Chapter 1| A talk to remember

If the way seems easy, it might be the wrong one. Getting the thing the right way, mostly need efforts. And efforts too need efforts. Maybe, that's why most people choose the wrong way.

Preeta had finally completed her school by scoring the highest marks in her class. She was her teachers' pride and had become her parents' strength. Her best friend, Arjun had achieved second position in the toppers and was genuinely happy for her achievement.

After that noon incident, Arjun was rushed to the hospital and was immediately treated. Preeta had called his parents using hospital's telephone and had received endless blessings from them for helping their son.

Her father was actually proud more than being shocked to see how his daughter had handled such a serious situation in a courageous manner.

She later found that the boy who caused Arjun's misery was The Karan Luthra. His father Mahesh Luthra was a successful businessman.

His grandfather was the former MLA of this town. Because of his great image, he had taught his son to help people and lend money to his companies' needy employees like Arjun's father who had been working in Luthra industries for years.

Arjun's father had really borrowed the money from Karan's father for his medical treatment and to save some for his further studies. But after that incident, he had sold all his wife's jewelry with her consent to get relief from Luthras' wrath as the warning, the boy had given was still on and they didn't want to take further risk.

Karan's father being quite strict and practical, he hated bad debts. Preeta had heard her uncle discussing with her father about how he was capable of taking strict actions for those who were not able to pay money properly on time and with complete amount.

Either he would conquer their assets or gave them deadly threats and his son being the spoilt-brat, was worse than him. He was already famous all over the town for his drunken fights in clubs, reckless behavior and rash driving incidents.

From last two days, Arjun's father had not been able to keep quiet. He kept pouring his heart to his friend by cursing that boy repeatedly.

Preeta carefully heard that no matter how many times, the son would do inappropriate things like this but a father like Mahesh Luthra would always help his son at the end of the day.

Even the son himself was aware of this fact very well and that was why, he would always walk with that dark aura around him. He would bully kids, misbehave with elders, would shamelessly date different girls at the same time.

Who would know if his father had sent him to collect the money with respect? It was his own way to scare the borrower by threatening and beating.

After getting acknowledged about Luthras, both Preeta and Arjun were warned by their parents to stay away from his sight.

The doctors had assured them that Arjun would be getting better. His bruises and swollen cheeks would get back to normal in days. About his Asthma attack, the punch had directly contacted his heart and it had a hard effect on his breathing process.

Not just he was struggling to breathe, Preeta could see that her best friend was somehow still in the trauma.

She herself, was. She could never forget that day. She could never forget how Arjun was struggling to breathe while suffering the pain in his fresh wounds and those grown-up boys were watching him blankly.

From that day, a part of her heart had filled with a sudden hatred for Karan.

For then, she just knew that she won't be getting in his sight by any chance.

_______

On a bright sunny day, Preeta was hurriedly walking to the bus stop from her home, wearing a light blue top paired up with denim jeans. From there, she would take to take the bus and reach her college within forty-five minutes.

She was glad that because of her good marks, she was able to take admission in one of the reputed colleges of the city. For three years till the completion of her graduation, she didn't have to worry and just focus on her studies.

The distance from her home to bus-stop was not that short to be called as walking distance but coming from a middle class family, she couldn't afford taking an Auto-rickshaw.

She finally reached the bus stop and saw her new friend, Shreya's poker face on. She giggled at seeing her waiting and tapping her foot in frustration.

Shreya finally looked at her with stern eyes and rolled her eyes when Preeta smiled at her sheepishly. She shook her head while noticing the approaching bus.

"Five more minutes and you would have missed your bus today," said Shreya while stepping ahead to get on the bus.

"Sorry, I just got tired in the way and had gone slow," replied Preeta while following her innocently.

Shreya rolled her eyes at her stupid friend who was more comfortable in walking rather than wasting money on a ride. She too was from a middle class family but not everyone would be as thoughtful as Preeta was.

She quietly got in the bus, following her friend and soon, the bus left for the college.

But who knew that someone was watching and listening her while hiding behind the pillar of the bus stop, with so many wishes in mind.

One of them, was needed to begin his day with her smile.

______

Since the day he had seen her, he turned into a stalker.

Feeling ashamed of himself, Karan didn't have the courage to come in front of Preeta. From past two weeks, since she had started her college, he had been following her and checking on her routines.

He was sure that this girl must have started hating him for the incident happened on that day or maybe, she had forgotten him.

He knew if she would somehow come to know about his stalking ways, she would get unnecessarily scared.

So, it was safer to see her from far and smile at her smile.

He had also helped her indirectly in many ways. He had scared the life out of two boys who were following her one day. He also had many junior friends in Preeta's college whom he told to have eye on her for if she was getting close to any boy.

For then, he was sitting alone in his bed room smoking and staring at the ceiling blankly.

Suddenly, his best friend, Kabir entered in the room to check on his lovesick friend.

He sighed when he saw him lying in the same position, he had been watching from past two weeks and he wasn't liking it a bit.

His best friend wasn't himself anymore.

He had stopped being mean at college. He had stopped talking rudely to juniors. He was barely replying to his friends and had dumped the girls, he was dating. According to Kabir, he was basically avoiding for any incident to occur that could worsen his reputation.

Because, all of a sudden, he had started caring about what people would think and Kabir surely knew, who those people were.

He shook his head while looking at Karan. "Bro, don't be a secret admirer. Meet her and tell her about your feelings," he suggested while sitting on the bean bag beside his bed.

"She'll get scared."

Kabir sighed. "At least, let her know how you have been these days. How you have turned from being Rowdy to a Romeo."

Karan clicked his tongue dejectedly while Kabir further spoke, "The boy about whom the girls of our college fantasise, is now stalking a shy little girl."

Karan narrowed his eyes at him and he immediately shrugged his shoulders. "I am just telling you to at least let her know. Accepting or Rejecting are the things to care, later. But for now, talk to her."

Karan looked back at the ceiling and thought deeply.

Maybe, a simple talk won't scare her.

Would it?

______

It had been fifteen minutes since he was standing there in the same silent street.

He crossed his arms on chest and waited for her to show up. He knew that she would go to the bus stop through this way only.

He knew, she was five years younger than him. But then, he didn't care as long as she was more than eighteen years of age which-- she actually was.

His college had been completed and all he needed to do was to get trained by the officials of his father's company. After all, he would be the one to handle it later.

For now, he could just work on his love life.

Glancing at his watch, his lips pursed in restlessness and he looked around helplessly. But suddenly, his eyes caught something.

His heart beats quickened as he finally noticed a girl walking into the street quietly. She had wore an Indian salwar-kameez suit.

She was clutching the strap of her bag on her shoulder and was wiping sweat beads on her forehead using another hand. The neckline of her kurti was fairly till the right place covering her modesty but her dark-blue duppatta was pasted to her neck, giving him the enough look of her fair skin and collar bones.

Her hair were partly tied in a pony and partly down. In that shadowed-street, her face was glowing despite all the sweat and rosy cheeks due to the heat of the day.

She was quietly walking while he couldn't muster up the courage to approach her. She was so focused on her way that she didn't even realize, he was standing aside.

"Preeta."

She was startled. He gulped and saw her looking at the front and immediately, her eyes shifted to him on the right side of the street.

He saw her eyes widening and face paling. Horror struck her face as he started walking towards her. He knew that she was scared of him because of the incident but then, he would change it.

"Preeta. Do you remember me? My name is Karan Luthra."

He forwarded his hand to shake it with hers but saw her staring at him in fright. He actioned towards his hand with his eyes and saw her finally acknowledging it. But she only nodded reluctantly and he awkwardly pulled it back.

"I do," she said in a low tone but listening her angelic voice again, had pulled the strings of his heart and he felt as if it would try to fly again.

He couldn't just control his excitement then. She looked so enticing from close and he couldn't help but get more positive about talking about his feelings.

"I-I. . ." He gulped and awkwardly smiled. Never in his life, he had stuttered. But then, never in his life, he had met someone like her before.

"I-I. . . Actually, me. . ." He fake smiled and fisted his hands. Letting out a huge breath, he nodded.

"Can I drop you?"

Preeta's eyebrows furrowed while he sighed.

"I can drop you to your college. You know, it's quite hot today. I have a car. . ." he trailed off while gesturing towards his black-colored car parked aside.

He saw her eyebrows raising when realization hit her face. The town's bad boy was offering her a lift. She gulped and quietly shook her head.

"Thank you. But I am fi-fine," she said while immediately started walking past him.

"Wait!"

She stopped and closed her eyes. Last time, she had seen him in this street, had turned to be a life-death game. But for then, they both were alone.

She could only imagine, for what he was here and confronting her. Her stomach churned in fear just like that day, when she heard his footsteps approaching her from behind.

Karan came in front of her and was about to say something when she hurriedly spoke, "We haven't taken any money from you. There must be some misunderstanding. I swear, my father doesn't borrow money."

Her innocently-spoken words stabbed his heart like sharp-arrows. He blinked and kept on staring at her while feeling the extreme guilt.

"Look," he gulped and smiled nervously. "I am sorry. I don't know what came over me, that day. I didn't know that he was asthmatic or I wouldn't have touched him. I just. . . I am really sorry."

Preeta was stunned by his sudden apology and swallowed. "You-You should apologize to the one, you harmed that day," she suggested nervously.

Karan let out a heavy breath and nodded. "I will. But for now, I want you to know that I didn't mean to kill. . ." He squeezed his eyes shut and embarrassingly opened them to look in her amber eyes. "I didn't mean to hurt your best friend. I am asking for your forgiveness too."

Preeta hesitantly nodded and made a move to walk away again but Karan again interjected, "Actually, I wanted to help you by dropping you to college. Would you like. . ."

Preeta gulped and shook her head. "I am sorry. But I just really don't talk to strangers and taking a lift is too much beyond my own regulations. I'll just go on my own," she explained in her soft voice and stepped aside to walk.

But again, Karan blocked her way. She let out a heavy sigh and stared at him nervously. "Look, I know you want to help. But I am really fine. Please stop, now."

She stepped aside and started walking again. But only four steps that she had taken, Karan grabbed her wrist making her shudder.

"I want to talk to you, Preeta. So, a lift in my car would easily help. I am asking you, again. Would you like me to drop you to the college?" He asked calmly while looking at her from behind.

Preeta slowly turned and shakily looked in his dark eyes. "If you want, just talk now," she suggested fearfully.

Taking her words lightly, he nodded sternly. Holding her wrist, he stepped closer to her, making her lower her eyes in discomfort.

"The thing is that, I want to spend some time with you. I want to know you more. We can get properly acquainted if you come with me, after the college. We can have a coffee or something," offered Karan while observing her expressions. But all he could see, was fear.

He felt as if he was scaring her. So, he tried to lighten his words. "We can end up as good friends. But that can happen if we spend sometime together. What do you say?"

Preeta's heart was beating erratically in fear. In that silent street, a dangerous boy like him was offering her a lift. What had he planned for her?

She looked around and thought of an excuse. Looking back at his face, she gulped. "I am sorry, Si-Sir. I am bound to get home before dark."

"Then, bunk your last two classes. Meet me at four in the evening. I'll make sure that you reach home by six as always."

A wave of terror crawled down her spine at realising, that he knew her casual time for reaching home. She tried to reason, "But. . ."

"But?" He stared at her sternly.

She blinked, "I can't trust a stranger."

"I said something about being good friends."

"But..."

Karan stared at her authoritatively. "No buts. You are coming and that's final," he snapped making her flinch.

Preeta's lips parted in fear and she shook her head. "Look, Mr. Luthra. You are too old to be my friend. You have a very bad reputation in this town. My parents will never allow me to be friends with you and I myself don't want to," she explained softly.

She was afraid of his reaction, so she kept her eyes lowered. But in the next moment, he caught her chin and leaned down to get his face closer to hers.

"Miss. Preeta. Arora. You know my reputation and don't know how I earned that. If you don't come at four to meet me, I will show you how I have earned it."

Preeta's eyes widened in horror and she tried to remove his hands. But before she could wriggled more, he forcefully turned her face and kissed her cheek.

If that wasn't horrific for her, he showed her his phone making her gasp in shock. There on it's screen, was their photo of him kissing her.

His lips quirked dangerously as he whispered, "I have a great friend circle from all over the town. Do you know, how far this photo can be shared?"

Her lower lip trembled while he put back his phone in his jeans' pocket. Looking at her with narrowed eyes, he tightened his hold on her making her whimper.

"Come here sharp at four or I will make you famous."

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"What would/should she do?"