( 🚨 Really long chapter ahead 🚨 )

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"Ved Rajput!"

On hearing my voice, everyone snapped their heads in my direction as I approached him.

This jerk was the root of my every problem.

I strode as anger radiated off of me and once I reached him, I banged my fists on the desk. I bent a little forward and stared directly in his eyes.

"How can you do this? Isn't Shree your friend? Why are you helping that witch? Tell me, Ved Rajput. Why are you favouring her?" I seethed as I tried to intimidate him.

I pointed a finger at him as I felt my body heat up with rage. I waited for him to reply but his lips were sealed. There were no emotions on his face and he didn't even quirk an eyebrow in question.

"Cat your tongue? Speak up, you idiot. I am asking you something. You helped her in deleting all the evidences, didn't you? You know everything, right?" I accused and narrowed my eyes at him. "How can you do this to your friend? Answer me!"

"What the hell are you doing, Sandhya? Get away from him," Tanya intervened.

"No, Tanya. Not this time. You always protect him. You don't know what he did. He destroyed everything I had collected against Mahek. He is helping her."

"Shut up! You think you can come here and say whatever you want?" Nikhil yelled in Ved's defence.

"Guys, listen to me-"

"No. We know what you just did, okay? The whole video of you trying to break up Shree and Mahek has gone viral and you are calling Ved names?"

"Why would you do that, Sandhya?" Divya asked.

What the fuck? Why are they interrogating me?

I glowered at Ved who was just sitting there and staring at me like a statue. He was wearing an olive green t-shirt, paired with a black hoodie and three-fourths; looking like those models on the front page of magazines.

He looked like he was in meditation with his hands on his thighs. He wasn't smirking or laughing but I knew he was taking pleasure in my misery.

When I began to accuse him again, Tanya stopped me and looked at me with pure resentment in her eyes. She fixed me with her burning gaze and stepped towards me.

"Stop blaming him. You can't accuse him everytime for your own mistakes," she scolded.

"She is right. Do you think we will keep quiet when your are openly bullying Ved?" Nikhil added.

"Didn't I already tell you to not fool around and stay away from Mahek's matter?" Surbhi's voice was laced with accusation as she came and faced me.

Parth also arrived and his face was crestfallen. He must have gotten a shock after watching that video because he was unaware of the fact that I didn't like Mahek and I was spying on her too.

"Still you didn't listen to me and continued with your antics," Surbhi said.

"It is not like that. Please, Surbhi. Believe me. I am not lying," I pleaded. I didn't want her to think that I broke her trust.

"I thought we were friends. We warned you for your own sake but you took our words lightly and treated us like nothing. Moreover, you went ahead and blamed Mahek for something so low. Have some shame, Sandhya," Tanya retorted.

"Trust me, guys. I had the evidences. She deleted them and the one who helped her was Ved. I met her at his cafe yesterday but he arrived there and ruined my plan," I defended.

"Will you stop this blame game, Sandhya? If Ved isn't saying anything then it doesn't mean that we will accept your every nonsense," Nikhil shouted.

Come to think of it, why was Ved not saying anything?

He was sitting calmly without any trace of anger. He didn't utter a single word since I came here. Why was he acting so weird? I was surprised that he didn't kill me yet, even after I fired so many allegations at him.

I tried to read his face but I found nothing. Wasn't he feeling anything? He must be thinking something atleast. Was he making a plan to murder me later?

I was jolted out of my thoughts when Surbhi shook me. She looked at me pensively and everyone else kept asking me about why I was behaving like that. They kept defending Ved whenever I spoke a word against him and it was like a protective shield was formed around him.

He wasn't speaking in his defence, not because he couldn't but because he didn't have to. His friends were doing the job for him.

Everyone was treating me like a villain, only because I lost all the corroboration. Weren't they my friends too? Why couldn't they have confidence in me?

"Guys, why don't you trust me? I am not lying. Surbhi, you are my best friend, na? Do you really think I am the bad person here?" I asked and grabbed her hand.

Surbhi sighed and gave my hand a gentle squeeze. I knew she would understand. I glanced at Parth who looked lost. He couldn't decide whose side to take. Ved or mine? Atleast he wasn't doubting me completely like others.

"Believe me, Parth. I won't break your tru-"

"SANDHYA!"

Rashi's shrill voice cut me off mid-sentence. Every pair of eyes turned toward her after she shouted my name. She was looking devastated.

Her eyes were red and puffy like she had cried all night. Her face was bloated and her hair-which were always tied in a neat pony or braid-were sticking around her face as some loose strands stuck out. Her clothes were dishevelled and her bag was hanging loosely on her left shoulder.

What happened to her?

She walked towards me and her eyes darted around my face. I observed her closely once she stopped in front of me.

She was still crying!

Tanya and Divya came beside her and expressed their shock when they saw her tears but Rashi didn't look at them even once. She just stared at me with her brown eyes which didn't had the same shine like yesterday.

"Rashi, why are you-"

Slap!

"I hate you, Sandhya! I hate you!"

Rashi's words travelled to my ears blending with the ringing sensation I felt. My cheek throbbed in pain and I covered it with my left palm, not believing what happened just now. But the sound of the contact her hand made with my cheek resonated throughout the classroom, assuring me that she had indeed slapped me.

But why?

I looked at her and she brought her hand up once again to hit me but Divya stopped her in time. I was shocked to see the sea of hatred and disgust swimming in her eyes.

"I fucking hate you!" she yelled at me and ran out of the room.

Without wasting any time, I ran after her and other girls also followed. Rashi kept running and ignored me when I called her name countless times. After few minutes, I was able to catch her.

I grabbed her backpack and turned her towards me. She avoided looking at me and wiped her tears which were falling down like Niagara falls.

"Rashi, can you please tell me why are you crying?" I asked worriedly and moved my hand to touch her arm.

"Don't touch me with your filthy hands," she seethed and moved away.

"What? Why are you talking like that? Please tell me what happened."

"I said stay away. I don't want to see your face."

I looked at her in confusion. Why was she acting strange and treating me like her enemy?

"Rashi, are you alright?" Tanya asked as she came running and hugged her.

Divya and Surbhi also arrived soon and expressed their concern. Divya joined the hug while my bestie stood beside me, looking at Rashi with pitiful eyes and a bit of anger mixed in it.

"Why did you slap Sandhya?" Surbhi asked Rashi in a protective tone.

Rashi looked at her through tearful eyes and Surbhi's expressions softened. She didn't want to sound rude after seeing Rashi's state but she was just defending me.

"Can you please tell me what's the matter, Rashi?" Tanya asked in a low voice.

Rashi tried to control her tears as Divya rubbed her back. After drinking some water, Rashi calmed down a bit. We waited patiently for her reply and finally, she spoke up. But what she said next hit me like a cannon ball and I felt the ground under my feet slip away.

"My brother got to know about me and Faiyaz," she cried out.

Others looked at her confusedly and asked her who she was talking about but those words were enough for me to know what must have happened.

"Who is Faiyaz?" Divya asked.

"My.... My boyfriend," Rashi replied and broke down.

"Boyfriend?! You had a boyfriend? Why didn't you tell us? Are you crying because you guys broke up?"

Tanya stopped Divya from asking more questions and Divya apologized for that. She told Rashi to take her time and relax.

"Bhaiyya (older brother) has... threatened me to break up with him or..... he will tell our parents. I have no other choice.... but to follow his orders.... or Faiyaz will get in trouble," Rashi said inbetween her hiccups.

"It's okay. We understand why you couldn't tell us but you should have atleast informed one of us. We could have helped you," Tanya said in a soothing tone.

"But why did you slap Sandhya for that? What did she do?" Surbhi asked in frustration.

Rashi wiped her tears and drank some more water. She looked at me and didn't hide the detestation she was feeling towards me.

"Why don't you ask your best friend instead?" she mocked.

"What?"

"She is the only one who knew about me and Faiyaz."

Everyone looked at me in surprise after Rashi announced that. They couldn't believe their ears and it didn't take them much time to put two and two together.

"You disgust me, Sandhya. First, you blamed Ved for everything and now you sabotaged Rashi's relationship. What exactly is your problem?" Tanya bellowed.

"Hey! Calm down, okay? There is no need to degrade her. Even if Sandhya was the only one who knew, how could you say she was the reason behind all of it? Someone else could have done it too?" Surbhi defended.

"I knew you will take her side. Afterall, you are best friends. But I have the solid reason to blame her. My brother told me that he received a text along with some pics and got to know about Faiyaz from a girl who studied in my college. Do you think my brother will lie to me?" Rashi explained.

"Did he specify a name?"

"Does he have to? We all know who he was talking about."

"Rashi... trust me. I didn't tell your brother. Why would I? I support you. Do you really think I would do such a thing? You are my friend. I won't dare to hurt you," I implored.

"Don't call me your friend," Rashi snapped.

"I didn't even tell our friends about it because I promised you, so why would I tell your brother? Trust me, yaar. I am not deceiving you."

I tired to grab her hand and assure her that I didn't do anything to hurt her. I myself didn't know who leaked the information to her brother. Rashi distanced herself from me and faced away. She was enraged at me and so were her best friends.

I tried to approach her again but Tanya stepped in and gave me a death glare. I flinched back and tried to control my tears. Surbhi noticed it and wrapped her arm around my waist and supported me.

Atleast she believed me.

"Stay away from her," Tanya warned and shook her head when I opened my mouth to say something.

She took Rashi's hand and stormed out with Divya in tow. The moment they vanished from our sight, Surbhi removed her arm and moved away from me.

"You let me down, Sandhya," she said dejectedly.

"Do you also hate me?" I cried as tears rolled down my cheeks.

She wiped the tears away but didn't smile at me. She just patted my shoulder and said, "I don't hate you. I just need some space," and walked out.

I couldn't do anything but to stare at her retreating back. Her shoulders were slumped down and head hung low as she manouvered through the students. She must be really cursing her luck to have me as a friend. I always messed it up for her. I deserved that slap.

Hey, idiot. Stop crying.

Shut up. I don't have time for you right now.

Listen to me, moron. How did Rashi's brother got to know?

I don't know. She said I told him.

But you didn't! Then, who did?

How am I supposed to know? I am neither Sherlock nor Detective Conan.

Do you remember what Mahek warned you about yesterday?

She said that if I didn't stop troubling her, there would be really bad consequences. Are you saying that.....

Yes. I believe she is the one who is behind this too. If she can delete all the evidences from your phone, then she can also hurt Rashi to take revenge.

Okay, I will ask her myself.

I wiped away my tears and fisted my hands. If I found out that Mahek was the real culprit, I would strangle her.

I turned on my heels but banged into something hard which was warm too. Weird combination.

I stepped back and looked up while rubbing my nose. Ved was standing in front of me and it seemed like he was trying to read my mind. I ignored him and moved my feet, but he grabbed both of my wrists and pulled me back infront of him.

When I tried to wriggle my way out of his hold, he tightened his grip and pulled me closer. He narrowed his eyes at me and spoke up.

"Where are you going?"

"Leave me, Ved."

"After you tell me what's cooking in that little brain of yours."

"I am not telling you."

"You have to after you blamed me for something I didn't do. I need an explanation."

"Stop lying. I know you are helping that bitch Mahek in her plans. I am going to ask her directly and then I will make her reveal everything herself," I huffed.

"And how you gonna do that? By beating her up? You will have to tackle Shree first, who I think definitely has an upper hand. And I believe I had already warned you multiple times that if you hurt my friends, I won't let you off. I have been really lenient on you these days; much to my own surprise honestly. So, please don't try my patience."

I looked him in the eyes and my anger started getting replaced by fear. He was dead serious and I shrunk down a bit under his stare.

Maybe, he sensed it too because he loosened his grip on my wrists and gave me some space. He replaced his cold expressions with normal ones as warmth seeped into his eyes.

"Think about your actions carefully, Sandhya. Don't make things worse for yourself," he said softly.

He moved his hands from my wrists and folded them around my palms. His hands were so big that they completely engulfed mine. His skin felt a bit calloused; a result of continuously playing basketball and other sports.

I mentally kicked myself and stopped comparing his hands with mine. He was threatening me again and I wouldn't stay quiet.

"I can take care of myself," I condescended as my anger rose back.

"One," he replied.

"What?"

"Two."

"What the hell are you-"

"Three.... Four..... Five.... Six....." he said slowly and I realised that he was counting.

Why was he doing that all of a sudden? Weirdo.

But instead of complaining, my mind reacted automatically and I started counting alongwith him. He rubbed his thumbs on my knuckles and the back of my palms. The movement created soft heat which travelled till the tips of my toes and I felt like I was in a therapy session.

As we progressed, I felt rage leaving my body and my nerves calming down. This time, I didn't even need to count till thousand considering that murder was on my mind. My temper cooled down before we even reached hundred.

I stopped counting and Ved did too but he didn't leave my hands.

"Why are you helping me?" I asked doubtfully.

"Don't flatter yourself. I am just making sure that my friends stay alive," he deadpanned.

I rolled my eyes at his sarcastic remark but instantly snapped them back at him. Did he smile just now or was I imagining it?

Ved left my hands and ran a hand through his hair. What was he doing? His hair were so short because of the crew cut. What was even the point of running a hand through them?

Why did he cut his hair though? Not that he looked bad in his current hairstyle but his natural curls suited him better. I preferred those because in childhood, I used to put stuffs like pencil, pen and sharpener in them and tease him by calling it a bird's nest.

"What are you staring at?" Ved snapped his fingers in front of me.

"Nothing," I lied and facepalmed mentally. I almost asked him about his hair.

But what was I thinking before that? Argh! I always got distracted by this jerk.

Ved flicked me on the forehead and left after warning me once again. I also decided to go to the library instead of the lectures. I wouldn't have been able to concentrate with all the thoughts running in my mind at bullet speed.

Moreover, I needed to think about how to convince Rashi and others that I was innocent. I was optimistic that after I explained everything to them properly, they would understand because they were my friends.

But I shouldn't have set my hopes so high.