Reena Desai: Kill Lady

Chapter 2

I was becoming more and more dependent on alcohol for the sake of my sanity. The confusion, anger, helplessness and dilemma were ripping me apart. Kamal's plan to marry me for the sake of business made me lose the kinship I shared with him. I had never felt so lost and alone. I never really had true friends in spite of being always surrounded by people. People who only showed up for the expensive food and booze and the confidence of having a powerful acquaintance. Men never dared to try their luck with me - the big baddie Rajendra Desai's daughter. I wanted to talk to someone about my plight so bad. Both my father and Kamal had spies everywhere. I couldn't risk it. If my mother was alive, would she have allowed it? Or would she gang up with father and add more pressure?

Great! I was spiralling more downhill.

I knew exactly what I needed - more booze. But with more people.

I invited my friends to a restaurant we usually went to. They showed up in their glitzy outfits with loud laughs, expecting a huge party. I chatted a bit, hoping to make everyone feel included. I didn't care much about the food and straight away asked for the wine.

The waiter hung his head in shame. I repeated loudly.

"We're sorry, ma'am! Due to the elections, we cannot serve alcohol today", he said fearfully.

I glared at him. His knees trembled. The entire room waited with bated breath.

"Fine", I replied coolly, "I want you to pack every bit of alcohol that you have and load it for delivery. I don't think you want to imagine what will happen if you don't."

He gulped. His slowness was making my temper rise faster.

"Bring the bill, please", I said politely to his slowly turning back.

The manager personally brought the bill to our table. The oily smile on his face while he apologized repeatedly for the inconvenience irked me more. I placed a huge wad of cash without bothering to check the bill.

"Girls, we are done here. The main party is just about to begin", I said.

*************

I ordered my father's goons to block the main road a short distance away from the hotel and to arrange for loud speakers. The crates of alcohol were unloaded. I cranked up the volume of the music. And there... A wild party in the middle of the road. My friends fuelled by my recklessness, started grooving to the heavy dance music. Kamal's goons also showed up after hearing about our party. Apparently, if anyone disturbed our party, they would receive a nasty thrashing. I watched them beat up a man who tried to sneak past us.

Kamal. The reason behind my sorry plight.

'Don't think, just drink', I repeated to myself internally.

I emptied an entire beer bottle bottoms up and threw it on the road.

I felt a little better.

Just then a man climbed over the barricade. He was walking towards me, with a strange fanatic light in his eyes, like he had stumbled upon an unexpected treasure. He kept walking like I was the only thing visible to him. I watched curiously. He acted weirder by walking around me in a circle, sizing me up. He was obviously drunk. Nonplussed, I simply stared at the weirdo, as he stopped in front of me again.

"Congratulations", he said.

"Why?", I asked, too surprised to even call the goons who were busy thrashing that poor guy.

"I love you", he said matter-of-factly.

I was stunned by this guy's audacity to propose to me in the middle of the road, where he had just seen me a few seconds before. The entire crowd was equally stunned.

"How dare you?", I asked with gritted teeth.

"How fair you!", he crooned.

My temper reached its boiling point.

I ordered my brainless goons, who hadn't even stopped this idiot from entering to beat him up.

The weirdo's reflexes were so quick that he sent two men flying, before they even touched him.

He turned to me with a smirk."I am already deathed, Sona".

He thrashed every single one of my father's and Kamal's men and got extremely pissed when one wasted the liquor.

This guy must be definitely new to Bangalore. No one had the guts to mess with the Desai family. I had never seen anyone messing with us live to tell the tale. Papa, Kamal and their associates - Andrews and Daya - all were ruthless men. I threatened him with the same. As much as I was intrigued by his strong, masculine aura, his fighting skills further worsened my mood. He saw me as an object to claim. Whatever I said, didn't matter.

"I have seen many khiladis in my life, but for the first time I'm seeing a Kill Lady.

"Love deeply going inside.....",he staggered towards me, then stopped himself with, "Shut up, Rocky! Shut up! Shut up".

"Who did you say your father was? Rajendra Desai. He has taken care of you in a very rich way. I'll look after you even better.

"Don't worry. I will never leave your side. I will coming soon", he said in broken English.

He kicked one of the goons lying down, "from today onwards, I'm her father's son in-law and your brother in-law. Take care of your sister".

He picked up an alcohol crate and walked away.

Without caring about anything else, I left the stupid road-block party in my car, driving to my home with all the fury.

************
I took of my clothes and stepped into the shower, willing the water the beat the anger out of my head. My mind kept viciously churning the activities of people around me in the past few weeks.

"You have to marry Kamal"

"It's good for the family"

"Will you marry me Reena?"

"Congratulations! I love you"

"Kill lady..."

"I'm her father's son in-law and your brother in-law "

Every man wanted to control me. They believed that I didn't have any say. Is this how men treat the women they care so much about?

But who was this new guy? Until today, no man had even dared to look at me, out of fear. It gave me the feeling of being in control, though I had no connection with my father's business. Not that I wanted to be involved.

I kept thinking about the new guy. I scoffed, when I remembered Kamal's promise of me being the queen of Bangalore. Do they allow a roadside goon to propose to the queen?

***************************
Author's Note:
I'm recreating some of the scenes in the movie from Reena's perspective. It will take time for Reena to warm up to Rocky.
I hope you will like this chapter!