Lakshya sat on the bed with a blank mind. He frustratedly moved his fingers through his hairs. He clenched his fist showing his anger towards the entire world. He recollected Samskriti's words and he felt his entire world crashing infront of him. He don't want her to leave him. But again no one knows what fate plans for them.

"Lakshya..."he saw his friends entering to the room. They too had a blank expression like him.
"How can you let her go? We think that you are not on your senses." Guna asked loudly.

Lakshya didn't respond. He lowered his head staring at the floor.
"Why are you hurting her again and again? She was crying. Poor girl. She dont want to go. Even if she go may be it will take years for her to come back. What would you do without her? Did you ever think about it?"Vinay said letting out his frustration.

"What else I can do? Her father wants to protect her from all danger and what should I do? Should I say her that I love her so don't go away from me. Let's die together. Is this what you want me to say her?"he angrily stood up from bed making his friends shock.

"Lakshya, nothing will happen to her if you are there with her. No danger can even touch her like her father doubts."Guna said touching his shoulder.

"What if the danger her father wants to protect her from is none other than me?"Lakshya asked making them speechless.
Guna and Vinay looked at each other in shock.
"What are you saying man?"Vinay asked first.
"I think he knows about our relationship. May be he don't like his daughter loving a man like me. What protection I can give her when I myself is an enemy for many? Not only him. No father can let his daughter chooses someone like me. Even if Prabhakar and his father ends, she won't be safe until she is with me. How can I ask her to not obey her Appa when he is scared about her? He definitely have that right." Lakshya spoke.

"But how do you know this?"Guna asked doubtful.
"His eyes are always around Samskriti and definitely he might have doubt on us."He replied.
"What would we do now?"Vinay asked.

Lakshya didn't reply.
"I don't know when he would kill us. Did you see the pistol he is carrying with him? Three bullets are enough to finish everything." Guna was scared.
They sat on bed together thinking deeply.
"It's better you elope with Samskriti before he can do anything."Vinay said making him groan.
"Shut up. I know what to do" Lakshya shouted and back to his thoughts.
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At Night
Lakshya was standing under the big banyan tree with his body leaning on the tree. He was thinking when someone hugged him from back and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"Samskriti.."he called turning back to face her.
She giggled. He stared at her for a long time concentrating on her innocent smile. She was so lost in his eyes and forgot about the surroundings.
"Samskriti..."he called bringing her back to the world.
"Hm..."she nodded.
"I love you."he said more like a whisper.
She smiled and hugged him. He wrapped his arms around her back. They stayed in that position for a long time what felt like hours. Then he slowly pulled away despite of her efforts to stop him. She pouted when he looked at her in amusement.

He made her sit under the tree and he too joined. She rested her head on his shoulders while he leaned back on the tree.
"Laksh please don't let me go."she said.
"If you ask me to not go, I won't... please tell me you can't stay away from me. Please."she had a pleading look.

He cupped her cheeks.
"I can't stay away from you. But you should go Samskriti. It's good for you."
He said making her shock.
"What are you saying Laksh? How can you be so cruel to me always?"she asked with teary eyes.

"Whenever I tried to change you, you avoided me always. When I expressed my love for you, you became rude to me. And finally when you accepted my love, you are saying me to go far from you. I really doubt that you are enjoying in hurting me."she pouted.

He intertwined their fingers before hugging her tightly. She was surprised with his sudden action. She couldn't stop hugging him back.

"I really love you. That's why I think same as your Appa. You should be always safe. Always."he stressed the word safe.

"Everyone wants me to be safe. In that process no one tried to understand what actually I wants. It's sad that you also falls to the same category."
She turned her face away angrily.
"I want to be loved while everyone around me wants me to be safe."she said making it clear.

"Look dear.. I will be happy if you are safe even if it's not with me. And believe me I will be waiting here for you to come back even if it takes so many years."he said in an assuring tone.
She shook her head.

"Samskriti I love you so much."he said and finally she met his eyes.
"Why am I feeling like you are trying to leave me?"she asked.
He shook his head.

"If you want me to be safe always, then just marry me."She said shocking him. He was speechless.
"As long as you are with me, no one can hurt me or harm me. I am sure about that."she said excitedly.
But he sat there dumbfounded.

He didn't speak for a while. She was confused.
"Why are you not answering? Dont you marry me?"she asked.
"Samskriti, it's not easy like you think. I can't just marry you like that."he said without looking at her.
This time she was shocked.

"What did you mean by that? Are you not loving me?"she asked holding his collar.
"Yes I do. More than me."he replied but she was not convinced.
"Then tell me. Can't you marry me?"she asked and he lowered his head.
She was confused with his behavior. She raised his chin and made him meet her eyes.
"Why are you not speaking? I want an answer. I had a lot of questions in my life. No one answered me and I felt always rejected. But this time I can't be silent like I used to do always. Answer me Laksh. Won't you marry me?"she asked firmly.

"I won't Samskriti."he replied making her shock. She left her hold and moved back a little. She couldn't believe what she heard from love of his life.
"I am sorry. I love you. Dont think that I was betraying you. But I can't marry you. It's the truth and you have to admit it one day if it's not now."he said pleading with his eyes.
She sat there like a statue portraying no emotions. He slowly touched her bringing her back to this world from her chain of thoughts.

"Why? Tell me a convincing reason that you loves me but you can't marry me."she shouted this time making him little shock.

"Samskriti, I always loved you. From the day onwards when you confessed your love. But I couldn't accept that because I was afraid. I was always afraid to attach emotionally with someone. At the end of the day it will only make me disappoint. I can't let you in danger because of me. I can't provide the safety and protection you are craving from me. May be I can save you everytime. But you can't live in peace if you are living with me. More dangers will come to you one by one. I can save you but I can't assure you the peace that you always wanted in your life. It won't be a life Samskriti. You have to always live in fear. That was why I didn't dare to accept my love. But that day when I saw you after three days, I couldn't control my emotions anymore and just confessed my love. But I wouldn't have. That was better." He said with teary eyes.

"You are a cheater. If you can't marry me, then why did you give me hopes? I even started dreaming about a life with you. Why did you do this Laksh? You could have just kill me instead."she said while tears flowing out from her eyes.

He was about to wipe her tears when she pushed him away forcely.
"Dont touch me. You are a cheater. You played with my feelings. I won't forgive you for this."she yelled making him helpless.

"Samskriti let me say. I can understand what you must be going through."he stopped when she approached him.
"Seriously? How do you know about what I must be going through? Did you ever think about the feelings of a man who was about to get killed by your hands? Did you ever try to think what his family must be going through with that loss? Then how can you understand my feelings? "she asked angrily making him pale.

He stood there quiet making her more angry.
"It was my mistake. I believed you Laksh. I trusted you."she cried.

"Samskriti. Please hear me for once. It was not intentional. I tried to stay away from you as long as possible. I don't deserve you. I can't give you an happy life like you think. See even if I agrees for a marriage, do you think that your family will allow you to choose a man like me? Is it possible? They have so many dreams about you."he spoke after a long silence for which she smirked.

"When did devil become a coward? I didn't know that I loved such a man who thinks about everyone but not me."she said making him shut his mouth.

"I might be brave enough to fight for you but just a coward to lose you Samskriti."he said.

She closed her eyes trying to interpret the meaning of his every word. Do he loves her? It was just a question mark for her. She held her head and screamed in loud voice making him alert. He came towards her immediately.

"What happened Samskriti? Are you ok?"he asked with concern.
She stared at him confusingly.
"You don't love me. Then why are you worrying for me?"she asked.

"I love you. I have already made it clear for you. But I won't ask you to come into my life where only danger and pain is waiting for you. See, I have a lot of enemies. They are waiting to end me. If it's not me, they want someone closer to me to hurt me and eventually kill me literally. I won't allow it to be you. Please understand me Samskriti. I love you so much such that a single scar on your body can pierce my heart."he said helplessly.

"And I can't change like you wishes. I can't back off now even after creating all these enemies. It will be harmful not only for me but everyone around me. " He declared.

"But Laksh.."she was stopped by his finger on her lips.

"Dont try to come into my life. I am devil and I can only give you tears. Go away. Dont try to embrace the darkness of my life by being mine" he said and she looked at his eyes for a long time. She could see the ocean of love in his eyes that he is having for her. But more than love it was fear that conceived him more.

He averted his eyes from her first. She became blank.
"Ok Now I can understand you. You are right. Love is the most painful feeling in life. No one knows that better than me. You may not be pushing me away but you are not fighting to keep me either. I won't make you worry anymore. If everyone who loves me wants me to stay away from them, then it's better I go away from all their lives."she said in a strong voice making him wonder.

"Samskriti..."he called confusingly.
"Bye Laksh. I love you. But I won't be a fear in your life."she said and turned back to walk away making him shock. She stopped and looked back at him.

"Now I wish we never met because you are too hard to forget Laksh" Saying that she walked away shattering his entire world infront of him. He stood there speechless.
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Where there is love, there is pain!!!

Thank you so much saranyasaran2 for the new cover you made for me. Love you so much😊😊😊