Arjun and Madhuri sat at one of the more isolated benches in front of the government hospital in which the police had admitted Jaya. The erratic rise and fall of Madhuri's chest as her nails dug into the webbed spaces of her hands and left half-moon wounds did not escape Arjun's notice.

The chilly wind whistled around them, and the majestic trees rocked to the winds. "No one can refute she had a terrible life, Madhuri. It was not her fault, but she had the choice to not turn into the monster that she became. You don't owe her empathy when she never showed you an ounce."

"She was just seventeen when she had her first child. And I know she lost her other child to some lung infection at two. She never had the chance to evolve. She just grew up!" said Madhuri with exasperation lining her tone.

Jaya's words had carved into Madhuri's conscience, causing a mixture of compassion and remorse to stir within her. Had her stubborn pursuit of retribution inadvertently contributed to the deterioration of a woman who had lost her chance at happiness decades ago? Madhuri's capacity for empathy both intrigued and annoyed Arjun.

"Did she ever think about you and your well-being when she threw you out of the house with nowhere to go?" Arjun's voice held an edge of frustration. "This is Delhi, known for crimes against women. She never once considered your fate during the six days between the last time she saw you and the day we went to collect your documents. Her lack of concern speaks volumes."

Madhuri glanced at him from the corner of her eye. If not for her dear friend Anupriya, she would have been without money or shelter. A shiver ran down her spine as she imagined herself homeless, exposed to the dangers that lurked on the streets. The terrifying images of herself, battered and broken, assaulted her consciousness, leaving her breath hitching in her throat. She had underestimated the blessing of Anupriya's companionship and the safety it provided.

Arjun's tone took on a more serious note. "There's something else you should know." His hesitation was palpable, a rare sight in the confident attorney.

"Madhuri... she... she chose you to marry her son to hide that he is gay," he said, swallowing the lump that had formed at his throat. The furrows on her forehead deepened and her eyes narrowed as she pinned her blank stare on the man next to her.

"G-gay? What's that?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow whilst Arjun resisted the urge to groan. He did not want to be the one to illuminate her about sexual orientation, knowing how anything linked with intimacy would make the woman uncomfortable.

Arjun decided it was best he dealt one thunderous blow rather than small and unfruitful ones. He took a deep inhale and angled his torso towards her. "Well, he's attracted to men."

Madhuri's eyes almost popped out of her sockets and her jaw had dropped. "What?!"

"Yeah. His mother wanted to hide his, uh, preference and that's why she got him married to you. To avoid the rumors," he said with a scanning speech, unable to find words under the scrutiny of her eyes.

A crimson hue drenched her cheeks, which had turned warm with embarrassment. The moments of passion with her husband flashed in front of her eyes. Was it why he refused to be anywhere near her for four months? Did his mother have something to do with his aggression during their first time?

Tears stung in her eyes, and she clasped her fingers together. "So... so, he... he never loved me?" she asked in a mere whisper and behind the film of her tears he could see her heart break all over again.

Arjun bowed his head, and a defeated sigh slipped out of his lips. "Not how a husband should love his wife. Maybe as a friend and a companion, but..."

He left his sentence incomplete when he saw her crumple under the fabric of her tunic. Whimpers escaped her quivering lips. "Everything... everything between us was a... was a lie?"

"I'm sorry, Madhuri! I-"

"And how do you know this?" she demanded with a loudness he had never heard from her, and that intensified his worry for her. "When did you learn this?!"

"Months ago," he said, averting his gaze from the tears rolling down her cheeks and ignoring the gasp of shock. "Three weeks ago, Avantika met the man he loved, and that's when we learned the full story. Or at least, his version of it."

Madhuri's eyes swam with unshed tears, her shoulders slumping under the weight of the revelation. "He loved another man." Tears flowed freely down her cheeks as her voice quivered with grief. "I wanted to keep you informed, but Di thought it might be overwhelming for you. I'm sorry for not being transparent, Madhuri. You deserved to know the truth."

"S-she... she knew the truth?" she asked, pointing over her shoulder towards Jaya's ward. Arjun nodded in affirmation. "She knew the truth and still she got us married."

"That man, Rahul, he said she chose you because you were naïve and because you were not from a city. You would not find out and that even if you did, you would not dare to break the marriage. That's why she chose you," he said, determined to not conceal any truths about her case.

Arjun's words had not just shattered her heart again, but they had shattered her hope. Again. Her parents had searched for a groom who earned well and belonged to a 'good' family. And her mother-in-law had searched for a bride who was docile and untouched by the reality. Their needs had been met, but both the families had abandoned the needs of the bride and the groom themselves.

Their need for love.

Their need for happiness.

Did that matter?

Did they matter?

Of course, they didn't, thought Madhuri, laughing without mirth in the dark recesses of her mind. She still remembered the first time she had spoken to the man whom she had eventually married. Had her bruised pride, eager to showcase an ecstatic life, blinded her to the sense of obligation palpable in his tone, or was it her mother's words that men rarely showed emotions and it would throw her under the tags of 'arrogant' and 'needy' if Madhuri complained against it?

"Madhuri, she set the two of you for a lifetime of loveless marriage. One where her own son would not be happy and could not give you any happiness. She ruined your lives to safeguard herself. Neither of us can determine what she deserves, but the court can. The judge can. Let the judge bring her to justice," he said, placing his hand over her trembling shoulder.

Her compassion for the woman had turned to ashes in the flame of betrayal and disappointment. Her heart yearned for retribution. She had suppressed the desires of her heart for years to earn a 'happy life' like her mother had inculcated in her, but as she learned that the teaching was a means to their end, and not an end to her liking, she did not have a reason to deny the wishes of her heart.

She gave a weak nod of approval and Arjun gave a gentle squeeze of reassurance as his lips stretched into a weak smile.

______________________________________________

It is sad how silence is glorified. Women are told to remain silent about their inner thoughts to appear less needy and arrogant, and men are silenced about their emotions to paint a distorted image of masculinity. How many lives would have been happier if they just had the chance to voice and seek their heart's desires? Countless.