Just before we start, I have a small announcement to make!

I have won Second Place in the Pertichor Awards for 'The Fallen Star' by The_clouds_community. I am so ecstatic to receive and this is my first ever award. It feels so surreal. I am so excited about this award...

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After a few minutes of shouting and trial, Maya finally managed to get him inside the car on her lap. Her friends too were so shocked to see Rudra like that.

With the acidic drops surfacing her face, she muttered under her mask,

"I hate you for doing this to me!"

Maya was so helpless at this moment. These 6 months have indeed been a testing time for their friendship. She didn't expect him to betray her but at the same time, the reasons were also immaculate.

Staring at his head which was bleeding, his chest and legs were super-spreaders of blood. She let her tears out as she held his body closer to her bump...

As they reached the hospital, Rudra was soon shifted to a stretcher with Maya being by his side. When she released his hand, it fell abruptly making her scared. He was taken into the operation theatre...

Tapping her feet impatiently amidst the silent corner, she felt scared. With the nurses and a few machines running into the theatre, she couldn't help but get up and peep into the operation theatre through the hole.

They were trying to revive him using the defibrillator. She could hear her friends asking her to calm down and sit but she was getting emotional.

Doctors were shaking their heads and Maya could notice that they were panicking with nurses running around the room. Within a few minutes, a doctor came out and she stood up slowly owing to her bump.

She heard the doctor saying," His condition is a bit too critical and we have no hope that he would come back. The sad reality is he is also tested Positive for COVID-19 through the primary antigen test.."

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"Maya, Maya..." She felt someone calling her and she screamed slightly. It was a dream. A very bad daydream. Her arm was rubbed by her friends and she was also given a bottle of water to drink. Picking it with trembling fingers, she gulped a whole lot of liquid than she was supposed to.

"Maya, the people we are hearing on the radio are Rudra's parents right?" Her friend asked to which she turned the volume on and her ears perceived the news.

"The famous couple was found dead in their house today morning. The police are under the suspicion of suicide as..."

"Drive to Rudra's house." She said immediately in a panicking voice to which her friends tried to calm her...

She didn't know what was happening to her but the news of death and even the daydream of Rudra dying wasn't allowing her anymore.

He has done so many things yet should she forgive him for the mistake which had cost her whole path of life? She didn't know the answer to it.

As she entered the compound of his house after a few minutes, she saw the thickened crowd. She closed her eyes momentarily to get visuals of his body which had blood.

Opening her eyes at that moment, she tried to divert herself. As she walked towards the door, she saw that his parent's body was laid on the table outside. Standing in front of their bodies for a few moments and praying for their souls, she averted her gaze to see Rudra there in a white kurta.

His super clean face and face filled with blood were compared by her. At present, he was strong as ever with no emotions. There were dry tear strains but it seemed to have stopped. Walking towards him, Maya initiated a hug to which he was quite surprised.

Rubbing his back, she whispered," I am sorry for your loss."

"Don't be! They did what was right for them. Didn't think about it. Sometimes, repentance causes regret and guilt." He said and the words struck her hard. With her knees weakening, he held her closer before asking,

"Are you okay?" He asked and made her stand still before he retreated from the hug. She just hummed and he lead her inside and made her sit. He stood and they don't know how long it continued until it was someone who said that it was a tie for funeral rites.

He gave a letter to her and she knitted her eyebrows in confusion...

"This letter... They had written this letter for you before they left.."

Passing it to her, he went outside. She read the letter which apologized to her through the writing. She just smiled sadly as she took a sneak peek of the bodies which were kept in the verandah.

On the other side, Rudra didn't cry. He remained stoic even when the pyre was lighted. His hands moved systematically but he remained stoic throughout the lighting process. He was watched by her from the balcony. The rites were being performed in the backyard of their house itself.

As the guests left after consoling Rudra, he shut the door and latched it. Releasing a sigh, he looked around and he was lonely. He was all alone and even when his parents were there, he felt cornered by Maya in a bubble of guilt.

With intense work and a nil amount of food from the morning, he felt famished listening to the condolences, rumours, and accusations.  When he entered the kitchen, to his utter surprise, he saw Maya cooking something.

He was so shocked to find her here. He went beside her and said," You shouldn't have done this. You know...

"I know how it feels to have my parents died in front of my eyes with my muscles all frozen." She was remembering it but before she could drown in what had happened, she was taken into a hug.

A tight hug made him drench her shoulders. After a few minutes of letting him be like that, she said," Hey. What is this man? Are you mimicking what happened with me? Don't do it. You will drown much deeper than me."

After a few minutes, she said," You should have something Rudra. "

'I don't feel like having it." Rudra replied looking everywhere except her face. But that is when the unexpected happened.

His face was turned by her fingers which were at his jaw.

"At least for me?" Rudra's eyes widened at that statement which was more like a plead. Her eyes showed the old friendship they used to have. He nodded with a pair of glistening eyes.

How do you feel when someone whom you think hates you is the one who helps you? Rudra had the same mixed feelings of shock, happiness, and a puddle of drops.

Serving him a bowl of porridge, they both sat to have dinner. After they had their dinner silently, Rudra asked," Do you think that we will ever get back?"

"Your brother.. Didn't he get a remand?" He stayed mum at that question and even Maya knew that she was trying to divert his attention most stupidly!

To erase the silence which welcomed answers, her phone rang making him stop abruptly. When she picked the phone, she saw that it was already 8 minutes past 11 pm. Attending the call, she went next to him and patted his shoulder," You should probably sleep Rudra."

"Why is this sudden courtesy, Maya? Is it because my parents died? Is it because you know that I am all alone? Why do you want to change for a day?" Rudra questioned her.

"If we were ourselves like how we used to be, you wouldn't have felt like this Rudra.." She said with a sigh and left the room. Wow! What a transformation...

He smiled sadly as he looked at her retreating figure. He felt the urge to do everything to make him dead at once. Switching the lights off, he slammed the door tight in a way Maya could hear.

{The Conversation between Sir and Maya}

"You shouldn't have told that to him, Maya.." She knew that the sir had heard the last remark she had made. Closing her eyes for a moment, she smiled as she heard the next sentence...

"Look Maya, I am a person who knows you from your higher secondary inside out. We have been in contact even after you left school. Maya, I..."

~ Pause ~

" I am not asking you to forgive him wholly but you need to know that he too is depressed. He might not seem one but he is hollow now. Don't forgive him wholly. I know every woman who goes through this is very strong. Who would live with a baby of her horrendous night?

You are brave but he lost his side when he saw you in that situation. He still can't remove those visuals of how it happened in front of his eyes and how he retrieved you from all the suicides. For 6 months you abandoned him!

And now when he took your side, he lost his parents. Weigh yourself and him too. Who is more depressed? You are at least living for the baby. You might not have forgotten that you have been through such an incident but this baby is comforting you and diverting you from your thoughts... You..."

The Sir stopped as Maya interrupted...

"These are the same lines in the letters and how do you know everything?"

She asked knitting her eyebrows to which he said," I am not keeping it as a secret anymore. Those letters were written by me but the words used weren't of mine. If someone is behind you right now, it's Rudra.."

"Sir, but..." Her voice choked while he said," Maya, You might have not even married but God gave you a baby to take care of. And you didn't abort it also. If you took care of it for a few months,  Rudra's hands were also there. Do what is right but don't let your ignorance affect him if he comes into life."

"Maya,..." He called to which she just hummed. Repeating the sir's words and her observations of how he had been. She made a decision.

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Knocking on Rudra's door, she waited for a few seconds. Through the hole, she noticed that the lights were already switched off. Hoping him to wake up due to her adamant nature, she waited for a few more seconds until she dialled his number.

She couldn't help but remember a situation where she was almost going to lose Rudra. Rudra's face which was darkened by his blood also came to her mind.

Even if he was guilty, she knew what he had always held for her. Her ignorance was her facade which she wore proudly! She couldn't help but take close at him as they had always indulged in the past and fight whenever they could.

As part as Maya could remember, Rudra was courageous and just like her masculine version but the reason he had shaken her. 

"Rudra, just open the door. I need to talk to you! Rudra... I.." Her words stopped in between as she felt her nerves tightening up.

Huffing for a few seconds, she banged the door. Searching for an extra pair of keys on the shelf, she saw a bunch of keys. Trying every key, she noticed that the bedroom was empty! Hearing a few drops of sound from the bathroom, she screamed as soon as she entered it.

- To Be Continued -