Samjhota [The Compromise]

7: Vaani learns the Truth

A strong piercing pain strikes her the instant Raghav grabs her hair, pulling her to the feet. 

"You really love running away, don't you? Soon, that won't be the case anymore." his low voice pours terror into her soul. refusing to let go of her love. Her fearless eyes shot daggers at Raghav and Abhinav.

"If you think that you can raise your hand against my mother and sister and I won't do anything, then you're very mistaken!!! You will pay for every single thing you've done to me, my mother, and my sister. Every single thing!" The droplet of tears she held escapes akin to the pearls of gloominess.

"Are you threatening me??" he yells, shaking in rage. Never did he even imagine in the profoundness of his thoughts that Vaani will talk back."Understand it however you want." He leaves her with a jerk when not for a second did her daring fierce eyes lose contact.

The blood that rolled from the corner of her lips had Abhinav's attention knowing the fact that every mark should be hidden from Shaurya's eyes.

"Ria ji, take her inside!!! Not a single wound should be visible." he orders. Ria grabs her arm and a numb vaani is taken to her bedroom. Not even for a moment could Vaani forget the sight they were in. The clothes which once were spotless today had blood stains on them, those bruises told the tale of the suffering, whose presence was merely because of Vaani's act.

"maa" her voice breaks looking at Ria who refuses to even speak to her.

"Get ready, your wedding is tonight." she says, taking the jewellery boxes out the cupboards and placing them near the heavy red intricately embroidered lehenga, whose presence is on the bed. An anxious Raghav looks at Abhinav demanding answers.

"Papa, why did you have to hit her? It's her wedding today!! What if Shaurya finds out??" Raghav points to the crucial matter.

"No one will find out anything!!" a nonchalant Abhinav states storming to his room, not paying attention to the point he raised.

Ria grabs the make-up box and hands it over to Vaani who looks at it, in bafflement. "Why are you giving this to me?"

"Because it's your wedding today, Vaani. Do I need to keep reminding you?" Ria gives her a death stare which forces Vaani to lower her eyes.

"And the wedding night too." her sister's voice shoots from behind. Vaani scowls at the mere utterance turning sharply to Sneha whose steps advance into the room.

"Why do you have such a misunderstanding that I would let him come close to me!!! I will instill so much hatred in his heart for myself that even touching me would be out of the question; he won't even want to look at my face!!!" Vaani yells to which Sneha grabs her hair, finding her desire to fetch hatred ridiculous, that too from her own husband. Vaani hisses in pain, gazing at her sister with that glass stare. That mark on her arm, passes her sight and a realization travels through Vaani.

"You are getting freedom from this hell, right?? So be happy! Don't do such nonsense that will ruin your relationship before it even begins, or poison it so much that there's no chance of survival left!! Vaani, get married and live your life happily; don't do anything that you will regret for the rest of your life." Vaani nudges her hand away.

"Mumma" she turns to her mother who refused to even talk to her. Vaani sniffles feeling helpless, trapped and sad.

"You all are not doing right with me!!! You called me here by deceit!!!" she cries dropping to her knees. For a moment Ria did feel weak at the condition of her daughter's but an exchanged glance at Sneha retains her strong stance. Not even a single droplet of sympathy was lent to her whose mere crime was to fall in love.

The door thuds close indicating of her being left alone in the room with the bridal lehenga which was to get ready in. Getting to her feet, Vaani stepped closer to the mirror gazing at her reflection. The face which only cherished the glow of love was bruised, deprived of the love. her finger touches the blood which leaves a smear on the skin.

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Arya scurries back to the room only to encounter emptiness confronting him. His sight travels to the paper whose corner mildly flew due to the breeze that had its arrival marked by the open door to the balcony.

"Vaani" his voice shakes, calling her. He takes hold of the paper and the eyes brim with redness interlaced with tears. his fingers loose hold and knees hit the floor harshly. Arya breaks down into tears, even though he thought that a night will cease Vaani going away didn't transpire. He gets to his feet and thrashes away every object placed on the table in a single sweep, while yelling the anguish out.

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Stepping into the room decked in the bridal attire, Vaani attempts to halt the tears which glistened her eyes over and over again with Arya's thoughts in which she was lost but the sole last night pricked her of not having a single memory but the feel of being in his arms the entire night brought a smile curve upon her lips.

the chain of thoughts break apart, with the echo of her phone's ring. reaching the phone, she tugs it close to her ear.

"hello"

"Hello Vaani, I am Ahana, your to-be-husband's first wife. Vaani, Shaurya is not what he seems to be!! Please don't marry him. He raped my sister and then killed her. Please don't marry him, Vaani, please."

The beep resonates in her ear on the newly learnt information of her to be husband. her fingers lose their grip and slips to the floor. Vaani almost drops to the bed in the sitting position but her heart still could process what just transpired. "I'm getting married to Shaurya."

"to shaurya singhania" she recalls the first time she met him on the road. Bursting away every thought, Vaani instantly lifts her phone and searches for Shaurya Singhania.

"The ruthless businessman who never cared for anyone, arrested for allegedly raping and murdering his own sister-in-law. Infamous for his rudeness and brutal behaviour, a prideful Shaurya Singhania spends his night in jail" Every article she came upon, characterised an identical scenario as if someone had taken revenge by writing those articles with utmost hatred. She opens another one, which too shares the same perspective and opinion, pointing to a single thing: Shaurya Singhania is a rapist and murderer.

"How did he get out?" Vaani ponders over it but little did it matter to her, as if she was really going to get married to him. A witty plan coursed through the lanes of her mind certain of the wedding to fall apart. Getting to her feet, vaani glances at the closed door then seizes out the poison bottle which she took out from the embrace of her anarkali suit's pocket's fabric.

"I will never marry him!! No!! Not to a person like him!!! Never. But did papa and bhai know? But what difference does it make? They will still marry me off to Shaurya. After all, I'm just an object to them. I wish I were marrying you, Arya; I wish I had as much freedom as Raghav Bhai has." her grip tightens against the cold rigid plastic bottle.