Is it all over? Just like that? It hadn't even started yet and it ended? The pieces had just got fixed and it all got broken in a flash, just like this? This is what the living deserves by the life? This is what the heart beared the pain for? Is this what someone in love gets in this world, from this world?

Crying crying and crying. This is what she has been doing. Why the eyes aren't tearless yet? The heart asked. Not every of us is going to leave you feeling it all alone by yourself, replied a still lone tear on her lash to the heart.

One by one, slowly to the increase in the pace, the tears uncontrollably started to fall out, doing the talkings with each other, sharing the heart's pain. Some of them wanted to free out of the pain, some wanted to keep it in them, to stay inside the eyes to help the heart. But the heart couldn't let the tears bear the pain of it's part. It was letting them go. It wasn't getting it out of the pain or decreasing it, but it was making it lighter to hold for the heart.

FLASHBACK

Anger was on it's verge of bursting out for half an hour but the bunch of people standing beside were literally having their hands on it. But the time was there and the tolerance was gone now. She rolled her eyes and picked up the glass of orange juice from the table right beside and rushed towards him. With an oh-so-sheepish smile she patted on his arm, and as he turned to her she threw all the juice on him, not really caring about the two guys standing.

"What the hell?!" ... Karan yelled out in frustration, but if it did affect her a bit even. He tightened his jaw and picked up another glass of orange juice, and threw it over her.

"What is wrong with you!"

"What is wrong with you? If I'm not mistaken, you're the first to do this mannerless thing!"

"Mannerless? You please, don't just talk about manners."

Karan and Preeta were literally shouting, and some of the eyes and ears were scrupulously focused on them only. A busy-in-his-important-conversation Rishabh, gave an excusing nod to his people and went to Karan and Preeta.

"Will you guys stop?"

Rishabh went out of the hall and signed them to come as well. Preeta and Karan looked at each other with the corners of their eyes and went out.

"What is wrong with you guys? And Preeta ji, at least you ..." Rishabh said turning around to them.

"No Rishabh ji, it's not my fault. It's Karan only. He starts it always. I was telling him to shut up but if he really listens.."

"Oh, I knew it already.. Preeta ji. Only he could do this!"

"What!? Wow, Preeta. Very nice. And bhai, you just keep chanting Preeta ji."

"You know what Karan? He's much much better than you. Why do you not learn some manners from your elder brother?"

"Heehee, just how your sister is much much better than you. Why don't you rent some sweetness from her?"

"She's actually blind, like the other butterflies flying around you.. not knowing that what they're considering rose is a cactus in real."

"Youuuu... You know what!? You are blind! I am so amazing but you can't see it. And also, you don't have a good taste, doctor dumbo."

"You and your self obsession."

"I am not self obsessed. I state facts only."

"You need to get your facts correct, double duffer donkey!"

"Carry on with your stupidity you both. I'm going alone. Manage yourselves."

Rishabh was frustrated enough now.

"Rishabh, I have my car."

Karan replied with a winning expression, which didn't actually last for long.

"You both came here with me, in my car. You didn't bring your car here, The Karan Luthra."

Rishabh replied with a big smile, sat in his car and the car suddenly disappeared in the air.

"Now what?" Preeta said keeping her hands on her waist.

"I don't know." Karan replied with a toothy smile and rolled his eyes.

FLASHBACK OVER.

She threw her half on the bed, with her hair scattered around.

I don't know either. I don't know Karan, I don't know what to do. I think I'm, I'm done.. I've lost it, completely. There's no way left, no hope left, nothing. Your babydoll, finally lost it.

She closed her eyes, tightening the grip of her hand on the bed sheet, when she heard some whisperings from outside. It wasn't doing anything for her. No. But still, she had to see.

Slowly keeping her sandaled feet on the floor, she went to the door holding the lehenga and stood behind the door of her room.

And then the only things she could witness was a tensed Sarla, ending the conversation with someone on a call, keeping the phone inside her purse, and moving away.

And some words.

Karan, kumkum bhagya hall, and the marriage.

_____________

"Tomorrow is the day. Boss has said that he's coming tomorrow. Get the things prepared. And no mess should be created."

The man said, putting his cigarette into the ashtray.

"Yes sir."

He kept his head on the back of his chair, when a man of his came in with some wine bottles. A whiny smile came on his lips. His man kept the bottles on the table, and all of them started having it.

_____________

3 hours, and now all of them were already into a deep slumber.

_____

The drug's dose was getting over. It was getting out of it's time. Most probably Karan was not either going to wake up even if the drug's dose would get over, because his mind was tired enough already. But here, he had more important things than getting tired and sleeping.

Things needed to be saved, his things. His life. Everything. And it was more important than anything or everything now.

A crease appeared on his forehead, and his fingers rubbed the chair's armrest. The head started to move and slowly, the eyes got opened.

His head was spinning due to the drug. He held it tight trying to keep himself conscious, and come to senses. He roamed his vision around the room, but again.. nothing was visible. The pitch black room was back into it's form. He tightened his jaw and hit his head on the back of the chair, closing his eyes.

Just then, some pictures started drawing in his head.

Those men.

That injection.

How he tried to escape and how they caught him yet again.

This place.

The familiarity with the place, and that design on the wall.

The marriage.

His brother.

His wife.

His.

Preeta.

_____________

She slowly closed the door of the room, and moved towards the dresser. She kept her hands on the table, and shook her head with the eyes closed. No. Not again. She wasn't going to cry now, again. No.

She bit her lower lip and straightened up taking a deep breathe, facing the mirror eye to eye.

So much was destroyed. So much was gone. But so much was left too. And now, that left needs to be taken back. She's not going to back off a try. Maybe, maybe she'd get it. Maybe not. But still. Let's see.

She took a gulp and wiped off the wetness from her eyes. With a determination. A hope.

And a fear.

______________

Shaking his body faster than he could, he had loosened those ropes. He held the ropes and threw them away. There wasn't time. Not even a minute was supposed to be wasted.

Karan almost knew the things now. He immediately went to those cartons and removed the uppermost, allowing some little moonlight to enter into the room.

As he turned back, his sight caught a switch board there. He just went to it and pressed all the buttons at one go, and the room got lightened.

The familiarity.

The design.

The showpiece.

The place.

Kumkum bhagya hall.

______________

She came out of the room and slowly closed the door. There was no one around, and almost all of the guests had left. She peeked down into the hall and Sarla had also left.

Preeta turned away and took a deep breathe.

No. How could I. How could I doubt my mother.. no, I ..

She didn't know anything. What she was doing, what she was even thinking was right?.. how could she think like that. Or, it either could be a possibility. Yes. But why? No.

It wasn't wrong to check it out and satisfy herself. But, it was wrong because she was her mother.

Was she being an emotional fool right now? And was it the time for that?

No. Things were getting out of her hands.

That's it. She's going for it. And now, she is.

______

She went down into the hall. There were only Rakhi and Kritika talking about something.

"Preeta, do you want something?"

"No, Rakhi auntie.. I'm fine."

Rakhi gave her a slight smile and went upstairs with Kritika, as Dadi had called them.

This was the chance for Preeta. She looked around, and moved out of the house, tiptoeing.

Preeta picked up a small pot from there and threw it far away in the backside, to divert the security guard's attention.

Preeta hid herself behind a car and the guard ran towards where she had thrown the pot.

She didn't waste a minute, and ran out of the main gate holding her sandals in her hand.

_____________

Karan wasn't understanding anything.

Sarla auntie? No! Never. Why is he even thinking like that. She could never do that.

She would never.

But what was this all? He was held captive in kumkum bhagya hall?

Sarla auntie's ....

No.

Whatever. Whatever it is, he'll find it out. But now, he had to run out of there. Anyhow.

That little opening had also been covered by hard wood pieces. And he couldn't afford making any noises.

He'd seen the consequences already.

Now he needed to be cautious.

_____________

She'd reached to kumkum bhagya hall. She was there. And so were some heartbeats. She looked around, took a breathe, and stepped inside.

And there, a beat boxed in a heart.

______

The room was locked from outside. And he wasn't going to blunder now.

He's The Karan Luthra. The intelligent Luthra.

Yeah, this is how Preeta's self obsessed husband thinks.

A smile carved on his lips.

______

None of them was awake yet. Some were snoring, with saliva was coming out of some's mouths.

Brown, and dirty. A cat jumped over one of them and gave a beautiful scratch on his face making him screech out. He held the cat subconsciously and threw it away. The street cat ran away from there.

____________

Sarla zipped up her purse, and got into her slippers, when dadi came out of her room.

"Sarla.."

"Bee ji, I'm going to kumkum bhagya hall. There's some work... I'll just come."

She went out of the house.

____________

He drew the side table's drawer, and luckily, there he found a metal pin. Sheepishly smiling, he immediately went to the door and inserted the pin into the gap between the door and the wall, and tried twisting it carefully, so the pin wouldn't bend or stuck in there.

And... click! The door lock got opened.

_____________

It was night, and the hall was dark of course. All the lights were turned off, except for some little lamps causing some sort of luminance.

Preeta was walking inside, roaming her eyes on the upper area of the hall, when her hand hit a metal object, making it fall with a thud.

Keeping her hand on her mouth, she emptied the hall, hiding behind some pillar, in a corner.. waiting for someone, anyone to come.

But for her surprise, no one came. She just sighed.

I can't turn the torch of my phone on, everything could be done this way only.

Thinking about where to head first, she moved to the store room side, which was  on the ground floor only.

And there he kept his foot on the first stair, descending.

______

"Sir, sir! Did you hear that?"

The man yawned rubbing his eyes.

"What are you talking about.. let me sleep, and you too, go to sleep."

"Sir, Karan.."

Hearing the name only, that man forgot all the sleepiness.

What? He's all fresh.

"What about him? Say! Don't tell me that bloody cricketer has ran away!"

His shout awoke all of the heads.

"I.. I don't know sir.."

"Shut up!"

He ragingly stood up from his chair, and went out of the room having the hold of his pistol in his hand, with his two men following.

______

Karan had to do everything as quick as even more than possible.

The hall was empty, and the gate was opened. Why? Well, why is he even thinking why. It's open. The gate is open, and for him.

He just made his feet run, when they hit that metal thing which she had made fall. That thing. Yes, that one only.

Every presence in the hall heard it.

Karan.

Preeta.

And those men.

_______

She felt her heart coming in her throat. Her breathes were heaving, and her heart was beating faster. She didn't come here to go without anything.

And he needed to go, leaving everything, for his everything.

She kept her dupatta on her head hiding her face with one corner of it, and moved out of the room.

And he ran his hand through his mishelved hair, and moved towards the store room.

He wanted to hide, to leave.. and she wanted to leave, to hide.

God knows, when will the things stop playing hide and seek with them like this.

She moved forward, as he moved forward.

He moved forward, as she moved forward.

Looking here, there, anywhere, nowhere.

The beats were creating a smooth symphony, and the broken wires were playing some tunes, trying to get the beats re-tuned. re-fixed. re-symphonized.

While the medium was building up a crack in between.

But the tunes were trying their best to fix up the crack.

Miles, feet, hours, and now, they were just inches apart from each other.

Just inches. Some inches.

A corner of her dupatta... got stuck, into his jacket's zipper.

And as she moved a little forward, it got torn up.

Torn up.

And there they stopped breathing.

The heart's started beating.

The wires were creating tunes.

And the crack, was fixing up.

She made a gulp, and slowly took the corner of dupatta, and her eyes started filling up.

The fill up wanted to fall out, with him, in his arms, in his embrace, in his feeling.

She lifted up her head and just turned around the whole of her.

Karan.

Him.

Her Karan.

No.

He wasn't there.

He wasn't.

_____

"Smart, my foot! I'm smart, smarter, and smartest! Got it! I don't understand.. why can you just not be like a good boy!"

That creep's sarcastically sinister whispers, and his dirty hand kept tightly on his mouth wasn't affecting much, as her tears, her pain, her breaking-up was.

He was there. She was there.

But he couldn't do anything.

They were there, together, yet not together.

Her hurt was paining his heart like hell. He just wanted to freaking kill every single one involved who was doing this to them.

His heart was just praying, praying for her to look at him for once. His eyes were craving to meet hers. To look into them. A little far would work even, a little bit would do. But at least.

Preeta stepped forward, when someone from the back held her elbow and pulled her back.

"Preeta, what are you doing here!?"

"Karan.."

Preeta wasn't getting anything. Just Karan. Her Karan.

"What? Preeta, my child.. come, come with me.."

"Maa.."

She wasn't in her senses. She was only looking at her dupatta.

Her torn dupatta.

And only one person in the world could do that.

Only one person.

Only, her person.

Her, him.

______

And there, his eyes were in a farewell of it's own, for her eyes.

The crave was still there.

Increased.

Grown.

And way much.

______

And the rising sun read a paragraph, of the crack, getting cracked up, again.

______

'Prithvi Malhotra, has escaped out of the prison.'

______