BATTLE OF LOVE (completed)

CHAPTER 36

Dharani's POV:

After letting her spend almost 50 minutes with her dad, I finally managed to bring Chutki out convincing her that she would be able to meet him again during the weekend. As we came out I saw Arjun standing outside.

"I was actually about to ask you to get Chutki out within an hour," he said.

I smiled not sure about what I should reply. 

"Arun can you sleep in another room for today. I wanted to sleep with Rani. I cannot sleep alone," Chutki asked Arjun. There was no need to ask actually. We always had separate rooms. However, we didn't bother explaining it to her. Arjun just nodded and Dev suggested we have a girls night out and a boys night out. Arjun wasn't willing to stay up all night as he was too concerned about the next day training but agreed to have late night talks and we parted our ways. Priya, Chutki, and I went into my room while Dev, Deepak, and Arjun went into Arjun's room.

Arjun's POV:

In Arjun's room:

The three of us were in my room, desperately trying to think of something that we could talk about. I decided to break the silence by asking them a question I wanted to ask them.

"Deepak give me an honest answer on this. Suppose, you saw an officer on road doing something that you consider wrong and upon being confronted he tells you that he is doing this on prince Arjun's orders. Would you try stopping him? Would you confront me about it?"

"Umm....well sir....to be honest I wouldn't dare confront you about anything. I...would assume you are right," he answered. His answer broke my heart. Deepak has been with me for the past two months. I genuinely consider him my friend. Yet he wouldn't dare confront me? I turned towards Dev for his answer.

"If they are your orders, they cannot be wrong," was his reply. I felt like the world around me has shattered. I've worked all my life to make sure that my people are safe, and what have I got in return. I mean I never had a problem with people fearing me or hating me but the fact that people not confronting me broke my heart. It literally gives any officer the license to misuse my name and I wouldn't even know about it. My heart sank as I questioned my very own philosophies. My inner voice telling me that I might be wrong. I hated it. I am not wrong. I just excused myself out of the room and went to meet the only girl who ever told me that I was wrong. I wanted to hear her now. I wanted her to open up in detail as to where she thinks I was wrong. I walked towards her room and knocked on the door. I am not going to give up my ideologies but I am definitely going to prevent them from being harmful.

"What is it?" she asked as she slowly opened the door. I could see that Chutki was sleeping while Priya was reading something.

"I need to talk," I said and we went into the adjacent room.

"Why do you think I was wrong?" I asked her. She was taken aback at the sudden irrelevant question.

"Since the day we met, all you said was that I was wrong. I am too harsh and all. I wanted to know why?" I asked again. I sounded rude but it was unintentional. I was just too emotional.

"I found you too be harsh," she said, "The first time we met, you treated an accused as a criminal. You didn't even give him water despite his condition. And then in Minjan, you were too demanding with the trainees. They were too scared to even tell you that they were hungry, and with Swetha, it's next level. You knew she was more of a victim yet you got her arrested. That too for three months. I would have never let that happened if it were to be a mutual decision."

"Guilty should be punished and that's the law," I opposed.

"Not always," she argued, "Sometimes what you consider crimes are just acts of self-defense or acts done out of desperation. Imagine if we had talked those thieves into giving up robbery. Manoj uncle and Chutki would have been in a far better state."

"That's not what I want to hear," I said. She was offended.

"And I am not here to tell you what you want to hear," she interrupted, "You are too strict that people would never dare question you even if you were wrong. You know what that means? You could be wrong and no one would dare tell you. What's worse? Someone could use your name and you would never know about it. In Mitra, we used to get at least two letters every single day where our citizens complained. Forget about citizens, turns out that Sonu knew everything about what's going on. Yet he didn't tell you cause he legit thought it was your order and was too scared to tell you that you were wrong. There is definitely something wrong if innocent people fear you and you better realize it before its too late."

"So people shouldn't fear me?" I asked.

"I don't find any good in people fearing you," she said.

"I couldn't change my principles. Why should people fear me if there are innocent?" I asked again.

"Cause sometimes even innocent people face your wrath," she replied, "It happened with Swetha but  I will not let it happened again with anyone."

"I hope so, though I still stick to my point. Swetha is not entirely innocent," I said politely. Dharani rolled her eyes.

"I am going to set up complaint boxes around the city where citizens can complain about anyone including you and me," she said, "and the letters will be directly received by me, This will ensure that no officer will misuse your name. Are you okay with that?"

"That's a great idea. Go ahead," I said, "We can ensure justice without me changing my policies."

She was annoyed by me frequently mentioning that I am going to change. 

"Why are you so stubborn?" she asked.

"I have my reason for it," I replied.

"I want to know it," she demanded and I proceeded to narrate the bitter experience that made me this stubborn. The nightmare that resided in me for the past 12 years. The incident that changed me from being an overly kind and innocent 10-year-old to the man I am today.

(Hey guys. Thank you for making it till here. Please do vote and comment. Also, the next chapter will be published on 28 December. So stay tuned. Thank you. Love you all.)