Forbidden Ties

CH 1: The Beginning

M E E R A

'from the old me for the new me'

The thunder rumbled outside as the span of emotions surrounded me. The room turned grey with the charred havan's fire. All grey and blue mingling with my sorrow and between them I saw those green eyes, breaking the haze.
His starlight eyes striking with his black hair and I am again reminded by how magical he looks.

Magical but dark.

Green eyes, Black hair and a light stubble across his jaw on a face so perfectly boned and tanned, He looks dead and alive at the same time.

I looked at my husband, whom I got married just minutes ago.
Abhimanyu Malik, This man speaks power and brilliance even when he is silent. Unwavering as a stone, he is cold, an ice untouched and he chose me as his bride.

He is my reality.

Because..

They sold me to him.

In just one day, In my dining hall, during a thunderstorm, I got dressed up in a red lengha and married a man I barely know.

I looked across the havan's burning fire, as they burn all my dreams, to the only photo I have with my family. The little girl Meera holding her sister's hand giggled from her Baba's embrace, while her mother smiled at their two daughters.
They are gone now, this is the past.

Instead, I see the now me. A red dupatta over my head, the sindoor grazing all across my nose, my hands full of bangals that feels more like handcuffs.
I want to freeze here, in this moment forever and never see what's beyond in time.

"So shall we take your leave." I close my eyes, as Mr Rajeev, My Father-in-law shook hands with my father and uncle. My sister stood beside me holding my hand like she did when she was five and helped me stand up.

"Wait!" I heard it and for a second I couldn't believe it. I turned my head towards my left, to the man I got married, who spoke the first sentence in the entire night. "There is something to do first."

His voice was deep, authoritative and formal just as I remembered. But he still didn't look at me.

He waved his hand and a man, I noticed for the first time in the room, came towards me with a black file in his hand. He was dressed in business clothes, must be his assistant. He handed me a file and a pen. "Hello, Mam. This is for your marriage certificate, you just need to sign it."

Oh, Marriage certificate. Of course. Let's do this first.
I looked at my baba, feeling the weight of tears, everything is fading, of course we need a paper confirmation. He nods and smiled at me, though it didn't reach his eyes.

I took the black file and pen, opened it and sighed my name just beside the man I married, and handed back to the person in front of me. I am already married, it doesn't matter reading it or not, the choice was already made.

I am rightfully Meera Abhimanyu Malik now, the Bansal girl is gone and so as her voice.

I walked towards, Maa and Baba, their eyes were crying happy tears looking at me as they hugged me like their little girl for one last time. "Hamesha khush raho beti."

"Always be happy."

Chacha and Chachi didn't look at me, they looked at my husband and beamed proudly. This would be the first time ever I made them happy. Satya Dada had a face between, 'this isn't true' and 'this the best day of my life.' Everyone was happy except me and why wouldn't they, A poor girl like me got married to one of the richest billionaire in the country.