Devraj: Get her ready quickly. If she doesn't co-operate that just get her as it is. But I want her in the pandal in 20 minutes.
Instructs the maids and leaves.
Maid 1: Wear this clothes before we do your hair and makeup.
Shehnaaz: I am not wearing it!
Maid 2: Kaise nahi pehanegi? Tu bhi pehenegi aur teri maa bhi.
The maids were not less than the goon themselves. They weren't lenient on her since their boss himself wasn't lenient with her. They tear the clothes she was wearing and render her exposed from different places. Shehnaaz struggles but it was all in vein.
Maid 2: Ab bol tu kapde pehenegi ya aise hi chalegi. Boss ko kaise bhi chalega.
Shehnaaz shivered at the thought of walking in torn clothes. She slips the wedding gown in silence. Her mind all cluttered and occupied with different thoughts at the same time.
Aadya's papa would hate me after reading the note. Aadya? My little munchkin, I've not seen her over 24 hours now. She must be worried about me. How am I going to escape this situation? If Devraj could send a letter and get my information, he can also hunt me when I escape. This means a greater risk to Aadya and her papa. I thought of doing good to a lady and I got entangled myself. How do I come out of this quicksand?
I can't go home by escaping, what if Devraj harms my family. I can't survive without them. It's okay if Aadya's papa hates me but I want his safety. But I can't marry Devraj at any cost. My life, my love, my body and my soul belongs only to my husband. My husband is only Aadya's papa. I will only be Shehnaaz Sidharth Srivastava and nothing else.
Her makeup was done and they make her wear all the ornaments. They put a veil on her head and pull her to the pandal. Shehnaaz was unable to think. She was cursing herself for all the decisions and actions she took since yesterday starting from the time she stepped inside Devraj's den.
She hadn't informed Sidharth where she was going, neither did she gave him the address, she didn't tell him her encounter with Javed (master) again, neither did she allow Sidharth to accompany her. Since was thinking how the events could have been changed if she had allowed Sidharth to come with her.
To save the monetary loss, she ended up with emotional and mental torture upon all the lives involved - hers, Aadya's, Sidharth's and Devraj's as well.
She was made to sit beside Devraj who was fuming in anger as the sacred fire burning in front of him.
The Panditji recite mantras and asks Devraj to forward his hands and Shehnaaz to place hers on top of his hand. Devraj forwards his hand but Shehnaaz doesn't. Devraj signals the maid who lifts her hand and places it on his hands. The pandit goes to keep a flower in their hands which had to be offered to fire but he shivers when he finds a red fluid leaking from Shehnaaz's hand. Devraj looks at Panditji's horrified face and looks at her hand. She had cut her nerves with piece of glass bangles she was wearing.
Devraj: (shocked) What the hell? How did this happened?
She falls unconcious and Devraj immediately removes the pink veil around his neck and fastens it around her hand to stop the bleeding. He lifts her up and rushes outside to the car. The driver drives them to the hospital and the doctor immediately attends to her.
She gains consciousness in the morning and finds Devraj royally sitting right infront of her on the chair with his one leg resting over the other.
Devraj: Hello there!! Welcome back to hell! So you were trying to escape the punishment. Huh? It isn't so easy to escape from Devraj. Why are you trying to act smart with me when you are a biggest fool I've ever seen in my life.
Shehnaaz: You can't stop me from dieing. If you can kill for your love then I can die for my love.
Devraj: I know! Killing someone is like a piece of cake for me but I don't want to kill you. And... I know how to stop you from dieing as well. (He stares at her by narrowing his brows) If you try to even scratch yourself a bit harder than the normal pressure then I will kill your loved ones.
Shehnaaz: No!!!! Please don't do it!! Please don't do anything to my husband and child.. (she pleads) I won't harm myself. Please! (Cries)
Devraj: (smirks) So you know now how it feels to go against Devraj's will. I won't show any mercy! The nurse will help you get dressed so be ready to go back to your cage. And we are getting married after a week now since the doctor said you will have weakness for a week as you lost lots of blood. Remember don't try to act smart with me.
Shehnaaz nods like a lifeless robot. The nurse helps her change into normal clothes and she gets discharged from hospital.
.
.
.
Sidharth could hardly sleep whole night. He scrolled through the phone and read the flirty old messages he exchanged with Shehnaaz. He wondered what went wrong that she decided to leave him. But all he had was only questions and no answers.
The alarm went off and he took bath and went to the kitchen to cook something for them. He hardly had any experience in cooking. Most of his time went into exploring what's where and what's what. He scrolled through some easiest recipes in his phone which was not so easy for him and cooked a food.
He looked at the time and it was already getting late. He quickly woke up Aadya and brushed her teeth and put on her uniform. Tieing plaits was a daunting task. Aadya shrieked everytime he combed her hair. He somehow shabbily tied her hair together and gave her breakfast.
Aadya looked at the shape and appearance of the food and made a disgusting face. He looked at her with a most innocent and helpless face. Aadya silently gulped the food down her throat. She felt like throwing up in between but she was trained by Shehnaaz to appreciate what they had. He kissed her forehead and quickly got her lunchbox ready. He got ready for his office and locked the house.
Sidharth held Aadya's hand as they walked on the road. Aadya was narrating a story while Sidharth was humming to her lost in his own thoughts.
Aadya: Papa papa.. Look mumma.. (points and screams) mumma mumma..
Sidharth looks into the direction where Aadya was pointing and finds Shehnaaz sitting in a big high end car with a good looking man. For a second he froze in his place unable to react. He then ran towards the car but after taking 4 leaps he realised that he left Aadya behind. He turned back and looked at Aadya who ran at her pace to him. He ran back and picked her up thinking that he would run behind the car again but the car was already gone.
His facial expression showed a defeated look. He was truly defeated by his love.
She was sitting in a big car. Did she leave me for the riches? Why is it so indigestible that she could leave me for money? A girl who gave away her only phone for me to use, a girl who sold her ornaments to pay my daughter's fees, a girl who wore old clothes on her wedding but bought new clothes for my daughter, could she leave me and my daughter for the riches? But can my eyes lie? She was sitting with a young man who looked good and wore nice clothes. Who is he and why is she with him? Did she leave me for him?
His blood boils thinking about her leaving him for some other man.
Was she not satisfied with me that she left me for him? What does he possess that I don't have? Leaving aside the money cause she never ran behind money. What is so good about him?
Aadya: Papa, I want mumma. Why didn't she wait for us? Why didn't she look at us?
Sidharth: I don't know. Forget her Aadya. We've reached your school. Study well. Bye!
Aadya: Bye papa.
Aadya goes inside the school and Sidharth goes to office.
.
.
.
Shehnaaz was sitting helplessly in the car beside Devraj, aimlessly looking outside from the front glass. They were going back to Devraj's mansion from hospital where she was going to serve her lifetime imprisonment.
Her mind only thought about Sidharth and Aadya.
I asked Aadya's papa to reminisce our sweet memories 2 days back so that he could pass through his night along with a promise to add more memories to it when I return. But I feel like those memories are the only support I get to stay alive for my life.
Aadya will probably forget that I once existed in her life since she is very small. What about her papa? Will he remember me and the sweet memories? Ofcourse, he will remember me but it will be not for the sweet memories. He will remember me as a nightmare and a disaster in his life.
I wish I could see them once before I serve my imprisonment. I wish!!
Her gaze shifts to her side window and she couldn't believe that her wish was granted. She saw Aadya running in her uniform and Sidharth running towards her. He picked her up and hugged her tight and before she could see more of them, their car went ahead so much that she lost them.
She put her head out of window screaming "Aadya.. Aadya.. Aadya's papa.. Jaanu.."
She was pulled back into the car with a sudden force by Devraj.
Devraj: Shehnaaz!!! (He said loudly) Sit down..
Shehnaaz: Devraj, I saw a glimpse of Aadya and her papa.. please let me see them properly once.. I won't ask you for anything until my last breath.. please let me see them once, I promise I will see them from far but please allow me to see them.. I beg you Devraj, please! (She folded her hands)
Devraj: Driver take a U-turn.
Shehnaaz: (smiled) Thank you.. thank you.. thank you sooo much..
The driver turned the vehicle and went back.
Shehnaaz: They must be going to Aadya's school. It's just few distance away from here. Aadya was in uniform. You have to take a right turn from here. (She said with excitement)
Devraj: (Looked at the road and found a diversion) Driver take left.
Shehnaaz: (quickly) It's right turn Devraj.
Devraj: Driver, take a LEFT turn. (He repeated his sentence stressing on Left) Huh!! (Smirks) Aahhh! My heart feels a bit more content to see you suffering. The suffering behind wanting to see your loved ones but unable to see them.
Shehnaaz looked at him in shock. His words were sharper that the dagger which opened up his wound and gave her the pain and guilt at the same time.
Devraj: Do you feel it? (His eyes showed burning fire) How it feels to not able to see your love?
Shehnaaz: (cried) Yes, I do! But remember, you kept me away from going to my loved ones. Whereas your loved ones wanted to run away from you herself. You would have failed regardless. If I had to not help her escape then she would have either killed herself or being a lifeless body with you.
Her words hit him hard on his face.
You would have failed regardless.. you would have failed regardless..
Devraj: (Angrily held her hair and pulled her back making her shriek) Shut up you bitch!! Just shut up! You have no rights to speak to me like that. Just keep your mouth shut!
He pushes her head with a jolt and her face hits the headrest of the front seat making her nose bleed. She screams and sits back straight. He looks at her bleeding nose. He pulls out and gives her the handkerchief to wipe the blood. She pushes his hand away in anger. He forcefully wipes her nose with the handkerchief as she struggles to escape him from doing so. Once done she glares at him.
Devraj: (speaks with gritted teeth) I want you alive, I want to torture you and torment you! (Smirks)
She cursed her fate for ending up here.
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To be continued.. ❤️❤️