"Dying people do not tend to become good dates, Dr. Khurana," and with that, she left, nodding to take permission to leave.

Deep's statement left Maan momentarily still, making him think, "How much this young girl must have gone through to speak of her own death without any hesitation or fear?"

Deep sat in her car and drove away from the hospital to a club where her school reunion was being held. She parked and pulled out her already ringing phone.

"Hello... Deep, you left the home keys with me. How will you enter inside?" Anjali questioned.

"Don't worry. I remembered I left the keys, so I came to the reunion half-heartedly. Achha... listen, when you leave from there, inform me. I'll also leave... I don't want to be with these people."

"That's what I was going to ask. Will you be okay there? You don't like them much, and I'm sure Kritika will be there as she never misses a chance for free food and drinks."

"Honestly, I don't care. I'll just spend my time sitting near the bar, drinking some non-alcoholic drinks, and leave shortly. I don't need to interact, and nor will they try to."

"Okay... if you say so, I'll let  you be there. But if you feel like leaving, just come near the law firm. I'll come and give you the keys."

"Hmm... got it, baby. Now just complete your work soon so you can leave early."

"Okay, I'll get back to my work. Bye... see you soon."

Deep entered inside. Halfway through the hall, she was cut off by Kritika.

"I didn't know you were coming," Kritika asked in a tone laced with hatred.

"Do I need to take permission from you to be here?" Deep retorted with an Idgaf attitude.

"You could have taken permission if you wanted to... Oh, yeah by the way, where is your so-called best friend Anjali?" Kritika said with an evil smirk, as Anjali not being there may result in her favor.

"I don't remember giving you enough rights that allow you to bring her name into your conversations," she spoke in a cold, firm tone laced with enough warning to make Kritika leave that place for now.

Deep sat near the bar and ordered a Pretty Woman non-alcoholic drink. Nandni and Navya came up to her and asked her to join them on the dance floor, to which she politely declined. They went back to the dance floor. She got her drink and started drinking it.

"It feels different... Maybe they just made it too strong. Although mocktails differ from place to place."

After drinking it halfway, her head started feeling tipsy, making her drowsy. She saw Kritika coming and standing in front of her with a devilish laugh.

"Aww... I didn't think it would be so easy to trick you into drinking an alcoholic drink instead of a non-alcoholic one."

"What did you do, Kritika?" Deep yelled in fury, trying to stand properly, shaking off her intoxication.

Deep had never had alcohol before, so even a little of it made her lose her senses. Kritika had made sure to give her a strong one. Kritika didn't reply to her; she just pushed her into someone's arms. The man started to touch her here and there, but Deep still managed to punch him and free herself.

"You witch, let me just have some photos of you in his arms so I can tarnish your dignity. Just stay still," Kritika yelled.

As soon as the man tried to come towards her again, a strong, hard blow landed on his face.

"What the heck are you doing?" Kritika shouted.

Deep turned around to look at the man who had just punched the guy in front of her.

"Maan," she whispered under her breath.

Maan was still busy beating the guy into a pulp who had just touched her.

"How dare you touch..." he roared in anger.

Punch after punch, he kicked his face, making him bleed all over the place. He broke his spine with one hard blow to his stomach. Deep stepped ahead, trying to stop him because she knew if he didn't stop now, he would end up killing the guy.

"Maan, please stop... please," she pleaded with him.

He stopped hearing his name in her mesmerizing voice. It was the first time she had take his first name , it felt different than Dr Khurana it felt personal as if he was hers ."I never knew someone could have so much control over me just by taking my name " He whispered to himself leaving the guy and walked towards Deep.

"Are you okay? Did something happen? Did he touch you somewhere... did he?"

She nodded, "No. I'm a strong girl I pushed him away, but you know I am happy to see you...You were just like daily soap hero who comes to save his girl from the goons ... hehe," she said, smiling like a little girl senselessly at him.

Looking at her smiling face and listening to her, he also sighed with relief and smiled, making her sit on the next chair and putting her head on his chest to support it.
"Yes..I am your hero , who will come to save you everytime be it the goons , the motherfucker whom I just beat into a pulp or be it God himself... I'll always protect you  My Warrior" he promised to himself looking down on her face who was looking at him with her does eyes smilingly

Agastya came to him.

"Maan, that girl ran away. I have put my men to find her and take care of the man you just beat... yeah, I also made sure no one has videos of what just happened."

Maan nodded in approval and asked him to bring her phone, which was still kept near the bar counter. Agastya was about to put the phone in his coat pocket when it rang, flashing "Anjali 🥰💗." He picked it up, thinking they needed to inform at least someone about Deep's condition.

"Hello..." he spoke in his dark, hoarse, manly voice.

"Who are you? Where's my best friend?" she questioned in confusion.

"Come to this bar and take her. She is drunk."he thought he will explain everything when she comes here.

"What do you mean she is drunk? She never drinks."

He cut the call because he couldn't hear much from the loud music inside the club, not realizing that his half words would have left Anjali in bewilderment and worry. Anjali rushed to the club. As she entered, she moved towards the bar, as she remembered that Deep had told her about sitting there. The sight in front of her left her in confusion. After a few seconds, her body started to boil, seeing an unknown man so close to Deep. She dashed towards him in anger but was cut off midway by Agastya.

"You're Anjali, right?" he asked. He had recognized her from the photo on Deep's home screen. It was a  selfie of Deep and Anjali eating Gola(Traditional Ice popsicle of India)
"There's your friend," he said, pointing towards Maan and Deep.

A thundering slap sound echoed with the loud music. Agastya couldn't realize the warm sensation on his left cheek. Only to come back to his senses and realize that she had just slapped him.