“You want anything…anything at all…I’m always here. Kabhi sirf baat krne ka bhi mann kre aur lage ki koi chahiye jo bas mujhe sunn le…mai hamesha hu, Saanvi. To listen to you, to support you, hold you if you want to let yourself loose and break down, ya phir kuch aur bhi. Hmm?”

(Even if you want to just talk and want someone who listens…I am always there, Saanvi. To listen to you, to support you, hold you if want to let yourself loose and break down, or anything at all.)

His words have always had that effect on her. He always knew what to say to make her feel better. She nodded involuntarily and he smiled.

“Come on! Let’s have dinner now.”

She wordlessly followed him and they had their dinner surrounded by the other guests.

Facing Tanmay in court was more difficult than she imagined. Especially when he brought along with him the girl he left her for. Tanmay had accepted the allegations of adultery against him and requested for a quick divorce.

Saanvi’s resolve broke a little but then she remembered Arjun’s words and held her head high. She wasn’t at fault. He was the one who had wronged her. He was the one who didn’t deserve her. Not the vice versa.

The judge reserved the judgment and gave them a date for the next hearing. Saanvi stepped out of the court premises and released a wavered breath.

Finally! A few more days and she would be a divorced woman. Alone again. With no one else to call hers.

There’s Arjun!

Her heart called out but she shook her head. Arjun was being generous. Anyone would say all that if someone cried in front of them. Saanvi had learned to live her life on her own. 

Being an orphan wasn’t easy. But she learned. She had to. But then Tanmay came into her life and she forgot what it meant to stay alone. He was always there. For 10 long years. And then suddenly he wasn’t. And she was all alone again.

But this time, she didn’t know how to stay alone. Her thoughts suffocated her. Whenever she sat alone, it felt like the walls were closing upon her. For the first time in her life, she had felt so alone. 

Just when she thought that she was going to be alone all her life now, he started visiting the NGO. When Arjun first came to the NGO, Saanvi was shocked. He had never paid a visit other than the Quarterly Meets.

“How may I help you, Mr. Rathore?”

“Come on, Saanvi. Ab toh koi Meet nhi hai.”

(There’ s no meet now.)

She smiled despite the heaviness in her heart.

“Ok…how may I help you, Arjun? Fine?”

He grinned and nodded.

“I was just passing by. So, I thought of paying you a visit. Thik ho tum?”

(Are you ok?)

Her smile fell and she looked away.

“You don’t have to pity me. I’m fine.”

“Hey hey! I never pitied you. I’m genuinely concerned. Don’t get me wrong.”

She nodded but didn’t comment on it. He did that again. Held her chin to make her look into his eyes and her heart fluttered again. This time, she did notice but chose to ignore it.

“I meant it when I said I’m always there, Saanvi. Dost maanta hu. Bhut special ho mere liye. Khud ko akela mat samajhna. Hmm?”

(I consider you a friend. You are special to me. Don’t consider yourself alone. Hmm?)

She looked at him surprised. How did he know that she felt alone? He smiled as if understanding her unsaid words.

“We’re not too different, Saanvi. Mere paas bhi koi nhi hai jisse apna keh sku. I know how it feels. To see people around you being with their families and loved ones while you don’t have even one person to call your family. I know how you must be feeling right now.”

(I also have no one to call mine.)

Her eyes started tearing up. She knew Arjun too was an orphan, like herself. 

“Koi aur ho na ho…mai hamesha hu, Saanvi. Aaj se 10-12 saal ya 20-25 saal baad bhi palat kr dekhogi toh mai wahi milunga. Hamesha.”

(Even if no one else is there…I am always here, Saanvi. Be it 10-12 years or 20-25 years from now, you’ll always find me here. Always.)

“Kyu?”

(Why?)

She whispered in a hoarse voice. Arjun didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t confess his feelings like this. When she was vulnerable and not in the senses to make sane decisions.

“Because that’s what friends do, right? They stay.”

He said the most sensible thing at the moment and Saanvi nodded gratefully.

“Thank you. Thank you so much. You have no idea how much I’ve wanted to hear this. Thank you for just…being there, Arjun. Really. It means a lot.”

She whispered and he smiled, patting her head affectionately. He then wiped her tears off gently and smiled.

“Now wipe off these tears and stop wasting them on someone who doesn’t even deserve it. Look at the positive side of this. You still have your entire life ahead of you. Live it the way you want to. Ghumo firo, wo sab kro jo tumhe pasand hai. There’s no restriction and no boundation. Just you and your freedom.”

(Roam around, do whatever you like.)

Her eyes sparkled at the thought and she teased.

“Aur ghumna firna aap fund kroge?”

(And you will fund my trips?)

She chuckled and he shrugged with a wide smile.

“Why not?”

“What? I’m just kidding.”

She laughed and he did too.

“Well…I’m not. Tum kro jo krna hai. I will fund everything.”

(Whatever you want to do.)

She laughed and shook her head thinking he was still joking.

“Arre! I’m serious!”

“What! No! I can’t do that!”

She said in disbelief and he immediately covered up.

“Why not? Corporate deals bhut achhi milti hai. Saal mai itni deals aati hai…mai har ek pr nhi jaa skta na…jaha mai na jaa sku waha tum chali jaana.”

(Corporate deals are very nice. There are so many deals in an year…I cannot go on everyone….where I cannot you can go.)

She smiled and shook her head.

“Thank you for the offer, but no. Mujhe kahi jaana hoga toh mai aapse baat krlungi. Discount krwa dena.”

(I will talk to you if I want to go somewhere. Give me discounts.)

She winked and he laughed, nodding his head in agreement. He understood why she was denying him. She didn’t want people to think of her as a gold digger because they would never understand her relationship with him.

And he would never do anything that tarnished her reputation and dignity.

Arjun visited the NGO almost every two weeks. Even Saanvi had started looking forward to his visits. She needed someone to talk to and vent out her feelings with. And the best part was that he kept quiet and just let her rant whenever she wanted to.

It had been seven months since she left Tanmay’s home and about three weeks since she had been officially and legally divorced.