"Wow, Madz! Your driving seems so effortless, and it doesn't feel you just got your driver's license," said Muskaan, gazing out of the passenger seat window with a wide grin gracing her lips.

Despite her initial worries about maneuvering a car without causing harm, Madhuri had embraced the newfound sense of independence that came with driving. The elation of obtaining her license was rivalled only by the day the school Principal had honored her for her exceptional performance on the board exams.

Muskaan turned towards her friend with raised eyebrows when Madhuri swerved into the road on the left with ease. "Where are we going?" asked Muskaan, eying the neighborhood with great scrutiny.

"That's a surprise," said Madhuri, switching back to the second gear with a mischievous smirk tugging at her lips. It was most uncharacteristic of the older woman to prank, and Muskaan racked her mind to discover the dots she had missed.

As they entered Uttam Nagar, Muskaan deduced their location by checking Google Maps on her phone. Ever since a devious ex-boyfriend had stranded her in a red-light area, she'd developed the habit of keeping track of her whereabouts—a habit she hadn't been able to shake.

Madhuri shifted the gear to the first gear, and the car came to a smooth halt in front of an apartment complex, puzzling Muskaan further. A security guard came up to Madhuri's side as she lowered the glass without a hint of a hesitance that would not leave the side of the Madhuri she had met.

"I heard there is a flat for rent on the third floor. We came to see that," she said, and the security guard nodded in understanding as he walked away. "We are here for house-hunting for you? Wow, Madz! A lot of fresh changes, huh?"

Madhuri shook her head in negative with a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "No, we are here to check the flat for both of us. How do you feel about being my roommate?"

Muskaan's jaw dropped at Madhuri's question. "You gotta be kidding me!"

"No! I wanted to move out of Anupriya's house since her parents arrived, but when you shared how that vile woman wouldn't stop tormenting you, I knew the time had arrived."

Her landlord, Mrs. Katherine, had made her stay at home hectic and unnerving by her constant jibes at Muskaan's choice of eloping with her boyfriend, and how she perceived the said boyfriend's despicable actions following that as Muskaan's karma.

Muskaan had shared her woes with Madhuri, who had been by her side like a rock, but she had not imagined the older woman would ask her to move in with her and that she would move out of her friend Anupriya's house to facilitate that.

Muskaan practically lunged into Madhuri's arms, eyes brimming with tears of happiness and gratitude. Despite the awkward angle due to their seating in the car, Madhuri returned the hug with a giggle. "You're amazing, Madz! I love you!"

Contentment filled Madhuri's heart and the gleam of gratitude in Muskaan's eyes melted away the questions about her abilities. "Well, you said I remind you of your elder sister, and this is what friends and sisters do, don't they?"

Muskaan pulled out of the embrace and the film of tears in her eyes took Madhuri back to the time Anupriya had taken her in. She could not pay back the debt of Anupriya, but she could pay it forward.

"But what about the security deposit? That must be quite high, right?" asked Muskaan, worry knitting her eyebrows together. "They quoted forty-two thousand, which is six months' rent, and don't worry about that. The compensation from the case will take care of that!"

"You don't know how much this means to me, Madz! Thank you so much!" she said, with an upward curve that stretched from ear-to-ear. "Trust me, I know. Let's go, shall we?" asked Madhuri, and Muskaan nodded with an excited squeal, making Madhuri roll her eyes with an amused smile.

The voices that had accused her of inadequacy had found their answer in the court's judgment, but the doubts that questioned her worth still lingered. The voices that taunted her abilities found their answer in Muskaan's delight, fading into the background.

And after years that passed like eons in Hell, Madhuri felt at home in her own mind.

****

"My, Advocate Arjun Malhotra! Which bigwig do you defend this time from being brought to justice?" asked Advocate Deepak Mehta. His tone strained with derision as he took Arjun's tall frame with disgust floating in his eyes.

"Believe it or not, Advocate Mehta, I'm here on behalf of the NGO Sparsh, and I'm working on the complainant's side now," Arjun stated calmly. A courteous smile played on his lips, reminiscent of the cocky attorney he used to know, but lacking the arrogance that had once defined him.

"Wow! I wonder what scandal forced you to quit being a defense attorney," he said, unable to believe that the change of heart was spontaneous.

"No scandal, I'm afraid, Adv. Mehta. I just realized, from the time we last met, that the cases are not trophies to be won by the lawyers but calls for justice. If it makes you feel better, I lost quite a bit of sleep over that realization."

Deepak's eyes narrowed at the revelation, but the sincerity and the conviction in Arjun's eyes were convincing. "In that case, I'm glad you joined the right side, Adv. Malhotra. We could use a passionate and competent lawyer to help the downtrodden. All the best!"

"To you, too, Adv. Mehta!" said Arjun with a curt nod. The older man would never know how many nightmares of the young advocate featured the words they had exchanged during their last meet.

As much as they had terrified Arjun, they had also eased making the choice at the crossroads between a financially and influentially rewarding career as a defense attorney or a mentally satisfying career of fighting pro bono cases in which he chose the latter.

Adv. Mehta's words had lifted the burden on his chest and liberated the attorney, crumbling under repentance, and intensified his determination to continue treading on the path he had chosen.

That night, as Arjun settled into bed, he was free from nightmares. A soothing calmness enveloped him, bringing the peace he'd yearned for so long. And after years of relentless chase, Arjun had found the peace he yearned for and could not earn.

Madhuri and Arjun finally found what they wanted - peace and self-acceptance. I had a lot of endings in mind, be it Madhuri and Arjun going the cliche way and falling in love, or Madhuri graduating as valedictorian and Arjun receiving an award for his pro bono service, and while the first plot did not feel natural, the second one made me ask myself, why do we search for validation of our journey and growth from the world around us?

That's when I realized that the ending I wanted was the one where both of them make peace with themselves, irrespective of laurels or accolades. Writing the story made me ask myself some tough questions and arrive at some wonderful insights, and has been therapeutic.

I would love to know your views on the journey of our leads.

Love,

Yagya