"break me, this is gonna break me."

My heart pounded in my chest as the door of the cell opened and the officers pushed Aryan bhaiya inside, before two of them walked inside behind him too.

Aryan bhaiya smirked at me before sitting on the chair placed right in front of me.

"I never thought I'd confront you this soon, baby sister," he said with a smirk playing on his lips, disgust washing over me.

"Don't call me your sister with that filthy mouth of yours. I was never your sister and will never be," I spat, the words feeling like venom on my tongue.

He chuckled darkly, "We have the same blood flowing in our veins. You should be thankful we accepted you as our sister and let you live with us till now knowing fully well about your mother's character."

"What do you mean by my mother's character? She was way better than your mother-"

"She was a slut. I wonder how our father fell in love with her after our mother divorced him and married yours. She was a total slut who met him in a night club, for your kindest information," he cut me off, slamming his hand against the table.

I closed my eyes for a second, trying to gather up my patience in me. I can't shout right now, it would land me in trouble.

There are two officers standing here, listening to our conversation clearly. They're probably ordered to notice if I'm actually involved in this stuff.

And I should not do anything that proves me wrong. I have to prove that I am nowhere involved in this shit.

"Why did you tell the police that I'm involved in Aakriti Sharma's murder?" I asked, while he leaned back in his chair. He seemed like he wasn't another prisoner himself.

"Don't act fool in front of these officers, baby sister. You know really well that you're involved," he replied with a smirk, while I tightened my fists.

"Do anything you want to. But when Nirwan ji will get to know that I'm not at fault, you'll regret it. Every single part of it," I spat back, tears welling up in my eyes.

Don't cry, Aakriti. You can't let your guard down.

Crying in front of this demon will make you appear even more weaker than ever.

"Nirwan who? Nirwan Malhotra? Such a bastard he is!" He broke into laughter, my jaw tightening in anger.

"He is so afraid to confront me that he never came to face me even for once. What do you think is he going to help you with?" He laughed yet again, while the officers remained standing still.

I gulped, trying to process a response to his words. He smirked at the officers, "Go and call your so-called MLA. Let me have a word with him."

"You won't be able to utter a single word if he walks in," I replied back, the words slipping from my mouth without a second thought.

He raised his eyebrows at me, his smirk still playing on his lips, "Don't you think you learnt to speak more than needed, baby sister?"

"I'll speak more of this!" I spat, rage slowly building up inside me.

The urge to punch him on his face until he passes out is irresistible.

"You are in jail because of him. And you're still praising him? Women in blind love actually look like this," he said with a dark chuckle, while I took a deep breath before responding.

"Yes. This is how women look in blind love. We trust our men even in situations like these. I know what he did was not his own mind, his brain was washed with your rubbish allegations. You told him that I was involved in Aakriti Sharma's murder, while I thought that he was told that I was only in touch with you. You played well, but you don't know how hard you'll fall when you get caught and everyone knows I'm not at fault."

"Speak to the extent you're allowed to," he replied, while I smirked in the most disgusted way, probably for the first time in my life.

"Nobody has the right to tell me to do anything. Nobody, but only Nirwan ji."

"Nirwan. You have nothing other than reciting his name, do you? I'll make sure he dies in the worst way possible," he scoffed, his expression hardening again.

"Or vice versa?" I asked, smirking like him this time.

He chuckled back, "Looks like you forgot the lesson I taught you at the Shiv temple, baby sister. You're flying right now because there are other two officers in here, otherwise, you would have been the scaredy cat here."

"You will regret everything you did, bhaiya. I always respected you thinking you were my brother, and I'm still calling you 'bhaiya', but you know what? You don't deserve this respect at all!" I spat back, his eyes darkening at my words.

He stood up from his chair and reached out to grab my hair. He clutched my hair tightly in his fist, making me hiss in pain.

The officers grabbed him from both sides but he didn't let go of my hair.

"Abhi toh sirf ilzaam lagaya tha, bohot jaldi faansi bhi hogi tujhe!" Aryan bhaiya yelled, letting go of my hair at last.

[I've just blamed you now, you'll be soon hung to death!]

I breathed heavily, tears streaming down my face. I gasped for breath, noticing a shadow emerging towards the cell.

My eyes widened when the person emerging came into light.

Nirwan ji.

Death glaring at Aryan bhaiya as if he would kill him right here in this moment.

He looked down at me for a millisecond, looking back at the demon in front of me as the officers calmed him down.

A constable opened the cell's gate for Nirwan ji as he walked inside, reaching out to his pocket and pulling out a revolver.

Was he hearing our conversation?

Did he mistake me again?

He looked at me as the officers pushed Aryan bhaiya on the floor, walking towards me slowly.

I lowered my gaze, trembling as I remained seated on the chair.

Is he going to...shoot me?

He stood in front of me, his index finger sliding under my chin.

The finger of the same hand from which he held the revolver.

A shiver ran down my spine when I felt the cold metal brush against my skin slightly, looking up into his eyes, which unlike the hate a few moments earlier, showed softness.

What was it even for?

He removed his finger and offered me the revolver in his hand.

"Shoot."

My eyes widened while I looked between him and the revolver. Was he asking me to shoot Aryan bhaiya?

"W-what?" I whispered softly, looking up at him again.

"Shoot him," he replied, his jaw tightening slightly.

I looked at Aryan bhaiya who was still glaring at me as if he would eat me alive.

I shook my head, looking down at the revolver, "N-no."

"What he did with you doesn't deserve forgiveness, Aakriti," Nirwan ji roared, making me flinch slightly, more tears threatening to fall off my eyes.

"B-but I can't k-kill anyone," I replied, my voice almost trailing off at last.

He sighed and took a step back, turning towards Aryan bhaiya. I looked up at them, breathing heavily. I just knew really well what I was going to witness now.

Nirwan ji raised his revolver, pointing it at Aryan bhaiya. It's alright if he shoots him now. I don't care if he lives or dies.

I closed my eyes tightly when I saw his finger wrapping around the trigger, seconds away from pulling it.

I heard the gunshot, covering my ears, hearing Aryan bhaiya's screams moments later the gunshot died.

I opened my eyes, my mouth falling open when I saw Aryan bhaiya's bleeding thigh.

He didn't kill him, just pushed him in more pain.

"That's for pulling her hair," Nirwan ji shouted on top of his voice, raising his revolver at him once again.

He pulled the trigger once more, shooting his other thigh now, "That's for putting false allegations against her."

He screamed even louder, while I covered my ears with my palms.

I just wish I was deaf. Hearing this is the biggest trauma of my life.

I slowly felt a hand on my shoulder while I looked up at Nirwan ji. I removed my hands from my ears.

"Stand up," he ordered, though softly, his loud and deep voice disappearing.

I slowly stood up, my legs trembling and almost failing to support my body weight.

He held my wrist and slowly started walking out of the cell. I silently followed him behind, his hand still clutching my wrist.

His hold wasn't harsh, but not so soft either. I could feel a burning sensation where he touched me, as if he had ignited a flame through his touch.

He took me towards the area where my original cell was, where Nisha was deep asleep, other prisoners staring at us.

He is probably going to push me back inside my cell.

But he didn't. He continued walking to the main area of the central jail.

My heart pounded rapidly in my chest, while he finally stopped in a corner.

He turned to face me, taking in my tear stained face.

He raised his hand up to wipe my tears, but I stopped his hand in mid air and took a step back.

"Aakriti, listen to me-"

"What's left to listen to? Any more allegations? Or some crime I've never committed? Or worse, that you still think I'm the culprit?" I cut him off, looking deeply into his eyes with tears welling up in mine again.

He sighed, his eyes evidently softening, "I'm sorry, just-"

"I don't need your sorry. No matter how badly I wanted you to come and take me back, I'll never be able to forgive you for this. Never. I'm sorry instead, but I have my own dignity which I always wanted to cherish," I cut him off once more, tears streaming down my face.

"Listen to me, jaan. You can blame me as much as you please, you can slap me this current moment and I will still beg your forgiveness. I admit that it was my mistake, and I swear I won't leave that bastard. I'll kill him slowly. The way he made you suffer, he would beg to die instead of living from now on," he said, taking a step closer to me and cupping my face.

I stood unresponsive, without uttering a single word. His hands slowly moved away from my face, while he slowly held my hand in his, interlocking his fingers with mine when I tried to pull back my hand.

He slowly started walking outside the central jail with me, and I saw the light outside after so many days I didn't want to even count.

There were tons of reporters, some capturing me with cameras, others holding out mics and shouting at me to say something.

"Can you all fucking give us some privacy?" Nirwan ji roared in the mic a reporter was standing with nearby.

The shouting subsided a little and the bodyguards began pushing the media away from our way.

I looked down at the ground and walked towards the car, clutching Nirwan ji's arm tightly.

He gently opened the door of the back seat for me to get in, while I settled down slowly. He slid inside next to me, closing the door softly.

He ordered the driver to start driving, while I shifted to the other side and gazed outside the window.

These people, some of them still think I'm the culprit.

Or maybe not.

I might be on the local news channels now. I'm glad they know I'm not at fault. But that doesn't mean forgiveness towards Nirwan ji.

I want to hug him, hide under his arms and cry my heart out, but I fear that would shatter my self respect.

He needs to realise what he did have wounded my heart to the depth. I can't let him be close to me so easily.

I tried to search for love for me inside him only to get even more hatred, Mahadev never gave me anything positive in return for my kindness.

Maybe being kind every time isn't always good. The evil eventually wins.

I felt his palm on my left thigh while I closed my eyes tightly. He didn't say anything, neither did I.

I opened my eyes when I felt his hand moving away from my thigh. He wouldn't say anything right now, and I know that, because we are not alone.

But he would surely try to convince me when we get back home. And I have to resist, no matter how, but I will have to.

☆

I sat down on the bed slowly, closing my eyes and inhaling softly.

When I returned home, the other family members didn't talk to me. Nirwan ji's mom was the only one who wanted to say something, but I wasn't in a state to answer any of their questions.

Nirwan ji didn't say anything to me either, instead, he escorted me to a separate room to give me some privacy. He made arrangements for clothes and other stuff for me to take a shower and freshen up.

I looked at my reflection from the bed in the mirror, I was wearing a black kurti, my face looking pale. The joy I once contained in this face was nowhere to be found now.

Everything shattered with my hopes.

I flinched slightly when I heard the door knocking. It opened on its own when I didn't answer for a solid second.

Nirwan ji walked inside the room and closed the door behind him.

"I hope I was allowed to come in?" He asked with uncertainty, earning a nod from me.

He sighed and settled down on the couch in front of the bed, maintaining a comfortable distance between us.

"I'm not here to ask you anything, and don't speak if you don't want to," he said, while I continued staring at the floor.

"Your best friend is here to meet you, anyway. She is waiting downstairs for a few minutes now," he added, making me look up at him with sparkling eyes.

"S-Surbhi?" I asked, earning a nod from him.

"I'll send her here, and I need you to talk out your heart to her. I know you would never tell me certain things, even if you trust me or not."

He finished and stood up slowly, walking towards me. My body tensed up when he stood towering over my seated figure.

He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and leaned in, planting a soft kiss on my forehead.

"I already lost a gem, I don't want to lose the other one, Aakriti."

He slowly took a step back with those words and turned around to walk outside the room, leaving me alone and waiting for Surbhi to come in next.

HOW WAS THE CHAPTER?

I was in a good mood so I updated today, so that means you're gonna get updates when I'm in a good mood always 😭

And please don't hate me for the bad twist (⁠╥⁠﹏⁠╥⁠) I had to do it to make the book a little melodramatic

With love,

Ayra