Chapter 5 - Out In The Open

He stirred in his sleep, groaning out loud at the unusual uneasiness. His head felt awfully heavy, his eyelids trying to catch up on an extra ounce of sleep. And his throat felt unimaginably dry; as if it had been constantly brushing against sandpaper. He could faintly hear a female’s voice at a distance, and his subconscious instantly identified it as Vashma’s. But why would she be here, this early in the morning, his mind reasoned. 

Tired and confused, Uday finally decided to give up on sleep and squeezed his eyes open. It took him a second or two to adjust to his surroundings. He was still in his clothes from the previous night, all reeking from alcohol. The window in his room gave way to blaring rays of sunlight, his sky blue curtains bundled up to their sides. And then he noticed. A woman paced to and fro, speaking to someone in hushed tones.

With a frown, he sat upright and rubbed his eyes, “Vashma?”

She walked up to him, surprisingly in her nightwear with her hair piled up in a bun on the top of her head. “Hi.”

His lips curved into an inevitable smile, “Good morning.”

“Afternoon.” She corrected. “About time.” She raised a brow.

“I just love my sleep a little too much.” Uday boasted with humor.

Vashma walked up to him and sat on the edge of the bed, “Well, so did I until you ruined it last night.”

His brows furrowed in confusion, “What exactly happened last night? It all seems a blur.”

“You got drunk at some shady bar and I had to get you back home.” She informed.

Snippets of the previous night flashed past him, but there was nothing he could decipher properly. His head pierced with a pain that resembled a bad hangover.

“Thank you. And sorry, for ruining your night.” He mumbled, running his hands through his disheveled hair.

She merely smiled, and for a second he wondered whether she was real or just a figment of his imagination. She held a look of adoration; something he hadn’t been a recipient of from her. Had something changed last night?

“My throat feels so dry.” He tried to cough out the bile, all in vain. Vashma brought him a glass of water and it instantly reminded him of a similar vision. Had he been dreaming of her?

“Well you did say a lot of things last night.” She pointed out, handing him the glass.

He downed a few gulps, finally feeling a little at ease, “I probably didn’t mean any of it.”

Vashma caught onto his words and Uday watched her stutter a little, “What?”

“I was drunk, Vashma. There was no way I was making any sense last night.” 

“Don’t people confess their deepest feelings when they’re drunk?” She asked.

He scoffed lightly, “Yeah, only in films. In real life, half the things you say don’t even mean anything.”

Her hands trembled and her lips quivered. She felt like such an idiot. Vashma was clinging onto words of hope that Uday had clearly deemed redundant. How could she have relied onto claims he made in a state of intoxication? And here she was, prepared to confess her feelings as well. He probably didn’t even remember what actually had transpired between them last night.

Trying to maintain the composure in her voice, she mumbled, “Of course.”

Standing up, she began to gather her belongings, slipping her phone inside her purse. “I need to get going now. I’ll see you later.”

She had only reached the threshold of his room when he called, “Vashma.”

Slipping out of bed, he walked up to her and waited for her to turn. Once she did, he asked, “Are you okay?”
His words sounded so sincere, his gaze so intense yet innocent that she could feel herself melt under its warmth.

Vashma barely muttered, not meeting his eye, “I’m okay.”

“Did something happen last night? Did I say something to upset you?” His words came out frantic, his orbs pooled with worry.

She had the chance to repeat all that he’d said to her the night before. She had the chance to confront him about his feelings. This could become something beautiful, a bond void of miseries and pain.

Vashma shook her head, “Nothing worth mentioning. I’m just a little tired and stressed about work.”

She couldn’t confront him. Vashma wouldn’t, not until she was completely certain of her feelings for him. Not until she could give a name to these feelings. Right now, she wasn’t sure. She knew he wasn’t either, for he refused to say anything in affirmation.

His gaze scanned her face, before taking her hands in his, “I’m sorry for troubling you last night.”

She sighed with wary, “How many times are you going to apologize for it, Uday?”

“Until you truly forgive me.” He answered.

She grasped his hands in reassurance and decided to confess what she was certain of. “I’m not upset with what happened last night, Uday. I’m happy I was there with you.”

He took one step closer until he could feel her breath on his neck. “I’m happy you were there with me. I don’t know what I’d do without you, Vashma.”

Vashma’s heart skipped a beat and hope flickered within her. Every time her hope would dwindle, he would say something that would reignite that within her, bringing a smile to her face.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you, Uday.” She repeated his words, sincerity brimming in her tone.

“I hope we never have to find out.” She continued.

“I hope we never do.” He agreed, letting go of her hand.

His heart started beating erratically, as if there was something his heart wanted to convey but he couldn’t.

In an attempt to make her stay, he called out again. “You know, one day I’ll return the favor.”

She held the door with one hand and turned around with a smirk on her face.

“Don’t hold your breath. I don’t get drunk, Uday.”

She heaved a deep breath, stirring in her sleep. 

With another sigh, her subconscious appreciated the unusual comfort her bed and pillow gave her today. It’s when her pillow rose and deflated in perfect sync to her breathing that her mind alerted her. She could faintly sniff the scent of a musky cologne; a scent she identified quickly as Uday’s. Vashma fluttered her eyes open, only to see her hand on a hard male chest. She tilted her head up to see a sleeping Uday Sahani and her eyes widened in shock. When she tried to shift, his hand instinctively tightened around her waist, pulling her to him. She immediately blushed at their close proximity, wondering how they’d arrive in this position. She remembered going to a club the previous night and having a few drinks, but the rest of the night seemed like a blur to her.

Something seemed wrong. Vashma hadn’t had that much to get herself intoxicated beyond control.

She shifted again as her head throbbed with pain. He groaned at the forced movement, turning his head over his shoulder to face her. Vashma looked up at a snoring Uday Sahani and wondered how someone could look so innocent.

Before she knew it, she whispered, “Uday…”

“Mm...Vashma.” He mumbled under his breath. He had a distant smile on his face which made her ponder whether he had been dreaming of her. 

“Uday, let go of me.” She tried to push his arm away.

He shook his head and frowned in his sleep, “I don’t want to.”

It was when he said words like these that her heart would leap into her hand and would persuade her mind into believing that he too was just as in love with her as she was with him. He’d said it once when he had been drunk, leading her to believe that he had feelings for him up until the bonfire incident. He was saying this again, in a state of sleep. His claims had proven to be deceptional, time and again, always confusing and misleading her. Who knew whether this was a genuine representation of his feelings?

Brushing these thoughts aside, she whispered, a little louder this time, “Uday, you’re not dreaming.”

He blinked his eyes open in a daze before realizing where he was and tersely shifted to the other side of the bed. Rubbing his eyes, Uday recalled the events of the previous night. After Vashma had fallen unconscious in the parking lot, he had taken her to her place. While he had been able to tuck her into bed without any resistance, she had refused to let go of his hand. One thing had led to another and he had ended up occupying the space beside hers, never realizing when he had fallen asleep. 

“Vashma, are you okay?” He scanned her from head to toe, his orbs filled with concern as he checked.

“I’m fine. Just a heavy head and parched throat.” She informed. Before she could get out of bed to grab a glass of water and Advil, he handed them kept on the bedside table on his side, “I was prepared.”

She looked impressed with him and Uday’s heart filled with satisfaction and pride. As she guzzled down chugs of water, he broached the subject, “Do you remember anything from last night?”

“I remember not having enough alcohol to get myself drunk.”

“Yeah, what’s that about?”

She turned towards him, folding her legs underneath her as she investigated, “I was drinking within my tolerance level, I’m sure. But some weird effects kicked in after I hung up the call with you. I started feeling dizzy, my vision started to blur more often than not…” Her words trailed off as realization dawned upon the both of them. 

“Uday…” She whispered, absolutely shocked.

“Your drink had been spiked, Vashma.”

----------

Once she recovered from her shock, she began to pace. “I don’t understand. Why would anyone spike my drink?”

“Do you suspect anyone?” She shook her head in response to his question. “I don’t remember having bad relations with anybody. Hell, I don’t even remember what exactly happened last night.” She clutched her hair in frustration.

Uday’s hands clammed together in nervousness as he reconsidered reminding her of what she had confessed to him the previous night. “Well you did say quite a few things.”

Vashma rubbed her forehead, her mind slightly distracted, “I was probably blabbering nonsense.”

His heart stuttered to a halt, “You didn’t mean any of that?”

“Any of what?”

He was at a loss for words. Uday didn’t know how to repeat things she now considered irrelevant.

Vashma walked up to him, “Uday, I was too hammered last night to have said something I really meant. I mean, I’m not the only one to abide by that theory.” she tapped lightly on his shoulder.

He knew what she was talking about. He had soon recalled that night. He knew it was unfair of keeping himself at advantage while holding her at gunpoint but he had to know.

And so when she turned around to do something, he stopped her. “You said you didn’t like Trisha.”

She turned around and he expected her to deny all that she had said about Trisha. Instead, she wore a determined face and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “That’s quite believable, actually.”
“What?” He stood alarmed and dumbfounded.

Vashma callously shrugged. “You’re right. I don’t like Trisha. She’s not my type.”

He mirthlessly chuckled at her judgment, “Not your type?”

“She’s the kind of girl who has no thought process of her own. The kind who’s nothing but a wannabe, the kind who looks for no one but hotshots like you.” She revealed with a scoff.

“You got all that from one meeting?” He raised one brow cynically.

“One meeting was enough to decode her character.” She curved her lips into a thin line.

“You know, you think she’s so shallow but here you are trying to get a makeover to look just like her, Vashma.” 

“Yeah, because guys like you don’t appreciate anyone else but people with shallow character!” She vented out, regretting her words the next instant. 

Her eyes widened in realization and her heart began to thump in her chest. The more she wanted to hide her secret, the more she was giving away.

“Uday, I need some time alone. I’ll see you at work.” She tore her gaze from his.

He clutched her wrist before she could escape, “I’m not leaving without answers, Vashma.”

She inevitably raised her eyes to meet his burning ones, “I didn’t mean what I just said.”

“You aren’t drunk anymore. You can’t use that as an excuse, Vashma.”

“Is that what you’re calling it? Is that how you escaped from owning up to things you said that night, Uday?” 

Her eyes lit up with an intensity that burned through him. Uday gulped, fear overpowering every other emotion. She couldn’t have remembered, could she? She couldn’t have been relying on his drunken talks. 

He chose to deflect. “Don’t turn this on me, Vashma.”

“I’m not giving you any answers when you can’t face my questions, Uday.” 

When tried to walk away, he clutched her by her elbow, drawing her face-to-face. “You can’t just say something and expect me to act indifferent to it. Why does my appreciation matter to you so much? Why did you go through this sudden makeover? Who the hell are you trying to get over?!”

He bombarded her with questions, getting nothing but silence in response. She finally opened her eyes to the storm brewing in his, and murmured softly, “I’ve said this before. I’m saying this again. Not everything revolves around you, Uday. Whatever I’ve done, I’ve done for myself. Not to get some sort of petty approval from you.”

Her stone cold eyes pierced through his, slicing his very soul. A part of him wasn’t ready to believe her. Something in his heart told him that she was hiding something; something so big that had changed her into an austere version of herself. He suddenly couldn’t remember the last time he had seen her wholeheartedly laugh.

His eyes softened, searching through hers. “Then why does it hurt you so much?”

“I’ve grown impervious to pain, Uday. Honestly, I just wish to forget last night.” She turned away, looking nowhere in particular.

He felt his heart crumble for some uncanny reason, as if it had been crushed without having been given away. He wanted to say something, anything that would make him stay. 

But she seemed adamant on making him leave. “I need some time alone, Uday.”

He swallowed a lump in his throat and nodded with difficulty. His steps retreated and he pulled the handle to her door.

For some reason this felt like a goodbye he was never welcomed to.

----------

Vashma shut her laptop screen, her headache being a constant companion to the otherwise morbid day. She never liked fighting with Uday; especially to the point where it put their friendship at stake. But she couldn’t grasp a hold over her feelings which plunged their relationship into a puddle that muddied them both.

She got up for some coffee, hoping that would relieve some of the lingering tension in her mind. On her way, she absentmindedly bumped into someone. 

When Vashma looked up, a sense of relief flooded through her and she apologized, “I’m sorry Rajat. I dunno where my mind’s at today.”

“Still stuck at last night, perhaps?” His voice had a tinge of menace that alerted her.

“Excuse me?” Her brows furrowed in confusion, wondering how he knew of her whereabouts. 

Rajat and her weren’t that close to be spilling their hearts out to each other. She hadn’t perceived Uday to have made it a public announcement either.

“You know…” He began, walking towards her. She retreated simultaneously, her instincts wary of his presence. “...you looked really hot in that little black dress.”

His words leered in her ears, making her feel dirty and cautious all at once. She hung onto his words, “You were at the club last night?”

“Of course I was.” He spoke slyly. “You go, I follow. I would never leave you alone, Vashma.” He began to caress her cheek and she flinched, stepping away from him.

Her frown deepened and her tone turned suspicious, “Why were you there last night?”

“How could I have missed an opportunity to see you lose control, Vashma?” He answered with a question, making her shudder. 

His eyes had darkened with an emotion she recognized instantly. Lust. It didn’t take her long to connect the dots.

“You were the one who spiked my drink?!”

He sarcastically clapped his hands, chuckling in response. “Look at this. Beauty with brains. That’s a rare combination, don’t you think?”

She tried to control her temper and gritted through her teeth, “Why did you do that, Rajat?”

He ignored her question and instead commented, “You know, I’ve always been told that women from your kind are great in bed. So I thought, why not try for myself?” He sneered, forcing her to cower.

She didn’t surrender, but repeatedly blinked, realizing how he had effectively cornered her into a secluded part of their office. “My kind?” 

“Yeah, women who follow your religion. The other kind.” He spoke in dramatically hushed tones, making her cringe. Vashma hadn’t expected discrimination on the grounds of religion amidst her work colleagues. Apparently, some needed to be taught a lesson.

“Convincing you wouldn’t have been difficult either.” 

Of course it wouldn’t have been, considering her inebriated state.

“How dare you?” She seethed.

“My intentions had been honorable, Vashma. I loved you. I still do. But you just couldn’t look beyond Uday Sahani.”

“What?!” She shrieked in disbelief.

Rajat approached her yet again, filling the distance between them. Her face contorted at the proximity, looking away with a shudder as he pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear.

“Let me prove it to you.” He huskily whispered, latching his lips onto hers. She hadn’t expected this, and wasn't prepared for it. But the minute he did, her insides swarmed with disgust and she pushed him away.

“What the hell?!” She screamed, her breaths heavy with fear and anger.

He continued with his ministrations, running his hands up and down her sides. “Stop with the pretense, Vashma. We both know this isn’t your first time.”

“I said get away from me!” She persisted, swatting his hands away. What had this leech thought of her?

His temper started to rise too. “What’s your problem, Vashma. You anyways had eyes for someone our kind. Uday or me, what difference does it really make? In fact, he isn’t even worth--”

Slap.

“This is for spiking my drink.”

Slap.

“This is for insulting me, my religion and my community.”

Slap.

“And this is for thinking, even for a second, that what you felt was love, Rajat!”

The palm of her hand tingled, her heart beat erratically and her mind rejoiced with anger and satisfaction. She couldn’t believe she had befriended someone as cheap and disgusting as Rajat. She couldn’t believe she had allowed this to happen to her. She didn’t want to believe what could’ve happened had Uday not have made it in time.

When she watched Rajat grit his teeth, her fury flared to life and Vashma warned. 

“Don’t you dare come near me. I’ll report you to the cops, Rajat. And trust me, women of ‘my kind’, as you put it, won’t hesitate to do that, not even for a second.”

----------

She dashed to the nearest bathroom and locked herself up, letting down the strong facade in front of her tears. Her lips trembled and her body shivered as she slumped against the door. It’s when she burst out, hiding her face in her hands. She felt ashamed of herself. Her body had been violated, her soul completely crushed. Tears sped down her cheeks as her mind grimaced her with glimpses of the incident. She didn’t know where she had mustered all that courage from, but Vashma was proud that she did. She wasn’t weak, at least not in front of the world. She muffled her cries with her hands as she weeped. She forced her eyes to remain open, for shutting them from the world only reminded her of the one touch she absolutely despised. 

A knock resonated from the other end of the bathroom, alerting her. She hastily wiped the remnants of her tears, wondering if it was Rajat on the other side. A shiver ran down her spine as she clung onto the doorknob, preparing herself for the worst. It was only when her best friend called out from the other end, that she let her guards down and opened the door.

Amrit was instantly engulfed in a tight hug as Vashma let her tears fall down. With concern evident in her eyes and tone, she asked. “What happened, Vashma?”

Watching the strongest woman she knew break down like this wasn't a common occurrence for Amrit. Something terrible had to have happened to have caused her so much pain.

When she repeatedly asked, Vashma finally succumbed in front of her best friend. Saying it out loud made it all the more real, and she could feel every emotion she had at the time pierce through her again.

“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to face myself anymore, Amrit.” She sobbed, falling to the ground.

Amrit crouched next to her and took her in her arms. Tears pricked her eyes as well as she shook her head, “It’s not your fault.”

“I shouldn’t have left my drink unattended.” Vashma scolded herself. “I should’ve seen through Rajat to the leech he truly was.” She shook her head vigorously, constantly blaming herself.

Amrit cupped her face and spoke with tenacity. “You became a victim to his sick schemes. But the way you tackled him was so brave of you, Vashma. Not everyone is courageous enough to face men like Rajat this way, no one but you.”

Amrit was in awe of her best friend and her respect for Vashma doubled. Never could she have handled a situation the way Vashma did. She was proud of her best friend, of the way she stood for her dignity today. 

When Vashma remained mum, Amrit continued, “Do you want to go home?”

She looked up glisten-eyed and sniffed, “No.”

Amrit thought Vashma was too traumatized to be alone right now and so she offered, “I’ll come along with you.”

“I’m not going anywhere, Amrit. Not because I can’t stay alone right now, but because I can’t let him think that he has won.”

And there Amrit saw it again, the vengeful fire in her eyes.

----------

His eyes burned with predatory fire when he walked up to the other man. 

His hands balled into fists, the knuckles white from the intense force. His teeth gritted together, his jaw taut from all that pent up fury. His nerves thrummed with newfound energy as he finally spotted his target, browsing idly on his phone at the nearby tea stall outside their office.

Don’t do anything that’ll hurt her, Uday.

Amrit’s words echoed in his ears, but to no effect. Today, he would get even with the person who dared to touch Vashma. Uday flexed his right hand and curled it back again. He called out to Rajat, his tone succinct. Before the other man could properly turn, he launched a punch in his face. Rajat faltered in his step, the glass of tea crushing into tiny shards on the ground. He could barely recover, when Uday landed him another blow, this time aimed directly at his nose.

“This is for spiking her drink.”

He grabbed hold of him by his collar and clocked him with the back of his hand, the rage evident in his eyes.

“This is for insulting her, her religion, and her community.”

Before Rajat could swing back to his feet, Uday kicked him in the stomach, throwing him onto the concrete ground.

“This is for thinking, even for a second, that you could touch her without her will.”

He breathed heavily, his knuckles red with blood as he saw a similar shade taint Rajat’s face. A few people had gathered around and whispers made the rounds. Rajat got back on his feet and made his way towards Uday. Clutching him square by the shoulders, he pushed Uday to the adjacent wall. “How dare you touch me?!”

“How dare you touch her?!” Uday roared back.

“Why the hell do you even care?!” 

“Because I…” He stuttered to a stop, the words resting at the tip of his tongue. 

It couldn’t be true, for he would’ve known otherwise. It couldn’t be right, or else the fear in his mind would not have prohibited him from uttering. It couldn’t be real because the realization should've made him happy. But it didn’t. It only scared him.

“You’re such a coward you can’t even say the words out loud, Uday. At least I had the guts to do way more than that.”

Uday was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn’t see the blow come right at him. Before he could understand, he had been plastered to the ground, his forehead streaming with the same blood he had marred Rajat with. He rose to his feet despite the flinching pain on one side of his head, ready to swing his arm in Rajat’s face when someone held his arm from behind. Uday was about to retaliate when the intruder made her way in front of him. 

Vashma stepped between the two men and faced Uday, not releasing his arm. “Stop it, Uday.”

Her tone was stone cold, mimicking the sternness of her eyes.

“No Vashma I--”

“I said stop it, Uday.” She repeated, gritting through her teeth. Her fingernails snuck into his skin, making her point evident and clear.

Turning towards Rajat, she uttered succinctly. “Step away.” She seethed.

“What makes you think I’ll listen to you, you little--”

“I said, step away, Rajat. Unless you want me to reveal your dirty little intentions to our bosses. Because trust me, I won’t mind.” Vashma threatened, tilting her head to one side with a vicious smirk on her face.

Her menacing tone was enough to rob Rajat off of his supposed manliness. He wiped a trail of blood from under his nose and turned to leave, but not without sparing a warning stare in Uday’s direction.

When Vashma turned to face him again, she found a similar glint of anger and revenge in Uday’s eyes.

He could barely suppress his anger, his focus still on Rajat’s retreating figure. “You shouldn’t have stopped me, Vashma.”

She looked up at him and answered. “You shouldn’t have started what I had already put a stop to, Uday.”

It was when he caught her pained expression that Amrit’s words rang in his ears once again.

Don’t do anything that’ll hurt her, Uday. 

He had done the one thing he never wanted to do to Vashma. 

----------

The second her colleague had informed Vashma about Uday and Rajat indulging in a street fight outside, she had rushed past the double doors of the main gate to the office building to stop them. She didn’t know how her incident with Rajat had gotten to Uday, but she had an inkling of the possible repercussions.

It was those repercussions that she was tending to now.

Wordlessly, she had pulled him inside and had taken him to the storeroom of their office. Fortunately most of her colleagues were on their lunch break which meant that Uday could get cleaned up without drawing any attention. After all that she had been through what seemed like eternity but was only half a day, Vashma was physically and emotionally exhausted.

She unlatched the plastic first aid box she usually kept in her bottom drawer of her desk in case of emergencies and sat Uday down on a table positioned precariously in the storeroom. His eyes did not waver from hers as she worked meticulously. Neither did she deter from keeping her mouth shut. Vashma was too jumbled in an emotional mess to say anything right now.

“Back to the silent treatment, are we?” He asked, his tone edged with bitter sarcasm.

She muttered with a sigh, “You’ve earned it this time.” 

Uncapping the bottle of Dettol, she soaked a piece of cotton and brought it to the bruise on his forehead. 

He held her wrist before she could touch the wound. “Why did you stop me? Rajat deserved a lot more bruises, Vashma.”

“I already gave him what he deserved, Uday. You didn’t have to get involved.” She pressed the fluff of cotton to his forehead. 

A little too harshly, for he immediately shut his eyes and a sizzle emanated from his lips. “Ouch.”

“This is what you deserve for interfering.” She deviously smirked before gently blowing onto the wound. 

No matter how upset she was with him, Vashma couldn’t see him in pain.

He looked at her in awe, her cool breath soothing his wound as it fanned his face. Only she had the ability to rile him up one second and calm him down the next. He didn’t know how she did it, but couldn’t imagine how mundane his life could’ve been without her.

“How did you find out about...it?” She debated on the choice of words before deciding on remaining discrete.

“Amrit told me.” He meekly answered.

She raised a brow challengingly, “She told you or you forced her into giving in?” 

Uday rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. The moment he had seen a worried Amrit exit the bathroom with Vashma by her side, he knew something had gone wrong. After their recent bout of tension filled arguments, he knew Vashma wouldn’t easily open up to him. She was just as stubborn as him at times, much to his dismay. And so he had surreptitiously went up to Amrit without Vashma’s knowledge and had pestered her until she gave in to his continuous stream of questions.

“I needed to know what was wrong.”

She couldn’t help herself from asking. “Why?”

“Because I needed to know whether you were okay.” He admitted, meeting her gaze.

His eyes searched her face, and she could feel her deepest secrets slowly unravel in front of him without her control. “Vashma, are you okay?”

Her answer was instant, almost a reflex. “I’m fine.”

“After what Rajat said to you, did to you--”

“I said I’m fine, Uday. You didn’t have to interfere.”

“Of course I had to. I couldn’t let someone who hurt you get away like that, Vashma.” He lashed out with authority yet his eyes held a pleading look.

She pondered upon the irony of the situation, wondering what he’d do to himself had he known how much he had indirectly hurt her.

“Look, I appreciate you taking the effort to tackle the situation--”

“Appreciate?” He suddenly sounded offended and she felt guilt seep through her at the formality of her tone. “Since when did we become so formal with each other, Vashma?”

“Ever since you failed to understand me, Uday! I don’t need this, I don’t need this drama. I don’t need you to be some knight in shining armor for me.”

“I hadn’t done anything on--”

“I had everything under control, Uday. I know how to fight my battles. I’ve never needed any help, nor do I do now.” She spoke frostily, fire glinting through her orbs.

Uday’s face deflated and his heart fell as he blinked rapidly, absorbing the words she hadn’t spoken but he had heard. She didn’t need him anymore. She didn’t want him around anymore. Their distance hadn’t seemed longer before this moment, where he felt as if he had lost the right to even touch her. They were drifting apart; Vashma was voluntarily distancing herself from him. She didn’t need her assistance in protecting herself, she never did. But she no longer needed him as a friend either. Nor as a companion. She had already begun her search for alternatives, probably finding a suitable match in Ayaan.

And yet he clung onto the single shred of hope that her cold nature towards him was only temporary, only because she was traumatized with the events that took place today. 

“Look, I know you’re upset with what Rajat said today--”

“I’m not.” She tersely denied. “In fact, he was right in what he said.” Uday’s frown deepened as he sat appalled. 

“What?”

Vashma wore a distant smile as she spoke. “It’s been more than seventy years to our independence, and yet some things shall never change.”

“What are you talking about?”

“We might be slowly progressing towards better days, but some aspects remain sore even today. I’ll always be seen as a woman of ‘the other kind’. An outsider.” Her voice cracked at the end, reducing to a faint murmur.

“That’s not true.”

“But it is, Uday!” She grew frantic. “Everyone’s living in peace and harmony when it comes to friendship. But any Hindu-Muslim relationship beyond that is still considered an act of treachery. It is still frowned upon.”

Uday wanted to retaliate in response, but his own words echoed in his ears. He had always been in the belief of finding life partners within one’s own community. Perhaps it was because that’s how he had been taught. Perhaps he only chose the easy route to avoid any controversy.

Vashma broke their gaze and focused on packing her first-aid kit as she grabbed the bottle of antiseptic. “And they're right. We must find love within our boundaries.”

“You said love saw no boundaries.” His words made her breath hitch as memories from his drunken night flashed before her eyes.

“You remember?” Vashma asked aghast. 

“Who said I forgot?” Uday casually shrugged, his eyes sparkling with an emotion she did not want to face. 

Vashma gulped. If he remembered what she had said that night, did he remember his confessions as well? Of course he had to, she chided herself. But he never acted upon it, never mentioned it again either. That clearly meant that he didn’t have any feelings for her. All he said that night had been a drunken mistake.

“Well you should. Whatever I said was stupid. I hadn’t known the real world.”

“You’re not one to change your belief so soon, Vashma.” He pointed out.

“Maybe you just haven’t understood me well enough.”

“Impossible.” The tenacity in his voice startled her. “The Vashma I know had firm beliefs in love. She wouldn’t have given up so easily.”

“Well, when you see society constantly demarcate these lines between individuals like us, it’s hard to ignore.” She snarkily answered.

He grew equally annoyed. “Oh, stop blaming society for everything, Vashma. When were you one to follow its rules?”

“Ever since I realized the consequences of not following.” 

Her tone held so much grief that it reminded him of the night at the bonfire, when she had shared with him her friend’s tragic one-sided love story. What was it that she was hiding with so much effort? Apparently there was only one way to find out.

He threw a taunt in her face. “Consequences, really? That’s a little dramatic, don’t you think?”

She looked at him with accusation, “What do you know, Uday? You chose the safe choice and got together with Trisha.”

“How are you any different, Vashma? Didn’t you choose Ayaan Siddiqui...oh wait, that’s right, someone from your community as well? You gave up and chose the easy route without even trying, Vashma.” He ridiculed, provoking her further.

“You don’t know anything.” Her hands balled into fists as she tried to keep her emotions in check.

“But you did, didn’t you?” He continued with his onslaught.  “You had this unwavering belief in love that you suddenly just abandoned. You gave up, Vashma. Admit it.”

“That’s because I had no other choice!” She reasoned, her lips beginning to quiver. 

“Wow, this damsel in distress excuse, seriously?! That’s a new low you’ve reached.”

“It’s not an excuse!” She snapped.

He bit back, “It isn’t the truth either!”

This was the last straw.

“You want the truth. Well, here it is! I gave up because my first chance at love was too damn painful.”

“You’re lying. You don’t have it in you to fall in love.”

“You’re right. It was nothing but a lie, a deception! I fell in love with a man who brought light in my life, a man I could no longer have imagined my life without. I crossed every boundary and fell head over heels for him only to find out that he’d never see me that way!” 

She vented out, tears shriveling down her cheeks.

“I fell in love with a man who considered me nothing more than a friend. Who saw me as nothing more than a sister!”

Her eyes widened in fear the instant she confessed. He looked too shocked to even react. Uday felt every memory shared with her replay itself.

There stood the lies he had been blinded by. And here was the truth, gnawing right at his face. His head started spinning. His throat went dry. His heart sped erratically while his hands clammed with sweat. He could barely breathe as his words began to haunt him. She looked so broken, so tormented, so hurt, all because of him.

Before he could gather the courage to say something, the door creaked open, revealing someone Vashma had never expected. She wasn’t even given the time to react or question when all hell broke loose.

“Uday Sahani, you are under arrest.”