In Sunshine or In Shadow ✔ [Completed]

Chapter 5.3 - Falling

Worry didn't cover how Vansh was feeling. He'd only seen Riddhima flip out like that once before but this time it wasn't a part of a plan to prove her innocence. This time she really was breaking down from the pressure and pain. He had to make sure she was all right, or at least as close to all right as she could be now.

He hit her name on his speed dial and waited for her to answer. Vansh was standing by his car ready to jump into it if things were as bad as he feared them to be. It took several rings before the phone was finally answered, but it wasn't Riddhima's voice he heard.

"Viraj?" Vansh said immediately after he heard the man's frantic voice.

"Yeah it's me."

"Is something wrong?" He needed to ask even though he already knew the answer.

"She just came home and…I don't know what happened but now…I don't know what to do."

Yes, things were definitely bad.

"I'll be right over." Vansh told him and quickly hung up. He didn't know how Viraj would react to him taking over this situation with Riddhima but the truth was that currently he was the only one Riddhima was somewhat comfortable with. If anyone was going to succeed in calming her down than it would be Vansh.

When he finally did make it to Riddhima's apartment he was surprised by Viraj's appearance, the swollen lip indicated that things might be even worse than he had realized.

"What the hell happened?" Viraj asked as soon as he opened the door, letting Vansh inside. "I mean this morning she didn't even want to get out of bed but then when she got back." He shook his head, "she was freaking out!"

Vansh nodded slowly, trying to keep himself and Viraj calm. "Ranbir made her do a press conference, he tried to touch her and…well you know how she feels about that now."

Viraj's face fell. "Oh God."

He waited for Viraj to process the information before asking a question of his own. "What happened to you?"

Viraj looked down sheepishly. "I went upstairs and found Riddhima throwing out her clothes. She was hysterical, it was like she was possessed or something…and I screwed up." Viraj admitted slowly, "I wanted to stop her and I grabbed her. She kicked the shit out of me pretty good and now she's locked herself in her bathroom."

"She's still in there?"

Viraj nodded, "For over an hour now."

Vansh didn't wait another second; he headed straight for the stairs. When he walked into Riddhima's bedroom he saw that Viraj hadn't been exaggerating, a large pile of dresses, skirts and shoes covered the floor. Several of the dresses were torn from where she had ripped them off their hangers.

Her brother said she didn't want to get out of bed that morning. Now she was in a frantic state, panicking and mistaking her brother for her attacker. This ordeal really was destroying her.

Her private bathroom door was shut. Vansh walked over to it and knocked. "Riddhima," he said. "It's Vansh. Remember me? Bane of your existence." He was trying to use levity to relax her.

"Go away, Vansh."

He felt immediate relief when he heard her voice. She sounded terrible: angry, upset and tearful. But she had spoken. Vansh didn't believe that Riddhima would hurt herself, but when she was in this manic state he honestly couldn't be sure of what she would do.

"Riddhima," he tried again, "Why don't you let me in so we can talk?"

"Please just go."

Vansh sighed and stepped away from the door, turning to look at Viraj. "Don't tell me you're going to let this go," Viraj said quickly.