Thirteen Days

Chapter 6

"Vivan listen, okay!", I said, putting both my hands in front of me. Hamid stood beside me and put his hand on my back as if saying that he is there for me.

"Do explain then", Vivan said, looking me dead in the eyes. I swear I saw his jaw ticking for a moment. Was he angry? Who wouldn't be though? He has seen his fiance with an another man in front of him. Obviously he would be angry, Piya!

"I and Hamid love each other", I started telling him. "I was forced into this marriage, you know that. I can't tell my father about us because he will not accept us. Hell! He could do even worse".

"Like?", Vivan asked, his eyebrows scrunched up and eyes narrowed at us.

I looked at Hamid's face. He nodded at me and rubbed my back. I took a sigh and looked back at Vivan.

"You don't know my father", I told him. "He is an Orthodox who feels women are inferior to men. He doesn't treat my mother right and he hates me. He always wanted to have sons and he was the unhappiest when I was born".

"But why is he like this?", he asked. "And all that respect and love that he showed in front of us, was that all for show?".

"Don't you get it", I said helplessly. "It's all fake. It is all just for that business deal with your father. He has been raised in such an environment where male dominancy is taught. He was never taught to respect women and that's why he is like this. Nothing can change him now. I cannot runaway from here nor can I tell him about me and Hamid because...".

I stopped for a while, gulping down the lump in my throat. Vivan stood in front of me, patiently waiting for me to continue.

"Because he will kill us", I told. "He has connections with the underworld and Mafias. My father is a very dangerous person. I don't know what to do anymore. All that I know is we need to stop this wedding anyhow otherwise it will ruin all three of our lives".

Vivan stood there quietly, processing everything that I said.

"So?", Vivan started. "Have you both thought of anything yet? Any plan?".

I and Hamid shook our heads in a no.

"Then, how are you going to stop this?", he scoffed. "If your father is that dangerous and you fear him this much then, what are you going to do? Piya, only ten days are left now. I can't marry you knowing that you love someone else. I know that we both don't have any feelings for each other and also that I acted so cold towards you on our engagement day. But that was all because I was mad that my parents didn't even consider telling me when they fixed our marriage".

He took a step towards me so that he was directly in front of me, towering over me. I had to look up to look in his eyes. He is really tall, maybe 5'11 or so and my 5'4 frame looked so small in front of his.

"But then I thought of giving this marriage a chance", Vivan said in a low voice. "I was thinking of accepting you and starting a bond with you. Not of love, but of friendship. I thought we could work our marriage out but I can't anymore. I can't ruin your life Piya but I am just as helpless as you are. Our parents have fixed that business deal. I wish I could stop this wedding but I can't now. My father won't let me do it".

"Wow! You both have got serious daddy issues", Hamid joked to make the atmosphere lighter.

Vivan closed his eyes and inhaled in a sharp breath.

"Please don't tell anyone Vivan", I pleaded, taking his hand in mine. He looked at our hands with slightly widened eyes but then quickly gained his composure and nodded in a yes.

"I should get going", Vivan said, turning around to walk away.

"Wait!", Hamid called out. "Take Piya with yourself. If anyone else sees her with me, we will be a gone case. It will be safer if you take her to her room".

Vivan nodded in approval. I said goodnight to Hamid and went with Vivan towards my room.

God knows what is going to happen in the next few days.