"Aditya.. Chhod do use.", a raged voice cautions him from the other end of corridor that even dark night would be afraid of. Aditya stutters in fear and moves back.
He runs to Aditya and slaps him hard on his face leaving the marks. The sound of slap echoed around.
"Mahir!!", Bela whispers in tears covering herself by her hand.
"Mahir! Tumne mujhe thappad mara?? How dare you??", he asks taking it as an insult.
"Haan, maine tumhe thappad mara. Tum agar mere mahal ki izzat par haath daloge toh main tumhe goli bhi maar sakta hoon.", he clenches his jaw, glares at him with deadly redshot eyes and face heating up in fury.
Bela shivers in fear, sitting on floor, hugging her knees and looks at Mahir whom she saw vehement for the first time. His eyes spite fire.
"Ek maid ka haath pakadne pe tum mujhe goli maroge?", Adi asks in disbelief.
"Haan! Aurat, aurat hoti hai, chahe koi bhi ho. Iss ghar ki naukrani ki izzat bhi utni hi keemti hai jitni yahan ke malikon ki. Iss ghar mein kaam karne wali koi naukrani ho ya humare kheton mein kaam karne wali koi majdooran, unki taraf kisiki bhi aankh galat irade se uthi toh main uski aankhein nikal lunga, chahe woh koi mera apna bhi kyun na ho!!", he bellows in fury and glares at Aditya wanting to kill him right over there.
"Yeh mamuli si ghatiya ladki ke tumne mujh par haath uthaya iska anjaam tumhe bhugatna padega..", Aditya threatens him.
"Adiiiii!! Not a single word against her!! Uske liye aise alfaaz istemal karne se pehle sau baar soch lena.", - Mahir warns him in deadly voice.
Bela looks at Mahir intently while crying bitterly.
"Aur haan! Abhi ke abhi dafa ho jao yahan se. Kal subah agar tum mujhe yahan dikhe toh.. Tumhe sirf Paridhi bhabi ki wajah se chhod raha hoon warna tumhari sari badsulukhi nikalne jaante hoon main..", Mahir replies without considering Adi's hollow threats.
"Dekh lunga tumhe main!!", cleaning his blood oozing from his lips, he sprints off from there.
Bela's sobs echoes in the empty corridor. Mahir looks at her and then her shawl laying on floor at some distance. He walks to her in a quick pace, picking up her dupatta and covers her.
Bela without any delay hugs him quickly in daze and Mahir stumbles but hearing her sobs reciprocates her hug back to provide her embrace.
Bela finds a warmth in his embrace and cries her heart out while Mahir gently strokes her head whispering that everything is fine. Nothing happened.
Bela comes out of her daze and quickly backs off, embarrassed. Mahir looks at her tears stricken face and his fury reaches a notch.
"Aur tum yahan kyun aayi thi?? Jab tumhe kaha tha ke Dadi Maa ke kamre tak hi rahogi toh yahan jaane ki kya zaroorat thi? Woh bhi raat ke iss waqt?", Mahir snapped at her in intense anger.
"Mujhe Imli ne.. Imli ne kaha tha ki.. ki Rani.. Rani Maa gym wali side par.. mujhe bula rahi thi.. ", she replies between hiccups.
"Imliii.. yeh ghatiya ladki!!", Mahir mutters grinding his jaws.
He wanted to bring Rani Maa and Imli together and clear all the matter, but it was about this girl's dignity whose tears were disturbing him very badly.
"Bewakoof ladki. Tumhe khud apna sense istemaal karna chahiye tha na. Mom tumhe gym area mein kyun bulayengi? Jab yeh hissa mardon ke istemaal ke liye hai..!!"
Scolding her, he holds her right hand and opens a side door, stepping in the room. A narrow long way ends in the lawn from that room. She silently tries to match his furious pace while walking.
"Woh wahan Dadi Maa ke room ka backdoor hai. Udhar se chali jao..", he shows her way to go back, leaving her hand.
The corridor leaded to the servant quarter where he was going to meet a servant's family about that servant's well condition who was admit in city hospital for his treatment. When he heard a girl's continuous screams. Skipping to go quarter, he ran towards the voice and what he saw, made him shocked and furious.
He had never liked Aditya because of his habits. Even he never liked his coming in Palace but he always stayed quiet because of Paridhi.
If he wanted, then he would drag Aditya to the family members and told them about the scandal he was creating but he knew no one would believe and only the poor girl's dignity would be at stake. So, he chose to be silent about this for now.
Bela reaches to the back door of Badi Rani Maa's room and turns back to find him standing there and looking at her. He smiles a little and blinks his eyes assuringly when their eyes meet. Tears wells up again in her eyes and she quickly enters the room.
*
Next morning Bela was burning in fever.
"Haaye! Isse dekho jo humari khidmat karne aayi thi khud bimaar pad gayi.", Badi Rani Maa talks to herself herself.
"Arey! Koi iss masoom bachchi ko toh dekh lo. Kab se besudh padi hai.. Na jaane kya ho gaya hai..", Badi Rani Maa's motherhood resurfaces looking at her who was unconsciously laying since morning.
At evening, Jamini brought her soup and medicines. She quietly took few spoon of soup and then the medicine.
"Sahab ne kaha hai ki agar Sanam ka bukhaar kal tak nahi utra toh doctor ke paas le jayenge.", Jamini informs.
Her heart skips and she asks in weakness - "Koun se sahab ne kaha hai?"
"Raja Sahab ne."
"Oh!", her eyes glistens on hearing her answer. Jamini was talking about the Adhiraj Uncle, she knew.
Jamini puts her palm on her forehead - "O Maa! Yeh toh tandoor ki tarah garm ho rahi hai. Zara apna haath dikha.."
Jamini tries to hold her hand but Bela quickly pulls her right hand back. Jamini finds it weird but let it go.
Someone's touching her that hand was providing her strength and she didn't want to end this feeling.
Putting her cheek, on that right hand, she slept because she need to go home tomorrow morning at any cost...
*
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FanfictionIt's the story of Bela who is a modern free willed girl stuck in an arrange marriage proposal from a rural landlord royal family. The supposed groom is the son of her father's best friend. What Bela does to come out with reasons to reject this propo...
