Rinisha drank herself into oblivion, thinking how to put words correctly to persuade him. Seemed like a big task before her and she was ready to give it a try. 

On the other hand, Rakshit looked like a calm water. He got a fair idea regarding why this sudden meeting. Rinisha's father-- Mr. Vikram rang him in the morning and spilled some of his mind. From what he acquired  Mr. Vikram wrath, without effortlessly he drew a picture of what she was up to. 

Rinisha turned her gaze on Rakshit, preparing herself for a long conversation. 

"My dad, he is the best dad in the world." A smile etched on her lips, speaking about the favourite person. "I couldn't even imagine a life without him being my dad. And that's what he is. The old man loves me a lot..." she trailed off, taking a moment to tell further. "Or that's what I believed until last night." She sighed, peeking through her lashes, found his stone cold face, willing not to give in any sort of reaction. 

She started again when he was staying mute. "He broke my trust. I can't believe my dad? He can do this to me?" Her eyes cascaded on him. A muscle in the face did not move, the same cold emotion, again. 

She found herself shaking with anger and irritation. Expecting him to move his teeth was not possible, and without any other choice she asked, "Won't you ask me why I called you here?" Her hurt laced voice had long forgotten replacing with her petty annoyance. 

Rakshit cocked his head to her side. "Go ahead, Rinisha. I am all ears. You are about to come to the point, I guess." His ever so soothing voice caressed her ears.

"Yeah, I was about to..." she smiled, nodding her head. He was not tedious  on her at least. 

"My dad told me or should I say framed against you a lot of allegations. Things happened from your back in college days to the latest one to... um... your marriage." Her eyes closed by the time she finished where her fingers turned to a ball, when going back through her father's words. 

Her eyes clashed with his. She gave him an assuring smile, hoping he would not misunderstand her. "I don't believe anything he tells me." 

Rakshit raised his eyebrow, "Why? Which one you cannot believe? Or you don't trust your father?" He was expecting this kind of approach from her or she would not have got him here in the first place. 

"I did, but not anymore." She said honestly. Her father was a villain in her eyes now. "I am not a kid to blindly believe him. How could he lie in my face? Especially your marriage thing and Vedant being your son. He did not--" 

Rakshit thought to interrupt her rant or she might have kept going on. 

"As far as those facts are making you either angry or hurt, they're true." His sharp merciless words thrust on her hard. 

"What?" She acted dump, afraid of accepting reality. Both men were saying the same thing. "No, No, No..." she shook her head vigorously. "You two are lying." She pointed her painted fingers at him. "You are lying! Dad was lying! You both are playing with my heart. I won't believe it! I won't believe it ever!" She looked no less than mad now. 

"That's your problem, not mine." He shrugged. "Whether you want to believe it or not, Radha and I are getting married in two days. And Ved, he's my certified son. My own flesh and blood." His declaration was a little bit hard to take to her heart. He was cruel man after all.

"NO!" She screamed. "This is not possible..." She tried to take a hold of his hand, but he stepped back. Not minding his action, she went on, "This can't be possible ever. Dad, accuse you of being less than a criminal. He disgraced your character. I understand, dad is angry. You called off our marriage and your relationship with that servant, and even worse you hit me before my family. Everything might have taken a toll on him, but yet... He has no rights to throw mud on your face. I won't agree, though I was mad at you." She made herself a trustworthy woman for him. 

"Well... probably he has said nothing wrong, I guess." He said nonchalantly. 

"It was all lies!" She was quick to deny everything.

"What if it was not?" He rebuked. This woman seriously needs help. 

He owed her a good clear up for this matter. His dislike towards her was another thing, but the woman whom he had been engaged for years needed at least an explanation. 

"You don't know me, Rinisha."  "Apparently, you do know nothing about me." He said it as a matter of fact. 

"I know who you are. I have been with you for the past three years." She was confident in her answer. Simultaneously, her inner self mocked her, did she really? 

"He was someone else. Maybe a better version of mine. Who knows? All I could say about him is... delusional." 

Rakshit wondered, still hearing his past six years of holy life. How could he turn 180 degrees from his real self? Had he been so good that people around admired him very much? Maybe... Maybe he got some goodness inside him too. After all, he got a kind woman as mother-- Avantika. 

"But yet, it has been you." Rinisha wanted to stick to the fact, unless she wanted to lose him. 

Rakshit stared at her. This woman was really impossible to persuade. 

"Okay, I got you. You might have been a terrible person in your past. You may have flaws as well. And your relationship with that woman..." She closed her eyes, controlling the impulse to lash him out. "Affair between you and Anuradha might have taken a step ahead, I could imagine. Though I hate myself for saying it, I have no problem accepting you." Her voice turned to pleading, "Rakshit, come back to me please. I love you so much too that I can't lose to a mere servant." 

This time as well he chose to remain silent or he would handle this crazy woman his own way. That was the last thing he wanted to think about now. Things might jump out of his hands. 

"Rakshit! You have got lured into her physical beauty. There's nothing she could offer you other than what I have. But still you are pestering on it, why? Because that bitch seduced you to her bed?--" 

"RINISHA!" That's the last string he had on his outburst. He saw red. "Another wrong word on her, you will regret it. And I fucking make sure myself! Okay?" 

Probably realising her blunder for calling Anuradha names by leaving an infuriated Rakshit, she took another step; a peaceful step. 

"Rakshit? Please think about me once. And about my feelings--"

"I do, Rinisha. I am considering your feelings as well." Her eyes twinkled with hope. A hope of her being in his arms again. It did not last long till he broke her heart. "You sound like you are sacrificing something big. What? You are painting yourself a victim?" She turned around avoiding his gaze abruptly. 

"You have said you would accept me with my flaws. What are you, an Angel from heaven?" He scoffed. 

She whipped her head towards him. "There's only one remaining. Now you have done it too. Making fun of my feelings?" 

"You like to play a blind. Then, be it one, but don't try to change the reality." Once a calm voice of his, now turned into a demanding and aggressive one. All thanks for the woman who became the sole reason for fuming his head. 

"Open your eyes! And have a look at your surroundings. The reality! At least make an effort to perceive what your father has spoken and what I am telling, unless you want to keep the blindfold before the truth." She had nothing to say. Thinking about what he told, perhaps it was partially or completely true. 

"Are you eager to marry me? Huh? Not caring about the pros and cons? You are unbelievable, Rinisha." He shook his head. 

"I love you, Rakshit." Her voice was nothing but a whisper, eyes downcast. 

"Love, my foot." He gritted his teeth. 

"You wanna marry a man who's been drawn in the dark for years? You wanna marry a man who's breathed sins through the path he walked? Tell me dammit! You wanna marry a man who's been the reason for somebody's death and who's taken a girl's virtue in the fit of rage?" He reprimanded her, shaking her. 

"Wh-What are you? No! You couldn't be that cruel. You couldn't--" Rinisha wanted to believe she heard nothing he'd revealed. 

Her father gave an outline of what his behaviour had been in those years though, but the two things she heard now out of the league. 

"You- you did? A- A girl?" Her stuttering did not help her to ask him what she wanted. A lot of questions she wanted to ask. This man in front of her had ruined a girl! Who's that girl? Anuradha?

She was in her own trance, swirling around her a lot of emotions. Emotions such as shock, anger, betrayal, hurt, pain, fear and so on. He took her back to the world when began to talk again, giving the answers she unasked.  

"Yes, I did that to my Radha. You know what? I'd been such a heinous person to force myself on her. I am loathing myself every single moment, thinking about what I have done to her." 

She stared at him, mouth sealed, not having the courage to open. 

"I was a monster that night! I just wanted to ruin everything! And I did, I killed him and I fucking raped her! And we have got Ved from that disastrous night. That's the only good one I could hold onto me in the past." He closed his eyes in pain as if somebody was squeezing his heart. Flashbacks of those days made him shudder. He did not want to remember anything from the dark days, but he could not erase it with his all might. 

Rinisha, rooted in her place, looked at him for some time. She found herself shaking for an unknown reason. He was dangerous! Really, really deadly dangerous! This man was a murderer! And a rapist as well, like a cherry on top. She wanted to laugh at her irony. A few minutes ago she would grab any chance to claim him, but she wanted to run away from him, and that's what she did. 

"You deserve better." Her father-- Vikram's words rang in her ears. She would have listened to the old man. And she regretted it now. 

Rakshit remained there unmoved, watching her disappear from his sight. To his favour, she did not bug him more, throwing a thousand of questions at him. At the same time, he did not think she would give up easily. Maybe she was too shocked to say anything. 

●●●

"Finally!" Rakshit's friend-- Uday dramatically said, holding a glass in his hand. "This feels alive! Oh my god! How much I miss this?" He gulped down the content in one go.

"Whoa, easy there man!" Rakshit told him while taking a sip of his own. 

"This?" His other friend-- Kabir interjected, pointed to the empty glass in his hand. "Don't tell me you haven't had it lately?" 

"I was not talking about it." Uday rolled his eyes. This friend of his never left a chance to pull his legs. "Oh! I forgot it. You always have one thing in mind. It's okay. I got it." He deadpanned. 

"Hey, don't you dare--" Kabir was interrupted by Viraj. At least he behaved like a mature one among them. 

"ENOUGH!" Viraj showed his hand to stop both of them from further arguments, not wanting to spoil the fun of the bachelor party. "What is this?" He looked at both of his friends and stayed on Uday. "What are you? Huh?" 

"Ask him, he's begun it." Uday countered back, throwing daggers at a smirking Kabir. 

"And you too," Kabir shut his mouth when Viraj glared at him. "Always pulling each other's legs for nothing." 

Both of them mouthed 'sorry' to Rakshit who shook his head, laughing. He just loved his friends. Sitting in a corner, Shaurya was watching his friends. Being Rakshit's friend, he was the only one who plotted against how to stop the wedding while others had been thinking how to make it fun. 

"Okay, what were you saying again?" Viraj was curious to know what Uday was about to say. 

"What?" Uday asked clueless. 

"This is his problem. Always play dumb when we ask him something." Kabir piped up again. 

"You shut up!" Uday shouted. 

"Come on guys! This is my bachelor party for God's sake. Don't spoil it with your stupid witty comments." A serious Rakshit had taken matters into his hand, unless he wanted to spoil his special day. "I want to relive the moments with my friends." He smiled at the end, signalling Uday to finish it. 

"This is what I feel alive." Uday was exaggerating. "Well, it feels like a reunion. Rakshit's bachelor party though, we got a chance together again. Nowadays it rarely happens. I mean, no complaints, yet it feels so good when we are all together just like old times." 

Rakshit felt touched listening to him. He had missed his friends as well. 

When the atmosphere turned a little gloomy, Kabir decided to make his presence known. "You sound like we are giving him a farewell that will take ages for us all to gather again. Don't be a killjoy!"

"He's going to be a family man by tomorrow." Uday retorted. Why couldn't this man leave him alone?

"Yes?" Kabir would like to irritate him. 

"Obviously, he will have got a mountain of responsibilities as well. Then, he rarely gets time to show his handsome face to us." Uday turned to a grinning Rakshit, ignoring the other one.

"Would you mind if I tell you something about the two special people in your life?" He sought permission before uttering something related to Anuradha and Vedant. 

"Yes." Rakshit deadpanned. He did not want to think twice. Those two people were sensitive to him. He would not let anyone hurt them, not even with words. 

"Yes, what?" Uday got confused with his reply. 

"I would definitely mind if you foul-mouthed my son and Radha." Rakshit told him. Beforehand, Rakshit gave him a warning. 

"No, boss! I won't foul mouthed your little prince and gorgeous queen. I love my life. I want to live a long life."  

"Argh... too much to take for this evening." Kabir scoffed.  

"Hey, leave it man. He was about to say something. Let him complete it." The curious one-- Viraj made sure Kabir would not make him angry. 

"Awww... eager to hear about them, are we?" Kabir snorted a laugh.

"Guys, let him..." This time Rakshit requested. 

"Okay..." Both of them agreed simultaneously. That's a huge relief. Everyone's eyes fell on Uday, including Shaurya's. 

"I was wondering how she is gonna react in our presence. I mean, apparently she won't like to face any of us. In fact, she doesn't like you either. Then, how will she react?" Uday and his friends as well waited for Rakshit's response.  

"You got a point, man." Kabir nodded his head agreeing with him. "Rakshit, as much as we want to celebrate your wedding, we are also concerned about its consequences as well. It's your special day and we don't wish to ruin it with our mere presence." Kabir completed what his friend-- Uday left to finish. 

"Mere presence? Seriously?" Rakshit asked about the uncertainty of his friend's judgments. "Have I ever taken you all as just friends?" He was hurt by then. 

"Rakshit, we know that, but--" Viraj thought to ease the tension, but Rakshit made his effort in vain.

"No buts! You guys are coming, that's for sure. Perhaps, this total marriage thing upset her, but that doesn't mean you all avoid yourselves from it. Don't bother about it, I will take care of it." He wanted to think about it more or maybe he would be afraid to agree with them. That's gonna happen never! His friends are also important people in his life.  

The three friends-- Viraj, Uday and Kabir looked at each other contented with Rakshit's promise. Besides, they would not want to stay out of their favourite friend's big day. 

"Shaurya? What's wrong with you, man? Why are you sulking?" Kabir asked out of nowhere, startling Shaurya. 

"Sulking? Me?" Shaurya glowered. "What the hell?" He was angry at himself for not finding an idea to stop the wedding. 

"Look at your face. I know, you don't want him to get hitched with Anuradha. Am I right?" Uday got along. 

"Um... I..." Shaurya was caught off guard. 

"It's alright, man. We got you. You are gonna lose your boyfriend, so definitely you feel bad." They all laughed at his flushed face. 

"Boyfriend? Whose boyfriend?" Shaurya was shocked. Where did his friends get such dirty illogical thought from? 

"Rakshit. Or who else?" Uday said between his laughs.

"I am not a Gay! I have got a son." Rakshit declared and winked at Shaurya, making others go into another round of laughter. 

"Fuck you all!" Shaurya huffed. His hawk-like eyes fixed on Rakshit's smiling face.   

"Smile as much as you want, Rakshit. I am gonna snatch that smile from you forever. You bastard! You are living my life. And I am not gonna let you have it all by yourself. That's my promise!"