❝ May be when the time is right, you'll find me again.❞

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"But mom, at least tell me what-"

"I just say we're coming to pick you up tomorrow morning and that's final. No more arguments. Pack up your things asap."

"But maa... hello... maa listen to me. MAA!" furiously throwing her phone to the bedsheet, Siya ran her fingers through her hair and started pulling it out frustratingly.

After at least one hour of argument with her mother during the call, she felt almost choked up as she extended her hands to the side table and poured out a glass full of water only to gulp the cold liquid down to her drying throat.

She couldn't make out what happened so suddenly that her mother behaved so weird today. She wasn't used to this kind of nature of her mother, who never ever agreed to do anything above her studies, now decided her to leave this campus in the middle of the session!

Her head ached. She had barely recovered from the fever by taking paracetamol twice a day after Raghav forced her to do so. He scolded her by saying that if she failed to take care of herself then how on earth she could treat her patient?

If it was someone else she would easily deny but she admired him so much that she couldn't just refuse him. She felt helpless but at the same time contended that there was someone who was truly concerned for her.

The unknown emotions for him occupied her mind so stubbornly, that she couldn't just shrug it off no matter how many times she tried to.

Whenever she wanted to get rid of it, his enchanting smile flashed in her eyes causing her to smile unconsciously. But she was afraid of falling in love.

Did he think the same as she did or it was just a mere attraction she couldn't understand?

She let out a humorous chuckle at her thoughts because it was of no use now—  their ways soon to be parting. It was the bitter truth that they wouldn't probably meet each other again. And the most bitter one was she could possibly never know the truth of her feelings, of his feelings towards her. But it was okay— they would manage to overcome it as things didn't go too long.

She never was his...

Biting her bottom lip hard she prevented a sob that threatened to escape from her mouth.

Indeed she succeed to comprehend her brain but what about her heart which kept beating harshly against its ribcage? What about it? Would she be able to make it understand?

🍃

The next morning Siya packed all her belongings before locking the room door. Shoving the key into the side pocket of her jeans she paced down to the hallway, directly reaching the office room where her parents instructed her to wait.

Her eyes landed first on Mr. Agarwal, other professors, and then at her parent's backing figure— giving some signatures to a TC paper— as soon as she entered.

Her chest became heavy to think about leaving the campus, and the teachers. In this short period, she became everyone's favorite student for her usual polite behavior and good studying.

Though her mother didn't say anything, she was scared of what must be the reason behind their such a huge decision.

"Sir..." her knees were trembling for the sudden rush of nervousness as they motioned her to sit beside her parents, in front of them.

"Mr. Chauhan-" Mr. Agarwal started but as if sensing what he might ask, her father stopped him midway to not go on further as he heaved out a sigh of defeat.

"Please, Mr. Agarwal." her father pleaded as Mr. Agarwal looked at Siya with pity in his eyes.

"Let's go!" his father demanded without letting her speak for once as they partially dragged her out of the room.

"But at least tell me what happened!" She gathered some courage to speak.

"I don't want to create a scene here. So do as we say." the bitterness of his father's voice shook her spinal cord as she obeyed helplessly.

"What you did na Siya just... we're beheading in shame. Once you go home, then I'll treat you." her mother whispered gritting her teeth so hard which confused Siya more.

What had she done?

Her eyes pooled up— arms paining as her mother hold it so roughly, it would surely leave a bruise there. But what pained her most was, that she couldn't even inform Raghav or meet with him for the last time.

She looked back as fresh tears rolled down her cheeks to see Raghav walking down the stairs with some books in his hands.

She wanted to scream his name, begging the ancestors if only he did notice but her inner self prevented her from doing so in front of her parents.

But she continued her staring only hoping that he looked at her for once

And he actually did.

Their gazes met so sudden that made Raghav flabbergasted by the front scene. His confusion turned into a frown when he saw Siya smiling softly and waving her hands toward him. Her eyes held unshed tears.

"What is happening?"

He ran to them, and tried to catch her but when he reached they had already driven off.

The air among him became tensed as he not at all felt positive about that. Running down through the alleys he made his way towards Siya's room only to find it locked.

He gasped.

His backpack fell abruptly as his body started shaking like a leaf. He knelt on his knees gazing nonchalantly at the door before a drop of tear rolled down from his eyes and made his vision blur. He felt his heart ached and his mind didn't work.

"She left me..." was all he could whisper before bursting out in tears.

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"WHAT IS THIS SIYA?!" her mother spat at her while throwing some pictures at her face as soon as they stepped into their house.

Siya flinched at her harsh tone as she looked at her enraged parents with a bewildered look.

She slowly picked up the photos and turned them around only to gasp in horror.

There were a lot of pictures of Raghav and her— kissing, hugging each other.

Her sockets almost came out from her eyes as she couldn't make out the fact.

They never kissed each other and went this close! Dang the intimacy. It was crystal clear that someone professional edited this and showed it to her parents purposefully.

But the question was who and why?

When she was busy figuring out the reason her mom approached her and slapped her right across her cheek which turned red almost instantly. Her head abruptly tilted aside as she looked at her mother with teary eyes.

"I SENT YOU THERE TO SEE THIS DAY?! YOU! SHAMELESS GIRL! DIDN'T YOU THINK ONE TIME BEFORE DOING SUCH A CHEAP ACT? You just hang our heads low in front of society. Now everyone will call you names. None will marry you now. I hate to think that I've given birth to a girl so low like you. Shame on you!" her mother screamed with so much venom in her heart that she almost cried while Siya stood there stiffened.

Tears were streaming down from her face as she continued to stare at the ground when her father caught hold of a fistful of her hair forcing her to look in his eyes.

"I didn't even think you'd be so down. I fucking hate to call you my daughter. You.are.a.whore.literally." her father said through gritted teeth before letting her hair go as she fell on the cold marble floor. Sobs after sobs escaping from her lips, not from the physical but the mental agony.

"Ma-maa... ba-baba... I-"

"JUST SHUT YOUR MOUTH, YOU SLUT! From where that sound is coming after what you did? Do not you have a bit of shame on yourself or do you already lost your virginity to him?" her mother's word pricking her heart into numerous pieces. Every word hit her not less than a sharp needle. The room was filled with her loud sobs and their yellings.

She tried to protest, and stand for herself but failed as her parents didn't even bother to listen to her side for once.

She felt so suffocated as she ran her fingers through her hair and closed her ears tightly, wanting to be deaf at that moment.

She ran to her room and closed the door when broke down on the bed completely, pressing the pillow over her face to muffle the cries.

It had been raining since noon while the autumn leaves scattered all over the road.

Today she was alone again, in that dreadful cage with much more difficulties than before. But she didn't care anymore. After Raghav came she saw a little tinge of hope but did it matter anymore now?

Her phone suddenly started ringing which pulled her out of her thoughts.

His name flashed through the screen while the green button shone towards her as if encouraging her to answer the call. But the red was like snatched her all attention and she did it— cut the call.

Standing up near the window she smelt the familiar earthly scent as the phone continuously rang before she turned it off.

Gazing at the wet road her eyes became teary again as sometimes the hiccups could only be heard. Her heart paining because of her parent's accusations, because of ignoring him.

But what could she possibly tell him, that they caught them with some prude pictures of them kissing! She felt embarrassed though she knew they weren't at fault.

"Maybe this is how destiny planned to do us apart." She sighed; dozing off in the bed while the soft wind was caressing her swollen pink cheeks.

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No one deserves such parents. :(

Will they meet again?