The next day when Prisha woke up and went out of her room to greet everyone and see Rishi, she had a magnanimous smile on her face.

Rishi was still wearing the ring and that gave her immense happiness and a hope bloomed in her heart. He too felt something for her.

But when she saw him and her gaze fell on his hand, her smile dropped quicker than anything.

The finger where the ring was last night was bare. The ring was gone. She noticed all his fingers in a hope to find it on any other one but nope. He did remove it after all. Was he being polite not taking it off in front of her last night.

Her heart suddenly felt heavy and she wanted to cry. Rishi didn't fail to notice the change in her expressions. He had to do it. It killed him to take the ring off his finger but he had to. She needed to understand that they cannot be together. Her family would never agree on this.

It had been a few weeks and Prisha had her last exam the next day. She was in her room studying with all concentration.

She had stopped going out unnecessarily. Earlier her reason was Rishi but since he had removed the ring she realised that he actually didn't want anything with her and she had stopped.

Her phone rang indicating a call from her best friend, Saira.

"Meri book tere paas hai?"

"Good morning Saira. 4 din se wait kr rhi hu ki kab realise hoga tujhe. Phir mujhe laga ki chalo kahi aur se padh lia hoga. Tu aaj syllabus lekar baithi hai?"

Prisha mocked and heard her giggle.

"You know me!"

She said in a singsong. Prisha sighed and said.

"Merko meri book bhijwa de. Kisi driver ke saath hi bhijwa de. Mai neeche aa kar le lungi. Pata hai mai hotel mai ruki hui hu?"

Prisha hummed. Some renovation was going on at Saira's place and so she was staying at a hotel till the time because she couldn't study in noise. Well, she didn't study otherwise too, but who cares.

Prisha went out and asked her brother if some driver available.

"Kishan uncle papa ke saath office gye hai aur Mahesh uncle mumma ko lekar mall. And you know both of them. They're not going to be back soon."

Priyansh said and Prisha huffed.

"Kaha jaana hai. I'll take you."

"Nhi, it's fine. Aap bhi busy ho. I guess I'll call my bodyguard to drive me around. Saira ko uski book dene jaa rhi hoon. Ek ghante mai aa jaaungi."

She said and called Rishi to escort her. Priyansh didn't fail to notice how emotionlessly she called him. Did they get into an argument? He had been observing the two of them since Rishi had confessed about his feelings and how she felt for him.

He was never against their relationship but was not sure about Rishi too. So he did his research. About everything. And now that he was satisfied that Rishi was a good man, he was ok if the two wanted to see each other.

Seemed like Rishi had told her about his new job. Rishi had told Priyansh that he'd be leaving his current job in a week because he was offered the post of manager in the firm he worked at. So, instead of being a bodyguard to someone, he is going to manage all the bodyguards in the firm. Everything that a manager does.

And there was no way Rishi was going to deny that. It would give him a good pay hike which he needed too. Sure he's going to miss Prisha and her antics but him and her cannot be together.

Prisha was looking out of the window not wanting to look at Rishi's bare finger again. How easy was it for him to remove it? Why is she not able to do it then? She thought playing with her ring unconsciously.

"I-umm-"

Rishi started and Prisha's head snapped towards him. Was he trying to initiate a conversation with her? On his own?

"I was offered a promotion. For the post of the head manager."

Her eyes sparkled hearing the news and she asked.

"Tell me you accepted it!"

A smile formed on his face. He assumed she'd not react well to it.

"Yes. I did."

"That's amazing Rishi! I'm so happy. You deserve it all. You deserve much more success."

She chirped and he looked at her. Prisha felt something warm settle in her stomach at his gaze. Why did it feel like he was looking at her, really looking at her.

"What?"

She asked tucking her hair behind her ear.

"This is my last week as your bodyguard. Your brother knows about my promotion and he's asked for my replacement."

She didn't know what to say. She was really happy for him. But she wouldn't get to see him now.

Prisha returned the book to Saira who invited them inside. Prisha denied saying she had to rush back home to complete her syllabus.

She had just stepped outside the room and saw Rishi standing there. He stood straighter seeing her emerge.

She walked closer to him and stood in front of him. He gulped looking at her. She was too close. And then she wrapped her arms around his torso and hugged him keeping her cheek on his chest.

He froze. He didn't know what he should be doing. Hug her back? Pull away? What was he supposed to do?

"I know what you want to say. That this is not appropriate and you're not interested and I understand that. Just let me do this. Last time. Please!"

She whispered and felt her throat constrict with emotions. Rishi too felt like holding her close and never letting her go. But he fisted his hands to his side.

"I am so happy for you Rishi. I really am. But I'm going to miss you a lot. And no one can be your replacement in my life. I love you Rishi. I'm so in love with you. Trust me. Maine bhut koshish kri to shut these feelings off when I realised that you really are not interested lekin nothing worked. If anything, they just increased with time. And now I know that there's no going back. I'll always love you."

She confessed as tears fell her eyes and he just kept standing in her embrace, shell shocked. Unaware of what he should do.

Before he could make up his mind and reciprocate her embrace, a shot resonated and he held her close. He turned their positions to hide her in his arms and looked for the source of the shot.

Another shot was fired and the bullet grazed Rishi's arms but didn't pierce his skin. He groaned and pulled his gun to shoot the man's arm which was holding the gun. The pain would be such that he wouldn't be able to move his hands.

"What is-"

"Saira! Don't come out and shut the door. Kisi ke knock pr mat kholna jab tak you're sure they're from home."

He shut the door and shouted instructions to her when she opened the door hearing the noises. He couldn't let her be harmed too and he had to keep Prisha safe.

When the man was down with pain, Rishi held Prisha's hand and ran off to find a place to hide. He found a storeroom and as soon as he shut the door of the room behind them, he heard voices of various people. There were more than one of these attackers.

Prisha was shocked and didn't know how to react. Her senses had gone numb. Just like last time she was attacked.

Rishi pulled out his phone and made a few calls calling for backup and informing her family about their location.

When the calls were made and he was assured that backup was on it's way, he double checked the lock on the room and strained his ears to listen any voice outside. Seemed like they were not outside and searching for them some place else.

Rishi hoped Saira didn't do anything stupid and stayed put in her room like he'd told her to.

"R-rishi?"

He heard Prisha's shaking voice and looked at her. She looked pale and seemed like she was going to faint.

He held her and sat down. Her back was against his chest and he caressed her hair.

She turned and hugged him tightly but pulled back feeling something on her hand.

"Rishi? Ye-ye khoon-are you hurt somewhere?"

She asked in a panicked whisper and he smiled.

"Nah! The bullet just grazed my arm. I'm fine."

Her eyes widened hearing the words and she got up searching for something to disinfect his wound with in the storeroom.

She found some alcohol and bales of cotton. That would work for now.

Taking the two things, she sat in front of him and spoke while tearing the cotton into pieces and coating them with alcohol.

"Shirt utaro!"

"What?"

He asked shocked and she glared at him.

"Shirt utaro! Let me disinfect your wound."

"Umm-that's-its not needed. I-"

"Tum shirt utar rhe ho ya mai kru?"

He gulped and slowly unbuttoned his shirt. He kind of assumed what her reaction would be on seeing what he had been hiding since a few weeks now.

But she was so focused on his wound that she didn't notice anything at first. After his wound was cleaned and disinfected, she placed a lot of cotton on it to stop the blood from flowing any more.

After she was done, her gaze fell on the chain he was wearing around his neck. But that was not was caught her attention.

It was the ring. The marriage ring which she had assumed or rather he made sure she assumed that he had removed that he was wearing around his neck.

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