*Trigger warning*

The following chapter contains mentions of physical assault and domestic violence. Please proceed with caution.

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Long chapter ahead

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Hriaan ignored me. Yesterday, I was busy avoiding him and his friends, and today, he had turned the tables on me.

I didn't imagine that a person that always goofed around and hardly took any situation seriously would use each of my yesterday's words to taunt me whenever I tried to approach him.

Since morning, I was finding a way to talk to him and apologize for the misunderstandings and all the accusations I had put against him, but he refused to entertain me - I wasn't going to give up so easily though.

Hriaan had been a very good friend, and he was completely honest with me regarding everything I had asked him, but instead of patiently letting him answer every question of mine, I blew my fuse and ranted.

There was still time before we left college, so I decided to corner Hriaan once more. I waited for him outside his classroom, and once his lecture was over, he came out of the class with Tejas and Suhana.

The trio were busy chatting with each other, and I saw Hriaan notice me, but he again ignored me and continued walking past me.

"Hriaan, wait." I pulled his bag.

He glanced at my hand. "I am not interested in talking to strangers."

With just one strong pull, he snatched his bag out of my grasp.

"I apologise for yesterday," I told him. "I know I ended up saying some really harsh things, but you can understand my situation too, no?"

He shook his head. "How will I when I don't even know you?"

"Hriaan, I am genuinely sorry. I didn't know you will get so much hurt by my words."

"Now that you know, please don't bother with me again."

Hriaan adjusted his bag's straps and started walking away.

"What's going on here?" Suhana asked curiously. "So, it is because of you that Hriaan is acting so glum since yesterday? What did you do, Bhoomi?"

I looked at Hriaan's retreating back sadly. "I messed up."

"All the best patching up with him then," she said. "He may be the most easy-going person in our group, but once he gets his mood spoiled, he is also the most difficult to propitiate. I would have asked for details, but I gotta meet my boyfriend now. Bye, TJ."

She started typing on her phone and turned around in the opposite direction, leaving me alone to suffer the ever-confusing, ever-intense, ever-soul piercing, and ever-omnipresent gaze of Tejas.

"Why are you wasting your time when you already know the solution?" Tejas asked.

Of course, he won't give me a direct answer.

"Okay," I replied as I didn't want to end up having a one-sided conversation with him.

"You really understood what I meant?" he queried.

"Yes," I lied. "Thank you."

His lips curled up shortly. "You are terrible at lying; I thought you only had trouble understanding the other person's actions, but I guess that's not the only thing you are bad at."

Is he making fun of me?

Bhoomi, you remember what Hriaan had said about you having an inferiority complex? Use your brain and give Tejas an apt reply. Don't always keep glorifying your stupid side. He may be your idol, but you can't keep letting him have his way everytime. Take a stand for yourself.

I steeled myself and looked at Tejas seriously. "I will prefer if you talk directly instead of always using that confusing tone of yours."

Yay, I did it! I won't falter even if he gets angry and starts burning me with his eyes. I won't let him think that I can't argue with him and would just listen to him silently.

I stood firm on my spot and came up with a lot of comebacks in my mind - I was prepared for whatever Tejas was going to say next.

I kept staring at him with full concentration, but he didn't say anything.

Did I defeat him? That fast? Really? Wasn't that too easy?

I was going to celebrate as my opposition kept quite even after I raised my eyebrow in provocation, but I stopped when Tejas shuffled inside his cargo's pocket and took out a Snickers. He stepped forward, but I didn't move back.

"Looks like you are hungry," he took my left hand and put the Snickers in my palm, "This is the best solution every time."

"Um, what?"

"I told you directly now, didn't I?"

Before I could process why he gave me an energy bar out of the blue, he smirked and waved bye.

"See you in the Sarthak's studio," he said and left while munching on a snack himself.

What just happened? Why did Tejas give me something to eat? I thought we were going to have a debate, but he again fooled me. Why do I keep getting knocked down like this?

My stomach growled. "Damn, I really am hungry."

Since Tejas had already given me a snack, I ate it; I didn't like wasting food as it is.

Bhoomi, food!

Yeah, what about it?

Hriaan!

Huh?

Can't you see the equation?

My eyes widened in realisation. I held up the Snickers like a trophy as I found the ultimate solution to my problem. I had the answer to cool down Hriaan's anger all along, but due to my own anxiety, I wasn't able to see it clearly.

I hurriedly ran off to the cafeteria, and even if I was running short on money, I bought a vada pav and some bhel, and went to catch my target. Hriaan was hanging around the sports club, busy in a discussion with some guys. I skid in front of him and held up the food parcel near his face.

(Vada Pav👆🏽)

(Bhel👆🏽)

"Look what I got for you," I said and gave him my best smile.

He didn't give much reaction. I shook the parcel to show him that it was real, but he turned away.

How is this possible? Hriaan is saying no to food? That too our college's?

"Hriaan, I got these for you. Please have them," I said. "I will leave once you take the parcel."

He kept talking to the guys, but I noticed his eyes shifting towards the food packet in my hands. I waited for some more time, but when he kept ignoring me, I moved on to the step two of my plan.

I opened the parcel and took out the vada pav. I admired it and rotated it in every angle.

"Wow, aren't you looking so tasty?" I talked to the vada pav. "You would be much tastier once I eat you."

I shot a glance at Hriaan and very slowly moved my hand towards my mouth. Just as the top of the vada pav was about to go in my mouth, Hriaan snatched it from me.

"You are playing a really unfair move," he accused but gobbled down the vada pav.

He took the bhel also and licked his lips. "I am getting hungry again."

"Eat it then. Who's stopping you?" I encouraged.

He narrowed his eyes at me. "Don't think you have succeeded."

"I won't if that makes you happy," I replied. "I will get more lunch for you tomorrow. Gotta go now. Have to reach Sarthak's studio on time. Bye."

Hriaan didn't respond as he was busy stuffing himself with the bhel.

I met with Arushi, and we went to the railway station to catch our respective trains. After Akshay started dating Suhana, we didn't wait for him because his girlfriend was there to accompany him everywhere. I had no plans of being a third wheel, so I continued using my daily mode of transport.

Arushi's train arrived first, so she left before me, and after waiting for ten minutes, I also got my train and reached my destination.

I laughed at my luck when I saw the new team formations and my name written in the same group as Tejas. Along with him, I had Kshitij, Suhana, and Akshay too in my team and also a fellow female trainee named Jolina.

After checking more details, I went to the practice room no. 3 and noticed my team members already present there. Suhana was sitting with Akshay, while Tejas was busy in his phone. The other trainee, Jolina, was glancing here and there, and when she spotted me, she waved at me to come and sit with her.

I had previously been in a team with Jolina, and we occasionally talked to each other.

"Bhoomi, I thought you were not going to come," Jolina said.

I put my bag in the corner and sat beside her. "You look as if you are held hostage," I teased.

"The situation is not any different," she complained and pointed at our teammates. "Just look at them. Akshay and Suhana are all over each other, and as for TJ, he hasn't even looked at anyone since he arrived. I am afraid of disturbing him, and KD is also absent."

"Where's your phone then?" I asked.

She pointed at her phone plugged in the socket. "I forgot to charge it at home."

"Oh, don't worry. I also don't have my phone, so we can gossip till our mentor comes," I suggested.

"You haven't gotten a phone yet?" Tejas asked, and I took a deep breath.

Okay, I am ready for this match.

"No, I haven't," I replied as a matter of fact.

"You still hungry?" he asked as his eyes twinkled in amusement.

"No."

"Good then."

He turned his attention back to his phone, and I kept staring at him like an idiot.

Ugh, how can this happen again? Why does he not answer like I imagine in my mind? How am I supposed to continue the debate and defeat him if he always manages to twist the conversation in his favour?

"Bhoomi, why are you glaring at him?" Jolina asked. "Do you have a death wish?"

"I won't die so easily," I replied proudly.

"Death is mostly unpredictable," Tejas commented without looking at me.

Should I retort? Hm, I think today's not my day, so I will just ignore him.

I adjusted my sitting position and turned away from him. I knew I would have ended up observing him to know what was going on in his mind. Seeing his behaviour, I saw the invisibile switch on him turn on and highlight 'Hot' instead of 'Cold'.

Okay, so he is currently playing in the 'nice zone', but he is also throwing 'confusion' shots at me. I have gotten enough experience now to defend myself from such attacks, though I still need to catch up on the 'word games' he plays. If Tejas is a subject, then I am surely failing in it since the start, but I can improve.

I concentrated on the gossip Jolina was telling me, and thanks to her, I not only had a good timepass but also got to know a lot of insider information about random celebrities and her relatives that I was never going to meet.

About an hour later, Sarthak Sir's assistant arrived, and with her came a famous bollywood choreographer. I was really excited to see him in person.

"Hello, guys, please welcome Tanmay Sir. He will be your guest mentor, so be on your best behaviour," Sarthak Sir's assistant announced and left after making sure that Tanmay sir didn't need any help from her.

"Hello, bro, finally you came," TJ said and shook hands with our new mentor.

I was not surprised when Suhana also greeted him. Tanmay Sir asked about Kshitij's absence, and Tejas informed that KD had taken a leave due to some personal work; he was going to return within two days.

"Okay then. I already know you both, so let me introduce myself to others too," Tanmay Sir said.

We didn't need his introductions at all, but he still graced us with his attention.

"Hi, everyone. I am Tanmay Kanekar, and I will be mentoring you for your next evaluations. Hope to have a nice learning session with all of you," he said.

One by one, the rest of us introduced ourselves, and since it was the first day of our latest training schedule, Tanmay Sir told us to relax and spent time to familiarise himself with us and our strengths and weaknesses.

In my team, I had three guys and three girls including myself, so I wondered what kind of choreography our mentor was going to come up with. He was well-known for making some really amazing intimate dance routines; I was curious about what he had in mind for all of us.

I had a good time hearing about his experience in the dance industry and learnt a lot of tips and how the dancers can take advantage of the connections to attract work opportunities.

The time to take our leaves arrived, and Tanmay Sir told us to come a bit early the next day as he had a few stuff to discuss about our training plan. Giving our confirmation, I asked Akshay about what he was going to do, and when he said that he was going with his girlfriend on a date, I left by myself.

Throughout the journey towards my home, I kept coming up with imaginary scenarios where I would defeat Tejas in a debate, but I knew the reality would have been completely different.

I need a guidebook on Tejas!

I feared my braincells burning out, so I stopped imagining myself getting victorious and played random songs in my mind. Two hours later, I was walking out of the railway station when I suddenly spotted my mother rushing off in the distance.

I didn't have my phone, or I would have called her. Seeing no other option, I started following her. She had again hid her face and was going towards the bank.

Is she going to use Viraje Aunty's cheques?

I waited for her, and this time, she came out of the bank with a laptop-sized bag. Instead of going home, she continued on the road forward, and I trailed her. My heart was shaking when I saw Mom enter a very scary looking area with lots of abandoned factories and shops. She kept going through small passages and stopped in an old metal junkyard.

She looked around and snapped her fingers. Two second later, a man with a handkerchief wrapped around his mouth reached there and took the bag from her.

I didn't waste any more time and jumped in action. I ran towards them and grabbed the bag.

"Who are you?" I asked the man.

"What are you doing here?!" Mom screamed.

That man glared at Mom. "This wasn't in the plan. You will bear the consequences."

I put all of my strength to take the bag away from him, but Mom held me back and that man was able to snatch it from me and escape.

When I tried to chase him, Mom pushed me down.

"Run away!" she yelled at that man.

"Maa, what the heck are you doing?!" I screamed at her.

She held me strongly, and I was amazed at the amount of strength she was putting in to restrict me.

"Maa, let me go! I know what you gave him. How could you smuggle money behind our backs? Who was he?"

Mom caught my wrist and started dragging me out of the junkyard. I resisted, but she didn't stop.

"I am not coming with you unless you tell me what you are up to these days!" I warned. "If you won't open your mouth, I will go straight to the police station. I also know that you have something to do with Srishti's kidnapping, don't you?"

She glared at me and flung my wrist out of her grasp. "I knew there was something cooking in your mind," she accused. "As for Srishti's kidnapping, I knew something bad was going to happen, but I was unaware of those men taking her away to warn me. That's all I am going to tell you. You don't need to do know everything."

"Why not?" I argued. "If you are not going to reveal it to me, I won't let you leave from here too."

I caught her hand, and she threatened to slap me. I didn't budge, and she started hitting me.

"Don't act childish, Bhoomi," she scolded. "This place is not safe for us. We need to leave asap."

"Really? Why did you come here then?"

Mom managed to squeeze out her hand from mine and pushed me towards the exit. I kept asking her to answer my queries, but she kept her mouth shut.

I kept screaming in her ears and threw tantrums to break her patience, but she was totally unaffected. When we reached our area, I cautioned that I was going to the police station, but she challenged me to go ahead. She mocked that without evidence, I was the one who was going to get thrown out by the police within seconds.

I felt enraged, and she continued her fast pace towards our chawl. I followed her, and she didn't stop until we reached our home.

I was going to yell at her again, but I bit my tongue when I noticed Dad, Dhara Di and Srishti. Mom shot me a satisfactory look and started acting like nothing had happened and it was just another usual day in our lives.

I controlled my anger, and Mom went to the washroom to change her clothes. Once she returned, she got inside the kitchen to prepare dinner, and I joined her.

"Haven't I told you so many times already to not enter kitchen without washing your hands and feet?" Mom scolded.

I didn't move. "I know you are taking advantage of Di's condition, but I won't retreat. Tell me, Maa, what you are hiding from us. What is it that you can't share with even me?"

"Don't waste my time, Bhoomi. It isn't like I only have one thing to take care of. Your dad must be tired and hungry after coming back from his long duty, so let me cook, and if you have so much free time, then go and do some work."

"I will let you do that, but remember, we are in the same house. After dinner, I won't let you have your way even if you beat me up," I said and fisted my hands.

She shook her head, and I went to freshen up. Half an hour later, Mom was done cooking dinner, and both of us were bringing out the utensils in the hall when we noticed a bunch of strange bulky men enter our house.

Within seconds, our door was locked from the outside and windows were shut too.

"Namaste, Saasubai aani Saasre bua~ (Hello, mother-in-law and father-in-law~)," Dhara Di's ex-husband greeted with a wide grin.

What's he doing here? And why has he brought so many men with him?

Dad glared at his son-in-law. "Shailesh, how dare you come here? Get out this instant!"

As soon as Dad warned him, he was pushed back by a man accompanying Shailesh. I no longer referred to him as Jeeju (brother-in-law). That same goon resembling man took our TV's remote and increased the volume to the maximum.

I saw my sister glaring at Shailesh, while my niece was trembling in fear; we had to throw Shailesh out as soon as possible.

"What do you want?" I asked Shailesh. "We have nothing to do with you, so you better leave."

He snapped his eyes at me and smirked. "Oh, my sister-in-law has grown up so much that she has forgotten all manners. Bhoomi, is this what your parents have taught you? Well, I am not surprised since I got first-hand experience with your sister."

"Bhoomi, get back here," Mom pulled me towards her. "Shailesh, please leave."

Shailesh smiled. "Is this a way to treat your eldest damaad (son-in-law)? I have come to meet you all myself, and you haven't even asked me for water. And just watch my daughter. She isn't even looking at me. Come here, Srishti. Aren't you going to meet your father?"

Srishti hugged her mother and shook her head.

"Shailesh, I am warning you. Get out," Dad growled.

"What a pity then. I was going to be soft on you guys, but you have already tried my patience," Shailesh said with a dirty look in his eyes.

He signalled at one of his men, and in a flash, Dad was punched across the face. His body went limp as he crashed into the floor.

"Papa!" I and Dhara Di screamed in horror.

I went to check on my father, and he had fallen unconscious. I shook him, but he wasn't waking up.

Calm down, Bhoomi, don't do anything, or you will get harmed too. Look at those goons staring at our family like prey.

No, I can't sit still when he is openly assaulting us.

I leaped to grab Dad's phone to call up the police, but Shailesh's thug pushed me away so strongly that I collided into the cupboard. Its sharp edge hit my right scapula as I went down. My mind went numb as my whole body convulsed in pain.

Mom instantly moved and stood in front of Shailesh with folded hands. "I beg you. Please have mercy on us. I already gave you whatever you had demanded, no? I will soon transfer the remaining amount too, so please spare my family."

Shailesh chuckled. "Your family? I don't like how you are claiming my wife and daughter as yours."

Like lightening, he smacked Mom across the face. "Also, you have already wasted enough of my time. I will settle the whole matter tonight itself."

Seeing Mom scrambling on the floor, I tried to get up. My sister tried to scream and call the police from her phone, but Shailesh's thugs had already snatched the device from her.

Shailesh pulled Srishti towards him. She thrashed in his arms and cried to let her go. I yelled at him to leave my niece, but he forcefully hugged her.

"I didn't want a daughter, but you are my blood after all," he told Srishti. "Don't struggle, beta, or I will unnecessarily need to discipline you."

He gave Srishti to one of his thugs and crouched in front of Dhara Di.

"Stay away from her!" I yelled at him.

"Please, Shailesh, leave us," Mom begged.

He ignored us and smirked at my sister.

"What have you made of yourself, Dhara?" he mocked. "I offered you to stay, but you had to act strong, didn't you? Now look what is happening as a result. Only if you had been an obedient wife-"

Slap!

Dhara Di slapped Shailesh across the face. "Get out this instant, you piece of shit!"

Shailesh rubbed his cheek, his face turning hard. "That's not how a wife should treat her husband. But since you want to do that, I will also give you tit for tat."

My sister's eyes widened when Shailesh signalled at the thug holding Srishti. I also looked in horror when that thug raised my niece above his head.

What is he planning? I need to get up soon.

"1... 2... 3..." Shailesh counted. "Go!"

Srishti was thrown in the air.

"Srishti!"

Dhara Di's scream pierced my ears, and as if all of the adrenaline had rushed into me at the same moment, my body jolted up automatically, and I caught Srishti in my arms.

Unfortunately, I couldn't bear the weight and crashed on the floor, my right side of the torso facing the majority of the force. I had shielded Srishti's head with my hands, but I couldn't completely protect her. She cried more after her lower body hit the floor.

I hugged her tightly and moved away from Shailesh and his men.

"What a catch!" Shailesh clapped. "Alas, I can't keep watching any more! I will teach all of you a lesson for even thinking that you could easily get away after ruining my reputation by filing a domestic violence case against me."

He motioned at his men to start their work, but Mom held his feet. Tears streamed down my face as I knew that screaming for help was going to be useless. Shailesh and his men had turned the TV's volume so much that no one would have suspected what was going on inside my house. He had even stationed a few of his thugs outside.

"You wanted a rich son-in-law, and you got that too, but unfortunately, you failed to keep your end of the promise," Shailesh said to Mom.

"I am sorry," she said. "I beg you to do whatever you want with me, but please have mercy on my husband and the girls. They are innocent. I have already given you seven lakh rupees, so please give me some more time to arrange the rest too. I promise I will fulfill all of your demands; I just need some extra time."

"Is that so? Then why did you go to the police station after Srishti's kidnapping? Didn't I already warn that if you tried to outsmart me, I won't be lenient anymore?"

He was behind all of this? Mom was trying to keep him away all this time? All those cheques and missing jewellery... Shailesh took everything after threatening my mother?

Ganapati Bappa, please help my family. If I have done anything wrong, I ask for forgiveness. I am afraid Shailesh may hurt my mother seriously, but I won't let him do that - even if I die today, I won't let him harm my family.