A PIECE OF LOVE (RIKARA SHOTS)

Piece - 2

Arjun never came back... Some people said he along with his family left the city for some unknown reason... While some, who caught up the rumours of him going through depression, said he was getting treated... While some even guessed that he was dead.... But only Gauri knew the actual truth... She saw something no one else did...

"Hey Gauri... Where are you going??" Annika asked when She saw Gauri walking towards botanical garden all alone...

"I forgot something there during the practicals... You go... I'll catch up with you later...." Gauri replied with a smile... Annika nodded and went on her way to the next class...

Gauri took a deep breath.... It wasn't easy for her to lie to Annika... But she couldn't tell her that Her destination was not the botanical garden... But the abandoned and old students' council room just behind the garden... the place where a certain someone used to spend most of his time...

She just couldn't stop herself to think what happened that night... What would have happened to her if he didn't showed up... although she couldn't bring herself to thank him immediately... But she knew she have to do it sooner or later...

She tried to talk to him many times though... But some way or the other she couldn't do it...

Could anyone blame her...?? Everyone's so alert whenever he walks through the campus... As if they will die the moment they blink in front of him... Not to mention, his looks... He always wears that scary look which made it difficult for her to approach him.... But today she made up her mind...  So there she was... Peeking inside the room which was not looking less than a haunted house to her... What does he even do there alone???

Her eyes finally found whome she was looking for.... He was looking outside of the window while sitting on its sill with his knees bent, taking puffs at the cigarette that was slowly burning into ashes within the grasp of his fingers...

Gauri was hesitant, was it a right decision to come to meet him alone??? What if he gets angry because of her intrusion??? Because by the looks of him, Gauri could tell he was in deep thought... Otherwise he would have sensed her presence... Should she really bother him and hinder his privacy...?

She slowly took steps towards him... She just had to do it... She had to thank him for what he did for her... Not only because he saved her dignity that day... But also... Because he taught her something she could never forget... Something that she will treasure for the rest of her life....

Gauri ran away without turning her back to that room... The very room where she left Arjun alone with him...

"Go home" His words were resounding as she kept moving forward... She heard nothing else... Not even Arjun's voice who screamed her name only to receive a hard blow on his face from the other guy...  Gauri could tell he must have fallen to the ground because of it and was wincing in pain... But she didn't care... Her legs didn't stop....

She kept running without thinking twice... and soon, she was far enough not to hear any of that chaos...

"What if he actually do something bad to Arjun???" Her feet suddenly stopped on her own when that very thought came across her mind...

She looked at her surroundings... She was just one step away from the college boundary.... One step forward and she would be out of this mess right away.... But what about them??? What about him???

In an instant, her mind was made up... She turned around and ran back to that classroom without a second thought.... She have to stop him from doing any kind of violence against Arjun no matter how hard it is or how scary he seems.... She wouldn't let this happen...