Sipping their juices in silence, Mitali revealed she had something on her mind. Mitali had changed her preference back to pomegranate juice for the day, much to Adhrit's delight.
"Yes?" asked Adhrit, wondering what had caused the stress lines to crease over her ashen features.
"I should work on restoring my relationship with Mr. Gupta, or Anurag. I never saw it coming when he did something so despicable. There was no other way for us to repay the loan. Without a good education or additional properties to fall back on, losing our only shelter would mean losing everything we had worked hard for. Perhaps he did what he believed was right."
She had reviewed their complicated situation more times than she preferred. At first, fury consumed her memories, but as she looked past her anguish, the fury faded and she found solace in a vague understanding.
Anurag's behavior showed clear signs of selfishness. She had no doubt about it. Was it within the realm of possibility that he had included her in his sense of self? The young woman in a dangerous area had the most to lose if they had to resort to roads. His actions were deceitful and immoral, but was his objective to avoid other misfortunes?
Adhrit had some sympathy for Anurag, whom he saw as a brother who loved his sister, but he had no problem declaring him guilty. The pit of his abdomen filled with dread as he thought of the worst potential outcomes.
"Mitali, he exchanged your dignity and compelled you to make unfeasible decisions. The things he had agreed to. I shudder to think what would have happened if it had been someone else. They would have exploited you in ways you can't think of," he said.
"In this world, Adhrit Sinha, poor rarely have the right to dignity." Her lips curled in derision and a wry chuckle escaped her chapped lips. "People often make fun of them, and their lives are considered less valuable than those born into affluent families. Is it possible to maintain your dignity when the rich expect you to satisfy all their impossible requests? I know the feeling of the walls closing in because I've been in his position before. The feeling of helplessness can drive someone to do anything."
"Mitali, everyone has the right to self-respect. Yes, the game of life is not fair, but what can we do? Power always tips the scales in one's favor, whether they want it to or not. However, believe me, those scales also tip against them somewhere. Since there is always someone else with greater power and influence."
The blank stare from Mitali unnerved Adhrit. A sharp inhale preceded a rueful smile as she shook her head.
"People act according to what they consider appropriate in a situation. From their point of view, or through their own personal experience. A few unbalanced individuals derive sadistic pleasure from their actions. Everyone did what they thought was right or what was expected of them in order to get out of the situation. Among the many illegal activities people engage in, there are dowry-related torture, contract killings, and drug dealings. Is this more terrible than that?"
"It's not a contest, Mitali. Money can enslave anyone, but I can't relate to your situation." He recognized the difference between the two sides, as he was someone who leveraged the power of money, not someone who withstood it.
His honest words widened her smile. Mitali wasn't certain whether he was the riverbed or the savior she required, but she was certain he was her anchor. To reality, to hope, and to peace.
"Anurag and I were close in the childhood. We were best friends," she said, chuckling and fidgeting with her fingers. "After Aai and Baba passed away, I had shifted to Amma's residence, and he was the one who kept me company and made me laugh. Despite our financial difficulties, he never failed to get me the gifts I wanted for my birthday and Raksha Bandhan. He reduced his own expenses to afford them. Wondering why we drifted apart, I now realize it was just life happening."
Adhrit rubbed circular patterns over the back of her palm while holding her hand in her lap. She turned towards him and looked into his eyes after his tender and affectionate gesture. It brought along a feeling of oneness that she both craved and dreaded; craved as it seemed to drown her in an ocean of bliss, and dreaded because she knew there were many boundaries they had themselves erected, which would prevent them from being one.
"You want those moments back, don't you?" he asked, a ghost of a smile hovering over his features.
"You can't be influential enough to turn back time, can you?" she asked with a teasing edge to her voice, holding his gaze and her lips stretched further.
"I can't, but maybe you are right. Maybe your forgiveness can bring back those times. The regret I saw in his eyes can change any man. Don't feel obligated to do something just because someone expects it from you. Do it only if your heart is in it and your mind agrees," he said, holding her other hand and leaning towards her.
"Choice is what she craves the most, Mr. Sinha, and providing the ability to choose will be her cure."
The words of Dr. Nisha echoed in his mind, making him realize it was time to put the advice of the kind psychologist into practice.
"I'm not as impulsive as I used to be. Anyway, when all this ends, I will have to return to that same brother, look at the same face every day, and I cannot carry this anger in front of our mother." Her words made Adhrit jerk away as the realization struck him, and she was too lost in her thoughts to notice. "It would only take her minutes to realize that something is amiss. I can no longer hold it against him and feel tormented every time he says sorry or shows remorse. It was hard for me to ignore him, so I hope accepting him back will make it easier."
Their conflicting views on love and marriage had made their future together uncertain. Therefore, he started living in the present and cherishing every moment. She planned to demolish the castle of clouds and move out, even though he knew it had no future. The truth, like always, was both bitter and painful.
"After all this ends?" he asked, unable to douse his curiosity.
"After the pregnancy and the initial three to four months, I mean." Adhrit's heart sank and his throat went dry as she matter-of-factly stated, "I can't live here forever, obviously."
The push he received was the catalyst for him to change the status quo.
YOU ARE READING
River & Desert
Romance"There's no need to go searching for a bride, Dadi. We don't need a bride. It's a surrogate that we need. In order to fulfill my obligation, I need a surrogate to bear the heir." **** "We have less than two days left to repay the money," said Mitali...
