Lucknow: present day
"Chandini; my maiden name is Chandini Yash Narayan Vasisht." She corrected him.
"Maiden name?" he probed gently.
"Yes, until I got married and became Chandini Advay Singh Raizada", she replied, flinching a little as she did so.
She stared off into space and started recounting the horrific and painful incidents of her past. Some kept her awake during nights bringing acute grief, some gave her nightmares and some she feared if acknowledged would push her into depression.
Arjun squeezed her hand across the table, encouraging her to continue. And it was like floodgates opened and she poured everything out.
She was unaware that Dev was recollecting it with remorse too on the other side of the country.
Her voice wobbled a bit as she began sharing her life history starting with her deep friendship and love for Dev, her desperate attempt to find him after her baba's accident, her step mother's constant rejection, her maasi's taunts, her kidnapping and PTSD, her attempts at overcoming it, her good times with her step sisters Meghu and Shikha and her mama, until the time that one Mr. Advay Singh Raizada inserted himself in her life and wreaked havoc.
She noticed Arjun frown a bit and doubted if she did the right thing by deciding to share all this with him. But the way he waited patiently for her to carry on, laid her doubts to rest permanently.
"He wasn't in love with me, in fact far from it. He hated me with passion and I could see that in his eyes, but tried persuading me into marrying him anyway, when he knew very well that I was betrothed to someone else. And when I rejected his proposal, he tried ways and means of getting me married to him stating that all was fair in love and war. And finally he did win, by playing his cards right and brought such a proposal that I couldn't refuse even if I wished to." she paused, her lips sporting a sad smile.
"What kind of proposal? Arjun enquired, anger written all over his face.
"He assumed that I had a baby out of wedlock. He promised that he would keep it a secret, provided I marry him", she responded with unshed tears swirling in her eyes.
"But it wasn't yours, I know you and the morals you hold dear." Arjun stated it with confidence. "There must have been a strong reason for you to have succumbed to his intimidation; to protect someone perhaps?", he enquired.
His words overwhelmed her and tears stared running down her cheeks; tears of relief that this friend would not turn his back, would not judge her and knew her nature enough to trust her words.
How she wished Dev trusted her words that day when he rejected her without hearing her side of things. She smiled bitterly.
"Thank you! Thank you for your trust and confidence in me, Arjun! I was worried that you would judge me based on our first meeting in the hospital", her voice cracked with gratitude.
"Who am I to judge anyone, Radh...sorry Chandini. I have plenty of flaws myself. He expressed humbly. "What or who were you protecting, if I may ask?"
She inhaled deeply before continuing, "My sisters and I visited my Mama in Varanasi quite frequently. After my kidnapping, my mother sent me there for me to get over my anxiety and fear. My sisters accompanied me as they normally did. Only this time I was in for a shock and had a major decision that I chose to make". She paused briefly.
