He regretted agreeing with Anaya's plan. How could he do this? How could he hurt Anaya just to make the way to his goals easier?
Rudra instantly knew what Dheer was thinking. "It's not your fault Dheer. Look, even though I knew all about it, what could I do? Once that idiot decides on something wholeheartedly there is no stopping her. Besides, it is for a noble cause and some fears must be faced to erase any impact that it could cast on our future. And it is the perfect opportunity for Anaya to confront those fears of hers. And believe me, she will come out victorious in this battle between her fear and her. She is not that weak as you think. And today is the best example of this. At the end of the day, she was still smiling, wasn't she?"
"It was because I made her. She would not have smiled if I were not there. What would have happened if I did not come up with this stupid pizza plan. What if I was busy just like you? Then she would have been all alone. Living those horrible moments of the past once again? What would have happened then Rudra? If not today, then what about tomorrow? No this cannot happen. We will change the plan. No matter how long it takes to come up with a new one, I would not let Anaya suffer through all those once again. She does not need to face her fears, I will protect her so that she will never come across those fearsome rumors again. Yes, I will keep her away from those things from now on". Dheer's whole body was stiffened as he thought of the possible outcome if he was not there for Anaya today.
"That is what we are here for, aren't we? Dheer, if you really want to protect someone don't cage that person and make them disabled. The true sense of protection is to make that person capable of protecting themselves while you stand behind them to extend your help when they need it. Then only can that person live graciously in this cruel world. Always protecting them will only make them weak, who will eventually be crushed by this world one way or another. Moreover, you want to change the plan because you are afraid of what would have happened if you were not here today or tomorrow. If you are not sure if you can be with her tomorrow, how could you be sure that you will be beside her in the future when she needs your so-called protection?"
Dheer was tongue-tied. He could not refute a word Rudra said. It was not that he was against the idea of letting Anaya overcome her fears. He was just afraid of her suffering in the process of doing so. Having just heard about her dark past, which was not even half of the actual story, he was already feeling miserable. What about Anaya? She was the victim and had to go through all that all over again. He just could not stop himself from making those remarks as he thought about Rudra's exact words 'At last depression hit her and she was at the brink of going insane'. He just could not think of Anaya being in such a position. Not again.
But Rudra was right. He could not be there for her always and it was just the right time for her to face those fears as they could be beside her right now. They could provide her with constant motivation to face those fears. He took a long sigh and said with a gentle smile "You are right. I am sorry for losing my head for a bit, there. We will continue with the plan, and I would keep an eye on her in the hospital to ensure that she is having an upper hand in this battle against her fears".
Rudra smiled. " Now you are talking. So, do you like my reward?" Rudra stood up with an evil grin on his face, ready to leave now that he had had his favorite pizza.
"Yes. Even it is just a snippet of her past now I know how to get close to her. Thank you." Dheer stood after him with a friendly smile on his face.
"If you like my reward then please cook for us until this plan is successful. The last few days have been pretty hectic as some doctors are doing some voluntary work at borders where a cyclone hit recently, so, we are generally late from the hospital and are starving by the time we get back here. Anaya is very strict about a healthy diet so, we cannot even order any takeouts. You are pretty good at cooking, and I bet your food will taste even better after all that tiring days at the hospital." Rudra said, fixing his crumpled pants.
"Wasn't this secret a reward for staying with Anaya tonight? How did it come to my cooking dinner for you?" Dheer asked with a confused expression.
"What kind of man are you, Dheer? You want a reward for bringing a smile to the face of the woman you are chasing. Shouldn't it be your responsibility in the first place? Are you sure you love her?"