I Am Guilty

26. Dilemma

Her face contorted to confusion.
"But... "

He waited for her to complete, while he was wondering what made her lost on thoughts.
"But what?"

She parted her lips and blinked rapidly at him. After a brief thoughtful moment, she shook her head in denial.

"I think you should sleep. You need to rest." She took a step back.

Her sudden changed demeanor confused him.
"Bansi, is everything good? Is there something I should know."

"Good night, Bhai." She replied holding her kurta in a tight fist and turned around to flee from his room.

Arjun was shocked at her behavior.
There was really something going on and he was the only one who was kept in dark.

Kunal's words rang in his mind again and again. For a moment he had thoughts of running away. His mind was fogged with questions and he felt trapped.

He knew, he would not be able to sleep.

Next morning, he heard the cars entering the premises of the house. He stood by the window as he looked down and saw Veena's parents step down a car followed by two more men in their mid fifties step down from another.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was sure, he would be called down any moment.
But nothing happened for a long time.

His heart was thumping loudly and he paced around the room in anticipation.

He had a thought of going down and checking for himself, but kept himself confined to the room.

The door suddenly opened after a knock and his heart skipped a beat as his father walked in. Arjun could not miss the file in his hand. He looked at the girl and then back at his father as his father forwarded the file to him.

"Sign it, Arjun."

Arjun let out a shaky breath.
"Can I talk to her, just a few moments?  Please?"

His father sighed. He held his right arm and dragged him to the sofa, gently and made him sit.
Arjun lowered his head when his father perched beside him.

Aniket looked at his son. The young man had gone paler. He had missed on ten long important years of his son's life. Arjun had been reckless, bit he meant no harm to the girl. His only problem was, he never thought about himself. Aniket stroked Arjun's hair and Arjun looked up at him, startled.

"Let her go, Beta. I will find a better bride for you."

Arjun widened his eyes at his father's words.

"I am not appreciating what you did, but I can see the intent behind it. Trust me, Arjun, this is not the way to handle situations. It will give you nothing but pain."

Arjun looked down.

Aniket wrapped an arm around his shoulders and Arjun blinked, trying to push back his tears.

"Why did you not bring it to our notice?" He whisper asked.

"Would you have trusted me, Dad?" Arjun asked with now misty eyes.

"You tell me, Arjun. If you had told us  would I have not trusted you? And Naren? He wouldn't have trusted you?"

Arjun realized that he should at least have given them a chance. His father had always given him a happy childhood.

"I know, no apology is enough for the way I treated you. But it is my failed parentage that you could not trust us."

Arjun gasped.
"No, Dad. It's not that."