Advay walked out of the room with her wails ringing in his ears. He stopped after taking few steps. Her cries were still ringing in his ears.

He wanted to go back inside and take her into his arms but she didn't want to share her sorrows with him. She hadn't open the bathroom door until she heard ayi's voice. Was he so bad? Did she distrust him to this level?

He could hear ayi's voice try to sooth her but tiny won't stop crying. Years ago, he and ayi were the only people to make her stop crying. Now, she won't even share her sorrows with him...

He took a step forward and then another and started to move down the corridor. He couldn't stand in front of the room any longer; he didn't had the strength to stop himself from going back.

As he walked, he thought that she hadn't cried in Delhi. She had cajoled, joked,threatened, gotten quiet but never cried. Or may be she had learn to keep secrets from him. May be she had started to block him and he hadn't realised. All those times, she used to vanish in that room of hers. All those times when he saw her writing in her diary.

All those times were her distancing herself from him. But he hadn't understood. He hadn't realised that the barriers formed weren't just physical ones.

Maybe if he had agreed to her demands after their anniversary trip,then things won't have turned out to be like this.

Or may be further back when she had fought with Veer. She had become scarred due to it.

His foot paused as he realised that he had walked back to her old room. He didn't open the door and see inside. Instead, he went past it, toward the terrace. His eyes fell on his old room door on the way. The room he had burnt down in anger and pain due to her fault. It seemed so much distant now as if it had happened in another life. Did it felt same to her? Or was she holding the past in her hands refusing to move on. Clearly later.

Everyone had always told him that Chandhini was like him. That she had adopted his habits since young. Her anger, her stubbornness and her ability to hold grudges. Especially
Ayi had always scowled at him that he had taught her bad habits.

But he hadn't thought so. She had always been a sweet and open child in front of him. Agreeing to his words in almost everything.

That was why her tenacity to marry him and then, turn into a real marriage had surprised him. Then, what happened afterwards....

He took a deep breath and tried to move past that horrible memory. He didn't want to revisit it.

He had lived in the darkness which surrounded her right now. The negativity, the hatred, the desire to retaliate ... but he had out grew it but after long time.

He walked past the room and went toward the terrace. Once, he opened the door; his eyes stung due to the cold air. He walked outside and went and sat in the swing chair. The cold air and dark night were his only companions to his thoughts.

........

It took long time for Khushi to calm down Chandhini and coax her to make her lie back on bed. It had helped that Arnav had come looking for her and had seen Chandhini's state and immediately helped.

Now, Arnav was sitting on her one side on the bed and khushi on her other side. Arnav was holding Chandhini's hand as he lightly patted her on head.

Khushi looked at Chandhini. Her sorrow was hurting Khushi.

Arnav noticed wearily that Chandhini was sobbing occasionally now and wasn't hysterical like before. His and Khushi's presence seemed to have comforted her.

He saw Khushi bent over and lightly touched Chandhini's forehead. ' don't cry anymore. You will develop a fever.'

Chandhini looked at her with tear swollen eyes but said nothing.

Khushi gently continued,' Chand you must care for yourself. Happiness and sorrow are like day and night; part of life. We can't break down due to sorrows.'

Few more tears spilled down Chandhini's cheeks.' But why me? Why always me?'

A shadow passed on Arnav's face.

Khushi,'don't think such thoughts. You will have your own share of happiness. Your own child. You're young. There is plenty of time.'

Chandhini,'no ayi. Ever since we married, nothing has been right. Even my baby died. He has cursed me.'

Arnav,' Chandhini, my child. It's in past. No one cursed you. Advay forgave you. Don't think about it.'

Chandhini cried harder,' no. You don't know him baba. He doesn't forgive. He still hates me. He was happy my baby died.'

Arnav was non plussed by her words and looked toward Khushi who said to Chandhini,' did he said anything to you before I came? Tell me.' Her eyes held questions. Her mind worried. Was advay mentally torturing Chandhini her?

Chandhini,' he doesn't have to say it. I know it.'

Khushi,'how? What did he do?' She wanted to know.

Chandhini,' he is acting because I'm here with you all. Once we go back to Delhi, he will become indifferent again. He will ignore me. He won't talk to me. He will belittle me and mock me over everything.'

There was silence in room. Khushi tried to avoid looking at Arnav as her heart sank to the bottom of her soul. Then Arnav spoke,'you won't ever go back to Delhi. You will always stay with us.'

Chandhini clutched to his words as if they were last hope in the world,'Promise me Baba.'

Arnav,'Promise.Have I ever lied to you? You can trust me.'

Chandhini's tearful eyes met his kind ones,' I do baba. I know you're not like him or Veer.'

Arnav kept patting her head.

Khushi who was silent during the exchange spoke,' and me? Don't you trust me?'

Chandhini whispered,'I do.'

Khushi,'then trust Advay and Veer too. They were angry because they loved you. You did wrong to advay. He behaved in anger. But he loves you.'

Chandhini became still at her words,' no. He doesn't. He... he isn't like what he behaves here ayi. He is cold and venomous. He drinks, he smokes. He is controlling.'

Arnav silently listened.

Khushi,'controlling? How?' Like arnav, she was controlling herself. Finally Chandhini was talking and she didn't want her to stop.

Chandhini,' ayi, he...' she hiccupped.

Khushi touched her cheek lightly,' what did he do?'

Chandhini,'he insulted me in front of servants. He told them that no one was to listen to me. He stopped the driver from taking me anywhere without informing him and when I tried to get my car from here. He told Veer everything. Veer didn't talk to me for years after it...'

Khushi remembered the silent fight. The cold behaviour of Veer. He had changed after it. Became more strict with Shekha and Kavya.

Chandhini,'... then he made timetable. I could only eat food when it was served on table. If I missed it, then I would have to wait until it was time for next one. I missed so many meals because of college and academy and I was hungry all the time...'

Arnav clenched his teeth so loudly that the sound reverbated in room. Khushi sent him a warning look. She didn't want him to disturb Chandhini. She needed to say everything.

Chandhini was lost in her own world as she spoke,' ...he was mean to me. Always mean. He knew what I like or disliked and he always chose to go against my wishes. He never loved me. I was a charity case to him. He told me that I was after his money.'

The last sentences were unexpected beyond the imagination of Arnav and Khushi.