Whitney could feel her life spiraling out of control. Accidents seem to be the story of her life, but one particularly morbid accident changes everything.

At first, Whitney begins to think that maybe she will find happiness after all. It is her birthday and even though her parents has forgotten it, Aroon- her boss and hero within her heart- takes her to the temple he grew up in to receive a birthday blessing. In many ways he always cheers her up and gives her a different perspective in life. So when she returns home that day, she forgives her father for forgetting her special day (better late than never) and celebrates a birthday dinner with her family. Her parents are who they are. They simply will not change and as Aroon once warned her, to find happiness, she needed to accept the reality.

Little did she know that happiness always evades her. Minor accidents- such as falling on each other, or being seen together- causes a huge misunderstanding that her and Aroon are secretly seeing each other, to the point that Aroon has taken up lying to Non if he ever spent any time with Whitney. This backfires badly, as Non and Nut witnesses the two at the temple together. And when Non calls to confirm with Aroon, he only lies that he is out with a client. This buildup of white lies, as Aroon soon learns, is a detriment to their relationship.

That night, Non is desperate and she needs to do something drastic to win her man back. She arrives at his condo and throws proprietary to the wind by offering herself to him. She essentially assaults him with kisses until he pushes her away. Even after telling him to imagine her as Whitney, he still rejects her. His curt words hurt her, “you’re turning into someone I don’t even know anymore. You used to carry yourself with more dignity than this, what happened?” Jealousy happens. And now disappointment and the realization that she may lose him forever. Non finds herself at the club next, ordering rounds of tequila shots for herself. When she sees Yoting there, she has to make someone feel her worth. If she cannot have Aroon, why not marry a rich man?

And that is another mistake she made, sleeping with Yoting and hoping for marriage and riches, then to learn that he is destitute and despicable. She has several suicidal thoughts until she decides to go home. But the universe works in its funny, unpredictable ways. When she thinks that she is down in the dumps, she learns that everyone has been searching for her and Aroon is overcome with anxiety. When Dekcha confronts him earlier, Aroon discovers that he must decide what he wants to do with Non. When he admits to his friend that he never stopped loving her, he receives his answer: it is the time to make it official. So when Non shows up the following morning, looking miserable, he proposes to her. She is elated, Whitney is happy for them and secretly sad for herself, while Gusuma just sees red.

As Whitney cries in the car, for the man- the hero that she pines after, but never overtly- is going to be someone else’s husband. He has a special place in her heart, and even though through the great times they’ve had- and the friendship that she thinks they have developed- it could not make her stay and witness their nuptials. Whitney decides to head back to France and finish her education. But everything is conspiring against her, including the universe.

It is that accident, which changes everything.

Whitney is packing up her belongings at work and prepares for her departure that evening. She sees Aroon and a lump forms in her throat. He has been trying to be a good fiancé to Non. Even when he saw Whitney at the mall while he was picking out an engagement ring with Non, he steeled himself from leaving her side. Now, he merely wishes Whitney well. They bump into each other and the ring box falls to the ground. As Whitney picks it up, Non appears at the door and her face takes on pure hatred.

“You don’t give up do you?” she roars, “He’s marrying me, you’re just his toy!” Non storms back to her office.

Aroon apologizes for Non’s behavior and promises to talk to her. But Whitney is fed up, she tells Aroon, “Let me do the talking, it’s about time we clear the air. I shouldn’t have let this drag on for so long.” Then she continues, “If she still decides that I am horrid after listening to me, I am willing to accept it. Because a horrid person like myself is the one to leave anyway.”

But this only leads to a public confrontation that will only hurt her later.

Whitney asks to speak to Non, but Non refuses. Whitney decides that now is as good a time as any to clear the air. The nosy employees are all eyes and ears; some even start recording the scene unfolding before them. Shameless hussies. Non is not embarrassed, she calls Whitney horrid, horrid things. Whitney gives up, there is no talking to someone who is so blindsided by what she wants to think and misunderstand. Whitney could only get in, “I wish you well then, make sure you send your wedding news to Yoting.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Non asked, afraid. Whitney tells her that she knows exactly what she’s talking about. After all, Whitney was the one who erased that picture of Non dining out with Yoting secretly. Gusuma may have failed in showing that picture to Aroon, but her new gift, a video clip on CD, will surly land in Aroon’s hands. It is a clip depicting Non and Yoting in the corner talking, and Yoting handing her the purse that she left at his house. It reveals that Non had spent the night with Yoting. He threatens to reveal their relationship if she so much as reveal his financial difficulties.

The gossip about Non and Whitney fighting over Aroon- and that Whitney is a homewrecker- spreads throughout the company. Her father hears of it and berates her in his office. She is so furious at the fact that, time and time again, her father never listens to her side of the story. So she tells him what he wants to hear, that she’s in love with Aroon and she wants to break them up. The final slap from her father stuns her, and Whitney dashes out of his office and into her car, where she revs it up and speeds out of the parking lot. She is hurt from her father’s lack of trust, hurt by Aroon and Non, and blinded by her own pain that she didn’t see Non walking across. Her car hit Non head on and to Whitney’s horror, it stops only when Non’s body crumbles to the ground.

And that is when all hell breaks loose. It is an accident. A horrible, horrible accident that ends her trip back to France, the pending nuptials between Aroon and Non, and most definitely, it ends Non’s life.

How do you pull through such a diabolical event, that even if it is an accident, you are the cause of someone’s death?

This incident changes Aroon. He realizes that he has been weak all this time. He feels responsible for everything leading up to this incident. If he was tough, misunderstandings wouldn’t have happened, and Non wouldn’t have died. Nut is positively determined that Whitney is responsible for everything and she needed to pay with her life. She wants Whitney behind bars. And even though Aroon knows that it was an accident, he still wants her to pay. Gone are the kind thoughts about her, gone are their friendship. Furthermore, Aroon thinks that Whitney is in love with him and wants to break him and Non up. So he too, is determined to see that Whitney is put behind bars.

Shock. Whitney is in a complete state of shock. She is hospitalized from constant blackouts and to make matters worse, she learns that Aroon thinks she’s guilty. She needs to hear it for herself so she escapes the hospital (still in her hospital gown) and shows up at the funeral. Aroon spots her in the corner and Whitney finally knows that all is true, he does want her in jail, punished for the incident. An eye for an eye. Her father’s damage control didn’t help much either, with his attempt to buy out everyone’s cooperation, causing Aroon and Dekcha to quit.

And thus, bringing us to a battle in court.

Wow. What an intensive two episodes! Irreparable circumstances. Vehicular manslaughter. The universe conspiring against Whitney.

No more easy going camaraderie between her and Aroon. Gone are those days. Now we have hatred, vengeful thoughts. The only confusion here is, Whitney asks him (at the funeral) why he thinks such horrible thoughts of her? Why does he want her behind bars and why does he think she intentionally wants to tear him and Non apart? Aroon answers simply that it is based on his assumptions and how he sees it. He used to be so calm and logical, this new Aroon, the darker and illogical one blows my mind. He doesn’t have any evidence or facts, but he would convict her of it? I understand she accidentally killed Non, and her case will be determined based on circumstantial and whether she broke any laws- that is why the police officers are questioning any arguments between Whitney and Non prior to the accident. (I also wonder if they’re going to factor the speeding part into this.)

The biggest question remains, how will she overcome this? Will her father pay her way out (using his hi so connections) or will the law prevail? Vehicular manslaughter is no joke, whether intentional or unintentional, it all falls upon circumstances. And I can’t wait to find out how this will be resolved!

*Pic source: DaraVDO FB

(This is a recap of episode 7 and half of 8. Stay tune for more!)