Seher
I felt broken...i felt my heart quashing into pieces and my body burning out of wrath... I saw him taking groggy steps towards his room as if nothing had happened and it made me more furious...

How dare he? How dare he force me into a marriage which is considered as one of the auspicious moment in a woman's life...how?I won't spare him ..

I felt disgusted on myself...No i won't accept this marriage... enraged,i was about to wipe my forehead where minutes ago he tinted with vermillion , i saw a hand holding me, restricting me from doing so...i got astonished beyond words, beholding the figure...
Bhavani shekhawat?!

My Inner self got astonished by Bhavani Shekhawat's sudden change of demeanour and I stared incredulously at her...i saw her staring back at me with sheer anger...
Whats my fault now ?

"A girl who got applied vermillion on her forehead was not supposed to wipe it...if she does so, it's considered as inauspicious..."
I heard her saying and I shook my head, incredulously...
Like seriously?! It was just a blunder done by the dumb son of hers...she also knows it and me too... then why this much drama?

" But it was just a blunder...i mean,it happened on the spur of the moment...it was just an accident.. moreover don't expect me to consider this as something serious.."
I said, genuinely trying my best to control my bubbling wrath...i won't consider this stupidity as a marriage...and I'm also very sure that,  that impudent son of hers will also forget about this once he recoup his consciousness...

" But it's done...once a maiden's forehead is filled with vermillion,it cannot be changed.."
She again said, challenging my patience... I clenched my fists and my teeth gritted... I saw shraddha advancing towards me feebly and anxiously...she placed her hand on my shoulders to tranquilize me...my eyes mercilessly betrayed me by permeating brines from my eyes....

"Shraddha, try to make this girl understand...she got this vermillion infront of holy shrine.. it signifies the sanctity of this marriage...tell her that it's better to accept this marriage"
I heard his mother behesting to shradhha  and  I saw shraddha obediently nodding her head...after adding fuel to the blazing fire,she left the hall ,leaving me and shradhha behind, not before granting a glare to me....

" Seher..see we can.."
Shraddha advanced towards me, trying her best to convince me...but i was quick enough to forestall her words...

" See shradhha... if the topic is about marriage..then I ain't interested...you want me to suffer the same that you've suffered 2 years ago?"
I asked her and she remained silent...
I was about to march towards my room , her voice made me halt on my tracks...

" You can run away from the reality as much as you can seher...but truth won't be changed that swayam marked you as his.."
I swivelled my head and incredibly stared at her... shraddha was saying this ..she too wants me to suffer?!..
I can't believe my ears...i stared at her like as if I had seen a ghost...

" I can't believe it !!! Shraddha you are not serious, are you? Or now are you trying to take your brother in law's side?"
I asked her , filling my voice with much  hatred and haughtiness...she immediately nodded her head negatively and advanced towards me hastily...she  placed her hand on my shoulders and said...

" No seher ...I'm not taking his side..but this is reality...now they won't even allow you to set your foot outside this door... they'll give you agony without any boundaries...so,it's better to be a member of this family rather than remains to be their slave... atleast they won't torture you like this...I'm telling you this for your good future..."
She said and a dry sarcastic smile left my lips ...

" Do you think I still have a future...do you think so?"
I asked her and I witnessed tears rolling down through her cheeks... unable to withhold my tears, i embraced her tightly, pouring out all the feelings that I've been quelling from these past few days....

I stood there , enveloped in shraddha's arms for some more minutes, until shraddha was called by a maid when shehzad got up from his sleep...
I sat down on the floor like a lifeless log and closed my eyes...and I don't know when the goddess of sleep graced me....

•||•••••••••••*•••••••••••||•

Seher

I squeezed my eyes and slowly opened it when the fresh , golden rays of sun touched me ... I glanced around to find myself on the floor, leaning against a pillar...i could see the hustle bustle of people, probably maids and servants running here and there hastily and the whole house was decorated as if any celebration was going to be held ...
I held my head as the pain was excruciating... I saw a maid passing me with a basket of fresh flow in her hands and I immediately called her making her halt on her tracks...

"Hey ..stop there..why everyone is running rapidly here and there..is there any problem ?"
I asked her and she gazed at from top to bottom incredulously...i corrugated my brows at her reaction and her silence hoisted the temperature of my blood...

" Hey..I'm asking you something..can't you hear?"
I raised my voice a bit , hauling her back from her own thoughts and she articulated
" Don't you really know? Bade Malkin has behested us to make preparations for your and chote Malik's wedding...she said that there's an auspicious time today evening for the wedding and we are preparing for it .. "

And that was it ... I lost my temper and the wrath which I was bridling inside got bursted out like a dam ... I swiftly got up from the floor...I was about to squeak,

" Enough....this can't be happen...never.. ever"

I heard a roar from a deep manly voice...all the people, including myself present there flinched for a second heeding to his shout and I glanced back to see an enraged swayam descending the steps hastily...he is marching towards me and my jaws stiffened upon beholding his morose face on morning itself...
He immediately grabbed my forearm and stared into my orbs sharply...

I wriggled my arms to set them free from his filthy touches,but before I could do something, i felt someone seperating him from me...I glanced at my  side to see Bhawani shekhawat standing beside me, glancing pointedly at Swayam....

" Amma please...try to understand..this can't be happen..i won't marry this moron..."
He said curtly, glancing at me with sheer hate and I gritted my teeth in arrogance...

Then who's dying here to marry him ? Me?! My foot ...

" Swayam ... don't be so stubborn.. I've already shown you what happened yesternight..i wasn't lying...you yourself saw that CCTV footages.. didn't you? ..you married her ... consciously or unconsciously that doesn't matter....you married her and that's it.. today you'll marry her .."
She said and gawked at her as if I've seen a new Bhavani Shekhawat...

" Amma ...till this moment, I didn't deny a single order of yours ..but this is something i can't do...don't pressurise me..."
He again expressed his opinion and I glanced at this mother and son simultaneously... whats happening actually...

" Sheru... listen to your Amma..she is your mother..she knows what's good and bad for you.."
I pivoted on my heels heeding to the calm voice of another character...his dear Mama..Vikram Shekhawat...
I felt to laugh so hard at their family mellow drama...

"Mamu ...I don't want you to interfere in this ..this won't be happen and that's final..."
He roared like a lion and the next second,  a hand flitted towards swayam in full speed succeeding with a strong sound and I witnessed Swayam, who was blazing in anger standing infront of me with his one hand over his right cheek..
What just happened...?
I saw shraddha gasping, placing her palms on her mouth and his uncle raising his brows... It doesn't took bhavani shekhawat a split second to slap her son , that too infront of maids ...

" Dare to say another word against my brother and you'll see the worst form of bhavani....you understand..."
I heard his mother squealing at him like anything and  I saw hot tears trailing down from his ruddy visage...

" You'll marry this girl and that's final... understand..now leave and get ready for the preparation...aiyy ganga..take this girl with you and make her get ready for today evening...go.. quick..."
I heard her enjoining and exiting the hall quickly along with her brother... I saw swayam staring at me ..if looks could kill,then I can undoubtedly say that I would have been killed by now..

He advanced dangerously close to me and whispered in a low voice...
" You'll pay for this.."
That was it ..his voice was low ..but i could comprehend the tint of intimidation in  each syllable he uttered...
I was about to reply,but a maid took her with me and I saw him staring at me, without even blinking his eyes till I got out of his sight...

•||••••••••••*•••••••••||•

The silver sphere gleamed at the night sky embellished with stars...The whole shekhawat mansion glistened under the lights and glow of fire lamps getting added the beauty to it....
The fragrance of fresh flowers blended in the atmosphere, conferring them divinity...
Today the mansion is going to witness the marriage ceremony of its only heir... everything and everybody was relaxed, except two hearts...

Seher

I sat infront of the mirror, glancing at my own reflection...i could see some shadows rapidly moving behind me..but all I could concentrate was my palpitating heart...
Shraddha, put a long deep red veil on my head and was busy in securing it ..
I glanced at myself through the mirror once...
A deep red lehenga with simple embellishments....one single chocker that hugged my neck tightly and a long step chain complimenting the chocker ...
My not so big earrings dangled on the either sides and my forehead was adorned with a nice piece of hair accessory...A nath was hanging  on my nose my two hands were almost enveloped with white and red bangles...
My attire was perfect to be said as a dream bride but my mind wasn't...
A lone tear escape from my eyes as I reminiscenced the occurrences happened weeks before...
Weeks before, I was sitting at the same position but in my house...
Weeks before, I was excited for my new life....

As if understanding my turmoil, Shraddha placed her hand over my shoulder in assurance ... I closed my eyes and took a deep sharp breathe..
Suddenly, thwarting my world,
I heard a maid informing shradhha to bring the bride down... I glanced at shradhha and she gave me a tight slipped smile, a helpless smile which made my heart shatter for the umpteenth time...
Finally it's time ..it's time for my life to quash ..to crush down under the grasp of shekhawats...

Within minutes, I walked down through the aisle along with Shraddha and she made me sat inside the mandap beside Mr monster shekhawat...not even for once, I glanced at my notorious groom and my mind didn't permitted to...
Without even glancing at each other, i garlanded him and he garlanded me ending up the beautiful ritual like varmala on a sad note ....

" Bride and groom, please Stand up for the seven sacred vows..."
After submitting the offerings into the sacred fire , I heard the priest announcing and shradhha tied our robes together as per the ritual gathbandhan... we together stood up for the seven rounds ...

At first , he walked prior me and I glanced at him with sheer hate sparkling in my eyes while the priest chanted each and every vows....
I saw him walking infront of me , with all clad in his golden sherwani...
After he completed his rounds,it was my turn to walk infront of him ...As per the ritual,  I walked ahead of him and my inner self just took just the opposite of the vow ,the priest told ..

I felt my heart palpitating rapidly inside me and my uneven breathe escaping my nostrils as soon as I sat on the left side of him ...

" Make the bride wear the nuptial chain.."
I heard the priest announcing and i tightly enclosed my eyes...
I'm going to be his wife...I'm going to be this monster's wife...
Now he have the authority on me as a husband...NO!!!!!!

My inner self helplessly roared inside and my fist tightened its grip on my lehenga..within seconds,i felt the touch of a cold metal on my neck...I glanced down to see my neck was now adorned with a black bead chain with a beautiful mangalsutra hanging on it ...

My eyes permeated brines as soon as I traced my fingers through the nuptial chain and soon I felt shraddha displacing my hair accessory a bit...
His cold fingers trailed through my hair partition once again, filling them with the tint of vermillion....

" Marriage rituals has completed...you both are now husband and wife officially...."
I heard the priest announcing and I sat there like a lifeless creature, unable to move even a single finger....
Tears cascaded down through my cheeks like a stream and my gaze were fastened on the blazing fire infront of me... suddenly, toppling my world upside down....
I heard him whispering into my ears...

" Welcome to the hell.... darling wifey.."

And that was it.... I'm no more..this is apparently my last night....

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