Match Made in Shantivan

Chapter 2: She Loved Him

Chaos. It surrounded her. It burned her. It consumed her.

Anjali knew she couldn't sit idle, without doing anything, after learning the truth about Shyam. The irony is, for the past hour, she was doing just that.

Sitting alone on a rustic wooden bench in the middle of a huge park, she was still, taking in surprisingly calm breaths. Almost as if she was frozen ice. But inside, she was the opposite. She was burning.

For six years, she had been with him. As his wife. She had truly loved him. She loved the way he would come running to her if she had the slightest inconvenience.  She loved that his smile made her smile too. She loved being safe in his arms, without a care in the world. 

She didn't want to admit it, but a very small part of her, tugged into the depths of her heart, still loved him. Even if it was fake. A facade. A pretence.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the innocent sound of laughter. Children's laughter. She looked to her left, to see about a dozen children, running around and chasing each other in the playground. A couple of parents were looking out for them, spending their time chatting away with each other.

Her hand subconsciously went to her stomach. Forget Anjali, he didn't even care about his own child, who was now about to grow up without a father. It would be the best way, she decided.

'Was I truly that blind to such a manipulative liar?'

She let out a shaky breath. Tears threatened to spill, but she kept it together. She didn't want to look like a broken mess, especially since she was waiting for someone.

Someone trustworthy, efficient and dependable. Anjali knew she needed all the help she could get, but she didn't want to involve her own family. It would become too complicated. Besides, they were all still shaken from the recent events, mostly Arnav and Khushi's sudden marriage.

So she chose him, after laying awake the previous night thinking about who she should approach. They had lost touch over the years, but she knew he was still a good friend. And well, he had his own sources and methods to get things done, which she was well aware of. Naturally, she wondered what else her hus— Shyam was hiding.

There has to be more to this. What's the secret behind Chote's marriage? And Khushi-ji? Does she know anything?

Her endless questions were brought to a halt when she felt someone sit beside her. Not too close, but not too far away either. She met his gentle gaze, mentally preparing herself.

"Hi Aman."