CH 2 || Made My Move

Dhruv

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"Next", I said.

Namit brought another guy holding his collar.

"His name is Jai and the reason, well it's the same, it was all for fun," he said pushing Jai in front of me.

My blood boiled hearing the same thing, that he did it for fun.

"Send the picture of him smoking, to his father. I am sure he will like it." Namit smirked and took out his phone.

Jai fell on his knees in front of me and started pleading,

"Please don't do this. He will kill me if he gets to know that."

"And why should I listen to you?"

"I will never bother her I promise."

"As if you have a choice," I said gritting my teeth. I was controlling myself not to hurt anyone but now I was losing control.

"I will...I will do anything you want. Please just don't send those pictures to my father."

"You will do anything?" I asked and he nodded nervously.

"Okay, I will think of it. You can go for now and don't even think of approaching her. I don't have to tell you again what I am capable of if I find you near her. Do I?" and he shook his head.

He got up and ran away. Luck was on his side today.

The last 60 days have been very hectic. After all, collecting information about the weakness of every classmate was not an easy task. I laid my head backward on the big leather chair and closed my eyes thinking of how it all started in the first place.

I laid my head backward on the big leather chair and closed my eyes thinking of how it all started in the first place

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I saw her 6 years ago, playing with other kids. She was living in an orphanage devoid of every facility but still looking all happy and I was having everything and still, there was no ounce of happiness within me. I wonder how could someone be this carefree and happy. I was glad that I came to the orphanage with my grandfather otherwise I couldn't have seen her. I started waiting for Sunday as grandpa used to go there. I started to tag along with him, he got suspicious but never asked the reason for my changed behavior. I used to see her from far and felt happy. Sunday became the day of my happiness. It continued till 4 years straight.

The rest of the days were the same, old and dull, until I saw her again, in my school. I was shocked at first and couldn't believe my eyes. I thought I was hallucinating but I was not. I gathered information and got to know she has been in the same school as mine for a long time. But I was so busy with myself that I never noticed her. She was in another section so I did one thing which I thought was urgent. I changed my section, not only me but Namit, Arjun, Rohit, and Riddhi too changed their sections along with me. Namit, Arjun, and I have been best of friends. Rohit joined our group later and the last one to join was Riddhi who joined our group only a year ago. We all never used to mingle with other groups. We used to be reserve because others were not worthy of our friendship. Most of them were mean and selfish.

I used to wonder how she used to survive there but then I remembered her smiling face and made an assumption that her smile can melt the heart of any devil, and I was sure she must be having a lot of friends.

I didn't know what glitters is not always gold.

Just a glimpse of her used to make my day better.

I was being crazy I know. I could have gone and talked to her but there was this fear in my mind,

Fear of losing her forever, like I lost my parents like I lost my little one. I was still coping with my loss. I have lost the ones whom I loved the most and was not ready to lose someone again so I maintained my distance from her. Little did I know that this distance was going to cost me a lot.

I never saw her talking with anyone until and unless someone approached her himself/herself. I thought she likes to be reserved like me. I went to the orphanage one Sunday but she was not there. I asked the owner and received the news of her running away. I thought life played it's another game on me. I lost her too and I couldn't even tell her about my feelings.

I knew I felt something for her, but I never realized that the feeling was this strong until she was gone. I didn't go to school for a month. I had no reason to be there anymore but I also didn't want to disappoint my parents who I was sure were watching me from heaven. I also didn't want my little one to let down, as I knew she must be somewhere waiting for her Duv, that's what my little one used to call me.

After a month I went back to school feeling lifeless like I used to feel before meeting her.

My friends tried to cheer me up but none of them knew what was the reason for my sadness except Namit. He is a great observer. I was able to hide my feelings from everyone but not him. He didn't tell anyone about it following the duty of a best friend.

I was going into my class when someone bumped into me. The person kept apologizing to me but I was stilled at my place. It was the same sweet voice that I was dying to hear for the past month. When I didn't reply she looked up at me, but after seeing who she bumped into again bend her head down and ran away as if she has seen a ghost.

It was her, she came back. I asked Namit to collect the information and got to know that she was living in a small apartment that was far away from school after running away from the orphanage. When I saw her I realized something, I realized there was a name to my feelings for her and it's called Love.

As time passed by I started noticing some change in her. She used to smile less and started avoiding everyone. She never really talked to anyone. Even if someone tried to approach her she used to avoid the person.

I still used to watch her from far but the charm from her face was gone which was not settling well with me. When the rest of my group members got to know about my feelings for her they persuaded me to go and talk to her, but I was adamant.

I was not ready for this. Maybe after college, I might go and talk to her which is basically more than 3 years but till then I will watch her from a distance. I had something important to deal with and I didn't want her to be a part of my complicated life. I wanted to settle some things first.

Namit was the only one who never forced me to persuade her. He knew I was dealing with my own demons. 3 months were left and after that, we will be having our final exams. I only had 60 days in my hand to look at her, to look at my peace. I don't know anything about her besides her name and her being an orphan.

One Sunday I was playing basketball in my backyard with Rohit and Arjun when Namit and Riddhi came. After seeing them together, Rohit's expressions changed. Riddhi loves Rohit but this guy is oblivious of that fact. He likes her too but he is great at hiding his feelings. He always put on a mask so that no one notices. He is scared of love. After losing his mother he is scared he might lose her too and I am aware of that feeling too. But his expressions give away when he use to see Riddhi with any other guy, even with his own cousin.

Riddhi and Namit were coming towards us. They both were looking worried. Suddenly Riddhi hugged Rohit and started crying. Rohit tried to calm her down and gestured to us that he is taking her inside. We nodded in agreement.

Namit was not looking worried only, but angry too.

"What happened to her? Did someone do something to her?" Arjun asked Namit.

"Yeah, what happened dude? She is not the person to cry this easily." I added. Riddhi is a tough girl. It's not easy to make her cry until and unless the situation is the worst case.

"I will tell you but first let's settle down," Namit replied looking at me. I and Arjun exchanged glances noticing the weird behavior of our friend.

We sat on the bench and it looked like Namit was having an inner turmoil on how to tell us.

"Dhruv, promise me you will not act without thinking," Namit said to me. I am a person who acts out of emotions, it gets tough for me to control myself when anything bad happens to my loved ones. He knows that I might do something bad to the person who made our friend cry.

"What are you thinking dude? Just promise him. I might die of curiosity here." Arjun said and Namit glared at him which made him shut his mouth.

"Fine, I promise."

Namit took a deep breath and said,

"It's Saavi."

"Saavi made Riddhi cry?" Arjun asked in a disappointed tone. She is not a person to do anything like that to anyone. I have been observing her for 6 years now.

"No, she is crying because of her but she didn't make her cry."

"What do you mean?" Arjun asked him. All the while I kept myself shut. I didn't want to come to any conclusion without listening to the whole story.

"We went to school," said Namit.

"What were you guys doing there? You guys went to bring pastries for us, right?" Arjun asked him.

"Yeah, we actually went to the bakery first when suddenly Riddhi got a text from Shivani that she wanted to return Riddhi her book. Shivani is going out of town tonight so she wanted to give the book back to Riddhi. She called her to school and we both went there. We were waiting for her when we heard someone crying and pleading."

Namit stopped and took a deep breath again. It looked like it was difficult for him to explain what happened. He looked at me as if he was scared that I might lose control after listening to everything.

"I and Riddhi went towards the direction where we saw a girl drenched in mud and eggs. She was crying badly and some other girls were standing there laughing at her. They kept slapping her and pulling her hair. I shouted at them and they ran away when they saw me and Riddhi there. We saw it from far so we didn't know who the girls were. I didn't notice that Riddhi was crying at the sight in front of her. Well, it also didn't settle down well with me. I was beyond angry and wanted to punish those girls. We approached the girl whose face was not visible. Riddhi went close but the girl got up and tried to run away. She was limping, we thought we will be able to catch her but she soon vanished. We didn't know where. But she dropped down something before vanishing in thin air."

Namit stated the whole scenario and I couldn't get it where Saavi comes in the picture until Namit gave me something that the girl dropped.

It was a bracelet. A rose gold bracelet with an S initial and a small diamond studded on it. It was the one I gifted to Saavi on her last birthday without her knowing. Arjun's eyes widened after watching the bracelet. I took it from Namit and now the whole picture was clear to me.

"Who were they?" I asked him trying to compose myself but I wasn't fine

"Who were they?" I asked him trying to compose myself but I wasn't fine. My mind was filled with pictures of the incident.

"Told you, they ran away and none of us saw their faces," he replied. I closed my eyes and my hands turned into a fist. I wanted to kill every person who hurt her.

"Told you to make a move, you idiot. If she would have been with you nobody would have dared to even look at her." Arjun said making me feel guilty. He was right. I should have to make a move.

"Yeah, even I think that you should make a move," Namit said to me.

I was boiling with anger and was feeling guilty. My heart was aching and I wanted to see her, but I didn't even know where she lived.

"Can you guys leave me alone for a bit?" I said without opening my eyes.

"But...."Arjun was about to protest against it when Namit stopped him and said,

"Let's go Arjun." I heard footsteps and when I realized that they were gone I opened my eyes.

A lone tear escaped my eyes which I was holding ever since I got to know all this. I imagined her face and tried to control myself. I thought about what Arjun said and he was right. I needed to make a move but before that those people needed to be punished.

After calming myself down I went inside the house and found Rohit, Riddhi, Arjun, and Namit sitting on the couch.

"I am going to make them pay. Are you guys with me?" I asked them.

"You don't have to ask. We are always with you." Rohit replied.

I went to Riddhi and hugged her.

"I will make them pay for making my friend cry," I said to her pulling back from the hug and she smiled.

"What about her?" she asked.

"I will approach but before that, we need to do something."

The next day at recess we broke into the security room. I knew there were recordings of the CCTV. I hacked into the main system not before disabling the CCTV of that room. I transferred the files of the recordings of the past 2 years into my pen drive. I thought her sudden change of behavior which happened 2 years ago might have to do something with this bullying and stuff and I was right. I checked the recordings the whole night without sleeping a bit. Arjun and Namit were staying with me and they both dozed off. One on the couch and the other on my bed.

She has been bullied for the last 2 years and I was living my life peacefully thinking only my life was messed up. After watching the recordings I couldn't control myself. I went into my personal gym and started punching the punching bag. I needed to take my anger out. When I got tired I fell and tears made their way out of my eyes.

Most of my classmates were involved in making her life miserable. But now was the time for payback. I gathered information about everyone. Most importantly their weakness.

I made sure that no one messes with her until I approach her. On one hand, Riddhi and Arjun used to distract the girls who were seen approaching her and on the other hand, Rohit and Namit used to distract the guys.

Three months passed without anyone bullying her but I knew they won't be silent for long. I collected the data and started with the one who bullied her less. I blackmailed them with their weakness. No one knows who blackmailed them, I just did it by sending them texts from a new number which I bought for this purpose only.

But there were 3 people I needed to use. Jai was one of them, whom I thought to be an easy target. So I exposed myself to him. I asked Namit to bring all of them to my house. He brought them to me while I was busy searching for something important on my laptop. I already dealt with the two before Jai.

This was almost settled, now the toughest part was about to start.

"What are you thinking?" Namit asked breaking the chain of my thoughts

"What are you thinking?" Namit asked breaking the chain of my thoughts.

"About her," I replied.

"What about her?" he asked.

"I Made My Move," I replied smiling leaving him shocked.