Break the rules

Chapter 9

I kept taking steps back into the house. I couldn't believe he found me right when I was so close to moving away forever.

I gulped hard and somehow my throat was completely dry. I felt like I couldn't breathe again just like on my wedding day.

"Kahan hai woh?" [Where is he] My dad asked. I was terrified of him but I also didn't know what he was talking about.

"Kaun?" [Who] I asked confused. "Bewaqoof nahi bano" [Don't act stupid] I was genuinely confused as to what he was talking about.

"Papa kaun kah–" Before I could complete my sentence, my father raised his hand and slapped me across the face. I held my cheek in my hand.

My ears started ringing and cheek stung with pain. Tears formed in my eyes. My father grabbed my hair and made me look at him.

"Kahan hai wo?" [Where is he] I was too scared to ask who he was talking about so I didn't say anything. That just made my father even angrier.

He raised his other hand as a warning. "Papa sach mein nahi pata kaun" [Papa I really don't know who] I started crying to him.

"Arey woh ladka jiske saath bhagi thi" [The boy you ran away with] My younger brother spoke up. I got even more confused. I ran away alone.

"Huh?" I asked softly. My father's grip tightened in my hair. "Jhooth math bolo Rai ne dekha tah station par" [Don't lie. Rai saw you two at the station]

Realisation dawned upon me. They thought Aryan took me away because he helped me on the train.

"Haan aur restaurant ke bahar bhi" [Outside the restaurant too] "Jaldi bolo kahan hai" [Tell us where he is quickly]

I didn't know what to do. I couldn't tell them anything. That would create a lot of problems for Aryan.

They can't hurt him because of his security but the reputation of him and his family would be at risk. I could never let that happen.

"ALIA!" My dad was getting impatient. "Mujhe nahi pata" [I don't know] I told him timidly. He stared at me and raised his hand again as a warning.

I shook my head to tell him I don't know. "Subha chala gya" [He left in the morning] I told him. "Mere uthnay se pehle" [Before I woke up] That wasn't a lie at all.

"Papa woh sirf meri madad kar raha tha" [Papa he was only helping me] I wanted to make sure to clear Aryan's name.

"Usne mujhe nahi bhagaya" [He didn't take me away] I knew my dad was believing me because I was saying the truth.

"Ghar chalo tum" [Come home] He threw me by hair towards my brother who caught me. "Chalo didi" [Come sister] He said softly.

I sat in my father's car. He didn't let me take anything. I had no memories with me of the time I spent in the past few days.

I couldn't take anything along. I had nothing to remember them by. I couldn't take my phone to contact any of them. They will call me once they land and I wouldn't be able to pick up.

I turned to the window and silently cried into the long sleeves of Aryan's hoodie. The only thing I had left that he had touched.

My brother shook me lightly and I opened my eyes. I had cried myself to sleep in the car. I looked around and saw my bungalow.

Before I even stepped out, I could see my mother and my cousins standing at the steps of our house.

I was back, I was actually back. I swore to myself I would never come back and now I was actually here.

Our guard opened the door for me and I slowly stepped out. Every step I took was filled with fear. I didn't know what was going to happen when I enter the house.

My mother walked up to me and hugged me tightly. That sweet gesture was immediately changed when she slapped me across the face.

She grabbed my hand and dragged me into the house. My mom held on my wrist so tightly I thought my hand would fall off. My dad stopped my mom while she was dragging me up the stairs.

"Ek baat sunlo tum ab is ghar se tab niklogi jab tumhari shaadi hojaye gi" [You will now only leave the house when you are married off]

With that he walked off and let my mother drag me to my room. "Sar jhuka kar rakh diya tumne" [Made our heads fall with shame]

She threw me into the room and I slid across the wooden floor. My injury from the hiking trip stung hard against the floor and I hissed in pain.

My mother slammed the door shut and I heard a lock me in. I shut my eyes and tears dripped down my cheeks.

I sobbed profusely alone in my room with no where to go and no one to turn to. Not once did my family ask me why I left.

Not once did they bother to know what made me run away from them. Not once did they ask me how I survived without them.

No one cared that I left. They cared I ruined their reputation. They cared about trying to ensure their reputation will be amended.

All the love and care I received in the past days was completely washed over by the hatred given by my own family.

My cries echoed in the room. I held onto Aryan's hoodie and wished I could hug him one last time. I wish he would hold me once again.