COMPLEXITIES

APOLOGIES

The men were startled at the familiar voice.

Aashi stood near the door, her eyes brimming with tears.

"What if I say that I don't want to know my past?", Aashi repeated.

"And what if I say that it was your right and it is your right to know the reason behind your existence?", Viren wiped away the tears that now had reached her cheeks.

"Then I deny the right to myself", Aashi broke down.

Rishi and Viren stared at her naked vulnerability which maybe they had refused till date.

" Are you sure?", Viren asked her.

"I am. I am sorry for what happened years ago. I shouldn't have doubted everyone. I shouldn't have spoken what I had. But the word once spoken cannot be taken back and so I can never mend or bend my words or intentions. I have inflicted immense pain on your hearts. Especially Ma."

"It wasn't your fault to misunderstand us Aashi. There were so many things at the same time. How can you expect yourself to be sane in such a scenario? My only complaint was you never opened up about Ryan. If instead of escaping from us and knocking the court, you had consulted us things would have been different."

"I was scared especially after Shriya Di's scene. You know how Gajendra uncle is."

"The point is not how he was or how he is. The point is how we act, react and respond. After Shriya's fate you had an opportunity to discuss with us, didn't you? Its a different thing that Gajendra always looked up to society for his every action. Had you not counted me in his team and known my past with your mother, you might have understood me. Or it was a way for everyone's path to cross. It was the way for every truth to come out. But again you want to suppress it.", Virendra tried to pacify his daughter.

" I guess things have changed for the better. Had I not acted stupidly and eloped for Ryan I would never have got a husband in Rishi "

The duo looked at each other teary eyed.

"But see the fate, we are reminiscing the memories because of Ryan", Rishi joined in.

" Am scared to the core. What might have been the reason for his disappearance?", Aashi said.

"We can get that only through Diwans", Rishi clarified.

"Suresh has got in touch with them. They are coming tomorrow", Virendra informed them.

" Did you talk to Pa?", Rishi was amused.

"I did. After all he's my friend. A sorry works you see"

It was evident from Viren's smile that things were good and better.

Nobody could ever forget the mess at the party. The party that made Dhawans, Diwans and Maheshwaris pull out their daggers at each other.

The enemies had succeeded.

Nobody heard of the Diwans after the night and Ryan never showed up after the brawl at the hospital.

The name of the Diwans came up thanks to a lady who claimed to be their daughter in law.

"Am sorry", Rishi apologized as they entered her room.

" For?"

"For everything"

"We both are responsible for many things. So even am sorry", Aashi rested her head on his shoulder encircling her arm around his.

" Anyways what's the court thing?"

"Which?"

"What was Pa saying? And how does he know?"

"Ummmm. Actually I had bribed the man there to not to disclose your name. Who was going to kill you once married."

"So the list is public?"

"It is dumbo"

Aashi elbowed him in his stomach.

"Didn't you get anything in Shriya's case? I assumed you had learnt things. But you became duffer."

"Am no duffer"

"Or Ryan made you so?"

"Please!!! No taunts. He was your gang before"

"Before you met him."

"Enough!!!"

"I really want to twist his ear once I get to him"

"Will we reach him?"

"We will", he caressed her cheek.

" I was scared. You might object "

"Don't be. He's our friend first"

"You shouldn't have done what you did at the hospital"

"I guess yes. I was wrong."

"Also I don't think Ryan was involved in my accident."

"Accident? But you ran behind him"

"Someone deliberately pushed me off Rishi. Some lady. I heard her voice clearly. And one man accompanied her. He had whispered something to her. I heard him and he was definitely not Ryan"

Rishi sprang up with Aashi's declaration.