INAYAT

The Game Begins

"I will marry a prince charming one day , you will be there with me right , ammi?" I giggled and looked up into my ammi's eyes.

"Y-yes , we will be there for you ." she answered with a sad look in her eyes .

"What happened ?, ammi." I asked her as she looked away.

"Nothing" she said and looked behind me towards someone with fear in her eyes.

I open my tears filled eyes and look around trying to digest the shock of the sudden flashback . I was waiting in a corner near the entrance , for him to complete the rituals when i suddenly got hit by these memories .

Thousands of questions rise in my head . why was ammi scared ? Who was the one she was scared from ? I will find the answer to all this mystery revolving around my parents death one day .

I always had minimal memories with my parents . I was really young when they died . the only things I remembered were that my parents loved each other a lot and some other blurred memories .

I don't know why I got this sudden flashback but my heart aches thinking about the irony , how me and my mother wanted me to marry someone I loved but here I am marrying this devil who can ruin my life .

I am drawn out of my thoughts when uncle tugs me forward , his hold on my hand strong .
luckily he or anyone can't see the my eyes that are filled with tears because of the net veil that covers my face . uncle's hold on my hand helps me walk steadily towards the mandap .I look around the crowd trying to find Mohini amma, the only one whose presence can comfort me in this disastrous situation. I have been trying to reach her these past weeks but she hasn't been replying to any of my calls and text . the last call I had with her was when I told her about this marriage . since then she has vanished .I don't know but I don't have a good feeling about this . my shoulders slump down when I don't find her . I expected her to come as she knows how hard this is for me but she didn't .

I keep my eyes down trying not to meet his dark ones. But you can't avoid the devil for too long , they say .

I stand in front of him in the mandap , uncle hands the varmala to me . without meeting his eyes, I put the varmala on his neck . everyone starts cheering and throwing flowers at us .my face remains numb , I don't what to feel .

he does the same and puts the varmala on me without saying a word .good , that he is not doing anyt-

I get startled when suddenly he makes me look up , his fingers hold my chin firmly . he pulls me close with his hold on me .

"W-what are yo-?" my words are cut off when he brings his other hand up to my face and wipes a stray tear that fell off . my heartbeat quickens , I look into his dark eyes trying to find something , any trace of manipulation but I find nothing .

"Don't cry , I don't like to see tears in your beautiful eyes ." he says leaning close to my face . his hot breath brushes on my cheeks . a weird feeling makes its way into my lower abdomen . I don't know what he is doing and why he is doing this .

Another tear streams down my face as rose petals fall all around us . this might look like a movie scene but there is nothing like the movies in this twisted game of ours .