" I know him more than you"
She divulged a new piece of information to me and frankly I got baffled...
Who is she? Girlfriend?
I corrugated my brows in perplexity and she smiled at me...

" Don't worry..I wasn't his girlfriend "
Shraddha replied as if reading my mind and I reciprocated a cheeky smile...
but then who?

" We were more closer than that...do you know Mr Prashant Singh... shivam's maternal uncle ?"
She asked and I nodded..even though I have met him only a few times during our marriage functions , I know him pretty much well as Shivam accustomed to say about him..

" I'm his eldest daughter...me and shivam are cousins"
Shradha said and I noticed tears permeating from her eyes...she really misses her family and I could feel that... After all, who else can feel that better than me...
But wait...As per the information which I got, she eloped with someone two years ago...

" But everybody was saying that you eloped with"

" Yeah... everybody, even my family still believes that I eloped with shamsher... but tell me one thing seher ,how can I elope with someone whom I hadn't even seen before"
Shardha interrogated and I stared at her in confusion...I saw her wiping her tears and I could see truth glazing in her orbs...

" That means"
I asked...
Cause now I could connect things..that means she was also brought here as a scapegoat...

" I was also brought here just like you...but with only one difference...it was shamsher ,my husband who forcefully took me, a day before my marriage... swayam was in abroad at that time"
Shraddha said and I narrowed my brows...

"shivam was always been under their surveillance and that was unbeknownst to him...they had seen me with him many times and they misunderstood me as his girlfriend...they made several attempts to kill us but everytime we got saved...later , they got to know about my true identity but still they opted to take me away just to broke shivam and defame our family..."
Shraddha narrated and I felt disgusted...such a toxic family...I gritted my teeth in disgust..she continued

"Shivam tried several ways to reach me but my father in law and swayam's mother blocked every path he chose.. finally he decided to move legally and went to police headquarters with a missing complaint...but yet again ,they changed their plan...To save his son, my father in law , shivam's uncle made his son marry me..."
She said...I glanced at her and sighed..she really deserves an award for tolerating such a notorious and hazardous family...I felt pity on her...I took a glimpse of Shehzad,her one year old baby sleeping soundly inside her arms and smiled sadly...god knows what will he become ,when he grows up...

"I know seher what you are thinking...I know you have a lot of questions and queries to ask with , regarding my life...I can't answer your every questions but still I can say one thing firmly..love changed everything...it's really like a miracle...love has the power to change everything...and that's what happened with me.."
She replied tenderly and squeezed my hands gently...I pressed my lips together and nodded...

" If you're happy with this life..then that is the most important thing ."
I said to her and she smiled at me...a pleasant smile and I could see happiness glistening in her eyes...

"You know seher , shamsher was also used to be like swayam before our marriage...wrath , vengeance...
But after I set my foot inside his life.. everything has changed.."
She laughed and I joined her... she's really happy...I too felt a bit relaxed...

" So that means you know me before"
I asked suddenly as that Realisation striked on my head...

" Yeah... shivam used to talk about you and your family...I think you were doing your MD in UK at the time of my wedding chaos..."
Shraddha again divulged and I wondered...she still remember that I completed my MD in UK...

" I know you but I intentionally concealed it from swayam , bua ji and others, fearing that may be they make us apart from each other for this reason..."
She said and I understood...yes that may cause ill effects to both me and her...

I smiled at her and suddenly, her phone beeped making Shehzad stir a bit...she helplessly glanced at the phone and her baby...may be her husband is calling her...

" Lay him here and I attend it .. I'll take care of him.."
I said but she nodded in negative...

" No..it's completely alright..."
I again said and convinced her... finally she implied to my words and went outside after delicately placing him on the bed beside me...
I glanced at her sleeping baby in awe..how cute he looks... I smiled and took his small fists in my hands and kissed !! I wish he would never be like his uncle...

Just then, I heard the door opening softly , I uplifted my head smilingly anticipating shraddha ,but the person I behold ,took away all the smile that I had on my face...

I saw that disgusting man infront of me , glancing at me in aloofness and my blood started to boil out of wrath...how I wished I could never get a chance in my life to meet this man again and where Destiny has brought me...I imprecated myself for this cruel fate...I saw him entering into the room with sheer hate sparkling in his orbs..I distastefully observed him... he's is wearing white today...I felt laughing so hardly..
this man and white... because of him, today I hated that colour...

I reminiscenced my last memories with him...I wondered if anyone had invented a concoction to forget the past ,then I would've consumed that...I could still feel giddiness but I won't show my vulnerable side...not infront of him anymore... he walked towards me with a deride smirk and I ignored..

"Get up ... enough of your enjoyment in the hospital bed... won't you want to continue this cat and mouse game..."
He asked me and I rolled my eyes...

I would've killed him,if my health condition had allowed me...

" Don't you have a thing called humanity? Can't you see my condition Mr? I'm not in a condition to walk or sit...I've to live...now get lost from here..."
Gritting my teeth,I uttered , expliciting all my wrath and frustration....

" Hey you... show your audaciousness on somewhere else..not infront of me...now get up and come..I'm here to take you.."
He almost shouted but I shushed him by gesturing to look at the baby... instantaneously,to my surprise,he shut his filthy mouth and looked away...
Thank god ! atleast he loves this baby

Just then, shraddha entering into the room ...she glanced at swayam and me simultaneously..

" Bhabhi...we are leaving..take the things and come..I'll be waiting at the reception.."
He said side glancing at shraddha and she incredulously glanced at him..

" But swayam..she isn't recovered completely.."
She strived to make him understand..but little did she know that it was a futile attempt... cause that is swayam shekhawat.. he won't understand...

"Enough of recovery...I can't afford this much amount of hospital bill for this filthy creature.."
He said in a lower voice and I heard it...

Who asked him to bring me here... why didn't he let me die that day...

" But.."
Shraddha again tried to clear things..

" Not need shraddha... I'll manage.. I'm a doctor..I know how to take care of myself... nobody wants to spend their ILLEGAL money for my treatment.."
Heaving a sigh, I forestalled her and said emphasizing the word 'illegal'...I could see ruddiness consuming his eyeballs...

I don't care !

" Enough of it...now get up..."
He behested and notwithstanding my whole body is squirming out of anguish, I got up from the bed obstinately without anyone's help.....

Within this time, Shraddha started to collect the things, probably the things brought for me...but I asked her to handle the baby and I myself ,started to gather my things...

After a couple of minutes, I got out from the hospital room and saw two tall men looking almost like bouncers, were escorting me and shraddha..
I glanced at shraddha and she stated in a low voice...

"Don't worry...it's obviously not for our protection...it's for forbiding you from escaping.."

I let out a bitter chuckle...tears unknowingly permeated from my eyes...my family..shivam..
No..I don't think that I can see them again...not again..
Again I felt enraged beholding his face..as he said ,he waited for us and with shraddha's help ,I got into the car...

It didn't take much time to reach their mansion..well precisely ,my hell..
Bitter memories upsurged into my mind...I felt like my head will explode in pain...I groaned in pain and shraddha held my hand tightly...

I don't want to enter again into that inferno...it suffocates me.. it's killing me from inside...

"Oh! Aa gayi maharani... pathariye...apka swagat hai.."
( Oh the queen came... come in welcome back)
As soon as I entered their living room,
I heard his mother throwing her sarcastic comments and passed a taunting smirk..I just ignored her...

Well, What else can we expect from her... Afterall, she's the one who brought up her son as a monster...

Shraddha brought me to a medium sized room on the ground floor and helped me to settle there...

But how Mr shekhawat agreed to give me a room.

And Out of my inquisitiveness,I asked shraddha the same and she replied smilingly

" I requested him to give you a room...you know, he never denies my requests.."
She said and I raised my brows in amusement...

Will he even do favours...wow it's a great trait then... isn't it, huh?!

" Seher, I know the circumstances you are going through..but trust me it's all out of vengeance and misunderstanding...I don't know how to explain that to you..you yourself will explore that when the right time comes.."
She said and I stood there perplexed...
What is she trying to say?

But before I should ask something,she went out the room, leaving me behind all confused and perplexed ...

•||•••••••••*•••••••••||•

The placid moon rays peeped through the beige curtains of my room..the full moon sprawled it's luminous light across the whole world..but my world was sombre and dark...
It's been one whole week since I came from the hospital...
within this one whole week, my mind has become a mess...an unsolvable mess...How it would feel Sitting idle in an enclosed room without any connections to the outer world...the only drop of water in this desert is shraddha and Shehzad ,but they will also become invisible after night falls...

I looked through the open window and saw armed men roaming around the courtyard...But then I remembered,
It's been one week since I saw that man's face... Swayam shekhawat..

Only god knows How much I hate that name and face..

Just then I heard the main gate of the mansion creaking...I walked towards the window to take a glance and what I saw made my heart palpitate like timbrels...
I saw him and his uncle getting down from the car...his legs isn't even touching the floor properly...
He's drunken again ...

" Maamu... leave me...I said LEAVE.!!.."
I heard him yelling to his uncle and his uncle is trying his maximum to bridle this man...
He took groggy steps towards the mansion and everyone was glancing at him incredulously...

I came back and sat on my bed with a distressed face ..
What if he comes to you?

No seher...you can't be soo pessimistic...no it won't happen...

Nothing will happen today..you are strong.. strong enough to fight against the perils ...

My conscience kept blabbering and motivating me..but suddenly I saw my door flinched open...my worst nightmare came into true...
He is here... standing right Infront of me , staring at me with sheer wrath...his scarlet red eyes screamed his anger on me and his balled fist showed how much hatred he was carrying inside for me ..

I briskly got up from my bed and he swiftly rushed towards me like a tornado...I gulped down..he stared into my eyes for sometime...
Finally breaking the silence,he asked me in a cold tipsy voice..

" Did you call shivam..."

I didn't answer... because I didn't....

" Answer me...DID YOU CALL SHIVAM...!!!!"
Getting out of control, he roared and i flinched in fear....I nodded my head in disagreement...

" You slut...how dare you lie to me.."
He yelled and grappled my hairs in his fist ....tears cascaded down from my eyes as my wounds got enliven...

"I.. I'm..no.. not.. lieing..."
I managed to say ...my voice broke and inner self quivered ..he looked too much terrified as if today he'll burn the whole world.

" Then how come he knows that you're here .."
He threw me to the floor and my head hit hard on the floor...I managed to get up but before I could , he again grabbed my hairs and made me stand up...

" Please let me go.."
I said but it only came as a mere whisper... and I heard him laughing...
Laughing like an insane...

" Let you go... never.. NEVER...I SAID NEVER..."
He roared like a lunatic and I joined my hands infront of him...my tears dampened my cheeks and my throat dried...I begged for some mercy but I never got anything else other than anguish....

" I want to avenge..I want to avenge.."
He chanted that like a mantra and pushed me onto the bed...I gripped on the bedsheets tightly..

" I'll show you how he takes you from here...I'll make sure that he won't even recognise you..."
He advanced towards me like a lion approaching towards his prey...
My heart frantically palpitated inside making me shudder...
And the next moment, taking my whole strength,I pushed him aside and ran ....
I don't know where my leg led me but finally I saw myself standing infront of the veneration room in the mansion...

I saw a beautifully decorated idol of lord Shri Krishna inside....I barged into the room and prayed...

hey narayan...have mercy on me...

I cried out and out of all sudden , I saw him standing behind like a tempest...I gulped hard...he caught the hold of a big lamp and raised it in the air to hit me...
I closed my eyes and my breathe hitched , anticipating his hit ..

" Swayam....drop the lamp... it's our veneration room...I don't want to spill blood here ..atleast not here.."
Instantaneously I heard a yell from behind...I raised my head and peeped through my disheveled hairs...I saw bhavani shekhawat standing out of the room, glancing furiously at her son...

An enraged swayam stood beside me and roared
" Today..I'll make her in such a state that not even dogs will mind her.."

Tears cascaded down from my eyes and I glanced at a helpless shraddha standing and crying Beside Bhavani shekhawat...he again extended his filthy hands towards me to touch me..but no...I won't allow...

No i can't...I can't take this anymore...and I won't...no..

"Stop it mr shekhawat...you can't touch me...and you won't ...after father and brother, the only man who has the right to touch a lady is her husband...who are you to me.. father? Brother? Husband..? No right.. then better stay away..and DON'T TOUCH ME..."
I roared as I can't take it any more.. I'm fed up with this life. In this hell ..
I want freedom..a lifetime freedom...
And if only death can confer that freedom, then also I'm happy to embrace it wholeheartedly...

" Oh...so only father, brother and husband could touch a lady...ok.."
He said grabbing my wrist and hauled me towards the deity of lord Krishna...
My heart beated loudly as It is reverberating in my ears...I stood there glancing at me and I could see a triumph smirk playing on his lips...

" I can't be your father and brother.. but can be your.... Husband.."
He stated in a tipsy voice and within this time, he took some vermillion from the veneration plate and filled my desolated partition with the scarlet vermillion....
My nerves went torpid when his cold fingers touched my forehead , while marking me as his with the sacred vermillion...

I'm married...I'm married to the man I hated the most...no !!!

My Inner self screamed...I couldn't apprehend the fact that my marriage,the dream day of every girl turned to be the worst day of my life...
And marriage, which is the sacred knot that binds two souls together in a thread called Love became the worst ever memory in my life time...

•||••••••••*••••••••||•

.................................................................
So finally their marriage happened...but didn't happened...
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