RAGHVANSH'S POV:

I turn around only to look at a grinning Piha which causes my world to light up.

Gulping, I control my urge to sprint to her side at the speed of light and push her against the tree, kissing her madly.

"Piha." I cover the distance between. Stop making it sound like you're kissing her, Raghvansh.

I wish.

"I thought you weren't going to come." She says and her eyes twinkle. How can someone be this pretty?!

Dammit. The stars might be jealous.

"Why wouldn't I come, Piha?" I say and gesture her to take a seat under the tree.

"You didn't reply to my text, so I guessed you were busy or you didn't want to come," She says and pulls her knees to her chest.

I don't like the sadness wrapped up in her beautiful voice.

It feels like a rose with thorns.

"My phone was dead, I'm sorry I couldn't check it. And anyway why would I miss a chance to meet you, Piha?" I stare into her sweet and luminous brown orbs.

"Why would you want to meet me?" She says as her eyes take a dive into the statue still lake.

I reply honestly- "Because I fell at peace, Piha. It's not this lake, it's not this tree, it's not this silence— it's you."

"Really?" I nod and scan her. Does she have to kill me like this?

Yup, she's wearing purple. Again.

"Do you love wearing purple, Piha?" I say and she takes her outfit into notice.

She taps her temple gently and says- "No, not really. But I end up wearing it quite often. My wardrobe's filled with purple."

She continues- "Sir, can I ask you something? If you don't mind..."

"You don't need to be formal with me, Piha. Go ahead."

Nodding, she says- "Your mansion's name is purple, be it your arm bands or headbands— everything is purple. Why do you love purple so much?"

I haven't shared this with anyone before, not that anyone has asked me. But I want her to know, I want to share it with her.

I take a deep breath- "Piha, you've read my reports, right? Did find something surprising or shocking? Something serious— like cancer."

She widens her eyes and nods- "That you bet pancreatic cancer seventeen years ago." I hear her gasp. "Is it because of that? How could I be this slow at connecting dots."

I pass her smile. "It's fine, Piha. It wasn't that obvious. And yes, it's because I was a former pancreatic cancer patient and Pancreatic Cancer is represented by a purple ribbon so I like to have things around me painted in purple."

Our eyes lock as she looks at me.

I can't look away now. The magnetic field seems to be pulling me towards her, not physically— but emotionally.

Her eyes express more emotions than her mouth does. They're strong enough for me to understand.

Empathy? Affinity?

She says without breaking our eye contact- "Then why don't you hate the colour purple, Sir? Doesn't it remind you of the time you were close to death?"

I smile- "No, not at all. In fact— I want to see it, everywhere. It reminds me of how strong I am. I've bet cancer at the age of 14, then I'm strong enough to beat, to survive any problem that I face. Nothing can affect me mentally or physically... I'm strong enough to face anything and everything. I've almost died, but there's something that keeps me alive, something that that tells me— I wasn't supposed to be dead and that's why I'm not."

"Cancer took away everything me, Piha. It should be paining to remember those days but it doesn't, it just reminds me— if I want to do something, no one can stop me."

I say and feel a knot in my throat. I haven't shared this with anyone. I never thought I was going to.

But it feels good.

I tap my fingertips on hers' until I find the gap between her fingers.

She gently cluches on my hand- "Explains why you're my Idol. But why do you act so tough, Sir? It might have pained so much, all those years. Do you want to share it with me?"

I pass her nod.

I want, of course. Usually, people just sympathize me saying 'you're strong' or 'you might have gone through lot' but it's the first time someone's asking me about the time I was in cancer.

I smile sadly remembering those days- "It was painful, very painful. Not just the physical pain, but it was mentally too. The patients suffering from the same disease would die, in front of me. I knew— it was going to be me someday."

"It was so painful to hear the doctor and nurses discuss about my health. There were so many times, you know—  I heard them say that I was going to die soon."

"There were times when I could see my body begin to shut down. My appetite lose, my feet swell and breathing became a task for me. I wanted to die, I knew I wouldn't be able to take the pain any longer."

"I could feel my body give up, but I couldn't do anything— I didn't have money for those expensive treatment or surgeries. I didn't have family who could be with me and take care of me. All I could do is pray to God for a less painful death."

I let out a soft laugh- "But here I am, today. Alive. But you know, I can't help but hope I was dead. I don't have a family, what do I do surviving?"

She instantly says, almost scolding me- "Don't say that, Sir. See the good side right? The earth has an angel like you. Do you even know how much your death might have hurt someone who loves you, who cares for you? Don't talk about dying, okay? They might be questioning themselves— 'am I not a reason for him to stay?'."

I feel her hand tremble under mine as she continues- "Sir, you have a family. In fact, everyone has family. You don't need to be biologically related to them. People who understand you, people who consider you theirs', those who will love you and be with you no matter how difficult the situation is— they're your family.

"To those who'll be happy in your happiness, in whatever you do, until you love it and there's a smile grazing your lips. They'll do anything to fulfill your needs, your dreams for you. Your status or health or your money won't make them leave you.

"They can be your friends or the people you work with. It can even be your pet. It doesn't matter until you trust them and know that they'll stay with you— no matter what."

She passes me a smile and look at her as if she's a angel descended from heaven.

She makes sense. Moreover, she makes me feel happy. You like her a lot, don't you Raghvansh?

I don't know. Maybe I do but I can't hurt her, right? She doesn't deserve it? I can't even imagine leaving a scratch on her skin.

She has caught my eye and mesmerized me in ways no one ever has. That doesn't mean I can be with her or have her. This isn't Disney World.

It's a world full of evil people and few angels saving it.

But wait, that's for later. I instantly feel guilty.

I unknowingly mutter to myself aloud- "Does that mean I end up hurting Aryan, who's always been with me since childhood, who's the only person who never left my side when I was performing bad or it wasn't my day."

"I end up hurting Kaushal— who would always say that tomorrow will be a better day and tell me that the bad days were just a route to good days."

"I end up hurting Raunak who made me laugh even though he was sad— just to lighten my mood. Who would teach me to enjoy my life and not care about the past or future."

"Even Shivam. He's always taught me love myself and cared for me like his own brother. Who would shout at me for being reckless everytime."

"I hurt them so much. I never meant to. I've never expressed myself to them— of how much they mean to me or that I wouldn't be so strong if they weren't by my side. I had a family, but I kept saying that I don't, I kept saying no one matters me and no one would care even if I die."

"I'm not a good person," I say and feel the heaviness in my throat. "Why does it have to be this way, why did I end up hurting the people who mean this much to me?"

I look at her as my eyes well up.

"Yes, Sir. However saddening it sounds— you end up hurting them but they never left your side right? You value to them. And just know— no one deserves death. There will be people out there who'll suffer more than you did, if you die. They're worth your life, aren't they?" She eyes.

I nod- "Yes, they are. They're the only people who have been with me during my ups and downs, I won't let them feel worthless now."

I say staring into a blank space.

"Are they your friends?" I nod.

She might be cherishing her friends so much. I want to know about it too.

"Yes, they are. You might be having great friends too right? Like your second family?"

She scratches her temple and blinks her eyes as I spot sadness in her eyes which deserve to be happy every moment.

Her grip on my hand loosens but not enough to remove it from mine as she says- "My parents and Di are my only family. I-I don't have friends. No one really talks to me."

"I don't believe it, Piha. Why would someone leave an opportunity to talk to a beautiful soul like you? Look you have me now, aren't we friends?" I say as I smile.

She widens her eyes- "Frie-friends?!"

I nod- "So...Ms Piha Deshmukh, mind being friends with me?"

I say keeping out my other palm. She looks at me hesitantly but places her hand in mine causing me to grin at her senselessly.

~√~√

Author's note*

Hey, hope you're doing well!
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The next update will be out on 14th, Wednesday.
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