Circle of Trust

Chapter 28

Life had come full circle.

Varun felt nervous anticipation fill his stomach as he struggled with his first glass of Whiskey while Shiv was on his second. He could feel his friend’s hard stare drill a hole into his forehead.

“What!” he snapped, jerking his head up to return the glare.

“One hour and you haven’t answered my question,” reminded Shiv, downing the last of his whiskey.

They were back again at the same bar they got themselves arrested. Peter, the bartender kept a safe distance from the two men.

Varun had wanted to cut their meeting short and rush back home to his wife. The need to see her ate at him, especially after spending two hours with his estranged friend. But, a pointed question from Shiv and a phone call led them both to wait it out a bar, filling their silence with drinks.

“Which is?” Varun feigned ignorance, but his eyes betrayed his knowledge.

Shiv’s question threw him for a loop, and Varun’s mind involuntarily wandered back a few years searching for answers.

What were his reasons for demanding Naina’s loyalty and Shiv’s exile from everything his friend had loved? Had he loved his wife enough to possessively claim her as his over his friend’s obvious affection for her? Or had he thought of her solely as his prized possession?

Varun had never analyzed or second guessed his decisions that night and had resolutely refused to talk about them with Naina, even though she had tried. All he knew was he had followed his will and surrendered to the mysterious allure of his wife that very night and continued to till date.

That was his best decision and for Shiv to probe into those memories felt like violation of his privacy.

“When did you fall in love with her?” asked Shiv, a bit too nonchalantly.

“Does it matter?”

“It does.”

The noise in the bar dimmed to match the lights as both the friends challenged each other with their eyes.

Varun took a deep breath, looking away first. He dragged his hands down his face trying to clear his exhaustion. It had been a long day.

“Why does it matter to you, Shiv? We are in love with each other. That’s all you need to know.”

“I’m worried about the timing, Varun,” said Shiv, leaning back on his chair.

Varun narrowed his eyes, sitting forward and resting his elbows on the corner table for three.

“Whatever it is, I suggest you spit it out. I’ve had a long day, man and I’d like to get back to my wife instead of sitting and waiting for shit to happen,” said Varun and gritted his teeth.

Shiv lifted his hands up, palms out, and shrugged. “All I want to know is if you are sure you did not fall in love with her on rebound. You were pretty hung up on Yashvi one day and the next you were throwing your best friend away like garbage…”

“She was my wife, Shiv. You had no right to…”

“And again he misses my question completely. Tell me Varun, is it deliberate? I’m asking you if Naina was conveniently available when Yashvi walked out on you. You sure used her, the first ti…”

“You bastard!” Varun was out of the chair and in his face in an instant, pulling his friend up by the collar. His fists shook around the material, his cheeks pulsing with the effort it took not to spit into his friend’s face.