Folding her hands behind herself, Ira rocked sideways, cheekily smiling at Amber and Hamlet, who stood infront of her with a frown.

"Ira, would you mind opening your mouth and letting us know the reason behind this 'urgent' meeting of yours?" Amber asked with gritted teeth, air quoting the word 'urgent'. Hamlet shot her a glare at the way she spoke to Ira, but she stood unfazed.

"Errr..." Ira looked down, dramatically blushing. She snapped her head after a few good seconds and held Amber's left hand and Hamlet's right one in hers.

"You both are Angels, sent by the Almighty direct from heaven. Your intelligence and manipulating skills are so amazing that a book most be written on that" Ira spoke looking at them, sounding too genuine to be believed.

Amber pulled her hand back in anger whereas Hamlet was confused as hell.

"What's the matter, Ira?" He couldn't help but asked.

"I was waiting for this question" Ira giggled letting go of his hand, making Amber roll her eyes.

"You both so beautifully knocked some sense in my dumb brain that I...." She stopped, trying to create some suspense, which strangely worked. Amber and Hamlet were impatiently looking at her with wide eyes, wanting to hear further.

"I told Ehan that I'm in love with him" Ira said suddenly, excitement dancing in her eyes and voice. Hamlet and Amber's eyes widened more than before and they exchanged looks of panick.

"And.... What did Ehan say?" Amber asked after a complete minute of silence. She looked at Hamlet thinking he wanted to know the same but he already looked defeated, knowing very well about Ehan's answer. He shut his eyes tight and walked away.

"Forget him. Tell me what Ehan said?" Amber said, still hoping for a miracle.

Ira gestured her to come closer so she could tell the secret in her ear and like a puppet, she did.

"Why should I tell you?" Ira screamed her lungs out in Amber's ear, making her flinch and pull herself away in a second. She rubbed her ear, glaring at Ira who just laughed. It took her few seconds to get rid of the buzzing noise in her ear.

"Are you crazy? You have no brains nor the beauty. I'm sure Ehan must have rejected you. There's no way he's gonna choose someone like you over me. You filthy piece of sh..." She abruptly stopped, spotting Ehan behind Ira. His eyes blazing fire, burning holes on her. Amber gulped before turning to leave as a flash.

Ira smiled at Ehan and walked to him. "Let's go, have lunch" said Ira, pulling him by his arm.

"What rubbish was she speaking and why were you quiet?" He questioned in annoyance. He wished he could teach Amber a lesson right at that moment.

"Forget it. This is nothing. She told me more things earlier. Not only she, but that Helmet too. He is such a..." Ira stopped, thinking of a right word to describe him.

"What did he do?" Ehan asked suspiciously, narrowing his eyes.

"He made me feel so insecure of myself, always speaking about Amber's beauty. Sometimes he talks about her hair colour and sometimes about her eyes, lips, smile, intelligence and even height. Can you believe that?" Ira spoke with seriousness dripping from her face. Ehan was puzzled to hear that.

"Why would he say that?" He asked, unable to stop himself.

"Just to make me feel that she's a perfect match for you. And I was so dumb that I believed it at one point" Ira huffed.

"You're unbelievable, Ira. You took Hamlet's words seriously?" Ehan asked in disbelief.

"You don't know how manipulative he is. He made me feel so sick of myself that I cried to sleep one night, grieving in advance that I'm gonna lose you" she confessed with a frown on her face, as if reminiscing the pain.

"Are you even for real, you silly?" He pulled her closer by her arm, encircling his hands around her.

"I was scared of losing you" she confessed in a small voice, making him weak.

"You're crazy" he hit his head against hers and added, "But perfect the way you are. You'll never lose me". His words brought a huge smile on her face.

"And I love you" he said further, staying still.

"I love you too, this much" she stepped back and spread her arms, making him laugh.

She quickly straightened herself, noticing other students looking at them as they pass by, which made Ehan laugh harder. Holding his arm, she dragged him away, trying to hide her flushed cheeks.

---

Ira came out of Mr James's cabin, giving him the file Ms Bella asked her to. She checked her mobile and it was almost time for her working hours to get over and Ehan would soon be there to pick her up. Wearing a wide smile, Ira made her way back to Ms Bella. What made her stop on her tracks was Hamlet, who stood leaning on a wall, staring blankly in space. He was still in school uniform which shows that he didn't left the campus after lunch.

Not wanting to spoil her mood by talking to him, Ira decided to ignore him and walked ahead.

"He's not what you think he is" he said abruptly, making Ira sigh. A smile crept her lips as she made her way towards him and stood folding her arms across her chest.

"What is he then?" She asked in a casual tone.

"You better ask him" Hamlet didn't meet her eyes as he said, looking elsewhere.

"I don't need to. He himself confessed everything. He being rich and his parents being alive" Ira shrugged and Hamlet's eyes snapped at her. The way he straightened himself and looked at her showed how stunned he was to know that his last card is of no use now.

He felt frustrated. He did things he never imagined, just to get her. He ignored his subconscious and played dirty to manipulate her. He let out Ehan's secret which he promised himself never to spill. It was another thing that Ira already knew about it.

Clenching his fist, he turned to face the other side.

He snorted and looked at Ira, who was about to leave, "You know what Ira? Things are looking quite easy for you now. But you'll regret soon"

She shot him a glare, ready to snap him but he spoke before her, "you're quite young right now. As you'll grow up, you'll realise how big of a mistake you've made"

"Listen, you Helmet...." Ira stepped forward and pointed her index finger at him, gritting her teeth.

"There's a world of difference between you and Ehan, Ira. His standards have no match to yours. People will add a tag to your name; 'a gold digger'. And his parents, you think they'll accept yo..." Hamlet was spitting poison from his mouth when someone grabbed him by his collar and shoved onto the wall. He didn't even processed anything when a punch landed on his face.

"Ehan, stop" Ira yelled, pulling the angry Ehan away from Hamlet.

To say Ira was shocked would be understatement. The calm and peaceful Ehan was angry to an extent that he hit someone.

Hamlet was about to strike back but Ehan pushed him away and pinned him with his elbow on his neck. They were looking at eachother as if they were gonna killl one another.

"Stop stuffing nonsense in her brain. You know I can make you regret" said Ehan, letting Hamlet go. He held Ira's hand, who looked scared by the scene occurred a few seconds ago.

Hamlet let out a bitter laugh, straightening his uniform coat. Throwing a venomous glare, turned to leave when Ehan spoke, "This is not you, Hamlet. You still have time. Change yourself. You might end up losing yourself otherwise"

"Let's go" he softly said to Ira, who nodded and they both walked away, leaving Hamlet keep staring at their retreating backs. He clenched his fist and jaw in anger and kicked the railing behind. His eyes brimmed with tears as he leaned back, keeping his clenched fist over his broken heart.

He felt broken and betrayed; by himself. He felt like a victim here but if only he had any idea about the impact of his words on Ira's mind.

---

Shutting the washroom door behind herself, Ira leaned on it closing her eyes. As much as she was trying to take things easy, they are getting difficult for her. She was so content after Ehan's sweet gesture of shifting to the cottage for her and his honest words warmed her heart. She forgot about all her worries and discomfort.

But now, she was bothered again.

You'll be named as a gold digger.

She shut her eyes for a few seconds before walking to the washbasin and splashing some water on her face.

She never cared about other's opinions on her. She was never one of those people. But now, all of the sudden things seemed different. She felt worried. Worried about other's thoughts on her and Ehan's relationship.

Ehan has every idea about it. He paced outside, waiting for Ira to come out after freshening up so that he could talk to her.

She came out after few minutes, trying her best to look normal. She forced a smile at him, grabbing her things. They went to Ehan's cottage, barely talking on the way.

As they shut the door behind, Ehan held Ira's hand, walking to the sofa in the hall. She dropped her bag as he made her sit. He kneeled infront of her, looking in her eyes whilst she refused make eye-contact.

"You okay?" He asked and she nodded, forcing a smile which didn't reached her eyes.

He held both her hands in his and kissed them one by one, which made her look at him, forgetting about everything in a moment.

"What other's think doesn't matter, does it?" He asked. She just gulped in reply, lowering her eyes.

"And talking about my parents, they won't give a damn about my life, I assure you. Not like I'll act in their accord even if they do so"

Bending herself to his level, Ira sneaked her hands around Ehan's neck and spoke, "I trust you, Ehan. I trust you more than myself. But I'm just worried abou..."

He kissed her cheek, not letting her finish. Her breathe caught in her throat at his sudden gesture. He pulled away, creating a couple of inches distance between them and looked at her, who had her eyes closed and cheeks rosy.

"Don't be worried about anything, love. I'm here. Just leave things upto me. I promise, I'll handle everything" he caressed her soft cheek with his thumb as he spoke in whispers.

She smiled, as a relieve washed over her heart. Pulling him a little closer, she hugged him, making a wide smile spread across his face as he hugged her back, nuzzling in her hair.

---

Amber's face was the first thing Ehan's sight caught as he entered his classroom. Instead of ignoring her like always, he walked to her. She didn't looked like everyday. She looked grumpy and tired. She lift her eyes to find him standing right infront of her, which took her by surprise.

She stood up quickly, looking in his eyes.

"There's something on your face" he said, pocketing his hands.

First, she didn't got what he said and when she finally got it, she touched her face, trying to wipe it.

"Lemme help you" he offered, surprising her again. Her already wide eyes widened even more as he pulled his hand out from his pocket and wiped her forehead with his thumb. She could feel butterflies in her stomach as his hand travelled to her cheeks one by one after nose. He dabbed on her chin at the last.

"Hmm. You look good now" he smiled and she grinned like a fool as a new hope rose in her.

Pressing his lips together, he made his way to his seat and sat down. Through out the hour, Amber couldn't stop smiling. So many things were running in her mind. Most of them were about Ehan and Ira's break-up. She was so lost that she didn't realise the strange glances she was getting from her classmates, nor the giggles followed by that. Even Mr Kim stopped talking for a couple of seconds and frowned deeply as his eyes landed on her.

Once the bell rang, Amber ran behind Ehan to talk to him.

"Hey! Ehan..." She blocked his way.

Ehan stopped and looked behind her, "Hey, Hamlet. Come here"

Amber turned to find Hamlet, who stood with an angry face, glaring at Ehan.

"Come here" Ehan said and his jaw clenched. He made his way to him, his angry eyes not leaving Ehan's face.

"You know what, Amber? Hamlet is a big fan of yours" Ehan stated, making Amber confuse.

"Ehan..." Hamlet tried to stop him but Ehan cut him off, "He knows every little thing about you. He has observed you precisely, not missing even tiny details about your beauty. From your hair, eyes, smile and height to your intelligence, everything. l doubt, he secretly admires you. Isn't it, Hamlet?" Ehan wiggled his eyebrows at Hamlet, who looked slightly embarrassed, making Amber face him.

Hamlet, who was cursing Ehan under his breath, looked at Amber from his periphery, only to get startled. His eyes widened as soon as they landed on Amber's black patches filled face. His nose scrunched and he took a step back, looking at her with disgust.

"What is he saying?" Amber asked him.

"He's speaking nonsense. I didn't said those things. Even if I did, I would like to reconsider my opinion and take my words back" Hamlet said, disgust evident in his eyes and tone.

He was about to leave but Ehan stopped him by holding his arm. "Beauty is not about a pretty face, Hamlet. Beauty lies within oneself. I'm sure you know this. You're better than what you're being these days. Change your ways. You still have time"

Ehan and Hamlet looked at eachother, in a rebellious way until Amber spoke in an arrogant tone, "What do you mean, Ehan?"

"Face a mirror, you'll know" Ehan let go of Hamlet's hand and Amber pulled out a mirror from her bag.

She gasped looking at the horrible patches on her face.

"Oh my God!" She yelled and was about to run away but Ehan blocked her way, "I'm sorry about this. But you have to understand that beauty is not everything. You'll lose it eventually. It's your pure heart, true intentions and good behaviour which matters"

Amber looked around to notice people giving her yucky looks. She grit her teeth and was about to leave when Ehan spoke again, "Ira and I are in love with eachother. Get this straight and clear, and stay away from her. It'll be better for both of you" his tone was calm but words were firm. It sounded as if he was warning them.

Amber rushed out of there with eyes filled with tears, other than Ehan's words, she was worried about her face whereas Hamlet shot Ehan a glare before leaving.

Ehan tried to warn them as calmly as he could, hoping they'll get it and change their ways.

---

After the encounter with Ehan, Hamlet didn't felt like attending the next class. His mind was a mess and heartache wasn't ready subside since yesterday. He walked on the ground, looking at the grass beneath his shoes. As he kept walking, he heard someone sniffing behind a tree. He ignored it but he heard a sob next, which made him frown and he walked there, only to find Amber seated on a bench under tree shade and crying her eyes out, wiping her tears and running nose with a tissue. There were many dirty tissue scattered around her.

He sighed, dropping his bag beside her and sat down. Amber thought he was going to console her but no, he kept looking ahead of him with an emotionless face.

"I shouldn't have joined this school" she spoke, knowing that he's not going say anything.

She was expecting him to speak atleast now but he still was quiet. She cried even more, releasing her nasal fluid in the tissue. Hamlet cringed at the sound and shifted a little. She sniffed, throwing the tissue away.

"Okay. Now stop crying like a baby. It's just a phase of life. There's no point in crying over the loss of something we never actually gained. We have to get through this and I'm sure, we can" Hamlet said in a monotonous tone, which strangely sounded good to Amber's ear. She pulled out another tissue, nodding.

"You're right. We should move on" Amber tried to smile at him.

"Better. Now you go your way and I'll go mine" he said harshly, getting up to grab his bag and left.

"How rude" muttered Amber, throwing the tissue in annoyance.

He might not say how he was feeling but Amber had the idea what he must be going through, which was the single thing which connected them.

---

Assalamualaikum everyone,

How was the chapter?

The first part of this story is coming to an end. Just a few more chapters to go.

Now I need your opinions,

Should I continue the second part in this book itself? or

Should I make a sequel of it just like Mairim's story?

Do lemme know your views. InshaAllah, will finalise my decision according your opinions.