The blood still gushing down from the nose, somehow or other Sid hoisted himself up and with blur vision, he looked at his surroundings. The salty stench of blood seeped into his nostrils which made him grimace. Slowly he was regaining his consciousness. He swept away the dirt from his clothes and with stumbling steps headed back to his home. Letting not even a slightest doubt to sprout in any of the family member's mind—who were present in his house—Sid rushed into the restroom to rinse stains of blood from his clothes.

Knock, knock, knock. Someone banged the door three times. After that, a voice snapped at Sid's ears, "Sid! Are you in there?" Pratham said.

"Yeah! Hold on a minute." Sid trashed the tissue paper—which was soaked with his blood—into the dustbin. He pushed the door open.

"What took you so long?" Pratham rushed in. Sid immediately covered his nose to not let his wound visible.

However, Pratham felt something peculiar about his body language. "Dude! Sara and Nehali, both are freaking hot." He headed at the wash basin to rinse his face.

From the corner of his eyes, Pratham looked at Sid. He was hankering after to see hot under the collar face of his little brother, but Sid was totally unhitched from his presence.

"Are you alright?" Pratham furrowed his brow and scanned Sid from head to toe. He observed something unusual. All of a sudden, he cascaded his eyes upon the bruises. Being utterly shocked, Pratham took a hold of Sid's neck. "What's this?" he asked.

Sid turned around and stuttered back, "No! Nothing, I... I-I f-fell down from stairs."

Pratham pulled him around to face him eye to eye, but he didn't receive an eye contact from the latter. He grabbed Sid's hand and pulled it away. Ablaze with anger as he caught sight of the bruises in "who-dared-to-mess-with-my-brother" look. Without any struggle to make head or tail out of the truth. Pratham fathomed someone has rained blows on his brother. "Just tell me who did this? I will beat the stuffing out of that man."

"No!" Sid shouted, "I want to deal with it in my way. I will transform that person's heart."

Pratham laughed his head off; letting Sid to be embarrassed on his statement. He believed that some people deserve a dose of their own medicine. They can't be transformed or comprised. Unless you beat the crap out of them. "Little Buddha, you're not living among saints. Everyone is swindlers in this shithole world."

Sid's hackles raised when he received the incoming mockery on the principles of his life. He pushed aside Pratham to make way for himself to walk away from the scene. Pratham punched the wall in frustration. He let out a pant and pulled off his cell phone, and dialed a number from his contact list. He spoke as the phone call was received on the other end. "Gather up as many as boys you can. We've to knock the daylights out of someone."

******

Pratik and his friends were exulted with the yesterday's feat; therefore, gossip about that day was still prevalent among them. Pratik as always, smoking cigarettes and puff out smoke in the air.

"Pratik, this time we've taught a good lesson to Sid. I'm sure he won't pick on you anymore," one of Pratik's friend spoke up.

Pratik flicked his hair and draw in a long puff of cigarette. It was so heavy that had him cough so badly, but pride was flooded all over his mind that he resisted it. "It's not done yet. I wanna make him weep and beg."

"Wait!" Pratik paused to see someone walking towards him, his yellow eyes couldn't believe the view it was beholding. His same foremost enemy was approaching him with a black look reigning on the face. It was Sid.

He burst out as Sid stood in front of him, "C'mon! Last night's thrashing wasn't enough for you?" Pratik pulled cigarette off from his mouth, and crushed it beneath his fingers.

"Nope!" Sid formed a smirk on his lips. "As I'd told ya. You gotta wait for my punch."

Eyes wide open, fear invaded all over Pratik's body that led his legs to tremble, when he saw Pratham and his ten burly friends were marching towards him. Pratik sets his eyes on the brawny biceps of Pratham and his friends. Their muscles were itching to pound someone after all day long workout. And now they have a chance to do so.

"I think, we're f**ked by the fickle finger of fate," Pratik mumbled to his friends as they were taking steps backwards to run away.

Pratham rushed at Pratik and grabbed him with the collar and chuck him away like a garbage bag. "Owww," Pratik moaned as he collapsed down. Pratham took off his cell phone from his pocket and gave it to Pratik.

"Here," Pratham crinkled his eyebrows, "now yell out for your badass friends to rescue you from us."

Pratham openly let Pratik to call out for help, he was confident enough to scuffle with them all. Pratik's facial gesture, however, told another story, he was frightened to death. "Look man! I didn't know Sid is your bro," Pratik replied.

"Don't spare him Pratham. This guy is a pain in the bum. Since, he had stalked my sister." A angry friend from Pratham's side yelped.

Meanwhile, a mosquito was flying around Pratik's head. It landed on his cheek. Just then in a snap, Pratham slapped Pratik hard that might had damaged his eardrums. Seeing, Pratham already began this semi-world war. His other friends joined in. Having no match in terms of strength with Pratham. Pratik tried to block all incoming punches and kicks. But still, it was unbearable for him to defend himself. Other friends of Pratham grabbed the guy, who had locked Sid's arms yesterday. They twisted his hands and punched on his shoulder. As if they will rip off his both arms.

Watching four students of their college, getting thrashed. Some notorious students join in to rescue Pratik. "Stop there!" Pratham yelled at them. His voice was thunderously angry that he will alone beat the shit out of those guys, if they dare to come forward to protect Pratik. Unaware of attack from behind, someone locked Pratham's hands. So that, he can't move. Those students came in and charged at Pratham. Now it was one against five. They began punching and kicking. Pratham struggled to fight back, but it was out of his strength to handle five guys at one time.

Being a diehard fan of WWE. Raj desired to exhibit his strength. He rushed at Pratham in order to rescue him. He leaped at those four boys, who was punching and kicking Pratham. With his own strength and powerful punches, Raj drives them all away.

As if wild elephants, Raj and Pratham pounded everyone whosoever came to rescue. Whereas, Sid and Ravi were totally inactive in the fight. They tried their best to stop the scuffle. After some attempts, they succeeded to stop everyone. While Pratham and his friends were not yet done with their part. However, Sid dragged his angry brother away from the scene, and slowly everything gets back to normal. Just like yesterday, Pratik was exactly lying on the ground, similarly, the way Sid was. Although, Sid didn't mean to do this. But destiny gave Pratik dose of his own medicine.

******

The sun stared at the world without pause through the crystal clear sky. Many people sought comfort from the heat by eating ice cream or drinking chilled beverages. Ravi, Sid, and Raj was walking way back to their home as they were done with their day. They've been discussing about the punch-up they'd with Pratik and his friends.

"Why hadn't you told us about it on yesterday itself? We would attack those blockheads right away," Raj said, as his fist was still itching to pound them.

Although Sid didn't actively participated in the fight, he was now again in the mode of peace and non-violence. "It's done now. I hate to live with a grudge all the time."

Sid raised his index finger at Ravi and Raj, indicating them to be quiet since his mobile phone was buzzing. "Yup," he spoke up.

"Sid, where are you?" Sara said on the other end.

"I am with Ravi and Raj, going home."

"How you dare to touch my boyfriend, huh?" Sara burst out so loudly that her voice were audible even without loudspeaker.

Worry shinned up on Sid's face, since he never believed Sara would lash out on him in this tone. He shot a staggered look at Ravi and Raj. Revealing his bewilderment with that look.

"Last night he pounded me up with his six friends."

"Shut up!" Sara cut in, "Don't make up a story. Pratik told me all the reasons which making me to disgust you right now."

Hearing Sara's voice kept on making its way up. Sid tried to calm her down by suffusing politeness in his voice. "What reasons?" he asked.

"Forget it," Sara replied. Sid figured it out by a hunch that she must be in great misunderstanding about him and what had happened yesterday night. But here, the table seemed to be turned. For Sara, Sid turned out to be the main culprit.

Sid rubbed his temple and let out a sigh. "Just tell me, what's the matter?"

"It's... It's just my mistake, I let you be my close friend. Guys like you don't deserve friendship." Sara was literally hissed her anger out with each word she was squabbling.

As if, limits of misunderstanding crossed, Sid's temper was blowing up like anything. And he finds himself difficult to control his patience. When it was obvious that it's not his mistake. "Shut your trap! You don't know the truth."

"Goddammit! If you're in love with me, then why in the world you need to hurt my boyfriend for that?"

"What the..." Sid utterly pulled his hair in agitation, "You know who I love. So, stop being a jerk."

"I feel like, I'm mentally abused to be friend with you. You're such a perv."

"Enough!" Sid shouted, "I would be a celibate, instead of having you as my girlfriend. You're such a fool. You have beauty, but no brain to understand that Pratik wants to use and throw you." Sid was breathing heavily as he ran out of patience. This nothing, but worked as pouring salt water on the fresh wound.

"I hate you, Sid. Just never ever try to talk to me again," Sara's voice turned slightly weepy as she said this and cut off the call.

Sid being burned in anger as she does that. Because things are totally messed up for them now. Just a few days before they are like best friends and the most compatible ones, who were there for each other like a shadow, whilst in bad times or good times. But now they seemingly have animosity against each other. Sara was totally being deluded by someone. Whereas Sid, out of anger made such statements that will give long-lasting mental scars to her. So, from both sides, it was lose-lose situation.

*******

A/N: I hope you all like this payback. Esp. Those who didn't like what happened to Sid in previous chapter. But here we can see, Sid has lost his friend, Sara. Is she really blinded by love. What you think about her? Please vote, share, and comment.