Arranged Marriage to Kill Him

Chapter 23 : Kissing the Devil

Naina had shut the orchestra down and played "Zhingat," hating how close Ahanay and the mother of his child were dancing. The sudden blasting of the song tore them apart and everyone else as if the floor cracked open, threatening to push all of them to the bottom of the hierarchy. That was what the song did to Priya as Naina amusingly watched her look aghast at Ahanay whose eyes scanned everywhere, searching. Who was he searching for? With that longing look?

Quickly, Priya pulled him, and seeing them entangled in what seemed like pure passion from afar, Naina stormed out of the hall, not bearing to look at them anymore. She was wrapped in her own fury when someone else unwrapped her, grabbing her wrist and drawing her attention to cold, cat-like eyes. She didn't protest against his hold for she saw in those eyes what she felt in her own heart, the twisted jealousy of loving someone whom you couldn't get.

"Before you begin," she said, not allowing her to be carried away by those devilish, soul-snatching emotions that reflected back at her in those eyes. "I can make you the Godfather if you behave well."

That was it. She thought that one silly joke would break the flow of emotions that ran through both of them, but it intensified, heightening to the point that his hands shook as he held her wrist. Woah.

"I'm kid---" she couldn't complete that sentence as she was whisked away by what felt like a storm, thrown against the wall as Ohas towered in front of her, his arms caging her. He was breathing heavily, his eyes penetrating into her, a look that made her still. It was in these moments that she could not recognize her best friend, the boy with whom she grew up spitting watermelon seeds on people's cars and stealing coconut cookies from the corner store chaiwallah.

"Do you know what that man is up to?" Ohas said through gritted teeth, his eyes boring into her as he kept her caged in between his arms. Half-afraid that the little bird will flutter away again. "He's going to steal away all our land, our home. Today, he's striking business deals with those rich motherfuckers on what he doesn't even own. He has a habit of laying claim over things he doesn't own." At that sentence, he let his index finger stray over Naina's face before tapping her lower lip. Naina was still, afraid to even breathe. "He used your father to take away all our land and now he will use you."

"Who? My husband?"

That was the dumbest question to ask, but Naina was baffled to the point that thoughts in her head had dissipated into disbelief before they could become words.

"He wouldn't be for long!" Ohas seethed in rage, punching the wall beside her, making her flinch. "Do you think that he or anyone in that room cared about you? Everyone pretended to be nice to you only because you're his . . ." The word was too distasteful for Ohas to take in his mouth and utter it. "Nobody would care if they found out how poor we are. They will see that as an opportunity to walk over us. Don't you see it?" His eyes became large, those cold, cat eyes sucking her in and sending chills down her spine. He cocked his head and smiled wryly. "We're just pawns that they need to strike down to get their prize."

And all this while Naina believed that she was the prize.

"You don't have to be mean," she murmured, still trying to understand what he said. While her heart had begun to take over her head, her husband was robbing her in broad daylight, even asking her to be beside him. She felt like all the Indian fathers who got scammed by their own brothers, foolish. She thought that she was seducing him, but it had been the other way around, him stealing more than her heart and romancing some other bitch. As these thoughts finally started to take root in her stupid, little mind, her chest swelled up in anger.

"You don't belong here," Ohas continued, his voice laced with dry satisfaction as he noticed the shocking realization on her pretty face. "You belong to me, back at our home."