Nisha was in her room, throwing everything she could get her hands on. Things were scattered all over the floor, and the sound of things breaking filled the room.

“How dare she? How dare she!!!!” she screamed at the top of her lungs, grabbing another thing from the table and throwing it against the wall.

Her face was red with anger, and she was breathing heavily. She didn't even care about the mess she was creating around her.

“Nisha! What happened? Stop it, please. Don't do this…” A woman came running into the room after hearing all the noise.

She looked around at the broken things on the floor before turning her attention to Nisha. Seeing her daughter in such a state, she hurried toward her, trying to calm her down.

“Mom, you stay away from me.” Nisha shouted, pointing a finger at her mother.

“Nisha, beta, just listen to me for a minute—”

“No… I don't want to listen to anything…” she yelled, cutting her mother off. Her hands were trembling.

“I am going to burn this whole house tonight! Do you hear me? I will burn everything to ashes.”

Before her mother could say another word, Nisha shoved her away in anger.

Her mother stumbled back a few steps, completely shocked by her daughter's behavior.

“Nisha…” she almost cried, looking at her in disbelief.

But Nisha didn't seem to care. She turned away from her mother.

“How dare she kiss Suraj? Suraj is mine and only mine. No one has the right to even touch him. And she… she had the guts to kiss him.” Nisha shouted in anger, unable to bear the thought of another girl getting so close to Suraj.

Her mom stepped closer to her and slapped her across the face. “Come to your senses, Nisha.”

Nisha slowly turned her face toward her mother. Her eyes turned red with anger as she clenched her fists, struggling to control the rage building inside her.

“Mom, don’t tell me what to do and what not to do. You are no one to me,” Nisha snapped angrily.

As soon as she said this, her mother slapped her again.

“Shut up, Nisha. Just shut up. If you do anything like this again, you know what I CAN DO. So, stay within your limits,” she warned angrily.

Saying this, she turned and walked toward the door. But before stepping out, she stopped and turned back to look at Nisha.

“Nisha, you still have time. Listen to us, or trust me, you will regret everything,” her mother warned before leaving the room.

As she left Nisha threw herself onto the bed in anger, kicking her legs in the air.

“Why is everyone always trying to make me understand? Why does no one understand me? I love Suraj… And why should I share the person I love with someone else?” she muttered before punching her pillow in frustration.

Her gaze fell on the wall covered with pictures of her and Suraj, and a soft smile appeared on her face.

“You said we should break up, but I… I don't accept this breakup, my love,” she whispered.

She picked up her phone, only to find another picture of them as her wallpaper.

“I will win your heart again, and this time, I will make you mine forever,” she said with a determined smile.

Meanwhile at Bhuyan Residence

“Bhaiya, why are you not coming out? Badi maa has called you twice,” Kritarth said while knocking on Suraj’s door. But there was no response from inside.

“Bhaiya, are you coming out, or should I come in?” he asked, reaching for the door knob.

Just as he was about to turn it, the door suddenly opened from the other side. Kritarth immediately pulled his hand back from the knob and looked up at Suraj, who was standing right in front of him.

“Aa raha hoon na, aise chinghaad kyun raha hai?” Suraj said, smacking Kritarth’s bum before walking past him.

“Bhaiya… you are too ashleel!” Kritarth almost yelled, looking at him in disbelief.

Suraj just stuck out his tongue at him and ran away down the hallway, laughing.

“Bhaiyaaaaa, Wait for me… I will set your fielding!” Kritarth shouted, running after him.

As Suraj walked towards the dining table, he heard his chachi’s voice calling out to him.

“Suraj beta, pehle aarti le lo.”

He turned towards her voice and saw a woman walking towards him, dressed in a beautiful salwar kameez with her dupatta covering her head. She held an aarti thali in her hands, the diya glowing softly as she walked. She had a fair complexion, a cute face, and a gentle smile.

Suraj smiled at her and stepped forward. He took the aarti from her, moving the thali in a small circle before the diya. As he finished, his eyes fell on Kritarth, who was standing nearby with a pout on his face.

Suraj noticed his expression and smiled a little. Without saying anything, he blew gently on the diya to put out the flame. Then, keeping his hands together, he walked towards Kritarth.

Kritarth watched him approach, his pout still firmly in place. But the moment Suraj stood in front of him, he slowly opened his hands and placed them over Kritarth’s head, giving him aarti with a small, affectionate smile.

Kritarth’s pout disappeared almost instantly, and his face returned to normal. He looked at Suraj, trying to hide the little smile that had begun to form on his lips.

Suraj chuckled softly at his reaction.

“Dinner is ready,” a woman announced as she entered the dining area with a few bowls in her hands.

She placed them on the table, and soon, the servants came in with the remaining dishes. They began arranging everything properly, placing the bowls, plates, and spoons in their respective places.

Suraj looked around the table before his eyes fell on a woman standing nearby. She was removing her apron after finishing her work in the kitchen.

He walked up to her with a curious look on his face.

“Mom, what dish did you try today?” he asked, standing in front of her.

His mother looked at him with a small smile as she folded her apron in her hands.

“Nothing special today, Sur. I just made simple dal chawal with sabji for dinner tonight. But it's mix dal tonight,” she replied casually.

Suraj nodded, listening to her.

His mother then turned towards the room, walking away.

“Where are Papa and Chacha?” Suraj asked, adjusting himself on his chair as he looked around the dining table.

“They will be here any time,” his chachi replied.

As soon as she finished speaking, they saw a man walking towards the dining area. He was dressed in a casual T-shirt and lowers, looking quite relaxed as he made his way towards the table.

Kritarth’s eyes lit up the moment he saw him.

“Papa… Did you do what I asked you to do?” he shot the question at him even before the man could reach the dining table.

The man looked at his son and raised his eyebrows at his sudden excitement.

“Arrey, let me at least reach the table first.” he said with a small laugh, continuing towards his chair.

“I am hungry. Where are Mom and Dad?” Suraj mumbled, looking around the dining room.

His chachi looked at him and signaled the servant to start serving him. The servant walked over with a bowl in his hand, but just as he was about to serve him, Suraj looked up.

“Kaka, it’s okay. I will wait till they come,” he said, giving him a small smile.

The servant nodded and began arranging all the dishes on the table. Suraj sat quietly in his chair, glancing at the food from time to time. Just then, he saw his mom and dad coming out of their room together and walking towards the dining area.

“Arrey, why didn’t you start eating already?” Suraj's mom, Sonali, asked as she pulled out her chair and sat down, adjusting herself comfortably.

“Bhabhi, we all eat together. We have been doing this for years, so I just don’t want to break that rhythm,” Kritarth’s mom, Kavita, replied with a smile.

Soon, everyone settled down for dinner. The servants finished serving the food, and the family began eating while talking about their day. There was a comfortable feeling around the dining table as everyone chatted in between bites.

“Well, Suraj, did you drop your car off at the g—” Sonali began, turning towards him.

As she reached for something on the table, her hand accidentally touched Suraj’s.

The moment their hands touched, Sonali felt a sudden current pass through her hand, almost like an electric shock. The unexpected feeling made her stop mid-sentence. She immediately pulled her hand back, and Suraj did the same, looking just as startled as her.

In the sudden movement, the dish in front of Sonali shifted slightly, causing the dal in her katori to spill onto the dining table.

“Suraj, did you meet someone new today?”

Hearing this, Kritarth jumped into the conversation with excitement.

“Yes, Badi Maa. Do you know whom we met today? Come on, guess, guess.”

Sonali looked at him, but her face showed no expression. Instead of answering him, her gaze slowly shifted towards Suraj’s hand, and her eyes fell on his bracelet.

There was still a small drop of blood on it. Sonali immediately took Suraj’s hand in hers and looked at the bracelet closely.

“Is this your blood, Sur?”

Everyone at the table turned to look at them.

“Wait, what? Blood? Don’t tell me you got into a fight again, Suraj,” his dad said, looking at him suspiciously.

“No, Dad, I didn’t. I don’t even know which blood Mom is talking about,” Suraj replied.

Saying this, he looked down at his bracelet. At first, he couldn't spot anything unusual, but then his eyes fell on the tiny drop of blood that had completely dried on it.

He frowned and tried to scratch it off with his fingernail. But before he could touch it, his mother caught his hand and stopped him.

“Don’t touch it. Just take the bracelet off and give it to me.”

“But Mom, it’s just—”

“Just give it to me, Suraj,” she interrupted, her voice firm and dominating.

Suraj simply nodded and took off the bracelet, handing it to his mom.

Sonali took out her handkerchief and carefully wrapped the bracelet in it. She made sure it was properly covered before calling the servant over.

“Take this to the pooja room,” she instructed, handing him the wrapped bracelet.

The servant nodded and left with it.

“Hmm, now eat,” Sonali said, turning back to Suraj.

“But, Mom…” Suraj looked at his bare wrist. “I feel so empty without it.”

“I will give it back to you before you leave for college tomorrow,” she assured him.

Suraj didn't ask anything more. He simply nodded and started eating again.

“No one even listened to me… Huhhhh. Mujhe kya, they missed a real drama,” Kritarth mumbled under his breath, making a little pout as he picked up his spoon and started eating.

In Suraj’s room

Suraj was walking back and forth in his room, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

“What the hell happened today? Why am I not in the mood for anything? I don’t even feel like going to the garden. What is wrong with me? I am so confused,” he mumbled to himself, letting out a frustrated sigh.

He stopped near the window and looked outside for a moment, trying to make sense of his own thoughts.

He was still busy talking to himself when someone suddenly opened the door.

“Bhaiyaaa…”

Suraj turned towards the door and found Kritarth standing there, a teasing smile playing on his lips.

Suraj narrowed his eyes and glanced at Kritarth from the corner of his eyes.

“What do you want?” he asked, crossing his arms and walking towards him.

“I was just here to talk about Tomato,” Kritarth replied, trying hard to hide his teasing smile.

“Oh God, not your Tomato again. I am already…” Suraj stopped mid-sentence and looked away, avoiding his brother's eyes.

“Ohooo, Bhai is shy, huh?” Kritarth teased, nudging him with his elbow.

“Shy? Who is shy? No one is shy. And what's there to be shy about?” Suraj replied, his voice cracking slightly.

“Oh, come on. The whole college knows about it. That you and Tomato…”

“Ughhh, Shhh… Not a word about that incident.” Suraj interrupted him, quickly putting a finger to his lips.

“Why not, Bhai? You know, I was actually going to tell Mom and Dad about it too. But then your bracelet ruined everything.” Kritarth slowly pushed his finger from his lips.

As Kritarth said this, his eyes fell on Suraj's bare wrist. He shook his head and then looked back at his brother.

“Don't you dare say anything to Mom and Dad or Chacha and Chachi,” Suraj warned him, pointing a finger at his face.

“So what if I don't tell them? I am pretty sure someone from college must have the video. And the latest news is that Suraj Bhuyan kissed a girl in front of the whole college… How is it going to be hidden for a long time?” Kritarth said dramatically, raising his voice as if he were announcing breaking news.

Suraj rolled his eyes at him.

“Well, I know it's not going to stay hidden for long, but you know Nisha, right?” Saying this, Suraj smirked.

“Well, I am sure she will remove every trace of it. And trust me, by tomorrow, no one will even talk about it,” Suraj said confidently.

This time, Kritarth's teasing smile faded, and he looked at his brother with a serious expression.

“Bhaiya, if you know her so well, then why did you break up?”

Hearing the question, Suraj looked at him for a moment. A small smile appeared on his face, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he turned around and walked towards his bed.

“Bhaiya, don't ignore me.” Kritarth complained, following him and jumping onto his bed.

Suraj lay down and turned to the other side, clearly showing that he had no intention of answering.

“Okay, fine. Don't tell me,” Kritarth said, settling himself comfortably on the bed. Then, after a moment, he added casually, “But tell me one thing. How's Tomato?”

The moment he heard that name, Suraj immediately turned his head towards Kritarth. His eyes fixed on his younger brother, and the sudden reaction was enough to bring a wide grin back to Kritarth's face.

“You know what, Bhaiya? She has changed. Like, she has changed so much. The way we knew her years ago, she feels much more mature now,” Kritarth said, looking at Suraj.

“She and mature? Didn’t you see how she was fighting with me in the infirmary?” Suraj replied, raising his eyebrows.

“She simply came to say sorry to you. Just because that KI—” Kritarth stopped, pouting as he moved closer to Suraj’s face.

Before he could come any closer, Suraj kicked him, making him fall right off the bed.

“Ouch… Bhaiya.” Kritarth cried, glaring at him.

“Go, I want to sleep,” Suraj said, getting up and pushing him towards the door.

“Wait, wait, Bhaiyaaaaa.” Kritarth kept shouting as Suraj pushed him out of the room.

But this time, Suraj wasn't going to listen. He shut the door and locked it from the inside.

Kritarth stood outside for a moment, staring at the closed door in disbelief.

“Waah, Bhaiya, waah. You kicked me out? Fine… Now I will take revenge for both things.” he muttered, sticking his tongue out at the door before turning around and heading towards his own room.

He reached his room and immediately called Vikram.

“Hello, Vikram bhaiya… Let’s create a group chat,” he said as soon as Vikram answered the call, not even giving him a chance to speak.

Vikram paused for a moment, surprised by the sudden request. “A group chat? But we already have one, right?”

“Yes, I know. But I want to make another one. Without Suraj bhaiya.”

There was a brief silence on the other side before Vikram let out a small laugh.

“What has your brother done now?” Vikram asked with a sheepish smile.

“Nothing,” he replied quickly.

Vikram raised an eyebrow, even though the other person couldn't see him. That quick response only made him more suspicious.

“Nothing? Then why do you suddenly want a group without him?” he asked, trying to hold back his laughter.

“Bhaiya, please. Don't ask so many questions. Just make the group,” he said, sounding a little annoyed.

Vikram chuckled at his response. He knew there was probably a story behind this sudden request.

“Fine, fine. I will make the group. But you will have to tell me the whole story later. I can't just help you keep your own brother out without knowing what happened,” he said teasingly.

“Vikram bhaiya… You also stay away from him. You became so uncool like him already…” he complained, already regretting making the call.

Vikram burst out laughing. “Alright, alright… Let's make the group first. Then you can tell me what your dear Suraj bhaiya has done this time.”

Saying this, Vikram cut the call and opened WhatsApp. He looked at the screen for a moment, shaking his head as he thought about the two brothers.

“Don’t know what these two brothers keep doing,” Vikram mumbled to himself.

He opened a new group chat and added Kritarth first. Once the group was created, he sent him a message.

Vikram: Now add whoever you want to add.

He sent the message to Kritarth.

A few seconds later, Kritarth added Pooja and Yutika to the group. Vikram watched the notifications pop up on his screen and let out a small sigh. He already had a feeling that this group was going to be a headache.

Without wasting any more time, he changed the group name to ‘THEY NEED THERAPY’.

“He stared at the name for a second and nodded to himself, clearly satisfied with his choice.

Kritarth: Vikram Bhaiya, why did you change the name of the group?

No response from Vikram.

As soon as Pooja noticed the group name, she got confused and quickly sent a message.

Pooja: What’s this group about?

Kritarth: Just a friend group.

Pooja: Okay, but who is this person who put the group name?

Kritarth: Vikram bhaiya. The one who came to the infirmary with Suraj bhaiya.

Pooja: Okay, okay…

Pooja looked at the group chat for a moment before remembering something important. She opened Kritarth's personal chat and sent him a message.

Pooja: Well, have you checked on Yutika?

Kritarth: About what?

Pooja: Well, you just said Suraj bhaiya and Vikram bhaiya came to the infirmary. Then why were we in the infirmary in the first place?

The moment Kritarth read her message, he slapped his own forehead.

"Shit! I forgot about that!" he mumbled to himself.

He had been so busy with everything else that he had completely forgotten to check on Yutika. And now, thanks to Pooja, he remembered exactly what he was supposed to do.

Kritarth: Shit, I forgot! Thank you for reminding me personally. Otherwise, that tomato was going to keep taunting me about it forever.

He shook his head and quickly got up.

Pooja: I am sorry. Everything happened because of me. I was hiding behind you Kritarth, and that's why Yutika had to take this step. If I hadn't been there… Especially hiding, she wouldn't have been forced to do something like this.

Pooja sent a message in the group.

Kritarth just told her not to worry, and then he thought of something funny.

Kritarth: He has been locked inside his room ever since he came back home. I even knocked on his door, but he still hasn't opened it. I am sure he is turning into a tomato himself.

He said this with a double meaning, which Vikram understood. He sent a black moon emoji with a sheepish smile.

Pooja did the same.

Seeing this, Kritarth also started smiling sheepishly.

Then Pooja and Kritarth started spamming Yutika with messages. When she didn't reply, they called her. After finding out that she was alright, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Midnight

A woman entered the dark room, carefully looking around to make sure no one had followed her. She had covered her face with a shawl, leaving only her eyes visible.

As soon as she stepped inside, she closed the door behind her and locked it. The room was completely dark, with not a single ray of light coming through the closed windows.

She slowly removed the shawl from her face and placed it on a nearby table. Then she took out a matchbox and lit a candle. The small flame flickered for a moment before giving off enough light to show what was inside the room.

The walls were covered in shadows, and the air felt strangely heavy yet warm.

The woman walked to the middle of the room, where a circle had been drawn on the floor. She sat down inside it, keeping her eyes fixed on the things placed in front of her.

A lemon and a few green chillies lay right in the centre of the circle.

She took a deep breath and picked up the lemon. For a few seconds, she simply stared at it, as if she was waiting for something to happen. Then she took a knife and slowly cut the lemon into two halves.

The moment she separated them, her eyes widened.

The lemon had turned completely black.

She stared at it in disbelief, unable to understand what she was seeing. The longer she looked at it, the more her hands began to tremble.

“No… it can't be…” she whispered.

She quickly put the knife down, but her eyes remained fixed on the blackened lemon.

After a few seconds, the fear on her face slowly changed into anger.

“No,” she said again, this time more firmly. “I won't let this happen. I can't let that person come even one centimetre closer to him.”