The silence echoing in the room was a drastic opponent to the voice in her head that screamed a seemingly never-ending string of questions added with profanities here and there at the dumbest thing she had done in her life, that was falling for the famous flirt.

Damn her heart, it had to surrender to the one who was waiting for the opportunity to break it, right?

She didn't have any strength left in herself to refuse the fact that she had, in fact, against her better judgment and factitious pointers about how it was a very bad idea, fallen for The Ranbir Kohli.

For the first time in her life, she had let a boy into her heart. She had thought that maybe, just maybe he was not like her father. He was her friend after all, and she trusted him! 

He made her trust him, all this just so he could stomp on her heart? She had given him the place she had vowed to not let anyone even come near to. He made her see that it is not compulsory for everyone to be deceiving, untrustworthy and irresponsible like her father.

And what lengths had he gone to prove her stereotypes wrong. He had supported her, trusted her when all else refused to. Only to knock her off that all she ever thought, believed was true. She should never trust Anyone. Ever.

Her cheeks felt sticky after all the tears she shed had dried off. Her hands were slick with sweat as she clasped them in tight fists. She had run out of tears a while ago, and her head pounded with all the crying she had done. No more tears left to shed, she felt as if her body refused to wail anymore for the deception she faced.

But even though her tear glands had exhausted themselves, her mind was a whole different story. It was like someone had paid it to vividly play the recent happenings like a bloody loop on her pallet. Images were clear as daylight, and every word rang like a bell in her conscious. Taunting her mercilessly that how her one tiny slip up made her the idol of stupidity and humour in front of the world.

Prachi entered the college with Shahana beside her and a smile playing on her lips. Spotting the pair of familiar-looking boys, Shahana dragged her towards them even after she assured her that she can walk on her own. Just coming in His line of sight made her heart flutter.

Ever since he had gifted her the bouquet of the most vibrant roses she had ever seen on Rose day last week, she couldn't help but feel her emotions getting all jumbled up together. He hadn't said anything to her, not even a single word when he had handed her the pretty flowers. 

But she wasn't a college ranker for nothing. 

Propose day + Kneeling Boy + Girl + Red roses + Madly hooting friends 

It could only mean one thing. And the feelings that his brown eyes showcased couldn't have been justified in any amount of words, so it was better that he didn't try to say anything. She had never thought in her life that she would ever do the thing that she had done next. Her feelings may have been a confusion to herself, but at that very moment, her feelings for Ranbir were the most evident realization she had ever had regarding anything she had ever done or felt.

Her newly found part of heart had overtaken her being and she had shyly, but smoothly, accepted the sweet token of love from his hands. Which resulted in the whole student body erupting into wild cheers. And then she had done something even more daring.

She softly caressed the tips of petals with her fingertips. The gentle dew tingled her palm. She had glanced up to look at his smiling face, a victorious grin on his lips and love, pure love and adoration oozing from her face. She had decided to do something in return and knew that anything from her would be enough for him. 

She looked at him, slightly nervous, but the look on his face was all that mattered to her. So, she had gently plucked a single rose from the middle of the bunch, making sure not to disrupt the binding. Adored it for a moment as she gently knelt down in front of him, to be the same height as his, nibbling on her lower lip, before forwarding it to Ranbir as the whole college lost it.

Students were acceptable, even expected, but never in her everloving wildest fantasies had she expected teachers to be hooting. 

And since then they had been the unofficial-official couple. The couple whose conversations and sharp-witted remarks could puncture titanium while the love-filled glances and gestures could single-handedly melt the Himalaya into a puddle.

Everything was well, as perfect as Prachi could have ever taken the liberty to dream of. And maybe that's why it didn't last long. 

Fresh tears slid down the fore-made path down her face as the recent happenings followed her happy memories.

As soon she had made her way into the college, the entire student body was once again staring at her. This time with a sympathetic look. The reason confused her more as Ranbir, Aaryan, and Shahana were beside her. 

"Tch, tch, tch, tch, tch." She turned to see the last person she wanted to talk to this early in the morning, making her way toward her with a smile that screamed 'Problem'. 

"Poor you Prachi!"

"What do you want Rhea?" Prachi asked in a no-nonsense tone, she was already having a bad feeling about it.

"Congratulations Ranbir." Rhea chooses to wrap her arms around the confused boy instead of acknowledging the question asked her. The action only confused the four more as they shared confounded glances.

"For what Rhea?" Ranbir asked, his back stiff as a plank as he lightly tapped her shoulder awkwardly before stepping back from her hold. 

"You proved yourself, Ranbir." Rhea smiled cheekily, "You proved that nothing is impossible for The Ranbir Kohli."

Prachi's eyes furrowed as she saw the students slowly gathering around them. Some of them smirking, some of them confused, some angry, and some sad. She looked at her best friends and they both mirrored her expression. Clueless.

"Oh don't worry, you don't have to keep up your act anymore." Rhea's voice again took her attention as she grabbed Ranbir's hand in hers, "I already feel so guilty that you had to go through so much for me. You suffered so much." She said the last line as she looked at Prachi in distaste.

Ranbir looked at Prachi in confusion and then again turned to Rhea. His mind tried to piece together what was just happening. 

"And yes, you, Prachi." Rhea turned with mockery, "I honestly did not take you to be so utterly naive. If it was this sister of yours I may have believed, but you seemed to be intelligent. But clearly, I thought too highly of you."

The act Rhea was putting on was causing Prachi extreme vexation. And by the looks of it, she didn't seem to be stopping it anytime soon to get to the point. Plus, the way she had made them the point of attraction, was also not helping much. Anything Prachi hated more than flirty boys, was having unnecessary attention.

"Would you come to the point already?"  Shahana snapped, "you take the college as a daily fashion show to show off your extravagant wardrobe apparently, but we are here to do something useful instead. Study, if you don't know!"

The small chuckle from the crowd didn't necessarily help Rhea's hurt ego, as she snapped back.

"How dare you?" Rhea took a threatening step toward the younger girl but halted as Prachi stepped between them.

With her right arm held out just in time to keep Shahana from pounding on Rhea, more than from saving her or something as Rhea took it to be. 

"Would you get over with it?" Prachi asked sternly and the sly smirk was back on Rhea's face.

"Ask Ranbir, why don't you?" She said and Prachi turned her gaze to the boy.

"Ask me what, Rhea?" Ranbir asked in confusion.

"About the bet." 

Prachi looked on as the light drained from Ranbir's eyes as realization dawned upon him, and then momentary got replaced by anger. Prachi had never witnessed someone's face turn from standard to abnormally pale, and then to bright red in such a short span of time. It only perplexed her nerves more.

"What bet?" Prachi heard someone ask. It took her a moment to realize that the word had left her own lips as the entire surrounding seemed to be empty.

She had never seen the college this silent even during continuing lectures since she had stepped into it for the first time. It was really unsettling. The only exception was the time when she had slapped Rhea. That was a fun day. 

The others clearly knew something she didn't. And she kinda felt that she won't be too happy to know it.

"What bet?" Shahana asked coming to stand beside Prachi, taking turns glaring down Ranbir, Rhea, and Aryan.

"I don't know!" Aryan shrugged, "What is she saying Ranbir? What do you mean Rhea?" 

"Come on Ranbir, tell her." Rhea impelled. "You tell her or I will."

Ranbir knew that though it was very, very late, it may make a slight difference coming from him.

"I- I..." His words seemed to be stuck in his throat, not wishing to come out. Fearing the reaction.

"Prachi, listen to me. Just, trust me." He tried to bring it out as smoothly as he could.

"Oh come on Ranbir," Rhea slapped his shoulder lightly, turning to Prachi.

"No, I'll tell her myself-"

"Ranbir took a bet from me to break your heart." Rhea dropped the bomb and collective gasps were heard from the students who were still miraculously unaware of the piece of gossip that circled the entire college at fire pace.

"He proposed to me. He asked me to become his girlfriend. And I placed a bet in front of him. I asked him to woo you, earn your trust, and make you have feelings for him. Trap you so deep that you only see, hear, and feel him. And then BAM.

"Then break your heart so that you know. You know how it feels to have your reputation hurt. How it feels when someone crushes your self-respect. Now, NOW, you know how it felt when you, YOU, a nothing, slapped ME. RHEA MEHRA." Rhea spat with as much venom as she had in her veins.

"What?" Prachi's face contoured as if it was the most ridiculous thing she had heard in her life.

"You've lost it!" She shook her head in pure bullishness.

"As a matter of fact, I have not." Rhea boasted.

"Shut up Rhea. You're lying." Shahana stated.

"You think?" Rhea gave an indifferent look.

"Stop it, Rhea, it is not funny." Aryan stepped, actually looking done with it.

"Neither is it false, Aryan." Rhea criticized his look, "Ask Ranbir if you want."

They turned to the accused boy, to see him looking at Prachi, trying to gauge her reaction.

"Is it true?" Prachi asked Ranbir, looking straight in his eyes, her voice no more than a whisper.

"Prachi I can explain-"

"Yes or No?" Came the cold reply.

"I- I, actually I..." Ranbir tried again, but his words had never worked in front of this innocent, fierce, strong-headed, kind-hearted, and now broken girl.

"Faster Mr. Kohli. I don't have the entire day." Prachi demanded, her eyes burning in irritation.

She exhaled loudly, pinching the bridge of her nose. She painfully gulped in the waves of emotions that rose within her. Ranbir felt a hand clutching his heart.

"Is it true?" She asked, loud and clear. Her voice was devoid of any emotion, but her eyes held hope. 

A trust in him shone in her eyes. Asking him to deny it. Hoping against hope that he will not do it. He got this urge in his heart to disapprove. To say that it was a lie Rhea weaved god knows why. To say that he has no idea what anyone was saying and that he truly, stupidly, actually liked her.

But he could not lie to her. He had already foolishly done it once by not telling her this himself. He should have come clear to her. Should have told her what Rhea wanted to do to her.

And now, as he took more and more time to answer, the hope in her eyes got dimmer and dimmer. The trust wavered as her heartbeat started becoming erratic. And the clutch on his heart got tighter and tighter. It felt as if the hand clutching his heart had thrones growing on the inside, puncturing his heart.

"Yes." He whispered against his mind, heart, and soul. Watching as the glimmer died in her eyes. 

Getting replaced by sheer, raw hurt. 

Prachi closed her eyes momentary, and a part of him was thankful that she did. He couldn't bear the look. She took a deep breath and just like that, it was gone. Any emotion, any feeling that had been formerly present, was gone from her eyes. No irritation, no anger, no hope, no hurt, no nothing.

Empty. 

"You see," Rhea mocked, "He wanted ME. How could you even imagine him falling for a girl like you? Moneyless, Tasteless, Classless. It was always me. Just me. I WON."

"Oh, Ranbir!" Prachi exclaimed loudly, and rather dramatically. Scaring the hell out of Rhea and causing her to jump back slightly.

"How could you Ranbir?" Prachi overacted, intentionally, before covering her face with her hands and fake sobbing.

"Okay, I know I'm rather horrible at acting." She said suddenly, running her hand in her hair, pushing them behind her ear.

Ranbir looked at her in shock while the other stared in confusion.

"What did you think Rhea? I didn't know any of this?" Prachi asked tilting her head lightly and the other girl looked in disbelief.

"Of course, I knew. Ranbir told me himself." She passed a tight smile and Rhea looked at Ranbir, baffled beyond wits. 

"He told me how you ungratefully threw away his feelings for the stupid ego of yours. And what for, because I hurt your ego. The boasting one you name falsely as self-respect?" Prachi held her head high.

"You lost Rhea. You lost a boy who had feelings for you, you lost the bet, and now, by this drama you created, you lost the shreds and pieces of respect you had among the student body. YOU LOST." 

"But you did fall for Ranbir. I know. The entire college knows. That is why you accepted the roses from him. That is why you accepted his proposal and even gave a flower to him as a token of returning his feelings." Rhea quibbled. "So you lost too! As Ranbir does not like you, he doesn't have any interest in you, while you foolishly walked into his trap!"

"What is more important to you?" Prachi asked, "You winning the bet or me being heartbroken?" 

"You being destroyed beyond repair!" Rhea screeched, "I want you -I need you- to be at your worst. That is the only thing that will calm this rage of anger going on in me."

"Sorry then, I am not heartbroken." Prachi crossed her arms in front of her torso as she observed Rhea, making sure to get her words clear.

Prachi's face was stone set. Her features radiate off sheer concentration. For a minute she had everyone fooled, even Ranbir. But then he noticed how her hands were balled in fists. Her knuckles had gone white from the pressure she exerted on her thin delicate fingers. 

She was trying. She was trying so, so hard not to give satisfaction to Rhea. She was stopping herself from breaking down then and there because she didn't want to give in to Rhea and let her have the sick pleasure of breaking her.

"As I said, he already told me everything. And besides, he just gave me a bouquet of flowers. What's wrong with that? I remember I had once said that I really liked roses. There was a flower stall right outside the college gate. Maybe he just remembered that and decided to give me some. After all, he did not say a word, I did not say a word. What made you believe that it was romantic?" Prachi raised an eyebrow.

"But- but." Rhea's minion, whom Prachi had never bothered to know the name of, tried to prove her wrong. "Yeah, then why did you give a rose to Ranbir?"

"A thank you token?" Prachi deadpanned.

"If your interrogation is over would you let us leave?" Shahana stepped ahead, seeming to catch onto Prachi's inner turmoil as well. "You can continue mourning over your bitter loss without our presence. We are getting late for class because you may have time to spare but as far as ours is concerned, we have a future to make."

That were the only words she said before moving Prachi away by her elbow, not bothering to look back.

Prachi took in a ragged breath. That was yesterday. And she thanked her stars that it was the weekend or she could not have gathered the courage to show up to the college today. 

It was nearly three at night and sleep was the farthest thing on her mind. Oh, what she would not give to fall asleep, just so that she could escape reality for a bit. She was alone in her room, Shahana had generously given up the room for the night to her.

And it was a good thing that she did. Apart from the need to be alone, Prachi highly doubted the poor girl would have gotten any sleep from all the shuffling, fidgeting, crying, and pacing she was doing. 

She leaned back on the headboard of her bed, rubbing her chest with the heel of her palm. There was this feeling that had been there since he had uttered that word.

"Yes"

The feeling like her chest had been punctured from right the middle.

So easily, so meekly had he crumbled her. Not just any part of her, but the entirety of her existence. And the much more frustrating part was that she wasn't even angry at him.

She was not feeling any anger, any dejection, any hurt by him. Instead, she felt those emotions for her own baseless life. She blamed her own self for this condition of hers. It was, after all, her who had brainlessly walked right into the center with her heart on her palm. Offering it to be crushed.

Had she not known who he is? Had she not been aware of what he was like? Had not everyone known his nature? Hell, even when she first saw him he was in his space. Popular. Crowded with girls. Clothless.

What more could the universe have done to give her the red signal?

But no, she had to be the utter idiotic person and fall for him. Look at her, utterly, profoundly, and irrationally in love with Ranbir Kohli.

How Pathetic!

She had used every ounce of strength in herself to stop her eyes from tearing up in front of everyone. If it weren't to keep her mother's brave daughter from becoming a lively stock of laughter for everyone, she would have fleed the situation then and there.

That was one of the major reasons for the self-disgust that she felt. That is how she had let her mothers upbrought strong, brave, and, willful daughter break so easily.

No, She was not going to let the world see her crumble. 

That was her last thought before her mind was driven towards the squeaking sound from her window.

~*~

Ranbir dragged his feet around the house in the middle of the night, a gloomy cloud looming over his head since he came back from college. Pallavi and Dida had tried everything in their hands to lift his mood up somehow, but their desperate attempts had only led him to lock himself in his room. 

They stayed outside his door for some time, before Vikram led them away. 

There was so much Ranbir wanted to say, but the only person he could talk his heart out to had turned his back on him. Not that he didn't deserve it. He did. And he knew it.

That is why when Aryan had landed a hard, tight-fisted punch squarely on his jaw, he didn't retreat. Instead, he just held his head down as Aryan yelled out at him. And it was the first time he had seen Aryan get so protective of anyone, which had only bulked up his guilt more.

And after everything, Aryan had just asked him to leave before he lost his temper even more and Ranbir had quietly strolled out of his room. Not without a split lip, that is.

Ranbir sighed, as he stood in front of his grandmother. He was standing there for about ten minutes now, being stared down by her. As soon as she had caught him out of the bounds of his room, she had refused to let him leave without answering some much important questions. And now here he was, as his dida observed him from where she sat at her bed.

"Are you going to tell me what happened or not?" Dida asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest. 

"Di-dida, vo actually..." Ranbir stuttered, contemplating if he can tell her everything or not. Well, he very well can tell her, he knew that. He also knew that she may give him some good advice too, if she forgives him that is. But he didn't know how to tell her.

"Did something happen in college? Did you fight with someone there?" Dida asked and he meekly shook his head.

"Did you fight with Aryan then?" He shook his head again.

"Did someone say something to you? Did... something happen to Prachi?" She shot an arrow in the dark. And when he didn't deny it, she knew she had hit the bull's eye.

"Something happened to Prachi then. Is she okay?" She asked tenderly.

"Ranbir, puttar what happened? Tell me, I will help you. Did something wrong occur with Prachi? Is she okay?"

Others could have believed her strong act yesterday, but he had seen right through her. She had put on a solid front, but her eyes screamed her pain to anyone who was willing to pay attention. And that was all it took for Ranbir to burst into tears he'd been blocking for hours.

"Ranbir- Ranbir! Puttar what happened." Dida asked, alarmed at her grandson's sudden breakdown.

"Everything's, everything's ruined dida." Ranbir gasped with his head hanging low. "I ruined everything!"

"What did you do? Tell me!" 

"How could I be so stupid! I ruined everything I had with my own foolishness. I should have told Prachi everything myself. How could I even think that Rhea, who can fall so low just to satisfy her stubborn self-esteem would not try it again? Just because I told her not to." Ranbir slid down next to Dida's knees.

"Rhea? Where did she come from?" her eyebrows furrowed. 

If dida didn't master reading people in life, then her old age was nothing to be proud of. And the awkward, negative, and tense vibes surrounding the two girls whenever they were around each other were not that hard to catch for anyone enough insightful.

Ranbir in this condition, almost wailing for Prachi while kinda blaming Rhea could definitely not be normal. Dida had seen Rhea for almost as long as she had Ranbir, and one thing she knew about the girl was that she is among those children who had used their hurt to get the privilege. While Prachi, for the small amount of time she knew her, was among the very few of those who had decided not to get hurt anymore. By Anyone. On Any-cost.

With her wise brain, dida put two and two together to know that Rhea might have done something for her pleasure that Prachi did not let her have. And the boy with his head resting on her knees, her sunshine, was definitely a major part. 

"What had happened?" She asked again, and this time Ranbir forced himself to blabber out the full story. From the very start, a.k.a. when Prachi had slapped Rhea's haughtiness out of the country. 

Including his own irritation with the former girl and infatuation with the latter. And all about the bet, the tricks he used on Prachi and the recent honest accomplishments with roses. Ending with the even more recent drama of how Rhea tried to humiliate Prachi in front of everyone and how Prachi tactfully dodged it with her wit.

Dida took a deep breath. She had had an inkling of this for a while, and she wanted Ranbir to be the one to say it first. She wanted to see that blissful happiness on his face as he told it to them. But all wishes don't come true, do they?

"You love her right?" Dida softly caressed his head. "And you somehow ended up being the cause of her hurt."

"I didn't want to." Ranbir muttered when his sobs subsided.

"Really?" Dida asked and Ranbir gave her a confused look. "Didn't you know how much it will cause pain to Prachi to know that you were playing with her heart?"

"I refused to take the bet later." He squeaked.

Dida took another deep breath, this time sounding dejected. She was too old to be sorting out lover's quarrels now.

Oh, how good it was for her own son. Vikram did all the work by himself. All she had to do was give shagun to Pallavi when he brought her home and threaten Vikram's dad to leave the house if he ever so raised his voice on her child.

That was that. As simple as a love marriage could have been at that time. 

"Did you apologise to Prachi?" She asked and Ranbir shook his head. "She isn't picking up my calls."

"Do you think this is a small matter that could be resolved over a call?" Dida asked while Ranbir looked on clueless. 

Dida shook her head, "For the first time in my life, I feel your father is right. You really are somewhat a 'khote da putter'. Stop being dumb like your father and awaken your mother's essence in yourself." 

"Do you think this is just a case of heartbreak? Ranbir don't you know about Prachi? Why do you think she has gained such maturity and accountability? It isn't something you pick up just by your age or something. She alone is more responsible than you, Aryan, Rhea, and Shahana combined. While you all are of almost the same age.

"All her life she had seen her mother go through things and phases that no other woman had to do. The hardships she and Pragya went through are engraved deeply in her mind. Why? Just because her father wasn't there. She may not tell or show it, but somewhere, maybe without her own knowledge, she had developed a major trust issue. And I'm not saying that it is her fault, not at all. In fact, it is developed more as her self-defensive shield."

"And you know what you did?" Ranbir's eyes clearly replied that he did. He knew very well what he had done.

"I screwed up pretty bad." Ranbir pulled onto his hair as the full weight dawned upon him. 

What had he done?

"Go. Go to her and apologize." Dida smiled sympathetically.

"But it's the middle of the night!" He said begrudgingly.

"Like that has ever stopped you to visit her." Came the reply from the doorway. Where his parents stood. 

"How long had you been there?" 

"Since you started the fairy tale of how you managed to cause the biggest blunder of your life." Pallavi answered.

Vikram, who had just busted his 'secret' walked in and slapped him hard on the back of his head.

"Ullu da pattha! You did one good thing in your life, falling in love with Prachi. But no you had to fuc-"

"VIKRAM!" Pallavi intersected.

"I mean screw things up." The man reworded his disappointment into some lesser harsh words.

"And don't give that look, you aren't the sneakiest person. We know how many times you have snuck out at night. And to where, we have a pretty good idea of that too." Vikram looked at him with a 'gotcha' expression.

"Now go and coax my daughter-in-law." Pallavi almost squealed at the mere concept of it.

"I don't think she will even entertain that idea anymore, Mummy." Ranbir rubbed his face only now registering how hard Aryan had punched him.

That happy-go-lucky guy can beat someone up pretty bad.

"I want her to be our daughter-in-law," Vikram announced, "even if I had to adopt another son to make that possible. You see if you can do something so that I don't have to resort to that. Otherwise, I think that a boy like Rishi could be a good suit for Prach-"

"She is not going to get married to anyone but me!" Ranbir cut him off and then smiled as he took in the meaning that his family had just accepted Prachi as his prospective bride.

"I'll do anything to make her heartache go away." He grinned before walking towards the window leading to the backyard.

"All of us are here, what's the point of sneaking now?" Vikram asked making him stop in his tracks. Ranbir turned around sheepishly scratching his neck as he walked to the door. 

He took off jogging as he heard his father complaining to Dida to be called dumb.

A/N:- Hey skittles, How are you on this... this... okay, nothing special, just Today?

What is up in your lives except for being obsessed with fictional or way out-of-the-league people?

So here I am presenting to you a shot that has been living in my head for the last few months. It was actually one of those imaginary scenarios that I made up and added to before falling asleep. And when it sounded rather decent in my brain, I decided that it was way too good to be forgotten.

Make sure to share your opinions <3

Lots of Love,

Simran