"A holy union of two bodies, minds and souls irrespective of all oddities that the society and rituals create, taking seven rounds around the holy fire promising each other a journey to be together during all aspects of life.. Is wedding."

~•~•~•~•~

'Dandi!! Why is it taking so long to get connected??', Omkara threw his mobile away, 'why is her mobile unreachable??'

'Master, why don't you call Shivaay sir and confirm about it', Dandi shakingly answered.

Pressing his lips in a thin line, Omkara picked the mobile again and dialled Shivaay's number.

'Om?', came Shivaay's nervous voice.

'Where is Gauri?', Omkara lurched without any formality.

'G.. Gauri? Umm, maybe she is sleeping. Do you want to talk to her?', Shivaay tried to falter his attention.

'I know you are lying Shivaay, but don't worry, I'll find the truth soon. Bye', Omkara waited patiently as someone spoke behind Shivaay.

'Bride has run away', an unknown voice came.

Shivaay didn't notice that the phone was on call. So, putting the mobile away from his ear, he looked at the man.

'What do you mean Tiwari?? Gauri cannot just run away from her own wedding!! Rudra!! Where is Rudra??', Shivaay barked.

'Yes Bro, Rudra came clad in sherwani.

'What Bro?! Do you know your bride has fled??', Shivaay threw the phone away in anger and the poor gadget shattered into pieces upon hitting the ground.

The call was cut discreetly and Omkara was stunned. They are getting my Gauri married? To my own baby brother?? Is that why she left for Mumbai that early?? But, why did she flee away??

'Dandi!! Take my car out! I need to get my hands on Gauri! Hurry up!!', Omkara and Dandi ran out.

*****

Gauri watched in horror as the man flew backwards and the next moment an animalistic growl was heard along with a sound of breaking bone. Omkara was kneeling over the poor guy and that man's nose was deformed and bloodied, whereas Omkara's knuckles and face were painted with splashes and moles of red.

'You bloody son of a bit- ', another man got a kick on his ribcage before even he could complete the curse. With a choked scream he fell on the ground holding his chest, blood running out of his nose.

Whereas the other two immediately forgot their pledges of friendship and ran for their dear life leaving their companions behind.. But Dandi was quick enough to knock them down by hitting their legs with the car. A blood curdling scream escaped their throats as they wobbled on the ground trying settle the dislocated patellas from their bloodied knees.

'Tie them up and call the police!', Omkara pulled Gauri up from the ground by holding her left upper arm.
Glaring at her intensely, he shoved her inside of the car.

'There is a set of joda and jeweleries in a bag. Wear them fast', she would have protested or taunted him if it was some other time, but with the black orbs swirling in deeper depressions creating a tornado of rage within, sweat and blood dripping from his forehead, brows and errand locks hanging in front of his eyes, made him look like the actual demon, the king of Hell.

She rolled the black glasses up and silently changed into the new joda. It wasn't as heavy and fashionable as the previous one, nor the jeweleries were that much extravagant. Fresh set of tears streamed down her face, ruining the makeup artist's four hours of hard work on her face in just some streams.

She peeked out of the car window when finished. He looked at her, still anger steaming out of his skin like imaginary swirls of foggy tension. Opening the door, he got seated and an unknown man in black suit revved the engine.

The car parked near a suicide point. This was unprotected, but, the depth of the shaft was not much. The point was surrounded by trees, hidden from the prying eyes of the outer world. He got down from the car, dragging her along him. Pushing her on the ground, he collected her former joda upon the grass. Scattering a bit of surplus petrol for the car upon it, he lighted a matchstick, throwing it upon the joda. The joda immediately caught fire and with crackling sounds, it danced up in higher flames, boosted by the petrol. Gauri stared at the lolling plumes hypnotized.. Her head slightly swung to the curvy postures by the hypnotic crests.

He came towards her again. Holding her painfully, he hoisted her up by her upper arm again and dragged her along the grassy mud harshly. She started struggling with his iron grip to free herself, whimpering,
'Omkaraji! Omkaraji I'm sorry! Please! Please let me go!! I'm not ready for this yet!! Please Omkaraji-'

As soon as they neared the burning clothes, he slashed his palm with one of her sharply edged bangle. Pressing his palm by fisting it, he made some blood ooze out of the cut. Nearing the fist over her parted hairline, he filled the empty narrow path between her hairs with his blood. Picking her up in bridal style, he forwarded his steps towards the fire, royally ignoring the punches thrown at his shoulder and screams tearing his eardrums off.

With a face sculpted straight out of a rough clod of rock, he started taking rounds of the dancing plumes. The awful stench of burning petrol and delicate clothing material got swept away by the chilly night breeze. Only three men in suit and the lolling flames were there as the onlookers of the marriage. There was no lighting, swarms of guests blessing warmly the couple, no priest to chant holy mantras and recite the holy vows. There were only the dull moonlight and speedy night winds ruffling the leaves, making fluttering sounds, celebrating the union of a man and a woman. They kept their eyes locked, despite of her eyes being stung by tears of dread. Silently, they recited their vows. Though, she was at a loss of her wit, he vowed to keep her to himself in all aspects of his and her life - in good days as well the bad ones, in favourable circumstances and unfavourable ones and to cherish her presence in his life till the last drop the sweetness, until they get separated by death.

Taking the seven rounds, he carried her in the car again mechanically. Gauri was terrified, yet curious. How did he find me? How much does he know about the marriage I fled from?? Why is he silent? Is he preparing for my punishment?? The last thought made her body flinch. That now, as his wife, her blood froze at the various possibilities and methods of punishments he got access to. Gulping a bile rising in her throat, she asked,

'Omkaraji, are you.. Angry?'

He just glared at her, freezing her blood in her arteries and veins by that animalistic look. Her heartbeat took gallops at his intensity of glaring, and she looked away immediately, her teeth rattling and body shaking in fear, fear of her unforeseen future, her own imaginations increasing her anxiety ten folds. So she scurried away at the furthest corner of the backseat and gave in to her cruel fate by crying herself to an unconscious slumber, curling herself up in a ball.

He took out his mobile. Dialling Anika's number he waited patiently for the call to be picked.

'Hello'

'Say hello to your sister's husband, Mrs. Anika Shivaay Singh Oberoi. I must say, your idea was quite full proof, but you know what, those which are destined to be mine, get to me eventually, even by miracles. Tell your husband that, as he tried to break my betrothal without my knowledge in such a barbaric way by selling his only sister in-law off, I will not abide by any of his rules regarding his sister in-law. So, it would be better if you guys put your noses away from the businesses between me and my wife,' he cut the call, ignoring the frantic calls Anika screaming towards Shivaay and Rudra and pleading him to stay connected.

Shoving the phone in his pocket, he looked at the lowered head of his wife. Her tear stained face twisted his heart painfully, and he pulled her head in his lap, untangling her from her curled up state and stroked her hair softly.

*****

She was being lightly patted at her cheeks and she fluttered open her eyes. He was there, outside of the car, offering his hand for her. She took it helplessly and stepped out of the car. And then she felt herself giving up and her whole day of keeping fast for the wedding didn't help her with the situation. Observing the pressure inflicted on their intermingled hands and her wobbly steps, he picked her up again and entered the manor, carrying her towards a different wing.

After passing a beautiful yet dimly lit passageway, he entered inside a spacious black theme bedroom, decorated with scented candles and fragrant petals floating in bowls of scented water. He turned at the door, nodding at the row of servants and maid bowing their heads down, and they left immediately.

Putting her down he stepped back, observing her twisting and squirming in discomfort, flicking nervous glances around the enormous bedroom like a deer caught in headlight.

'Jaan', she looked at him startled, 'welcome to the master bedroom', he traced her face with the back of his palm, 'from now on, we will live here as husband and wife', he somehow felt both dangerous and alluring at the same time to her.

'Omkaraji, I'm sorry, I'm not', she staggered back, her back hitting the wall.

'We are ritually wedded husband and wife now', he caged her in between him and the wall, his hot breath steaming up the tears in vapours and setting her cheeks on pink flames. As his enchanting lips were hairline apart from hers, she closed her eyes in anticipation. But she shot open her eyes as she was hit by the chilling air of the ac and saw him sitting regally, leaning on the bed.

With a stone cold face, he ordered her, 'strip'.

She looked at him terrified, shaking her head furiously, 'O.. Omkaraji.. Please, I'm not ready for this, please', her eyes broke the dam again.

But his gaze didn't falter. Clenching his jaw harder he ordered in a deadly cold voice, 'strip Jaan', sending chills over all of her nerves.

Whimpering and sobbing, she started removing her jewelries. Once devoid of any ornament, she removed the veil from her head. He sat back resting on the headboard, his tense muscles relaxing visibly, as he stared at her clumsy movements, observing every detail of her, picturizing them in his brain.

She shook a bit when she unpinned the draped cloth over her blouse. Letting the long silk glide to gather at her feet, she unzipped her blouse. Letting that too fall over the silky drape, she reached for the strings of her lahenga. Once the heavily embroidered skirt too gathered around her, reaching up to her calves, she tried to cover her feminine parts by her hands over her flimsy lacy black lingerie. Never in her life had she felt this much of humiliation and helplessness. He continued to stare down at her, scrutinizing her curves with a sculptor's eyes, burning her skin in fire of intensity.

'Strip those too', came his deep, hypnotic voice, devoid of any emotion or excitement, like the surface of a placid lake.

'No, please', she tried to save her last bit of dignity.

'I said strip those too', he gritted his teeth this time, seething in anger.

Scared out of her wit, she stripped her bra, and shakily pulled down her pantie. Once discarding her last pieces of modesty, she used her hands to cover herself from his prying eyes, his black orbs now winding up in a silent storm.

'Step out. Stand straight.', his orders were now being obliged immediately.

He looked at his naked wife standing stiffly like a doll, head bowed down, long traces of hair covering her breasts, her body burning pink in embarrassment. His blood started rushing through his veins like a beast unleashed from its chains. He felt his muscles tensing up, and heat hardening him. Yet, he stared amusedly at her hurt, scared, tear stained face. Holding a black lacy short nightwear, he threw that at her.

'Wear it.'

She picked the sorry excuse of a dress up from the furry black carpet, and wore it, her movements weary, defeated.

'You need to be punished for fleeing from me, our marriage', he gestured at the clothes piled on the floor, 'remove them and sleep there.'

He leaned on the black silk sheet after discarding his topwears and laid only in his pants, a furry blanket covering up to his stomach.

Piling the clothes at a corner, she stood facing him for sometime. His sturdy chest, broad shoulder and a light tan.. She had seen Rudra flexing his muscles out of his bare body, but Omkara's lean limbs seemed much more manly and natural to her, slight strokes of chest hair toned his muscles in a very attractive way.

'If you are enjoying the sight, I'm going to increase your punishment in a more bitter way', he grumbled, his eyes still closed, his voice steady and cool, not like how a man's voice in his wedding night should be.

Maybe he is a saint or he knows how to control his sex maniac beast inside, Gauri lied on the carpet, resting her head on her hand, fearing if he found her out not sleeping.

He tossed and turned on the bed, as his mind replayed her strip tease again and again. Calm down Omkara, he scolded himself. She is not eligible of your attention now.

But, unlucky him, when he got up and gulped a whole jug of ice water to chill the fire in his body, he found her sleeping on the carpet, curled up like a kitten in a winter night. Sighing loudly, he laid beside her. Pulling her face in the crook of his neck, he wounded his hands and legs around her, caging her between his limbs. She snuggled in his chest for warmth, softly blowing air over his chest hairs while breathing. The frowns on her forehead as well as her raspy breath got evened and he also felt himself drifting off.

He kissed her forehead, closed eyelids, pink cheeks, reddened button nose and slightly pouted lips taking his own sweet time.

'Good night Jaan', he drowned in a relaxing darkness, holding his treasure protectively pasted to his embrace.

Hope I will be forgiven for not updating yesterday. My darling bitch of a network hung me pathetically.😢😭😢😭

Hope RiKara wedding was up to your mark 😌😓😅

In previous chapters I got questioned that why did Omkara killed Ishana for a mere necklace. I suggest you guys to read the story all over again. Omkara is not a normal guy; he was never given a second chance or neither was he offered a scope to justify himself or his actions.. So it is quite evident that he would return the same treatment to others, increasing the ruthlessness by ten folds. Hope I'm clear to all.

Finally, sorry for not updating yesterday again.

Happy reading!
With love,
Sarani.