Meant to be......together !!

Chapter 15:- The Acquittal

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"Are mere businessman of the year, ye le tera reward, tera pyaar pizza,", Shalini had just bought the tempting slice of pizza near his mouth when a sudden splash of water snapped him out of his dreamland.

"Kya kar raha hai Shardul " he scolded, irritated, rubbing his eyes to block the harsh rays of sunlight entering his room.

"Main kya kar raha hu?" Shardul repeated, glaring at his best friend. "Tune kya-kya kiya hai kal raat, kuch yaad bhi hai?"

"Maine... maine kya kiya?" he questioned back, clueless, pressing his forehead to ease the intense headache he strangely had.

"Zyada kuch nahi, bas apni shaadi cancel karwa ke baitha hai," Shardul's uneasiness and lack of sleep since last night all came out as anger towards Ram, who still carelessly had his head laid back against the bedrest.

Ram's face scrunched as he looked at his friend, frowning. "Subah-subah bakwas mat kar."

Shardul's eyes went wide in surprise. "Tujhe sach mein kuch yaad nahi?"

"Kya yaad nahi hai?"

Shardul slapped his forehead before he began Ram's ram-katha. "You drank last night and paglo ki tarah table pe nach rha tha, and Dr. Priya ne tujhe dekh liya au... aur pata nahi Rishabh logon ne kab aur kyun strippers wagra ko bulaya tha..."

By the time Shardul ended his long explanation, Ram was already out of bed, his face contoured in panic, headache long forgotten, as he tried to remember the events of last night. "Tu mazak kar raha hai na?" he asked, still not fully convinced.

"Meri sakal dekh ke lagta hai tujhe," Shardul spoke, looking at him squarely.

Ram slumped back on the bed, facepalming. "Dr. Priya... Jaan," his widened gaze again went to Shardul. "Jaan, theek t..."

"Maa theek hai, abhi Dr. Priya ne nahi bataya hai, tabhi tujhe bol raha hu, jaldi chal unse baat karne," Shardul advised.

"Jaldi chal," Ram hurriedly got up to leave, but Shardul held his hand, stopping him.

"Aise alcohol ki smell leke jaega," he chided.

"Haan, change karke aata hu," he spoke hurriedly, picking up the first shirt in the wardrobe.

Just before entering the washroom, he turned back. "Shardul, sun, kal raat ki CCTV footage manga le. I need to know how I got drunk."

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An hour later, the two stood in the compound of Priya's building, thinking of ways to talk to her.

"Tujhe lagta hai, uncle ko pata hota to ab tak tu itna shi salamat hota," Shardul's words made Ram gulp hard.

"Gate se nahi ja sakte, Dr. Priya ko phone karke bula le," Shardul continued.

"Tujhe lagta hai, vo aayengi?" Ram chided, turning his face away from the entrance. "Kuch aur so..." His words halted as his gaze got stuck on the left.

Following his gaze, Shardul too turned his gaze. "NAHI" ,he mumbled, horrified.

"Haan, yahi option hai bas," Ram spoke resolutely in his plan.

"Bhagwan, kya galti kari thi maine," Shardul mumbled helplessly, looking up at the sky before he followed his friend.

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Priya stood before the mirror, drying her wet hair, her eyes gazing back at her reflection while her mind still wandered in that party hall. The sight hadn't left her since last night; she still had to disclose it to her parents, but how was a question she couldn't find an answer to. Her parents would be as hurt as she was, probably more since Ram was their choice. On top of it was Shalini's health, which, as a doctor and a human, she couldn't sideline.