Chapter 01

HARSHITA POV

"Get away from me, Harshita!" Tejas raised his voice as I made my way towards him.

What was the matter with him today? His mood swings were becoming harder to understand, almost like a pregnant woman. Not minding him, I took my steps anyways.

"Don't you fucking understand once woman? Go away from me and the hell outta my life. I hate you--- like everybody in your life does. You deserve it..." he spat. His expressions were very sharp, really angry with killer looks.

My head started to spin but I tried to recover soon. Silently, hot tear drops rolled down my cheek, rewinding what had just happened. Like all, he took me at my weakest point. All the trust I had given into, dissolved into pure air.

I slowly walk away, not understanding what had just happened. We were fine yesterday, right? Tejas, like all other people, was the same. His words, years ago, rang me. "Trust me, Hershey. I am not like those other people in your life. It's Tejas--- we both know that I am way better."

As I walk away, humiliated, I find a spot in the park to kneel down, unable to control my sobs. It was a huge tree I sat beneath, letting my emotions roll down, silently.

xxx

The second I gained conciousness, I felt a pinch on my left arm. In response, I flinched. It was a needle. I was in a hospital? Ughh. Great! A petite nurse came to my vicinity, writing her observations on her clipboard.

"What happened to me?" I ask her in my coarse voice. She jotted her numbers and raised her lashes, finally walked away.

A minute later, a doctor came towards my bed with the same clipboard and looked at my condition. While he did that, I looked at him too. He was good looking and seemed intellectual. He looked like he was in his mid twenties, probably an year older than me or two even.

"No problem with you, Miss..." He once again looked at the clipboard.

"Harshita," I interject him too quickly.

"Who brought me here?" I ask as he began to say something.

"I think somebody called while you were unconscious, Ma'am," the nurse interrupts.

Who else could it be? It was probably... him. First, he screams to leave his life and now this? Was this some sort of sick joke? The very thought made me disgusted. It was not a matter of my pride or humiliation. My blood began to boil so I controlled myself to stress less.

"Can I leave, doc?" I asked impatiently.

His eyes looked amazed and tired at the same time. I felt bad and guilty to take my personal issues on him and randomly vent.

"You are good to go, Miss Harshita. I advice you take these tablets as a course." He scribbled them on the paper and handed them to me.

I read his name tag--- Dr. Arjun Shetty. Nice name, I thought.

I smirked looking at those tranquilizers. The same ones I had used until he came into my life. I thought I would never going to need those but life always an irony, right? Always proving me wrong.

"Thank you Dr. Arjun." I said, trying to get up.

"Miss Rekha, do you mind getting Miss Harshita her belongings after you take the call." He softly tells her.

"Miss Harshita, do you mind if I take the needle out?" He came back to me. Why did I have to act like an impatient retard? I was only more embarrassed.

I nodded, mortified. He took out the needle slowly while I close my eyes. I heard a soft chuckle. The nurse got my belongings. I immediately took my phone out, switching it on back to life. The date of today caught my eyes. It had been two freaking days? The missed calls list was endless-- my parents, sister, roommates, and endless from Nidhi.

I walked away from the sick smell, coming to my senses.

"How much?" I asked the receptionist.

"Your bill has already been paid, Ma'am." The same nurse informed, approaching towards me. My blood was boiling only higher, with more intensity.

"I don't need his filthy fu---" I began to yell.

"Harshi, it was me who paid." Nidhi comes to the rescue, approaching softly.

"Everything is fine, baby." She soothes and rubs my back.

"Sorry doctor--- thank you for everything." She smiles as we leave the building towards her car. The ride back to our apartment was filled with silence.

I couldn't face anybody. As soon as I went home, I locked myself in my room and cried again, rewinding the scene all over. It took me time to realise and I was too exhausted.

Couple of hours later, I cleaned myself reluctantly, getting rid of that hospital smell on me. I saw that Nidhi was watching TV.

She noticed my presence and muted her channel.

"Harshi, let's do something together. Heyy, how about a new movie?" She had a soft voice, almost sympathetic. There was a small lightening in her face.

Something was really weird. Especially the way Nidhi was silent about what happened to me, not a single question. I looked at her. She definitely knew what was happening. I had to test her.

"Nidhi, how do you know?" I ask.

"I don't know---" she began, all innocent.

"Come on Nidhi. I am not that naive. If you didn't know about me and Tejas, how the hell did you know what I was talking about? Certainly, you did join me in the hospital, right?" I began patiently, my face still stern.

She sighed, taking her phone out. The video of him screaming at me played. Tears overflowed soon. I controlled myself. Who did this? The last person I hoped was not from Tejas himself.

"I am really sorry, Harshi..." She broke, tears rolling down.

"Who sent you that video?" I ask instead, trying not to care about the heart pricking incident of my life, so far yet.

"It's a private number, Harshi. Who could do this to you..." She seemed concerned but I was too tired to hold on to her.

"Nidhi, it's fine. Let it go---" I control my tears with a blink. My voice lumped real hard.

"Harshi, Tejas of all the people? I thought he meant well. He said he was different. What made him take such a decision? Baby, he loved---"

That was it. "Nidhi!" I screamed. She was shocked, freezing all her attention on me.

"I loved him. He never did. Don't rub this on my face but he is the same as the rest of the world. Childhood innocence never lasted. All of it? My illusion. Please, in my presence and existence, I don't plan upon hearing his name and don't mention about this anywhere either . I can't bear if you too will leave me to fight against the world... will you?"

Her eyes soften, approaching towards me. "I know--- I'll be there for you no matter what. I already deleted that video. We won't remember the existence of such a cruel existence in this savaged world," she assures me.

To make it seem convincing, I watched a movie along with Nidhi. Though she said she was going to be there for me, I didn't want to repeat the same mistake, anymore.

I am sorry Nidhi. Life has already fucked me a lot already. Please understand, hoping that I could recover soon.

don't forget to

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