*Riddhi Pov*

"Your boyfriend is in trouble." One of the co-worker whispered, making me glance up from the work I am doing with arranging the items properly in the shelves.

"Oh no!" I whispered before moving towards the other side of the store hoping it is not big today.

It's been one month since the college started and I thought he would be settled into the job easily, but he is just not liking that he has to take orders at all and always rebelling towards the manager.

"I asked you to arrange the items I have sent a ten minutes ago. What are you doing here?" I heard the manager asking with a raised voice.

"I am helping the customers." Shiv's curt reply can be heard even while I am little far away.

"You are not helping them. You are time passing with them and I don't think you should work here anymore." I panicked hearing those words and immediately reached beside them to see our new friends or shall I say his close friends are standing near him.

"You are fired." Manager ordered before I could open my mouth to argue and then saw Shiv and the others grinning.

"With pleasure!" he said, saluting him and started walking away while smiling at me.

"Let's go!" he added, holding my hand.

"She still has work to do." Manager said stopping Shiv.

"If I don't work here, then even she will not. No one would want to work below a tyrant who behaves like he owns the whole store." Shiv retorted and started dragging me.

"I will come within a second." I whispered to which he nodded and walked out with his friends.

"I am so sorry, Sir. But please don't remove him from the job." I said the moment I reached near the manager.

"He was never for the job like this, Riddhi. He doesn't like taking orders and you know the part-time jobs will always be like this. I would have liked if you stay and work, but I know he is your boyfriend. However, take the money for the extra week you both worked." He said walking towards his small office and I felt tears pricked feeling terror thinking what to do now.

I walked outside to see the four of them laughing and joking around, but why am I not finding anything to laugh about it.

"What happened again? I hope he didn't accept to your request to tame me back." Shiv said pulling me to him with a smile.

"What will we do now?" I asked in a whisper.

"Anything but not this and I will search something for us. I would have bared some more, but I don't know why I couldn't do it at all." He whispered back placing a kiss on my forehead.

"Oh please! I am still in shock that you worked here for this long, bearing all those insults. As far as I know you wouldn't stay for a day at all." Sailu said rolling her eyes.

"And you guessed right, but this woman here knows how to persuade me, you see." Shiv said pecking my cheek.

"Anyway, this is the time for the party. You finally got your freedom." Sailu said and the remaining two accepted.

"Are you cool with it?" Shiv asked, turning towards me when I stayed silent in his arms.

"I need to go to the flat." I replied, stepping back and started walking still in shock and fear regarding what to do next.

What if we don't find some work which will not pay much like this? Why are his friends hell bent in flattering him and making him do stupid things?

Like last week they all didn't attend the classes together so that they can go to a mall as they were feeling bored. However, as they left in the middle of the college and before the principle's eyes, they got a punishment which they laughed off.

I know that the enjoyment is important, but we are at a crucial point now. Our parents didn't call us at all and didn't talk when we called them.

"I will come with you." I got startled when I felt an arm circling my waist and body pressed to my side.

"What about the party?" I asked him frowning.

"You are upset, right? How can I go to the party?" he asked, shaking his head and we silently reached the flat.

"We need to search for jobs tomorrow." I said arranging our bags properly and started walking towards the kitchen.

"Why don't we take rest for a few days? We still have money for two months for sure." He said following me and hugged me from behind while I started arranging the milk for some coffee.

"And if we don't have any earned now then we will have nothing after that." I said leaning back in his hold.

"Fine! We will go to the mall." He said, nodding before placing a kiss on my shoulder.

"No! We will go to the large ice-cream parlor." I said, knowing well the mall will be nothing but trouble with his friends.

However, they may not come to the parlor, much with nothing but calories present in that place. He waited for a few minutes before nodding to my request.

I smiled and turned around in his hold after turning off the stove and held him passing my hands around his neck.

"So, you have forgiven me." He mumbled brushing his lips with mine.

"Yes!" I mumbled back before diving into his kiss forgetting everything else until we heard my phone ringing.

"My parents?" I asked him in shock before rushing towards the living room in rush not caring what I am getting hit with.

"Hello!" I said, lifting the call without looking anywhere with trembling hands.

"Why did you run away from the house, Riddhi?" I heard the question, but I had to blink for a few minutes before I can get any word out.

"Girish Uncle?" I asked in shock that he called me.

"I didn't know why was your father sad and thought he was missing you. But he reluctantly said you left the house with your lover. Why did you run away?" he asked again.

"I didn't run away from anywhere, Uncle. He didn't want me in the house feeling anger and I already had to come to California for studies. I am at my university itself, Uncle." I replied before sitting on the chair nearer to me.

"With the guy?" he inquired and I replied in positive.

"Is he worth to hurt your parents?" he asked after a few minutes.

"Nothing is worth hurting the parents, but I know my sadness will also hurt them the same or even more. So, I chose the happiness on which I have confidence and also know that they will forgive me any time soon." I replied closing my eyes.

"I too wish for the same as I can't see my friend like this anymore. Take care of yourself and ask me if you need any help." He said to which I thanked him before hanging up.

"Are you ok?" I heard the question, but couldn't open my eyes.

"He is sad." I whispered slowly after which I felt him lifting me slowly to which I calmly held to him feeling tired.

"Look at me." He asked after placing me on our bed and laid beside me.

I turned to see him staring into my eyes while caressing my face. I caressed his back understanding I really can't do anything about my worries.

"Everything will be fine and even if it would be not then I will be there to make sure it is." He promised to which I felt my eyes filling up and hugged him tightly.

"I know! I trust you." I whispered after which he rubbed my back until I drifted off into sleep.

*Shiv Pov*

"What do you mean you can't come to party while you said you will come after dropping her?" Sailu literally screeched from the other side of the phone.

"There is some problem and I really can't come even though I wish to." I said sighing.

"What is the problem?" she asked with an impatient tone.

"Riddhi is just little sad and she needs me here." I replied and turned to see her sleeping peacefully but with tiredness.

"Oh for god's sake! Where did you find such emotionally weak person from? Can't she handle something with strongness instead of always needing someone to hold?" Sailu outburst made me nothing but frown with irritation.

"Be careful what you say about her." I warned to which she gasped.

"You know what? Go to hell." She said hanging up while I frowned in confusion.

After an hour I glanced at my mobile to see Sam calling and lifted it calmly saying, "What is it?"

"Did you say something to Sailu? Because she is literally killing us." He said making me sigh.

"She was talking something about Riddhi and I reacted to it." I said shrugging to myself.

"I never thought you to be heartless, Shiv. Don't you know she was already hurt to know the person she likes is already in a relationship and now you are hurting her with your words." He babbled but I stilled in my place.

"She likes me?" I asked him with shock covering my features.

"Of course and she needs time to move one. So, it is better if you don't be harsh on her." He suggested before hanging up.

He is right about that! I thought, frowning, not believing his words because how can she even like me. I mean most of the boys in our class and even college are falling behind her literally.

I sighed and called her which she lifted after I tried two times. I stared at Riddhi thinking should I even apologize too Sailu. Because she said some wrong things right.

"What is it?" Sailu asked and I know the hurt voice.

"I am sorry!" I replied before I could say anything else.

"It's ok! I shouldn't have cared how your girlfriend's nature is at all." She said and I immediately opened my mouth to defend Riddhi but then remembered Sam's words.

"Anyway, what are you doing?"I asked, changing the topic and talked to her some time before hanging up.

I rubbed my forehead, feeling little guilty for not setting her straight when she talked something bad against Riddhi. But she doesn't know right and will never know about this incident for which I need not feel guilty.

With that thought I felt better and joined her on the bed before drifting off into sleep holding her.

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hey guys there will be no update fr tomorrow as i will be out of station and maybe even day after tommorow and i am rushing with this update as i must be leaving...

Anyway, how is the chap?

comment plz and vote...