POV:~HRIDYA
Bua ji had come this morning to visit us home. Especially me!
Papa's side of family has been toxic to me since, I suppose, the day I was born. I think sometimes, they hate me. My papa wasn't toxic from the beginning. My memories still have scenes in which my papa used to care about me, in real.
But my family started filling my father's ears against me. Not only against me, but my mother and Aashi di too. She was also forced to marry with my jiju.
This was the reason I was never allowed to go outside and earn.
"Pankh lag jaenge, beti ko sirr par mat chadhao",used to say my relatives to my father.
["She'll grow wings; don't put her on your head"]
I saw Papa beating my mother when I was 7-years old. He beats her even now. Last time when I denied to marry Tushar ji, he beat her in such a way that she wasn't able to move for 2 days. And thus, I agreed to marry with him.
'Ji', he doesn't even deserve my respect. He was no less than my jiju. It isn't like I was happy when I came to know that he is no more but I thought just for a milli-second that my life will be easy now.
But life doesn't go how you expect it to go. And yet again my father found another guy for me. I'm sure that he will also be just like my father, my jiju and my ex-husband.
All men are same, all they need is a woman who can act basically as his slave.
Bua ji barged inside my room along with my father. My mother stood behind them.
"You silly girl. Why do you want to humiliate your father in the society? Are you not satisfied with whatever happened already?",Bua ji spoke.
"Why don't you get it that they're rich people? Just marry him off. What is your problem?",Papa said.
Bua ji held me by my hair and started pulling it. I yelled in pain.
"Do you people really want me to marry a man who has a child?",I yelled.
"Aawaz nichi karke baat kar, badtameez, aur tu kaunsi doodh ki dhuli hai, vidhwa hai tu, bhul mat",bua ji slapped me on my cheek.
["Speak respectfully with a lower voice, you ill-mannered person. And who are you? Don't act like you're pure as milk. You're a widow, don't forget."]
"Leave her please, I'll talk to her",my mother pleaded.
"Dekhliya humne tum kitna baat kar rahi ho isse",bua ji said while still pulling my hair.
["We've seen how much you've been talking."]
"She is my daughter. I will decide what to do with her. Leave her",my mother said in a loud voice.
There came a tight slap on her face. "How dare you talk to my sister like that? I'll teach you a listen right now.", Papa held mummy's wrist tightly and started walking away along with her.
My brain wasn't working. What should I do? Save her Hridya, save her, do something.
"I'M READY!", I yelled.
My father turned back and asked, "What did you said just now?".
"I. WILL. MARRY. HIM", I repeated my words.
"Good", bua ji said and left my hair.
"Be ready at 5, I'll take you to meet him",my father said and left the room, leaving me alone with my mother.
"Maa, theek hai na aap?", I asked and looked at her wrist. There were imprints left behind by my father.
["Maa, are you okay?"]
I instantly got up, brought the ointment and applied it on her bruises.
"Beta, are you sure, you'll meet him?", mummy asked.
"Yes maa, I'll meet him. I'll talk to him about this situation and I'll deny him then and there about this marriage. I'll ask him to deny for this marriage from his side itself, that will work in my favour I guess",I replied.
I stood up to change my clothes. Soon the clock showed 4:45 and my father banged his hands on my door.
"Are you ready? Come out girl. We'll get late",he yelled.
I opened my door and stepped outside. Everybody was standing there.
"I hope you behave well there. Otherwise you'll see my worst after we return back home",my father said, threatened me.
Di came from back and took me outside towards the main door.
"You're looking pretty tanu, take care, please don't spoil anything. I've heard he is a good guy",di said.
"Fine".
~~~
I was sitting on the table that was booked for us. Expensive hotel, roof top.
Everything around was beautiful, except my fate and my mood.
I was waiting for him since 15minutes. I hate latecomers. My friends used to do this in my college days, and I hated that.
I was sitting there in an all black Anarkali full-sleeved suit which had a broad golden border at its end. I had put on light makeup on my face and a small black-bindi on my forehead paired with golden jhumkas.
I wanted to dress casually but my sister and mother was forced to force me to dress beautifully by bua ji and papa.
The waiter came in with a glass of juice in his hands. He kept it on the table and disappeared again. For how long do I need to wait?
After some 5 minutes, there entered a man, dressed in a black shirt perfectly tucked inside his beige trousers. He was holding sunglasses in one of his hand and with the other hand he held his phone on which he was talking with someone.
Is he the one? He looks young, he can't be.
"Good evening sir. That's your table", the waiter came forward and showed him the way towards the table I was sitting on.
He's the one. Great.
He came near the table and I suddenly stood up. He signalled me to sit down and took his place just infront of me.
He has perfect toned body. Perfect brown eyes. Perfect beards,just like the way I like it on men. Perfect muscles that are visible from above his sleeves, that are folded upto his elbows. Definition of handsome man. Fuck, what am I thinking? I don't have to marry him.
He cut the call and kept the phone on the table placed between us. He folded his hands upto his chest and asked, "So..you're Hridya?".
Hridya~Yes,it's me.
CZYTASZ
Aarav got Hridya
Romans𝑨𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒗 𝑲𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒚𝒂𝒑,is a rich businessman of the state. His wife Kavya was the only love of his life. He had a crush on her since their college days. Finally he proposed her and they got married. There dream of 'happily ever after' could not...
