I felt like someone has placed a rock inside my head. I tried to open my eyes.
"Anu? Oh, thank God you are conscious?"
I watched Neha in a panicked state shrugging me with concern with my blurred vision.
"Easy, I'm alive. But what happened to me?" I got up don't know from whose bed.
"That's a long story. Thank God Rina was in the club too, today."
I noticed my surrounding. It was a small room that seemed like a hostel room.
"Where am I?"
"Anu, we are in Rina's mess. I met Rina at my workplace. She helped me to take you from the club in that state."
"What state? What happened to me?"
Neha kept silent.
"Nehaaa, I'm asking you something. Answer me?"
"Your drink was spiked in the club when I left for the washroom. After that, you lost your consciousness, and then.."
I felt a current pass through my body. My heart felt like stop beating for a moment.
"Then what?"
"Then..that bloody hell man took you to a room and tried to take advantage of you but fortunately I reached in time and saved you."
"What?" I felt panicked. I started checking myself deliberately.
"Anu, please don't panic. Nothing happened to you."
"Who was that man?" By the time I was mad enough.
I saw her and Rina exchanging gazes.
"Arjun"
My whole body started shaking at the revelation. I felt suffocated. I got up from the bed in search of some window where I can get fresh air.
"Anu, calm down, darling."
She took me towards a small balcony. My body felt numb. How can he do this to me? Neha hugged me to give me comfort.
"Neha, are you sure it was him?" I asked again regaining my all strength.
"Anu, I spotted you with him that too in a private room. It was Arjun. It was only Arjun alone with you. Trust me. And tell me if didn't have any bad intention why the hell he will take you to some private room."
Her every word injected me, provoked me to just finish him. I hate him from the core of my heart. So it was his main intention that's why he asked me to meet him on the terrace alone. My trust, our friendship everything shredded within a moment. What if she didn't arrive on time? My dignity, my self-respect... What if I also become like..no it can't happen those things can't happen with me. I felt my whole body was heating up. No Mr. Arjun I won't leave you. From now on I won't let anyone play with my feelings anymore.
I broke the hug immediately. I need his answer. I need to meet him.
I dashed towards the door.
"Anu, where are you going? It's 8:30. We need to go home."
"I want to meet him."
"I know. But not today. Meet him tomorrow and do whatever you want to do."
"Nooo. I want to meet him today right now. I need his answer for what he stooped so low. First, his friend treated me like a toy and now he. Neha, you know I'm feeling like my life is also going to be like mom's. I.." I couldn't complete my sentence. My voice broke. My words got muffled. I wiped off my tears to gain back my inner power. Tears are not the solution.
I dashed out of the room and took an auto toward his address along with Neha. When we reached there my condition was a mess. My dress was messy. My hair was falling over my shoulder like the aerial roots of a banyan tree. My eyes were red, smudged with my kajal. I opened the main gate when the security came running towards me. He got stopped for a moment seeing me like this.
"Who are you, daughter? Do you need anything?"
But my condition didn't let me talk with patience.
"Get off my way. I want to meet your boss, Mr. Arjun Singhania. Call him," I shouted at the top of my voice. The guard dialed in his phone maybe his boss, the great Singhania."
"Come in madam. Follow me."
He took me somewhere that seemed like a lawn inside the house. After 1 minute I saw him and Vishal relaxing beside the pool. I made my way straight to him. He got up seeing me coming. Before he could utter a word I slapped him hard with all my force.
"Shame on you Mr Singhania. The man I started trusting most came out to be the worst man in my life," I said gritting my teeth. He was just standing there with a blank face. I gripped his collar.
"Answer me, Mr gentleman this is what you wanted to do. This was your true face. Your bloody damn mask has been torn apart, today. This is what you had to pay me in return for my trust, my friendship," I started shrugging him uncontrollably. But to my dismay, he kept silent. Obviously, he would. He had nothing to say after what he committed.
"Ananya" my eyes went behind him where Vishal was standing with a shocking expression.
"Enough is enough. I know it's your friend who filled up your ears with some wrong conceptions," he said glaring at Neha.
I left his collar.
"It was not him who tried to misbehave with you. It's someone else from the party who spiked your drink to take advantage of you. And later took you to a private room. But thanks to God Arjun saw you with him and followed. It was him who saved you from that bastard. But when your friend reached there by the time he managed to escape and he suspected Arjun. Hope you understood?"
He blurted glaring at Neha.
And me? I felt empty.
"Where is that boy?" Neha asked.
"After you both left we found out he and Arjun almost killed him but I managed to stop him otherwise right now he would be behind the bar instead of that son of a bitch with the accusation of murder. We gave him to the police."
I was so guilty that I couldn't look into his eyes but still, I tried. I tried hard.
"I'm sorry," I whispered. But his eyes were cold. Lips were tightened. Not a single touch of any emotion.
"Arju..." Without letting me complete he left vanishing inside his house. I was not even in a condition of saying anything, just stood there gripping the end of my dress.
"How dare you stand here still," my whole body trembled at the sudden bursting out.
"Sir"
"Get out. I wonder why Arjun even let you enter here. Now get out."
I felt a soft arm circling me. I balanced myself with Neha's help and took a move to get away from all this, more like hiding behind her. And I know I deserve it. What I have done I shouldn't show up my face again.
"And listen get ready to lose your job very soon."
I just silently gulped all his harsh words. Obviously, he would be furious at me. He was his father. Arjun saved my life. Yeah for any girl her dignity is nothing less than that and what I did, put the whole blame on him. What happened to me at that time? Yeah, I know why I did it! The fear I have brought up inside me for years made me so blind by my hatred that my discretion crashed so badly to realize his greatness. I'm sorry Arjun. Please forgive me.
Arjun's p.o.v.
I felt my ears are still burning with every hateful word. And the whole incident started flashing in my eyes when my eyes were searching for only one pair of eyes after waiting for her. And suddenly in the crowd, I saw her with someone else from far. The next moment I reached a private room following them and what I saw there made my blood boil. I dragged that bastard from her and almost threw him in a corner but before I took one more step he ran away. I was about to follow him but my eyes fell on her. I got so tense. She was senseless. I tried to wake her up but still no sense. I immediately called Vishal. As he reached I told him the whole thing in short and asked him to bring water and he left. I was losing my patience seeing her like this but suddenly two girls entered and one of them probably Ananya's friend whom I saw some time ago with Ananya as they reached here from the terrace started screaming. I was almost become a statue after listening to her accusations. Both of them almost dragged her with them before I could respond and the rest. I closed my eyes.
Being unable to bear the innumerable shock of the incident I hit the mirror of my room. Blood made its way out of my skin dripping as a sign of injury. But no it's nothing in front of the bloody hell accusation she threw at me. Yeah, why am I sad? I got the best gift of my life today. The girl I thought I love, and the new importance I want to have for someone all just crashed down like a glass in front of my eyes. The day I wanted to make special, had just jerked me up from the daydreaming I was having. I think it was needed. No Ananya Roy, I won't forgive you. You don't trust me, right? Fine now everything will be mutual.
"Arjun, open the door, please."
"Dad, I'm fine. I want to stay alone for some time. Will you let me?"
The knocking stopped. I think he left. Better. He shouldn't see me like this. He doesn't deserve to see me like this that too for some outsiders. Yes just an outsider for me from now on. She doesn't trust me, right? From now on I won't give you any chance to have such issues of trusting me.
I stepped into my washroom. Today I will clean away all the illogical stupid emotions I started to acquire. All. All of them. I hold my red liquid-covered palm under the cold water. I will clean all injuries I have created myself. Just need to get rid of this unbearable storm I am having in me.
Why Ananya why? How could you think that I will commit such kind of things? How?
Ananya's p.o.v.
"Anu, get up. It's 8 already," I didn't feel like getting up so I laid as it is facing the wall.
"Anu"
"Dadi please go. I am coming after some time."
"Anu, is everything alright?"
"Yeah. Just need some time."
She left. Last night was nothing less than a nightmare. I just couldn't sleep. I don't know how Neha handled me last night. It was really not in me. I didn't even care about Dadi seeing me in that state but thankfully Neha made up. Well, dadi went to bed early and it helped us.
My best friend was still sleeping soundly beside me obviously as it was Sunday. I tried to get up. I was having a serious headache. Whenever I was having a snooze last night I ended up flinching the scare out of me, late for just some more time, and I. I wouldn't be in this state, safe and secure. But this is all because of him. I felt broken recalling my reaction. It seemed impossible to stop my tears from coming down. This uneasiness would eat me up inwardly. This is guilty, when will I get rid of this cruel emotion?
Oh God! What you made me done. How will I make up this mess? Oh God, Arjunn please forgive me.
"Anu"
I wiped off the salty liquid drops on my face and turned to her.
"Yeah"
"Don't act like nothing happened. I heard you sobbing."
"Who cares, Neha? You have no idea how much bad I'm feeling right now? That undesirable incident, me slapping Arjun everything, everything is just... I'm feeling like I'm jammed in all these. Ok, tell me one thing won't he forgive me if I ask for it?"
"Anu, you know it's all my fault. I just guessed a story without knowing everything. Honestly seeing you in that state I just lost my mind. I never let him clarify anything, moreover, in fear of taking you out of safety from there, I just did what I thought would be good. So I should be the one to ask him for his forgiveness?"
"No Neha what you did was so justified that anyone would have done the same thing as you, but me? Don't I know him, how he is? Then how I believed it. You can misunderstand him how come I? Neha, I think I really need to talk to him. Please?"
"Ok then. But not possible before tomorrow. It's Sunday."
No, I can't wait.
"But I want to talk to him today only. Wait it's Sunday right? He will visit his farmhouse today. Oh God, he won't be in his house also?"
I sat down on the bed holding my head feeling hopeless.
"Then go to his farmhouse. Simple. I think I should also come with you."
"Are you mad? Farmhouse? No. And I don't even know the address."
"Umm," she made a face of trying to get some idea.
I saw a hope of light. I dialed the number.
"Hello"
"Hello Rahul"
"Yeah, is everything alright?"
"Are you busy?"
"No, no. I just come back from a morning walk and it's Sunday too. But you at this early morning?"
I know the next question I'm gonna ask going to be awkward but I have to. Wait does he know everything?
"Is there any plan of you four today?"
"Plan? No. Actually, we had one. But Arjun canceled it. He will stay in his farmhouse today and when he visits his farmhouse none of us bother him. We know that if he is there that means he wants to be alone. But why are you asking this?"
"Can you give the address of his farmhouse? Is it so far from here?"
"No, not much. But why do you want his address?"
"There is some important stuff. So.."
"But Anu he doesn't allow anyone there. In fact, very less people knew about it. Ananya, don't mind, but I'm not sure if he will like it or not."
By now I was sure Rahul doesn't know anything. But it's important to meet him otherwise I can't keep calm.
"Please, Rahul. Look I won't bother him much. It's important. You know I'm his assistant and I need to discuss with him about something. Please"
I knew I was lying but I don't care.
"Ok, I'm sending you the address within 5 minutes."
"Thanks"
I cut the call and described the whole thing to Neha.
"Anu, I know I am the one to advise you but now I think you shouldn't go there today. As Rahul said he already doesn't allow anyone there. Do you think he will let us? It's understandable that it's very private. Moreover, he is already furious at us, apart from that we are just strangers, outsiders. No, let's just keep it as it is today and talk to him tomorrow itself."
I think she is right. What if this step turns out to be worse in this situation? Yeah, deep inside me his anger scared me sometimes. So I think it's better to not disturb him today.
The rest of the day passed in a boring way. I didn't talk much neither did Neha. Dadi asked us once if we are ok or not. Maybe it's too much for her to see this calmness when we two are together.
Finally, my wait was over. I got ready and almost rushed to the office. As I stepped into the voice rang in my ears, "And listen get ready to lose your job very soon."
Yeah losing my job at this stage will bother me so much but more than that his forgiveness mattered to me most.
There was still some time for him to arrive. But my anxiety level was increasing. How will I face him? I entered my office and sat down on my chair when a letter on my table came into my view.
What letter is this? While curiosity added to my anxiety I opened it and was stunned.
What!