Bound by Law

Bound by Law || 21- Silent Fun

I had opened the door in a hesitant fashion and now Sanaya was sitting beside me, the air tense, and her eyes fixated on the dusty timber floors, her body stiff.

She opened and closed her mouth a few times before she let out a heavy breath.

"Jai..." she trailed off and shook her head. "Honestly, I think he should tell you himself, so I'll just say that as his closest cousin, please just understand that he's been through a lot."

My shoulders drooped and sighing, I turned away. Sanaya was supporting Jai as well, which was understandable, but also hurtful.

She didn't know what was going on behind closed doors.

I could feel her gaze on the side of my head and she placed her hand delicately on my shoulder.

"I'm not saying you haven't been through hard times Karishma," she spoke softly, trying to reassure me. "I'm just saying that he's also gone through his fair share of hardships. When he finally came out to me about it, I was beyond shocked. I can see that he still holds all that anger and hurt in his heart."

When I didn't respond, Sanaya sighed.

"I know I said Jai should tell you, but I can't keep quiet about this; you still hold Aman dear to your heart, don't you?" When she saw me nod, she continued.

"The truth is...Aman wasn't who you think he was." Her comment made my head spin towards her so fast, my neck cracked and began to ache.

Ignoring the intense pain shooting down my neck and travelling towards my shoulders, I stared at her with my eyes wide open.

Aman? Why is she talking about him like that?

Her eyes swirled with compassion and sympathy as she sighed.

"I'm sorry, but it's the truth. I can't say anything else and as insensitive as I sound, just think of this marriage as a good thing." Her words cut through me like a knife.

Aren't they cousins? Why is she saying this?

"Why would you say something like that about Aman?" I breathed out, in disbelief. "He was the only man that ever showed me kindness. I thought I could fall in love with him. He was your cousin!"

I moved slightly away from Sanaya as I said so, breathing heavily and looking away as I tried to process what she was saying.

Sanaya looked crestfallen, worrying her lip with her teeth.

"I know this seems almost cruel to you and that it may be breaking your heart," she began carefully choosing her words, glancing up at me, "but you have to know that the real Aman was far from the perfect, sweet man that you believed him to be.

I knew him personally, Karishma. I wouldn't make this up. Do you know why he..." she trailed off, shaking her head, but I didn't push her into telling me.

I had heard enough.

By this point, my lips were trembling and my tears were threatening to spill. Talking about a dead person like that felt disrespectful.

Even though I only knew him when I was younger and lost any contact with them well after they had left to go overseas, I still couldn't believe what she told me.

The guy she was describing didn't sound like Aman and I could never believe otherwise.

Come back, Aman. Please, show them how wrong they are about you.