It wasn't something unexpected.

Swara had always known that the outcome of telling the truth was going to be harsh. She had been expecting it from the very first day she had entered the library.

'Then why did it hurt so much?'

She knew it, she had mentally prepared for it, yet nothing compared to the actual agony.

Agony of hurting Selena.

"It's bad that you lost the job. But we will find another one soon. I will pitch in until then, so don't worry about Vriha's medicines and all," Misha said, trying to comfort Swara.

She obviously didn't know the whole story. Just the fact that Swara made a huge mistake and broke Selena's trust, which ended up in being thrown out of the library.

"I am not worried about that," Swara muttered, looking at her hands.

"Don't worry about the fall out too much either. It's not like a friendship of so many years got ruined," Misha said, not understanding why Swara looked so hurt.

She would understand if it was a fight with her. Misha and Swara went way back. But Selena, it hadn't been even a full month, since she had known her.

A sad smile came on Swara's lips hearing that. Misha had no idea what this meant to Swara. And how would she?

To any onlooker, it would have seemed that she was just a normal acquaintance. Swara didn't have long conversations with Selena. She didn't have funny banters with her either. They didn't tease each other, they didn't comfort each other. They were just two people trying to keep the library afloat. Nothing about them would have looked like a close bond to anyone.

But only Swara knew how much Selena meant to her. Selena was as dear to her as Vriha was.

A sudden splashing sound, followed by shouts and giggles caught her attention. She followed the direction of the sound with Misha, and saw two idiots play fighting.

Naman, who been trying to remove the ink stains from his face, was now drenched in water from head to toe, looking at Vriha angrily. She was a bit wet too, all the courtesy of her clumsy hands, but not as much as Naman.

Vriha was holding her stomach and laughing her heart out, not even knowing that Naman had already picked up another bucket.

"Don't," Swara shouted, before rushing to push Vriha away, only to get drenched up in her stead.

Misha and Vriha choked out a laugh, only to cover their mouths as Swara glared at them. She then turned her laser eyes towards the culprit, who had the decency to look guilty.

"You were the one who came in between," Naman said defensively, but gulped seeing Swara's glare and ended up handing her another bucket of water to pour on him.

He looked at her sheepishly, before closing his eyes, ready for the attack. When nothing happened for a few seconds, he opened his one eye to check, before opening both his eyes when he didn't find her.

"Where did she go?" He asked Misha, scratching the back of his head.

"To dry up," Misha answered simply.

Naman raised his eyebrows. That was fast.

Misha came a bit forward, making sure to not get wet herself, before she gestured to Naman to bend down a bit.

Lowering her voice so Vriha wouldn't end up listening, Misha explained, "Vriha has a low immune system. She falls sick easily. So be careful next time."

Naman instantly understood the reason behind Swara's panic run. He hit the back of his head, feeling stupid.

"I am sorry, I didn't realise. It won't happen again," Naman apologized after Swara came back after changing.

Swara hummed, before handing him a towel so he could dry himself a bit.

"I have taken out some of my father's old clothes. Go and check if something fits you," Swara said, without looking at him as she had already started mopping the floor.

"It's fine. You didn't have to," Naman said, although his heart had warmed at her sweet gesture.

"I don't want you getting sick and breathing down my neck again," Swara muttered nonchalantly, instantly breaking all the warm vibes that were flying in the air.

"Ouch." Naman chuckled, before moving to go to her room.

He halted mid way, and turned to ask, "I can go inside, right?" Entering inside her room seemed like a huge thing.

Swara looked up at him with raised eyebrows, before asking him sarcastically, "Are you going to change here in front of us then?"

Naman scowled, before grumbling, "Just didn't want to ruin your privacy."

"It's just a room," she said, before muttering, "why make a scene out of everything?"

"The pot calling the kettle black," Naman commented, instantly reminding Swara of her over-reaction over him pinching his cheeks.

She cleared her throat embarrassed, focusing back on mopping to avoid facing him. Naman shook his head at her back, before going to change.

Naman came out soon, looking comical with ink on his face and extremely loose yet short clothes on his body. Her father was on the heavier side. His height was of an average man, but what to do when the person wearing it was extra tall.

A laugh unknowingly escaped her lips. Leave it upto Naman to make her laugh when all she wanted to do was cry.

"Yeah yeah, laugh all you want. Glad to be of some service."

Swara's laughter died down in an instant as his tone and words reminded her of Selena.

Naman cursed himself, realising the same.

"Swara, don't worry too much. Selena will come around soon," Naman said, walking a bit near her. "She won't be able to stay angry for long."

"She is really hurt. She feels betrayed by me and she has every right to," Swara said, looking heartbroken. Although she had no right to be. She was the one who broke Selena's heart, not the other way round.

"I know. But she will come around soon. She cannot stay angry at you for long. She instantly melts when you make her favourite food," Naman said, looking absolutely sure.

Swara's eyebrows furrowed hearing his words.

"Vriha. Naman, you are talking about Vriha here. She cannot stay angry at me for long, and not Selena. Vriha forgives me after eating her favourite food, not Selena. Heck, Selena hasn't tried anything made out of my hands ever, let alone having a favourite among them."

"I know. But you made Selena with Vriha in your mind. They are the same. So we can use the same techniques on her," Naman said, looking proud of his idea.

All his worries had calmed down after speaking with Vriha. She might have not been able to help him take the ink off his face, but she ended up doing something much more than that.

"I have only annoyed or irritated Vriha. I have never betrayed her," Swara said, closing her eyes in frustration.

“And even if I had, it's not the same. Selena and Vriha aren't the same." Swara shouted out, making it loud and clear for everyone to hear and understand.

Selena, who had been only created to keep the memory of Vriha alive inside her, had somehow ended up becoming an important person to her. Selena wasn't Vriha's or anybody's replacement.

Selena was like Vriha, but she wasn't Vriha. She was Selena. A separate person with her own feelings.

And Swara loved her as Selena.