I was attempting hard to keep my emotion in check as I was forced to act normal in front of my parents. Jiju hadn't mutter a word about the incident to anyone. He was smiling and acting his normal self but I wasn't able to fake.

"What's wrong?" Shruti questioned as she glanced at my fully-packed plate. "Why you're not eating?"

"I don't feel good..." I excused as I took the plate from the table.

"At least have some fruit," mom urged and I nodded as I took the plate to kitchen. I wanted to avoid Jiju as much as I could. I was afraid, what if in fit of anger he mentions the event to my parents? They weren't having good opinion about Faizal and I didn't want it to turn worse.

"What's wrong with you, Nivi?" Shruti came in searching for me. "From past few days you kept urging for Jay to make it soon and now, when he is here..." she shook her head. "You are hiding in the kitchen," she was glaring at me.

"I am not hiding..." I tired to defend myself but Shruti was dragging me out of the kitchen into the living room. "Shruti try to listen," I urged. "What if he doesn't want to speak with me?"

"Why won't I like to speak to you?" His authorative voice boomed in my ears. I widen my orbs seeing him few inches away from us. His orbs soften on seeing my orbs that was on verge of ending into tears. "You're of my sister's age but I consider you as my daughter." He smiled at me, "just because I scolded you doesn't mean I hate you, Nivi."

"Scolded her?" Shruti exclaimed in shock. "How on the earth is it possible that you scolded her?" She enlarged her orbs in horror. "I can't believe it!" She shook her head, "no wonder... she wasn't acting herself from the minute she arrived from the job. You scared her!"

"I didn't" he glared at his wife, "and even if I did!" He wrapped an arm around me as he pushed his wife away. "Its between us no need to interrupt," he mumbled as he dragged me along with him outside of the house.

My heart was beating anxiously, why he brought me out? Was he going to lecture me again about the incident that had taken place?

"Where are you going?" Dad inquired as he walked inside with a packet in his hand.
"Just strolling around with my favorite," Jiju mumbled while dad smiled at us as he walked inside.

We walked in silence; I didn't have the courage to break the silence. "Who was he?" He asked and my anxiousness spirit forced me to shut my mouth. "I know, I shouldn't have overreacted! But I wasn't able to hold my temper on seeing you so close with a male, a stranger in public." He sighed as he withdrew his hand from my shoulder. "I acted overprotective!" He confessed as he massaged his forehead, "I was scared of the type of male he could be." He paused for a second, "so I want to know who is he?" He pressed the question with utter-most care.

"A friend," I whispered. Before he could object, I raised my head staring at him, "he is really a friend." I urged him to believe me. "The friend that I had mentioned before..." I waited for a moment, should I mention his name? "Faizal..." his seemed confused as if trying to recollect if I had mentioned it to him. "The online friend..." and things made sense to him.

"Muslim?" That was the first word out of him.

"You knew that he was Muslim..." I countered back.

"But that time I had accepted him as your friend, a mutual friend whom you talk on infrequent days." He voiced out, "not someone whose hand you will grab in public." His stern orbs were fixed on me. He sighed as his glanced at my anxious face. "I don't want to upset you but he isn't good for you, Nivi."

"Just because he is Muslim?" A drop of tear descended my cheek. "His religion is going to decide if I can be friend with him or not?" I couldn't help the pain I was feeling in my chest. That was the reason I had hide about his existence to my parents. That was the reason I had mentioned only about Zoya.

Jiju cupped my cheek, "they are harmful, Nivi." He urged, "you're not aware about the things happening around. They can go to any extent just to prove their race superior. I had solved many such cases," his orbs were pleading with me. "I don't want you to turn out one of their culprits."

"I know him for years, Jiju." I was pleading with him. "I know him from years before this revolt took place. Our friendship is much beyond Hindu-Muslim fights going around."

"But it will be affected with things happening around," he argued. "I had solved many such cases, cases of neighbor. Knowing each other from more than twenty years, they treated each other like family." He sighed, "but they were affected by the hate flowing around. They didn't mind killing each other. The revolt has started shaping in Kochi city as well and soon the entire India will be affected by it. Will your friendship stay strong even in such a situation?"

"I don't..." I shook my head, "but I am not ready to give-up on it so easily."

•••

I wasn't able to hold back my tears as the fear of having to end my friendship with Faizal kept knocking on my heart. I wasn't weak but I hated to argue with people I loved and cared. Why they couldn't just accept our friendship? I was just hoping for few days with him. Just to be offered with few memories that could provide peace to my heart.

I had buried my face into the pillow as tears were continuously following down my cheek. I heard a notification popping on my screen. I groaned not desiring to glance at it, a minute later my phone was ringing.

Out of curiosity I gazed at the cell. Mr. Idiot popped on the screen. I pouted as a hint of tear descended down my cheek. I received the call not giving a second thought. I needed to talk to him! To cry to him, to unbottle my feelings. I needed him to feel at peace!

"Are you fine?" His voice was filled with concern.

"I hate them!" I sobbed, not able to hold my tears in check. His voice felt like home. A safe place for me to unbottle my emotion.

"Whom?" His voice was filled with tension, worry.

"My parents..." I groaned at the thought of it. "Why can't they understand?" I argued, "why it should be about caste? Religion? Why we can't glance at others through the lenses of humanity?"

"You just need to sleep..." he mumbled after a minute of silence. "We will talk later..."

"Nothing is going to change if I take a nap!" I groaned at his advice. "They won't start liking you, appreciating you. They would view you as the media and the politician are trying to fit the imagine in their mind. As Muslim! The Muslim who wants to destroy Hindu. A man who is dangerous..." I kept weeping, I so wanted to change their view about him but I was helpless! So helpless!

"Maybe they are correct," he mumbled. "I am dangerous for you," he grumbled.

"You aren't!" I yelled at him. "You're the only person that makes me feel the safest! My crying pillows! My favorite place!" I confessed as I nuzzled my face into the pillow. "I don't want to lose you..." I couldn't help the fear emerging in my heart.

"You aren't going to lose me," his words were filled with determination. "I won't let it happen," he assured.

"Do you promise?" I was so scared, so taken by fright. My heart was shivering in fear. It needed assurance, that he won't leave my side. He won't!

There was silence before I heard the small whisper, I doubted if it was real or my ears were ringing. "I do!"

•••

I had walked out of the washroom, wiping off my tears. The fear hadn't subsided! Those words kept revolving in my brain. Jiju's furious-determined orbs kept flashing in my memories. I wasn't rewarded with sleep last night. The conversation with Faizal had kept me sane. The assurance his words held. The confidence I had on him and our friendship.

I had dialed his number; I was glad that Shruti was in a separate room with her husband as I was gifted with some privacy. He picked on the second ring, his concern-worried voice getting into my ears. "Hello! Are you fine?" He wasn't able to hide his worry.

"Would you hate me?" I wasn't able to stop myself from asking it. Those words muttered by Jiju kept returning back to me. What if in future a situation arrived, like such? What if the hate prevailing around us be much greater than the love and care we shared for one-another?

"Hate?" He was taken aback with my words. "Why would you ask something like that? Had something occurred? Did you have a fight with your parents?"

I ignored his question, concentrating on the thoughts troubling me. "What if we end up hating each other?"

"Why would we hate each other?" His voice was so soft as if he was pleading me to stop. To halt those thoughts! To not provide pain to my heart with such meaningless thoughts.

"What if..." he interrupted me before I could complete the statement.

"I won't..." he mumbled. "I won't hate you," he repeated as if attempting to clear my doubt. "Get ready and come to office, I will be waiting on the bus."

The only motivation I needed for the day! I would see him again! I would be provided with some moments! Each and every second passed with him was precious because I wasn't aware which one would end-up being our last.

•••

As anticipated not a word was uttered by him about last night. He opted to ignore it! Pushing over conversation on brighter-side.
"What is this for?" I asked as he had handed me the packet. I peeped inside the packet; a golden box was waiting for me. "Another gift?" I giggled at the thought of it.

He smiled as he shook his head seeing me grinning widely at him. "I shouldn't have reacted the way I did..." he confessed as guilt covered his face.

"Are you apologizing?" I widen my orbs in horror. "You know to apologize?" I mocked while he passed me a glare.

"I do apologize! Maybe I had never wronged you to ask for one," he grumbled as he averted his gaze back to the window.

"So, during all those fights I was the one who wronged?"

"Maybe," he shrugged his shoulder. "Or you wouldn't have apologized." His comment made me furious, I shooted daggers at him while he was avoiding my existence.

"I didn't apologize because I wronged rather..." I mumbled, "you were more important to me than my stupid ego." I confessed as he glanced at me. His orbs turning soft as he stared into my orbs.

"You shouldn't be this attach," there was fear underlying his words but it was triggering my insecurities.

"Why? Because its going to destroy me, right?" A drop of tear descended down my cheek. His hand reached towards my cheek as his warm finger wiped off the tear yet his finger stayed there for a minute longer.

"Not only you," he mumbled. The fear was quite visible in his black orbs, "its going to destroy us." He mumbled as soon his arms got wrapped around my waist as he pulled me closer to his chest. He had wrapped me around his arms, my ears listening to his heart beating so load. I wasn't aware that I needed. The hug! As without providing any further notice tears started flowing down my cheeks while his hands kept patting my head, urging me to calm down.