Chapter 1
Virat walked down the dimly lit street as he kicked the little stone imagining it as his football, he missed his fun filled days at college, he missed those days where they used to sneak out of their lectures to play soccer. He missed his friends, but mostly he missed his best buddy who brought perfect balance to his life. Life was hectic now... he could hardly remember a day where he laughed and enjoyed living... he was living for the sake of it, he didn't know... he never thought that he would turn out be a person who like like a robot 'where did that fun loving prankster disappear... what about living life to the fullest...? Surprisingly, he knew the answer for each and every question... It was him... he was the sole reason for the loneliness he was feeling right now... he...' Virat jerked out from his thoughts as he heard a muffled sob, he could hear someone crying,
Virat turned and tried to spot someone close by, but the streets were too lonely that he couldn't decide the direction of the intruder, Virat shrugged his shoulder and moved two steps ahead and heard the sobs again, this time he heard some very inaudible mumbling too, he couldn't move further, he wanted to know who it was as the voice looked too familiar and he hoped that it was just his imagination, Virat after few minutes of peeping and strolling found a girl crouched on the bench behind a huge tree which separated the small park from the street, he knew that he might scare her by talking but his heart didn't let him move away, so he silently moved few steps closer to her and saw the girl jerk away to the sound of the crushing leaves under his feet.,
"Sorry... I didn't mean to scare you..." He spoke softly trying to make the girl who looked like a runaway bride comfortable, Virat thought that she would turn and face him but she stood still and unaffected.
"Dekhiye...I can help..." He started but then words refused to leave his mouth as soon as the girl turned to face him, he never even in his dream's thought that he would see her again, but here she was standing flesh and blood dressed like a bride, not the perfect bride he wanted her to be... her face was stained with tears, her hair all messed up and framing her puffy face, Virat was lost... lost in the same innocence her eyes portrayed, just the way it was before two years, he didn't want to move closer to her... she was a fantasy, he had yet again started to hallucinate her presence, But could he move closer to her even if she was for real? Was she real? He didn't know, at this moment he knew nothing.
Virat blinked his eyes and stared at her confusingly as she started to move towards him, she looked as if she was in a trance, her bangles jingling with every movement she made. He gulped and then felt sweat trickling down his face.
"Virat..." She whispered softly,
"Manvi..." And he couldn't staysilent, Virat saw her lips curve and the tears pooled in her eyes run throughher cheeks, she struggled to say something and Virat kept on drinking hersight, he couldn't believe that she was real but the flowing tears somehow toldhim that it was not his hallucination, Virat raised hishand to wipe her tears but she pushed his hand away with an angry face.
"Nahi..." she shook her head vigorously as more tears escaped her beautiful hazel orbs,
"Man..."
"No... Don't... just go away... just leave me alone..." She screamed and Virat stood surprised by her high tone, he couldn't believe that his best friend, his Manvi who was a timid and reserved girl was shouting so much that too in the middle of the night on a street.
Virat tried to speak but she raised her hands as if asking him to stop, "Jao na... Jao chod kar... Jaise you left me two years ago... Jao... I don't need your help..." she uttered with a quivering voice and Virat knew that she needed him, she needed him more than anything and he would never abandon her.
