‘Vikrant! Vikrant!’
Anamika came running towards him. Her screams caught him completely off guard.
‘They will kill each other. Please, let’s go fast.’ She caught hold of his hands and lead him towards the main gate.
As they reached the main gate, they saw Yuvi attacking Anurag. Anurag kept defending himself and hitting him back. Yuvi tried to show his dominance by punching him so hard that he fell down to the floor. He tried to get up but Yuvi was in no mood to stop. He kept hitting him hard with the deadliest blows.
Vikrant was speechless and didn’t know what to do. Anamika kept screaming and begging for them to stop but they ignored her. Vikrant ran in their direction to put an end to the fight.
‘Vikrant, I beg you to please stop them. Please stop,’ Anamika kept screaming.
As Vikrant went close, Anurag gave him a strong punch on his stomach that knocked him. This angered Yuvi even more. He pounced on Anurag like a tiger and knocked him to the ground. He could have killed him that moment had Vikrant not interrupted them.
‘Yuvi stop it. What are you doing? Don’t act childish. Leave him. You’ve got my swear you will not hit him again,’ Yuvi heard a voice behind him say just when he was about to give his final blow. Kashish’s words made him stop dead in his tracks. He got up leaving him unconscious on the floor. Blood was rolling down his forehead and the cuts were visible on his face. Even his knuckles were bleeding. If Kashish would not have come there at that moment, a disaster would have happened. Yuvi had completely forgotten that he had called Kashish over since they were supposed to go for a date. Before she could come, Anurag had provoked him, which led to a big fight between the two. He had teased the band’s repeated failure and questioned their creditability. Yuvi couldn’t digest the insult and had hit him hard.
Kashish dragged him away from the fight scene. Vikrant and Anamika followed them outside the campus. Some of the college staff had watched the act and had already informed the principal about it. Yuvi was given a notice of suspension with immediate effect. It was the end of everything. The end of VAYU.
Kashish purchased a bottle of Bisleri to clean up Yuvi’s wounds. She made him sit near the tapri on the corner of the road. Yuvi hugged her and cried loudly. He was heartbroken. Vikrant and Anamika stood beside them without speaking a word.
‘You guys please leave. I don’t want him to cry anymore. I can’t see him like this. I love him too much,’ Kashish pleaded with Vikrant and Anamika.
‘Let Vikrant stay. I want him to stay,’ Yuvi whispered.
Anamika understood Yuvi didn’t want her around. She looked at Kashish who pleaded with her to leave. Anamika felt heartbroken and left. She felt a slight tinge of jealousy that at such critical phase Yuvi had Kashish by his side while she didn’t have anyone who could understand her feelings.
‘I had told you that her relationship will screw up everything. I had warned you so many times. But no one bothered to hear me or take my words seriously,’ Yuvi cried.
‘Yuvi forget it. We will get over all this. We will get the band going again. For now, just don’t think about it and spoil your health,’ Vikrant consoled him by patting his back.
After some time they parted ways. Yuvi and Kashish went to his home by car while Vikrant walked towards the metro station. On his way to the station, Vikrant wondered what life would have been like without Yuvi and Anamika and he realized how important these two friends were to him. He desperately wanted Yuvi and Anamika to re-unite once again. He just prayed that this break up won’t lead to the end of their band. Sometimes breaking up can breathe new life and love back into a relationship that has lost its passion and trust. It can act as a wake-up call. When the person we love the most is absent from our lives, we realize how much we truly need them and start valuing them more. Vikrant decided to bring the band back together anyhow. If there was anyone who could, then it was Vikrant. If VAYU had to reunite, Vikrant was the only one who could bring them together. Vikrant knew that even though they showed that they didn’t care, nothing could break them apart!
Vikrant boarded the metro and saw Sanaya sitting quietly reading a book. He wondered from which station she had boarded the train as he hadn’t seen her at Vishwavidyalaya metro station. He mustered the courage to talk to her.
‘Sanaya, I know you don’t hate me. It was because of our band that you kept a distance from me. But now you know the bitter truth. I told you that we were in no way connected with Anurag when I approached you for the first time. I also told you that what the reality behind their relationship was. You are ignoring my love for a guy who forced himself on Anamika? What’s my fault in it? You think every guy is the same?’
‘Vikrant let me tell you clearly. It’s not that I hate you. You are a lovely guy. I don’t want to take any decision in a hurry. I am not saying that every guy is the same, but my experiences with guys have always been bad. They are all sweet at first. And later, they start taking things for granted; even cheat,’ she stated.
She had expressed so openly for the first time in front of Vikrant. She told him many things about Anurag—how he used to abuse her and force himself on her. Vikrant lent her a sympathetic ear. At least it was clear that she didn’t hate him and neither was she a wannabe kind of a girl. Vikrant had made the right choice. She would make a perfect wife for him.
‘I agree. But ask yourself—do you seriously think that I can hurt you or even harm you? I’ve been holding my feelings back because I am afraid of its outcome. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable if you don’t feel the same way as I do. For a few days, I even tried to get over my feelings but alas! All in vain! You have captivated my heart. I have no work left other than thinking and dreaming about you. You are the most beautiful girl I have ever laid my eyes on. Have you ever seen me talking with any other girl apart from Anamika who is my group member? I am shy to express my feelings because I fear rejection. Whenever I am in a bad mood or am rehearsing for long hours, I think about you and that puts a smile on my face. Think over it. I will always be there for you—whether we remain “just friends” or more. At least don’t refuse to take a chance due to that jerk of a guy who doesn’t even know what a relationship is. He abused you and insulted you and Anamika and tomorrow it will be someone else. Just get over him. He doesn’t deserve so much attention. I will not force you but that’s all I wanted to say. Take care.’
Vikrant had poured his heart out to her. Without looking back, he got down at Rajeev Chowk. His honest speech had forced Sanaya to think. She wondered whether Vikrant’s feelings were true or was he pretending like Anurag had. Somewhere she felt his feelings were true because of Vikrant’s repeated attempts to convince her about his love. Would she be able to accept his love with an open heart or were the grudges of the past going to kill her every minute? Somewhere she felt that he would keep her happy because of his caring nature.
A person’s character reflects in his behaviour. Anurag impressed girls by wearing branded clothes and watches, driving luxurious cars, and keeping a heavy bank balance. But what he forgot was that he can’t keep the fire in the relationship alive with those brands. To sustain a relationship, you need to pamper a girl with love and care. Vikrant promised to give Sanaya everything she deserved! Sanaya feared those promises would break once more! She could not take another heartbreak.
Dil jab kisike liye sochne pe majboor ho jaaye,
Tab woh dastak hai naye rishte ki shuruvat ki,
Dil jab kisiko aazmaane ke liye qubool kar jaaye,
Tab woh dastak hai naye rishte ki shuruvat ki!!
Dil jab tanhaiyon me kisike liye muskuraane lage,
Tab woh dastak hai naye rishte ki shuruvat ki.
Ahista ahista jab aap kisika yakeen karne lage,
Ahista ahista kisike kareeb jaane lage,
Tab woh dastak hai naye rishte ki shuruvat ki.
Anurag felt cheated and wanted to teach Anamika a lesson. A lesson which she would never forget all her life. His anger had risen to a level that it had become an obsession. For the first time he had loved someone and that girl had betrayed him. The incident with Yuvi acted as a catalyst to fuel his anger. He became furious and made plans to hurt her in such a manner that she could never lead a normal life again. He had started drinking regularly to avoid the pain. Sometimes he even slept in his car or on the pavement outside the bar—not knowing what he was thinking and speaking. On one such day, he messaged Anamika,
You told me that no one could ever replace me. You lied! You told me that I was your one and only. You lied! You told me that you would love me forever and never let me go. You lied! You told me that you would forgive and forget about everything I did wrong. You lied! You told me that you will erase the memories of that night. You lied! You told me that you will never leave me. You lied! You told me you would never lie to me! YOU LIED! All you did was lie and cheat. Just get out of my sight, get out of my mind. Get out of this world. This feeling in my chest is no longer just a feeling. You held my hand when you needed me and threw me away after using me. Now when I want you, you slapped my love. I will kill you. You won’t live happily ever. This is just a start. Your band is over, and now me teri band bajaunga. Fuck off.
Anamika didn’t pay attention to his threat messages. She had decided she was not going to let his anger affect her. She wanted to lead a life of normalcy again. She even changed her mobile number and decided to block him on WhatsApp. But he caught hold of her number from somewhere and started calling her up again. In every message and phone call he just warned her that if she did not forgive him, he will make her regret one day and even harm her. Anamika was a brave girl and handled it on her own without letting anyone know except Vikrant as he was the only true friend she could trust. Yuvi had been keeping a distance from her ever since that incident. Their distance increased as the days passed. It was getting difficult for Vikrant to handle both Yuvi and Anamika. He cared for both, he loved them both, and wanted them together. But life is strange. It always does the opposite of what you want.