Spinning her around, and smiling at her, Prabir pulled Bhargavi as close to him as possible. "Stay close to me," he mumbled.
Looking into his eyes, she lost all her fears and apprehensions, even that she had been wearing high heels and a saree.

Without a word, she followed his instincts and they danced for a while, with him always guiding their next step.

"This is the first time, I am dancing in public Prabir. Honestly speaking, I don't know to dance at all. I was worried that I'll make a fool of myself. No...It's not that I care what others think but..." Bhargavi paused unable to express what she felt.

"But?"

"But you never let me feel humiliated because I don't know how to dance properly."

He held her chin up and whispered, "Dance as if no one's watching you girl. We're all crazy and we all mess up. Just have fun tonight!"

Dancing with great zeal and pleasure, Prabir took off his coat, unable to bear the heat and handed it to Bhargavi for safe keeping, who wasn't dancing now,tired of wearing the high heels. She was busy noticing her sister, Bhawani end up in a fight with Shekhar.

Bhawani had slowly walked away from the dance floor and wasn't followed by Shekhar. She opened the door leading to the backyard slowly and disappeared into the darkness. "I'll be back," Bhargavi murmured in Prabir's ears and passing the crowds somehow managed to walk towards the backyard.

Finding, Bhawani perched on the swing, sobbing, she walked up closer. Startled, Bhawani gaped at her when she gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

Without being asked anything, Bhawani muttered angrily," Di! A man kept gawking at me awkwardly all the time. I felt as if he was stripping me naked. When I told Shekhar, he replied irritated that no one was even looking at me, I was making it all up."

"I've seen the man. However, I couldn't poke his eyes, only because he was staring at someone. I knew he wouldn't have the guts to approach you and...you'll be safe with Shekhar. C'mon now, you're not sitting here, all alone because of a perverted freak and a damn fool who is blind to notice anything at all," Bhargavi said pulling her sister off the swing and dragging her back inside.

Shoving her sister, back into the crowds, close to Prabir she turned around paying attention to Raunak who had been calling her. Both her step brothers wanted to congratulate her, on her engagement and felt sorry for not having a gift apt for the occasion. They had known and believed it to be only Prabir's birthday party.

Before moving out of the dance floor, she glanced back at Prabir and the look he held on his face assured her that he had seen the man staring at Bhawani.

"You're makeup is all smudgy princess, were you crying?" Prabir said in Bhawani's ears, to be heard over the loud noises of people, screaming and the background music. He cleaned up her face with his handkerchief and pulled her in a warm close hug apologizing for being smelly.

"You surely love to hug people Bhaiya," she smiled back whispering in his ears.

"Hmm...it comforts you, soothes you and assures that you feel safe," he whispered back. Shekhar was striding fast towards them and he yelled at Prabir," Aren't you getting too close to her?"

Grabbing Shekhar's hair hard, Bhargavi yanked him out of the dance floor. She had accidentally heard him yell at Prabir, when she had gone to call Prabir to meet Raunak and Raghav.

"Oops! He's dead!" Prabir sighed, and easily made his way out of the crowds still holding Bhawani's hand.

Raghav pleaded," Bhargavi, let him go please. Everyone's watching. Don't make a scene here."

"Don't stop her ....Bhaiya. Even I want to kick him in the face," Prabir smirked.

"I saw what you were doing," Shekhar snapped.

I bet her hands are itching to strike, Prabir thought to himself and the next instant, he saw Shekhar collapse on the floor, uttering a moaning sound. Bhargavi had kicked between his legs.

All the witnesses to the scene either winced or stood with their jaws wide open. Prabir himself was both shocked and impressed.

"Care to say that again? What you saw him doing?" She asked in a very stern voice. "If people in this crowd find out, what you're intending to say about Prabir, I can assure you, they will tear off your arms and limbs like you are some loathsome dirty little cockroach. So just pick up your fat arse and get lost," she screamed.

Prabir and Raghav, picked up Shekhar from the floor and slowly laid him down on the couch, placed in a corner to make more space for the dance floor.

Evading this chaos, Bhawani thought, she could stay alone for sometime in the Puja room and bumped into Mayank coming downstairs.

Instead of apologizing, "Are you okay?" He asked concerned.

"C...can you lend me a smoke?" Bhawani asked hesitantly.

"Er...umm...I can actually, lend you my shoulder if you want but I can't lend you a smoke. I promised not to," he said softly.

Leaning on his chest, Bhawani sobbed silently. "Wait for me here. I'll be back," he replied and strolled towards Sarvesh, having to deliver a message sent by Mr. Banerjee.

Mr. Ghosh had suggested Mayank, that he join Prabir and the rest and have fun instead of sitting amidst a group of old folks. "I don't like parties Uncle. It reminds me of someone who..." Mayank had replied.

"Who? Who is this girl?" Mr. Ghosh had teased him.

"She's dead," Mayank had replied back dismayed. Stupefied, Mr. Ghosh had lightly tapped his shoulders and apologized. He hardly knew a thing about Keya.

*************************

"Uncle said, it's time for wrapping up. It's pretty late, it's time for the cake and dinner," he typed a message and thrusted his phone in Sarvesh's hand to see, instead of screaming to be heard.

Walking back, Mayank noticed Bhawani had vanished. He found her seated on the last steps, that came downstairs with her face buried in her knees, drawn up to her chest. Sitting beside her, he softly asked,"What happened?"

Sarvesh had stopped playing the music. Sniffing, Bhawani only stared at Mayank with moist eyes. "Should I call someone? I'm the last person you would be pleased, to take a seat beside you...when you're upset," Mayank asked politely. Grabbing his shirt, she clinged onto him.

"Everyone will be coming downstairs now. Come with me," he said and gently ushered her to his mother's room.

Weeping profusely, Bhawani fell on her knees, once they walked in the room and Mayank closed the door behind her. Without annoying her, asking questions about what had happened, he held her in his arms patiently.

Mayank's mother, tried her best to cheer up Bhawani. She knew all about her mental health, as Mayank never kept any secret from her. The way in which Mayank held her, wanting to comfort her, made her feel that it wasn't a fling or an ordinary friendship, deep down he had some feelings for her. Though, obviously, she wasn't sure about Bhawani.

Refusing to cut the cake in Bhawani's absence, Prabir made everyone look for her.

"Where's Mayank?" Bhargavi quizzed puzzled. "I hope he doesn't't let her smoke again."

"No. He won't," Prabir stated and called up Mayank.

"I don't know what happened Prabir. She has been crying her eyes out...Yeah! In Maa's room," Mayank informed, receiving the call.

"Please carry on without me Bhaiya," Bhawani wept, when he requested her to accompany him. "Already, you have been through so much because of me."

"Hey!None of this is your fault. Why are you blaming yourself? You're coming with me, else there's gonna be no celebration," Prabir said, gently cupping her face in his fingers.

Mayank slowly, approached Bhargavi to enquire what the matter was. "It is really sad that the people she falls in love with never love her back the same way," she replied sardonically. "I left her with Prabir, because she was scared and Shekhar adjudged that she means more to him than a sister."

Clenching his fingers into a fist, Mayank said,"I used to think he is a childhood friend of Prabir, who has been with him through every thick and thin but now I think he hardly knows him."

"Princess. Baby. Please stop crying. It was all a misunderstanding. I'll talk to him and sort out everything. Don't worry.Okay?" Prabir whispered to Bhawani distressed.

"You're not talking to him. Just let him live with his shit. How dare he...talks rubbish about you?" Bhawani snapped back. Her tears had stopped flowing and all her feelings had turned into hatred and rage. She stood up and said," Let's go!"

Noticing, that her make up had smudged and ruined his white shirt, Bhawani insisted," Bhaiya. You need to change this shirt."

"That's alright!" Prabir said feeling a bit relaxed that she had finally stopped crying.

Mayank held out a shirt from the cupboard,"This is clean. You can put this on."

"Bhargu. You take her. I'll be there," Prabir said unbuttoning his shirt." Ah! Wait," he handed his handkerchief to her, indicating Bhargavi to clean up Bhawani's face which had turned black by now, with all the mascara and eyeliner spreading all over her face.

"Don't rub that hard," the nurse looking after Mayank's mother winced. "It won't come off like that."

"Thank you! Thank you for saving my life, before she pulled off my skin," Bhawani exclaimed relieved.

"Mayank. Please tell Paru to immediately get her makeup remover and some cotton," Prabir instructed still buttoning up the lemon yellow shirt.

Mr. Banerjee walked in slowly observing Mayank rushing out. A look at Bhawani's face made him gulp hard and ask," What's going on here?"

"Halloween party!" Bhargavi muttered smiling, looking at her sister. "Aren't you going to tuck it in?" she added glancing at Prabir.

"Hmm..mmm...no. I am not tucking in this shirt," Prabir replied back casually, rolling up his sleeves.

Ananya rushed in the room with her makeup kit. "If the makeup is a bit smudged I can..." She had started but buttoned up her lips taking a look at Bhawani.

Dabbing some cleanser in cotton, Prabir gently wiped off the stubborn makeup on Bhawani's face. The sharp burning sensation on her skin made Bhawani wince and even cry. "God! How hard did you scrub her face Bhargu? Were you punishing her?"

"I didn't rub that hard," Bhargavi protested. Finally, Prabir asked her to wash her face gently with some cold water and soap and then explained everything in detail to Mr. Banerjee, who held an impatient look.

"What on Earth?" Sarvesh screamed overhearing the conversation. He had come to call Prabir as the guests were urging him to start playing the songs once again. "I don't believe this. How can someone say such a thing knowing that you both are already engaged?" Dhruv questioned, who had tagged along with Sarvesh, looking for an opportunity to tease both Bhargavi and Prabir and congratulate them.

"Please! Calm down everyone. Shekhar's only being jealous and possessive," Prabir pleaded.

Bhargavi had fixed an angry stare on him, and bit her tongue in an attempt to calm down her instincts, and not yell at Prabir on his birthday and ruin all the hard work and efforts that she had put in, to make it the most special day in his life.

The first piece of cake was stolen by Dhruv, who had made up his mind that under no circumstances, he would let Bhargavi have the piece of cake from Prabir on his birthday.

When Prabir stuffed an even bigger piece of cake in Bhargavi's mouth, Dhruv groaned," Hey! That's not fair. You give such a big piece of cake to an alien."

Every year, Prabir held the first piece of cake for Parul and then for his father. But this year, the sequence wasn't decided, Prabir happily stuffed in a piece of cake to anyone he found around him. This was the happiest day in his life.

Throwing away her heels in a corner, Bhargavi glared at Shekhar who was still lying on the couch.

"Let me tell you something," she chuckled softly, moving closer to Shekhar. "If you don't want a torching device like me to screw your life, I urge you to take back your words, and apologize sincerely. And yes! ...There was a man staring at Bhawani, all the time you both were on the dance floor. I didn't recognize him, but...I have seem him before. I've seen him somewhere."

"Munchkin.We have already had our dinner and shall be taking our leave now. Congratulations once again," Raghav said, shaking Bhargavi's hand. "Wish we had brought Maa and Baba too," Raunak added.

Whatever she did, Bhargavi searched for Bhawani amidst the crowd, every two to three minutes to make sure she was fine and after all of this conversation with Sekhar, Raghav and Raunak, she realized she had lost track of her sister.

Scanning and searching for Bhawani, pushing around people Bhargavi  looked terrified. Where did she go? She began to think.

Someone grabbed at Bhargavi's waist from behind and instantly, without a single thought, she elbowed him in his belly. Turning around, she felt relieved it wasn't Prabir but the MAN who had been gawking awkwardly at Bhawani all the time.

"Who are you?" She snapped.

"What? You don't know me?" The man replied back with a cheesy grin. A punch landed on his face and two of his front teeth broke loose. "Who the hell invited you to this party?" Mayank asked.

"Don't give me that look. He was a part of your team. Apart from Ziko, he had come to know about your real identity. Now, that Ziko's gone, he thinks he can lay his fingers on you or better...your sister, now that you are already engaged," Mayank replied back sharply and turning around gave a thumbs up sign to Prabir, who had been watching it all from a distance, holding a plate of food and trying to feed Bhawani.

Author's note:

I am terribly sorry 😔

Please forgive me for this late update. This is the 100th chapter and I wanted it to be really intriguing...don't know if it really turned out to be that way.

Happy Reading!

I am really hoping that you will have enjoyed this update.

Thank you all for your support and encouragement ❤️🙏