After that incident on the balcony, Randhir and Sanyukta used to always talk to each other. He would come to see her every day before he started work and visited her after his duty finished.
They would talk about the most absurd of all things from music, cheese to lady fingers. Whatever they talked about, the conversation would flow naturally without any awkward silences. They shared a mutual understanding after that night. He gave her the trigger that she very much required. For some absurd reason he was able to look past the facade she had put up in front of all.
The night before her discharge both Randhir and Sanyukta sat down on the same railing and looked out to the night sky. "I never asked but did you go to a police station Sanyukta?" Randhir said looking towards Sanyukta who just looked in to distance. With every passing day Sanyukta had started to lose her hesitation towards him. She looked forward to his visits and their random ramblings. She even found herself giggling at his idiotic comments.
"What is the point? I don't have the time to go to the police station every day for no results Randhir. What will they do? To find those urr things amongst billions odd people! Do you really think I will have the energy to go and face those men when I am sixty years old when the case would have just reached the court proceedings? There are 2 women who get raped every hour in India and I will just add to that number, nothing more!"
Randhir looked at how bashfully blunt her reply was. Randhir too looked in to the distance and thought about her reply. He did know that the judicial system did have its flaws, but that doesn't mean that she was not entitled to justice.
"Sanyukta you need to go file a complaint! You have to give yourself justice! You have to and I know want to hear any excuses. You are going to go to a police station tomorrow and that's it! And I am coming with you!"
"You know you are really immature for a doctor" Sanyukta shook her head in denial! "Did you just crack a joke?" Randhir mocked, his eyes wide!
"Never asked you this question either, but any boyfriends?" Randhir asked in curiosity. Sanyukta took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. "One... Was with him for three years, we were going to marry."
"Then what happened?" Randhir asked urging her to go on. Sanyukta boldly faced him and said, "he left me after this." She looked back ahead and shook her head in amusement. "He said I was tainted... I don't blame him, anyone would have left someone life me..." she continued and sighed deeply.
Randhir's anger knew no limits after hearing how cheap and inhumane some could get. His anger was plummeting at her every word, only he knew how hard he clenched his fist to control his anger.
"Anyways tell me what yours? Any girlfriends?" She nudged him playfully. Taken back at her sudden change, Randhir said, "One... but she left me ages ago. She took her own life after she was molested. I told her I would stay by her side, but she still didn't pay any heed" Randhir gulped back his tears.
"Not every guy is like your finance Sanyukta. There are guys who would be willing to marry someone as beautiful, as smart, as successful as me. Even me.
Sanyukta's head snapped towards his direction. It made a lot of sense to her now; it made sense to her now why Randhir never had sympathy in his eyes but held care and concern instead. "I am sorry"
"I am sorry too." Randhir said and both looked out ahead in the distance. "So you are going to discharged tomorrow huh?" Randhir said looking at his fingers before continuing, "You know I might actually miss you and your snide comments."
"You don't have to miss me, you are coming with me tomorrow right?" Sanyukta said without any hesitation and looked towards him. He smiled in return and both just looked in to the distance. Their silence was their solace.
(Sorry for skipping a few details, but I wanted to finish this part here... So it is a little "jumpy" at places)
Randhir had held her hand tightly when the police inspector asked to tell them what had happened that night. To say that she stuttered and lisped throughout the confession would be an understatement. While trying not to cry, Sanyukta tried to swallow her bile and talk at the same time, little to her credit though.
But he was forever by her side, holding her hand tightly and warmly. At first when he had reached out to touch her hand, she had stiffened immediately but gradually got used to his touch as he stubbornly didn't let go until she responded back with equal zeal.
After handing the officers with the medical reports, which were fortunately void of STDs or pregnancy, Randhir and Sanyukta both headed out of the police station hand in hand.
"Randhir where are we going?" Sanyukta said in apprehension, as Randhir drove the car only onto the main street. Sanyukta no longer fell uncomfortable in Randhir's presence, in fact she quite liked his quirky antics.
"Surprise Sanyukta" He winked knowing how much Sanyukta hates surprises. Upon parking the car in both of the shop, Randhir ushered Sanyukta inside and told her, "You are going to get a tattoo Sanyukta!" he said looking at the Sanyukta's shocked face.
"And why would I put myself so through much pain?"
"So you know you are a fighter and always come out stronger!"
Sanyukta just looked at Randhir's calm words and just smiled. She went to the cubicle and came back smiling. "So how was it?"
Sanyukta smiled in response and asked him to drop her off at her work place. And he did so without pressuring her for an answer. He knew that if she wanted to tell him, she will eventually.
As she entered her office again after a week, she looked around and she no longer bothered herself with the glares from her co-workers. She just took it in her stride and walked to her office with her head held higher than ever before.
As her day finished, she looked for a taxi as always, but found Randhir standing leaning on his car instead. Walking over to him, she managed to say, "Miss me already" in her mocking voice.
Earning a chuckle and a small nod in return, Sanyukta headed in to her car and he drove her home.
"You want to know what I tattooed?" Sanyukta said in an all-knowing tone. "So you do know?" Randhir asked acknowledging at how well she knew him in return.
"It says Gratitude' in Greek" She said hesitantly pulling up her shirt a little to reveal a bunch of Greek letters. She pulled down her shirt and looked ahead to the long road on front of them.
"You trust me this much?"
"Randhir, I think we have long passed that stage..." she said smiling a little in gratitude.
It was only then Randhir realised the reason for which Sanyukta had gotten that specific tattoo. Randhir had no words to explain his sentiments at that moment. He had just wanted to hug her in the moving car, but he just diverted his attention to the long road in front of them.
As Sanyukta got out of his car and started to walk out Randhir said, "Wait! See you around Sanyukta."
As Sanyukta walked past the noisy aunties again, who always seemed to hold a gossip party every morning and night? As she walked past the aunties, she heard them saying, "Look at her... She doesn't even realise what has happened to her! Still going out late at night and worse still her parents don't put a leash on this girl."
Sanyukta sighed and walked over to the aunties and putting on her sweetest ever voice she said, "Hello aunty! I completely appreciate your concern about my life but please do not bring my parents in to this." After walking off Sanyukta sighed deeply, she had wanted to hurt the aunty where it hurt the most, but she decided against it.
She no longer felt like she needed to give justifications to anyone, as she no longer cared about other people's narcissistic judgments.
As she reached out to keep the closing lift door open, she saw the same guy she used to freak at the sight off. She gave him a warm smile and after sharing a few casual talks, she got off at her level.
As her mother opened the door, she was met by her old daughter who waltzed in and brightened the entire room.
After finishing off her dinner and helping her mother with the other chores, she walked to her room with a spring in her step and left the bedroom door open.
She went to her memory table and took out a piece of glass shard, that was somehow mysteriously placed back in her bag by a certain someone.
She smiled to herself and checked her tattoo in the mirror. It was impulsive, but unlike other impulsive decisions, this decision she was not going to regret at all!
Her phone pinged and she opened up the message which read, "Same place same time tomorrow?"
Smiling slightly and typing a "Yes", Sanyukta fell asleep without a care in the world.
She no longer needed to stare at the ceiling. She no longer needed to wait for sleep to overcome her. She no longer needed to facade her bruises, which were improving with every facing day.
Her scars would heal, one by one. But they surely would. And she too would be capable of loving again.
Iss rog ko kuch sujhe na... Koi farq isse bujhe na... Ye harartein, utare nahin
Love carries the capacity to look beyond all! All you need is a pure heart! Always give love a chance, it is an unexplainable emotion which can only be felt and expressed. Those who don't know love is, have either never been in love or are so deeply entangled, that they don't know it is Love.
~*~
I did promise a happy ending and personally I thought this was alright right? I wanted to focus on the "feel good" nature of this part! I hope that was accomplished! And the title track had to be used for me, it's such an amazing song this one! Also the bit where Sanyukta says, "There are 2 women who get raped every hour"... Yes that is the curent statistic...
PS: In the episode, which has not aired yet, the female lead is meant to be a sex tape victim while the male lead is shown as a police officer. I had initially thought of making Randhir a police officer as well, but then I thought it would delve more into the criminal side of things (unconsciously of course), while I wanted something more on re-building her confidence and self-esteem. So that was my reason for making Randhir a doctor in this TS!
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