nose in the air. She nodded sarcastically. "So am I. Are you doing what I told you?" Sukhi asked excited, Vidya nodded. After a few moments of explaining.

"WHAT?! Me and Vidya?!" Krish shouted. "Engaged…Sukhi, what the heck!?"

"What? You wanna help right?" She kissed him lightly on the lips, "Besides, if I don't mind giving you out on loan, what's your problem?"

"Loan?" Krish shrugged, "Whatever. So what's up with this Sagar dude?"

"He's an insensitive jerk that cares about solely him and knows nothing about love because that requires a few ounces of selflessness which he lacks, he cheats, he lies, and he has the most ridiculous ideas about everything. He's cocky and stubborn and ignorant." She said angrily. The couple nodded listening diligently.

"And Vidya is madly in love with him." Sukhi added. Krish wanted to burst into laughter but seeing that she was serious, abstained from it.

Vidya sighed, "Yeah. That too."

"Where are you guys staying?" Vidya asked, changing the subject. Krish replied, "Here?"

"No. He practically lives here….Sagar does, I mean. Krish, you stay here. I'll stay in a hotel." Sukhi resolved.

"You trust me with your man?" Vidya asked, teasingly.

"Yeah, duh. Nobody wants him but me."

"Hey!" Krish shouts, offended.

Chapter 36- Hungry? Grab A…Ladoo?

"I'm so hungry…." Suhani whined. "This sucks!"

"I know." Ishaan sighed. "It does. I want food."

"Go eat something, baby." Suhani caressed his cheek.

"I can't. Not until you eat." He pouted. Suhani raised an eyebrow, "Why?"

"Listen," He pulled onto her, cradling her face. "You've been doing this for three years."

"Fasting?" Suhani asked, confused. "Yes. This year, I told you not to. The doctor told you not to. Niharika, Vidya, Mahi…they all told you not to. You should eat more now a days. Staying hungry when you're pregnant isn't safe. Eat something…" He coaxed.

"Baby, the moon is almost out. I can wait a little while longer. Me and the baby are fine. Promise." She kissed his lips lightly. "Now go eat something."

"No. I thought that this year I'd fast with you." He kissed her again.

"Really?" She said, her eyes welling up. He nodded. "If you can pray for my long life every year, can't I stay hungry and pray for yours for once?"

"That's so sweet…" She said, crying. "I've been so mean to you." She sobbed, "And you love me so much. It's not fair." She sobbed hard onto him, he sighed, hugging her. "I'm sorry." She cried.

"Suhani, it's really okay." He wiped her tears. "All those years, I was so mean to you. You're allowed to be mean to me. It's like payback right?" He laughed, making her laugh too.

"We were pretty mean to each other…" Suhani laughed. Ishaan nodded.

~Flashback~

"YOU?!" Ishaan yelled. He stared at her disgusted.

"You?!!!?!?!?!?!?!" Suhani echoed.

"EWWWWW!!!!!!!!" They both yelled at once. "MAAM!!!!!!!!!!" Mrs. Roshan reported to their sides.

"Why are you two bringing up such a commotion?!" Mrs. Roshan asked, angrily. It was her sophomore and his senior year and they both were, unfortunately, stuck in the same mixed Academy Health Class.

"How can you partner me up with HIM, I'm such a good student." Suhani exclaimed.

"How can you pair me with HER?! I'm a BETTER student." Ishaan yelled back at her. Suhani and Ishaan glared at each other.

"You two are very good students. I'm sure the project will be a breeze." She says calmly.

"No breeze ma'am. Her voice is so annoying." Ishaan complains.

"His face hurts my eyes." Suhani counters. They glare at each other and Suhani steps on Ishaan's foot.

"Son of a --!" He exclaims.

"Ma'am. I refuse to work with him."

"I refuse to work with her." Ishaan echoes.

"It's just an egg." The teacher explains. "You need to learn how to take care of it together."

Despite all the argument, Suhani and Ishaan ended up being partners and took care of their "baby" together. Actually, Niharika took Ishaan's spot at home.

But in the classroom they pretended to tolerate each other. They failed the project, but that was because Suhani ended up throwing "their baby" at

Ishaan. *sigh* Well, that was then.

~End of Flashback~

Ishaan and Suhani sat there together, hand in hand, holding each other and laughing.

"We refused to care for an egg together…" Ishaan laughed.

"Look at us now." Suhani sighed, staring down at her large belly. She couldn't see her feet. It was bothersome.

"Do you remember the first time we met after I went to college?"

"Right after I found out you liked me?" Suhani asked, still laughing.

~Another Flashback~

"Ishaan?" Suhani asked, unsure, guarding the door.

"Hey." He said, calmly. "Did I come at a bad time?" He asked, glancing at Rajvir.

"No, no. I'm just…when did you come back?" She asked, confused.

"Just yesterday. I have a semester off. How are you?"

"Good." She said, seating him on the sofa. "Meet my boyfriend, Rajvir."

"Hey." Rajvir said.

"Sup?" Ishaan said, flipping through a magazine. "Suhani, could I see you in the kitchen?"

"Yeah." She said, following him into the kitchen. "What's up?" She asked awkwardly.

"He's British…" Ishaan said, musing.

"Sort of. What's your issue?" Suhani asked, offended.

"I'm sure you know by now." Ishaan said, looking into the fridge. Suhani
plays with her nails nervously.

"What?" She asked awkwardly. He walks toward her. "That I…" He stood, centimeters away from her. He brushed a strand of hair away from her face.

"That you?" She asks in a whisper, lost in his deep hazel eyes. A lazy smile plays across his face. "Suhani, I've liked you for a really long time now." He says in that same whisper.

"I know." She says, her voice smiling.

"Do you know I love you?" He asked. Her cheeks flushed red.

"I had a hunch…" She smiled. His lips closed in on hers and he bit at her lower lip. She stepped farther and farther back until her back slammed against a wall. Not a wall, the fridge.

The kiss got deeper and deeper until they broke apart for air. Suhani opened her eyes and glanced at the door to find an extremely shocked Rajvir.

"Rajvir, I…." Suhani started. Rajvir looked at her in disbelief. He glanced at Ishaan and looked like he was about to bite his head off.

"Do you like him?" Rajvir asked gently. Suhani nodded.

"More than me?" Rajvir confirmed, Suhani looked down in thought.

"Well, looks like I lucked out." Rajvir said jokingly. Suhani looked to him in skepticism. He nodded. "It's okay, we can be friends. I was looking for a way to tell you."

"Tell me what?" Suhani asked, confused.

"I wasn't really feeling us. I mean it's hard to explain. I really like you though. Just not like that."

"Cool." Suhani said, perhaps overly excited. Rajvir kissed her goodbye and left.

"This is going better than I thought." Ishaan noted out loud. Suhani laughed.

~End of Flashback~

"You were dumb." Suhani laughed. Ishaan looked at her, "I still am."

"True."

"You're no less…Remember when you started crying for no reason on our second date?"

"Oh man…" Suhani sighed.

~Yet Another Flashback~

"Hey, you ready?" Ishaan asked, on the phone.

"No, your sister won't let me wear this dress I want to."

"Why?"

"She says it's not second date material…." Suhani mocks on the other end.

"Second date material my foot. C'mon, who are you going to impress? I already love you."

"Hm…I really like that dress." Suhani whines. Ishaan smiled.

"Give my little sister the phone."

"Okay. Here…*pause* Hello?"

"Why are you bothering my girlfriend?"

"Bhai! Stop stealing my people. First, you become magically best friends with my boyfriend, and now you're stealing Suhani? Gosh. All I'm saying is that what she's wearing is a bit…."

"It's her body." Ishaan cuts her off.

"It's my dress!" Niharika shouts.

"Whatever." Ishaan sighs. "Just tell her to get ready soon. I'm waiting…"

Soon enough, Suhani was sitting in Ishaan's car in a black halter dress.

"My sister owns that?!" Ishaan marveled.

"No. I decided to let her keep that dress. She has sentimental value attached to it."

"Sentimental value? She's only worn it once…" Ishaan rolled his eyes.

"It's what happened that one time that makes it special." Suhani said cleverly. Ishaan glanced at her, clueless.

"Whatever. Where are we going?" He asked.

"I don't care. Take me somewhere…anywhere." She smiled. Ishaan smiled back at the invitation.

"Well, I don't care either. I'd take you anywhere…you want something expensive or simple?"

"Expensive? How much money are you willing to spend?" Suhani asked, mischief dripping off her voice. "Suhani, I love you. I can spend all I have for you." Her smile was wiped off her face, she muttered, "Do you have to keep saying that?"

"Saying what?" Ishaan asked, confused.

"That you love me." She sighed.

"Why? I do. What's wrong with me telling you?" He watched a few tears slide down her face. "If it hurts you, I'll stop. But it won't change anything."

He sighed, wiping her tears. She cried harder.

"Suhani, what's wrong?" Ishaan asked, concerned. He rubbed her shoulder, and then began massaging her neck slowly. The sobs died down.

"Ishaan…" She said, sniffling.

"Why were you crying?" He asked, finally.

"I love you too." She said.

"And that's something to cry about?" He asked. She laughed, still crying.

"I don't know why I'm crying…" She replied. Ishaan kissed the rest of the tears off of her face and took her to dinner.

~End of Flashback~

"I never did figure out why I was crying." Suhani laughed.

"You're sensitive, and sometimes you don't know how to express yourself…so you cry." Ishaan states expertly.

"Okay, okay. Mr. Doctor…" She smiles. He smiled back. "Look, the moon's out. Let's get some food in you." He said, excited.

i am using a psp... whatever i try to write it sends empty... check ur myspace message!!! if that is empty to than i will go crazy...

Chapter 37- The Surprise

She sat there, sighing. It had been months since she had last seen him. I should call him, she thought, dialing his number.

"Hello?" Niharika said, eagerly.
"Hey jaan." She heard Vedant say on the other end.
"Are you sick?" She asked, concerned.
"Nah babe. Just tired. What are you doing?"
"Watching my friends spend time with their men."
"Aw. I'll be there in a while…" He said. "And I got a surprise for you."
"You got the job!" She exclaimed.
"Gosh, you ruin everything." He said, fakely pouting.
"Oh my god! I'm so happy for you!!!!" She squealed.
"Yeah." He said, awkwardly.
"What's wrong?" Niharika asked, detecting something amiss.
"Nothing." He said, sighing.
"If you want to lie to me, you could have made something up." Niharika said, annoyed.
"Nothing, I ran into my dad yesterday." He said, in frustration.
"Oh. Where?"
"At the office I went to pick something up. He acted very…."
"Very?" Niharika inquired.
"Like nothing happened. Like I was his son who he had left for work just that morning."
"That's sickening." Niharika said, bitterly. "Don't tell me you've forgiven him."
"No, of course not. If your mom came back would you forgive her?" He blurted, instantly regretting it. Niharika choked. "Wh…what?"
"Nothing." He said quickly. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay." Niharika said, flatly. She had very difficultly gotten over that, years ago but it was still something not to be mentioned. Vedant knew her too well to know that it was not okay.
"I'm really sorry, Niharika."
"It's okay." She lied. "Um. I've got to go…Suhani is calling me." She muttered.
"Listen Niharika…" He started, only to find the line empty.

He pulled his hands through his hair, frustrated. He dialed her number; she picked up and hung up again.
He angrily dialed again, she turned her cell off. "Dammit." He muttered. He called another number. "Hello? This is Vedant Raizada."

Chapter 38- Revealed
Throwing the keys onto the coffee table and completely missing, Angad collapses on the sofa, exhausted.

"That tired, huh?" Mahi asks, amused, falling atop him.

"You're heavy." He huffs, she smacks him…hard.

"I didn't ask. How was your day?" She asks, resuming her regular tone, kissing his lips lightly.

"Crazy. Busy. As was yours, I can tell." He says, pulling her into a deep kiss. She pulls away, "You want me to draw you a bath?" She asks.

"Will you be joining me?" Angad asks, amused. She shakes her head. "No, I don't want a bath. I want to sleep." She says, finally excited to get some shut-eye. Angad frowns.

"So unromantic you are." He sighs. Mahi strokes his cheek, "Baby, I haven't slept in three days." Angad smiles.

"You should get some rest. I do have you pretty exhausted." She shakes her head in agreement. When

Angad comes out of the shower, he finds a grumpy not-sleeping Mahi sitting up on the bed.

"You're supposed to be asleep." He laughs. She frowns at him.

"I couldn't. I was thinking." She pouted as her husband sat beside her, glistening and shirtless. Mahi was too immersed in her thoughts to notice her gorgeous hubby.

"About?" He mused, when his wife thought, she thought
long and hard. This was really bugging her.

"I want to see what's in there!" She exclaims, child-like, pointing at the cupboard.

"Oh. The locked drawer." He frowns. He hands her a key.

She jumps up and runs toward the drawer, while noticing Angad's frowning face. She slowed down.

"Angad? Baby, if you don't want me to open it, then I won't." She reasoned. He shook his head and gave her a shoo gesture with his hand. She went and unlocked the drawer. Afraid of what she'd find, she slowly pulled it open. It was a pile of letters.

"My fan mail?" She ask, confused. He nodded. She sat on the bed with the pile. She reread her words, not understanding the significance. Angad took a letter and turned it over. In thick black penmanship it was scrawled, in long, thoughtfully curved letters.

"You replied?" She asked. He nodded again. She inspected the letters and her eyes welled. "You replied to every single one of them…." She started. He blushed a little in embarrassment. "I never posted them."

"Why?" Mahi choked. He shrugged. He laughed nervously. "I saved the emails too."

"Angad…" She started, speechlessly. "I had no idea…"

Awestruck, she sat there. Angad glanced in recognition. What filled the room was beyond words, it was inexpressible. Mahi felt a few drops of hot regret slide down her cheek. Angad wiped them away, smiling. "You're ridiculous." He muttered. Mahi shook him away in fake anger. "You're ridiculous." She echoed.

Kissing him, she melted into the pile she so happily became at his touch. He whispered something to her, but she was too lost to understand.

~Let's skip the details, shall we? Cut to: Next Morning.~ (LOL)

Waking underneath him, the only thing occurring to Mahi was pain. She thought to herself, and I was heavy? It was freezing cold, so his warm weight if anything was a luxury. She glanced at the clock to find noon staring back at her.

"Angad…." She said, urgently. She pushed him off gently, but his grip was tight around her waist. She looked down to see how awkwardly she actually was held. She was comfortable, as well as he. She laughed to herself; they had accustomed themselves to that position after making love. It was routine really. She pushed him off her, in his deep slumber.

"Angad, it's noon." She said, trying to push him again.

Even in his sleep, he pulled the sheet Mahi was clutching to her chest down to his cheek. She groaned as he pulled her arm down too.

"It's Sunday." He muttered. She glanced at the calendar. So it was. She still needed to wake up. "Angad, church?"

"Mahi…church? We'll go tonight. Let me sleep." He said, pulling the pillow over his ear. Mahi smirked. "You're parents are coming today." She said, grinning. Angad lifted his head off the pillow for a moment, "You're lying." He dropped his head back onto the pillow, restfully.

"Nope." She lied. He looked at her, from the pillow. "Nice try, little Ms. Liar. They're not coming until the 26th." He groaned. It's too early for reason.

"It is the 26th." She said. He shook his head, half asleep. "It's the 19th."

"How are you so smart when you're asleep?" Mahi noted, defeated, she falls back to the bed. Angad pulls her under him. She clicks her tongue, "I'm tired. We're not doing any of that." She says, drifting to sleep. He kisses her briefly. "Fine by me." Mahi frowns. "I was hoping you'd sweet talk me into something but fine by me…" He frowns, "You're such a tease." She mutters 'Mhmm' as she drifts off to sleep again.

She awakes to yelling. "Mahi!!! Oh my god!!! What the heck?!?!?" Angad and Mahi woke up to Niharika, Suhani, and Vidya standing there; shopping bags in hand. Mahi gets groggily, clutching the sheet to her again. Angad is about to crawl out of bed, when Mahi pulls him down again.

"Excuse me guys, can you wait in the living room like normal people?" Mahi scoffed sarcastically.

"Why can't we stay?" Vidya whines. Mahi glances at her angrily. The three leave reluctantly to the living room. Mahi takes a shower and comes out to Angad still sleeping. She squeezes water from her hair onto his face. His heavy eyelids open again.

"Your friends are the most annoying things ever…" He groaned. She pulled him out of bed and shoved him into the bathroom. He came out, showered and dressed in a
matter of minutes.

"Breakfast guys?" He asked. Everyone raised an eyebrow and began laughing at him.

"Angad sweetheart, we missed lunch too. It's 2." Mahi kissed him.

"She doesn't EVER sleep in this late." Niharika glares.

"Okay, she slept late. So what?!" Angad exclaims. The three glare at Angad as Mahi sits reading something with an intense gaze.

"Why'd she sleep late?" Vidya eyed Angad suspiciously.

Angad sighed, disregarding the comment. "What are you reading?" He asked. Mahi held up the newspaper to his face. Angad's face was plastered all over the front. But it wasn't just him; there was a lady there too. The headline was in capital bold letters. 'HAPPILY MARRIED OR EXTRA-MARITAL ROMP?"

"This is crap." Mahi throws it to the floor. She scoffs as Angad looks at her proudly. "What?" She asks, confused. He kisses her again, "I don't even have to explain, do I?" Mahi shakes her head. "Of course not."

"You guys ruined ALL OF OUR plans…" Vidya whined. "Sorry to be rude, but you guys did wake up at two o clock. You've had enough together time." She pulled Mahi away from Angad. "Now, she's ours. You go about your extra-marital romps…" Vidya says, amused. "Newspaper people are so funny." Angad rolls his eyes as Mahi blows him a quick goodbye kiss.

~Outside~

"Are you guys happy now? Separating me from the lovely company of my husband?" Mahi glowers.

"You've had well too much time with him. What about us?" Niharika frowns. Mahi hugs Niharika, "You guys are always here. How much free time do I get with my hubby?" Vidya lays her chin on Mahi's shoulder, "When are the four of us EVER together, as soon break's over, we're all going back to our own lives."

"You skinny people are bugging me!" Suhani yells. The three turn to find Suhani sitting, not so comfortably in the car, still.


"Sorry yaar. I feel terrible for you. It makes people NOT want to have kids." Niharika laughed. Mahi bit back a smile, Suhani simply sighed looking down to her swollen stomach. "It's a bit late for that now isn't it?" She glared at Niharika, "It's all your dumb brother's fault." Niharika nodded, "So it is."

"So where do we wanna go?" Suhani asked, just as Niharika's phone rang.

"Hello?" Niharika asked, confused.
"Are you still mad at me?" Vedant asked, pouting through the phone.
"Who is this?" Niharika asked, angrily.
"C'mon Nihu…." He whined. "Talk to me please…."
"Talk. I'll listen." Niharika said, very close to hanging up.
"I'm an idiot." He sighed.
"I'll say."
"But I mean well, you know that?" He asked, unsure.
"So?"
"I love you."
"Yeah, yeah. Why are you calling me anyways?" She asked, coldly.
"Cuz I missed you."
"Anything else? I'm busy." She said, uninterested. Vedant thought of a bad idea.
"Will you come to my wedding at least?" He asked, chirpily.
"Pardon me?" She asked, wondering if she heard correctly.
"My wedding. Maa found me a girl."
"That's nice…" She said, awkwardly. "So I'm guessing we're over?"
"Dude, I'm like joking. But if you could take the trouble of turning around?" Niharika rolled her eyes and turned to find Vedant standing there, grinning widely.

"Oh my god!!!" Niharika shrieked. She threw herself into his arms and hugged him excitedly, "You're not
supposed to be here for another 3 months!"

"I know!" He said, trying to peel her off of himself.

Soon she was trailing wet, sloppy kisses all over the side of his face. "Niharika, what in the name of…"

"I missed you, I missed you, I missed you so much!!!!"

She kissed him hard on the mouth. Her three friends looked at her as if she were insane.

"Am I like dreaming or something or do you guys not notice? Vedant's here!!!!!!!" Niharika exclaimed. The other three looked uninterested.

"It's just your dumb boyfriend." Suhani sighs.

"Not Santa Claus." Vidya says plainly.

"Or Angad." Mahi rolls her eyes. Vedant bit back laughter from the three's response, holding onto Niharika's waist.

"Hey di." He says, kissing the top of Suhani's head. "Hi Vidya, Mahi….I see you ladies are just as excited to see me as I you." He said, laughing. Niharika frowned.

"They knew." He nodded laughing. She turned away, "I forgot I'm mad at you."

"You're mad at me?" He asked, slyly. By her waist, he turned her around and kissed her. His tongue teased her lower lip, he pulled away seconds later. She grinned, "God, I missed you."

"I missed you too. So I came here for you. Where shall we go now?" He asked. Niharika looked deep in thought; she glanced helplessly at her friends.

"Go." Vidya said, sadly. Niharika kissed her hard on the cheek and skipped off with Vedant.

"Me and Ishaan have class…" Suhani said with a sorry tone to her voice.

"Go ahead. Your husband is way more important, especially with the baby and all." Vidya looked down at her feet uninterested. After a few apologies, she too left. Mahi stood there looking at Vidya. She was standing quietly and she looked up, smiling fakely.

"You wanna go chill with Angad? I'll be fine." She said, smiling too hard. Mahi rolled her eyes and sat back into the car.

"You told him to go about his extra-marital romps." Mahi laughed. Vidya laughed momentarily too. "That was pretty funny. I had tons of fun creating that headline." Vidya said, smiling in a far off daze.

~If you didn't already get it that was a fake newspaper that Vidya made…~

"Sweetheart, are you okay?" Mahi asked, concerned.

"What?" Vidya asked, not paying attention. "I'm fine."
"Of course she is, now that I'm here!" A chirpy voice calls from behind. The two turn to find Sukhi standing there, linked hands with Krish. Krish gives Vidya a quick peck on the lips and greets Mahi.

"Hi." He says, smiling.

"That's who now?" Mahi ponders out loud. Vidya flashes her ring, "That's my fiance. Krish Mehra. Hot, nah?" Vidya says, resuming her old chirpy tone.

"Yes, but his name was Amit?" Mahi asks confused. Sukhi like the know-it-all she is cuts in and explains and Mahi nods in agreement.

"Smart." She states. Krish takes Mahi's hand and says, "What is your name, beautiful?" Mahi laughs and lets go instantly.

"Married." She states. Krish frowns, "Boring name." Mahi nods, and extends her hand for a shake. "Mrs. Mahi Khanna." He nods in acknowledgement.

"So are we going?" Krish asks. Vidya raises an eyebrow. "Where?"

"Sagar's fraternity is having an all night rave. We going or what?" He asks. Vidya glances at Mahi for a moment; she nods "More time with my hubby. Yay!" She exclaims, Vidya looks to Sukhi and says, "Why aren't you ready yet?"

"I'm not going. It's you and your very lovely fiance. Okay hun?" Sukhi says sweetly. Vidya nods. "Now, let's go find you something hot to wear." Sukhi says excited.

An hour later, Vidya appears in a white halter top and denim mini, she wears silver chandelier earrings and sparkly makeup with matching accessories.

"Dude…." Krish says, wide-eyed. He looks to Sukhi, "Vidya's hot, yo." Sukhi huffs and rolls her eyes at his simple mindedness.

Chapter 39- Reality

~At the party~

"Vidya?" Sagar asks, confused in his drunken stupor. He had already had one drink too many. The music was booming and the lights, now seemed blinding.

"Hey!" She replied chirpily. She stopped a random dude, "Could you get me a HARD lemonade….like extra hard?" She batted her eyelashes sweetly.

"A Hard lemonade? Vidya, do you know what goes in that stuff?" He asks. She laughs shrilly, "Vidya Thakur drinking…I think it'll be in the tabloids tomorrow."

"Yeah, good girl gone bad. Next thing, you'll be smoking." He mutters sarcastically. She pretends to not hear him.

"Want one?" She asks, gesturing a pack of Camel cigs.

He shook his head, unbelieving. She lit one and took a long breath. She let the smoke out of her nose. Sagar looked at her as if he were about to cry. She put the cigarette out, laughing. "God, Sagar what's wrong with you?"

"Do you know how many years that cuts off your life!?" Sagar yelled. She wasn't sure if he was yelling to yell or yelling to be heard. She laughed at both theories.

"Well, when you're hungry you gotta do something." She said.

"Eat something." He urged. Then it struck him. It had been one day since the break up. They broke up at the pooja for karwa chauth. Karwa Chauth, he sighed.

"Did you eat anything?" He sighed. She shook her head. "So I discovered these instead." She gestured the cigarette.

"Those can kill you." He reasoned. Vidya shook her head, "Who said living is all that special anyways?
When you don't have the luxury of eating and sleeping, life is pretty…." Her voice trailed off, she resumed her chirpy tone. "Krish doesn't have a problem with it." Guilt faded onto Sagar as alcohol wore off.

"Here." Sagar handed her a glass of coke "Drink it."

"I can't." She said. Sagar rolled his eyes and held the glass up to her lips, she reluctantly took a gulp. She took a longer gulp and laughed, "There's binge drinking for you." She laughed.

"What?" He asked, suddenly confused.

"Jack and Coke." She informs him. He takes a sip. "Shit." He mutters.

"My lemonade!!!!" Vidya exclaims, taking her glass from the boy she batted her lashes for. She took a sip. "That's hard, alright." Sagar took the glass from her. "No." He tells her sternly. She glares at him.

"Krish!!!!" She yells. Krish makes his way to the table.

"Hey." He says, sitting beside her. "Sup. Who's this?" He asks, eyes gesturing Sagar.

"My ex." She says simply. She takes Krish's red Solo cup from him. "Sagar took my lemonade. I'm taking your…." She looks into the cup, unsure of what it was, she gulps some. "SoBe and Gin?" She asks. He nods, "My own concoction." He states. She shrugs and downs it entirely.

"Let's dance." She pulls Krish onto the dance floor. She can feel Sagar's eyes on her and Krish but she dances carelessly. "Closer." She whispers, giggling in Krish's ear. He pulls her by her waist nearer to him until there are just a few whispers of space between them.

Sagar is turning green. Vidya pushes Krish away and she whispers something hastily in his ear and made her way back to the table. She took and gulped the hard lemonade that was in Sagar's custody. It burned her throat.

She was still there though unaffected, she was no Mahi, she thought laughing. She thought to herself; let's play the pretend to be drunken game.

"Sagar!" She said, swaggering. "You know what?!" She yelled louder than usual.

"What, Vidya. You're drunk." He sighed, he pulled on her arm. "NO!" She yelled to Sagar.

"You know what?!" She repeated. It was of no use, Sagar assumed. Defeated, he asked "What?"

"I love you!" She yelled. He sighed and rolled his eyes, "I love you too. Go call Krish. We're taking you home."

"NO!" She yells. "I'm not going anywhere! You know what else?!" She bellowed. He stood waiting. She touched his cheek, "We don't have to get married if you don't want to…" He stood, very confused.

"You're intoxicated. Let's go." He reasons.

"We can live together. We were doing it before too." She sighs, still sounding drunk. She wasn't trying to sound drunk. Was she drunk?

"Vidya." He sighs, "I think you should go home."

"Sagar, I love you!!!" She yelled again, trying to make a point.

"And why, daresay, have you decided to leave you fiance to live with me?" Sagar asked smartly.

"Marriage isn't important. What is commitment anyways? It's not like you ACTUALLY love me anyways…" She said, sadly. She held his face again. "It'll be time pass for you… I won't be bothersome. I promise." She says, earnestly.

"Who said you were a bother? Vidya, I love you. Time pass? Honestly, where do you get this stuff from?" He laughed. She glared at him and repeated his words.

"Vidya, you're more trouble than you're worth." She repeats. Sagar looked at her. "I'm an idiot." He said. Vidya nodded.

"I'm going back to Krish now." She said, getting up. "I know when I'm not wanted." She says, leaving behind a speechless Sagar. He watched her down another three unidentified drinks. She went and fell all over Krish.

He took her upstairs. Sagar's eyebrows burrowed, the exit was to the left. The only things upstairs were dorm rooms. Krish said something to a random dude in a blazer. Sagar walked up to him.

"Do you know where he took that girl you were just talking to?" He asked. The dude was highly drunk.

"Oh man, they went to my room." He said in a surfer accent. "Bet he's gonna get laid." He said. "His girl was so smashed." He laughed idiotically.

"Which room?" Sagar asked angrily. The surfer dude stood deep in thought, "Dude, E42."

Sagar put his drink down and walked upstairs, after a lot of searching he found E42, with the door ajar. He peaked in. He saw Krish reading a magazine and Vidya fast asleep. He sighed and Krish's eyes shot to the door.

"Hey. Uh…Sagar right?" Krish asked. Sagar nodded and let himself in. "Came to check on her, huh?" Krish laughed. Sagar nodded awkwardly.

"So you're Vidya's uh….fiance. Never thought I'd say that." Sagar mused.

"Why did you think she'd wait for you forever….?" Krish asked. Sagar sat in thought.

"Nah. I was just…I don't know man. I thought she'd wait for me a little bit. Until I realized I was being an idiot." He laughed.

"Well, it seems to get longer and longer that frame. Your screw ups are famous all around the world."

"I figured. Sometimes, it's like she's…." Sagar starts.

"Too good for you? She is. That's why she belongs with me." Krish smiled. Sagar laughed sarcastically. "Hardly. You're nothing. You can find yourself someone else. Vidya's mine." He boasted confidently.

"If I'm nothing than what makes you so sure I'll let a girl like Vidya pass me by. Not everyone's as dumb as you, Sagar." Krish replied slyly.

"I'm not dumb. I just know she loves me enough to come back to me."

"But she didn't, did she?" Krish smirks, flipping through the magazine.

"That's cuz YOU came in the way. Or we'd be happy." Sagar glared.

"I came between you guys? That's ridiculous. Face it
Sagar, you weren't good enough for her so she left you for me. Basic matters of fact." Krish laughed, fully immersed in the magazine. Sagar got up and approached Krish; Krish got up and began walking toward Sagar.

Krish was about to throw the first punch but right then Vidya coughed from off the bed. Krish rushed to her side and lifted her head and made sure she wasn't about to puke.

Krish glared at Sagar, "You mind getting her some cold water so she doesn't die in her sleep?" Sagar obeyed silently, a bit afraid of Krish. Krish made Vidya drink the water. The freezing water going down her throat sobered her a bit. "Whoa." She glanced at Sagar and Krish. "Dude."

"You were out." Krish explained.

"Crazy drunk." Sagar added. "You were completely smashed." She sat up, still drunk. She opened her eyes wider, "Where the heck am I? And why is Sagar here?"

"You said we could get back together and you'd live with me and not be a bother because I didn't love and you'd be time pass and some crap like that." Sagar recalls.

"You're right." She turned to Krish. "I must've been out of it." She laughed. She looked around and found her ring on the floor. Glaring at Sagar, she slid it back on her finger.

"Krish baby, let's go home."

"Aight." He said, smirking at Sagar. Sagar wanted to strangle him. "I'll bring the car around." He said, kissing her on the lips.

"Why are you marrying him?" Sagar asked, defeated.

Vidya shrugged. "He cares about me and I love him." Vidya stated simply.

"You love him…" Sagar mused. "Till two days ago, you loved me."

"I do love you and I love him too. Just not in the same way." Though just waken from a sleep Sagar notices Vidya's eyes are tired and weary.

"How do you love him and how do you love me?" Sagar grabbed her shoulders and pinned her to the nearest wall. Her tired eyes filled with fear.

"Tell me Vidya, how do you love me? How do you love him?" He hisses pushing her down to the bed. His body pinned her to the bed. "Tell me Vidya, how do you love me?" He insisted.

"Sagar, you're hurting me." She cries. "Sagar, let go." She says angry.

"You know what the world calls a woman that goes around giving herself to every man that enters her life?" He asked heckling. His lips made the way on her lips to her neck and collarbone. Tauntingly her whispers into her shirt, "A who***." Vidya's eyes were filled with tears, as she moved her face away, trying to push him off of her.

"If you wanna be a whore, you might as well be my who***." He says, ripping her shirt. She stopped fighting back, his lips still following the track. She turns her head avoiding him.

Her hair fell open in such a way the burn marks on her neck were visible. Sagar's eyes widened in epiphany. He backed off of her. Vidya put her hair back up, in tears. She turned to Sagar, hurt. She doesn't say anything to him; she doesn't slap him, though she should've.

She leaves the room as he sinks down to the bed. "What was I doing?" He asks, frustrated. He drove home, cursing himself every moment.

When he arrives home, the house is dead quiet. He doesn't need to sneak in, the doors were open.

"Hi bhaiya." Mahua says sarcastically.

"Mahua, I'm really not in the mood for your dumb…" He looks at her and notices there is nothing joke like about her expression.

"What's wrong? Disappointed you didn't find a girl to rape?" Mahua spits bitterly.

"Mahua…." Before he could explain, Sagar is cut off by a hard slap to his cheek. She looks up to find Sindura.

"No brother of mine EVER dares to try something like that." She says, disappointed.

"Di…" He starts, Chandra glances at him. "You very well
know Maa and Babuji have raised us better than that." They all take chances at stating their disappointment to him and left.

He collapsed onto his bed. Why am I such an idiot? Why am I so dumb? Irrational is more the word. He picked up his phone, wanting to call Vidya. She hated him right now. But he also knew that Vidya couldn't sleep unless he was holding her. She was immature in her ways. She couldn't sleep alone.

Specifically, she couldn't sleep without Sagar or talking to him before she slept. They were a habit to each other now. For nearly three years, they had gotten accustomed to each other. Either Vidya spent the night at Sagar's or Sagar would sneak into Vidya's room via the ladder near her window.

Even during college, they called each other every night and talked till Vidya fell asleep. It was unnatural for

Vidya to shut her eyes without Sagar's arms comfortably snaked around her waist, and yet, there was minimal physical contact in their relationship. They were beyond that. They didn't kiss much and Vidya was still a virgin. They held each other mostly.

That's all they needed, each other's company. Nothing more, nothing less. Then why did she need marriage?

Sagar wondered. What's so special about marriage? It's a license to cheat. Well, so is being in a relationship. If they were going to be together 'forever' like she claimed, did they really need a ceremony for it?

Sagar thought about it. The word fiance or wife really did have more weight than the word girlfriend. She wanted a title. That was it, he assumed. It never occurred to him that she wanted his name. He never thought that she was giving him a right over her. He assumed he already had that. All the rights Vidya gave him no one ever gave a boyfriend.
When he was atop her, he realized what she wanted. She wanted for it to be right. They were already practically married, he finally realized.

He dialed Vidya's number slowly, and held the mobile to his ear. It rang once.

"Hello?" Suhani asked, annoyed.
"Where's Vidya?" Sagar asked, confused.
"Why do you care?" She asked, bitter.
"I wanted to apologize." He said, sounding sorry.
"Save your breath. She's asleep." She said. Sagar sighed relief. She was asleep. That was a good sign.
"Good. She's asleep." He said, relieved.
"No need to sound so relieved. She's in shock. She passed out the minute she got here. A doctor came and gave her a sedative." She said.
"Sh…shock?" Sagar stuttered.
"Yeah. You know when the guy you think you're in love with tries to rape you and then gets put in jail and then another supposedly better guy comes in again and does the same thing three years later…it does come as a bit of a shock." Suhani says, sarcastically.
"I didn't know what I was doing….I'm really sorry. I hate myself for doing it."
"Good, because we hate you for it too. Being sorry isn't going to help you know." Suhani said, the phone was snatched by another person.
"I know it doesn't help, but I really am…."
"Don't you try to feed us that crap!" Mahi exclaims on the phone.
"Mahi…." He says.
"I told you this last time you put her in the hospital, if you hurt her again. I WILL hurt you. I don't even need Angad for it."
"Last time I put her in the hospital…." He sighed.
"Yeah, you know when you practically drowned her?!" Mahi reminds him of the one year old incident.

~Yes, after the whole broken rib incident, Sagar did put Vidya in the hospital various times afterwards. He's a sucky boyfriend, I know. But he's cute and Vidya loves him. *sigh* what can we do about him? ~

"Mahi. I know. I'm terrible. Krish was right; she is too good for me…" He sighs in realization. The phone is handed to a new person.
"Hello?! How dare you? If we see you anywhere near her,
I promise you will not be returning in one piece…." Niharika promises.
"Niharika? Is everyone there….?" Sagar asked, confused.

He hears a cough in the background. Faintly he hears crying, 'Where'd everyone go?' She cries. Sagar's heart sinks.

Mahi assures her, "We're here baby."

He hears sobbing. He wants to hang up but can't. He hears Vidya's small voice again, "Where's…where's Sukhi and Krish?" She asks sobbing.

"They went home….they'll be back tomorrow. Go to sleep
baby." Mahi tries to lull her to sleep all to no avail.
She sits, sobbing still.

"Mahi, I'm scared…" Vidya says, barely able to breathe.

"Of what? I'm here." Mahi lays Vidya down in her lap, and strokes her hair. Mahi silently curses Vidya's parents that they're always abroad when she needs them.

"Of…" She sobs some more.

"Shhh….Of what?" Mahi pats her head, like a mother trying to console her crying child.

"Of Sagar…." She cries. Sagar felt guilt slam into him as he heard the words. She was afraid of him. Not something he ever wanted. He wanted her to love him. He wanted her to do anything but fear him? Fear was not something he wanted. He put the phone down and the first in a long time, he felt tears. Tears. Another thing he was highly unused to. The quick thought flashed through his mind, questioning who Sukhi was but the main thought took over his mind.

He wanted to marry Vidya and she was afraid of him.

This was brilliant.

Chapter 40- Apologies and Proposals

"Vee baby, please try and go to sleep." Mahi pleads to a crying Vidya with her head in her lap. She quickly stopped crying.

"I'm sorry I'm being such a trouble…" She says, grinning fakely. Mahi would rather her cry than pretend to be okay, she concluded.

"Vidya, you need to sleep." Mahi said choking. She felt near tears herself.

"Mahi, go home. I'll be fine." Vidya insisted. She got up and changed into a pair of pajamas her parents bought her from Germany. It was the closest comfort she had right now. Mahi looked at her questionably, Vidya nodded confirmation.

She walked out to the living room where the rest of the gang was accumulated. Suhani and Ishaan were fast asleep and Niharika was being calmed down by Vedant; she was sure she was going to kill him this time.

Vedant tried to resolve matters nonviolently. Angad sat, looking at Mahi.

"Mahi, get some rest. I'll stay with Vidya." Angad said, firmly. Mahi raised an eyebrow, "You will?" He nodded, pecking her lips, he went into the room where

Vidya sat highlighting various lines in law books. She had her glasses propped up near her hairline and a pencil stuck through a messy bun. She grinned at Angad. "Hi Jiju."

"Hi, Vidya. You should sleep you know. It's late." He said frowning at her grin. Her smile fell as she glanced at the clock. 3:15.

"Oh sorry. You all should go home. I'll sleep eventually…" She said, distantly.

"Vidya, you're allowed to be upset." Angad said, sitting on her bed, beside her.

"I know I am…." She said. "But I'm so tired of it." She felt a few tears escape their way down her cheek. She wiped them away quickly.

"Tired of….?" Angad asked, unsure.

"I'm scared…." She said, closing a book. She threw her pencil and glasses onto the floor, along with the book.

"Of Sagar? Because in that living room there's a bunch of people that are just waiting for a sign from you to break every bone in his body." Angad said seriously. Vidya laughed weakly.

"Not really of Sagar. More for Sagar." She said, quietly.

"What?" Angad asked, confused.

"Every time he hurts me, he hurts himself more…compensation of sorts." Vidya says, shuddering. "The more he hurts me, the more he ends up hurting himself."

"You're worried about him?" Angad asked, disgusted. Vidya looks down in shame and nods.

"I am afraid OF him, that's true. But more I'm afraid for him…I wish I could just forget about it but I can't. I hate it."

"You love him too much." He notes. "You forgive way too easily. Just because you love him does NOT give him the right to treat you like this." Angad said. Despite all the effort, anger was indeed taking over him. Angad's anger was world-famous and something definitely dreaded.

"I do. I know." Vidya says. "Why does this always happen to me…." She says, almost crying.

"What do you mean always happen to you?" Angad asks, confused. Vidya pulls her hair back showing the circular scars. Angad gasps, taken aback.

"Harsh Jaisingh. Attempted Rape. August 12, 2003." She said, quietly. She laughed sadly, "And you were there when I broke my ribs. And nearly drowned. And…." She wanted not to remember the times she was in the hospital.

"Why do you love that creep?" Angad asked, agitated.

Vidya smiled small, "Everyone has their flaws." Angad rolled his eyes, "Some more than others."

The doorbell rang. Vidya's smile fell. "It's him. Jiju, please get it. No one else will let him in."


"I'm not letting him in either." Angad said, stubbornly. Vidya got up and made her way to the door, she opened it to find Sagar there. He was bloody, his head, his hands all speckled with it.

"Sagar, what the hell?!" Vidya said, pulling him inside. Everyone in the living room was now awake and glaring murder at Sagar. Vedant was actually holding Niharika down. Vidya dragged him into the kitchen.

Wetting a towel she cleaned him off, grabbing her first aid kit. "You idiot." She stammered, crying. "What was the need for all this…?" She started, crying harder. "You're a jerk." She yells. "I hate you." She turns away, crying.

"I was driving…" He explains. How was he going to explain this? I drove into a tree. He could leave the 'on purpose.' part out.

"It was the giant oak, near my house, right?" She asked, crying. He nodded.

"You know Mr. Sagar Pratap Singh?" She asked, turned around in tears. "This doesn't work every time." She cried. "Hurting yourself to show you're sorry. It doesn't work."

"It makes me feel better." Sagar said, dumbly.

"And what's supposed to make me feel better?!" She exclaimed. Sagar looked down. "You being ashamed are supposed to make me feel better?! You're being sorry?!
You promising every time that you'll never hurt me again and somehow, you always end up doing it anyways….?"

"Vidya…" He starts to apologize. Fury was in her eyes. "Don't you DARE say my name. I don't want to hear your apology. You and your apology can go to hell…."

She said, ironically enough putting peroxide on his wounds. He hissed in pain.

"Yeah, being hurt isn't all that great, is it?" She mocked, still crying. Sagar opened his mouth to say something but Vidya didn't let him say a word.

"I don't want to hear it." She said. Sagar indignantly said, "Well, let me say it then say what you have to."

Vidya rolled her eyes.

"What." She asked, rudely.

"Vidya. I have hurt you so much in the past and I am extremely ashamed of it." Vidya scoffed. "But the thing is I can't stand tears in your eyes." He said, earnestly. "I will swear on whatever you say when I say I will never hurt you again." Vidya looked at him.

"I'm an idiot and I appreciate all that you've put up with. I wish you would give me a chance to make it up to you. All I'm asking is for the rest of both our lives to make it up to you." Vidya looked at him, confused.

He got down on one knee. "The thought of waking up a morning in my life without you in my arms is depressing." Vidya felt tears come across her eyes again.

"Would you be as foolish as to wanting to spend the rest of your life with me?" He said, pulling a ring out of his pocket. "I would be honored to have my idiotic name attached to yours." He pulled a breath in. "Vidya Thakur, I love you even though I know you are far too good for me. But still, will you marry me?"

Before she could answer, she notices a loud crash near the kitchen door. Everyone forgets it's a swinging door. Niharika goes up to Sagar and punches him. "And that means no." She says, slapping him. Vedant pulls her away before she could do any more damage.

"Well…." Sagar asks. Vidya looks down at the ring.

"Sagar, after what happened today, I really need time to think about it." she says, awkwardly. He sighs. "Take your time, it's comfy down here." He laughed, still down on one knee.

"Get up." She said. "Go home."

"I have to?" He asked, childishly. Vidya frowns. "I'm sorry; I just really can't handle you being here right now."

"Fair enough." He said, getting up. He pecked her on the lips and watched her shudder. She was still afraid. "Vidya?" He asks. She looked up.

"You're allowed to say no. I won't get mad. I love you." He said.

"I….love you too." She says. He soon leaves and everyone watches Vidya closely.

"He proposed to me." She says.

"And you're saying no, right?" Niharika asks. Vidya shrugs. "I don't know."

"Mahi, I think Vidya needs some time to herself." Angad notes. Mahi glances at him, "Let's go home." They nod and leave.

"Suhani. You need to sleep too. It's not healthy for you and the baby to be awake this much." Vidya says to Suhani. Suhani nods as Ishaan takes her home.

In the silent room, sits an angry Niharika, a calm Vedant and a confused Vidya.

"You guys should go home too." Vidya concludes. Niharika glares at her.

"I'm going to be really mad if you give that a**hole another chance."

"I surprisingly second that." Vedant says. Vidya rolls her eyes.

"Don't you guys have long lost boyfriend-girlfriend stuff to be doing?" Vidya sighs. Niharika laughs sarcastically, "Nothing that can't wait till tomorrow night."

"Too much info…" Vidya sighs. Vedant laughs.

"We should go." He concludes. "We don't wanna worry your brother and Suhani." Vedant smiles.

"I love the way your boyfriend thinks." Vidya winks at Vedant; he laughs at the gesture. Niharika kisses Vidya's head and leaves too.

What shall I do, Vidya thought. Lying upside down on her bed, she thought. She couldn't sleep, that was for sure. She took her phone and dialed a number quick.

"Hello?" The voice asked. "Vidya?"
"Hi. I was missing you guys so…."
"Aw honey." She sighed, "How are you now?"
"Better." Vidya sighed. "Sagar came to see me."
"Hmph," she huffed. "I think we should give up on him, he doesn't deserve you."
"He proposed to me." Vidya replied, unsure.
"WHAT?! And what did you say?" Sukhi asked.
"I said I'd think about it." Vidya sighed. "Can I talk to Krish?"
"Sure, here." She handed him the phone.
"Hey buddy." Vidya said, amused.
"Am I allowed to beat him up?" Krish asked seriously. He sounded angry.
"Angad and Niharika already asked and the answer is no."
"I heard the dumba** proposed to you." Krish asked.
"Everyone hates me because I said I'd think about it." Vidya laughed.
"I'm disappointed you're considering too." Krish sighed. "I'm thinking of proposing too." He sighed again. "I don't know how to."
"Well congratulations in advance." Vidya said, smiling.
"You don't wanna talk about it?" Krish said, sadly. He wasn't talking about the engagement.
"I'm going to pretend it never happened." She said, finally.
"Well it did, Vidya. This time it wasn't a lusting Harsh, this time it was Sagar."
"I know it was Sagar…" Vidya said.
"You two have been together for nearly four years now. He should know better. Sh** Vidya, he DOES know better."
"I know. He apologized though." She defended.
"That's all he's good for, apologizing? He screws up and then says sorry? That's not how it's supposed to be."
"I know Krish. But he can't help it. Well, he can but he promises not to hurt me again. I believe him this time."
"This time." He laughed. "Vidya, you deserve better."
"I know…" She mutters.
"Marry me." Krish says firmly.
"What?" Vidya asks, confused.
"I didn't know how to propose, so I'm going about it as best as I can. I know it's weird since it's on the phone and all…."
"Krish, what are you talking about…."
"Vidya, will you marry me?" He asked again. Vidya's head was about to explode.
"But…but Sukhi?"
"Forget her for right now. Forget Sagar. Forget everyone. Will you, Vidya Thakur, marry me, Krish Mehra?" He asked, firmly.
"Are you…are you in love with me?" Vidya choked.
"I don't know. I might be. Answer me."
"I need to think about this….Is Sukhi there?"
"Yup, she's right behind me." Vidya felt a great deal of guilt settle in her, though it wasn't her fault.
"Give her the phone." Vidya choked.
"Vidya?" She asked.
"I…I…I am so sorry." Vidya stuttered.
"It's okay? I'm confused. As are you…I think…." She trails off unsure.
"Is he still there?" Vidya asked.
"Uh huh." Sukhi said, slyly.
"Tell him to go away." Vidya said. She heard Sukhi yell, "Krish, back off!" she smiled at her tone.
"Was this planned?" Vidya asked.
"Absolutely not."
"What am I supposed to do now?" Vidya asks, childishly misplaced.
"I've no clue. My boyfriend is in love with you. And your boyfriend is in love with you….so like…no one is in love with me….dude." Sukhi said in vague realization.
"Sukhi. Krish is not in love with me." Or so I hope, she thought. "I'm just going to say no to him and yes to Sagar."
"Uh huh…if you like Krish you can have him. I'm just a bit…."
"Shocked? As am I. And no, I don't like Krish like that."
"Good because I really love him yaar."
"I would never steal your man." Vidya states sympathetically.
"I'm glad he didn't come between us." Sukhi sighs.
"We'll never let a guy come between us." Vidya promises.
"Ever." Sukhi agrees.
"Amen." Vidya laughs.
"I have to go now. I have a ton to think about." Vidya sighs.
"I know babe, try to get some sleep." Sukhi suggests sweetly.
"I'll try but I doubt I will. Good night."
"Good night. I love you."
"I love you too. Bye."

Vidya sat in thought again. (Her Thoughts) Sagar and Krish want to marry me. Both of them. Dang. This is new. Till last week neither of them wanted me. Not that I ever wanted Krish. I didn't. Did I? Of course not.
Sagar is apologetic. He seems sincere this time. I love him. He loves me. We love each other and want to marry each other. We will marry each other. We can have our happy ending.

Where the heck did Krish come from?! I mean he came on vacation. Vacation. Right. Sukhi is dumb for coming up with this plan. Krish can't be in love with me. He can't. I would've known if he was. Twenty years is not a short time knowing someone. Why don't I know him as well as I know Sagar? I can trace Sagar's thoughts. I can't do that with Krish. Is he just unpredictable or am I a terrible friend?

God. Of course, god! He can definitely help.
Vidya bent her head in prayer and said an awkwardly simple prayer.

God, I'm confused. Give me the strength to understand myself and those around me. Help me through this time. Please and Thank You. Amen.

Chapter 41- Dude.

"Can you believe that jerk?" Niharika shouted, getting home. Vedant loved how passionate Niharika was about everything; she was especially hot when she was mad he noted humorously. The more Nihu worried about this the more worried Vidya would get, Vedant had to distract Niharika away from the topic of Sagar.

"Niharika, do you know how long it's been since I've been away from you?" He tugged at her waist.

"Acha acha, no need to get romantic." She scolded him. "Bhaiya and Suhani are in the next room." She said, he pulled her closer. Kissing her lightly, he spoke, "We can be quiet about it."

"These walls are paper thin!!!" Suhani calls from the next room, Ishaan cuts in, "Don't even think about it."

Niharika frowns, and leads Vedant outside.

"They're worse than your dad." He shudders. Niharika laughs. "Yeah, definitely. Suhani took over my life after she married Bhai." She complained.

"How are you?" He asked, settling onto the bench.

Niharika sat comfortably in his lap.

"I'm good."

"And not mad at me." He said, happily. She rolled her eyes and nodded.

"Do you think we should get married?" He asked.

Niharika raised an eyebrow. "Is your mom bugging you about getting married?"

"No, I'm just asking." He said. After a few moments of thought, she replied, "Yeah, we should."

"When?" He asked. She put her chin to his shoulder, "I don't know. Is there a reason we're having this conversation?" Niharika asks, close to his ear.

"Why? Don't you want to marry me?" He asks, confused.

She shakes her head, "No, I mean it's just random. I wanna marry you. Don't you wanna marry me?"

"I do." He said, defensively. "And how is it random, I mean we both know we're going to marry each other so what are we waiting for?" He says, trying to make a point.

"When do you want to get married, Vedant?" He sighs and looks at her expectantly, "How about next week?" He asks.

"You're kidding, right?" She asks, he shakes his head. "Nope. Serious."

"What's the hurry?" She asks, he shrugs. "I don't know. I just want you as my wife as soon as possible." She kisses him softly on the lips, "Does this have anything to do with Ana getting married?" She asks him. He pouts, "No." She raises an eyebrow at him again.

"We should be married by now." He reasons childishly.

"It's not a race, Vedant." She says.

"That's not it. I really want to get married." He said. Niharika smiled. "Why don't we talk about this AFTER you propose, okay?"

"Aw man, I was hoping after this conversation I wouldn't have to propose," he said, disappointed.

"Cheap bum." She muttered, laughing.

"I'm a coach lady. If you marry me, chances are you'll be living off McDonald's for the rest of your life." He informed.

"I'm okay with that." She informed. "Just don't get like a beer belly and I'll be fine." He laughs, "I won't. And I won't have any ego issues with you making more money than me."

"Good, good." She said, inspecting him. "I think you'll make wonderful husband material."

"You'll make an alright wife too." He said, she gasped in offense and punched him hard.

"Ow. Domestic violence." He whispered. She threw her head back and laughed hard and loud, despite it being so dark outside. She was fearless and gorgeous, Vedant noted. He loved that about her.

"How about we NOT go home?" He suggested mischievously. Niharika sighed at the suggestion.

"How about we sleep in your car? I'm tired as anything…" She said, they followed the dark alley to Vedant's car. They heard rustling in the bushes.

"What was that?!" Vedant turns, paranoid.

"Probably the wind, c'mon let's go." Niharika said, pulling him away. The rustling continued.

"Niharika." Vedant said, stuttering. "My god." Niharika sighs, rolling her eyes. She let go of Vedant, "Do you want to check what it is?"

"No."

"Go see what it is." Niharika insists. He glares at her. "Are you afraid? Oh man. Vedant, c'mon be a man and go see what it is." Niharika laughs.

He keeps walking, "It's stressful being a man! Why
don't you do it for once!" He yells over his shoulder.

Niharika laughs quietly and comes out of the bushes with something cradled in her jacket.

"Here is that menacing creature." She said, dramatically. She pulled out a Golden Retriever puppy, petting him she says, "Isn't he cute?"

"Yeah." He says, rolling his eyes. "Don't tell me you're bringing that in my car."

"I don't get why guys are so possessive about their cars. It's just a machine." Niharika muses, putting the puppy on the floor. It begans to walk away. She starts walking with Vedant to the car, looking back she says, "Hey Vedant." The dog stops and turns around and Vedant stops too. Niharika looks at him and laughs. He stands seriously.

"Sorry. He…he um responds to your name." Niharika says, laughing. "Oh Vedant, can't we keep him. He shares your name and he's so cute." Niharika pleads.

"And he probably has fleas and has gotten freaky with every female dog in this ally. I don't like animals Niharika…." He sighs. Niharika turns away and says, "Go away Vedant." She says. Vedant turns to her, "What?"

Angrily, she looks at the dog, "I said, go away
Vedant." She repeats, the dog lets out a little cry and scurries away.

"I meant the dog." She glared at Vedant. "Right." He says, walking to the car. Comfortably, they both sat down. Vedant put the top down and they adjusted their chairs to lean back so they were laying staring at the
stars.

"We can't have a dog?" Niharika asked, childishly.

"Nope." He said.

"Not even if our kids want one." Niharika asked. Vedant glanced at her.

"How many kids do we want?" He asked her.

"Hm…Two." She answered. He shook his head. "A boy and a girl."

"Yeah." She said, slowly. Laying here with Vedant, she thought to herself, it felt so right.

"Niharika…" Vedant started. "Do you really believe that when people die they become stars?" He asked, staring at the sky.

"Yeah." She sighed. "I wonder if Mama is out there somewhere."

"She is…" Vedant sighs. "Everyone is. I wonder how the sky holds all of them stars."

"Hm. Very good question. Would you be mad if I asked something…?" Niharika asked.

"Shoot." He said, smiling, turning to her.

"Well, you know being a coach doesn't really make that much money. Do you have a back up plan?"

"Yeah. Actually, I do. I…promise you won't laugh?" He asked, awkwardly. She nodded.

"As long as you don't say you aspire to be a stripper, I'm fine." Niharika laughed, "Though you could possibly make a living off that…you know with your body and skill and all…." She said, laughing.

"Well, I sing." He says. Niharika's face lights up. "I dance!!!" She exclaims.

"No, Niharika. I'm classically trained…I sing like seriously."

"I know Vedant. I'm a classically trained dancer. I've been doing kathak since age six."

"I've been trained since I was six too!" He exclaims.

"Dude…." Niharika said, awe-struck.

"That's like…" Vedant starts, they both complete at once. "Weird."

Chapter 42- Old Flames

"You were very mature out there." Mahi kisses Angad sitting on the couch.

"Yeah, well I was pissed off." He said, sternly.

"I'm glad you care about my friends and I love how you kept your cool. Very sexy and classy." She kissed him again.

"I'm tired. I'm going to take a bath." Mahi said, glancing back at him mischievously, leaving the bathroom door ajar. Open invitation.

They both settled into the lathered down water, the warmth rising between them. She smirked at him as she pulled onto him. She settled comfortably onto him and blew some bubbles into his face. She laughed as his face was covered with bubbles.

"Mahi." He says, annoyed. He pouts, pulling the drain plug. All the water went swirling down the hole. Mahi frowned, standing up, she turned the shower on. Rinsing off, she stepped out, prematurely, wrapping the robe around her.

"Mahi….I wasn't done, you know!" He said, wrapping a towel around his waist. The doorbell rang as Angad put his arm around Mahi. Mahi pushed him away, "The door." She said, sternly.

"Go get it." He sighed, walking after her. Mahi opened the door.

"Hi." The familiar voice called.

"Shabd?" Mahi said, smiling. "Come in." He obeyed, raising an eyebrow at her robe-ridden appearance, when

Angad called from behind the confusion vanished. "Mahi, who is it?" He asked, pulling some jeans on.

"Oh dude, hi. Shabd right?" Angad says awkwardly.

"Hey. Yeah. It's random for me to show up and all but I wanted to invite you guys to my wedding."

"Your wedding?! Oh my god, Shabd, that's great! Who's the lucky girl?" Mahi chirped excited.

"You remember Mishti?" He said. Mahi nodded. "She's the one who said I should invite you guys, she's a fan of yours." He gestured to Angad.

"Uh…Mishti Bose?" Angad asks, unsure. Shabd nods. "Yeah," Angad says uneasily, "She's a fan alright…." He says. Mahi raises an eyebrow at him and he mouths 'I'll tell you later.' to her.

"When is it?" Mahi asks, confused.

"In a month or so. You guys should definitely come." He said, calmly, eying Mahi from head to toe. Angad wanted to punch him.

"Yeah, we'll try and make it." Mahi said, suddenly feeling uneasy in her robe.

"Yeah, well I must have interrupted something important…" Shabd said, eying her robe again, "So I'll take your leave now." He leaned forward and kissed Mahi on the lips, he rested his lips there for a few moments. Pulling away, he calmly says to Angad, "Bye."

Leaving, Angad slammed the door behind him. He sat, silently angry on the sofa.

"What was that about?" Mahi asked.

"I don't know." Angad said, huffing. He was pissed again. Mahi smiled to herself, "Are you mad?"

"No, any old guy is allowed to come into my house and hit on my wife and then kiss her and leave." He said quietly.

"He came to invite us to his wedding, Angad. He didn't mean any harm." Mahi explains, slyly. "Speaking of which, who's Mishti."

"An ex-girlfriend of mine. She was a huge fan. Very stalker-ish. She was scary chipku." Angad shuddered, "But stop trying to change the subject!" He resumed childishly.

"So let's get this straight," Mahi said musing. "My ex boyfriend and your ex girlfriend are getting married."

He nodded in thought. Mahi laughed loudly, "That's so creepy." Angad's roaring laughter joined hers, "Yeah it is." Suddenly, they both stopped laughing and exchanged glances.

"We're not going to the wedding are we?" They shook their heads disbelievingly, bursting into laughter once
again.

Chapter 43- Sunami?!

"Ishaan, stop nah." Suhani asked pleading as Ishaan nuzzled at her neck.

"Gosh, I'm not even allowed to romance my wife?" He asked, annoyed. She shook her head, laughing at him.

"I'm so heavy…." Suhani whines, looking down at her stomach.

"You're beautiful…." He whispers. Suhani smiles weakly, "Jhoota."

"Sachi." He says. She reaches for a cookie and says, "I wish I weighed less, I can't wait till I have her." She says. Ishaan nods. "Well, we still have a little while to go." He sighed.

"Things can induce labor early." Suhani states, calmly.

"Like sex." He says, grinning.

"Nice try, wise guy. Not what I meant." Suhani says reading a murder mystery; Ishaan snatched the book away from her. "You shouldn't be reading that, it'll give you bad dreams."

"Not finishing it will give me bad dreams…" Suhani corrects. Ishaan shrugged, "I don't want our daughter to be a Nancy Drew. It's a bad influence."

"The baby's mind isn't developed yet; therefore, it can't be affected by mental influences." She says smartly snatching the book back.

"Ah but yes, there is debate that mental influences can be sensed by the baby…" Ishaan lies confidently.

"Bull shi**." Suhani says, "If so our baby will be born a shrink."

"By the time, I retire I'll surely need one." Ishaan whined. "What are we naming her?" Ishaan asked, poking at her large belly. "Ow." She said. He raised an eyebrow, and poked again. "Ow." She repeated louder. He poked again, "What part of Ow don't you understand!?"
Suhani yelled.

"Oh. I was just checking…I still can't believe in a few months, we're going to have a daughter." He says, sighing.

"Well we are. I don't know what we are going to name her…" She started.

"How about Ananya?" Ishaan asks.

"Uh…maybe. I don't like it much." Suhani reasoned. She saw Ishaan lay his head atop her stomach, she felt his lips whisper something into her shirt.

"Excuse you." She giggled.

"I'm having a conversation with my daughter, do you mind?" He asked, annoyed. She rolled her eyes as Ishaan carried on.

"I don't care what we name her. I'll always call her princess." He says, firmly.

"Don't spoil her." Suhani warned.

"I will, just wait. Both of us will drive you mad." He said eagerly.

"Oh this is going to be lovely." Suhani stated, tiresomely. She wondered what her life would be had she not married Ishaan, she pondered.

"Ishaan." She muttered. He looked up to her, "Yeah?"

"Are we going to have more kids?" She asked.

"Do you want more kids?" He asked her, she shook her head.

"Well then we'll have a lonely princess…" He said, sadly. "No emotional blackmail," She said angrily. "I'm an only child."

"But you had Niharika and Vidya and Mahi…" Ishaan argued. Suhani glanced at him, "I didn't until like sixth grade…"

"Nu uh. You knew Niharika in junior KG. I remember you were in my first grade class."

"You remember that?" She asked smiling, he nods, "Dude, our school was cheap and they made us play 'human vacuum cleaners' and it was all so we'd pick up after ourselves…" He laughed.

"You were the only one who made the vroom noise." She mused. He frowned, "It was fun."

"And I remember I went to my first dance with you and Nihu." Suhani remembered.

"Yeah, Niharika ditched you to beat up some boy that said girls had cooties." He laughed, Suhani swelled with pride.

"That's my girl." She said. Ishaan shook his head. "You were my first crush." He said, quietly.

"Well, that's sweet." Suhani said, smiling.

"Anyways, point is…our daughter is going to be very lonely, so I'm going to have to spoil her." He smirked, Suhani rolled her eyes at him.

"We should name her something that includes all of our names, all four of ours anyways. And yours is a boy name…so maybe not…" She trailed off in thought.

"How about Ahana?" He asked.

"I like that but it leaves Vidya out." Suhani frowns.

"Forget Vidya, she hates me."

"She's my best friend!" Suhani argues, Ishaan rolls his eyes. "How about Sunami?"

"No!" She says, sternly. "I am not naming my daughter after a natural disaster."

"What about Maya?" Ishaan asks, Suhani grins. "I love it."

~All this lonely princess stuff is great, but Suhani and Ishaan suck at family planning, little did they know they have three more on the way. Their names? Maya, Ahana, Vimmi, and Rajvir. Rajvir is the youngest of the four and why the heck did they name him that? Because, Ishaan insisted…go figure.~

Chapter 44- Strip Clubs and Gay Bars…?

The rain pounded against the windows as Vidya urged her to not go out. She couldn't stand it any more. She ran outside and kept running until she got to somewhere she recognized. Sagar's house. She climbed through his window but he had the screen down. She was stuck in the narrow area between. Angrily, she knocked at the window. Sagar sighed and let her in.

"Told you bhai, it would be your drenched girlfriend…." Mahua sighed. Sagar rolled his eyes at her as she left, before leaving she glanced back at Vidya, "I need to talk to you soon, it's really important."

"Okay." Vidya said, flipping her hair, forcing water on Sagar's face. He wiped it off.

"Yes?" He asked, grinning.

"Turn the air conditioner off." She shivered.

"I can't control the A/C." He said, taking his shirt off, handing it to her.

"What…?" She asked as he handed it to her.

"Your shirt…it's….." He said, looking away. It's…?

Vidya looked down. It's white. With a purple bra underneath, she turned red with embarrassment as she pulled his blue shirt over herself.

"Thank you." She said. He went to the cupboard and put another shirt on.

"Well…." Sagar started, sitting on the bed expectantly.

"Krish proposed to me." She sighed.

"You and Krish were engaged, how can he propose to you again?" Sagar asked, trying not to sound too confused.

"He's my friend. Only my friend. He called the night you proposed to me and asked me to marry him on the phone….I don't want him to love me." She said, defeated.

"You guys were acting?" Sagar asked, guiltily. She nodded. "Vidya, I'm such an idiot…" He started to apologize.

"Sagar, it's okay. I said I forgive you…only this time
though, you screw up again and we're over for good."

"I won't…" He said. "Do you have an answer yet?"

"No." She said firmly.

"Oh. No?" He says, disappointed.

"No, I mean I don't have an answer yet." She said, correcting him. He nodded.

"You're drenched…" He smirked slowly.

"It's raining. I want to go back you know." She said,
staring out the window.

"You're gonna get sick. I can't let you go back." He said, pulling her back down.

"It's raining! C'mon Sagar, I love the rain. Heck, you love the rain too!" She got up to start toward the window, he pulled her down again.

"No, let's talk." He said, falling down to the bed with a thud, she decided to lie beside him.

"What color are my eyes?" Vidya asked, turning her face away.

"Coffee brown." He answers, "But you got hazel contacts. Mine?"

"Dark Chocolate brown." She answers. "What's my favorite color?"

"Green. Mine?" He asked.

"Blue." She responded. She looked to him, "Do you know why I'm asking?"

"Because you think I don't pay attention to anything you say. But it gets through, I promise." He says. "By the way, I like these questions. They're easy."

"Let me ask you a hard one." She said in thought. "Number one fear." She asked, she herself was unsure of what her number one fear was. Sagar laid in thought, silent.

"Got you." She said, teasing. He glanced at her.

"Being alone, by yourself." He said, smirking. She smirked back, "You're good."

"Pet peeves?" Sagar asked. Vidya looked down, "Smoking." She looked up, "What's mine?"

"Cheating…." He said looking down.

"We won't anymore…" They both said at once. Vidya couldn't help but smile.

"Are your parents at home?" Vidya asked, staring at the door. Sagar nodded, "Like always." She got up and took the blue shirt off, she was dry now. "I want to go talk to them." She said, calmly. Color fled Sagar's
face, "Why…?"

She shrugged walking to the door. "Auntyji. Uncleji, Mahua, Chandra, Sindura Di…" She started calling out names.

"What are you doing? Calling a family meeting?" Sagar asked sarcastically.

"Yes. Everyone's expected to come but you. You stay in your room."

"Vidya…" He groaned, she pushed him down onto the bed and walked outside to find everyone assembled in the living room.

"Vidya?" Sagar's mother started. "When did you arrive?" She asked.

"I came an hour or two ago, from the window…I wanted to talk to you guys. Do you know what Sagar has been up to lately?" She asked.

"We never do." Sagar's father rolled his eyes. Vidya bit back laughter; this is where he got his sarcasm from.

"Well, your son proposed to me." She said nervously.

"Did you say you came from the window?" Sindura asked confused.

"Bhai proposed to you?!" Chandra exclaimed.

"I thought you guys broke up…." Sindura started.

"Weren't you already engaged?" Mahua asked.

"He proposed to you after he told us you were the last person he'd marry?" His mother started.

"He said that?!" Vidya asked angrily, everyone nodded. All exchanged glances before calling out at once, "Sagar!!!!!!"

"Yeah?" He asked, walking slowly towards them.

"You said I was the last person you'd marry….?" Vidya asked.

"About that….I was mad. I didn't mean it…." He started; everyone's eyes were fixed on him. Discomfort settled over him.

"Maa, Papa, I know I said some dumb stuff but I'm not very logical in my thought process…I love Vidya and she's the ONLY girl I would even consider marrying and…."

"I haven't said yes yet." Vidya corrects.

"Right." He said. "She hasn't. But if she says no, I'm not marrying anyone else."

"That's ridiculous, Bhai." Mahua laughs. Even Vidya knows it is, Sagar huffs at the people laughing at him.

"And what if we already have a girl chosen for you?" His father interrupts.

"Uh………………….." Sagar says, astonished at his father's question. "You don't, do you?"

"We may. We certainly aren't going to have a Thakur as our daughter in law. No offense to Vidya, she's a lovely girl." His mother says calmly.

"What?! A couple of weeks ago you were thrilled at the thought."

"Things change." His father says sternly.

"Okay Maa, Papa, who do you want me to marry?" He asked, sarcastically.

"Gehna." His mother says. He gasps, "We've gone over this, I WILL NOT marry Gehna at any cost."

"That's what you said for Vidya too…." Sindura notes.

"But I love Vidya, she loves me too…." He argues, childishly. Vidya smirks at Sagar's parents.

"Maybe you should listen to them." Vidya says reasonably.

"What? Vidya, if you want to say no go ahead but please don't make me marry Gehna…" He pleads.

"Okay, no."

"What?" Sagar says, confused.

"You said if I wanted to say no I could. I said no." She said, holding back a smile. She began to walk away.

"Dude Vidya, this isn't funny!" Sagar calls out behind her.

"Did you just call me dude?" She asked, turning around. Mahua walks closer to Vidya.

"Does this mean you're marrying Krish, cuz I was kind of hoping I could have him."

"Once I'm done with him, feel free."

"What?!" Sagar yells confused. He glances at his parents who are sitting calmly in their respective seats.

"Sagar." Vidya says, smiling.

"You're awful…." He says. "I can't believe you're doing this to me. I mean four years, Vidya!"

"Did you ever think of that when you were cheating on her?" Sindura asks, ravishing the moment. Vidya turns to him, "Yeah."

"Stop instigating, Di." Sagar says, brushing the comment off. "Vidya, are you serious?"

"I don't know." She says, quietly. "I was joking but now that I think of it, you're a selfish pig."

"I said sorry."

"You always do." She said.

"I'm leaving." Sagar said, sighing.

"I'm not saying no. I just need time and Auntyji, uncleji…if you don't want me as your daughter-in-law then I won't even consider."

"No no, beta. We were just pulling your leg. If you and Sagar ever do decide to part ways, we are going to disown him and adopt you." His father said.

"Papa…!?" Sagar said to him, unbelieving.

"Seriously, I like Vidya WAY more than I like you." Mahua adds.

"Ditto." Sindura agrees.

"I'm going to get a drink." Sagar sighs, taking a coat.

"Me too." Vidya chirps, behind him. Once they were outside, Sagar turned to her angrily. "You're not coming with me."

"Yes I am." She says, stubbornly.

"My parents want to disown me."

"And adopt me. It's very flattering." Vidya smiles.

"My sisters like you better than me."

"I know, cool right?" Vidya says, knowing it's annoying him.

"Not cool. Do you know where we're going?" He asked, smiling quite evilly.

"No, but if we go where you say then you have to go where I say." She mirrors his smile.

"Ever been to a strip club?" He asked, her smile fell and in seconds, she grew a new one.

"Ever been to a gay bar?" She said, slyly. It was a very unlikely place to be but it was nothing horrific.

Vidya knew Sagar, for some reason, was afraid of gay people. He wasn't a homophobic but he was very uncomfortable around them due to a certain incident a few years ago. After being hit on by Bobby Darling, he decided he would try to avoid all contact with them.

Vidya used it to tease him several times, particularly she used this line. "Is it my fault that all my girlfriends find you irresistible but now my guy friends find you delicious too, my god Sagar, I have to hide you from now on…." She said, laughing. Sagar glared at her silently.

"Okay, strip club cancelled." He fidgeted nervously.

"Gay bar cancelled too." She said, happily.

"Where are we going then?" Vidya asked.

"Let's go find Krish." Sagar said, gritting his teeth.

wow really long...i luved it
continuye really soon!

😡 i felt all of the dat while reading the parts! YOU ARE AWESOME! I loved the updates! Thanks sooo much! gr8 job👏

omgoshhh, I just loved reading the chapters! 😳 Rlly wonder whats gonna happen next, continue soon!!!!

omg. that was goood. i just cant wait for more.

omg! I honestly can't wait any longer!!!! plz update soon! I love your ff!!

omggg, it was greattttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt. ....i am not done yet...http://india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=674582&TPN =7 tahtz teh page i am on itz more of a reminder 4 me 😳 so newayz awsum partzz it was long and it took a lott of self control to stop reading 😳 and study for mii "test" anyways awsum partzz 😃

okaii i read and i ............................................................ .............LUVED ITTT!!!!!!! 😆 😃 😛 Sagar is so violent , and ANgad is so sweet 😳 ....Vidya is so .....forgiving 😕 and Mahi is so cute 😳 yeh shabd is out of tha picture...and lol Suahni and wats his name are such bad planners...one quetion how does Maya teh 4 names in it?? I c Mahi, and Vidya, buh where are teh other two??srry i am not very obesrvent 😳 anywayzz pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee continue soon.. P.s i had finished reading before mii my E-V-I-L computer wudnt let me log in, and if it did it would log me out when i came here