FF: Betrayed by Love: T2 *Note and a teaser page 143*

Part 21

Arjun scowled as he saw Priya and Sameer standing in the corner in a, what looked to be, heated conversation. He wondered what they were talking about.

Swati glanced at Arjun from under her lashes then followed his gaze and smiled. "I bet this is the first time you have seen them argue."

Arjun turned his head towards Swati. "You mean they actually argue about things? Yes this is the first time I have seen them argue. When we were all at the academy those two were thick as thieves and never missed an opportunity to pull one over me." He said as he remembered the closeness between Rathore and Priya.

Swati was immediately alerted by touch of envy in his tone and gave him a closer look. She glanced back at Sam and Priya then back to Arjun and things started clicking in place in her head.

Swati didn't look up from task of wrapping Arjun's hand but she watched him from the corner of her eyes. He was still looking at Sam and Priya as if he had just solved a certain puzzle.

When she finished wrapping Arjun's hand Swati stood up then looked at Arjun with a smile. "Your hand should be fine in couple of days." She hesitated, "Arjun don't be too hard on Priya. She hid the truth from you because she knew how much you had loved Roshni."

Swati saw the flash of guilt and something else like self -loathing flash in his eyes, which confirmed what she had suspected when she saw the way Arjun had been looking at Priya. Arjun had loved Priya before Roshni even came into his life but it is obvious to her now that he had mistook Sam and Priya's friendship as a romantic relationship.

And if she was a betting person then she would bet everything she owned on the fact that those feelings had never faded from his heart. In fact they were stronger than ever but buried under the guilt and rage he was feeling regarding his dead wife.

Swati bit her lower lip to stop herself from saying more than she already did. It was too soon to say anything to Arjun and she knew Priya would never be the one to take a step towards Arjun. After everything is dealt with Swati was sure that Arjun wouldn't let a second chance slip thru his fingers like the first time, most especially since now that he has realized what his first mistake had cost him.

Swati decided to wait until Arjun deals with what Roshni had done and her death before encouraging him to pursue Priya. She didn't know how Arjun will feel after he has dealt with Sikandar and after he comes to terms with his wife's death.

Priya may think she is not worth Arjun's love anymore but Swati would make sure that Priya gets all the happiness that she deserves when the time is right. She clenched her hand and cursed Roshni under her breath for doing what she did to her best friend. Swati promised herself that she wouldn't let Roshni win this time. She gave Arjun one last glance before joining Sam and Priya.

Arjun was still brooding over the fact that Roshni had taken such a big step without realizing the consequences of her action. Try as he might, he couldn't bring himself to come up with any situation where she would have been forced to take such a step; a step that had put Priya in an extremely dangerous situation.

He braced his elbows on his knees and put his head in his hand as he thought back to over two years ago when Priya had come to see him.

"Arjun please just listen to me once and then I won't ever bother you again."

"I don't want to hear anything Priya, just get out. I don't ever want to see your face again as long as I live."

Arjun let go of his head and fisted his hand tightly; he was about to punch the wall in front of him but his hand was caught before it could hit its target. He felt Priya uncurl his fingers and place a glass of tea in his hand.

"You will only end up hurting yourself if you keep doing that Arjun." Priya said as she sat next to him.

"Why didn't you tell me everything that day when I asked you Priya?"

"Because I wanted to spare you the pain Arjun; you loved her so much and I couldn't break your heart like that. I had no intentions to tell you anything when I came to see you the first time. I just wanted to tell you that Roshni gave up her life to save your life." Priya said softly.

Arjun gave her a sharp look. "That still doesn't excuse the fact that she put your life on the line for my life."

Priya took a deep breath because she realized she will have to tell him bit of her history with Roshni to make him understand why Roshni chose Arjun's life over Priya's. She stood up to gaze out the window as she recalled the time after her beloved parents death.

"Before my parents died we rarely visited my mama's house and when my mama visited us my mami and Roshni only came with him on special occasions. I never understood why it was like that and I used to ask my mom also but she never told me anything." Priya remembered how her mom always looked sad after her bothers visits and she could never understand that sadness.

"After my parents died and my mama took me to his house; I started to realize that my mami had never liked my mom and she hated the fact that my mom and mama were close. My mama had practically raised my mom so their close relationship was inevitable but mami could never understand this." Priya turned and rested her back against the wall.

"Anyway I tried my best to spare my mama the heartache of trying to choose between his family and me. I only wanted to finish school and then join the police academy. I stayed out of everyone's way and never interfered in their family life but when I overheard Roshni and her friends discussing a party at a club I had to interfere for her sake." Priya closed her eyes as her friend's innocent face flashed into her mind.

Arjun's hand automatically clenched on the glass when he heard Priya gloss over the experience of leaving with Roshni's family after her parents' death but he had already figured out from Roshni's diaries that her mami may have taken out her anger for Priya's mom on Priya.

He made himself relax, "What happened?"

"Few days ago you asked me if I knew Nick," Priya crossed her arms over her chest, "my answer was no but that wasn't the complete truth. I had never met him but I had heard of him and I had seen him from afar. A very good friend of mine committed suicide because of him and his friends."

Arjun had known what was coming but he still couldn't prevent from flinching when Priya mentioned her friend's suicide. He couldn't imagine what it must have been like for Priya to lose a friend like that.

Priya blinked her tears at the thought of her friend's tragedy and death. "Dolly had been in love with a boy from our college and thought that he loved her too but little did my friend know that he was just stringing her along. One night he took her to a party at a club, where Nick worked, on a pretense of taking her out on a date."

If Priya had known about the party she wouldn't have let her go alone but unfortunately Dolly hadn't told her anything because the day of the party had been Priya's parents' death anniversary.

"I didn't know that Nick and his friends had helped the boy that Dolly had been in love with by mixing date rape drug in her drink to take advantage of her until it was too late." Priya turned away from Arjun slightly.

"Two weeks after the incident Dolly committed suicide. She left me a letter to tell me why she was doing what she did. She couldn't face her family, most specially her older brother." Priya had felt so helpless and guilty for not being able to get justice for her friend. She had been seventeen at the time and hadn't known who to turn to for justice for Dolly and to expose the people who had taken advantage of a young girl.

"Did you report this to the police?" Arjun asked thinking maybe she had been questioned about her friend's suicide.

"No, she had requested me to not say anything because her family would come to know and they would be hurt by this. But she left a similar letter for her brother and told me that he would take care of things." But that hadn't helped Priya's anger or the guilt at not being able to do something about Dolly's death.

"Did you know your friend's brother?" Arjun asked next.

Priya shook her head, "No, but I knew that he was training to be a police officer."

Arjun nodded his head. He stood up and joined Priya at the window. "So you told your mama about the party that Roshni and her friends were attending without telling him why you thought they shouldn't go to this party."

"I told him that Dolly had attended a party at that club and that she had started acting strange after that and I was sure that something happened at that club to make her take her own life. I also mentioned that the club was rumored to have date rape drugs." It had taken all the courage she had to talk to her Mama about Dolly without telling him everything.

Priya had known that the minute she said anything that would prevent Roshni and her friends from attending the party things would only get worse for her but she had never dreamed the her Mama would send Roshni away from them. That incident had made Roshni and her mami hate Priya even more than before.

"It must have taken a lot of courage to tell your Mama everything knowing this would only make things worse for you. Arjun said softly, echoing her thoughts.

Priya shrugged her shoulder, "I couldn't help Dolly but there was no way I was going to risk Roshni to go there and face a similar fate as Dolly but unfortunately I couldn't convince Roshni and her friends that I was doing it for their best interest."

"When I couldn't convince Roshni and her friends I went to my Mama to tell him and he talked to Roshni's friends parents." After that Priya had been even more isolated than before until she went back to Delhi to be with Swati and her mom.

"That only gave Roshni one more reasons to hand you over to Sikandar on a silver platter." Arjun said bitterly.

Priya frowned at that the sighed. "I hadn't known she had still held on to that grudge and anger until I found out she blew my cover. I had also felt that may be that wasn't the only reason for Roshni's hate but for the life of me I couldn't figure out what had made Roshni hate me so much even after all that time."

It was because of me, Arjun said to himself. It seems he hadn't been as successful as he thought in convincing Roshni that he and Priya had only been friends and nothing more.

"Did Roshni see you with Vikram? How did she know you were undercover? I don't recall mentioning anything to her about it." Arjun said. Except for that one time that he had mentioned Priya, Arjun hadn't said anything about Priya being in Mumbai.

"I attended a charity event with Vikram the day after our last conversation on the phone. You had warned me that things were getting dangerous and I needed to get out. Sameer also thought the same but I asked for one more day so that I could get some pictures of Sikandar since Vikram was going to officially introduce me to his brother. This is when I ran into Roshni." Priya recalled how Roshni had taunted her about trying to impress Arjun but hadn't understood the meaning behind her taunt. She had never dreamed that Roshni would tell Nick about her being officer knowing Arjun was also working on the case.

Unfortunately Priya had underestimated Roshni's hatred and paid a big price for her misjudgment.

"So Avinash took you out as soon as he found out your cover was blown but then how did they find you? And why didn't you contact me or Sam?"

"Avinash had to get me out of there without blowing his cover and I couldn't contact you because you and Sam were busy with the bomb threats that were taking place all over the city. Avinash thought I should stay in hiding for couple of days until he can find an alternate way for me to contact you."

"I waited two days but when I didn't hear from Avinash I decided to contact you and Sam but I received a call before I could contact either of you." Priya said.

Things started to click in place for Arjun as Priya told him the sequence of events. "Let me guess," he paused. "It was Roshni telling you to hand over any evidence you have on Sikandar or else he will kill me."

Priya gasped, "Yes, except she wasn't lying. By the time she called me you and Roshni were already trapped by Sikandar."

Arjun recalled the morning of the incident and how he had tried to talk Roshni out of going to School that day but she had been determined to visit the children and hadn't listen to him. He also recalled she had looked worried and scared but at that time he hadn't paid much attention to it. "May be she called you before I got the call from Sikandar to tell me he had my wife and to meet him at his designated location."

Priya shook her head, "No you were already in Sikandar's trap when Roshni called me. I heard you."

Arjun gave Priya a sharp look. "Oh, so Vikram came after the evidence while Sikandar made sure you don't run again by holding us captive. But he had no intentions to spare any of us."

Priya turned and walked away from Arjun. "Yes he had no intentions to spare us. He wanted to teach us a lesson before he killed us all." She said quietly.

She turned back towards him but kept her distance. "If Avinash hadn't rushed to my rescue I wouldn't be here. I am just sorry that we weren't quick enough to save Roshni."

Arjun didn't know if he was sorry or glad because if Roshni had survived he would have hated her forever and would have lost fate in love and honesty forever. "I admit she didn't deserve to die the way she did but she still put your life in danger for a stupid reason."

Priya understood Arjun's reasoning but she still couldn't let him believe that he was wrong about the person he had loved so much. "She loved you Arjun; she just let her hatred for me over power her common sense in that one moment and paid a big price for it. She lost her life because she let hate overpower her love. She may have hated me but I know she loved you and you loved her and that is that should matter.

It was Arjun who turned away from Priya now. He couldn't face her because the guilt he felt would have been clearly visible on his eyes. How can he tell Priya that he hadn't love Roshni like he should have?

"Just remember that she may have hated me but Roshni was a good person, otherwise you wouldn't have fallen in love with her Arjun." Priya said before walking out of his office.

Unfortunately Priya had underestimated Roshni's hatred and paid a big price for her misjudgment.

😕 How could the Tigress have been so naive as to not understand it! But then again, destiny had played a cruel game with her back then..

Oh oh! So finally it all fits in.. Roshni called her up and asked her to hand in the evidence.. And Sikandar already had them trapped.. So Rosh really did it for Arjun, didn't she?! She didn't have a choice.. That's how she brought Priya out of her hiding..

Phew! I can breathe a sigh of relief now! Though her hatred towards Priya and betrayal of Arjun's love cannot be justified, I think I can relate to how her brain functioned back then.. 😊

So, no! I do not hate your Roshni, B1.. 😃

Priya turned and walked away from Arjun. "Yes he had no intentions to spare us. He wanted to teach us a lesson before he killed us all." She said quietly.

Ouch! That hurt again.. She ended up losing the most! 😭

Arjun didn't know if he was sorry or glad because if Roshni had survived he would have hated her forever and would have lost fate in love and honesty forever.

Now, this justifies everything that is about to follow.. (If you get what I mean..) 😉 But yes, I feel for him!

She loved you Arjun; she just let her hatred for me over power her common sense in that one moment and paid a big price for it. She lost her life because she let hate overpower her love. She may have hated me but I know she loved you and you loved her and that is that should matter.

This was absolutely needed.. He needed to know why Rosh did what she did! Things could've been so different had she trusted him and thought over it for a second more..

But then we wouldn't have had our fairytale.. 😉😛

He couldn't face her because the guilt he felt would have been clearly visible on his eyes. How can he tell Priya that he hadn't love Roshni like he should have?

Another Ouch moment! (Antennae refuse to rise today!) But he will have to, one day.. And Priya's reaction to that, is what I'm looking forward to anxiously.. (Of course, apart from the revelation)

I pray and hope, that she doesn't end up blaming herself for Roshni's death! But then, a part of me thinks, she won't.. She's stronger than that! 😃

Just remember that she may have hated me but Roshni was a good person, otherwise you wouldn't have fallen in love with her Arjun.

Aah!! The final ouch! The forgiving Tigress is back.. And today, for the first time I could actually understand why she is the way she is.. Because she's an honest and pure woman, free from malice and negativities.. What happened to her was unfortunate..

And I'm sure that though she pretends to be strong, she is broken from within.. Yet, I can't help but admire her for being the Tigress, she is! 😃👏

Woaky.. B1.. This was an 'Ouch' update.. But I loved it even more than the previous one.. 😃😳

Coz though their conversation seemed normal at the outset, I could read between the lines (Or so I think)..

They've both come a long way.. And if a part of the truth was responsible for bringing them closer, I can only sigh with relief and do a mental jig at what would happen when the entire picture gets clearer..

Wokay, fine.. (Antennae Alert!) I accept! 😉 😆 😆

I may come back and re-read this one again.. Why, coz this one was brilliantly drafted! 👏

What a way to begin the new thread.. New thread.. New beginnings.. 😉😃

Love it! And love you too, my dearest Behna.. 🤗

Eagerly and greedily waiting for the next one! 😃 Please have some mercy on us mortals and update soon! 😃

Wokay, here goes your gift. 😉

'Har ehsaas mein tu hai
Har ik yaad mein tera afsaana

Do lafzoon mein yeh
Bayaan na ho paaye'

Congrats for Second Thread🥳