*****

As she closed her eyes which were shedding tears, she exerted the force slowly and the window broke open into the driver's seat turning the glass into pieces. His hand soon hit Maya but it was too late! The damage was already done. Now, nothing was left! It was either HIM or HER.

The bullet pierced and a thick red liquid gushed out into the seat! As Maya fell on the other seat due to the force, she closed her eyes but she didn't feel any pain. Opening her eyes, nothing had happened to her. As she turned, she saw that Rudra was looking at her through the hole with blood flowing through his palms from his knuckles. His hand was on the edge of the window which was partially smashed into smithereens. 

As she sat straight at an impulse, she didn't utter anything. Only the sounds of gulping and heavy breaths were heard. With his intense look, Maya didn't dare to look at Rudra after her failed attempt. She just screamed momentarily when his hand reached inside the door and unlocked the driver's seat from inside. 

He opened the door and asked taking his frustration and anger on her," What were you trying to do? Do you have any idea what would have happened? Are you really on your senses? Don't you have a family waiting for your news or arrival?"

"I don't have anyone waiting for me!" She replied in her hoarse voice as she rubbed the space between her nose and her upper lip with her index finger.

"I am alright now! You can leave! You should probably get your hands stitched. " She said in her alcoholic and adamant voice as she looked at his hands without looking at his face. It was bleeding profusely and she didn't want him next to her. She would think of something else..

"Just move to the passenger seat!" He said without minding her words and she looked at him as -why-do-you-care while he said warning her," Don't show me that glare. I am used to the glare. I hope you don't want to get arrested for drunk and drive or maybe for a hit and run."

"I..." She was retorting him with her hand on the wheel while he just shouted with a glare," Move Maya."

"Who are you to order me?" She asked raising her voice.

He replied calmly with his expressions intact," Your friend!"

FLASHBACK STARTS

"Let's be friends?" asked as he extended his hands while Maya fidgeted with her fingers. 

After a hum from his side, she smiled and said," Friends!" 

FLASHBACK ENDS

She just sighed down heavily and she looked down. Soon enough,  she felt a touch on her shoulder which made her shudder at the sudden contact.

"Move!" He said softly and she just nodded before closing her nose with her finger and filling her sinuses.

She transferred her legs with her wrist on the seat. As she moved herself to the passenger seat, her seat was covered with clothes, shades. The mess she created was cleared by both of them. He just put everything into the bag she was holding. He buckled his seat belt and gestured her to do so but she was up to something else.

With his hand on the steering wheel, he was about to start when Maya switched the yellow light of the car. The yellow light cast a glow on both of them even when the situations were grim. He looked at her confusingly while she took his hand holding the cloth of his jacket he was wearing. Examining the wound, she picked the small visible glass pieces and removed them before taking a handkerchief and tying it around the wound.

As she was about to secure herself with the seatbelt, she saw the hole on the window. She stared at the perfect whole with few cracks surrounding the hole. Her trance broke as he taunted, "That's the result of your stunt. "

She clicked the belt into the position and folded her hands across her chest. She closed her eyes. Somewhere she knew that she will be safe. He just started his car before any media people could spot and rush to them.

"Are you okay now?" He asked as he concentrated on the road while she sniffed and said in her hoarse alcoholic voice," No. I am not okay!"

A few moments of silence was broken by Rudra's question as they stopped at the red light.

"What is going on Maya? And why was that stunt?"

"When accusations just build up, you feel like flying your aura into the air," Maya replied

"Wow! Does that mean you will go and die? No wonder actress doesn't have any common sense!"

"Please!" She just whined and closed her eyes while he took a deep breath before saying," Maya, I am not going to take a big lecture. But I want to say one thing. If you keep on killing or destroying yourself for small things that happen, you won't be happy inside. Because the small gestures you do to retrieve you will destroy you. You will gradually be a victim even of the smallest of small things that turn into a void where anyone can put anything.

"The void has already been created Rudra! When something destroys you, it doesn't care who you are.."

" Even I saw what happened between you and Arjun even though I didn't hear all of it. Sometimes, accusations do good to us to rectify. ..." His sentence was interrupted by her statement,

"But I just did a grave mistake and got gobbled up myself... I was the reason behind everything!"

"You might be the reason but didn't you move on, didn't he move on? Then what is wrong?"

"It's just.." The words just got hitched in her mouth.  She couldn't do anything further..

"Maya, I know that friendship you made with me a few days back was just to avoid me.  I am sorry if I have created any ruckus. I know I behaved like a total idiot even when you said no. It's okay Maya."

"Why are you so adamant to take my interview? Why me?" Maya asked with an amusing smile and he smiled before he said, " You were my biggest crush. You still are. Whatever resides in you is simply your personal matter and I won't reside in it until you tell me! I never thought I will get to take an interview itself but when I felt a desire to, I didn't feel like leaving the chance. Just leave it now!"

" I am sorry for the troubles you had to take!" She apologized while he said in a funny way," There should be some adventure in life right? This is one of them and that's it!"

They stayed mum for a few minutes. As they reached the gate, the car was stopped at the gate. As Rudra looked at the closed gate, she took her bag and walked out without another word.

Maya got out of her seat and pressed her index finger on the machine. Within a span of few seconds, a beep was heard and the gate opened automatically. Maya went to Rudra's side and said, " You park the car! I will walk."

Rudra just nodded and he accelerated the car. As she walked rubbing her forearms, she opened the bonnet of the car after she pressed the switch. Taking the medical kit, she gave the kit to Rudra. It wasn't bleeding heavily as it had dried. He flashed a thankful smile while Maya took her bag out of the car. It was chilling outside and he kept the kit on the bonnet and aided himself.  Maya just kept on fiddling with the straps of the bag she was holding.

"Rudra... I... " She stammered as she wanted to say something but she stumbled. It wasn't something Maya used to do. Wasn't she the Maya Jaisingh?

"Thank you for the aid and don't worry! I am not going to pester you!" Rudra assured her and he took his phone to call a cab.

"Good Night!" Maya said with a smile while he said," Take care of yourself."

She just went inside while Rudra booked a cab for himself. As he averted his gaze for a moment, he saw that Maya was looking at him from the window with a phone close to her ears. He couldn't catch her lip movements but she soon turned towards her side but looked at Rudra. As the cab reached, he waved his hand while she just nodded instead of returning the gesture. 

****

Maya kept on pacing to and fro across the living room waiting for Rudra! It was already 9 minutes past 9 and she was trying to calm down. She looked at the mail which she had sent him.

A Few Hours with Maya Jaisingh

Day:- Today, I will wait to give my interview to my only friend!

Expecting you by 9 am,

Maya Jaisingh.

Soon enough, she turned as she heard the doorbell ring! Rushing towards the door, she welcomed a Rudra who was standing there in a black hoodie and grey denim pants.

She just opened the door wider as he wished her a Good Morning. She just nodded with a smile and closed the door as he entered the living room. It was classy, black but ethnic.

"Cappuccino? "She asked while he said with a smile," My favourite!"

Maya walked towards the open kitchen inviting him too. He just walked behind her while she prepared his cappuccino and she just adjusted for a black coffee on a coffee machine.

"Don't you have any servants or anyone like in the kitchen? " He asked surprised while she said," I like to be alone! I can cook for myself and clean!"

"Oh!" Rudra said and he remained quiet until he was given a cup of his favourite cappuccino. She served herself a cup of black coffee without sugar.

He muttered a 'thank you while she just hummed. As Maya leaned against the stove table, she rubbed her hands against the coffee cup to radiate enough heat. Observing her gestures, he was sure to get something out of that. As he looked around the kitchen, he complimented," I love your interiors ...."

She gave him a look as he didn't give an ultimate stop and she was right as she heard him say 'except for the black! It makes things darker!"

"I love Black as it replicates the mixture of every colour. Everyone has darkness in life and I don't know if it overpowers me. "

He nodded and he asked her casually," When is the next schedule for Rooh ki Rahat?"

"After a few weeks, in Manali!" She said as she sipped her coffee. As she finished her coffee, she grabbed his coffee cup as he had finished dining it already. Washing it instantly, she turned to him and asked," Let's start?"

She gestured him to sit as she sat on the couch while he just kept looking around. Before she could ask him anything, he asked her," Can we go outside or maybe in a different surrounding?"

"Mhmm!" She said and opened her cupboard. Picking a bunch of keys, she inspected it and picked a key. She showed him one key from the bunch and said," I guess the place which owns this key will be perfect!"

She walked upstairs while he followed her. He was confused. As she reached the door, she just opened the lock using her key. As she opened it, she said in a stern voice," Come!"

As he entered, he was welcomed by a lush of greens! The whole place was surrounded by trees and greenery. He said 'Woah!' in a trance and asked," This is beautiful!"

"I haven't opened this balcony in years! " She exclaimed as she sat on the ledge.

" The best place to heal your wounds and void is not by hating yourself but by surrounding and loving Nature with open arms! This nature is the solution for the darkness and loneliness you carry inside you." He said sitting on the extreme side of the ledge

"I don't know about that! It has been so many years and I can't carry myself with the emotion I want. Every time I try to do something my heart yearns, my mind fights for something opposite. I don't know what 3 years have done to me." Maya said as she changed her gazes from her lap to a branched tree.

"Don't you think you have a mind in the extremes? Are you going through any sorts of...." He extended while she confessed looking into his eyes,

"It's suicidal. I have tried it many times. I am living against a mind that keeps on accusing me (she spoke animated with her fingers) Fighting against your own mind and haunting memories leads to depression when you lose everything."

She took a pause and looked at Rudra who was absorbing everything. He was shocked. He knew she was bold and everything except for the fact that she was depressed. It neither showed in her eyes nor her attitude. He didn't know what to say! He wasn't a psychologist but he could read the pain. She continued,

"Don't worry! You can ask me whatever you want!" Maya assured him dangling her legs against the ledge while he asked being sceptical, "What if I write all these?"

"I wouldn't have called or talked to you if I didn't want to share my life with a person in which I saw something called truth!" She spoke in a soft tone.

Rudra was curious now and he asked," According to many people, you give your latest appointments but why was that exception for me?"

"Three years back, there was the point where I was questioned to a point where I hated giving interviews. There was something that convinced me rather than deadlines and other things. And the other factor was Kriti Sanon. " Maya spoke.

"So, 3 years back?" He asked to avoid an awkward talk on Kriti while she hummed in positive diverting her eyes to lush greens.

"Is your and Arjun's worse relation behind all the dark thoughts or something?" He asked her looking into her eyes and she replied

"Nope!" She popped the 'p's out and said," It's a triangle not a diagonal! "

"Mallika, Arjun and Maya?" He asked being sceptical while she shook her head in negative and said after a lone tear dropped through her eyes,

" Arjun, Maya and Him!"

****

A/N: Stay tuned for the next update. Do vote if you haven't voted for the previous part. I will be waiting for your reviews and comments.