Good evening! 🍵
Starting the chapter on a frosty evening. 🎀

Moving on...💃💃💃

"Words in Double quotes" - Talking

'Words in single quotes' - Thoughts

Chapter 1 - Why Did it Have to be This Way

She rushed down the stairs with a piece of paper in her hands. She couldn't wait to show her two best friends, Abhi and Samay, her new song. Her excitement was like a child who got a new doll, rather than a 16 year old teenage girl.

"Choti Malkin! Malkin, please slow down. What if you fall down and hurt yourself? Your brothers would kill me!"

She stopped in her tracks and turned to look back with hands on her hips. "Lila, I told you! Call me Pragya or Prays... like my brothers do. Why do you call me Malkin?"

Lila gave an awkward laugh and looked sheepish. "What to do Malkin? Some habits die hard. Besides, I am only a servant."

Pragya went near her and held her hands. "Lila, you have taken care of all three of us since the death of our Maa and Papa. You are like family to us! Please don't call yourself a mere servant."

Lila's eyes softened hearing this. "Malki-"

"You're calling me Malkin again." Pragya pouted.

"Okay okay.. I'm sorry Malk-- I mean Pragya."

"That's better."

Lila chuckled. "No one can win against you in words, can they?"

"Nope." Pragya replied with a wink.

"Okay Pragya. So, now will you tell me now why you were rushing down like a bat out of hell? "

Pragya's eyes widened. "Oh no! I almost forgot. I had to show Abhi and Samay my new song. See you later...bye-de-bye!"

"Arree... Don't rush. Pragya! Pragya beta!" Lila sighed and shook her head. "This girl never listens! I wish all the very best to whoever will be her future husband. He will need it. Good Lord!"

Pragya was about to reach for the gate when it was opened by Arnav on the other side. She was delighted to find them there.

"Bhai, right on time. I was just about to go to the Mehra Mansion to ask the music duo to compose the music for my new song.. Its about-" Pragya paused her rant as she noticed that Arnav still had not looked up from the ground.

Manish, who could never shut up for the life of him, was also silently waiting beside Arnav.

Arnav looked devastated.

She raised Arnav's face by the chin. What she saw made her worry. His eyes were red, no doubt from crying for long.

"Bhai...Arnav bhai, whats wrong? Tell me bhai. Bhai please!" from the corner of her eyes, she saw Manish sigh in resentment. "Mani, tell me! Mani please, tell me what happened. Tell me something! Anything! Tell me please bhai!"Pragya cried out in a desperate voice.

"Pragya lets go inside. I'll tell you everything." Saying this Arnav walked past her into the house.

Pragya looked towards Mani for an explanation. "Mani what-"

""Shh. Not here." Mani cut off whatever she had to say. "Pragya, lets go inside. Bhai will explain everything to you."

#Inside#

"Bhai..Arnav bhai. Atleast now tell me what happened." Pragya questioned, looking at him with urgency and despair.

"She's dead."

Those two words shocked her to the core and filled her with a sense of dread. "Wh-what? Who?!"

Arnav held her by the shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "Shweta's dead Pragya. She's dead! Gone!" Arnav let out in a pained voice. He was trying hard not to break down infront of his siblings.

"No. No way. Y-you're lying!"

"We're not Prays."

"The both of you are pulling a prank on me! Mani, I'm sure its you who convinced bhai to lie to me. "

"Ragu, I would never joke about something like this about anyone, let alone Shweta Di. " Mani answered softly, understanding her inner turmoil.

"Then... Then Shweta Di... She... No, this can't be happening! " Pragya cried out in anguish as she fell to her knees, sobbing.

"Shweta got a call from the school informing her that Abhi and Samay got into a fight with some street thugs infront of the school. She was in a rush to get there. As-s she was rounding the corner, a truck was coming from the otherside. But her car's speed was too much to change the course and then..." Arnav sucked in a breath. He could not go on further.

Mani held his shoulder. They all knew how much Arnav cared for Shweta. He was going to propose to Shweta within a week.

But fate could be cruel sometimes.

Mani continued from where Arnav left off. "Her car collided with the truck. It was death on the spot. There...there was no chance of survival."

Pragya cried harder. 'She was such a nice person. How could this happen to her. Shweta di ..no. And what about Abhi and Samay. She was their sister. They must be shattered by this news. I need to go there. I need to be there for my best friends.'

Pragya got up and was about to reach the front door when a voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Pragya, you will not go the Mehra Mansion."

Pragya looked back with a pleading look. "Please let me go. They are my best friends."

"You are not going there. Not now. Not ever." Arnav ordered.

"What are you saying Arnav Bhai? Abhi and Samay need us. They must be in a terrible state right now. We need to go an-"

Arnav let out a humorless laugh. "They are miserable? They are miserable!? Who gave them right to be miserable when they were the ones who are responsible for Shweta's death! " he screamed, his pent up fury coming to light.

"Bhai! How could u say something like that! It was an accident. You said it yourself. " Pragya defended.

"She would not have been in a rush if it wasn't for them. Everytime something went wrong, it would always be their fault! She always worried about them. Even when she was with me, everytime her phone buzzed, she would get worried, fearing that something happened to one of them. But they never understood, never gave her relief!"

"But this doesn't mean that they would do this to her! They care for her deeply. Sure they can be troublesome but they loved their sister! Mani, tell him!" Pragya looked at Mani desperately, hoping that he could make Arnav Bhai understand.

Mani looked down. "Prags, it's true that it was an accident. But like it or not, both if them are guilty to some extent."

"Mani please! Not you too... Please don't say such things."

Arnav slammed his hand on the table. "They always did this to her! They were always upto no good."

"Bhai..." Pragya felt helpless as she couldn't prove her friends' innocence.

"And finally they led her to her death! They should be happy they finally succeeded in eating her life!" Shouted Arnav.

"Bhai please, listen to me once. The-"

"ENOUGH Pragya! From now on, you will stay away from Abhi and Samay. I already lost someone precious because of them. I don't want to lose you too."

"Bhai.. Bhai please..."

"Are you going to disobey your brother for them? Do they matter so much? "

"Bhai don't say that! They are my best friends, but you and Mani will always mean more to me. Don't make me choose between you guys."

"If you choose us, then you will listen to me and stay away from them. Do I make myself clear Pragya?"

"Bhai, don't do this please..."

"Am I clear?!"

She rubbed away her tears and steeled herself. "Cr-crystal clear Bhai. I will do as you say." Pragya turned back and rushed to her room with tears in her eyes.

#Mehra Mansion#

"Di wake up please. Your Samay is begging you. Please wake up Shweta Di! I'll do as you say. I won't say a thing even if you beat me. Wake up please, slap me,scold me, beat me but please wake up Di! Di please! Maa tell her to wake up!" he pleaded.

(Samay 👆)

"Beta...oh my child!"

His eyes fell on his big brother. "Abhi! Abhi tell her to come back Abhi! Abhi please!" cried the 16 year old Samay in desperation. He hadn't stopped crying and pleading since he saw Shweta's lifeless body brought home.

Their parents were holding each other for support. Their only girl child was dead and they won't ever see her smile again.

And Abhi....Abhi was numb. He was frozen besides the door. He had been staring at Shweta's body from the moment he arrived and hadn't moved an inch. He couldn't believe that his elder sister was dead. Never could he have imagined that something like this would happen to her. all sorts of thoughts were going through his head. 'She was such a nice person. She didn't deserve to die like this. It was my fault. If only I had been more responsible. If only I had listened to her! If only...'

"Argh!!!" Abhi screamed out in sorrow and punched the wall. He felt a throbbing pain from the hit, but didn't care.

Shikha, his mother, went near him. "Abhi beta..."

Even tears refused to drop from his body. So numb he felt after the loss.

"Beta, don't hold it in. Don't hesitate to cry beta. Let it all out Abhi. Let it all out." She cried holding him.

Abhi didn't resist her hug. He cried holding her. Cried for his sister, cried for his family, cried for the unfairness in the world and all the pain.

#With Pragya#

'Abhi, Samay, I'm sorry...I'm so so sorry. You guys might hate me from now, and I guess it is right for you to be angry at me. You both are my best friends and I wish i could be there for both of you. But i cannot go against my brothers. Please forgive me if possible. I'm sorry. I'm so damn sorry!' Pragya wept silently in her room. In the silence of the room, the four walls stiffled her heart wrecking sobs.

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To be continued...

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~ 🌹 Mona 🌹