Kabir's POV

A second ago, I was upset after hearing the word 'friend' coming from her mouth, but now I realized, I am glad that she thinks of me only as her friend.

Because, I cannot give her love.

The words like 'marriage' and 'love' died the day I saw my mom with some other man behind dad's back.

I can give her all the happiness of the world, I can care for her, protect her, be with her if she needs me but I cannot give her love.

And, if someday, she wants to give somebody a second chance, she should give it to someone who loves her.

'Where are you lost?' she asked.

'Nothing. Uh... I will call Suraj,' I said and called uncle.

Suraj came and started the car towards her house.

As soon we reached in front of the building we saw that crowd was gathered there.

We got out and a guy ran towards her and then he looks at me.

'What happened, Ravi?' she asked.

Ravi.

Oh.

'In the night when Mehta uncle was coming back from his duty, he saw someone running outside and then he noticed that your house is open.

'What do you mean?' I asked.

'Your house has been robbed, Kavya. We got inside to take a look and saw that they have thrown everything on the floor. Your house has become a mess. We have not touched anything as it didn't seem right.'

'What? No. Sohum,' she said and ran upstairs instead of taking the elevator.

I took the elevator and when I reached on her floor and opened the door, I saw her place had been totally wrecked.

As soon as she came inside, she went inside the room and picked up Sohum's photo frame which was broken into pieces.

'No,' she sat on the floor and started crying loudly.

I looked around to see that everybody has come inside her house and was looking at her.

'Kavya,' Ravi ran towards her.

'Please, don't cry,' he said and put his arms around her shoulders.

I didn't like it and went towards her.

'Kavya, stop crying, It's just a photo frame. You have other pictures of him, right?' I said and pulled her towards me.

'Photo frame, Kabir?' she shouted but I breathed a sigh of relief when she was in my arms and Ravi was no longer holding her.

'I have other pictures of him but this was not just a frame but it seemed like I am talking to my Sohum whenever I used to talk with this frame. I have been talking with him for past three years, Kabir. For me this frame was everything. It seemed as if god put a life in this frame and now look at it,' she said and started crying loudly.

'Can you guys please leave?,' I shouted loudly and everybody left.

Ravi was going to say something to her but I gave him an angry glare and he left without saying anything.

I closed the door from inside and bought a glass of water for her.

I was not even able to talk.

Everything was on the floor.

Her books, utensils, clothes and everything.

I made her sit on the bed and wiped her tears.

'Shhh...calm down,' I tried to console her and handed her the glass of water.

She drank it while looking around.

'There are no CCTV cameras?' I asked.

'It's under repair,' she replied.

'I should have not slept in your house yesterday,' she said after few seconds which made me angry.

'So that they could have come and harmed you too, right?' I shouted and she looked at me and it seemed as if realization dawned upon her.

She got up and checked the drawer.

'They have taken his ring and chain and two lakhs cash which we had given him as a gift during wedding,' she said.

'You mean he asked for dowry?' I asked.

'No, Sohum had not asked anything. His family told us that if we want we can give anything out of love as gifts, to the bride and groom so my dad gave it willingly,' she said and I sighed.

It's better to not put my opinion at this moment.

'It's as if Sohum has completely gone from my life,' she said and I don't know what should I say so I changed the subject.

'You don't have any jewelry?' I asked.

'No. I never bought anything here. It's in my dad's house.'

'He didn't gifted you anything?' I asked.

'He gifted me this.' She showed me the magalsutra.'

'And few months before he died, he took my engagement ring as I wanted his name engraved inside the ring but I totally forget about it, and he also didn't talk about it,' she told me.

Before I could say something, she went in the kitchen and opened a container.

'They have also taken my salary. How will I survive now? Thank god, I had given the house rent few days back.'

'You keep your money in the container?' I asked.

'Yes, it's safe.'

'Yes, I can see how safe it is,' I chuckled and she gave me an angry glare.

'Why have you not used the cash your dad gave to him?' I asked.

'It didn't feel right as my dad had given it to him. Sohum wanted to add some money more and buy a car with dad's money in the future but that day never came.'

We went in the room and I saw an album on the floor.

'Your wedding album? I asked.

'Yes.'

I opened it and saw a picture of their hands entwined together and quickly closed it.

'What happened?' she asked.

'My hand started paining again.'

'Shit! Among all these commotion, I totally forgot about it.' 

I went outside the bedroom. Bedroom had the presence of Sohum and I was not able to stay there even for a second.

'Oh! I forgot to ask. Where is the security guard?' I asked as I sat on the sofa.

'Security Bhaiya has taken leave for few days,' she replied.

'Oh. That's why they came and they also knew cameras are under repair. Okay, let's go,' I said.

'Where?' she asked.

'To file a police complain,' I said.

'What? NO!' she shouted.

'What?'

'I don't want to do all that,' she said.

'But, why? They should know about it,' she said.

'They will ask all the details.' she said.

'So, what?' I asked.

'I have to tell them I stayed at your place at night. You don't know the way they will look at me when they will come to know I spend a night in your house. They will forget the investigation and ask unnecessary questions,' she said.

What is she even saying?

'Before my marriage, same thing happened with a neighbor of mine. She was a divorcee and spent a night somewhere and that night robbery happened. She took me to file a complain and when they came to know, she spend a night elsewhere, they left the case and started asking unnecessary questions and blamed her for it,' she told me.

'So you will not file a complaint just because you slept in my house?' I asked.

'Yes.'

I can't make her understand or force her to file a complaint.

'Okay, so now what?' I asked.

'Nothing. I will clean everything and stay here.'

'Will you be able to stay here? Will you be able to sleep peacefully here without being afraid?' I asked and she was quiet for few seconds.

'I will take a leave for one week and go to my dad's house,' she said.

'Okay. After cleaning up everything here, I will drop you to the bus stop.' I told her.

'But what if they come again?' she asked.

'They have searched everything, and took everything so right now they will not come back. Yes, they may come back next month to steal your salary as now they know in which container you keep the money,' I chuckled and she smiled sheepishly.

After she cleaned everything, she sent an email to the principal that due to some emergency she had to take a leave for a week.

'Tomorrow I will call principal madam and tell her everything,' she said as she took her purse and mobile and she locked the door and we took the lift.

We sat in the car, and I asked Suraj to take us to the bus stop.

We reached the bus stop in an hour, but while she was getting out, her mobile pinged and she opened WhatsApp and looked at it.

'No,' she shouted.

'What?' I asked.

'Dad had gone with bhaiya and bhabhi for south India trip for two weeks.' she told me.

'Your dad didn't tell you?'

'Along with his picture, he messaged me just now that it was a surprise for him and he came to know about it today,' she said.

'Now, where will I go?' she sighed.

'Come to my house.'

'No,' she shouted.

'Don't shout, Kavya,' I said and looked at uncle.

'Sorry.'

Before I could say anything, a mobile rang.

'Sir, can I take this call?' Suraj asked me.

'Yes,' I said and he got out.

'Go wherever you want to go,' I said to her angrily.

The way she shouted made me angry.

It's as if living in my house is some sort of nightmare.

I opened the door and started to get down to cool myself but she held my hand.

'I am sorry,' she apologized.

'Now, what do you want to do, Kavya?' I asked calmly.

'If I go back, I have to stay with one of my neighbours and I don't want that,' she said.

'I don't even know, why you told them before leaving.'

'Because they were worried for me, Kabir.'

'They were just nosy. Specially that Ravi. He wanted you to stay in his house.'

'He is really a good friend of mine and wants me to be safe. Now, you also suggested the same thing which Ravi suggested, right?' she asked.

'We both are different. Don't compare me with him.'

'I am not comparing both of you,' she said calmly.

'And, some of them complained that you were rude to them? Did you say something to them? I was so engrossed in my own sorrow that I didn't notice. They didn't tell me anything but they said that you were rude,' she told me.

'I just asked them to leave instead of standing and looking,' I told her and she chuckled.

'Leave it, I apologized to them.'

'What? Why did you apologize? That means you also think, I am wrong? You were in a vulnerable state and they were enjoying it so I just asked them to leave. What was my fault in it?' I asked, almost shouted.

'You are not wrong, but I have to live there so I have to be in good terms with them. They are the closest person to help me when I need something, right? Dad or my colleagues will take time to come if something happens but they will be there in seconds, right?' I asked.

'You can call me. I will leave everything and come to you,' I said and she smiled.

'Now stop getting angry. You are scary when you are angry,' she continued.

'Do I scare you?' I asked.

'Yes, but only when you are angry.'

'I will control my anger. So, what do you want to do? You can stay in my house. I come late from the hotel, so if you feel awkward while living with me, you don't have to feel it.

'I don't feel awkward in your presence. If I had felt awkward, then I would have never accepted you as my friend,' she told me and that bought a smile on my face.

'Then, what is the problem?'

'What will people say?' she asked.

'Nobody has to know that you are here and if you want to go out, tell me, I will ask Suraj to pick you and drop you off.'

'Okay.'

'But, can you come home early? I will get bored alone.'

'You are not alone. Raj and Shalini aunty will be with you.'

'I know, but still--' she stopped midway as uncle came back and I told him to take the car to my house.

*****

I rang the doorbell and after some time, Raj came and opened the door.

'Where is aunty?' I asked.

'She is in the washroom. She was crying very much,' he said.

'Why? What happened?' 

'Raj, why did you got up to open the door. I came fast as soon as I heard the doorbell,' she said.

'Aunty, what happened?' I asked as she looked at Kavya and then her eyes fell upon the bag in her hands.

'Aunty?' I asked and tears rolled down her cheeks.

'My grandson was not well for few days. Doctors did few tests and today they told us that he has dengue and asked us to admit him to hospital as soon as I can. I don't know which hospital I should admit him to. His fever is coming and going and he has became so weak,' she told me and I took her in my arms and she started crying more loudly.

'Aunty, look at me,' I broke our hug and made her look at me.

'We will admit him to the best hospital. I will go with you, we will complete all the procedure and then, I will book a cab for few days so that you and his mom can go to meet him whenever you want, and you can also take him homemade meals,' I told her.

'I don't want you to pay money, Kabir. I just want you to stand by my side,' she said.

'I know, aunty. But, I will be glad if I will help you as you guys are my family,' I told her and she caressed my cheek and I was surprised for few seconds.

'Who will stay with Raj? And, who will prepare food for both of you?' she asked.

'Don't worry about us. Worry about you. You can come back when he is totally fit and fine. Now, let's go.' I looked at Kavya.

'Don't worry. I am here,' she said with a small smile on her face and I smiled back.

*****

While returning home, I asked Raut uncle to find a personal security guard within a week and rules should be that- he should guard the house the whole night, and nobody should know about it, not even the person whose house he will guard.

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What do you think of this chapter?

What do you think of Kabir?

What about Kavya?

Random question:- Have you guys ever got stopen or robbed?

Please COMMENT and VOTE if you liked the chapter.

Please vote, guys and share your opinion through the comments as it will motivate me to write next chapter.

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