Indian Love Tales (Continued)

D8.

Kabir was restless. It had been hours since Ramesh took Meher. It was evening now.

Since then there was no sign of Meher. He tried calling her but her phone was switched off. The door to her balcony was also closed. He had no way to contact her.

He sat on the couch and clutched his hair in frustration.

"Where are you Meher? I am worried sick." He mumbled with a frustrating sigh.

Coco made a whining sound and that caught his attention. He realized that he had forgotten to feed Coco. It was past his lunchtime and Kabir hadn't fed him.

"Fuck I am so sorry." Kabir said with a guilty look and the Dog licked his feet.

Kabir fed Coco and sat near him. The worry surfacing back at his mind.

His doorbell rang, bringing him out of his thoughts.

The thought that it could be Meher made him open the door quickly. But instead he came face to face with Ramesh and Rahul. Both of them gave him glares.

"Mr. Sinha, aap?" He said looking at him.

"Tumse kuch baat karni thi." Ramesh said with a seriousness Kabir had never seen.

He invited them in and they came in.

"Tum acche se jaante ho ki mujhe tumhara aur Meher ka rishta manzoor nahi hai. Aur uski wajah bhi tum jaante ho." Ramesh said and Kabir gave him a curt nod.

"Maine Meher ki shaadi meri behen ke bete ke saath karne ka faisla kiya hai. Wo ladka kafi accha hai aur US me settled hai. Main jald se jald Meher ki shaadi karwake use bhi US bhej dunga-" Ramesh was saying all this but Kabir cut him off mid sentence by raising his voice.

"Aap aisa kuch nahi karenge."

Ramesh and Rahul were startled after hearing his voice. It held power and authority.

"She is our daughter. We are her family and we can decide for her." Rahul said glaring daggers at Kabir.

"Maybe you are forgetting so let me remind you that she is an adult and fully capable of making her own decisions. She has the right to chose her life partner. And if she has chosen me, then I won't allow anyone to come between us. Anyone." There was a threat in Kabir's voice. A promise that was enough for Ramesh and Rahul to worry.

They glanced at each other with worried face.

Ramesh sighed and said with a helpless look, "Dekho, main nahi jaanta tum meri beti ke baare me kya sochte ho. Lekin mujhe sirf itna pata hai ki meri beti ek aisa life partner deserve karti hai jo uski tarah young ho, usse compatible ho. Abhi to uski zindagi shuru hui hai. Abhi abhi usne apna pehla job shuru kiya hai, aur tum...usse boht bade ho. Aaj tum humare saamne ho, lekin kal ko tumhe bhi wo saari health problems hongi jo is umar me common hai. Lekin kya tum chahte ho ki Meher apni zindagi tumhari dekh bhaal karne me guzare? Aur bacchon ka kya? Ab is umar me tumhe bacche chahiye kya? Tum usse 17 saal bade ho Kabir. I think my daughter deserves better." Raamesh said before turning to leave.

He stopped near the door and turned around.

"Meher ka phone mere paas hai. Aur main use ghar se bahar to jaane nahi dunga. I hope ki tum khud hi use bhool jao." He said before leaving.

The moment they went away Kabir threw a vase on the floor.

He shook his head as he stared at the door where they went.

"Meher ko bhool jau?" He said with a smirk. "Kabhi nahi."

_________________

The night was long and sleepless. There was no source of light in the dark room where she was sitting. Her chin resting on her knees as she curled herself into the farthest corner of her room. She felt caged in her own room. It had been hours since she was locked here. Nobody had came to ask her, nobody came to check up on her. It was going to be morning soon and she hadn't eaten anything since the day before. Because nobody bothered to ask her.