We got a day off from the Championship schedule after three days of intense practice. Although most of what Rishabh and I did wouldn't come close to the 'intense practice' sessions that Veronica and the others were doing.

We were mostly lazing around the Library with our heads in our laptops searching up the meagre authentic mental aptitude test formats that we could find and then bickering about which one would be more suitable for us to practice.

This almost made me consider changing our task to Debate since all we did was argue. But then again, we could only argue with that intensity only when it was with each other. All the three long days in that Library and yet we couldn't decide on a single test, let alone start practicing.

We would go to the school, see other kids practicing their hardest: Dhruv and Sanaya tiring out in their swimsuits, Veronica and Pavan in their own world, studying hard on relevant topics of debates in a corner of the Library and then part our ways at the end of the day without any real progress.

However, Aakash and Tanya were nowhere to be seen. I guessed they still hadn't made up their mind although at that point all they had to do was begin practicing for the Cyclothon.

Since most of the days, we'd encounter Pavan and Veronica in the Library, Rishabh hadn't made any remark about the other day. He behaved rather normally around them as we were never left alone. I was honestly glad for the most part of that arrangement.

"Vee, do you think global politics should be an appropriate topic for a highschool debate?" I looked up from my laptop at Veronica's question.

On the afternoon of the third day, we were seated on the large table at the front of the Library. Rishabh was at the farthest corner of the table and he occasionally bobbed his head to the music from having his headphones on.

"Maybe. With globalisation being a relevant topic in today's day and age. I don't see why highschool students shouldn't be acquainted with what is happening with the politics out in the world." Pavan nodded eagerly at my answer with a satisfied look on his face.

"See, I told you. We cannot simply brush over such an important topic." He added and I pursed my lips, agreeing with him whilst an irritated Veronica rolled her eyes at us.

"I asked you if it's appropriate, Vee Vee!" She whined. "There's just no innocence left in this world." Her response made both Pavan and I chuckle.

"If you talk about innocence, we've all lost that waaaay before we turned teenagers." I remarked jokingly, making Veronica twist her lips at me in annoyance.

"We're not in the middle ages, for God's sake! We won't have to fight for Westeros!" She grumbled before closing her book and lazing back on her seat.

"That is not a progressive way of thinking, Veronica." She turned away from me. "We'll step into a world blindly at this stage if we don't know anything about it beforehand." From the corner of my eyes, I could see Rishabh pull his headphones down to hear me convincing Veronica.

"Global politics is very much related to the topic of terrorism. And we know how terrorism is a big topic when it comes to a debate. Now you'll tell me that an 'innocent' student shouldn't have to bear the cruel realities of the world at this stage. But the fact remains is that this world is much crueler in real life. When this very student steps into the real world for the first time, wouldn't it be twice harder for them to maneuver? No one can remain shielded for too long, Veronica. Everyone has to face it eventually. Better for it to be early...so that they can be ready for anything."

Veronica was listening to me intently with her head down and she smiled sadly as I finished my speech. Pavan held out a thumbs up at my accomplishment of convincing Veronica.

I caught Rishabh smiling in an unmindful state, listening to my words. Once finished, he twisted his lips and pulled his brows up at me in a suggestive manner showing just how pleased he was with my words before putting his putting his headphones back on.

I smiled giddily.

Rathore's compliments were a rarity for me.

This was mostly how we spent the last day before the break.

However, after returning to Dixit Villa that night, my happy mood was immediately marred by that man yelling.

I had to get my tires aired up and was therefore a bit late when I returned home. It was after dusk and upon entering, I saw that he had finally returned home after three days bit dead drunk.

Without any provocation when his eyes fell on me, he literally dragged me down by my hair and thrashed me until Mom meddled between in between and pleaded him to act humanely.

I was beaten black and blue and rebuked with several curses.

It almost felt like I was being punished for just being a daughter?

That night he said the forbidden. He spit out that I was unwanted and should have died in the womb. I saw my mother's head hang low, guarding me with her arms while he kept kept roaring nonsense.

"Yeah? Well I don't want to be the daughter of such a loathsome monster! Go along, defend more devils for all I care. I don't feel more ashamed of anything except for the fact that I have to call such an evil man as you, my father!"

So being bashed hard on my head with a folding mat, right immediately after that, I was desperately sent off by my mother to the apartment that night, despite her ardent wish to have me near her for the rest of the vacation.

The sheer silence of my room at the apartment let me spiral into the rabbit hole of morose thoughts. I took in a deep breath, looking out through the window at particularly nothing.

The afternoon breeze tantalized the wounds of my limbs given by that man the other night. I didn't want to remember anything. I just wanted my mind to somehow be erased off of those dreadful memories.

I felt so weak, so alone. As hard as it was for me to admit it, I was desperately in need for a shoulder to cry on.

My tears had dried up without any warmth. My heart had hardened up without anyone's efforts.

I wasn't weak, was I?

I had to stay strong. For my mother's sake. For myself.

If I was weak, I pledged to feign strength.

From then on, I had pledged never to look back again. I had to be as strong as a rock. And I would never need any shoulder to break down upon.

A knock on the main door broke me out of my trance.

I realized that I had been sitting by the window for the past one hour, entirely cut off from the real world.

The knock startled me out of my seat. I never got any visitors in the apartment. Like in ever. And to my knowledge, the neighbour aunty must've been in her office and her children in school at that point of the day.

Rattled, I peeped through the hole only to get my breath stuck in the back of my throat.

WHAT THE HELL WAS RISHABH RATHORE DOING OUTSIDE MY DOOR?

Out of sheer puzzlement, I pushed the door open just to see the rare sight of a very...ugly looking Rishabh Rathore, smiling at me.

"Hey, rival." He was leaning against my door frame in all his...ugly glory.

"What are you doing here?" I faced him with an expressionless stare, masking the sheer excitement with my usual stoic voice.

His eyes scanned my body from top to bottom and lingered a while on the wounds of my neck and face.

Oh, goody.

I had almost forgotten how he knew
all about my misery.

I was only glad he didn't see the other serious ones on my arms because of my long sleeve. I could barely move my left arm because of the gash left by the sharp showpiece that man threw at me the previous night.

I hated the notion that he knew exactly what those wounds were for.

But to my relief, he didn't say anything right then and proceeded to be as his normal haughty self.

"Oh, can't I come visit my favourite person in this whole wide world?" I knew he was going for sarcasm there but those words made my heart flutter unnecessarily.

Out of habit, I rolled my eyes, still barricading the door way with my frame.

"What do you want, Rathore? I don't have time for your nonsense." I uttered in a stern voice, folding my arms across my chest.

His eyes followed my action, making me feel self-conscious. I was in the shabbiest of my appearance, wearing a faded grey full sleeves tee-shirt over my torn pajama shorts. I wasn't even wearing my slippers, or a bra, for that matter.

"I picked something from the street, suitable for your filthy apartment." He straightened up and bent to pick a box from the floor on the left.

I panicked.

What the hell did he bring?

"I swear to god if it's a rat, I'll skin and feed it to you!" I shrieked when he pulled the box up to my face.

I had experienced my share of awful pranks by Rathore and I didn't trust him an inch when it came to such things.

"I swear, I am not afraid! Get out, now!" I bellowed, shielding my face from whatever the Devil's beast he had brought in that box.

He didn't even reply to my warning as he pushed me back and entered the apartment leaving me stomping in irritation at the door.

"Is this how you welcome your visitors?" He scanned the apartment with his sharp eyes and settled on the old sofa, placing the box on the round table up-front.

I banged the door shut and scurried to manage my unwelcome visitor.

"I don't get visitors. Especially not annoying ones like yourself." I walked upto him and stood at a distance, watching intently while he just passed me a coy smile.

Hell? What was up with those killer smiles? My inner self groaned.

"Aw, I'll always be there to annoy you, Sanvi." He narrowed his eyes at me, leaning more into the couch.

Seeing me stand there with my hands clasped awkwardly for a while, he patted the seat next to him on the couch for me to go and sit.

I scrunched my nose up in disgust, restraining myself because I knew very well that I had very little self-control when it came to being physically close to Rishabh Rathore.

However, as if on cue, I jumped noticing the box on the table move a little and immediately scurried to him.

Whatever the hell was in that, I had readied myself to use Rathore as a human-shield if it attacked.

"Will you now tell me what the hell is in that box?" I narrowed my eyes at him, settling beside him on the sofa.
His smile widened as he sat upright, pulling the box near him.

"Close your eyes." He urged giddily. I rolled them instead.

"Not even if you wear a tutu and dance for my glory." He snorted out loud at my fearful disposition, turning to the box and pulling the top off.

My heart skipped a beat and my right hand involuntarily pawed his left bicep with a smack.

He winced loudly and shot me with a "really" look.

"Here's the little devil."

A little white furry head with two curled black ears and the bushiest of whiskers peeked out from the box and sent me into a frenzy of hysteric awe.

I immediately held out my working hand to help it crawl out of the box, settling it down on my lap and stroking its little black forehead.

A kitten! Rishabh Rathore brought a kitten for me!

"Well, do you like it?" I was a little too preoccupied with cuddling the fluffy kitten to answer Rishabh's query.

"Ohmygod, look at it's tiny black paws. So cute. Where did you get it from, Rishabh?" I was ecstatic. My limitless joy made Rishabh smile brightly at me.

"Well, I was playing with my baby cousin just outside our courtyard when she found two of these in a box near the fence. Someone might have left them there. She took one and I brought the other one to you." A happy smile broke out on my face as Rishabh scratched his neck and a blush crept up on his face.

I stared at him in awe, massaging the kitten's head as it nestled cozily on my lap.

"What's that scratch mark on your hand?" I couldn't help but notice how two of them looked like they were freshly inflicted. He immediately tried to brush over the topic by looking away.

"Hah, those are nothing. By the way, I already got all of its shots done from the vet." He declared nonchalantly before putting his feet up on my coffee table.

"And in the process got scratched up good by a... baby kitten?" My mouth curled up in a smug expression. He stared at me for a while before jutting his lip out in complaint.

"Hmph. Do you even know what this devil is capable of?" He uttered indignantly, staring disgustedly at the poor animal currently curled up on my lap.

"Rishabh, don't you like cats?" I asked him, feeling genuinely curious.

He gave me a side-eye before twisting his lips in irritation.

"What does it matter?"

"No, I am curious as to why you'd go through so much to bring me one when you didn't even like them." His mouth opened and closed at my sudden question. Rishabh Rathore was an enigma.

"Just let it go. I don't like cats but I was not so cruel as to leave it on the side of the road. I simply figured since your life is so cold and empty, why not get you another devil and you can both play hell house together?" I surprised myself when I snorted out loud at his indignant remark rather than being angry.

Rishabh Singh Rathore was making me laugh a lot these days. Never in my wildest dream could I ever believe this happening.

"Yeah, sure." I looked down at the most precious thing purring away on my lap.

"Aw, do you want some milk, baby?"

I heard Rishabh scoff out loud at my sweet tone while I coddled the kitten.

"Wow, so Sanvi Dixit can actually be sweet? Where is this Sanvi when we talk?" I rolled my eyes and stood up with the kitten to fetch some milk for it from the kitchen.

"No sweetness for you..." I smirked haughtily, walking to the kitchen as I felt his sharp eyes checking out my butt.

"Nice butt." I heard him whistle from behind, making me turn red in shame and bark a 'Shut up' outloud without turning back.

"Rishabh? Do you want some milk too?" I called him out from the kitchen and noticed him stiffen immediately from the corner.

How tense his back muscles got after hearing my question!

"...as a thank you? I...I don't know. I don't like milk."

His nervy state made me chuckle.

"Are you sure, you don't?" I teased him some more.

"Uh... I.."

"Relax... I was just kidding."

"No, no, Coffee would do." Came his eager reply, making me roll my eyes and turn back.

"Whose mandolin is this?" I heard him call out as I was busy mixing the ground coffee into two separate mugs. He might have been exploring the living room as I made us coffee.

The kitten purred as it licked the milk off of its paws on the kitchen counter. I smiled at the little fur ball.

"Um, my grandfather's."

Yelling back the answer, I turned to put the milk back into the old fridge and in the process, banged my injured elbow against the handle. The pain made me wince out loud and I massaged the arm, skipping on my feet to reduce the pain.

"Imagine Sanvi Dixit slaving away in the kitchen, making coffee for her arch nemesis." Rishabh stood there on the doorway to the kitchen smirking back at me.

I was taken aback with how noiselessly he had sneaked up on me.
I immediately regained my composure, burying the pain somehow with a cringed look.

"Well, I am not a lousy host. Not even to my arch nemesis." I smirked back, making him mockingly sneer at me.

"Sugar?"

"No, thanks. No milk as well. I like my coffee dark." He answered, walking into the congested kitchen, all the while not removing his sharp stare from me.

I could look anywhere but at him. I flushed, feeling the warmth of his gaze checking me out as I poured hot water into the two mugs. He stood leaning against the fridge, checking me out from the worst possible angle I could ever imagine.

"And bitter. Just like your soul." I noted sarcastically while stirring with the spoon. In the heat of the moment, I advanced my injured hand to grab the sugar from the shelf, the pain doubled and I shrieked, startling Rishabh.

All of a sudden, I felt his hand grab my upper arm, whisking me around and making me collide with his sturdy frame.

I moaned in pain, as a few involuntary tears dropped down my cheeks. He seemed to have been taken aback by my sudden reaction.

It didn't take him a second to pull up my sleeve, albeit gently, to reveal the nasty scars. I looked away as I scrunched my face in pain and embarrassment.

My little kitty was spooked by the sudden movement and I saw her cowering beneath the tap.

His eyes were locked onto the blue and black marks on my arm before turning back to look at me with a blazing change in them.

"Who did this to you?"

I grimaced, trying my level best to act normal.

"Who...what are you talking about... I... I fell. I had an accident. I fell from the scooty." My shaky utterance did nothing but fuel him more.

"WHO DID THIS TO YOU?" Rishabh's growl made me flinch back in fear. But I didn't answer.

"Are you fucking kidding me, Sanvi Dixit?" Came his enraged yet exasperated voice. I could barely look him in the eyes.

It was shameful. For me to be seen in that way. For Rishabh, out of all the people, scrounging out my misery.

"Let go." I gritted my teeth, jerking my hand back to me and creating a distance between us, looking down at the floor with my hair covering my teary face. I felt his blazing stare on me, capable of drilling holes into my frame.

Why was he angry about this?

"Come with me." He spoke in a low and intense voice, making shivers run down my spine as I stood there cowering like my kitty but unmoving.

The next moment, I felt myself being dragged to the living room despite my protests of being left alone.

"Stop it, Rishabh. You don't know anything. Stop it." I screamed as he threw me down on the sofa and clutched his head between his hands.

"Where is the first aid box?" My eyes widened as he pinched the bridge of his nose with his eyes closed, as if he was trying to control himself.

"WHERE IS THE FIRST AID BOX?" I jumped in fear, pointing him towards the Television cabinet, as my hand clutched my aching arm.

Without saying a word further, he procured the box from the cabinet and sat down cross-legged on the carpet below me, with my protruding arm in his grip. I hiccuped as the tears kept dribbling down my face.

"Stop crying." He warned, dressing the wounds in the most delicate manner. I couldn't help but hiccup some more as he gently applied the ointment over the scratch marks.

"I said stop crying." Irritated, he looked up to my face with a stern expression.

"I am not." I wailed, feeling the emotional floodgates overwhelmed with the sheer force of the waves. Everything was pouring out at once. Tears, snot, pent up frustration, anger and pain of the last ten years.

"Why...why would... I cry....in front of ...you..."

As I wailed on, my voice rose and broke. The ebb was on and I felt Rishabh get up on his knees and engulf my shivering frame with his warm embrace.

I clutched on to his shirt, soaking it with my tears and snot but he didn't pay any heed to that. His palm caressed my head and the other patted me reassuringly on my shoulder. My nails dug onto his back as I grabbed him tightly, afraid of losing the warmth.

"Why...why is this happening?" As I bellowed those words, I felt Rishabh tighten his grip around me.

"It's okay... You're not crying. You're just having a panic attack. It's fine. You'll be fine, I promise. Just hold onto me." Came his soft reassuring voice, buried against my neck.

As I felt the tears already spent, I let go of my death grip on the poor Rishabh but still clung to him.

"That's a good lot of not crying you did there." He joked with a sigh as I separated myself from him about five minutes after my absolute breakdown.

The flow was gone, and I felt a cloud of embarrassment settle upon me then as I guilty stared at the absolutely soaked wet patch in the front of his shirt.

"Your...*hiccup*...your shirt." I pointed at it in a childish manner, making him chuckle lightly.

"Well, you're continuing your tradition of ruining all my clothes this year."

I groaned, clutching my throbbing head with my hands, but Rishabh helped me rest my dressed arm straight against my frame.

"Sit tight." He ordered and I obeyed as I kept staring at nothing, gathering my thoughts, processing the storm that just passed through my otherwise calm and desolate afternoon.

Minutes later, I felt the furry creature being placed on my lap and a steamy cup of coffee right in front of my nose. I stared at Rishabh's face with a blank stare.

"Coffee with extra sugar and the demon on your lap oughtta cheer you up, right?" He exhaled jokingly before settling down beside me and carelessly tucking a lock of my wildly strewn hair behind my ear.

I shivered at the mere touch of his finger against my skin but straightened my composure the next second.

He sipped on the coffee loudly, staring out the window in an unmindful state, as I sat beside him, still dazed, observing his face and the minute changes in his expression.

"Stop staring at me or you might fall in love." I was brought out of my daze with the stoic Rishabh response as I wiped the snot off of my face with my sleeve, trying to straighten my disheveled appearance.

I grabbed the mug from the table and heard kitty hiss at Rishabh who was apparently trying to stroke it. He immediately retracted his hand before hissing back at the baby in his usual childish manner.

That made me chuckle.

"What should I name it?" I asked as I rested my head on Rishabh's arm laid over the head of the sofa.

"I think it already has a name." He answered, adjusting his arm comfortably under my head.

"It does?" I turned to look at him.

"Yeah. Demon. It's a Devil's child. And since you're the reincarnation of the Devil, Demon should be your child's name." He smirked, bending his head towards me as I playfully smacked his thigh with my good arm.

"Nonsense. Not a single creative bone in you, isn't it?" I involuntarily nestled closer to his frame, taking the first sip of the coffee Rishabh made. It was perfect. Not very sweet but enough strong to please my taste buds.

He smiled toothily at my remark.

"How about Louis?" It was a quick thought but it made him snort outloud.

"Yeah why not. You now have a love child with your own school." Rishabh's crass joke made me roll my eyes.

"Come on." I answered defensively and called the kitty with that name. In response, it snuggled closer to my belly, making me beam.

"See? Even Louis agrees to be called Louis." I turned to smugly deride him but Rishabh's hand grabbed my left arm and engulfed me in a warm embrace.

"Sanvi, I know I am not in a place to say anything to you but would you keep my request for the sake of whatever there is between us?" A coldness shrouded my body despite the immense heat of the afternoon. His warm fingers drew random patterns on my upper arm in a soothing motion.

"What?" His question made my heart beat faster.

"Please don't return to that house. Stay here until the Championship. We'll figure something out. I'd help you out here if you want. Groceries, errands, anything. If you don't feel safe, I'll come along, give you company. But please don't go back for now." It baffled me as to why Rishabh Rathore would be concerned for me in anyway and it might just had been my delusion but I felt the friendly warmth emanating in his words.

"Are you insinuating that you can't bring the trophy home without me? Where is Rishabh Rathore and what have you done with him?" I snorted, snuggling close to his warm chest.

"I don't know... He's somewhere down there. This is between us. Shh. He might hear you talk and come back up." Sometimes it puzzled me at how that lump of haughtiness could crack such jokes and be light-hearted.

"I knew you had some sort of Dissociative Personality Disorder." I countered his joke with a smack on his arm before separating our frames.

It was getting too comfortable for my likeness. I felt constricted somehow.

*****///*****