The moment I opened my eyes slightly, all of the events that had occurred from the moment I had made Sandhya think of herself as a villain in her friends' lives to the moment she protected me, seemed like a memory from long ago.

Yesterday's encounter with my assaulter was still fresh in my mind, but unlike earlier, I didn't feel any kind of anger or frustration. Instead, I felt peace.

For a moment I doubted if I had died, but Ved's touch on my shoulder assured me that I was still alive.

The gloomy white hospital room with matching furniture and equipments was not strange to me. Not to forget the guilty looks on my parents' faces, who just like past, had nothing else to say other than 'sorry'.

My grandpa brushed my hair soothingly and accompanied my parents out of the room after I had completely woken up. It had become a routine for him.

My parents were alive, but I did not want to have any connections with them. My grandpa was enough for me.

"Can we talk to him, Doctor?" I heard a deep voice that belonged to a police officer standing in my hospital room's door.

The doctor nodded, and I glanced at Ved. He was stoic. He gave me a small smile, but instead of assuring me, that smile made a bad feeling rise in me.

"Is she dead?!" I shouted.

Was Sandhya dead? Was the police here to announce the bad news? Where was she?

"She is not dead, Ayush," Ved said.

If she wasn't dead, then why did he sound so sad? Was he trying to hide the truth from me?

"She is... dead... because of me..., isn't she?" I cried, my body trembling as I tried to sit up.

"Ayush, Sandhya is alive. She is resting in another room, so please calm down," Grandpa told me as he entred the room after sending off my parents.

Before I could accuse him of lying, he shook his head and gestured the police officer to continue with his investigation. It was only after the police officer ended his investigation that I 99% believed that Sandhya was alive.

Knock! Knock!

"Come in," Ved said.

Slowly, the door opened. When Sandhya's bright face came into view, I breathed in relief.

"You are alive," I mumbled.

I was confident that I wouldn't cry, but my tears made their way down on my face, synchronising with Sandhya's slow steps towards me. Her smile faded when she saw me bawling my eyes out. She sat down lightly beside me.

"As long as the Red Ranger is here, what do you have to fear?" Sandhya joked.

She wiped my tears and ruffled my hair like she did when we were kids.

My best friend was alive and she wasn't angry with me.

"It is all my fault," I said. "You wouldn't have been in that situation if it wasn't for me. First Ved, and now you. I am really an omen."

Sandhya tightly clutched my hand. "No, Ayush, don't blame yourself. I protected you because I wanted to."

She turned to Ved, and he nodded. "Yes, you are not at fault, bro, I am."

Sandhya's smile vanished when Ved blamed himself. She opened her mouth to say something, but I beat her to that.

"No, bro, how can you say that? You have always protected me, but what have I ever done for you?" I questioned sadly.

Sandhya again opened her mouth to counterattack, but Ved grasped my shoulder and stared at me accusingly. "Never say that, bro. You don't bring give and takes between us. I should have been there for you. I left you alone."

"No, Ved, it is my fault!"

"No, Ayush, I failed in protecting you."

This kept going on for a few more seconds before Sandhya ran out of patience.

"Cut it out both of you!" she shouted hoarsely.

She didn't let us utter a single word in argument. "Before both of you start again, none of us are at fault here, okay? Neither you, Ayush, nor you, Ved, and nor me. Get that? The person at fault will rot in jail, and we will live in peace. So please stop this blame game before I unleash my fury."

"Get better before you do that," Ved mumbled under his breath with a small smile.

Though he looked relaxed in front of Sandhya, I knew a lot of emotions were sailing in his heart. His eyes were stuck on my bestfriend, and I knew if I wasn't in the room, he would have first flicked her on the forehead and then hugged the hell out of her.

I knew he loved her. Since when? Well, maybe the first day of our primary school? Sounds unbelievable, right? What do small kids know about love? We also didn't, but as we grew up, I realised that Ved had been in love with Sandhya all along.

I know he would deny it, but he can't hide the ultimate truth from a person who has witnessed everything.

You may not call it love since we were in primary school, but maybe it was the start of it?

Sandhya, sporting boycut hair with a huge smirk, making her entrance into our classroom at the last moment, while Ved looking at her in disgust and putting his bag beside him on the first bench to avoid Sandhya. And Sandhya still pushing the bag and sitting beside Ved. Every memory was crystal clear.

Ved made it look like he hated the new addition in our lives, but he was actually intrigued by her since the first day.

And now, seeing that caring look without any filter on Ved's face made me happy. Finally, he had his guards down and nodded like a kid when Sandhya scolded us for putting ourselves at fault for all the things that had happened.

"I am glad you are fine. You should go and rest," I said.

"I don't want to leave but I guess my body is telling me to go back to bed," Sandhya said while yawning.

She patted the back of my left hand and got up to leave. She started walking towards the door, and I noticed Ved standing like a statue, staring at her like a lost puppy.

I nudged him with my elbow, and he painstakingly teared his eyes away from her to look at me.

"Go," I said in a low voice.

Ved hesitated. "I will stay here."

A huge wave of guilt washed over me. I knew I didn't need to start the blame game again, but seeing Ved's dilemma made me want to go back in time and punch the shit out of my past self. I wasn't only torturing myself but my bestfriend too. I had to make things right.

"Go, man. Please don't hurt yourself anymore," I said. "I have grandpa here. Sandhya needs you too."

Ved's face brightened up a bit. "I will be back soon," he said as he moved towards Sandhya at lightening speed.

"You don't have to!" I shouted and winked at Ved.

Before Ved left with Sandhya, I saw a hint of blush on Ved's face.

"They look good together," Grandpa commented.

"Yup."

For the first time in 9 years, my body was relaxed and so was my mind. Seeing Ved and Sandhya banter and make up with each other forcibly had been one of the favourite parts of my childhood, but now I wanted them to be with each other forever.

As if on cue, my eyes started drooping, and eventually, I fell asleep. I had a very wonderful dream too.

In my dream, me and my best friends had received a call of help from a nearby town. I put down my gaming console and removed my spectacles from my face. I heard voices of Sandhya and Ved arguing from upstairs of our hideout.

Being used to it, I didn't waste my time and put on my Yellow battle suit. Soon, I heard loud footsteps coming downstairs. I shook my head as we were again going to be late on our mission.

"Guys, please hurry up," I grumbled.

"We are ready."

I turned around and my eyes widened like saucers. In front of me was not one, but two Red Rangers.

"What the-" I cursed.

"Let's go, Ayush, the world is waiting for us," Sandhya said.

I shook my head in disbelief when Ved said that he didn't want to argue with Sandhya anymore, so he bought her the new Red Ranger suit as a gift.

Sandhya stood in the middle as Ved and I flanked on her either sides. Sandhya glanced at us proudly and shouted.

"Power Rangers, Assemble!"