In Sanal's room,
Around midnight
Sanal got up with a start breathing heavily calling out her name. his pupils shaked at not knowing whether she was fine but felt her in his embrace the next moment. His breath was calming down but his heartbeat was not. Prisha moved back from his hug and cupped his cold face reviving him "Sunny?"
"...Ca... can I hug you...pleas...please...I... I just...want...to feel...that...you...are here...safe," he caught hold of her hand and pleaded to her much shock. She was hesitant but saw the way he was moving his eyes from her face begging for his safe haven.
She slightly nodded and moved closer to him, taking his broad self in her petite embrace. The hefty man wanted her soft self to calm his nerves and tell him that she was safe and unhurt. The shootout had a drastic effect on him to the point of murmuring her name in his sleep.
His nightmares had instances of her blood lit body being laid on the streets with him being totally helpless. It traumatised him badly from the present mental state that he was going through.
After he was calm, Prisha was still in a daze with his warm tears on her shoulders as it puzzled her at realising his conduct that was totally contrast to his old self.
He moved back catching her hands and looked down saying "I am sorry if...I ...*sniff*...it would never happen again...*gulps*...I promise..." and moved to the washroom to clear his head.
Prisha couldn't stop smiling at his gesture of not wanting to put his unwanted claim on her like he would always. He did change.
As Prisha slept, she saw him moving towards his side of the bed. She was happy that at least, she was beside him to console him at his night outburst.
For few days, Prisha was happy at the way Sanal was getting healthier with her care and of course his endurance to improve to take care of her.
"Hey buddy. Long time!! what happened? I thought you had help to take care of you?" Dino spoke over the video call after a long time, surprising Sanal. Upon Dino enquiring about the shootout, Sanal huffed at the tint of sympathy in his bestie's words. Dino knew that he had not been a good friend acknowledging the major changes in Sanal and conveyed the same to him. Sanal reverted back saying that he was not hurt but lonely.
Sanal tsked and enquired about the family members. Trishna joined the call, sitting beside Dino in the living room. That was the next surprise for Sanal.
She was tensed at his condition but Sanal assured them that he was okay. Sanal had his arm in bandage and hid it by wearing long sleeved shirts to not make his well-wishers worried.
Trishna was going to ask about his possible encounter with Prisha, but was stopped by Dino who told her to attend to Namith, sitting with Vinod. Dino didn't want his bestie to get worried about finding Prisha as that would only worsen the family member's anger on him. Prisha was safely hidden by Vinay – according to the info given by Vinay himself to the family and friends.
Soumya was happy to chat with her brother after a long time. Sanal was talking to her about her swimming and the preparations that she was doing for the nationals. Soumya then advised her brother to not fall sick again and be cautious of the changing weather, making Sanal shed happy tears.
Prisha was listening to their conversation while watering the plants near the garden area. Sanal was sitting on the couch and talking to Soumya. She slightly smiled at the siblings bonding, making her remember Previn. She thought to call him tonight.
Just then she heard Sameer coming in the video call, asking about Sanal's health.
"Hm, seems like you are recovering fast. Take care. I will tell Latha to call you, I am not sure that she would. But she is a mother. *sigh* I hope you are behaving and staying away from Kanna, as I instructed you?" Sameer asked him sternly to which Sanal nodded his head, looking down. Vinay only told Sameer about Sanal getting a fever not the actuality of his incident to protect Prisha, as requested by Sanal himself.
He didn't want his family member to tense for his health, as he knew their love and care for him.
"Good for her. I don't want her to go through your torture again. I have told Vinay to not inform her about your condition. He has still not told us about her whereabouts. But it seems to be good for her and her protection from you. Take care, boy." Saying so, Sameer kept the call making Sanal question his own attitude.
Was he still so bad that..?
He just kept the laptop aside and moved to his room. Prisha tried to stop him to negate Sameer's harsh words.
One day, RM came to their house to check on Sanal and inform him about their case.
He also wanted to fill in with the pending college work for Prisha who missed her classes at the start of the week. Sanal had advised her to resume her classes, but she was adamant to not leave him till he was fit and fine.
Sanal was happy to hear that the case was getting solved without much problem.
"So, we can meet up in the evening for a dinner, hm? Hope it is not much for you, Prisha?" RM asked her who denied his words saying that she was more than happy to get together with her friends.
Sanal saw the way his Prisha was happy with RM and thought about the possibility of them together.
RM was a gentleman and was professionally well settled. A good choice for his Prisha.
He thought to talk to her about it and make her life happy, away from him. Before he would leave for India, he wanted to leave her with someone who could care for her and love her the way she deserves.
Prisha was excited for the party, as she wanted to announce her reunion with her ex and start her life anew with him. She wished for everyone to bless them and was hoping Sanal to stay back till her course completion which would be by the end of the year.
At the mart, Prisha was shopping for the groceries for their dinner party with Sanal.
She opted to go alone, but Sanal insisted his presence to talk to her about his decision.
"Prisha?" Sanal was tagging alongwith her who was not finding the mayonnaise for her salad. She hummed and searched the counter but in vain.
"What do you think about Joonie?"
"What about him?"
"um...you know like a friend,"
"Oh...he is good friend...tsk, where is it? I saw it here the last time..."
"...yeah that he is. um...what about um...a boyfriend?"
"Any girl would be lucky to have him as her boyfriend. He is smart, handsome and witty. All in one," Prisha mindlessly told him while strolling through the counter.
"...um...then why don't you be the lucky girl?"
Prisha stopped at his words and turned around to see his waiting face for the question.
She looked him up and down at his audacity to blabber such nonsense.
'So, this was lingering his mind for so many days.'
'Does his Appa's words affect him so much that he has agreed to part ways with me?'
'Fine!'
'Time to teach him a lesson.'
"You know you are somewhere right. *chuckle* why didn't I think about it? Guess I will tell him, tonight, hm?" Prisha rubbed her chin at his much amusement and turned to pay the bill.
Sanal thought that it was for the better.
Mumbai
Menon residence
Sonia called up Sanal to inform him about Veena's ceremony being postponed to the next month. She didn't tell him about the car accident as she knew his worry for his Veena Chech.
"Ok, aunty. I will come,....um..." Sanal was hesitant to express himself which puzzled Sonia who had always seen him bashful all the time.
"What is it, child?" Sonia voiced from the phone to hear his sniffles and got worried.
"Is Mom there? I jus...just...wanted to hear her voice. Please...*gulps*it's been three months," Sanal tried to control his tears at missing his mom badly.
After the way every family members saw Sanal behaving with Prisha, they all broke the ties with him. Only few family and friends would interact with him.
He didn't know that he would miss his family so much to the extent of crying every night to sleep.
He suddenly felt like a lost child without his mother's shadow protecting him.
Sonia felt hurt by the way the family was ignoring him and blaming him for the bad things done by him.
But they failed to notice the changes in him over the few months. He was repenting badly for his sins and was continuously apologising to each and every one of them.
But only Sonia and Vinay knew his pain as they had felt it a decade back.
So, it was always the evergreen duo, who would call him up and enquire about his health and life in the city away from them.
"Hello,. Hello...who is it? Sonia, nobody seems to answer back...Nia I have so much work to do. And you just went away, just like that. ..hello, Whoever you are, please speak...I am busy," Latha spoke from the other side of the phone, hearing only inaudible cries from her son, unbeknownst to her.
Sydney
Sanal's house
Sanal kept the call and ducked down his head on the couch head with unknown tears. He scoffed at his bad luck at losing all his loved ones shade moving away from him slowly.
Prisha who had come to the kitchen after her bath, saw the scenario and teared up at the way their family was torturing him.
She didn't expect her Latha mom to be so shrewd to her son. Of course, he has done some unforgivable things to her and them, but they were not sins.
He deserves to be forgiven and they need to understand it.
In the evening,
After the dinner, Prisha was washing the dishes and Sanal was helping to dry them with his free hand.
His injured hand was still in pain. But he was able to move around and do the basic things. Still, Prisha would never let him do heavy works and told him to give his workout session another week break.
Sanal felt some water sprinkles on him and looked at Prisha who smiled and asked him for his zoned-out behaviour.
"Nothing.." Sanal then wiped the last dish dry and smiled at her. He moved out of the kitchen area to sit on the couch with Kookie who showed his latest dance video.
Lisa was trying to put on some light music to give the dull moment an uplift.
RM came towards Prisha to help her with the fruit bowls filled tray.
She then placed them on the table and watched how Lisa was dancing with Suga who was just not interested.
Kookie laughed at the way, Lisa was grumbling at the lazy cat (referring to Suga) not moving his limbs. He just swayed his head and irritated Lisa.
Kookie then took Lisa from Suga and danced with her. RM then invited Prisha for a dance, who glanced at Sanal, who immediately looked down.
She remembered her plan to break the ex's stubbornness.
As the music moved to a slow love song, RM twirled Prisha to hear her magical giggle.
Sanal just smiled seeing her genuinely happy in his arms. He was now content that she would be surely happy with RM.
Ring! Ring!
RM excused to pick his call, leaving Prisha on the floor without a partner.
Sanal tried to move out, but was pushed by Suga towards Prisha. Prisha grabbed him before he could fall.
They were close like this after a period of almost a year and looked at each other with so much care and love.
(Kindly imagine Sanal and Prisha dancing to the above dance number)
He twirled her at the beat drop and moved with the music, as he didn't have the strength to look into her deep ocean eyes. He would get lost in them, forever. He slightly hugged her with her back resting on his chest and moving to the music.
But alas, she looked back at him with her almond hazel eyes with so much love and care that he teared up. She moved her eyes to his lips which didn't go unnoticed by Sanal who got panicky.
He gulped his dry throat and separated from her, confusing the people around. RM came just in time and saw Sanal walk out of the room hurriedly.
Prisha just moved to the front porch getting sad. RM was about to follow her but thought to talk to Sanal.
Sanal was crying sitting on the bed. His family, her and even himself was hating him.
Why?
"She still loves you," Sanal sighed at his words and shaked his head negating his words.
"No...she sympathises. And I don't want her to fall in love with me. I will only hurt her more," Sanal got up and looked at him with hope for his Prisha.
"Dude! Are you blind or deaf? Can't you see the love that she is pouring out for you, huh?" RM gestured him the scene that happened in the living room. The lovely way Prisha looked at him during the entirety of the dinner and even after that.
"RM..."
"No...man either you can't see it or you are...*pauses*...oh my god! You are, aren't you? You are deliberately avoiding her and....and...for what?!!" RM was furious at the odd way Sanal just left Prisha hanging for his love.
Sanal shaked his head and tried to move out but RM came in his way.
"She doesn't need to suffer the same trauma with me. I am not...good for her. RM, I couldn't protect her! I almost lost her! If it was not for you....*inhales deeply*...She deserves someone who can love her, respect her and treat her like a queen! Which I could never...so," Sanal explained his part of the justice for his Prisha.
"...protect her?!! Sanal, you died for her!!!....I can't believe it! How can you not see it?!!" Joonie tried to make him see his sacrifice for her, but Sanal just shaked his head in denial, crying badly.
"...no, RM! You don't die for your loved ones, you kill! And that's exactly what you did.... not me...I am a coward, who thought to die than protect her! She deserves you... not me..." Sanal turned his back to RM at his cowardice of not fulfilling his task, burdening himself forever...
Sanal suddenly caught hold of RM's hands and pleaded "Please take care of my Prisha. Please marry her...You are perfect for her..."
RM was shocked at his words and took back his hands not understanding his hurt.
RM didn't realise that Sanal was punishing himself so much to the extent of letting his love become someone else's.
He looked in his repentant eyes and felt that Sanal was serious with his words.
But he wanted to test him. So, he thought to make him understand his love in the most cruel way.
He just left from Sanal's room and went outside in search of Prisha.
In the front porch, Suga was talking to Prisha who was shedding nonstop tears for the rejection.
RM came to her and told her what he felt the apt way to teach their Loverboy a smart lesson.
Suga joined hands with them and decided to let the maknaes out of their plan. As their reaction would be apt to create the extra drama.
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