Happiness? Was a word that left Roohi Shekhawat's life long ago. She was the diamond nobody took notice of in the pile of coal. She shone brighter than the eyes of a common man can take notice. Perfection was a word for her.
Until,
A someone saw he...
"Roohi your phone is ringing," I was teaching the kids the basic choreography as Sudha interrupted me.
"Who is it?" I asked from my spot as kept going on and then stopped as I bid the kids farewell they all came to hug me.
"It's caller ID is an Unknown number?" she asked sounding very confused as I heard the name and a huge smile formed on my sweaty face.
"Kids, I have to take it, " I told the kids as they all pulled away and got busy talking to themselves. And I jogged towards Sudha as I snatched the phone she got surprised.
"Who is this Unknown number?" she asked me smiling as I picked up the phone.
"Umm hmm?" I hummed at the call. Instead of saying hello Sudha's smile touched her ears.
And I walked away before she can do something shitty.
"I'm here," he spoke as I got filled with happiness.
"Really?" I asked him as he hummed. "Then can we-? "
"I'm waiting at our usual place." He spoke as I smiled even bigger as I cut the phone call.
"Sudha I'm leaving." I hold her as she stopped me.
"When will you come again? Kids love you," she asked me as I smiled but I was rather down inside.
"When Aarav bhai won't be home again," I told her as she made a pitiful face I chuckled looking at her. And I said goodbye to the kids while I left.
As soon as I walked out from the little mirror dance academy a black car approached and made a huge sudden brake. I freaked out.
And I realized there were more two black cars behind it.
I apologized, I was getting late so ran without looking back.
After running for a long time. I finally reached the top of the hill from where the entire Jaipur is visible.
I climbed the stairs and I saw him waiting for me on the rock.
"Vanish.." I called him, he looked back at me. And his lips too curled up as he came to me, I hugged him.
"I can't stay. I have to leave. I just wanted to see you for once," he said as he already started to pull apart.
"What about me? I didn't get to see you." I said to him, he stood at his spot and bent a little till my height and smiled.
"Now, can I leave?" He asked me in a few seconds as I nodded.
"When will I see you again?" I asked him as he looked upset too.
"I don't think it will be any sooner," he told me as I got a little sad but then he kissed my head as he started to leave and yelled goodbye.
And I too bid him goodbye.
I sat on the rock, looking at the beautiful view.
All the huge shops that are way bigger than my height were now smaller them my feet.
And I wondered around as my phone started to buzz. I looked at my phone and I saw it was Suman aunt.
Did Bhaiya come back?
I picked up the phone, I heard her panicked voice.
"Roohi come back. Aarav Bhaiya is back. And today Vimal sir is here too," she spoke in a panicked voice. As I told her to calm down, busy with the buzz of questions and rushing fear in my nerves.
"Don't let him know I'm not at the house," I told her as she started to cry no-no.
"No, Roohi, no. He asked for you in the living room in ten minutes," she said as I stood and now I was panicking too.
"I will be there but it will take me twenty minutes. I'm at - I'm at the market," I told her as she told me to hurry up and I hung up as I took my bag and started to run.
I took the taxi as I finally reached the house. I sneaked in from the gate backside as Rohan started to splash water all over me from the garden pipe I kept asking him to stop. We both giggled as he finally stopped when Suman's aunty took the pipe away from him. He was her ten-year-old son. As she took it away and I finally looked up, I saw Aarav bhaiya. My hands which were rested to dodge the water away now intertwined together, I turned my head down. He was not alone.
There were three more men with him. I was messed up in front of his guests. He will be so furious right now.
I was standing wet there as Suman Aunty came with a towel and covered me, she took me away while they were standing there.
"Roohi what the hell did you do?? Not just you became drenched in front of him he also got to know that you went out!" She cried, I looked at her half hair was cut down to her ear and the other half was lingering till the elbow.
I did this to her. The last time I went outside and brother found out he cut her half hair in half as he left the other side. And asked her to leave it like that.
I don't know what he will do this time to her.
She is like a mother to me. While my brother brought her to be my shuttle.
If I make mistakes. She has to bear the consequences.
It's always been like that. Whenever I make mistakes she has to take the punishment. And she has been doing this all this year without quitting because she knows if she will leave too I won't have anyone left for me in here.
Though, I love my brothers. But only she has been my backbone ever since I came into this house when I was seven-eight after mom died.
I changed into new clothes, Suman Aunty came and stood in front of her. Her face had a worried smile as she looked at me.
"The man you saw earlier is here for your marriage," she told me as my eyes widen.
