"Would you mind if I steal your date for a minute?" We were interrupted in our conversation. We stared in that direction. Ved was providing a smile at me as he stared at Tarun.

"I wouldn't mind, but the problem is, she isn't my date. And his boyfriend had specially mentioned to me to keep her safe." Tarun passed him a genuine smile. "And for some valid reason, you're not safe for her because your friend is the guy who is considered his rival."

"Come on! We are no longer in school to play the rivalry game." Ved dried a laugh, "one of your friends had no problem dancing with me." Ved commented pointing at Pia who was near the bar counter. "She even agreed to spend a night with me."

"What!" Tarun sounded appalled. "What's wrong with her?" He looked between me and Ved. "Ruhi it will be better if you walk back to them." He pointed a finger at the couch where the rest of them had joined Anuj though Ehaan was missing. I frowned yet allowed Tarun to walk to Pia.

"Don't they treat you like a teenager?" Ved frowned, "We are of the same age yet they treat you like a kid."

I ignored his words as I kept moving to my destination. "Oh! Come on!" He grabbed my elbow and pulled me towards his chest. At that minute I realized that he was drunk, I got the smell oozing from him. Oh! God! I attempted to jerk his grip but unfortunately, he was strong.

"Get your hands off," I heard a grunt and my orbs found peace. Ehaan was glaring at Ved, if looks could kill Ved would be burning from the fire emitting from Ehaan.

"Damn! Ehaan, I thought your choice will be better." He rolled his eyes, "Not that she looks bad but your standard is high man." His grip got tighter making me gasp in pain. "Leave her for people like us."

"I said, fucking let her go or you won't be able to see tomorrow," Ehaan warned taking a dangerous step toward us and suddenly I was getting concerned about the consequences of triggering him.

"Hadn't you seen, your friend's state?" I hissed attempting to get out of Ved's grip. "Do you want to break your nose as well?"

"That's the reason I am here, dumb girl. Do you think, you're attractive enough that I will risk fighting with him? I know better," he scowled.

"You definitely don't know better," Ehaan growled as he threw a punch on his face. As the punch came unexpectedly Ved lost his balance and fell on the floor. He groaned in pain and Ehaan took a furious step towards him.

"No!" I stood in Ehaan's way. "You're not doing this," I glared at him. "You have already got a suspension for a week do you want to increase the days?"

"Move..." he muttered; his orbs locked on the guy behind me.

"I won't..." I was determined. Ehaan's orbs found mine, his eyes challenging me that he wasn't in the mood to argue. "You're the one who will get in trouble. Rudr wants the same..." I was pleading with him. "Didn't Rudr always do that?" I inquired as he averted his gaze from me. I reached to his face forcing him to glance at me. "Using weapons that could trigger you? He always got the loud reactions he was in need of." His orbs stared at mine.

"Ved fucking was forcing himself on you." He was gritting his teeth attempting hard to hold his rage under control.

"He was doing it purposely," Ehaan stared at me in confusion. "He is Rudr's friend what do you expect from him?" I paused seeing Ehaan's features calming down. "Now, don't let my first college party be spoiled due to him." I pleaded, and his orbs soften.

"What's happening?" Tarun came rushing sounding concerned. He stared between us and Ved. "Did he do something?" He inquired seeing Ehaan's furious state before I could deny Ehaan growled.

"Where on the earth were you? Hadn't I clearly mentioned to you to keep her safe?"

"I just don't get how you're not getting triggered by him treating you like a small kid." Ved chuckled, "he is so bossy, how can you call such a human as your boyfriend?"

That crossed my patience level to burst. I turned to face Ved who was smirking at me. "Hold your tongue before I decided to unseal mine if you don't want to start the next morning in a hospital. Just one word and you will be admitted to the hospital for months." Ved expression screamed he hadn't anticipated such a comeback from me.

"I guess you got your answer. It will be better if you leave if you don't want to get humiliated further." Tarun muttered eyeing the audience surrounding us and suddenly I felt conscious. As some were staring at me with newfound curiosity. I hated grabbing attention as I shrink towards Ehaan wanting to escape from those intense gazes.

Ehaan as if understanding my trouble wrapped his arms around my shoulder. "The show is over you all can move." He announced in a rude manner.

"What happened?" Anuj rushed towards us. "What was the scene with that guy? Who is he?"

"Ved, Ruhi's classmate." Tarun informed, "The person who made Rudr and her meet in the class." None was as shocked as I was upon hearing those words rolling out of him.

"What was he doing over here?" Zara's concern was visible as she walked towards me. "Are you fine? Did he do something?" Her orbs moved towards Ehaan's protective grip around my arms.

"You should question 'Mr. I know everything," Ehaan mocked.

"Ehaan you had asked me about the information. I had found it for you..." Tarun was going to clarify but Ehaan interrupted him.

"I had ordered you to look after her." Ehaan's dark-brown orbs were turning darker. "I trusted that you could assure her safety."

"I know..." Tarun was going to speak but he was interrupted again.

"If you knew you wouldn't have left her side in such dangerous surroundings. In a setting that she wasn't used to. Everyone is a stranger to her except us and I trusted you all to make her feel safe." Ehaan growled staring at our friends accumulated around us.

"I understand your concern for her, Ehaan. But you need to hear me out..." Tarun paused, "I had my reason to walk out. I informed her to walk to you all. I had to go or..."

"I don't want to listen to any of your excuses," he growled as he stared at Tarun in utter-disappointment.

"He isn't providing you with excuses," Aarav grunted. "He is speaking the truth. Pia was in need of him so he had to leave Ruhi behind."

Ehaan dried a laugh, "we all know your growing concern over Pia. It will be better if we don't bring her into our conversation." Ehaan orbs moved towards Zara for a nano-second. "And I don't give a damn who was in need and who wasn't! If I hadn't entered on time, he would have..." Ehaan groaned massaging his forehead in frustration, "I should have killed him."

"You surely should because he had planned to rape Pia taking advantage of her drunken state. And if Tarun hadn't reached on time, he would have accomplished his task."

"What!" Niti sounded concerned, "where is Pia?"

"She is in the restroom." Aarav informed, "Let her rest." He muttered on seeing Niti walking in that direction.

"Why would he do that?" Varun sounded annoyed.

"Who told you this?" Anuj inquired.

"Ved," Tarun answered.

"What? Ved told you that he was going to rape Pia?" Zara sounded astonished by the revelation.

"Weird," Anuj commented.

"Nothing is weird, his mission was to distract Tarun's attention." Ehaan sounded harsh, "and Tarun easily walked in his trap."

"What rubbish are you talking about?" Aarav groaned, "Don't get so wrapped in love that you forget about others' existence." Aarav shook his head in disappointment as his orbs stared at my upset one. "I have nothing against you, Ruhi. I am not claiming that he might have not act inappropriately but claiming that we should only be concerned about you is wrong and foolish."

"My only concern is her and that's for sure." Ehaan muttered, "And it will be better when I trust you all with her, you don't break it. Or I won't mind having nothing to do with you guys." His words were firm as others stared at him in astonishment while Anuj stared at us with unreadable expressions.

"That was rude," I commented as we were staring at the sky above us. The dark sky, glittering with stars, a smile played on my lips staring at the moon. "You shouldn't have commented like that," I pouted as I glanced at his gloomy features. "You're aware they treat me like their small sister. Anuj and Zara often had argued with you when we ended up fighting." I moved towards him, as I caressed his stressed face.

"It wasn't about them." Ehaan groaned, "It was about you." His orbs locked on the dark sky. "They need to know I won't spare anyone when it was about you."

"They won't ever hurt me." I sounded confident. It was as if we were not talking about his friends but mine. When they became so important?

He kept quiet as if he had nothing to argue or he wasn't planning to argue. "But how could you drag me out like that, I didn't have a proper dance at my first college party," I grumbled; his orbs found mine on that statement.

"This entire mess was started due to that dance so you better shut your mouth." He warned pointing a finger at me.

"Don't blame dance for the mess." I argued, "Dance can never be blamed."

He stared at me with amusement, "The way you admire dance." He raised his head leaning his cheek on his palm, his orbs staring in my direction. "You are planning to join a dance club, right? You will have to give a proper audition." His orbs were sparkling in excitement as if he had something planned for it.

"I am not going to take part in any club. I don't want to undergo any bullying. I don't have any savior to protect me like before." On my mention of Rudr, his entire mood had a three-sixty-degree shift. His sparkling orbs turned into stern ones as he averted his gaze to the sky.

I giggled at his reaction, "The way you hate Rudr's existence." I ruffled his hair and he groaned in response with a heavy warning that I shouldn't repeat it. "Why do you hate him so much?" I inquired as I moved closer to him. His orbs were shut and I leaned on my elbow to glance at his beautiful face.

"Are you planning to answer me any time sooner?"

"Nope..." I grinned as he imitated my tone.

"Aww..." I pulled his cheek. "Why so cute Mr. Ehaan Kashyap?"

He jerked my hands away providing a glare. "Hot not cute!" He corrected.

"You might be hot for the rest of the world," I paused as I rested my head on his chest. "But for me, you will be the cutest guy ever to exist."

His hands wrapped around my waist as he pulled me closer. "This is far better than any party." He muttered pressing a kiss on my forehead.

"But my dance..." I groaned in denial. "I wanted to have that special dance." I whined, "I miss my first dance."

"We already had our first dance," he argued.

"That wasn't our college's first dance."

"Are we going to have dance at each stage of your life?" He sounded startled while I suppressed my giggle.

"Finally, your brain had started working. So, you better plan our first college dance pretty soon."

"Yeah, as if I have nothing useful to do." He brought his sarcastic personality back which meant his mood had finally shifted from the event.

"You do, like practicing for your football match which is coming soon..." I grinned raising my head from his chest. "Why so grumpy?" I squeezed his face making him groan in displeasure.

"You need to stop doing that," he grumbled. "It's annoying as hell."

"So, you need to stop making those gloomy faces as well. It's also as annoying as hell." I imitated his tone, bringing a hint of a smile to his face. "That's better," I smiled back at him.

I was giggling at Ehaan's stupid joke as I walked into the mansion. My orbs enlarged in horror as I glanced at the soul waiting for us. Her arms were folded around her chest as her orbs stared at us in rage. She looked exhausted yet pulled a firm posture.

"Why can't you grow up?" She growled, "When you will act like a responsible human?" She shook her head as she took a step towards us.

"I am in a very good mood," Ehaan groaned as he wrapped his arms around my waist. "So, it will be better if you don't spoil it."

"I am not spoiling your mood." She gritted her teeth in frustration. "If anything, you have spoiled my day. What was the need to act rowdy on your college campus? I didn't utter a word against you even after knowing your inappropriate behavior towards Rudr. You punched him and got suspended from the college for a week. You know, how shameful it is to face the chairman of the university? That's not expected from you, Ehaan Kashyap."

"I don't give a damn about what is expected from your son, Mrs Ruhi Kashyap." He groaned, indicating how much he despised the name. "I had resigned from your son's position long back. All you have to worry about is your beloved daughter. Just go and make her day sulky, I have enough to deal with." He grabbed my wrist and was going to drag me upstairs.

"I was always against this girl's presence in your life. The minute she entered the university, the trouble started." Her orbs averted to me, those stern orbs piercing my skin. "I don't know what you see in her?"

"The thing that I can't see in you." He hissed, "The love and care she has handed me within a few years, you were not able to provide me during my entire lifespan. The girl you're cursing is the reason you're still allowed to enter this mansion or I would have banned your entry long back. This girl over here," he pointed at me. "Is the reason I am working on the goals you set for me. So, you better don't point a finger at her." Ehaan warned her, fury was radiating from his entire system.

"Ehaan..." I called him out on seeing his orbs locked on his mother. Mrs. Kashyap was staring at her son with fear.

"Stay away, that's my last warning from me and my life." He growled as he dragged us upstairs.

I was pacing around the room as Ehaan had locked himself in the washroom for the past hour. I wanted to knock on the door but at the same time, I wanted to provide him with space. His mother could trigger him the way Rudr couldn't. The revulsion he had for his mother was beyond description.

I was aware that the hate within him for his mother was destroying him. He needed to forgive his mother's deeds and let it go but it wasn't easy for him. It wasn't easy for him to let go of all those moments when he craved love, where he just wanted his mother by his side.

I sighed as I approached the wooden door. "Ehaan..." I whispered softly. "Please open the door." I knocked on it. I had changed into a pair of night clothes that were in the guest room, moreover my room.

I met with silence. "You can talk to me, I am always there to listen."

"Just leave me alone!" He roared like an angry lion making the floor beneath me shiver. I heard some glass pieces shattering on the floor.

"Ehaan!" I got anxious, "what was that sound..." before I could answer he screamed again.

"I said, fucking leave me alone..."

I stood there for a few seconds; a tear escaped from the corner of my eyes. As I leaned my forehead on the door. I knew he felt miserable at the moment. Surely, the feeling of being worthless would be showering over him. He acted as if he wasn't affected by words but he was crushed by those words. Those words rolled out of his mother's tongue. It broke him!

"Angel, please walk away." He sounded broken. "Please..." he sounded so scared. "Before I hurt you in my anger..." he choked at the end as if he was holding back those tears.

"You can never hurt me, Ehaan," I muttered convinced that he was on the other side of the door. "Not in your wildest anger. You can't... I know it."

"You hadn't seen my anger. You're so unaware of what a monster I am."

"You aren't a monster." I paused, disliking the way he degrades himself. "Just come out, you might have harmed yourself. I need to treat you." I pleaded, attempting to twist the knob.

"Come wounds can't be treated, they are beyond repair." His words pierced my heart. "You can't keep treating my wounds. One fine day you will get hurt while removing those pieces from my skin." He sighed, "And maybe I won't be able to forgive myself if it ever happens."

"Nothing like that is going to happen," I pleaded as sobs escaped from my throat. "Please... open the door..." Tears kept rolling down my cheek. "Please..."

"Fuck," and soon I heard the knob being twisted and the door was opened. I sighed in relief glancing at his miserable state. His messy chestnut hair were more messier due to his frustrated hands pulling it out of his skull in fury as if that could calm him down. His orbs stared at me with concern. He shook his head as his hands raised to cup my face but I grabbed it in mid-air.

"I knew it," I glance at his injured hand. "Why do you harm yourself?" I glared at him, as I pulled his hands in my palms. Red fluid dipping from his hands was making me nauseous, I tried to breathe in.

"Don't torture yourself," he withdrew his hand from me. "I will take care of it."

"No!" I pulled his hand back. "I know you better," I narrowed my orbs at him. "That blood will be soaking on those white sheets. And then Aunt Neeta is going to grumble about it the next day." I rolled my eyes while his lip turned upward in a smile. His orbs stared at me with such intensity.

"Come sit down over there," I pointed at the couch. As I walked towards the drawers to find the first aid kit but he stood on his spot. "Ehaan for once listen to me," I narrowed my orbs at his stubborn behavior. I gripped his wrist and dragged him to the couch. "Sit!" I eyed him, he stood there staring at me. "What's your problem, Mr?" I frowned as I glanced at his bleeding hand and started wiping the blood away with the cotton as he was adamant about not listening to my orders.

"How much it is bleeding!" I couldn't help those tears rolling down my cheek. "How can you be so careless?" I scolded my orbs locked on his wound.

"Look at me," he hissed as I shook my head. "I said, look at me, angel."

"Why should I obey you when you can't?" I cried as I raised my head to glance at his concerned orbs for a second. "You can't see a tear rolled out of my eyes. How am I supposed to see you hurting yourself?" I grumbled as I applied some ointment and wrapped a cotton cloth around his knuckles. "Go and sleep," I muttered as I was on the verge to turn, he grabbed my wrist.

"Where?" He sounded stunned.

"Home, Dad will reach any hour to pick me up," I muttered without meeting his gaze. "You need some hours of rest. You have a match to attend and that wound needs to be healed by then." I wasn't able to meet my orbs with him because if I did, I won't be able to stay firm on my decision.

"Fine..." I could sense the disappointment in those words as he withdrew his hands from my wrist. And I walked out without wasting a minute, I knew if I didn't, I won't be able to leave him alone after the entire mess. But how could I face him after knowing that I was the reason behind the mess? For me, he had fought with Rudr as well as Ved. I was the reason behind his peace but I was also the root cause of his destruction.

The entire ride to the house was filled with silence. Dad frequently glanced at me because it wasn't typical of me. I was one of those kids who was so excited after a school day to blabber everything out about it. My father knew my highlight of school life, he wanted to be aware of the highlights of my college life as well.

"How was the party?" He inquired breaking the deadly silence between us.

I sighed, "Why did you allow for the party?"

"Why?" He sounded anxious, "is everything fine?" I had grabbed his entire attention.

"Nothing that drastic!" I groaned, "But I just wanted to ask why you agreed when you had denied it?"

He sighed in relief; his mind must have offered him with the worse scenario in just a few minutes. "I had seen disappointment in your eyes at the dinner night. And you're not a party girl, you hardly like to attend it. So, when I saw that disappointment, I knew that party meant something to you. But I was worried about your safety issues but Ehaan's one call pushed that thought away from my mind."

"Can I ask you, Dad, why do you trust him so much?"

He was taken aback by my question; he spared me a look before staring back at the road. "He never provided me a reason not to," he muttered. "I am aware that I was against the concept of friendship between you, two. I didn't like his presence around you because I thought he was a bad company. He would drag you into the dreadful pit." He paused for a second, "but he never tired too. He was the one who was hell-bound to protect your innocence even when you were adamant to drive into his world. This party was an example of it." He winked at me.

I pouted, "I had already lost my mom to him. Am I going to lose my dad as well?"

He chuckled at my complaint, "None can steal your dad from you. He is all yours for a lifetime." I giggled in response.

I stared at the white ceiling with sleep far from my reach. His disappointed voice kept revolving around my head. I felt bad for leaving him alone, he might be in need of me. I shook the thought away. He wasn't! I was the reason behind him being thrown out of the university for a week. I was the reason behind he had to face his mother. He couldn't enjoy the party as he did each year when I wasn't attending it. How he was in an amazing mood! How he called me in between providing me live reports on how the party was shaping up. I spoiled it! I spoiled it this year.

I pouted to myself as my hand reached for the phone beside my pillow. I unlocked it and when to the messenger. I clicked on his profile picture; it was the one licked tonight. He looked handsome in that black outfit, no wonder he loved wearing black.

"Good night..."

I typed a message and within a few seconds, my phone buzzed with a notification.

"What are you doing awake at this hour?"

"You have to attend college the next day."

I couldn't help the smile popping on my face at his concern.

"Couldn't say the same about you."

I waited as I backspaced the message, typing something new.

"I am sorry for the mess..."

There wasn't any message for a minute I was going to delete it but my phone rang and my heart jumped out of my ribcage. I wasn't in a state to face him. Text messages were far better than answering his call. If he heard me at that moment, he would act furious.

I allowed the ring to die and I took a breath of relief. I typed a message but he was faster than me, his message popped on the screen.

"Receive the call!"

"Receive it before I plan to visit you."

I groaned, why he had to be so impulsive? Why couldn't he calm down for a minute?

"I am fine if that's what troubling you."

"Please, I am not in the mood to have phone calls." I wiped the emerging tears of helplessness.

But then listening to my request my cell was offered with another ring. I shook my head as I received his call.

"You call me stubborn when you act like one!" He growled like a furious lion. "Why on earth were you not receiving my calls?" He grunted, "And what's with this I am sorry... mess... I swear to God if you're crying at the moment. I am not sparing even one person responsible for it." I heard a loud noise and I gasped in fear.

"And I swear to God if you hurt yourself or that bandage is misplaced in any manner. None is going to save you from me." I warned him.

I heard him sigh as if my voice was calming his building anxiety and silence prevailed for a minute. "You need me?" His words were so soft that for a minute I was tempted to urge him to come but I restrained my temptation.

"You need to rest."

"That's not an answer to my question." He sounded annoyed.

"But that's my answer, rest. I need to go to sleep, bye..." And without providing him with any opportunity I hung the call.