THE LEGAL BIND

Chapter: 10 - Engagement?

Revika Shastri

I arrived to the firm just in time. The lunch break was just over. I saw Anamika in the hallway. I talked to her about the day so far, and we exchanged our byes before I headed back to my cubicle. Anamika knew about Aakash and my marriage, over a span of the few days we spent together, we got really close and I believed I could confide in her. I told her about my life and also about Mrs. Shastri. She was supportive of me and when things got emotional, she jokingly said that I should run from home and crash at her place instead, if only she knew. I left out the gory details of all this just being a business deal, she thought it was a simple arrange marriage.

I was at my cubicle and I called Krina, I wanted to give her the good news about the deal. She picked up, but she sounded sick. I asked her if she was okay, she said she had been admitted to the hospital because of malnutrition. I hung up after I enquired where she was admitted and went to see her with a lot of fruits. Mom used to say that fruits were the best when one was sick.

I arrived there soon enough, and saw that she was lying on the bed she looked even skinnier, she must have been stressed about whatever happened and she wasnt getting a good placement in any company. I felt bad that it took so long for me to get her a good deal that led to this state of her being. I walked towards her bed and held her hand. She looked at me with her weak eyes and I felt worse.

"Are you okay?" I asked with a tiny voice, I couldnt muster up my voice. She weakly nodded her head and gave me a small smile. I took a deep breath and tried to be cheerful, this place was gloomy enough and me being sad wasn't going to help it. "I have good news for you. You are officially reinstated at the Rajput industry main office now, and that asshole is officially terminated. We have dropped the case against Rajput -" I couldnt finish my sentence before she jerked up and tears fell out of her eyes.

"No! you promised you will get me justice; you said you will help me; how can you just withdraw the case???" she said in a breathless voice, I panicked and helped her relax. "You didnt let me finish, Rajput Industries terminated his employment, and thus, I drew up a case against him, individually. He is the one who wronged you and he will get the fruit of his ill actions. I have enough proof to put him away, I just need to drag him to court or I cut him a deal and he rots in jail for however long he deserves. "

She took a breath and relief flooded her eyes. She looked at me and held my hand, "Im sorry, I mistook your well doing for a bad one. Thank you for fighting this hard for me." I smiled and shook my head to indicate that it was my pleasure to be able to help her. I helped her lie down and gave her the basket of fruits, "Have these, you will feel better." She nodded like a good girl and I patted her head and left.

I wrapped up work soon enough and headed home. I walked in to see Mrs. Shastri laughing hysterically at the show ongoing on the television. She seemed to be in an extremely good mood which only meant mine was about to get bad. She looked up at me and smiled, I furrowed my brows, I looked at her like I would look at a waving stranger on the street, wondering if it was meant for me.

"Tumhari enagement ka dinn pakka ho gaya hai, parso engagement hai aur sari rasmo ke baad agle hafte ke shanivaar ko Shaadi, you have finally proved yourself to be useful, get yourself adorned and do some self-care before the engagement." She said and left. My day couldnt get any better. First, it was Krinas health and now my preponed engagement. Aakash must have said something to cause his parents to agree to let the marriage happen so early.

It took a few minutes for reality to dawn upon me and I realized I couldnt run away from the wedding, I wasnt getting any money for at least 2 weeks and requesting an early pay as an associate wasnt going to get me anywhere.

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Revika was starting to panic. She felt the walls of the room moving closer, she felt like she was being trapped. She was suffocating, she couldnt breathe. She rushed out the house and ran away from the terrifying memories of the house that came rushing back to her. Revika had no sense of direction, she just wanted to run away from the horrifying recollections of everything she went through.

It wasn't about her past traumas, but anything that made her panic sent her back to the days she dreaded. She fell onto her knees as she tried to breathe, just then she heard a distant voice calling to her "Revika? Revika?? REVA!!" That name meant something to her, it made her turn her head, but, before she could locate the owner of the voice, she fell unconscious mumbling 'Maa.'

"Mera naam le piya, mein teri rubaai.."

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