Abhimanyu, a runaway who fled the hellish environment his father created, has spent a decade navigating life's uncertainties through a world of gambling. Alone and drifting through the streets of Lucknow, everything changes when he encounters Roop...
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A/N: Hello, my Gems! I'm back! I'm so sorry I took so long to give you a new update :"). I was not getting any inspiration these days, but now I finally have it hehehehe.
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Even after finishing cleaning Roop's wounds, Abhimanyu couldn't tear his gaze away from her. He stared intently for as long as he dared, until the sound of approaching footsteps in the school's backyard startled him. He moved away from her quickly, shoving all the unused cotton and the bottle of disinfectant back into the first-aid box in a hurried mess.
"What exactly happened here?" Rishabh inquired as he reached Roop and Abhimanyu. Roop, still partly consumed by anger, completely missed Abhimanyu's subtle shift in demeanor towards her.
"The police, as usual, are running behind schedule," Abhimanyu remarked sarcastically.
"Listen, you scum! I know you're behind all this!" Rishabh confronted Abhimanyu, his stance unwavering as he faced him. "I'll make sure you pay the price and rot in jail."
"Oh yeah?" Abhimanyu raised an eyebrow, a sardonic smile playing on his lips. "And what concrete proof do you have that I caused all of this? You gonna point to some invisible fingerprints, hotshot?" He leaned back against the wall, arms crossed, the picture of nonchalance despite the tension thrumming in the air.
Rishabh glared at him, his face flushed with anger. "Don't play dumb with me, Abhimanyu!" he roared, his hands clenching into fists as he stopped just short of making contact. "We both know you orchestrated this whole mess!"
Roop watched the exchange, her heart caught in a vice. As much as she loathed Abhimanyu's arrogance and his constant jabs at Rishabh, a flicker of gratitude flickered within her. He had, undeniably, saved them from those thugs moments ago.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped between the two men, placing a hand on Rishabh's chest. "Rishabh," she said firmly, her voice surprisingly steady. "He wasn't the problem, Rishabh. Those thugs are gone, thanks to him."
Rishabh scoffed, his anger simmering down a notch at the sight. He couldn't deny it. Abhimanyu, for all his smugness, had gotten them out of a tight spot.
Across from them, Abhimanyu's smirk widened into a full-blown grin. He uncrossed his arms, a playful glint in his eyes. "Seems like someone owes me a thank you," he drawled, tilting his head towards Rishabh.
Rishabh glared, the words catching in his throat. He couldn't bring himself to utter a word of gratitude, not yet at least. But the fire in his eyes had dimmed, replaced by a grudging acknowledgment.
"You heard her, Little Gupta," Abhimanyu taunted, stepping forward with a smirk. "Be grateful I was here before you or else who would have known what would have happened to everyone here?" He faked a sigh, shaking his head dramatically as if picturing a gruesome alternate reality.
