Author's note: So that you remember, it's an enemies-to-lovers, forbidden love trope story. So, just bear with it. Won't you? :))

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Soul expresses itself through raw emotions. You can hide your soul and raw emotions from the people you want to avoid or impress. But you cannot stop the unbridled urge of your soul to bare itself to people you feel comfortable with. When we say raw emotion, it means the unfiltered, intense expression of feelings that surge within us, often beyond our conscious control. In its unprocessed state, raw emotion lacks rationalization. It is then more primal, more instinctive. Raw emotion can manifest as unguarded tears, uncontrollable laughter, or unbridled anger. Anger, for instance, connects you to your most authentic self, making it your truest response to other emotions, like sadness, fear, or despair.

As they focused their undivided attention at each other, the surrounding background seemed to fade into insignificance. Ritu's eyebrows curled into a frown as she glared at the waiter unwaveringly-the insolent man responsible for her family's current discord. Jai Basu.

She never expected to see Jai there. After their encounter that day at Ishani, she thought over the whole fiasco several times. It was true that the public protests had stopped after that 'meeting', but Ritu understood this much that her family was deeply affected by the false case going against Abhimanyu. They wouldn't talk about it in front of her considering she was still in her recovering phase. But it definitely didn't mean she couldn't sense the distress pervading the villa.

It hadn't been even a year since Abhimanyu got married to Shreya. Moreover, they married amidst a scandal. They at least deserved a peaceful life after all of that happened. And because of this dimwit standing in front of her, that life seemed far-fetched. This devious man was using Abhimanyu as a stepping stone to his own success. But she wouldn't let that happen! Never!

Jai blinked, then averted his gaze to the plates he was still holding.

Pihu, sensing the palpable tension, interjected, "Wait, do you know each other?"

That was all it took for Ritu to lose her temper. Her brows furrowed in abhorrence as she raised her voice, "Know him? I bloody hell loathe him! Because of this uncultured imbecile, my family's reputation is now wavering!" She never took her eyes off Jai while the man stood there quietly. Ritu continued with more detest nonetheless, "So, you work here, I see. So, much to stand before my Dadabhai, huh? A person like you, who comes from...what...some slums, you have some nerves..." Ritu spat, her voice laced with unrestrained fury. "Defaming my brother, spreading those vile lies about his involvement in your grandpa's..." she trailed off, panting faster than usual.

Pihu piped in, "What? Your brother...Abhimanyu? And his grandpa...are you talking about the murder case?" Pihu calculated two and two together and gasped, "You're the grandson of deceased..." she faltered for a second before continuing, "Jagannath Basu. Yeah right. Oh my God," she glanced between Ritu and Jai, then exclaimed, "The whole orphanage scandal is all over the media."

Meanwhile the other customers inside the shop had averted their focus toward their table. What started with a low rumble soon turned a full-fledged murmuring. Even some took out their phones and started recording. By then Pihu had already put on her mask and sunglasses.

Ritu heard the infectious gossips flying around them.

"Look, it's Abhimanyu Roy's sister."

"Oh, I heard, he's been accused with an orphanage owner's murder."

"I heard the trials are still ongoing. They couldn't prove it yet."

"So that's the grandson. He's good looking, eh?"

Meanwhile, Ritu's inside burned with anger and hatred toward the man who was the source of her brother's public humiliation. She couldn't believe her eyes at how Jai's face remained impassive throughout. He remained quiet as he placed the cakes on the table. Ritu's fingers curled into fists on her lap. Without realizing what she was doing she lifted her hand and pushed the plates off the table. They immediately shattered onto the floor with a loud crash. The shards of the broken plates and the crumbs of the cakes scattered around the shop. Those who were sitting close by, leapt onto their feet and let out yelps of surprise.

Pihu hurried to stop her. "Ritu, don't create a scene here. People are watching."

"And I don't give a damn about that!" Ritu shouted.

Raw emotions like anger, bitterness, frustration, resentment-are more prone to expose themselves when you find yourself in the proximity of that person with whom you can be vulnerable. It can be both beautiful and overwhelming. Because raw emotions are spontaneous, they reveal the depths to your soul. By expressing your raw emotions, you provide the person in front of you a glimpse into your innermost world, building a deeper, empathetic bond between the two of you.

On the other hand, Jai stood there quietly, like a steadfast mountain, capable of withstanding the wildfire of her rage. His fists were although curled into balls, but remained quiet. Ritu's eyes roamed over his features in disdain. His built was sturdier with a roughness surrounding it. As if his appearance alone can scream about his background. She scoffed.

"Don't you even possess a little bit of brains? Even with a tiny amount of common-sense people can comprehend this! My Dadabhai is innocent, Oh my God!" She shouted aloud, and spun to face the strangers surrounding them. Her eyes darted toward the life-size glass windows and noticed the growing crowd. They were peeping over each other. What were they trying to see? Huh? How did a businessman's daughter shout? Did she pique their curiosity or was it her brother's infamy? They wanted spice. She'd bloody hell give them spice. "What are y'all staring at huh? All of you want to see his position crumple down. Isn't it? Wouldn't you enjoy that? And you," She stood up hastily, facing Jai. "What's your plan, huh? You want to make a name for yourself against my Dadabhai's infamy? Is that it? You'll never succeed! You hear me? You'll NEVER SUCCEED!"

Jai's lips twitched finally. He held his head high and spoke in a thick voice, "I'd like you to leave the shop immediately."

Ritu flipped out. "Leave? Who the hell are you to tell me that? I'll talk to the owner. Call him! I'll see how you keep working here after all of these damages you've brought upon."

Jai's jaws ticked while he blinked slowly. Once. Twice. His eyes never straying from her face. A brief pause later he said, "The damages are on your account. I can take legal actions..."

Ritu didn't let him finish. "That's all you can do, scoundrel! Your 'legal actions' have ruined my family's reputation!" Ritu's voice rose to a furious upsurge. "You've painted my brother as a criminal without a shred of evidence! What else can you even do?"

Jai exhaled jadedly. His adam's apple bobbed up and down as he responded, "Maybe your precious brother isn't as innocent as you believe. Maybe you're just being blinded by sibling-love."

Ritu's restraint snapped like a brittle twig. She took a step forward and clutched Jai's collar in a fist. Although he towered over her by almost a foot. But that was the least among her bothers. "How dare you? You have no idea what kind of man my brother is. Don't you dare impose your perception on my brother! What do you think of yourself? Huh? Spineless worm! I get it now. All for shoddy fame you're receiving. Isn't it? Don't you like seeing your name making cheap headlines alongside my brother's? Isn't it? Aren't you taking immense pleasure in my brother's infamy? No?"

Jai's brows furrowed. His cool demeanor progressively changing to displeasure. "Miss Roy, are you trying to intimidate me with your dramatics? You aren't succeeding. The truth will come out eventually. For now, I'd prefer you leave my shop immediately."

Ritu's grip on Jai's shirt tightened. "Your shop?" Ritu snorted. "Yeah, right? As if you can afford that much. And you're talking about truth? You mightn't even accept the truth if it comes out and strips you off the trashy fame you've gained. My family is suffering because of you, Jai Basu. You think it's easy for us to stand where we are? We paid the price too!" Ritu shouted those words furiously.

It felt like her chest was trampled by a huge rock and the weight was too heavy to carry. But sure, fate thought all of those battles they fought as a family weren't enough. They needed to face defamation too. Her eyes suddenly burned. It wasn't like she was particularly mad at Jai. She knew he was just an instrument. But still, she couldn't stop herself from spitting fire at his direction. She gritted her teeth and looked into Jai's eyes. His eyes were unusually amber. "We will show you the truth of my brother's innocence. And then...you'll pay for each and every pain...you've caused to my fam-" She couldn't finish her words as a loud noise echoed from outside the shop.

They broke their eye contact and looked toward the life-size windows. Her eyes widened immediately. Camera flashes lit up as soon as she did so. Media vehicles had crowded the area, their intrusive spotlights highlighting her and Jai's close proximity through the windows.

Ritu's heart raced. Apprehension coursed through her veins as the realization of being under the scrutiny of the public eye settled in. She had been so carried away by her outbursts that she almost forgot she could be exposed to the world out there. Now that her mind returned to the present, she noticed countless people recording them through the glass windows. Even the customers inside the shop were all recording the scene overtly. Her breath caught in her throat as the severity of the situation sank in.

The once serene atmosphere of the cake shop, now shattered in the frenzy of camera flashes and noises from the crowd. Several reporters climbed off the vans intending to project their unwelcome spotlight on her life. Panic surged through her making her heart pound frantically against her chest. Her palms grew clammy as she started panting rapidly. Fear and anxiety got the best of her while her gaze darted around, seeking an escape from the relentless public attention. But her vision turned hazy. She couldn't see properly. Her whole body trembled as she felt suffocated by those invasive stares.

But it didn't last for long as Jai, without any warning, caught a hold of her hand that was still clutching a handful of his shirt. She shifted her blurry eyes on him as his resolute gaze locked onto hers. She blinked several times to clear her vision. But it was all in vain. Even she was too afraid to form any words. What if he pushed her to the spotlight making it even more dreadful? What if he took his revenge? It'd be now easier for him with media people swarming over.

But Jai did nothing of that sort. He plucked her hand from his shirt then averted his eyes onto the staffs behind the counter. Her brain was still foggy when she heard him say in a commanding tone, "If Aakash comes, tell him I haven't come to shop today. And clear this mess as soon as possible."

Then he turned toward her. Without a word, he tugged her urgently toward the shop's pantry.

And she let him.

She didn't even have time to think before he took the lead. Once they both were inside the shop's pantry, Jai closed the door behind, cutting off the noise from the media chaos outside. Surrounded by the smell of flour and vanilla, Ritu leaned against a shelf, trying to catch her breath.

Jai stood a few feet away from her. His eyes raking over her from bottom to top and assessed the situation quietly. Then they slowly settled on her face as he asked in a gentle voice, "Are you okay?" She never noticed it before. But his voice is on the thicker side.

She blinked and looked down, shaking her head. Of course, she wasn't anywhere near okay, and she was certain it was fairly visible from her appearance. Her head was a bewildered mess, eyes were burning from the unshed tears and her chest pounded crazily. Moreover, she was stuck with a rival! Of course, she wasn't okay!

Ritu tried speaking but her voice trembled. "I- I didn't realize..." She couldn't finish.

"I know you're worried for your brother." Jai voice was so gentle it was unfair compared to her shaky one. She looked at his way and noticed him standing with his eyes softly looking at her direction. It irked Ritu somehow. He couldn't be pretending chivalrous at a moment like this! How infuriating! When she didn't respond, he added carefully, "We might be enemies, but I won't harm you. Don't worry." His eyes averted from her face as he extended her walking stick toward her. She didn't see how he had brought that from outside. Now that her eyes fell on that petty object, her mind picked on the feeling of numbness in her legs that lacked the minimum strength to be standing tall unsupported these days. The realization seemed to work its trick reminding her of her vulnerable state.

As unfortunate as this day could further go, atthat precise moment, her legs gave out and crumbled beneath her.