3 months later__

Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months but Preeta didn't get any sign of Karan's acknowledgment that she had talked to Arjun. For first week, she was completely uncertain and scared. Any moment Karan would appear and confront her about that call, the thought used to make her shudder. But slowly, as the time passed, she finally came up to a conclusion.

May be he was just scaring me. Can't believe, I got scared of his empty threats.

A little part of her was still scared that Karan might knew. But her friends including Shreya in Chandigarh and Raamya, Raashi in Delhi were helping her in getting over the fact that Karan could harm her if she would talk to Arjun. But that didn't encouraged her enough to have proper link with Arjun.

There was another obvious reason behind it though. Raamya and Raashi were surprised when Preeta told them about Arjun's new girlfriend. But they covered it up by distracting her. Both the girls were trying to lighten up her mind by involving her more in their day outings and friend circles. Kritika too had called her many times asking for colleges and stuff in Chandigarh. Both even met again when Preeta had returned to Chandigarh for Diwali.

One of Raamya's close friend Prithvi Malhotra, was interested in Preeta which didn't get unnoticed by Raamya herself. She got this idea to distract her from that terror named as Karan. Preeta didn't really know about Prithvi's liking towards her as she was still trying her best to be distant to boys either classmates or friends of friends.

When Raamya was finally requested by Prithvi to make an effort in acknowledging Preeta about his liking towards her, Raamya finally decided to talk.

"Preeta, at least rewind all the times in these two and a half years. I have seen how Prithvi behaves when he sees you. He completely gets distracted and focuses on you, only. Where you are heading to in the campus? To which girl or boy you are talking to? His eyes never leaves you."

Preeta sighed and put her sandwich on the plate. It was a free period and girls were sitting in the cafeteria listening to Raamya's ranting about Prithvi.

"Raamya, please don't talk about him. I am already very effected by Karan and then Arjun too. I can't even think about any other boy even if he is not spying up on me."

Raamya huffed and took a bite of her own burger while Raashi spoke in her behalf.

"C'mon Preeta, have some life. This is not all an issue. He just wants to be friends. He told us he will never force you or make you uncomfortable. You can't just ignore a good boy like him. He is one of the best students in our class, quite popular and handsome too. You may find a great friend in him like Arjun."

Preeta shook her head and spoke while gulping the orange juice she had sipped up from the glass.

"Its not that he is not good. Its just I don't want to. You guys already know, I am not good in socializing."

"You are."

Raamya scoffed making Preeta glare at her.

"C'mon. You have came to my home many times. You mix up perfectly with my family even my teen brother. What's up with the boys of our age? God, You should have taken admission in a Girls' college."

Raamya exclaimed while rolling her eyes and leaning forward to rest her head on her palm.

"I would have if I hadn't come Delhi in such a rush. I just wanted to hide anywhere away from him."

Preeta whispered sadly while Raamya and Raashi looked at each other. Sharing a knowing look, Raashi put her hand on hers.

"Relax, don't need to talk about him. We already know what he has done to you. After all, you can't even make a good conversation with a boy without checking time if its might more than a minute."

Preeta sadly looked down at her lap and quietly drank her remaining juice. Raashi felt guilty for taunting her so she further replied.

"I am sorry, Preeta. Its slipped out. I know how serious this thing, he had made. That you have ended up avoiding every boy that fancies you."

Preeta looked up at Raashi and shook her head.

"Its okay, Raashi. You are right actually. I have ignored everyone because of him. May be if he wouldn't have been in my life. I would have been more friendly with boys and could have easily forgot about Arjun too."

Raamya raised her eyebrows. She took Preeta's words as a hint that Preeta would agree if she push her a little more.

"Well, Absolutely. We have friends who are boys but we don't hang out with them because of you. You know why?"

Preeta looked at Raamya confused and bit her lip being ashamed.

"Because we want to be with you. It doesn't matter if we have to ignore our other friends because they are not as important as you. You are shy and introvert. And other than that we respect your values. Okay? So this topic ends now. No Prithvi or any other guy. Besides, we can talk about Shahrukh Khan. I heard he is coming at our college to promote his latest film."

The girls got distracted as Raashi excitedly continued their bickering about the coming superstar in their college. Preeta was smiling and nodding at them but deep in her mind she was thinking about Raamya's words.

She thought about how much her friends were cooperating with her by accompanying her even after her being irritating about boys' topic. Karan surely could harm her if she do but now that he hadn't that showed he was just throwing empty threats. She should continue talking to Arjun a little too then.

Preeta had realised that it was finally time about stop avoiding boys like Prithvi in whom she can find a good friend just like Arjun. May be she won't miss him that much then.

So she finally made up her mind as she suddenly said.

"Raamya, how if you both invite your friends here? I won't mind."

Raamya smirked as she understood the indirect approach for Prithvi in Preeta's words.

__________

"So, you are from Chandigarh. I never knew that."

Preeta smiled and looked at Prithvi.

"Yeah, Its a nice city. Have you visited before?"

Prithvi and his friends including two girls and two boys joined Preeta and the girls in the cafeteria when Raamya called Prithvi. It was a lottery for him about suddenly hearing that Preeta finally agreed to Raamya.

Preeta slowly and shyly mixed up with them. Prithvi had already been warned by Raamya not to flirt or even look at Preeta like a love sick. He decently talked to her and made her properly comfortable in conversing.

Everyone had their classes while Preeta, Raamya and Prithvi went to a nearby ice cream parlour. While after sometime Raamya knowingly went outside the cafe by excusing about a fake call.

"Yes, I have. I had attended a wedding there."

Preeta nodded and smiled.

"About me, I am from Delhi itself. I live fifteen minutes away from our college. You can always come with Raamya. We guys always studies together."

Prithvi smiled charmingly at Preeta, making her smile nervously.

"Yeah, I will think about it some day."

Preeta said absentmindedly and then regretted as the conversation was getting plain boring.

"Okay."

"Hey, I saw you at that Book Shop, this particular day. You were buying three-four novels."

Preeta's eyes lit up instantly hearing about books. But she suddenly realised something as she narrowed her eyes at Prithvi playfully making him stunned by her cuteness.

"Were you stalking me?"

Prithvi's eyes widen and he immediately replied nervously.

"No, I didnt. My sister is in English honours. She too was buying novels."

Preeta looked at Prithvi's nervous face and immediately started laughing.

"All right. I was joking."

Prithvi was looking at Preeta's laughing face. He was mesmerized by her laughter. The way her cheeks turned pink and she laughed fully, shutting her eyes like a kitten.

"Whoa!! I thought, you were serious."

Preeta breathed and smiled at him.

"No, I wasn't. But your expressions were terrific."

Prithvi laughed and scratch the back of his head nervously.

"So you like reading. Huh?"

Preeta nodded and smiled calmly.

"Yes, I love reading. I usually read romantic novels but that day I was buying mystery novels for my father."

"How do you know I saw you the only day when you bought mystery novels?"

Prithvi smirked.

"Because Mr. Prithvi, I usually buy one novel only and that day I bought four novels for my father."

Prithvi raised his eyebrows and laughed, showing his pearl white teeth. Preeta smiled at him and looked towards the main door to check if Raamya was coming.

"Prithvi, where is Raamya? She is taking so long."

Prithvi smiled sheepishly.

"I don't know. She was receiving a call."

"May be the call was really important."

Preeta said looking again at the door.

"Or the caller."

Prithvi said making her giggle and that's how, a new friendship formed between the two strangers. Preeta wasn't really minding at all with Prithvi's naughty humour. She found Prithvi decent, kind and sweet. There couldn't be anything inappropriate that he would think about like Karan. May be that was the reason, Preeta was comfortable with Prithvi.

He wasn't arrogant and cruel like Karan.

___________

5.5 months later__

It was winter season and Delhi's winter was at its peak. Preeta's life was better. The main reason behind improvement was no sign of Karan in her life.

Preeta had started mixing up more with her classmates. Prithvi and his friends were now part of Preeta's friend circle. Within these months, Preeta and Prithvi had become great friends. The interesting thing was that Preeta was now aware of Prithvi's feelings. She had understood that he liked her and wanted her to be more than a friend.

It was just a week ago, Prithvi confessed his feelings to her. But Preeta being herself, she refused him. Even after a rejection, both were on good terms. Not at all uncomfortable.

Preeta had politely explained him about her morals and values. She even confessed that she would never betray her parents and brother like that. Other reason that she had exclaimed was about the purity of friendship. She had never looked at Prithvi like that.

She apologised to him for encouraging his feelings by being a close friend while Prithvi, even being upset and hurt, accepted her rejection. Raamya too didn't forced Preeta at last, understanding that she was right in her own way.

He understood her feelings and thoughts and told her not to feel ashamed or guilty. It was him who wanted her to be more than friends. There wasn't any fault of Preeta. She was the sweetest girl he had met and he didn't want to lose a friend like her.

Consequently, even after Prithvi being bring rejected, both were on good terms.

A cool gust of wind passed through Preeta's silky brown hair as she pulled her woollen scarf more tight around her neck. She cursed herself for not bringing a cap with her. It was chilly afternoon. No sun and white cloudy fog had filled the road, that Preeta was walking on.

She was returning from a cafe to home after having a good time with Prithvi, Raashi and Raamya. While taking little steps, she was smiling remembering the jokes, Prithvi and Raamya were making on Raashi. In two months, there exams would happen and she had already planned her schedule for preparation. There would be preparation holidays and she had promised herself to study hard.

But her smile vanished when she remembered her conversation with her brother last night.

___________

"I am sorry, Preeta. I know you have to start preparing for exams but this is important. We have to go to Chandigarh, dear. Maa said about a boy they wanted to you to meet."

"What? Bhai, you know I am not ready for marriage. Look at me, I haven't even graduated yet. Whoever the boy is, Please tell them bhai, I can't meet him."

"Preeta, you are mature enough to get married and think about maa, papa. They will be insulted because they had already invited the boy and his family at our home, this weekend. I promise Preeta, it will not affect your exams. Only a matter of a single meet."

"Can I say No?"

"We... We will talk about that later."

___________

Her brother had told her to pack a perfect Indian suit for meeting the family. They had planned to depart the next day. That's why Preeta wanted to freshen up her mind by meeting her friends at the cafe. She didn't tell them but she was surely refreshed. She knew she had to do this. After all, it was now the matter of her parents' respect and love.

She kept on walking to the abandoned road which was a shortcut to her brother's home. She didn't use her scooty in winter since the wind was chilly to extreme and she was more comfortable in walking since the cafe was at a walking distance from her brother's home.

A gust of wind passed through her hair again when a black BMW halt beside her with a screech making her jump in fright. She stopped and looked at the car to check if there wasn't anything like accident. But a familiar fear enveloped her when the person moved out of the car. The person shut the car door and walked forward with his signature arrogant smirk on his face making Preeta shiver. She watched in shock as the person stood in front of her. Her light brown eyes were wide in fear and lips quivering.

"Ka-Karan."

___________