‘I’m blessed, really,’ she said, overwhelmed by love for him, ‘but how do we get out of this mess now?’
‘It’s a consolation that you love me still,’ he said. ‘But how can I show my face to my father?’
‘Don’t worry, he would understand,’ she said trying to cheer him up. ‘After all, he loves you above all else.’
‘You don’t seem to know him,’ he said in all remorse. ‘For him, our surname is paramount. He would die of shame at this misdeed of mine.’
‘Why not plead guilty and be done with it?’
‘Maybe, the court could be considerate at that but Choudhary’s mafia won’t take kindly to that,’ he lamented. ‘Oh, how hopelessly I’ve compromised myself!’
‘We all make mistakes don’t we?’ she said to him as much to herself. ‘Yet, we deserve to be sympathized by others for the motive behind our moves. After all, it’s for love that we both erred on the sly.’
Having said that, she realized that she got carried away to blurt out her secret and looked at him horrified. Being overwhelmed by his own predicament, Sathyam failed to note the oddity of her averment, and so didn’t press her for any clarification on that count.
‘Your sentiment gives me hope,’ he said.
‘We better talk to Raja Rao,’ she suggested in relief, having recovered in the meantime.
‘We’ll think about it later,’ he said, as he got up to go into the bedroom, ‘but I want to be alone now. At times, solitude is the best company, don’t you think it is?’
‘True,’ she said with understanding, ‘I won’t disturb you.’
‘Why not I have a little drink to lighten my burden?’ he thought aloud.
‘I can understand,’ she said, and went to fetch him some ice and water.
Drinking out of a bottle of Chivas Regal, of the three sent by Nagaraju the other day, thought Sathyam, ‘What a paradox it is, that grief and relief should come from the same source!’
‘Am I not responsible for all this?’ felt Roopa, all alone in the hall. ‘Of course, having made him feel insecure all through, haven’t I caused his fall? If only I had made him feel wanted from the beginning, would things have come to such a pass? Well, wittingly or unwittingly, I brought him to this stage. But, he won’t even have one harsh word for me! Why have I devalued him and his love all along? Oh God, how I have come to wrong him!’
Overwhelmed by his new found virtues, and ashamed of her own insensitivity, Roopa resolved to stand by him through thick and through thin, ‘Even if the world belittles him, won’t I value him now, more than anything else.’