Author’s POV.....
"Arjun" Arpana called out to which he looked up. Seeing Arpana come across him was a shock to him. "Arpana, why are you here?" Arjun asked her trying not to choke.
Arpana didn't know what reason to give him. She told him the first thing that crossed her mind. "I came looking for you because Amma said you are not answering her calls. Can you go and see her or give her a call instead of stressing everyone out" Arpana told him angrily and decided to leave.
"Arpana please don't leave, can I talk to you about you yesterday?" Arjun requested her.
"No Arjun, there is nothing to say. Your horrible actions cannot be justified in any manner" Arpana said and walked even further away from him.
"Arpana, please give me a chance" Arjun broke down into tears, somehow this melted her heart. "Ok" she replied coldly. “But I'm not comfortable here," she said. "I can understand, if you want to let's go to the opposite lake. It's a quiet place" he said to which she agreed.
For a long time, both of them were standing near the lake very quietly. "Arjun if you need to speak anything then go ahead, I can't stand waiting here for ages. I might not give you another chance after this" Arpana said.
"Arpana, I am not cheap as you are thinking. What happened yesterday was due to alcohol" he said.
"You have already told me this and whether or not it was due to alcohol you have no right to touch a woman’s body without her permission" Arpana blurted out.
Arjun's narration
"Arpana I am sorry. Before I tell you what actually happened that day, I think it will be better if you have an understanding of my past".
"My late wife Anjali was the daughter of Prabhu and Yamini. You might have heard of them. They are one of the most influential families here. Anjali was an MBA graduate. I met her at one of my friends' weddings. I was the groomsman and she was the bridesmaid. I had noticed her that day but after that day, we had no contact with each other for 6 months. Six months later, I saw Anjali at a cafe. When we saw that day, we reminisced about our memories and exchanged numbers. Eventually without realising she became a big part of my life. My world totally revolved around her. I was working full time and Anjali was working in Mumbai during the first few years of our relationship and I decided to propose to Anjali and get married after 2 years of dating.
I still remember that day very well. On July 14th I proposed to her. After that we both decided to talk to our parents regarding it. My parents were totally fine with it but Anjali's parents declined instantly. I was from a middle class family. For them I didn’t deserve their daughter. So after knowing our relationship, Anjali's family fixed her marriage with someone else. She was in house arrest till her marriage, meaning she had no phone or anything to contact me. Eventually, with the help of our common friends, Anjali and I eloped the day before her wedding and got married. Anjali's father cursed us a lot for it. In fact, he broke all ties with us for which Anjali was really sad about.
Anjali and I lived happily together for 3 years. The only drawback was my work. I had to be away from her a lot and most of the time. But whenever we spent time with each other, it was much like heaven. Our happiness increased when we found out Anjali was pregnant.
When Anjali was 6 months pregnant, she met with an accident on the way back from her parents’ house. Her parents like usual, scolded her and asked her to leave apparently. I had just returned home from work when I was informed about the accident!! My world shattered into million pieces that day. It took me a while to accept that Anjali had left me. Anjali's parents did not even come to her funeral and see her for one last time.
Anjali's father Mr.Prabhu and his son/ Anjali’s brother Madhav have now just filed a complaint against me, accusing me of Anjali's death. I got the news just after I finished gym the other day. They are now filing a case, 4 years after Anjali's death accusing me!! How can I bear this pain Arpana? How can I kill my Anjali?
So after hearing the news I went straight to Anjali's father's house and questioned him that why he is doing this after all these years and his response was: “you took my daughter away from me 8 years ago on her wedding day. Made me embarrassed in front of the society and separated us from her. Her life was a living hell with you. You are the reason she is dead!! You killed her and her child!! The loss is only for us. You are now happy with your new wife. You had an extra marital affair with that woman which is why you decided to kill my daughter! Go and live happily with your new wife but remember you will never get peace. I'm sure when the police investigation finishes, you will be put behind the bars”.
The conversation leads to a big argument and fight. I was thrown out of his house. That's why I got myself drunk, Arpana. I am not alcoholic but to ease my pain I had gone out of limits. What I did to you was the after effect of that, accidentally I tried to release my anger on you. I’m so ashamed of myself and I know it’s not an excuse for my behaviour but I was angry because they filed a case because I married again. I am sorry. Please, forgive me. Whether you believe it or not but this is the truth.”
Authors POV
Arpana clutched tightly onto her dupatta. Even she was feeling emotional after hearing his story. Arpana gently touched his shoulder and looked into his eyes and said "I believe you Arjun. Your honesty is reflecting in your eyes. What you did to me was still wrong Arjun but I can understand you. As a form of punishment, can you do one thing for me?" Arpana requested Arjun.
"Yes, I am happy to do whatever you ask me to," Arjun replied.
"Promise me that you will never drink alcohol again. Even if you do, make sure you drink only when you are happy and stop when you know that’s your limit. Can you promise that?" Arpana asked him.
"Yes I promise you that I will never ever touch alcohol again with my hands. Please move back to home" Arjun requested her and Arpana nodded with a little smile.
"Arjun, your life is very similar to mine. I can relate to many of the things that have happened in your life. Vihan and I were childhood sweethearts. When our families found out about us, they both objected, especially Vihan's mother Damini. After facing so many obstacles, Vihan and I, finally got married in hope of a happy marriage. But a big storm hit me in my life, taking my husband and baby away from me. Vihan was a Navy officer. He died in a gas leak. A few months after his death, I suffered from a miscarriage as well. At first they cursed and blamed my unborn baby for Vihan's death and then after I lost my baby, they cursed me for it. In one way or another, our past is very similar" Arpana said as she wiped away a tear which was rolling down her cheeks.
"Yes, you’re right. We have gone through a big emotional trauma in our lives. We both lost the love of our lives and our babies. Arpana, do you think I killed my Anjali?" Arjun asked her.
"No Arjun, you didn’t kill Anjali. Her death was unfortunate. It’s fate or destiny just like Vihan's death. Please don't beat yourself up for this. You know you didn't kill Anjali. Just like that all your closed ones know how much you love Anjali and that you can't do anything like that to her. So if there is going to be a police investigation, then fight it and prove you didn't do anything wrong!!" Arpana told Arjun, boosting his confidence.
"Thank you so much Arpana, for understanding me. Can we promote our relationship from strangers to friends? Because I feel much more relaxed after talking to you about my feelings and I need a friend like you" Arjun asked her.
Arpana slowly walked closer to him and nodded smiling a little.
"Thank you Arpana" he said to which she said "you’re welcome".
Both Arpana and Arjun's hearts were much more content and happy now. Finally Arpana understood and forgave him.
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How was this chapter ?
Did Arjun Kill Anjali ? If Arjun did not then who might be the actual villain....
At least the issues between Arpana and Arjun is resolved now
But do you thinks Arjun's reason for what he did is reasonable ?
What may happen in the future chapters? How might the story progress ?
I would like to thank KeerthanaRaj5 for editing me this chapter ❤
Please do vote and give feedback if you like the story so far.