He often thought, "This too is a battlefield against injustice — except here, the fight is not against an enemy, but against the painfully slow machinery of justice."
After sending the RTI application, Suyash joined Arjun for breakfast. Soon after, he excused himself, saying he had to reach the court on time. As he was leaving, he patted Arjun gently on the back and said reassuringly, "Everything will be alright. Don't worry too much."
Sometimes, late at night, Arjun would gaze up at the sky and whisper softly, "O Lord, I have done nothing wrong. I only did my duty as a protector of Mother India. Now it is Your turn to protect me. O God! Will You free Your son from this life stained with false accusation and unbearable humiliation?"
Just then, Arjun noticed that Kavya had finally replied to his message.
Kavya's message:
My dear Arjun,
I don't even know exactly when you made a place for yourself in my heart. But I have always kept the purest feelings for you. I have complete faith in you. Soon, the case will be decided in your favour and you will regain everything you have lost.
Perhaps you are upset that I haven't checked on you lately. I was completely occupied with my exams, which is why I couldn't contact you. I only became free yesterday evening and saw your message then. At first, I didn't know what to reply.
Reading it, I felt quite disturbed. I am ready to fight the whole world for you, Arjun. But how can I do that if you yourself don't want to stand by my side?
I know you are struggling on every front, yet I too am enduring a lot to stay with you. I have gone against the wishes of my own family. I am fighting this battle too, but completely alone. You at least have the support of your family. I don't even have your support. The same Arjun for whom I am ready to fight the entire world is not standing beside me. Perhaps this is our destiny.
Sometimes, a well-wisher gives us the biggest lesson of life and then leaves. After that, it takes years to trust anyone again. But time has this quality — it heals every wound. Still, some wounds never heal; they turn into festering sores.
I cannot force you to keep me in your life, Arjun. If you wish, you can free yourself from me. I still have a little self-respect left, so I will not chase after you.
— Kavya
Reading her message, Arjun felt deep sorrow for Kavya. Yet he believed she was still too overwhelmed by emotion to make the right decision. Girls, he thought, tended to be more sentimental, and it would take her some time to regain balance. Decisions taken in the heat of strong emotions often proved wrong.
Arjun replied to Kavya:
Dear Kavya,
Whether you were ever truly mine remains a question hanging somewhere in the air. But I could never fully become yours. Many shortcomings remain within me. I am no longer worthy of you. I want to walk away from your life — far from the promise I once made of being with you without any flaw or condition.
I do not weigh relationships on a scale. For me, relationships either exist completely, or they do not exist at all.
— Arjun
After sending this clear and final message, Arjun felt a great sense of relief. He knew the exchange of messages would now come to a complete halt, and he could move forward without hesitation or guilt. He did not want to build the truth of his relationship with Kavya on the fragile foundation of false hope.
Kavya was far better than him in every way. She had already rebelled against her family for him, yet he knew he could never give her the happiness she truly deserved.
Slowly, the golden hues of dusk began to spread across the sky.
By now, Ranjana had called several times."Brother, no excuses today. You must come for dinner."
Arjun had come to tell his mother about the dinner plans, but when he entered, he found her absorbed in her evening prayers. Every day at dusk, she would light a lamp before the sacred tulsi plant.
Seeing him, she smiled warmly and said, "Come here, Bittu. Today, you too light the lamp before Tulsi with a sincere heart. It is the month of Kartik. Vrinda Maharani will fulfill every heartfelt wish of ours.
"Arjun hesitated. "Maa, I can't do it right now. You go ahead and finish the puja. I actually came to tell you to get ready quickly. Ranjana has already called three or four times today.
"His mother replied calmly, "What will I do there, beta?
You should go. I'll stay home."
"But Maa," Arjun insisted gently, "Uncle and Aunty are also coming. We have to go together, otherwise they might feel bad. Please get ready soon so we can return home early."
By the time they reached the restaurant, the others were already seated. Arjun greeted Sudhanshu's parents respectfully and sat down beside his mother. For a while, the conversation remained pleasantly formal. Then the waiter arrived with the menus, and soon everyone was engrossed in their meal.
It was the first time Arjun had stepped out of the house properly in a long while, yet inside he felt nervous and filled with hesitation. He was constantly afraid that he might say something wrong and spoil the evening.
Soft music played in the background, creating a warm and cheerful atmosphere. Everyone was quietly savoring their food.
It was Sudhanshu who broke the ice. "Brother, you used to write so beautifully. You had a real gift for touching people's hearts. Why don't you start freelance writing from home?
You'll avoid overthinking, earn some money, and keep your mind occupied. If you stay busy, no mental troubles will find a way in. If you need any experience in content writing or related fields, Papa will help you. Consider the past as a bad dream and give life another chance. I have complete faith in you—whatever decision you make, I know you'll think it through carefully.
"Sudhanshu's father, Surendra Ji, smiled and said, "A famous saying has come to my mind:'Don't put too much faith in the lines on your hands, because even those who have no hands have their destiny.'"
He continued warmly, "Arjun, if you could look after some of my website work for a few days, it would be very helpful. As a motivational speaker, I stay quite busy these days. You could assist me with content writing and video creation. At the same time, you can continue your own freelance writing. You can do all of this from home.
For Hindi content writing jobs, you can apply on freelancing websites, job portals, and company websites. But before applying, you'll need to create a portfolio showcasing your writing samples. I'll help you with that. However, to succeed in this field, you'll have to learn skills like SEO, keyword research, social media advertising, and product descriptions.You just need to prepare some writing samples and show your talent. I'll guide you in creating pieces on different topics to polish and display your writing ability.
There are several free courses available. If you want, you can start from tomorrow itself. First, create your freelancing profile, and let's try to begin the work from tomorrow.
You can take a few days of training from me on the basics of content writing, SEO, and online marketing. After that, as a writer, you'll have to take yourself forward. It's not a huge amount, but with consistent effort, you can earn ₹50,000 to ₹60,000 per month.The biggest benefit will be that you'll stay occupied and your mind will remain engaged. I also need someone to assist me. After a little training, God willing, you'll start handling work independently in a few days.
Whether you want to grow as a freelance content writer, Hindi content writer, sub-editor, or editor—choose according to your interest and let me know.
You have always written excellently in both English and Hindi. I've often heard Ranjana and Sudhanshu praise your writing. I've also seen your Facebook, Instagram, and X accounts. Use them for your livelihood.
You write well, and you'll be a great help to me too. There's no pressure—if you feel like writing, do it for me; if not, write on your own blogs. Whenever you need to learn something, I'll be there to help.You are like a son to me, just as Sudhanshu is. If I can be of even a little help to you, I'll feel truly happy."
Surendra Ji added, "Choose a blog topic around your interests, bring some short stories, and begin your work. Prepare some video content as well—it's possible that your destiny lies in this field. If you already have a blog, things will be even easier. Just give it a try. Efforts often lead to success."
Arjun understood that this entire dinner arrangement had been made with the sole purpose of helping him.
He said softly, "I understand, Uncle. You are saying all this for my own good. You and your family have always supported me in difficult times. I have full faith that you always think of my welfare."
Arjun glanced at Ranjana and asked her with a silent gesture, "Is this all your doing?"
Ranjana looked slightly nervous and pointed towards Sudhanshu. Though in truth, it had all been her idea. Sudhanshu and his parents had simply given her their full support.
Arjun knew his sister very well. He could easily catch her lies, but he also knew that everything she did came from deep care and affection for him.
His mother nudged him lightly with her elbow and whispered, "Don't start fighting with your sister here in front of your samdhi and samdhan."Arjun reassured her with a silent gesture that he would not create any scene and that she could relax.
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