Beauty & Beast

Sacrificial Lamb

zindagī hai yā koī tūfān hai!

ham to is jiine ke hāthoñ mar chale..

🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀

Priya buried her face in her palms in exhaustion when Abhay went out. She was fighting with various range of emotions of frustration, disbelief, anger and fear all at the same time.

She was happy this morning and in few hours her hopes got turned into nightmare.

Looks like your claim of not accepting any money was such a bogus talk. He had said.

She wanted to scream..
I have to get at the bottom of this. Did my mother accepted money from him? In exchange of me? But why?

Am I just a sacrificial lamb for her? Can she throw me in front of wolves for exchange of some cash? Have I never meant to her anything, not even enough to be considered as human?

Priya sank into her thoughts feeling betrayed by Veena, her stepmother.

I have to contact Kinjal somehow..or Arjun!

Evening was descending in horizon slowly.

~~~~~~~~~~

Not very far away in the lesser crowded hotel room, Abhay was handing money to the same man who played the part of his relative this afternoon in his charade.

Man counted the money and looked surprised, 'Sir, this is more than what our deal was.'

'Keep it, your acting was convincing. I will be needing you one or more times again for this drama.' Abhay sat down across Lalit and his pretend Uncle.

'Anytime sir,' the man's eyes were glittering while counting the money.
'May I ask something if you don't mind?' he hesitated before asking Abhay

'What?' Abhay was getting bored already.

'Why are you marrying in that family, truth be told they are not of your standard sir. I mean, you don't need to lie about anything still they will not refuse your proposal. As far as I know, who wouldn't want their daughter to marry you.' the man said with flattery in his voice.

'I too don't understand,' Lalit was visibly upset 'I have been telling bhaiya that shoes only look good beneath feet. I don't know why he is making this decision and whenever I ask him, he just smiles'

Abhay smiled again which pissed Lalit even more. He couldn't digest his boss's sudden change of behaviour.

'You want to know why I want to marry her?' Abhay asked Lalit

'yes, please if you can tell, so I can sleep peacefully' Lalit said frustrated.

'Because she is going to be very useful that way. And this marriage is just a facade. She is my ticket to freedom.'

'so its not the case of some new found love ?' Lalit asked.

'Have you lost your mind? What makes you even imagine that?'

'Just the way you look at her' Lalit muttered under his breath but Abhay heard him.

' I fucking hate her and she is going to pay for everything multifold.' Abhay scoffed.

Lalit sighed in relief and started looking happy. Finally he was happy that his boss has not gone mad as he previously thought considering his weird plan.

'What's the next step?' Lalit asked

' where are we on that kidnapping plan?'

'Foolproof, it will be executed tonight.' Lalit assured

Abhay sat back and relaxed. Some more day and he will be out of this mess.

But he will be not going back alone this time.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Priya collected herself from the initial trauma. Her mind was racing as how to best fight the situation at hand. She descended the stairs and went towards her father's room who was lost in newspaper.

'Baba can I call Kinjal from your phone' she asked

He passed his phone without looking up. He was lost in a news of recent shootdown in town while he was unaware that the mastermind of all this has already entered his house this morning.

Should I tell him?

Priya took the phone instead and decided to tell Kinjal first. She came out in hall. Veena was following her every move through her eyes very carefully.

Phone was ringing on the other side.

A blast of music came from other side. 'Priya, I am out right now' Kinjal was yelling from other side.

'I need to talk to you soon, it's an emergency'

'Hello, I can't hear you..' Kinjal yelled as music kept blasting in background.

'just...just call me ok? And soon please..'
Priya disconnected the phone in despair.

Suddenly Veena called from behind with her pretend sweet voice, 'Priya, can you come to my room, I have something to talk to you'

Priya reluctantly took her steps towards her.
Veena closed the door behind her and Snapped at her 'who were you calling?'

Bubbles of anger started forming in Priya's gut.

'From now on you will not use phone. No need to contact any more of your lovers now.'

'How much did you ask ?' Priya snapped.

'How much what?'

'How much money did you ask in exchange of me?'

Veena's face turned pale.

'Do I mean nothing to you? Will you give away to anyone? What have I done to you? Why you detest me so much?' her anger tuned into tears. 'You don't know who he is. He is a goon. He is a dangerous man. How can you do this to me?'

Priya pleaded looking for her approval. The same approval she longed for all her life. For a moment she could bet her face turned soft like there was concern untill her face again turned into smirk.

'HE IS A DANGEROUS MAN!' Veena mocked her.
' if you knew he was dangerous, why did you start meddling with him. Oh yes! He told me everything. All that you were doing behind our back. Fighting for justice and all?'

Veena kept her voice low but sarcastic, 'If your father knew that you have been putting all our lives at risk trying to meddle into mafia and all, what will happen? Do you want to kill him?' she came forward and grabbed her hand.

'No.. I would never..' her voice shook.

'Did you know what he said to me? If we don't do as he says My family will pay the price.'

'if you can't be careful and play with fire, only you will burn into it. I can't let My family into danger because of you.'

'Am I not your family?' Priya realised her mistake just as voice erupted from her mouth.

Veena jerked her hand and scoffed, ' You have played enough of your games. Now you will not go out of this house anymore. You will not contact anyone. Get yourself ready for this marriage and if you plan any of your drama to your father, I will pull out to your tongue.'

Priya stood there betrayed, shocked, terrified.

'Well, get lost now, and wipe the dramatic tears before going out'