Niharika's POV:
His words echoed in my mind, "You are just a useless child. Don't you feel wasted, or just a little bad for your family? How much they have to see and face because of you." As I walked, his question lingered, and I couldn't help but wonder if he was right or wrong.
"My family has to face humiliation because of me," the thought haunted me.
His words carried a hint of reality, and I questioned myself as I revisited the memories.
*TWO HOURS BACK*
"I have done the touch-up, ma'am. Please don't cry or ruin your makeup. Keep a straight face, okay?" the artist said before leaving the room.
The door opened, and I hoped to see Ekta di. I turned and said, "Di, I d...didn't m..ean it. Please, at l...e.east you beli...eve I h.ave my com..pulsion for agr..eeing to this ma..rriage." To my surprise, it was someone else - Aarush, Anamika di's friend.
I started feeling a little scared. What is he doing here? I couldn't help but question. "You," I said.
"Yes, and what's your compulsion for marriage? Let me know," he said, giving an evil smile and moving towards me.
"Wh..at do yo..u wa..nt?" I asked in fear, but he didn't answer my question.
"Well, I have to say, you look hot, and in this red lehenga, it's something I would love to have right now," he said, continuing to approach me.
"What? Ju..st g..go fro..m h..ere," I said in fear.
"How can I?" he said, giving an evil smile.
What's his intention? Why is he here? I thought. "Wh...y.y A-are you he..re?" I asked.
"I need to talk," he said.
"But I d..o.on't wa..nt to," I said, remembering Ishita di's past advice, "Niharika, you will not talk to them, especially that Aarush. If next time he tries to bully you, kick him down, okay?" she said to me back then when I was crying, that time she hugged me. I felt my eyes getting wet remembering.
"Yes, Di," I will not get scared even if I will not show anyone. I opened my eyes, and was going to say, "Just go away," but he started talking.
"No, actually, I'm here to say sorry for the past." Sorry? Is he apologizing? Why so suddenly? He never did it before.
"The p-past?" I repeated in confusion.
"Yes, for everything I did in the past," he said, moving even closer to me.
"Please, forgive me," he said desperately. It's unusual behavior from him. Why is he suddenly sorry? No, Niharika, maybe he is.
"Okay," I said.
"Yo.u.u can.. go," I said, turning around, and taking a long sigh.
"Can we be friends from now, at least?" he said.
"No, I d..on't w..ant to b..e," I said while my back was still towards him.
"Please, I'm sorry," he said.
"I sai..d, go, oth..erwise I will s-shout," I said in fear, and I felt a sudden pain in my wrist.
"Shout. Try to shout," he said his hands tightened on my wrist, and I started feeling trembling.
"Now the small kitten starts giving replies back. Did you forget your past, or do I need to remind you?" he said, escalating the conversation.
He lowered his head and started looking into my eyes. His eyes looked of an evil person, very dark. His face almost touched mine, I felt disgusting I closed my eyes in fear, and started taking steps back while he kept moving. Suddenly, I felt no space to move and opened my eyes to look back. There's a wall; I can't move. I looked up in fear; he gave a mirthless laugh and massaged the back of his neck.
He said, "You are too cute to be ruined," then leaned to whisper, "But you already ruined," he said and then looked again at my face maybe to see horror I was feeling inside right now. I looked into his eyes. I tried to kick him down, but he stopped me. "Uhh, no, no, this is not happening," he said.
"You know I can do anything with you,"
"No one will come here for you because this marriage is canceled. You are just a rotten piece; who exactly would want you? As soon as the groom's family finds out, they cancelled the wedding. Now your dad is begging them to accept you," he said smirking.
I looked into his eyes in shock.
"Wh..at?" I said.
"Yes, your father is begging them to marry you. Just at least think about him," he said.
"I'll che...ck m..myself," I said, ignoring him.
"Where the hell are you going? I'm still talking," he pulled me again to the wall, pinned me, leaned forward, and whispered, "You know how tempting you look, but you can't speak a single word. What a waste of beauty. "I tried to protest,but it was useless.
"Stay like that," he ordered.
"You are just a useless child. Don't you feel wasted, or just a little bad for your family? How much they have to see and face because of you," he said, moving more forward, whispering more, then left me.
He left the room, and I sat there covering my mouth with my hands in shock and crying.
"What D-dad has to b..eg be...cause of me," I said to myself.
"You are just useless, Niharika, the first misfortunate daughter any parents have," my consciousness mocked me.
"You are just a shame for them," again my consciousness said, mocking, and I set my palms down on the table.
"Jus..t go; I'm alre...ady ha...v..ving eno..ugh." to this inner ghost.
***
"Hello, Prithvi, did you find her?" Abhi's voice echoed from the other side.
"I'm just looking around," Prithvi replied, scanning the surroundings as he drove the car.
"Me and Amar looked everywhere, the station, everything. I can't find a single trace of her," Abhi said.
"Just where the hell could she go without any help?" Prithvi yelled, his eyes darkening in anger, and then he abruptly cut the phone.
"No, miss, you can't get away from this after dragging me into this," he muttered, starting his car and speeding off, his car racing at the speed of light.
Niharika's POV:
"Maybe... Niharika, you sh..ouldn't have b..een born," I muttered to myself, curling into a fetal position and crying.
"Bacchi," Ishita di said, and I looked up.
"Di, I'm sorry. I d..didn't m..ean to be s..s.selfish or h...urt you. Plea..se talk to m..e," I pleaded.
She looked at me and said, "I know. I can't stay mad at my bacchi for a long time too." She placed her hands on my cheeks.
"Di, I'm so..rry," I said, hugging her.
Breaking the hug, she said, "Bachi, we don't have time. Just get ready, let's go."
"Di, wh..ere?" I asked.
"You are leaving this circus right now. I can't let you live here anymore. Things are getting out of hand," she explained, packing my things.
I stood there in shock. "Di... what happe..ned? Did they c..cancel the wed..d.ding?" " I overh...e...eard som..eone ta.l..lking," I asked, avoiding mentioning Aarush.
"No, Nihu, there's more. I just can't see this happening. First, they wanted to marry you to that Samrat. Now he said no, so they're marrying you off to someone else, some king or their's business partner. I can't stand it. Just pack your things," she said, feeling disgusted.
"But, Di, we c...could ta..lk to the da..ds," I suggested.
"Why r..run?" I said.
"No, Nihu, he lost his senses. He will never listen to us. Take this card; it has my friend's number. Stay with her. When things cool down, you can come live with me," she explained.
"But, Di, it's n..not r..r..right," I protested.
"Niharika, I can't see you being treated like that. You're not some item in an auction that anyone can buy. I want you to see the sky freely," Di said, holding my face in her palms again , wiping my tears.
"Di," I whispered.
"Now, don't cry. Let's go before anyone comes," Ishita di said, and I nodded.
Following Ishita di, not before saying goodbye to Kicky, "Ki..cky, I hav..e to g..go. I ca..n't ta..ke you.u with me... sorry," I said, and she gave a smile, taking out her tongue. I pet her last time before going.
"Niharika, let's go," Di said, and I nodded, placing Kicky back at her place.
Di took me out from the back door. "Veer b..bhai?" I said in shock. What are they doing? Now, Dad will know.
"Di..." I said.
"Sit inside," Bhai said, and I looked towards Ishita di. She nodded.
"I will do my work from here. Just don't panic, Isha di, and please handle everything here," Veer bhai said. I looked in shock. Di nodded and went inside, and I sat inside the car. Bhai started the car. Sometimes we sat in silence, then he spoke.
"Niharika? I know I've never been a good brother to you or can be," Bhai said while driving, taking the car out of the house. His voice carried regret.
"I fulfilled every wish of Anamika, but for you, I did nothing. I know you don't like materialistic things, but still, I'm sorry. Even if you don't like it, I should treat you both the same way," he said.
I shook my head in response.
"No, no. I should still ask you. " Veer Bhai said.
"I know you like my horse; that's why I never tell anyone about that because it's the only time I feel at least I'm doing or able to do something for my sister," Veer Bhai said. His voice became dry, and he stopped the car, starting to cry.
"I know, Niharika, what I did could never justify, but I was scared. I'm not a fighter spirit like Isha di, but this time I was scared for you. He's just on another level, yours or ours. You are just a small girl with dreams, but he's a really powerful man. I can't just see my sister being the subject of Dad's wish," he said, crying while not looking at me.
"Maybe this wedding getting canceled was my chance to correct my mistake. I'm sorry, Niharika," he said.
"N..o, b..bhai, I k..now h.ow m-much y..o..ou love and obe..y Da..d.d. Please don't be sorry. I was never angry with you," he drove back again.
After reaching the destination, he said, "Take care. Just call me if something happens. Take a cab or bus from here, okay? I need to go; otherwise, everyone will know," he said, and started going.
That's when i hugged him one last time. "Take care, be strong " he said while patting Me.
Once Bhai was gone, I looked around and moved towards the bus stop, waiting for the bus to arrive. People gave me weird and judgmental looks; I couldn't meet their eyes. Sitting in my lehenga, I overheard an aunty making a comment in native Kannada, "What a disgrace! The girl has run away from her wedding. God should never give birth to such kinds, not even to a sterile couple. Such girls should never be born."
"Selfish and useless child, leeching off their parents, this type of girl's just shameless." another aunty commented.
I clutched my lehenga tightly, feeling the weight of their words.
I got up and started walking, others giving me hateful looks."You are just a useless child. Don't you feel wasted, or just a little bad for your family? How much they have to see and face because of you," his words echoed in my mind.
*PRESENT TIME*
"You are bringing shame to this family, Niharika."
"You should have died."
(Horns honking in the background, People around her urgently warned, "Ladki, get away, A car is coming!")
"just die niharika , just die dont think , just-- "
I walked, and suddenly, I felt someone pull me aside. My eyes met with a person. They looked unfamiliar but homely, and strangely they had genuine worries for me. "Are you crazy, huh?"
***
"Where have you gone, Miss?" he said, frustration evident in his voice as he slammed his hand on the steering wheel. He then stopped the car, running his fingers through his hair in frustration.
Suddenly, his eyes fell on the rearview mirror, and he muttered, "Fuck," before opening the car door and running in the opposite direction.
The girl was walking aimlessly in the middle of the road, oblivious to the honking horns and the car approaching from the opposite direction. Prithvi's heart raced as he sprinted towards her, grabbing her and pulling her to his side safely just as the car whizzed by.
"Are you crazy, huh?" he exclaimed.
"Tum pagal ho gayi ho?" Prithvi asked.
"They are all telling you to walk on the other side, can't you see?" he shouted at her.
"Marna chahti ho kya?" he said, shaking her arms.
"Haa-a-an," Niharika replied.
"Pl...ease, l.et m..e die," she said.
Her eyes teared up as she broke down in the middle of the road, not caring about the people around. Crying, she continued, "Mera se na..hi ho pa..yega ye sab, mein thu..k chuki hun andar se. Har koi yaha bas mu..jhe ek s..s.shatranj ki chaal ki tarah samajhta hai, koi m-mujhe c-categorize ka..rta hai. I'm this type of girl. Koi use ka..rke fek deta hai, kamzor samajh ke, dus..ro ki rep..utation, d..dus.ro ka r..espect. Bu..t m..mera kya?"
Prithvi, for a moment, felt her emotions, but then he remembered what she did to him. He said, "Don't make a scene here."
"Get in the car and do the marriage," he said, sitting near her while she cried.
"No, s--stop T...thi.s...wed..ding pl..ease," she said, taking his hand, pleading.
"I don't take orders," he said in an authoritative tone, getting up.
"Jaldi utho," he ordered. But She didn't get up.
"Fine, I don't have any choice left," he said, sitting down at her level again, lifting her on his shoulder.
She protested, but he stopped only in front of his car, making her sit and starting the car.
***
BACK AT HOME,
"Prithvi?" Abhi said.
"Did you find her or Any trace?" Abhi asked, coming forward.
Prithvi didn't answer any questions; he just opened the door and took her out. Now her whole family was present. Ishita and Veer shared glances with each other in shock.
Prithvi took Niharika's hands and asked her family, "Her room?"
Ishita came out and said, "I'll take her."
"No need, just tell me where it is," Prithvi said in an angry tone. She showed the direction, and Prithvi marched her towards her room, holding her hands. Once he reached her room, he left Niharika inside and locked the door, ignoring her pleas.
"I'll go look out for her," Ishita said, starting to open the door.
"Stop there," Prithvi ordered.
"Amar! Amar!" he shouted in anger.
"Yes, boss," Amar said, and the whole family along with Abhi followed him.
"Just don't let any family member of hers go inside the room, and call the designers or suit makers to be present here. Make her wear the most expensive things in Bangalore," he said.
"And I don't want to see any traces of anything, her lehenga, or jewelry she is wearing Right now. Burn everything, no traces," he commanded.
"Yes, boss," Amar said. This time, Abhi couldn't say anything to him.
"Yes, all of you, Listen to me carefully. This wedding will happen, today or tonight. No one try to play dirty jokes with me," he said, looking towards the whole family.
The entire family witnessed the drama unfolding, powerless and with nothing in their hands.
***
IN THE NIGHT,
(Priest chanting mantras in the background.)
The priest said "for Kanyadan, the Bride's father came forward," and Jairaaj performed every custom as the priest instructed.
Then the priest asked Niharika for Shila Rohan to get up, but she didn't respond. Her mother went near her, shaking her and calling for her, but she didn't answer.
Abhi came forward and said, "Let me see, aunty."
He checked her and said, "Did she have something?"
No one replied.
"Did she have something? Can't you hear he's asking?" Prithvi shouted at her family.
"No, I think she didn't and was crying the whole time," Ishita said.
"She fainted, Now?" Abhi said to Prithvi.
Everyone present at the wedding started making gossip.
"How will this marriage happen?" people around started talking.
"Is this an inauspicious sign? The bride fainted," another one commented.
"They must be forcing her, poor girl," someone else commented.
"This marriage can't happen; the bride fainted. How will other customs be performed?" the priest said.
"This marriage will not be canceled; it will happen now in any way," Prithvi announced.
"But how?" the priest asked.
Prithvi stood up, lifted the fainted form of Niharika in his arms, and said, "Pandit ji, shuru kare."
Everyone looked at him shocked, but no one dared to talk back to him.
The priest started chanting the mantras. After they completed the pheras, the priest said, "For the Mangalsutra and Sindoor Daan, she needs to be conscious."
Prithvi looked up at her mother, giving her a silent signal. She sprinkled some water on her face.
Niharika lazily opened her eyes, and Prithvi tied the beaded necklace (Mangalsutra) around her neck. Then he applied Sindoor (vermilion) to her scalp. She lazily looked and again lost consciousness. She fainted there.
"Now you are husband and wife, officially," the priest announced.