One, two, three… breathe. The world was a blur and there was a strange buzzing in Shanaya’s ears. It faded away to silence only to rise in amplitude again. She could hear her heart beating wildly in her chest.You have to breathe. Shanaya turned around the steering wheel and hit the brakes. The hazed traffic light changed from red to green and the car moved again. Kirti was saying something but she could not hear her. She was only thinking about her brother. I can’t lose him, she thought to herself. He’s the only one I have. Somewhere along the way Neil had called again, telling her that Ahail had to be taken to the hospital. Her mind had then begun spiraling, horrid images flashing against her inner eyes. Neil would not tell her what had happened but she could sense that it was something very grave.I can’t lose my only brother. Please, no.She sighed loudly, realizing she was holding her breath again. That was helping her keep the tears from spilling down her cheeks. She straig

Shanaya stared at her cousin in disbelief, wondering how that stupid thought had entered his mind. Neil’s hands were trembling, his gaze unsteady. He clasped his hands together and sighed loudly. “I hate this,” he said, looking at her. “I hate that all of this is happening to you… to us, right now,” she began, placing her hand over his. “But you can’t take the credit for it, Neil.” "But I feel responsible for all of it! Everything seemed okay until I..." Closing his eyes, he shook his head. His face twisted in a way, as if he was trying to hide all the pain he was feeling. “I’m not blind, Shanaya. I knew he'd be against this decision but I had no clue just how he would protest against this. Last night, he destroyed his room. I’ve never, ever seen him that furious. He called me a traitor. I betrayed him… that’s what he said.” There was a brief pause before Neil continued, “I made him feel all of that rage. And today, he’s in the hospital. Tell me how can I not blame myself?” Shana

Shanaya had no clue how much she had wanted that. How much she needed a hug. For a moment all she could really do was stand still, trying to get herself to accept that this was really happening. Then she eased into Dhruv’s arms, letting—even if briefly—for all the worry to dissipate from her mind. She hugged him back with all the strength she could muster. She feared she would crush him, but she heard him sigh loudly and then his grip on her waist tightened. She closed her eyes, losing herself in the moment. She could hear Dhruv’s heart beating rapidly in his chest and felt his breath on her ears. When she opened her eyes again, tears streamed down her cheeks. “I don’t want to let go,” she mumbled weakly. It wasn't long before she was sobbing. She did her best to be quiet but her breath was ragged. And her chest felt empty as if her heart had been ripped out of it. Dhruv eased his arms around her. “You don’t have to.”Shanaya protested, “Don’t leave me just yet. Don’t, please.”

Silence lingered in the air. A minute passed, then another. Then a few more. All they did was stare at each other from across the room. Dhruv appeared to be looking for words, perhaps to explain his absence, but he had nothing to say. Then he shook his head, his eyes lowering to his shoes. He licked his lips and then looked directly into his eyes. “I was scared,” he confessed, taking slow steps toward her.Shanaya’s anger dissolved in a moment. It was as if she had woken up from a dream. The look on Dhruv’s face made her feel guilty for saying those words to him. When he was right in front of her, he knelt down. He took her hands in his, running his thumb across the back of her palm. Suddenly Shanaya felt aware of everything around her. His unblinking eyes were intently fixed on her. “Shan, I wish I could go back and fix everything. Trust me, if I could I would.”She could no longer hold his gaze. Her mind raced, trying to figure out what he meant. Pulling her hands away from his,

Dhruv's expression softened as he gazed at her, his eyes filled with an unspoken regret. "I know I messed up, Shan. I was foolish, and I hurt you. But please believe me when I say that I never stopped thinking about you all these years. You were always in my thoughts, and I never forgot the way you were there for me when I needed you the most." Shanaya felt a strange mix of emotions bubbling inside her chest, and she couldn't help but feel torn between the past and the present. Dhruv had been her closest friend for years, and she had shared everything with him. He had become a lot more to her, but when he had suddenly pushed her out of his life without any explanation, she had been left heartbroken and confused. What he was doing to her—whatever it was that he was saying to her at that moment was unfair. She felt rage course through her veins along with a sharp pain in her chest. How could Dhruv make her feel comfortable in one moment and angry in the next? How could she still let