Divya made her way through the porch and into her house with Ragini in tow after a late-night jam session. The latter looked peachier after days of wearing a look of sullenness and Divya was happy for her friend- sister. She giggled a little at the correction. 

Ragini raised a questioning eyebrow.

Divya shook her head. "Nothing." That's exactly the case right now. With all the distractions out of the way, she no longer had a way to escape and ignore her problems. More like trauma.

The brain is a powerful tool to torture someone. It worked on its own accord and one could only control the neurons so much. True to its words, it didn't let her get a wink of sleep that night. She tossed and turned with the darkest of thoughts amuck in her head. At one point she had even clawed at her head leaving angry bruising scratches to make their presence known, hoping it would provide her with an escape from the mocking. But since when could we escape from ourselves? As useless an attempt it was, she tried, fought hand and leg but eventually succumbed to their will.

Perhaps that was better. Awake, she still had some control over where her thoughts wandered. She didn't think about it much, simply letting the thought swirl in the back of her naive mind that believed this would work. In slumber, they reigned supreme. She was a prisoner of her own subconscious- a nightmare, part true and part her feral imagination.

Just as she was about to leave her room, her mother walked in having been awoken by the tussle she made while changing. "Divi, what are you doing? It's," the mother glanced at the clock on the stand. "Four thirty am."

Divya nodded and walked past her to grab her car keys from the shelf beside the door. "I need to clear my head so I am going for a drive around town. Don't worry. I'll be back before time for school."

"Rockstar, what's happening?" Anjali asked, rubbing her daughter's upper arms.

She didn't want to lie and neither did she want to have this conversation. It's been coming for a long time- since the bromine incident. However, Divya Singhania wouldn't be anything if not the master of avoidance. Again, she averted her gaze, keeping it somewhere behind her mother. The mirror, she groaned internally. She didn't need the reflective surface as a taunting reminder of her fading deception. Reminding her that the world she lived blissfully ignorant of was crashing down. She herself was headed for a breakdown, already looking worse for wear.

Her mom must have noticed too because she is stroking the pockets under her dull tired eyes.

"Nothing mom," she replied although it was anything but, pulling away just a little.

"Are you sure? Is it Ragini becoming part of the family? It changes nothing, sweetheart."

"No, mom. I-," a few rugged and uneven breaths later her white-knuckled grip on the keys loosened. The passage of time had further solidified her deception that she could simply stay away and everything would work out fine. But her resolve was breaking the longer she stared into her mother's hazel eyes- patient and concerned. She couldn't admit it even to herself, couldn't come to terms with her cracking facade.

Anjali gently used her hand to guide Divya's chin. Eye contact. The one thing Divya found impossible to maintain when she was trying to distance herself. "You can tell me anything."

"I couldn't be happier that Jaan is officially part of the family. Ever since I was five, I don't know what life is like without her there all the time. And I don't want to find out either. She has always been my big sister." Divya responded earnestly, that same adoration twinking in her eyes. "It's Just school stuff. With everything going on recently, Ragini's mom, the court case, the night hike incident, the trip to the counsellor's office....I just need a little space and breathing room." Even as Anjali held her face in a gentle hold, she managed to turn her brown eyes elsewhere.

Anjali veiled her disappointment well, years of practice tend to do that. "Well okay," Space is all there has been between them recently. Divya had started closing off, even more, conversations were empty and forced. Almost as if she pulled an Uno reverse and Anjali feared that she didn't have the card in her deck to reverse it again. She didn't know how much longer she could do it. "Just remember that if you need me, I'm here. Your dad too."

Divya placed a hand over the one caressing her arms comfortingly. "I know."

"Hold on a second," Anjali walked out of the room and came back a minute later with cream in her hand. "It will help the scratch marks."

She nodded while taking the tube, thankful that she didn't elaborate further. "Bye, mom. I love you." She kissed her mother goodnight on the cheek and left the house making her way to the cliff under the stars.

"Love you too," Anjali called back, sighing as she went back to her room. Disappointment and concern seared through her. The former was because her daughter was hiding something and she couldn't do anything to help unless she told her what it was. Concern because there was an impending meltdown on its way. She knew the signs; distant behaviour, hostility, sleepless nights.

It seemed like Anjali would also be having a sleepless night, engaging in a reflection on the relationship with her daughter.

---broken promises---

Divya basked in the cool breeze, allowing it to provide her with a moment's peace. Peace, a luxury unacquainted in recent times with all the chaos wielding the spectre.

Divya had never been bothered by what others thought of her. She had accepted at the precarious age of five that the world was a slowly erupting volcano that thrived in the presence of negative feelings; hate, disharmony, resentment, jealousy, frustration, and loneliness. She learned how to navigate her way around the lava so as to not get burned by the scalding heat.

But how did I let the avalanche swallow me to the point of questioning every choice I have ever made? The landslide, contrary to its reputation, descended slowly. Steadfast but slow.

It started way back in the locker room with miss sorry soul, saying those words she couldn't bear to hear. It's forgiven, not forgotten. It was an insect. Chipping away the wall leisurely. It would be an act of dishonesty to herself if she said it didn't affect her. It left an imprint that would work towards becoming a better person.

Her parents didn't give her up for adoption. They didn't break the promise of always and forever, she did.

Then, Manik barged into the wall of illusion she built around herself. They brutally reigned on and for the life of herself, she couldn't stop it. She wailed, blocked and threw back every arrow shot her way. It wasn't enough. The logical reasoning breached through the cracks between the perfectly cemented bricks. Her sleeping conscience roused from its slumber and gave her a hard smack on the face. I deserve it, she concluded after settling the furious tide in herself.

Yet again, reflection worked its magic and Divya realized for the first time in years, her addiction to being in control and how toxic it was. Her family and herself took the first step to righting their wrongs. Surprisingly, no one wanted revenge. They still feared the girl who veiled herself with stoicism and walked with her head held high. Bunny used to quote fiela komoetie from the book fiela's Child, benjamin...I can't remember really. But it was something along the lines of no matter what, never let your head bend. Keep it high. That's what she did but some part of her craved punishment. It wouldn't be pleasant but still well deserved.

The titular character of the book once told her husband, "Get your hands to work, Selling, none of us can understand it."

Divya never understood what it meant or paid attention to it. But now, there is no way to ignore this shrewish quote ringing unpalatable in her already spent mind. She did what Dalene Matthee portrayed feila to do. The electric guitarist who inhabited the role of leadership in their family, firmly believed that she cannot let go of her responsibilities in the face of this tragedy. Although even she knew, the arrogance was to mask her insecurities and paranoia.

The utopia as she knew it and built was slowly crumbling. Piece by piece, layer by layer. She stood in the middle surrounded by debris and dust lingering in the particles around watching the dynasty fall. Then, the earth beneath her feet rumbles with vigour so intense, the hair on the back of her skin stands.

Rakshit called out her shortcomings. Unlike Fiela who passed every test thrown at her, Divya failed herself and the ones she swore to protect. Led them down to the room she never intended to ever see again. The irony? They couldn't tell when they entered this pit of torrenting habits. Again.

Anjali had once told her that she couldn't save everyone. You will- are running yourself to the ground trying. She was determined to prove her wrong- failing at that.

The earth hasn't stopped trembling and her body feels like it's falling. The second it hits the hard ground she knows, this is rock bottom. She hopes it is because when does enough become too much? When does rock bottom become too low that you can't climb back up? It was better not to find out.

A resentful laugh grates at her throat. Wow, Divya Sharma was a failure and now so is Divya Singhania.

In that split second that the bullet leaves the barrel, she loses her innocence, tears and herself. Divya Sharma died that day, that second, that moment. She wished for the silver capsule to have pierced through her instead of him.

The sky thundered furiously as if in harsh disagreement to the treatment the children were receiving. It cried cats and dogs almost wanting to physically disperse the cruel man from these innocent beings.

Divya scrambled as far away as possible from the drunken man once her screams died down. He didn't bother following her. Presumably too intoxicated to notice, instead he tumbled backwards into the chair that was barely holding itself together.

She huddled in the small corner letting herself breathe again. Sweat trickled down her forehead in streams as she heaved. The blood dripped down her foot and onto the dirty floor. The lightheadedness is an oblivion she welcomes to drape around herself.

"Here," a young boy with glassy brown eyes, muttered. Divya jerked awake right before the oblivion could digest her whole. She winced and swallowed the scream about to meet the world. when he tightened a handkerchief around her bleeding ankle. "There, there." he patted her leg hoping to provide some form of comfort.

"I think I should be saying thank you." she spluttered, her vision blurring from semi-consciousness.

"You think?"

"Yeah, 'cause I don't have the mental capacity to actually think right now," she squinted her eyes a little to get a better look at him. "Huh, you look like a big oaf."

The boy opened and closed his mouth several times. "I am Sanskaar. Thank you very much for asking," he said sarcastically though keeping his voice low as she seemed to have a headache.

"You're welcome," she nodded, the action only intensifying the drumming in her head. "I didn't think a troll could have a more ideal name than that."

"You are definitely quite the spoiled brat for a four-year-old."

"I am five," she scowled. "That is not very sanskaari of you to assume I was a spoiled brat."

Sanskaar helped up into a sitting position and occupied the space before her leaning against the wall. "It's not an assumption when there is evidence."

"Well your assumption is wrong and the evidence inadequate. From which angle do I look like a four-year-old to you?"

"Well, can't talk about that but you do like a truck ran over you."

"You know, that's almost fitting if it weren't for the fact that the truck didn't run over me. Instead, a group of unknown people shoved me in the back of it and now a drunk idiot stabbed me in the ankle because of which I am slowly dying. So I guess I would look a little battered." she deadpans.

"Touche," Sanskaar chuckled before a gloomy look overtook his features. "So what's your story?"

Divya looked at him curiously. "What do you mean?"

"Since, we have established that this is a far cry from normal and that kids don't just magically end up here for no reason?"

"Didn't I just explain that to you, dimwitt?" Divya sighed and took a long ragged breath into her tired lungs. She wasn't sure how she was still conscious after all this. "Guess the almighty really is pulling the strings here."

"I asked what your story was, not how you ended up here, numbskull. Also, I didn't think you were one to believe in the concept of spirituality. Life is full of surprises."

"Great, now I'm starting to think out loud," she huffed in annoyance. "And for the record, I don't believe in god. Aliens, yes. God, no. Not right now when I'm stuck in a cabin possibly about to die on my birthday," Divya paused, taken aback by her own words. "Wow, my grave is going to say, 'Divya Sharma, born on the sixth of October two thousand and three. Death on the sixth of October two thousand and eight. Rest in peace.' What a fantastic date to go out on. So hunky dory ain't it?"

"That's rather cynical," he noted with a frown. Isn't she only five? "Wait, happy birthday. although ain't nothing happy about it."

She sighed, squeezing her eyes shut. "I am sorry. You were just trying to help and I've been mean. I am not exactly in the best headspace right now."

"It's fine. I get it."

Tearing open her eyelids, she turned towards him slightly and held a shaky hand out. "I am Divya Sharma. It's nice to meet you. Wanna be friends? Seeing as there isn't really anything else to do in this dumpster fire."

He smiled lightly and shook her hand. "Sanskaar hart. Pleased to meet you too and yes I would like that," detaching his hand, he shanked it into his pocket. Pulling out a bar of chocolate a minute later and discarding its rapping. "Half half. A toast to this outward friendship."

Eying the treat, she looked away. The guilt rose in her like a sphere stuck in her throat. "I appreciate it, chocolate boy but I can't. I am sorry."

"You don't like chocolate," he asked, confused. "Don't all kids like candy?"

"I do," the moisture droplets she fought so hard to hold in came gushing out like an open tap. "So much so that I left the house to get them and ended up here."

Sanskaar mentally kicked himself from upsetting her. "Shit, umm don't cry. Please," he handed it off to other kids and returned his attention to the sobbing girl. If she didn't stop, the drunk man would wake up and he didn't want to imagine the consequences. "I know the situation is bad but we need to hold it together to get out. Your mom and dad wouldn't want you to cry like that."

She swallowed the sobs and stared at him desperately clinging to his words to hold herself from completely falling apart in this deplorable situation. "What would they want?"

"For you to return home safe and sound. To try and find a way of out while telling these losers what you're made of.'' Sanskaar let the advice roll out unchecked. He couldn't be sure of them but I'd be damned if I let my friend die on my watch. "I'll get us out of here I promise." However, lying to an emotionally compromised five-year-old was a little questionable considering that he was twice her age and in terms of maturity.

"Promise?"

"Chocolate boy promise." he intertwined their fingers and kissed his thumb while she did hers. They sat in silence for a bit. Sanskaar calculates his moves and formulates a plan.

"Why are you doing this?" Divya asked a while later.

"What?"

"I've fallen for that trick once. Not happening again," she said. "So tell me, why are you doing this?"

Sanskaar sighed and took her hand in his, giving it a squeeze. He hoped it triggered comfort rather than wariness. Judging by the fact that it was returned he assumed it had the desired effect. "Because I've been stuck here for days. I don't know where my family is or where I am for that matter. And for the first time, since I've been here, it's not so lonely."

It was genuine, she could tell. Wanting to feel less bleak she rested her head on his shoulder. "Me too. I really wanna get out of here. Then we both will be free to do anything and everything we want. These bad people will be in jail and we will be best friends forever and live our best lives."

Sanskaar chuckled at her optimism. "What do you wanna do when we get out of here?" he asked. "Other than a deranged clown."

"Nobody has trusted a clown since John Wayne Gacy." the five-year-old scoffed out, leaving the boy to wonder how a child this young had already watched such media to make this reference. The girl thought about it for a moment. "I wanna learn how to play the electric guitar. Oh and form my own band!"

"That's one hell of a goal."

"It is. What about you chocolate boy? What do you wanna do?"

"I wanna become a doctor. I want to save lives, and save families from losing someone they love to death. Give them hope for a new life. I am going to build my own hospital where every patient is welcome regardless of race, language, religion and social standing. I'm going to have an entire section of harmonious staff working together. One for all and all for one."

"I will do performances there to entertain the patients. They will be so happy to see a nice face other than a big old oaf. Damn, imma be famous."

"You wounded me." he gasped, placing a hand over his heart. "Don't toot your own horn young one."

She rolled her eyes at his dramatization. "Sorry," she assured, not at all sincere. "I'll patch you up once we get out of here."

"Promise?"

"Chocolate boy promise." she nodded.

They went on to share about their families in quiet whispers. She learned that he was an only child and that both his parents were doctors. No wonder he wanted to be one. The boy upheld his name's honour. A respectful son, a helpful friend and a by-the-book student. Divya knew, without a shadow of a doubt, he was a good person and they were going to be the best of friends.

"Wait, you seriously dropped paint on your teacher?"

"Yea, it was embarrassing. For her not me. Though I did feel some second-hand embarrassment."

"That's against the rule and so disrespectful. Not to mention wrong!"

"Oh relax, will you, chocolate boy? She wasn't even the target. The science teacher asked us to come up with a maze to experiment with how the push and push force works. I didn't even know she was going to walk in."

"You are unbelievable. But at least you apologized."

"Yea cause Di threatened to cut my candy supply."

Sanskaar shook his head in disbelief. "You said sorry 'cause she bribed you into doing it."

"Yes," Divya replied without batting an eyelash. "Wow, you and Di going to get along just fine."

"And why is that?"

"You're both scary cats," she said tersely.

Sanskaar looked like a kicked puppy the minute she said that. "Am not!" he yelled softly in protest.

"Are too."

"Am..." Sanskaar glanced around him and noticed everyone was finally asleep. "Well, then it's time to prove that I am not. Get up and keep quiet." he stood up and pulled her up with him. Divya ended up leaning heavily against him because of her injury. They walked slowly towards the door. "Don't make any noise."

"Wait," she whispered when they reached the door. "Are we just gonna leave the other kids here?"

"No, once we get out and to the police, we'll rescue them as well."

"I don't think they can survive that long." she pointed out sceptically.

Sanskaar considered it for a moment. "Maybe not. But we have no choice. Catching these people could save other children from the same fate. Let's go."

Turning the knob at a snail's pace, they walked out of the cabin and into the dense forest; a new hope bubbled inside their chest. It was dark and hard to make out what was in front of them beyond the immediate step. Divya's ankle was begging her to stop moving and rubbing the cut skin against the cloth. That didn't stop them. This was it. Car engines could be heard in the distance meaning they were close to a road.

Sanskaar waltzes up the slope beside the road and onto it. He held out a hand for Divya and pulled her up. They heaved, tired from all the running.

Sanskaar looked at her and gave Divya a genuinely broad smile since they'd met. "Told you so."

They were free. "We are free," they said in awe.

"We're free," Divya repeated, jumping into Sanskaar to give him a bear hug which was followed by a hiss of pain. "We are free."

Sanskaar giggled and held her close so she wouldn't fall. "We are. Let's go get help before you burst into a bubble of heart shapes like a puppy."

She detached herself from him and glared at him. "Well, at least dogs are loyal."

"That is not remotely close to what I said but okay let's go." he held her hand and was about to start walking when a gruff voice stopped them. Their blood ran cold.

"Look what we have here. Two very disobedient children. Trying to escape, are we?"

They kept their back to him. Looking around, Divya picked up a nearby rock and threw it as hard as she could at his head. With the goon momentarily distracted by the assault, they ran and took cover behind a barricade. It wasn't much but it had to do with the time being.

"Divya, listen to me. We can't both escape. So I'm going to distract him. You run. Got it."

Divya gawked at him before slapping his arm. "Ow."

"Are you crazy?! I am not leaving you here with that loony. Either you go or we both go. End of debate."

"God, this isn't a time to be arguing! Just do it."

"I am injured, chocolate boy. You have a better chance of escaping than me."

"You won't last a minute in front of him," seeing as she was about to argue he cupped her face in his hands and held her gaze. "Listen to me kid, I made a promise to get you out of here and I'm going to do it whether you like it or not. So just go and get help. we are wasting time arguing."

Divya stared at him intently before abruptly hugging him. "Fine. I'll go but I will be back.You are my best friend, always and forever. I promised I'll come back for you."

Sanskaar smiled through his tears or cried through his smile. He didn't really know. Out of this whole ordeal, he made a friend. One that he is grateful for, he should be happy. But he was going to die and along with it, the promise of this young girl who would be traumatized for life. But I need to keep you safe. "I know you will," but I might not be able to fulfil our promise. "But promise me that no matter what happens, you will do what you said. Learn the electric guitar and form a band. Live your best life."

"We will, together," she nodded against his shoulder unbeknownst to why he was saying it. "You are going to be a doctor and build your own hospital."

Sanskaar merely hummed, unable to formulate a reply. "Go,"

She hesitated a little before taking off towards the other direction where she could hear vehicles passing by. "I'll be back," she called over her shoulder. Her ankle felt like it was going to dissemble from her body but she didn't stop her pursuit to gather assistance.

Little did this little girl know that she would be coming back to the dead body of her best friend. A hole through his pure heart that wished for nothing but her safety and bright future. Eyes open, pupils dilated and unseeing- uncomprehending but laden with unbridled pain and terror. The world around her swam out of view. Only the silhouettes of a cruel man who took the life of a child remained. A sickening crack filled the air as the police engaged in combat to bring the murderer to justice. Only a broken bone could make that sound. But no amount of anguish endured by his evildoer could bring him back.

Her chest constricts painfully as she drops beside his cold limbs, looking at her best friend blankly. No tears, no pain, no grief, no sorrow. Only numbness that would be there for the next few years to come.

Another promise was broken.

Someone died because I wanted chocolate. A ten-year-old aspiring doctor lost his life because he wanted to get treats. How can I celebrate my birthday when it's the very same day my first best friend died?

Along with him, Divya Sharma was buried deep beneath the rubble of numbness. It made her hollow.

She was contemptuous of it. The utter worthlessness seeped through every vein, pore and artery. A far cry from what she felt mere moments before reaching the scene of cruelty. She stared at his body, the guilt eating away at her sanity and burying her self-worth deep into the ground.

She surrendered to the claws of loneliness and vowed to never be in the same position ever again. To never put anyone else in harm's way. The air of indifference isn't a mark of superiority, but the very reverse of it. Despite herself, for some odd reason she couldn't fathom, she let herself befriend Ragini. It is a choice she doesn't regret but when it first happened, she did. The girl's persistence had won her over, melting her stone heart that didn't know how to feel anymore. She compensated for breaking her oath by taking a new one.

Protect the kid. Protect Ragini.

When the Maheshwari brothers joined them, she did the same. Protect them. Protect the kids. Becoming the leader was a power play. Fear as they learned was the best way to save oneself from pain. She wanted to save them from the fate Sanskar, Chocolate boy, suffered. Turns out, I've been doing it the wrong way all along.

She didn't remember this for a long time, close to two years. Her mind chose not to relive those moments until they healed. It did eventually if only to be put through a grinder again.

Over the years, she grieved in her own ways. The stages were far in between. Denial for a really long time, the anger disrupted fairly quickly to be replaced by regret, sadness still looms but acceptance was the hardest. To accept means to move on and Divya didn't want to because it felt like a betrayal to him. When it was all said and done, she did go through the final stage because she remembered what he asked of her. To fulfil her dreams and keep her promise. It's not enough to let the lesson learnt be forgotten but enough to not let the survivor's guilt way down on every action she took.

Divya opened up to people and relationships again only to have her world come crashing down. As the dust settled, she saw the sight in front of her. A shiny object in the middle of all the rubble. A diamond disguised as coal. As she stood in the room staring at the tiny piece of jewellery, she decided.

Blissful ignorance is no longer an option.

She could choose to wallow in self-pity or go out there and rebuild what was lost. Fix what was broken. There is so much more she wants from life. Sanskaar's sacrifice wouldn't be in vain. I don't want this life of regrets. It was time to do something about it. There was a need to prove to herself she was worth the brutal slaughter he salved through for her.

That's how Divya found herself in front of miss sorry soul's house, at six in the morning, with a burning vendetta of apologising for snapping at her the other day. For some reason, this woman was the person she felt indebted to.

The morning dew littered her car windshield and the air was chilled. Divya knew; It was time to sound the death knell.

The change has to start somewhere. Baby steps.

Her right hand rested on the door handle as she tapped the steering wheel with the fingers on her other hand. Before she allows herself to have second thoughts, the door swings open with a vigour. There is an urgency in her steps and determination in her stride towards the door.

Like Drishti herself, the house was vaguely familiar. Divya squinted at it. She hadn't really been to this part of the city considering that she lived on the literal opposite end of it. Mostly just passing by when travelling out of town. Yet, she could have sworn she saw split-second images of her birth family. Shaking her head to rid it of the reminiscent-esque thoughts she got out.

Welcome to the Sharma's home sweet home, the nameplate read. Now I see where miss sorry soul gets her sappiness from. This thing bleeds 2000s nickelodeon.

"Excuse me!"

A/N: Don't forget to R&R! Quick question, who is your favourite character?