Secret Marriage

finding out

Mayukh POV:

I got home around 1am. I noticed and checked that Esha and Sid were already home as their keys were kept in the room and we had made a decision to inform each other on our group when we reach home, so everyone's aware.

I texted on the group chat and then went to my room and freshened up, ready to sleep. I went to grab some water and found Nikita's made poha kept in the fridge. I had loved it; I heated it and had a bit before cleaning everything and going to my room.

On the way to my room, I couldn't help but think about what she wanted to show me or even tell me, about why she was so stressed about everything. I wanted answers but getting them at 1am wasn't quite possible. I tried walking past her room when I noticed her room light switched on and door lightly opened, so I walked in and closed the door behind me.

I entered and was welcomed by the smell of strawberry and jasmine; just like her. Entering inside, it looked like she'd been studying. Her books were scattered, her laptop was still turned on, and her head was on the table. She had fallen asleep while studying. She was clearly awake right now since her laptop was still on; she just slept.

I walked closer to her and observed her sleeping face. She looked so calm in her sleep but her surroundings said a different story. I checked to see her laptop and saw her recent tabs, a flight to Indore?
Why did she want to go to Indore so urgently that she's checking tomorrow's flight? What happened to her? I checked her other tabs and saw Whatsapp open. I felt wrong to pry but decided to do it because something felt very wrong. The most recent chat was Nisha Didi. Who's that? Why was she spamming this girl?

One of her messages alerted me: Nisha Didi, Did Masi reach there yet? What's going on? Did she tell about him? Should i come??

This message gave me all the context I needed. Anger boiled in me as that woman still hasn't left Nikita alone. I used her laptop to see the images she sent Nisha and found a screenshot of her aunt messaging her that she knows I left her. My heart burned reading that and anger boiled. This was the same day when Nikita walked back home and said nothing happened.

I held my anger and decided to sort this out my own way and deal with her later. Why couldn't she just tell me?!

I took Nisha's number and switched off her laptop and picked her up bridal style and placed her gently on the bed. I watched her feel warm under the blanket and my anger towards her instantly melted. I sat beside her on the bedside and caressed her face. Slowly, my intrusive thoughts won and I gently lifted her top; just a little.

My eyes burned by seeing what I did and my hands joined in a fist. Nikita's body, just above her waist, had a burn mark, most probably caused by putting a very hot item on it. Nikita's screams rang in my ear again as I held her hand tightly.

I instantly called Nisha from my phone and the phone picked up in a ring.

"Hello?" Said Nisha.
"Hi... Umm, I'm Mayukh. You might know me as Nikita's—"
"Husband."
"You're aware of that?" I asked.
"Yes, I'm the only one other than you who's aware of everything. Thank you for saving my sister's life that day."
"It was my duty. But her life isn't safe yet. She's been really stressed and... I just saw a burn mark on her waist. What is happening to her?"
"Oh... You saw that?" Her voice seemed to have broken.
"What's the story behind it? Treat me like her husband and tell me. I want her to be away from the pain."
"Okay, I'll tell you everything." She said, and I sat next to Nikita, with her head resting against my lap.
"It all started long back when Meenakshi Bua had been kicked out of her house by my parents and Nikita's parents. She had a bad habit of gambling and had even started selling stuff from our homes in her thirst to earn. She ran away with some bengali businessman and settled in Kolkata. Everyone had cut her out except Yamini Bua, who still had faith that she might change. When they went to the meditation, we suggested Nikita to stay with us but she wanted to go to Kolkata to witness a bengali wedding of her friend and the Durga Pujo. She went there and her Masi called her and asked her to come; we said don't go but the sweetness in her voice after 10 years, we thought that she'd have changed. She went and then you know the rest. That burn mark happened when she found out that the man was a 60 year old. Her Masi had put a hot utensil from literal charcoal on her skin, in order to punish her." My hands were clutching more as she spoke. Nikita shouldn't have gone through this. "She ran away after being tortured. That mark was bleeding when you met her. Once she got home, we took her to a doctor who said h that it can be cured only with some rare medication which only prime hospitals have. Since we don't have that kind of money, we had to just see how time heals it."
"What's the medicine called?" I asked, interfering.
"No Mayukh, don't worry about it. It'll be fine."
"Please. The medicine."
I heard her sigh, and say "Arcenia. I'll send you a picture. I've been saving up for it. Use my saving too when you get it."
I agreed and she continued.
"Now Bua is coming back because she assumes somehow that you two aren't staying together and that marriage is fake. She is coming because frankly she's scared. There's now a witness and those guards you paid off also went into hiding. I have their numbers because they helped Nikita get to the station safely the next day. They're ready to testify and so would you and she's aware of your money and power; she's trying to harm Nikita's family in exchange of their and your silence."
How horrible is this woman?
"What do we do?" I asked.
"Well, I don't want her coming here. Her classes just started and she needs to be away from this place; I'm with her parents and we'll just have to keep the story away from them. Otherwise she needs to be dealt with in Kolkata itself."
"Kolkata is my town, I know everyone and everything there." I said. "I'll get this work started."
She agreed and we decided to call tommorow after promising to keep our conversation away from Nikita. I also ordered the medication and got the confirmation that it'll be delivered to us tommorow.

I took one last look at Nikita and went to my room, after tucking her in slowly and caressing her face.

————————————————————————