Bleeding roses

Seven

(Yadav Mansion on night of 25th)
Anu sat on king size chair in the study room drinking wine and thinking something intensely.While taking a sip suddenly her attention shifted towards the ring on her finger.She kept the glass down on the table and slowly moved her fingers of other arm over the ring.Her memory ran through a panel of flashbacks,she  remembered the day when she first entered Yadav Mansion as Rishi's wife.

The bed was decorated beautifully with numerous rose petals forming a heart shape in the centre .The soft glowing candles that were arranged in a row on the floor, surrounding the bed was created an illusion of a intimate space.Anu was sitting on one edge of the bed wearing a pink lehenga,the illuminated nightlamp on the table beside the bed;emitting it's glow on her face making it look more wholesome.She was nervous;she kept her head lowered and took deep breaths to calm herself down.Rishi  entered the room wearing a white sherwani with a smile on his face. He locked the door and slowly did advance towards the bed.

He sat beside Anu and took out a small box from his pocket."May I get your hand please"-he said politely by placing his palm in air right before her.Anu looked up slowly with fear of an uncertain future in eyes and advanced her hand towards him gently.He slided the ring on her finger and kissed on her knuckles.
A chill went down her entire body and she immediately pulled back her band from him.She stumbled and said-"Look Mr.Rishi...I know we are married but...."-she paused for a couple of seconds and continued -"our marriage was part of a business deal....so..so I need some time to adjust..."-before she could complete, she was interrupted in between by Rishi's words-"One year."
Anu crumbled her eyebrows and asked instantly -"Sorry?"
Rishi chuckled and said confidently -"I would make you fall in love with me within just one year."He rose up and walked towards the door while Anu continued watching him with great doubt.He unlocked the door and before leaving he turned back and said-"I'll be in the room next to yours.If you need something,just call out for me."Anu sat puzzled for some moments and finally felt relieved to have received a good man as lifepartner.
     While Anu was indulged in her past memories,a pair of hands from behind glided through the space between her neck and shoulder reaching her upperpart of the chest, squeezing it tightly.Though she was startled by the sudden back hug but soon enough she realised it was Rishi.He gave a quick peck on her cheek and breaking the silence he said in a playful tone-"What are you doing here all by yourself."She recollected herself and said awkwardly -"Umm..Nothing.Just spending some alone time."He removed his arm and appeared in front of her;opened his fist that was carrying few pills and moved his hand closer to her.He said-"I didn't see you taking medicines by the way. Do you not want to be healthy again?"
     It was probably for his caring nature and just behaviour to all,Anu had decided to surrender herself to him.He could be called as fortune-teller as truely within a year of marriage she had slipped for his personality.She had accepted him whole heartedly and wished to seek a better future but presently,his care too seemed like a trick to her. Who knows whether he had switched the pills to make her end up like his prior wives?With fear in heart she still took the pills with water on the table only to know till what end would the bad fortune would drag her.
    Rishi patted her head for some time and holding two arms of the chair he bent down closer to her,in a seductive tone he said -"It's been a while since we last intercoursed,right?"He moved more closer to kiss but she lightly pushed him way and said uncomfortably -"I don't feel like doing it. I'm sleepy."As she rose up and left the site Rishi stood back considering the recent change in her behaviour.
                                   ***
Few days passed, Anu was presently sitting before the mirror wearing her night suit, messaging night cream slowly on her hands.She was rubbing an area over and over again as she wasn't focused,her mind was busy in battling between the recently perceived truth and the one she had always known as truth.
She could never accept her sister as the backstabber.It appeared,many a woman in the city could wear same jewelleries or use same perfume but that didn't justify that the woman was Rishi's girlfriend,does that?
  Now all Anu wanted was a scope to be assured whether they were as faithful to her as she was or the anonymous person right.Surprisingly,she got a chance.Rishi's mobile phone was kept on charging at a table beside the dressing table.Suddenly it blinked with a pop sound which attracted Anu's attention and made her look towards it. He was not around.She rushed towards it immediately and peeped on the mobile screen.She was expecting some spicy message from his girlfriend or maybe a tracking list of the newly online ordered product for his mistress but what she got was a sober evidence, capable of driving away all mists.
   It was a thankyou note-