Captured

Chapter 1

With a hopeless twilight, the dirty blue of the sky covered every inch of the visible landscape, grazing its smooth hand over the tired souls and guiding them home. Amidst the cool wind and fading city lights, Matsyaa saw their car driving into the gateway of Mansarovar. Her eyes widened and she took a restless glance at Ranvijay. "Why are we here?" 

"Don't you want to meet your parents?" He placidly asked, staring ahead and her pulse elevated. "But…but I've agreed to marry you. Why are you doing this now?"

He confusingly peeked at her, "I don't understand. You don't want to see them?" 

I don't want to see them dead. She answered his question in her mind and her eyes surfaced with unshed tears. She didn't want him near her family. She didn't want him near her and the fears of something bad happening gripped her tightly in its clutches, making her helpless. 

Ranvijay sighed, bringing his hand up to thumb away her tears from her eyelids, "Your dad is safe. I haven't touched him. Your family doesn't interest me, Matsyaa. It's all about you." 

She inched up her lashes to see him and he nodded, "He is waiting for you." 

"He knows I'm here?" Her eyebrows touched her hairline.

"Who doesn't!?" 

Matsyaa was speechless. She had never believed him to drop her back without getting her signatures on the marriage certificate but he made it clear that their wedding was going to be a grand ceremonial occasion rather than a legal pact. His obsession with their marriage was getting beyond her wits. Why did he want to wait when she had already agreed? It was like he was testing her limits. He confused her a lot. 

"I gave you a word, Matsyaa. Remember? I told you I'll drop you back home when you agree to marry me. I'm keeping my promise." He plainly said and she looked down on her lap. The car stopped right before the mansion and Bhushan opened the door for Ranvijay. He stepped down, rounded the car and held open the door for her. Matsyaa felt like deja vu. 

Exactly like this, he had made her enter his Haveli. The Haveli which had witnessed her fights, her cries, her weakness, her aggression and then her submission. Everything from that point to this moment seemed fulfilling as she placed her hand in his and climbed out of the car, bearing tears in her eyes and seeing her home. 

This is where my parents live. This is where people love me. This is where I am safe. This is where I will never cry. 

"Are you going to keep staring at the walls from outside?" His slightly amused voice echoed in her ears and she rushed inside, forgetting everything. She spotted her mother sitting on the davenport, gazing at the carpet and launched straight into her arms, "Mumma!" 

Startled, Gauri sat up and with a longing sigh, wrapped her arms around her daughter, "Oh bachcha! Thank God! You're home." 

Matsyaa didn't speak a word and kept wetting the shoulder of her mother with her tears, letting her wails wash off the pain she was hiding within and clutched onto Gauri tightly. "Mumma…I missed you. I missed you so much, Mumma. Are you…Are you fine?" She hiccupped and pulled back to see her mother. Gauri nodded with a smile but it froze on her face when she noticed the bandage on Matsyaa's forehead. "What's this, Matsyaa? How did you get injured?" 

Matsyaa touched her bandaged and sniffed, blinking her vision clear. "It's nothing. I'm fine. You tell me, how is da…"

"You don't look fine to me." Gauri shook her head and took a step back to look at her daughter properly. Matsyaa had her wrist bandaged, a little scar on her forearm and a bruise on her knee. Just as the inspecting gaze touched her body, Matsyaa could also feel the pain stinging at different parts.