Aditi hobbled out as fast as her aching leg allowed - down the front steps, around the house, through the gardens back to Aron's stable. Vivaan's insane laughter kept echoing through her mind. Her heart burned, her throat stifled a painful lump. Jolts of shooting pain erupted her leg, but she carried on heedless.

Walking in a daze she reached Aron and stood near him shaking. The horse looked at her puzzled, waiting for her to stroke him, but she just stared, as if she expected him too to fling some nasty surprise at her.

Nothing happened for the next few minutes. Aron gave an impatient nicker and fidgeted for her to come close. Tears of desolation rolled her eyes as she stroked his beautiful head, then walked on, past the stables, towards the back gates. Beyond the gates were paddy fields that stretched miles to the mountains. She wished she was there. She wished she could run away and hide there somewhere never to return.

"Aditi, wait!" a voice called from behind. She hurried her steps nearly breaking into a run.

"Stop Aditi." The voice sounded earnest as it came closer. She felt a strong grip on her arm before Darsh pulled her to a stop. "Where are you going? Running away is not going to solve this problem."

She turned around slowly to look at his handsome face. He was the same man she had saved her ten days ago at the racecourse, the same man who'd let her down this morning. The same man who had helped her umpteen number of times. He had also set his price, and it looked like he didn't want to wait.

Her eyes teared as a raw ache gnawed at her heart. She shirked his hand away. "Stop chasing me and I'll stop running."

"No one is chasing you, Aditi."

"You are, and you know it!" Her words spat venomously as she turned her back on him. Faster, further, far away; if it were possible, she would have disappeared in the thin air.

"Stop running from me and I'll stop chasing."

His words halted her in her tracks. She turned to him, pinning him with her steely gaze. "So you agree you are chasing? You did all this to bring forward the wedding?"

He let out a sigh. "Can we sit somewhere? I can explain. It's going to start raining soon and.."

"NO! There's nothing to explain. Everything is crystal clear. Dadaji was worried and you took advantage of his weak state to turn things your way. How could you Darsh?" Her eyes blazed with anger.

He grabbed her shoulders, his jaw clenched. "That's not true Aditi. Let me explain..."

"What did you tell him?" Her scathing voice cut him short. "Oh wait. Let me guess. You told him what I did on that bridge. That is why he is so angry, isn't he? That is why he is punishing me! How could you Darsh? I trusted you, I thought you cared. I thought...I thought you..." Loved me? Her words burned in her throat as she struggled to breathe. Her heart throbbed with an insane agony that she couldn't put a name to.

"I do care Aditi." His hand raised to cup her cheek. "But you are getting it all wrong. I didn't do anything. It was Dadaji's idea. I tried to talk him out of it but he was adamant."

She snorted and shirked his hand away. "Yeah, why would you try to convince when everything is going your way? My clinic is gone, my hospital is gone. My promise to my mother..." Her voice caught. All that she had left now was this marriage. It was her only reality while everything else was just a dream. This was what Darsh meant that night when he'd wished her goodnight. How easy it was for him to destroy it all. A snap of his fingers and everything went up in smoke.

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"Is this my punishment?" She asked as tears rolled her cheeks.

He frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"This is my punishment for defying you, right? You told me that night there would be consequences. You told me you'll make me pay. I was wondering that day in the hospital why you were so calm. Now I know. This was your plan all along. You made me change my statement for the sake of Dadaji. And then you went and told him yourself. How could you Darsh?"

Her head whirled with dizziness as she looked at him forlornly. He was no better than Vivaan after all. It felt like she had just exchanged one man for another.

"That's enough!" Darsh thundered as rage clouded his face. His body quivered as he took a menacing step forward and grabbed her shoulders. "Now shut the hell up and listen to me! It was Zorawar. Zorawar told Dadaji, not me!"

Her face paled. Zorawar?

"The night we returned from the hospital they had a chat in the study, something they do daily. I don't know what passed there, but since then Dadaji is furious."

She swallowed a hard lump. Why would Zorawar do it? She trusted him. He had never said a word about that night when she asked him to go after those boys. Why would he snitch on her now?

"He never said anything about that night as Dadaji never asked. But he couldn't keep quiet about the bridge incident since Dadaji was quite shaken. I am guessing he inadvertently blabbered something that made Dadaji suspicious and then he had to come clean."

Her eyes widened. "You...you know I used Zorawar that night?"

"Of course, I know," he snapped in irritation. "Do you think I am an imbecile to pursue a woman that I know nothing about? I have done my homework. I proposed to you knowing everything. I know that night you sent Zorawar after those four boys. I also know they got into an accident and Dr. Wadhwa refused to treat them." His grip slackened as raked an uneasy hand in his hair. His eyes were distant, sparkling with some dark emotion she couldn't fathom.

"How do you...?"

"Let's just say I put two and two together." He gave her a penetrating look. Nothing about her was hidden from him, everything was laid bare. "I have said it before and I'll say again, Aditi. I know you. I don't blame you for doing what you did, hell, if I was in your place I would have done the same. Those boys deserved their punishment and Vivaan did too. I only wish you had trusted me to handle things. We could have avoided all this mess."

*****

The rain poured in earnest as Darsh grabbed her arm and pulled her back to the stables, to an empty stall. Aditi walked in meekly without making a move to resist. Standing in the little cubicle full of hay and horse smell, she crossed her arms to hug herself. Her hair was plastered to her face, her clothes were dripping wet. Darsh watched in distaste as she stood shivering, warding herself off from the biting cold.

"I can't offer you my jacket this time," he said in irritation. "It's wet, thanks to you. And it's also my last, considering you haven't yet returned the other two."

She pursed her lips and ignored his words. She had more important things on her mind.

"Does... Dadaji know everything?" Her voice came in a scared whisper.

Darsh grimaced. "I don't know for sure. He definitely knows about the bridge incident. He didn't talk about it, but he is miffed at me too for keeping it from him. All he told me was to get on with my hospital project. I tried to talk him out of canceling the charitable hospital but he doesn't look like in a mood to listen."

So he knows! Her heart sank. No wonder he was angry. She had broken Dadaji's trust, lied to him to keep her secret. And this was her punishment for letting him down. Her hospital was snatched mercilessly and she was to be married away asap. Maybe he thought she was too much trouble, his old bones were unable to shoulder the burden anymore.

A sudden weariness washed over her as pressure built in her chest.

"I am not ready," she whispered staring at her feet.

Darsh frowned. "Ready for what?"

"For marriage. I can't... It's... too soon." She closed her eyes as her face clouded in shame, her silent tears making their way out. She wished her Ma was here, or at least Kanta Chachi. She needed someone to lean on, someone who would understand, hold and support her until she gathered herself.

Darsh came closer. A gentle finger tipped her chin up as he watched her ashen face - dull, lifeless, devoid of any joy. Gone was the sunny girl he had seen two weeks ago. This was just an empty shell, a mere remnant of what she had been once.

"Is that why you've been pushing me away?" He asked tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. Her face flushed as she stared at her feet, unable to meet his eye.

He pulled her close in a gentle hug. "I understand. You have nothing to fear from me. I know saying it won't make it happen, but please try to trust me Aditi. I'll..I'll never hurt you, you can rely on me."

Bending down he kissed her brow, then stood holding her close. Her doe eyes kept watching him through her tears as she slowly began to relax. His warmth spread through his body as he engulfed her fragile frame. And she leaned on him, finally letting go.

***** *****