I Am Guilty

15. Some Half-truths

Bansi lay in her bed, curled up on her left side.
Her mother had tried convincing her to join everyone for dinner but she refused saying she was not hungry. The fact was, she was too shocked by her father's actions. She did not remember ever being raised voice upon. And suddenly, she had seen her father raise his belt on her.
It was the courtesy of her brother who had jumped in to save her, taking the lash on himself.
She could not stop the sight of his bloodied T-shirt scaring her nerves. She had been fighting her own demons as Arjun's painful, almost inaudible whimper rang in her ears.

When she recalled the entire scenario, she could put two and two together. The way Arjun held her behind him protectively, spoke volumes. She had a hunch that he knew what was coming and that was what he was trying to stop. She did not want to imagine that he had taken the painful lash of belt on his back, saving her. Her father had probably done that before.

She wanted to see Arjun for herself. She wanted to make sure that his wound was attended to and he had been relieved of pain.
All she wanted was to hold her brother and cry her heart out.

She wanted just one glance of him.

She looked at the phone. It was almost 2 a. m. And more than one day that Arjun was gone.

She picked up her phone and swiped to unlock it. She searched through her lust of contacts and halted at his number. Without thinking much she sat up in her bed and dialled his number.
All she wanted was to know that he was fine and he would come back.

She furrowed her eyebrows when the phone did not connect. The number was unreachable.
She tried again and again until she dropped it with annoyance.

Arjun had already left for trek that morning and his phone was out of the coverage area.

Veena was no different.
She had her own baggage of troubles to handle. Sapna did not talk to her about the annulment, but Veena knew, the topic would not go unaddressed for long.
She wait scream. In frustration. It was not that she was dying to stay in their home or this sham of marriage. She was more helpless than anyone else in the family. No one had faced what she went through, and yet, she was the only one facing the consequences and her husband was as always, missing in action.

Multiple times, she had thought of disobeying Arjun and pulling him to the court. She also thought of her parents pleading to come back and forget everything that happened. But the moment of threat from Arjun would stop her from taking any drastic step. He had filled her rationality with nothing but disappointment. She found her life going in circles.

Samrat looked at Veena's room when everyone came out for evening tea. She had pulled herself in a shell after Arjun's recent visit. He was not around when that happened, but he was filled in with details by Richa.
He picked two cups of tea and walked to her room.
Pushing open the slightly ajar door, he walked in.

Veena sat by the open window, looking at the setting sun. The hues were dark around and so was her life.

"Miss your parents?" He asked in a smooth voice and she looked up at him.
She blinked and sucked in a sharp breath.

Samrat forwarded the cup and she accepted it. She wrapped her palms over the cup, trying to absorb some warmth.

"Are you alright, Veena?" He asked gently. He was filled with concern and hated to see the ever smiling girl so full and pale.

"How do I look?" She asked back without looking up.

Samrat sighed in defeat. He placed an assuring palm on her hand.
"You are so brave, Veena. And... You are not alone. I told you earlier, you have us all with you. Show some courage and sign those papers. You will be free."