Zakham

2.

Author's POV

His personal bodyguards Raghu and Chetan soon dragged the husband-wife duo and pushed them inside the room.

"Ye log bhagne ki koshish kar rahe the Rana sa." Chetan spoke, his face impassive.

He saw the couple whimpering on their knees trying to utter something but their fear had paralyzed their voices. His eyes hardened at their pathetic displays and he was about to rip them apart when the door once again opened and Tara was pushed inside.

Everyone was shocked to see her standing there when she was supposed to be in the wedding attire sitting in the mandap and not someone else.

Seeing Vikram's rage, his grandfather placed a hand on his shoulder in a calming way gesturing him to control his emotions and then turned towards the kneeling couple "Ye sab kya hai Manveer?" Adarsh Singh Rathore was well past his prime but his voice and aura could still send shudders down his opponent's spine.

"Voh....voh....hukum....." Manveer tried to speak.

"Seedhe seedhe jawaab do, Manveer. Ye bachi kon hai aur ye mandap par kaise pohnchi?" Adarsh was seething in anger.

"Na....Namrata Shekhawat...Humare bade bhaisaab ki beti. Aaj shaadi se kuch ghante pehle Tara, kahin chali gayin thi. Bohat phone karne par bhi hum unka pata nahi chala pa rahe the. To humein la....laga..."

"Kya laga tumhein ki tum humein sab sach batane ki jagah ye khel kheloge. Tumne kya socha ki ye sach kabhi bahaar hi nahi aayega, ki humein kabhi pata hi nahi chalega." Adarsh's anger along with the rest of his family members was mounting with each passing second.

"Isiliye yeh log vidai main deri karna cahte the taaki humein bina bataye ye dulhan badal sakein." Baldev spoke with his fists clenched.

Realization dawned on everybody at that exact moment about the true extent of the Shekhawat couple's plan. The men wanted nothing more than to kill those despicable human beings whereas the ladies where shell shocked at the whole ordeal. Except two individuals who were rather enjoying the whole show--Usha, Vikram's aunt and her son Varun.

"The doctor's here, Rana sa." A staff member quietly announced and ushered the family doctor in.

Vikram mentioned to Raghu to take the family of three down to their estate where they would be properly questioned before being handed over to the police because no matter how badly he wanted to deal with them right then, his priority was the unconscious girl who was now his wife. 

Everybody's attention switched to the frail figure lying on the hotel bed and the ladies ushered everyone out so that the doctor could check her. Only Padmini remained in the room.

Minutes passed and the doctor did not emerge from the suite. Having waited enough, Vikram was about to enter the room when a distraught looking Padmini emerged "She is barely breathing. We need to take her to the hospital now."

Upon hearing that everybody jumped to action with the younger brothers clearing a direct path to the hospital and the rest of the family members went downstairs to handle the guests. They had no other choice as the scandal was too huge to be let out in the public.

Vikram picked her up, his heart clenching with fear at the thought of the well-being of this stranger who by some twist of fate was now his wife. The feelings that arose in him at her proximity were something that he had never felt before in his entire existence.

*****

Vikram's POV

My blood boiled at the thought of someone doing something like that to their own family member. She looked so fragile like a glass doll lying on the hospital bed.