A Loveless Alliance

Chapter-36 [The Rings]

SIDDHARTH'S POV

Another sharp pain ringed in my head. I closed my eyes as a hard swallow pushed down my throat which burned like hell. Snapping my eyes open, I gazed at myself in the mirror.

Red eyes, from anger or pain? I couldn't distinguish. Messy hair which was slightly wet now. How was I supposed to go out like this?

I could fix my hair or outfit but what about this heavy burden lingering on my chest, like a rock stopping my heart to beat properly?

Taking a breath felt like a daunting task, which hurted my lungs. I coughed, my fist slammed against the marble sink counter.

Who was this anger for? I wasn't sure, maybe for myself only. The blurred image of her crying, those cruel tears brimming in her eyes, became a haunted picture which flashed in my mind repeatedly; making it impossible to calm my nerves.

A loud ring from my phone echoed around the bathroom. I stared at myself in the mirror as if I could glare-shoot down the person I was seeing. Without darting my eyes anywhere else, I picked up the call not caring to check the caller Id.

"Bhaiya," The blasting music in the background slowed down, like Poonam stepped away to talk. "Where are you? Panjit ji is here. Mumma is panicking. Aap ka irada to nahi badal gaya na?"

Her soft laughter ringed in my ear, the playfulness of her statement worked the exact opposite for me. Instead of a laugh emerging, something twisted in my chest.

"Mera irada nahi badla," My grip around the phone tightened, the next words, it hurted to say them but somehow they summed up all my fears at the moment. "But Myra ka pata nahi."

"Kya baat Kar rahe ho?" Poonam's tone took a serious edge at the lack of sarcasm in my words. "Myra bhabh- I mean dii to already yahi hai."

"I'm coming." Before she could let any words out, I hung up. A sigh, probably of relief, broke free from my stinging chest.

For a second, only for a moment I thought Myra would back off from this wedding and the worst nightmare of my life would become a reality.

I don't know why such a thought slipped into my mind but it had almost shoved life out of my body until all I left with was a dark burning void. A curse left, inaudible under my heavy breath.

She is there, She is waiting for me. Everything is fine; I chanted those words in my mind like a prayer which was gradually untangling the strangling knots inside my heart.

Pushing my hair back, I tried to regain my "presentable" self before walking out of the restroom.

The distant echoes of the music grew louder with each step that I took. Earlier flames of anger, hurt had eased off, though tiny particles of poison still lingered in me somewhere.

I am fine-maybe not.
I was fine only until her soft figure came into my vision and my steps stilled. She stood tall at the stage with our close family members, laughing. Oxygen was sucked out of my lungs for a moment.

Not a crease of tension on her forehead, nor any stiffness in her shoulders. She looked like the happiest girl in the world, as if nothing had ever gone wrong.

If it was a little "pretend game" of hers, then this was rather scary. She was on the very edge of a breakdown when I ran away, like a freaking coward and if she was smiling by pushing those acidic emotions down her throat- A punch was felt to my core at the thought.