"Marrying the man of your dreams is the happiest moment in every girl's life. A fairytale wedding in a royal palace. What more could a girl want?" The makeup artist asked as she was trying to get Anika to smile.

Anika clenched her fist and gazed at a picture of her happy family - her Jhanvi Ma, Didi, Om and Rudi. She looked around the room she was getting ready in and felt tears roll down as there was silence everywhere. She had never dreamt she would be getting married like this.

"Leave the room." She snapped pushing the woman away. The other ladies exchanged glances and rolled their eyes. As they walked away, she could hear. "Spoilt daughter of a rich man" She cackled miserably. They did not know how much she was going to sacrifice in the next hour.

"Where are you all? Did you reach? Did she get up?" She messaged.

"No, we have about two hours of driving left. No, she is still asleep in the trunk. Om doesn't know." came a quick reply.

She smiled. "Take care of her and tell Jiju, I will kill him if he hurts her."

"Don't worry I will kill him first. Take care. Let me know if you need any help running away. Monty is in the crowd ready."

Anika grimaced and quickly wiped a tear running down her face. "I can't Rudi. Papa will hunt her down if I do. For now, he is shut up because I agreed to marry that old man."

Her phone went silent. She put it away and glanced out of the window. "I am sorry Di. But I can't let you loose your first love. Take care of each other."

There was a knock at the door. "Anika, it is time. Let us go to the hall." Her father called from outside. She placed the heavy veil on her head and walked out. She promised herself that she would make the life of her husband living hell.

"Papa, are you sure they won't know." Her father glared at her. "I don't care if they do. Once you are married, we have fulfilled our deal of the marriage of the Raichand daughter with the Oberoi family. What you do after that I do not care. Had Mallika been here, it would have been better but that selfish girl chose to runaway."

Anika clenched her fist hearing her father's callous words. "She left because she doesn't want to marry him. You gambled the company to them not her."

Her father's eyes ablaze, he glared at her. "Keep quiet Anika. Do what your sister failed to do if you don't want to know what I will do to her." Anika went silent as she knew what her father would do. Mallika still had marks on her upper arm for protecting Anika once.

She walked to the hall, only to see that the pictures in the hall were only of her sister. "Where is his picture?"

Her father rolled his eyes. "He did not have time. He is a busy man."

Anika clenched her fist. She prayed that her to-be brother in law would be able to protect her sister for she could not marry a man who did not even have time for her. She would not stay in a loveless marriage. Her Jhanvima had made her promise that and even for god, she would not break her promise to her Ma.

"I am sorry Di." She whispered before pausing and taking a step back. "I will not do this Papa." She lifted her lehenga and slipped out of her heels and started running to the entrance. She cursed her luck that she did not take her phone. She could hear her father scream for the guards to catch her. She ran for her life.

Author's note:
Writing again after a very loooooong time. Do let me know if I should continue.