"What have you done? Why did you ruin everything? Our story was a fairytale dream come true."
She kept thrashing her arms on the door with full force, only for her pleas to fall on deaf ears. Her wedding bangles broke and fell, her wrists bled and h...
Palpitations, tachycardia, giddiness, Kalyani was experiencing all the symptoms of a new bride diagnosed with premarital anxiety.
Hey! I'm just outside your house.
It was a text from Avinash. Kalyani ran at once towards the door. She was excited to meet him after so long. He had even missed their bachelorette party and farewell ceremony with other friends and colleagues.
He took her in a hug as soon as she came towards him. "Here, for the new bride." He gave her a bouquet of roses.
"And, this is for you. I know I am super late in giving my answer. But I hope you are not angry. I wanted to give this to you in person. Do read it!" She handed him the diary he had given her on her birthday.
"I will read it tomorrow when I come over for the engagement ceremony. It will be fun reading it on the way. Like a little prep talk." He threw his hands in the air in excitement.
"Okay, your highness", she nudged him. "Let's go inside."
"No, I am in a hurry. I need to make some arrangements for tomorrow. Guests are coming over. I just returned from Lucknow and thought of visiting you once before I head home."
He had come straight from Lucknow to her home. And was now on his way back.
He waved her goodbye and left in his sedan.
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"
What? What are you saying?"
Kalyani's mother answered the telephone. She hated it, and dreaded it, for it always brought some bad news, ever since the death of her father.
But she had no choice, for she knew that only emergency calls were made on the landline.
"Are you even in your senses? How can You call it off now? Everything has been arranged. Our reputation will be stained. People will laugh at us." A tear fell down her left eye.
"Hello… hello…" The call was disconnected.
"Who was it, Maa?" Kalyani asked, sliding the glass bangles through her right hand.
"It was Avinash's mother. Avinash had an accident, he barely survived and is admitted in the hospital now." Full fledged tears drenched her eyes by now.
"Which hospital? Let's go and meet him as soon as possible." She quickly started to remove her bangles as soon as she had worn them.
"But, his mother doesn't want him to marry an ill-fated girl who is a bad omen to her son. She considers this as bad luck and has decided to cancel the engagement." Her mother hung her head.
"What do you mean by cancelling the engagement? It is not some sort of hotel booking that she can cancel anytime according to her whims and fancies." Her voice was authoritative and she was angry now.
"She… has… decided... to… call… off… the… wedding." Her mother said in between sobs.
Aurat hi aurat ki dushman hoti hai.
"So, she decided not to let her son marry me, and labelled me as bad luck? I'm not a witch. But Avinash loves me! How can he back off? Why did he let her back off? No, this can't be!"
It was very rare that she lost her temper. But it was now the time. "I swear. This man will regret his entire life. He will regret being alive after this accident. He will pray that he had not been saved." She was fuming and her nostrils flared.
After so long, she had finally learned how to trust a man. And it ended so abruptly, that her heart, and most importantly, trust, was damaged beyond repair.
"Kalyani!" Her mother ran behind her.
But she went into her room and closed the door behind her.
Her mother tried to push open the door but it was bolted tightly.
Feeling defeated and disheartened, she went back to her bedroom.
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"Who will marry a fatherless girl who is a bad omen?"
Her mother's voice sounded cold amidst the silence. They were sitting together on the sofa, and Kalyani had laid her head on her mother's lap. It was around the noon hours, and the sad news had already ruined the early morning for them.
"There is no pure soul, not even one who is willing to do your Kanyadaan." She said, gently caressing her head placed in her lap.
But is a girl an object to be traded away? Why do I need someone else to take my responsibility? Can't I take care of myself? Why do I always need to rely on a man, even for settling my marriage vows?
"Who will take care of you after I am gone?"
" I will."
A deep, masculine voice raised her attention. She looked up towards the door. It was not locked, maybe she had forgotten to close the door, amidst all the havoc.
Kalyani sat up at once. She obviously recognised this voice. Her eyes couldn't believe the vision in front of her.
The house was beautifully adorned with decorations for the engagement ceremony. And although she had a blurred vision from all the incessant crying, she could see three tall figures enter the house.
"Everything is already set. No need to make any new changes. The only change," the voice said, "is the groom. I will put the ring on her finger."
It was Rudra.
Her Rudra.
And he was accompanied by his parents.
Hum tumhare paraye nahi hai, Gair ke dar pe aaye nahi hai.
"May I?" He asked, taking her hand.
But before she could let out an answer, she felt the cold metal of the ring slide down her left hand's ring finger, carrying the vein to the heart directly.
I wouldn't let anyone else marry you.
Ofcourse, Rudra being Rudra, he didn't even wait for an answer from her side.
