^^^^^^Amey Pandya as Roshan Alluwalia (Prem and Poonam's son) ^^^^^^^
"Toh tune kya answer diya?" I stopped twirling my fingers and looked at Bhabhi with a pointed look. I couldn't see her expressions in the dark but the moonlight coming from my window was enough to tell me that she was lying right beside me.
"Kya Matlab kya answer diya?" I started in offense. "He's a mad man! Ek meet mei thori na pyaar ho ja ta hai..."
"But you said he knows everything about you." I heard her explain. "Party mei bhi you were like he knew your habits." I scoffed at her answer.
"Just because he knows some of my habits that doesn't mean he's my prince charming." I said bitterly, looking the other way. "Prince charming only exists in fairytales and Life is definitely not a fairytale."
"But Kriti..." I ignored her calling as I buried my head inside my pillow. "Why would he come after you like that? I mean tere bedroom tak bhi pauch gaye woh!" I lifted my head at her observation. That's true. I have only met him once and he's after me like he knows me from a long time.
"You know what I think bhabhi..." I started, turning around to face her. "I think he's a creep. He must have been watching me from a long time in order to know all that stuff about me. What if he's spying on me?"
"I don't doubt that. After all, he did manage to get in your bedroom even though you have an army of guards swarming the area below your room. You know how Kabir is. He doesn't want you to leave un-guarded until the marriage is done." I looked away again. There is another part of my room that people can sneak in through. It starts from my study table window and runs through a small passageway hidden by the vines around the house. Like I said, the house is almost like a mansion, so it had its own covered passageways. What if he came through there? I used to use it years back when I had to sneak out to meet Shaalu or Ary—him. Now that I think about it, he actually came through the window near my study table. But how did he know about that?
"Whatever it is, he's still an obsessed creep." I said after a while. "I just hope he doesn't create any problems tomorrow." I looked up as Bhabhi suddenly turned the lights ON and sat up. I started at her in confusion. She looked pissed off. "What?" I asked blankly.
"You're not actually telling me that you want to get married to Pandey?" She hissed. I dropped down back on the bed and rubbed my face. Not this again. Why can't she understand I'm only doing this so she would be safe and alive?!
"Please Bhabhi... Not this again." I said irritably, trying to ignore the topic. I pulled the blanket closer to my face but it was snatched out of my hands before I could completely pull it up.
"Kriti!" I heard her yell. "You can't marry him. He's an absolute disgrace to mankind!" I squeezed my eyes in anger. My patience was losing. "You have no idea what he plans to do with you after you are married off!"
"I know what he plans to do, okay?!" I said suddenly sitting up. "I know all their plans and I'm willing to accept them."
"But why?! Do you really want to be their prostitute?" She yelled.
"Yes!" I replied, looking straight into her eyes. I had to convince her. "I'm willing to be everything they want me to be! If you hadn't noticed my life is already screwed! And it has been for the past SEVEN years Bhabhi!" I yelled. "I'm not the same Kriti anymore. I accept what comes my way. You have no idea how it feels like to be abandoned! To have all your close ones ripped off you! Bhabhi, my own friends didn't care about me... My own BEST FRIEND left me with a broken heart! I was insulted and abused all my life. My mother is dead. So forgive me If I don't give a shit about my life anymore. Because I don't want to. I'm screwed and I know it! So stop making it worse!" I finished as I held my tears back. I looked at her. She was frozen with tears in her eyes. I looked down in guilty. I had to do this. I'm sorry Bhabhi.
"I think I should leave." I heard her mutter after a while. She was choking on her words. I didn't look up as she stood up from the bed. It was after the slam of the door is when I let my tears fall.
"I'm sorry bhabhi." I cried to myself. "I know you want to help me but there's nothing that can help me." With that I dropped back down on my pillow and cried myself to sleep.
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The next morning, I turned up at the breakfast table, me and Bhabhi didn't share a glance with each other. Our eyes only avoided the other one. Knowing that Bhabhi was upset with what I said last night, I quietly ate my breakfast. Even though we didn't share any direct eye contact, I could still feel the small glances she kept throwing at me once in a while. I tried not to notice them. Because If I did, she would either ignore me or pretend to be interested with her son, Roshan, who was getting annoyed by all the pulling his mother was doing to his cheeks.
"Mummy bus!" The little boy exclaimed as Bhabhi pulled his cheeks for the 100th time. "These are my cheeks mumma! Yeh koi rubber band nahi jise aap pull kare jare ho." I heard everyone laugh at the mother and son's little batter. I smiled as a small smile appeared on bhabhi's face. Leave it for Roshan to brighten up the mood around the table.
"Kritika baby..." I heard Mary call behind me. I turned around to face her. She had a phone in her hand. "Aap ke liye phone hai..."
"Oh, thank you Mary." I said taking the phone. "Hello." I said while taking a sip of my juice.
"Hi meri golden duckling." I instantly spit out the juice I was drinking. I coughed loudly in shock as everyone on the table stared at me... more like glared at me.
"TUM!" I screamed into the phone, trying my best to calm down my coughing. It was that same bastard from last night. Ugh! Pagal insaan... How the hell did he get my number?
"Kya baat hai... Aaj bina bole hi meri avaaz phechan li?" I squeezed my glass in anger. I was about to retort is when I noticed every eye on the table was on me. I looked at the phone and then the half-spilled juice. Great.
"Excuse me." I said with a tight smile before quickly leaving the breakfast table. I could tell everyone was curious at the phone call. Great. Just great.
"Kya hua? Aaj koi gaali nahi di tune?" I rolled my eyes at his teasing voice. As soon as I was a safe distance away from the main room, I pulled the phone closer to my ear.
"Listen you bastard, how the hell did you get my number?" I screeched into the phone.
"Oh please Kriti. Itna bhi melodrama mat kar. Tere pe suit nahi karta." I squeezed my fist at his words. "And as for your number, I have every detail on you. Bhool gayi? I'm a rich man."
"Rich man my foot!" I screamed stomping my foot on the red carpet.
"Bechare carpet ko kyu sata rahi hai? Woh tera booj nahi utha payega." I gasped at his words. Did he just call me fat?!
"You bastard. Mei tujhe moti dekh ti hu?" I said, banging my fist against the pillar. "Tu samne toh aa mere... Churongi nahi tujhe!"
"Chal chal... apni dhamki apne paas rakh." I heard him scoff. " Aur tu moti nahi balki hippo lag rahi uss salwar kurta mei."
"Teri toh mei..." I stopped. Salwar kurta? I looked at my clothes. How did he know I'm wearing salwar kurta? He can see me? He's here? NAHHHHIIIIII... I looked wildly around the room I was standing in. There was no one here. Then how...
"Oye pagal, bandar ke tare saar hilana band kar aur jaa have some rest. You're going to need it."
"matlab?"
"Matlab yeh ki Bye-bye" And with that before I could reply back, he ended the call. I made an annoying whizzing sound at his actions. UGGHHHH! Bastard!~
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I sat on a stool as girls from the previous henna function gathered all around me and performed the last bits of rituals left before the official marriage in the evening. I tried not to show my gloomy face as everyone danced around me. I was still thinking about the call earlier in the morning. What did he meant by I should rest? And how the hell did he know what I was wearing? Out of all this, there is one thing I'm sure of and that's the fact I'm being watched. By him and his cronies of course. Maybe through the mansion's cameras? But how would he get access to those?
"What are you doing, Ishika?" I asked annoyingly as she was still looming over my arm with a henna cone in her hand. God knows how Ishika managed to get herself invited to this function. Not that I mind but according to chachi it's a close family only function. Heck, even Shalu didn't get a invitation to this.
"Hold on Kriti." I heard Ishika as she gripped my arm a little tighter. "I'm just drawing the first letter of your to-be-husband's name."
"Really? I don't see it." I said as I tried to have a peek at her design but she turned my face away forcibly.
"Abhi nahi... baad mei." She said. I sighed and looked the other way. There was no arguing with her.
After a while, I looked around for Bhabhi who was nowhere around to be seen. I frowned. Where could she go? Is she still angry? I looked guiltily at the flower plate infront of me. Maybe she is?
"Hi loser." I groaned at the voice. Not her again. I looked up at Shraddha who was dressed into one of her short outfits. She came to my other side and sat beside me. I shifted towards Ishika in response who by the way was still drawing her design on my arm.
"So loser, are you excited?" I heard Shraddha teased in my ear. I bet Ishika could also hear her since the movement of her hand slowed. "This is your last day as a free girl." I rolled my eyes at her comment.
"What do you want, Shraddha?" I hissed, not looking at her.
"tut-tut... Why you gotta be so rude sis?" She cooed. "I'm just here to have some fun. After all, my lovely sister is finally getting married after seven years of loneliness and depression." I felt my breadth hitch. Besides Bhabhi, Shraddha is also the one who knows what happened all those years ago. After all, she and I were in the same college. And in the same class to be exact. "What? Ase kya dekh rahi ho?" She cooed as I gave her a pointed look to shut up. I could feel Ishika listening on everything beside me.
"Shut up." I hissed out, squeezing the banana leaves in my hands.
"Oh loser, don't be sad. I know Aryaan toh tumhe milne se raha nahi..." I closed my eyes at his name. "But, pandey hai na. Uske upar apna pyaar barsaa na. He's already a fan of you. Aur upar se tere woh clients toh bhi hai na..." She said with a small wink. I looked down in disgust just as Ishika looked up.
"Who's Aryaan?" She asked, with a clueless expression on her face. But somehow I could see some sort of recognition in her eyes at the name. Before I could reply, Shraddha took over.
"You don't know?" Shraddha started giving Ishika a mocking stare. "Aryaan was this loser's ex-best friend and ex-boyfriend. Bechari pyaar karti thi usse. Par eski phooti kismat. Chor ke chala gaye woh..." I felt my heart ache at her words. I tried not to look up as tears pooled in my eyes. "Apparently she was too clingy. Bechara bore ho gayi tha isse. Kyu loser? Honestly mei bolu toh those days were my favorite. Bechari ki kitni bejati hui thi. Remember that time when you were rag—" Apparently, that was the last straw for me. Before she could finish the sentence, I snatched my arm from Ishika's grip and left the room in a hurry. I let my tears fall as I quickly ran straight to my bedroom and dropped down on the bed, crying my eyes out. Why does this always happen to me? Why me? Why does Shraddha have to open my old wounds? Why did she have to talk about him? I buried my head in my pillow as I muffled my cries.
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Narrator's POV:
While Kriti was crying on her bed, back outside in the outhouse Shraddha was smirking at her accomplishment to make her cousin feel miserable. To be honest, her cousin deserved it. Shraddha wasn't like this all the time. She wasn't a mean and cold-hearted person. There was a time when she used to adore Kritika. They would play together all day and all night. From hopscotch to tag. It was one of her best moment of her golden childhood. But that all changed when Kritika excelled in everything that Shraddha wanted to do. Whether it was school reports or getting the best boy, it was Kritika who got the first place even though in the family she was considered as a burden. Shraddha didn't care about what her family thought. Being the top priority of the Alluwalia's wasn't in her list. Her wishes were to succeed over Kritika in everything. Not just in home life but also school and college. To get the perfect set of friends, to be the most popular girl, to be with the most hottest boy... To be with Aryaan. The only man she has obsessed over. But unfortunately it was Kritika who got him. Shraddha managed to establish Kritika's reputation as a useless nerd but the thing she wanted most was Aryaan, but she never got him. Even after playing years of traps to lure him towards her, she still didn't get him. And then the moment came when she realized that if she can't have Aryaan then she won't let Kritika have him too. What surprised her most that after years of trying to break them apart, they finally separated but it wasn't due to her... It was due to her dear cousin's own lack of keeping a relationship going.
Shraddha smiled to herself. Aryaan was gone but she would leave no stones un-turned in making Krtitika's life a hell. A living hell to be exact.
While she smirked to herself, she didn't notice a hand that came flying in her direction and slapped her right on the face. The sheer force of it knocked her off balance. She cried in pain as she realized that someone has just slapped her. How dare they? Anger boiled inside her as her hand went up to her face, only to find a pasty brown substance covering the right side of her face. Henna.
"AHHHHHHHH...." The 26-year-old screeched as she noticed the faint orange color already starting to set against her pale, white skin. Her eyes turned red as she looked up at the person who dared to slap her. It was that girl who was sitting near Kriti earlier. What was her name? Isha... Ishita... no, Ishika!
"UGHHH! You bitch! How dare you hit me?" Shraddha screamed in anger.
Ishika who was fuming in anger earlier finally felt her tension leave her as she saw the monstrous women sprawled against the floor. She looked at the henna cone she had squeezed on her hand and had used it to plaster it against Kriti's counsin's face.
"Nice touch, isn't it?" She mocked as Shraddha glared at her. "I thought this color would suit you."
"UGH BITCH! How dare you slap me?"
"I didn't slap you." Ishika retorted. "I only taught you a lesson."
Shraddha felt her anger rise at Ishika's words. She moved forward to threaten the younger girl but was stopped by her aunt Meera.
"Nahi Shraddha!" She warned me while looking around. "There are too many people."
"But bua she—"
"NO!" Shraddha fumed in anger. She looked at the smirking figure of Ishika.
"Tujhe toh mei dekh lungi..." She warned with a pointed finger. Picking the white cloth from nearby, she gave a last glare to Ishika before leaving the room. Ishika on the other hand smiled at the retrieving figure of Shraddha, feeling an air of proudness around her. Payback is a bitch.