Shyam's shop..
"Shyam beta, please arrange that hair oil I asked you.. my wife really needs it," one of Shyam's regular clients pleaded as he was about to leave the shop after he was done with his weekly grocery shop.
"Don't worry, uncle. I'll arrange the hair oil for your wife," Shyam blinked, his eyes assuring at the elder man while keeping the money in the cash drawer.
"Theek hai beta. Have a good weekend," The man waved him at him, smiling and walking away from there.
Shyam smiled warmly at him, but then Anjali walking in his shop caught his attention. He stopped smiling when he saw her and left the cash counter, pretending to organize a few products on the shelves.
"Hi Shyam!" Even though she noticed he ignored her and walked away when she approached him, she still greeted him with a sweet smile on her face, following him wherever he was going to keep the products in his hands.
"Hello!" Shyam curtly replied and walked to another display rack.
"Won't you talk to me? What happened, Shyam?" she frowned slightly following him, "I guess Khushi told you everything, and you're thinking bad about me now."
"What do you think? My sister wouldn't tell me anything?" he turned to her.
"Shyam, please listen to me for once," she pleaded, "I'm just trying to help Khushi."
"Help? Seriously?" Shyam chuckled in disbelief, "My sister doesn't need anyone's help, Anjali. And especially help from those who are trying to pressure her into giving a second chance and marrying that coward. I am always by my sister's side, even if the whole world is against her. You know what... I'm really hurt by you. I didn't expect this from you, Anjali. You were there with us... you saw everything with your eyes, you are also a woman, and you still think that my sister should give that man another chance."
"Yes, I think she should give Aman a second chance because I believe he loves her a lot. He's changed.. and you know, what he did is actually not a big deal as you're making it to be.. he said those hurtful words to Khushi in the heat of the moment.. he didn't actually mean it.. he was angry, and we all must have said something in anger, which we regret later.. it's not only him. He was hurt that day because Khushi didn't say anything to him that she wasn't going to resign. And you've to agree that if that one person who you love the most in the world and you're going to get married to her soon doesn't share such a big thing about her life then you would be hurt too, Shyam. That's what happened to him.. he just expressed his hurt and disappointment in the wrong way, but it doesn't mean he was wrong in all senses.. and it also doesn't mean he doesn't love Khushi and doesn't deserve to get a second chance. And you've got to admit that it's quite normal for man to express their hurt and disappointment in anger."
"Maybe it's normal for you as you live with two men (Arvind and Arnav) who may share some common traits with Aman, but it's not normal for me as I was raised by a man who taught me to respect women even when I'm angry. My father was never like that, and I've never treated a woman like that when I'm angry or hurt. In my family, we never expressed our anger or hurt by questioning each other's character and mistreating the ladies in our house and we also never expressed our love by banging our heads against the walls, hurting ourselves and crying like maniacs," Shyam said irritated with how Anjali dismissed the entire incident that happened that day as something normal.
Anjali's eyes filled with tears as she stared at him hurt and offended by his words. Shyam instantly regretted including her father and her brother in the conversation, knowing it might hurt her as she wasn't on good terms with them.
He raised his hands to cup her face and wiped the tears in the corner of her eyes with his thumbs gently, "I'm sorry.. I'm so sorry. I didn't want to hurt you. But please understand, Anjali. I won't tolerate you justifying Aman's behaviour. He was wrong, and you just can't keep justifying his wrongdoings by saying he was in anger and he still loves Khushi. I saw my sister shivering in fear that day, I saw her struggling to sleep for days, and I saw her panicking whenever she heard his name. She fell sick. She cried every night, sometimes hiding from me. I don't want this incident to repeat ever again in her life. She is moving on in her life, she's working, she has got a new aim in her life that is to earn money and get our house back from your brother, she's making new friends, she's enjoying these new experiences in this corporate world.. please let her remain like this and enjoy this new and different phase of her life.. don't keep reminding her of her past and pressuring her to give a second chance to Aman."
