Mira lives like a princess, who has everything and more- until her life takes a turn for the worse when she succumbs to the allure of parties and drugs. Her family, fed up with her train wreck of a life, takes a drastic decision to marry her off. Sh...
My footsteps come to a reluctant halt as I turn around to face my parents. Their icy stares give me chills. Mom tips her chin toward the couch. I approach them and take a seat. Usually, I make sure to return home before the crack of dawn, when they are asleep, to avoid any drama. But the engagement ceremony messed up my brain cells.
For the first time, I felt ashamed of myself, all thanks to him.
What's his name again? ...Oh, right! Rihan.
His comforting presence made me want to stay with him. His endearing smile made me want to smile back. His cheerful personality made me want to love him.
But worst of all, meeting him enlightened me. I am flawed.
He is the embodiment of everything I am not. Why can't he be like Ron? Then I won't feel so guilty for ruining his life.
He asked if I was happy with our arranged marriage. I wanted to say no; I wanted out of it. The words were on the tip of my tongue, but my parents were watching us with their hawk-like gazes, forcing me to smile and nod. I made several attempts to get him alone so I could explain. It failed, and the ceremony was soon over. Perhaps I should have yelled the truth in front of everyone, but if my parents are trying to save face, who am I to hurt their feelings? As if I haven't done enough damage.
It was easier to forget him in my inebriated state, so I stayed as long as I could until Ron dragged me out of the bar.
"Stop running away with that man every night." Dad's eyes are glued to the TV. His ignorance is not new to me but I'm still not used to the way it pinches my heart.
"I like Ron." The truth is that I just like what he can give me, whenever and wherever.
"You are engaged." Mom sighs. "Please don't embarrass us, particularly Rihaan and his family. You know they are good people."
"It wasn't my decision to marry him, so I'm not responsible for the consequences."
Dad finally spares me a glance. "We have installed an advanced security system. Don't try to use your hairpin to unlock the door unless you want the alarm to go off and alert us."
I glare at them before rushing up the stairs to my room. I can make a fuss about it, but I am not staying for long. After my wedding with Rihaan, I'll be moving into his house, till then, the glass window in my room will serve as my escape.
Or so I think.
My fingers encircle the thick iron bars framing the window and a rush of panic seizes me. I want to go back and scream at them. My need may be destroying me, but I cannot live without it.
I take out my phone from my sling bag and call Ron. The ringing stops and my heartbeat accelerates. I call him again. This time, he answers, and my relief is palpable when I say, "I need you."
"What's up?"
"Some security system has been installed. I can't sneak out without alerting everyone."
"Don't worry, babe. I can hack the system and disable the alarm."
"You can do that?"
He chuckles. "I'm a computer genius."
"Oh, um, cool." Call me awkward, but I've never had casual conversations with Ron. He is a part of my life only for a reason. I have no intention to get to know him or venture anywhere beyond what we have.
"All right, I'll wait for you outside at midnight. Bye, babe."
"Yeah, bye."
I slump on the bed just when a knock resonates. Mom enters carrying a tray of food and places it beside me. "Eat up and sleep."
"It's not night yet." I frown.
"You can't leave the room, so what else is there to do? We can arrange a bridal shower, but we know you'll not be fond of it."
"Go away."
With a glare that makes me shut up, she leaves, closing the door behind her. The lock clicks into place, and it's my cue to fling into action. I take a warm shower after finishing my late lunch, or early dinner, as I like to call it, and then I text Ron while getting dressed. It takes him over an hour to reply and another two hours to silence the alarm, and the wait wrecks my nerves.
With a deep breath, I insert the pins into the lock and twist it. Much to my relief, it opens without a sound. I shrug on my fur jacket to hide the scars on my arms and tiptoe down the stairs holding my stilettos. I can hear Mom humming some tune in the kitchen. Dad is nowhere, so I take the chance to get out. It's dark except for the lights flooding from my house.
Ron is leaning against his bike with his arms crossed across his chest. I grin and throw my arms around his neck, kissing him on the lips to show how grateful I am. He reciprocates with a grunt. His fingers slip beneath my dress and grab my thighs, drawing me closer to rub up against him. It makes me flinch, so I step back and pull the helmet over my head, ignoring his lustful gaze.
"Later, okay?" I lie. Although I'm glad to have him in my life, I don't like his hands on me.
"Let the party begin!" He hops on the bike, and I do the same.
We walk into a different bar. That's how Ron rolls. He never goes to the same bar more than thrice. It's for my safety, he told me once. The bouncer appears to recognise Ron as he clasps his shoulder in a side hug. They whisper something to each other before Ron nods and takes my hand. "This floor has been booked for a bachelor party. Our party is on the first floor," he explains, squeezing us through the crowd.
I turn around to catch a glimpse as we make our way upstairs. The lighting is dim, with sporadic flashes of purple, green, and red. Laughter and chatter of men fill the room. "Come on, bro! Do it!" Someone yells over the music, and a round of applause ensues. I wonder if they are playing a game. Whatever it is, it sounds like they are having a great time.
Ron stops, directing my attention back to him. I look around the large room. A few people are drinking and making out. He nudges me to a corner seat and sits next to me. We are very close, but I don't push him away. He drags his fingers across my bottom lip, giving me what I need and it doesn't take long for me to feel like I am floating.
"You are engaged to a professor?" Ron snakes his arms around my waist, placing me on his lap.
I nod as he pushes the jacket off me. His fingers glide over my skin in a way that has my hackles rise. He lowers me on the seat and hovers over me, wedging his knee between my legs.
"What are you doing?" I manage to ask.
"Taking my chance before you tie the knot." He grins and leans down to leave kisses on my neck. His lips make my stomach churn, and I can't help but regret not obeying my parents.
"No, stop."
He refuses. "Relax, babe."
My heart crawls in fear. I try to push him off, but my limbs feel like they are made of jelly. Tears well up in the corner of my eyes, and I quickly blink them away before shifting my gaze around the room. Someone will stop him, but no one's paying attention to us.
My head spins and drowsiness lulls me to sleep.
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