"Someone harassing her?" Vartika's voice carried a hint of incredulity that soon gave way to disdain. She shook her head, her expression reflecting a mix of frustration and sympathy. "That poor girl. Like she hasn't been through enough!"

Vartika was dressed in green pajamas adorned with majestic dinosaurs, their long necks and vibrant colors seeming out of place against the serious conversation. She angled her head towards her brother, who looked weary, his forehead lined with creases that hinted at the weight on his mind.

"After graduating, I never really thought about the plight of those on the other side, and now I can't stop thinking about them, Di. They were just cases for me - milestones, perhaps - but for them, the trajectory of their future depended on the judgment. And I, I ruined it for them," he said, shaking his head with a disappointed sigh.

Vartika placed her palm over his drooped shoulder. "You always cared about your clients, Arjun, and that's what your job entails. You cannot do your job if you worry about the other side."

She shifted closer to her exhausted brother and placed her other hand over his clenched fist. "You have a lengthy list of wealthy and influential clients, I agree. But we cannot assume every affluent and powerful person is guilty of the accusation leveled against them. And remember those class-action suits against Eternal Pharmaceuticals and Bliss Pharmaceuticals?"

Arjun's stilled eyes blinked in rapid succession when the memories of the suits flooded his mind. "You had charged those pharma giants over criminal negligence and won a compensation of half a billion rupees for the plaintiffs! Their products had led to thousands of deaths and left thousands more with multiple comorbidities. You secured justice for them!"

"That was before I switched out of corporate law and into criminal law, Di!" protested Arjun, rubbing his temples with his lips curled in distaste. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down and he pulled his balled fist away from the worried fingers of Vartika.

"You never acted without convictions, Arjun! You never defended alleged murderers, rapists, or pedophiles!" countered Vartika, raising her own voice in an octave. She had wished for her brother to choose clients with more conscience than he normally did, but never had she wanted her baby brother to lament at his past choices.

"But I defended alleged perpetrators of domestic violence. I fought for fraudsters who duped their loved ones out of greed or lust," Arjun lamented. "What if Madhuri is held guilty, not by the court, but by those around her because of her association with me? What if my past choices tarnish her reputation?"

Vartika turned sideways to face her brother. She hated how his self-doubt almost shadowed Madhuri's own when she had wondered if her presence had dampened her friend's chances with justice.

"Arjun, you never tampered with evidence! You never made your witnesses or clients perjure themselves. You found loopholes like any competent and thorough lawyer would! There's no reason your representation of Madhuri would hamper her chance at a triumph!"

Vartika's fingers found their way to Arjun's clenched jaw when he did not try to respond to her. "Every lawyer has shady clients, Arjun. They don't define you. You hastened the process for the alleged victims by drawing up settlements that would satisfy both the parties. That's- "

Arjun moved away from his sister. "I cornered the other side, Di! I manipulated them into believing that was their best-case scenario!"

"And you think the parties you represented could not afford a lawyer of your mettle if you had not taken their cases? You made them reach a mid-ground, and I know plenty who would offer a mirage in the name of a settlement!"

Arjun drew a sharp inhale, and a sardonic smile stretched on his lips. "And what if I had represented the other side, Di? Don't you think they would have had better chances at victory?"

"Well, what I think is, it is not too late for you to make a switch, if that is what you desire."

The restive silence that befell the sibling duo remained uninterrupted for what felt like eons to the worried elder sister. His narrowed eyes revealed his consternation and contemplation to the observant physician. "You're right! Maybe it is time to reconsider some choices."

****

"Madhuri, it is incredibly unfortunate and unfair, but do you realize going against him can jeopardize your job? Is it-is it worth taking the risk at this point of time?" asked Anupriya, leaning towards the younger woman with her gentle touch, rubbing circles over the back of Madhuri's palms.

"Or Rakesh and I can go rough him up in the darkness," said Aditya, wrapping his fingers around his sister's slouched shoulder. "Such scum show a prompt response to, um, some action."

Anupriya shook her head and threw a glare in his direction through her narrowed eyes. "And he will face action, Bhaiyya. I want to do this. I want to fight and make sure he gets his due, and to relish that moment when his stupid grin gets knocked off!"

Anupriya's lips twitched when the memory of Madhuri from a few months ago resurfaced in her mind. Her vehement protest to confront her mother-in-law and leave it to her parents to bring back her documents and valuables was in stark contrast to her zeal to fight.

The delightful blossoming of courage in her dear friend's heart warmed Anupriya's own heart. "Who are we to stop you from following your heart when both of us have done the same? Just be careful, and know that we are always here for you," said Anupriya, cupping Madhuri's cheek.

Anupriya's words had convinced the concerned brother next to her. Who was he to stop his sister from aiming at the sky when he had reprimanded their mother for cutting away her wings? He would wait, like a safety net, to protect her from every danger, but not from taking off.

Aditya pressed his lips against Madhuri's temple. "You know who to call if you want someone beaten up! Just don't tell Anu!" he said, with a grin stretching on his lips. Chuckle spilled out of Madhuri's lips and Anupriya rolled her eyes in exasperation before she joined the sibling duo in laughter.

"Well, since my dear husband, Dr. Healthy Eating, won't be back till his workshop is over, I think we should treat ourselves to some delicacies. What say?"

Anupriya alternated between the siblings, whose eyes gleamed with excitement. "Let's just stay away from Biryani because last time was a disaster," reminded Aditya and the women groaned, remembering the way they had almost burned the house down with their attempt at Dum Biryani.