Author's pov

Last night's event still haunts her. She tried to be strong, but still, it's haunting her. The whole night, she was crying. She never faced such things in her life; there was always the protective shelter of her grandparents or her brother over her head, and now that she is far away from home, no one is here for her. She is feeling all alone. She understands that she can't live her whole life under their wings, but there are still things we want in our lives to be like they always are.

The new morning brings new hope, so she told herself, 'no more tears' but she is not feeling well. That's why she decided to take a day off.

She knows she owes Henry one, and she will thank him.

The same time, Namrita barged, "Hey, I'm so sorry about last night."

She didn't reply. So Namrita continued, "Please forgive me. We shouldn't leave you alone."

Tears started flowing as Niagara falls from her eyes. Namrita embraces her in her arms, gently rubs her back, and tries to calm her.

"I... told...told....you...i-i....don't........want.. to...go..why...did...you...take....me." She said it between hiccups.

"Sorry, Sammii, please."

"Sorry, dii?? What if... what if anything happens? What if he does something to me? What can I do? Where would I go?" She questioned the thing that had been haunting her the whole night.

"Please, I know that was scary for you, but listen to me, you are the strongest person I ever knew," Namrita said while holding her face in her palms.

"No, I'm not." She cried. "I am not."

"Don't say it like that, Sammii." Namrita pleaded.

"Nhii dii mai kya ker lindi j Henry na anda? Kya kerdi mai? Thonu pta sab di gallan sach ho jandi k mai ghar too dur ja k kuch ni ker saki hor ta hor j kuch bura. Oh,  I can't even think about what will happen.
(No, dii, what would I do if Henry didn't come?)? What would I do? You know their statements will come true—that I couldn't do anything away from my home, and moreover, that if something bad happens, oh, I can't even think about what will happen.)"

The main door is open, so Henry comes in, and he is listening to everything. He doesn't understand her last words, which were in a foreign language. Her state is killing him. It's like someone is poking thousands of thorns in his heart. This feeling is completely new to him, and he can't understand what is happening to him. All he wants at that time is to go and kill that bastard who hurt her. He never imagined that he would ever see her in such a condition. He had always seen her as confident and strong, like a tigress.

Namrita apologizes to her again and begs her not to cry. Then a soft but husky voice echoed, and they both saw in his direction.

"Can I talk to her, Ms. Kohli?" He asked.

Namrita nodded and left them. Hannah had some class tests; that's why she left early, so now Henry and Samriddhi are all alone.

Samriddhi hesitated, but Namrita assured her, "It's ok, I'll be back."

Samriddhi wiped her tears with her backhand and sat there quietly. When he handed her a glass of water, she took it and mumbled a soft thank-you.

He sits beside her with a safe distance between them.

"I'm sorry."
"Thank you."

They both said it at the same time, but she continued without letting him persuade him further. "Thank you so much, Mr. Brown, for last night." She tried to be strong, but a lump started to form in her throat, so she took a deep breath before speaking further.

"If you didn't come last night, I don't know what will happen to me. Thank you so much for saving my life." She thanked him.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Samriddhi." He apologized out of guilt.

She was confused. "Why are you apologizi...." 

He didn't let her complete it and said, "Because I'm responsible for that."

"Huh?" She is still confused.

He closed his eyes and exhaled visibility, then said. "Yes, that's my fault; somehow I'm responsible too. That was my brother Richard, who tried to prank you, but things got a little out of hand......"

"HOW DARE YOU?????!!!!!!!" She didn't let him complete his so-called apology and stood up, shouting from her place.

"Let me..."

"What???? Did anything leave to do?" She cut him off again.

"No, it's not like that; just at least let me complete." He tried to justify himself.

"Do you have any idea what kind of sick prank that was? How could you even call it a prank?? It would ruin someone's life and reputation." She asked rged.

"Plea........"

"NO, GET OUT OF MY HOUSE RIGHT NOW.!!!!!!! STAY AWAY FROM ME."
She is fuming in anger. How could they do this?

"At least listen to me. You are not even trying to understand." He was pleading to explain his side.

"Understand? Seriously!!!!!! I don't know what the hell is going on in your mind, but leave me alone; otherwise, you have no idea what I can do to you. I'm not a fragile, helpless woman who will just bear whatever you do to me.
I'd prefer to kill you than suffer in silence. I'm done with your annoyance in my life. Stay away from me. I'm not scared of you. You are a billionaire in your own home; don't even think for a nanosecond that you could intimidate me.
Get out," she said with anger and gritted teeth.

Henry knew she was hurt, so he didn't drag this out further, so he apologized and left, "I'm sorry."

She is pissed right now. How could they do that and prank my foot? She is hurt and feels all alone. She was thankful to God for sending Henry to help her. But now she is mad. "What did they think of themselves if they were rich?" she is thinking. "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have let him enter my place. It's all my fault." She started blaming herself.

The whole day was spent crying and overthinking. Her head is aching badly, and her eyes are hurting too because of crying, so she decided to have a strong cup of her favorite Indian tea.

"How can gods be too cruel?" She groaned in pain when she found out they were out of milk and cardamom; they are both important ingredients for her tea, so she headed towards the grocery store.

The store is near, so she decided to take a walk. She thought someone was following her. She stopped and turned, but she found no one. She thought it might be a misperception, but she didn't bother and did her shopping.

But when she was coming back, she saw in a nearby car's rearview mirror that someone was following her.

Panic rushed through her system; she increased her speed and, without glancing back, hurriedly walked to reach home. When she was near her home, she literally ran and stumbled onto something very hard.

"I'm sorry." She mumbled hurriedly and tried to cross without even glancing at the person with whom she just collided.

"Are you okay? What happened?" Listening to a known voice laced with worry, she glanced at the person and angrily took two steps back.

It's Henry.

"None of your business." She tried to pass him, but he came again in her way.

"You are not looking alright." He asked concerned.

"I said leave me alone," she answered with a clenched jaw.

She didn't tell him anything, and she left. Hannah is already home. When she saw her panting heavily, she worriedly asked, "Hey, are you okay?"

"No." Samriddhi answerd panicked.

"What happened?" Now Hannah was worried too.

"Someone is following me. What if that's him?" She is scared.

"Who?" Hannah asked confused.

"The person from last night." She is stuttering.

"No, that's impossible; Henry took care of him. Don't worry. " Hannah said while trying relax her.

But after listening to Henry's name, she shoots up from her place in fuming anger and says, "I hate him, and don't you dare to let him take a foot inside my house."

She barged into her room.

Hannah called Henry, and he told her everything. Hannah is really angry at Richard right now and somehow blames herself for being the reason for her guardian angel's misery.

The whole night was restless for all of them, but early in the morning Hannah got up from her deep slumber because of her phone.

Without seeing the caller ID, she picked up the call and answered in her sleepy morning voice, "HEELLOOO."

"Hannah, don't let Samriddhi see today's newspaper, and if possible, don't let her go anyway."

That is Henry on the other side, and his restless but concerned voice flew her all sleepiness, so she asked worriedly, "What's wrong?"

Before she could ask further, he said, "Just do as I told you."

Then he cut the call. She got up at lightning speed and found today's newspaper. "Thank God Samriddhi is still sleeping," she thought, picking up the newspaper, and her eyes widened in shock and horror at what she saw.

She instantly threw the newspaper in the trash can; she doesn't let Sammii see it under any circumstances.

Samriddhi enters with her morning tea and asked,

"Hey, did you see the newspaper?"

"I don't know. I never read that you should know. Why are you asking me?" Hannah said hurriedly.

She frowned at her strange behavior and then said,.

"I just asked. I think you should sleep a little more because you didn't complete your beauty nap. That's why you're behaving weirdly in the early morning. Go to sleep."

"No, I'm fine. Hey, let's just take a day off and have a girl's day out—no, I mean day in."

She is already stressed, and Hannah's weird behavior irritates her.

Before she could say anything to Hannah, Namrita barged in with a newspaper in her hand and asked Samriddhi, "Hey, are you okay? It's none of your fault, and remember, we are always with you."

"Huh???"

That's all Samriddhi replied that she had no idea what Namrita was talking about.

"The news..." Namrita didn't complete it because Hannah was shaking her head to not tell her, and Samriddhi saw her actions.

"What news?" Samriddhi asked.

"It's nothing," Namrita replied.

"Show me the newspaper." Samriddhi demanded.

"Hey, she said it's nothing, so leave it, and oh, Namrita is also here; let's plan something for today." Hannah tried to change the topic.

But Samriddhi snatched the newspaper from her hand and saw what was in the newspaper but what she saw, It broke her. Tears started flowing from her eyes.

She looks toward Hannah and Nimii, then at the paper again. They both tried to console her, but angrily, she left her apartment, got inside her car, and drove insanely.

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