𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐞

Chapter-1

She looked back and ran as fast as she could. Tears streamed down her eyes, making it hard to see as her petite figure tripped over the sharp stones and rough rocks that lined the road of the jungle.

It was extremely dark, but less darker than those who were behind her. She was scared, her heart pounding in her chest like a drum.

She would be caught if she didn't run but all she could feel was tired. Her body was barely able to hold itself. Her heavy lehenga was another shackle but the fear of letting herself be trapped in a marriage that would make her a victim of domestic abuse and the hope to find someone who could help her, made her run.

Run as fast as she could.

She ran and ran and finally found a huge towering banyan tree. Her feet raw and bleeding couldn't take it more forcing her to immediately collapse behind the massive trunk of that tree that hid her completely.

Panting heavily, she glanced over her shoulder and got alert as she spotted a few men with torches hunting for her all around in the dark.

She could feel the shuffle of the grasses nearby and pressed her back against the tree, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Hey Durga Maiya, bachalo hume"

(Hey Durga Maiya, save me)

She chanted through trembling lips, as hot tears streamed down her face.

As if her desperate prayer had been heard, the men suddenly stopped in their tracks and turned in a different direction.

Anaya was happy. She sighed in relief, hissing every now and then as she felt the stinging pain in her feet. She somehow knew that this happiness and relief was just momentary.

The jungle was very quiet and dark, with the distant howls of animals echoing through the trees. Danger felt like it was hiding everywhere.

Anaya was scared not just of the wild animals, but also of being found by the men while she was weak and asleep. Just thinking about it made her shiver and her heart raced with worry.

She wiped away her tears, but they just kept coming. All night, she looked around the village, her eyes moving from one shadow to another, trying hard to make sure those men wouldn't find her. She breathed quickly and felt scared of being caught, which made it impossible to sleep. Every sound in the night made her heart race, leaving her tense and stuck in a cycle of fear and worry.

Anaya Sharma, daughter of Baldev Sharma-this was her only identity. From a young age, she had seen her mother suffer constant abuse from her father. The torment happened right in front of her, leaving deep scars on her heart.

The trauma from those memories shaped her decision: she promised herself that she would never marry a man like her father.

As she grew older, she started to realize how childish the vow she had made was. A woman was expected to marry, a lesson her mother had taught her from a young age. Anaya went along with everyone's wishes, believing her father despite his mistreatment, and eventually found herself caught in a ceremony of arranged marriage with an old man nearly three times her age.

Baldev was marrying Anaya off to Suresh Thakur, a wealthy man in the community who had already buried three wives dead. Anaya was to become the fourth.

She had never imagined her parents would push her into such a dangerous situation. Suresh's reputation was terrible, and the huge age difference only made her more uneasy. Yet, no one seemed to care about her feelings or well-being; they were blinded by the promise of status and wealth that the marriage would bring.