Vikram, Kunal and an inspector walked into Sidhi's room, breaking her thoughts. The inspector asked Sidhi
"Mam, how are you feeling?"
"I am fine. Who called police here?"
"Well the hospital did. There are a lot of injuries all over your body and the doctor suspected you to be a victim of domestic violence, so she called us. Tell me, mam, without fearing anyone, how did you get so ill and how did you get all these injuries? Did your husband", said the inspector while glaring at Kunal,"or his family do this to you?"
"No!" Said a shocked Sidhi. "No, no. Kunal and my family didn't do anything. Woh to..."
Sidhi paused. She couldn't tell the police about Abhay. Not only did she have no proof, even if the police believed her and filed a case on Abhay, they couldn't keep him in jail and an enraged Abhay was the last thing she needed right now for the sake of her children. Not to mention Kunal, who could also get angry and confront Abhay and that meant putting Kunal's life in danger.
"No" Sidhi snapped out. "No inspector. No one did this to me. I don't have that many injuries, and one or two old ones have not healed. You know, in Bangalore, several weeks back, we had a mishap with some goons trying to kill us. These injuries are from them. We filed a case also, you can check"
Sidhi somehow conjured a story, all the time not daring to look at Kunal, who was staring at Sidhi. Sidhi didn't have the guts to look Kunal in the face while lying, but she knew nothing good could come out of the truth right now.
Inspector: "Ok mam, thank you. Sorry Mr Kunal for the trouble. This is our duty."
Kunal: "No problem, I understand."
Inspector: "I will talk to the doctor and get this sorted."
Vikram and the inspector left, leaving Kunal staring angrily at Sidhi, who was averting his gaze. Sidhi didn't dare to look at Kunal.
Kunal was about to say something when the nurse came in and said, "We can discharge you now, you don't need to stay here. Let me change your dressing before you go. Sir, can you please go and complete the formalities, and also speak to the doctor once."
Kunal went to the doctor's cabin, who was waiting for him.
Doctor: "I am sorry Mr Chopra for calling the police and for my words yesterday. It is just that on seeing Sidhi's condition and her injuries, I could swear it was a case of someone beating her up. It looks fairly merciless, so the trauma she mentioned would have been bad for her. I see so many of these here, women brutally beaten up by their husbands, it boils my blood. The inspector told me about the traumatic incident. I was just surprised why the wounds were not treated properly after. I think Sidhi is the type of woman who doesn't take care of herself at all. She is very weak right now. Also, she sounded very low and depressed to me - it might be side effects of the same Bangalore trauma. I think you or someone in your family should pay more attention to her till she gets better."
Kunal and Vikram brought Sidhi home. All the time, Sidhi's words to the inspector and the doctor's works to Kunal kept raging in Kunal's ears. Sidhi wasn't looking at Kunal straight in the eye, and seeing her squirm in pain made Kunal madder.He was angry at himself for not noticing before, but now that he knew, he wanted to know why Sidhi had lied.
As soon as Sidhi settled in the room back at home, Kunal yelled:
"Kyon, nazar kyon nahi mila rahi ho. Jhoot bolne mein to phd kar rakhi hai tumne, to aj jhoot bol kar aise nazarein kyon chura rahi ho jaise satyavati devi ho."
"Nahi...woh..main..jhoot.."
"Rehne do Sidhi. Ab tumhe achhe se pehchaan gaya hoon main. Tumhare jhoot sunne ki aadat ho gayi hai. Par inspector ko jhoot kyon bola"
Sidhi remained silent, not knowing what to say.
"Batao mujhe. Kya haalat kar rakhi hai apni. Mar jaoogi to hamara kya hoga"
Startled, Sidhi looked up, only to find Kunal fumbling, who had said too much in anger.
"I mean, mar jaogi to bachon ko bura lagega na. Aur sabse badi baat hai, main Bangalore mein tha tumhare paas. Ye chot tab ki nahi hai. To sach sach batao, how did this happen" Kunal screamed, holding Sidhi's shoulders.
"Tell me Sidhi!"
Sidhi was crying, but feeling Kunal's hands on her body made her feel stronger.
"Woh..Ab..Abhay."
"Abhay!" Kunal fumed in anger and immediately yelled. His suspicions were confirmed.
"Kunaal...Kunal listen...poori baat sun ke jaiye." But Kunal didn't stop. Sidhi kept yelling, but Kunal was already on his way to Abhay, wanting to punch the living daylights of Abhay for daring to hurt Sidhi.
(Diwan house)
Kunal (entering the home, yelling at top of his voice): "Abhay! Abhay!"
Abhay (walking down): "Kunal, what are you doing in my house? Yelling like this!"
Kunal ran towards Abhay and grabbed his collar: How dare you hurt Sidhi? She has wounds all over her body! You have no respect for women.
Surekha (emerging from her room): What's going on? Kunal, leave my son!
Kunal was about to hit him when Abhay shoved him back.
Abhay: Who are you to complain to me about my wife's injuries? Did she say anything? Did she complain, did she?
Kunal was shocked. Not knowing how to respond, his anger bubbled up more.
Kunal: She is not your wife right now!
Abhay : She is not your wife either. She gave you a divorce years ago - you didn't. She is my wife. I am just sitting patiently because of this stupid court order, but I will have my wife and son back. And you have no rights whatsoever to yell at me about my wife - if I hit her, or if I love her. Or where all did I touch her! I can do whatever I want to her body. You have no right to be touching somebody else's wife and looking at her injuries or her pleasure.
Surekha was agonised with guilt and anger at her son, but she couldn't bring up enough courage to say something. She asked Kunal, who looked absolutely traumatised hearing Abhay's words to just leave.
As Kunal walked out, the pain and agony that Abhay's words had stirred inside him, broke him up completely. The realization that Sidhi was or had been Abhay's WIFE, even though he knew it all along, slapped Kunal on his face.
"I can do whatever I want to her body"
The words strangled Kunal, and he choked for breath. His imagination took him to places he didn't want to go - Abhay and Sidhi intimately being together. The pain was unbearable for Kunal. No amount of hatred for Sidhi had diminished the possessiveness and jealousy he felt for her.
"you have no rights whatsoever to yell at me about my wife - if I hit her, or if I love her. Or where all did I touch her!"
Abhay was right. Kunal had no rights on Sidhi anymore! He was mad at her, mad at the world, mad at destiny for making him live through this pain. What was his fault?
When Kunal got home, he saw his sons sitting in the living room. Sidhi was sleeping. While Kunal was gone, she was worried sick for Kunal's safety. She couldn't trust Abhay. The kids came back home and saw her worried, which made them both more worried. They had somehow forced her to take her meds and rest.
BA cheered up instantly looking at Kunal and said, "Papa, ma's back! She was worried about you, but we made her sleep and promised to wake her up when you came back. She wasn't even eating her medicines, so we had to make her swear. But she's better now! We should celebrate"
Kunal: Yeah, but first she needs to recover fully. It's your both responsibility that your mom eats and takes her medicines. Make sure she gets better.
BA-CA: Yes. We'd take care.
Kunal looked one more time at Sidhi sleeping on her bed. She had lied again today. Kunal had seen fear in her eyes at that time. He really didn't understand her anymore. Was Abhay treating her badly? But what could he do about it. Abhay's words about him having no rights on somebody else's wife came back to pinch him again.
Kunal felt angry and helpless. He wandered out of the house to find some solace in alcohol, feeling completely and utterly broken.