"The First Night"
The grand wedding was over, a spectacle meant to deceive the world into believing it was a union of love. Haseena sat in her elaborately decorated bedroom, her fingers nervously fiddling with the edge of her dupatta. The room was quiet except for the muffled sounds of celebration fading outside. She was a vision of innocence, her eyes carrying dreams of a beautiful life ahead, unaware of the storm about to engulf her.
When Karishma Singh entered the room, the air changed. His tall, imposing figure filled the doorway, and his expression was unreadable. The man who had charmed her family and promised her a life of stability now stood before her with cold, unblinking eyes. Haseena, though nervous, managed a small smile and said, "Karishma, I hope we can start this new journey together on the right foot."
Karishma didn't respond. Instead, he poured himself a glass of whiskey from the decanter on the table, his movements deliberate, almost mechanical. Haseena's smile faltered. She had never seen him drink before, and the intensity in his demeanor sent a chill down her spine.
After a long silence, he finally spoke, his voice dripping with venom. "Do you know why I married you?"
Haseena was taken aback. "What do you mean?" she asked hesitantly.
Karishma chuckled darkly, his laughter devoid of any warmth. He took a long sip of his drink before setting the glass down with a loud thud. "This isn't a marriage," he said, his eyes narrowing. "This is revenge."
Haseena stared at him, her heart pounding in her chest. "Revenge? For what? I don't understand..."
Karishma leaned closer, his face inches from hers. "You don't remember me, do you?" he sneered. "Typical. Why would you remember someone whose life you ruined?"
Confusion and fear clouded Haseena's mind. She shook her head. "I've never done anything to hurt anyone. I don't know what you're talking about."
Karishma slammed his fist on the table, making Haseena flinch. "Your father," he growled. "Do you remember him? The powerful man who never cared about the lives he destroyed to climb his way to the top?"
Haseena's face paled. "What are you saying? My father was a respected man"
"A respected man?" Karishma interrupted, his voice rising. "He was a tyrant! He had my family evicted from our home, left us to starve in the streets. My mother begged for mercy, but your father didn't care. My little sister died because we had nowhere to go, and my father drank himself to death trying to drown the shame. All because of your family!"
Haseena's breath hitched as tears welled in her eyes. She had never heard such accusations against her father, and the weight of Karishma's words crushed her. "I didn't know..." she whispered.
"Of course, you didn't," Karishma snapped. "You lived a life of luxury while I scraped for food in the gutters. You had everything handed to you on a silver platter while I had to fight for every scrap of dignity I have left."
Karishma downed the rest of his drink and slammed the glass down. His rage was palpable, filling the room like a suffocating cloud. He turned to Haseena, his expression cold and merciless. "I vowed to make your family pay. And now, I have you. You will suffer as I suffered. You will know what it's like to be powerless."
Haseena's tears flowed freely as she tried to process his words. "Karishma, I didn't do anything to you. Please, don't punish me for something I had no part in."
Karishma laughed bitterly. "You're right. You didn't do anything. But you're his daughter. That's enough."
That night, Karishma made sure Haseena understood the depths of his cruelty. He didn't raise his hand to her, but his words were like knives, cutting her deeper than any blow could. He reminded her at every turn that she was nothing to him, a mere pawn in his game of vengeance.
As the hours dragged on, Haseena realized the extent of his hatred. Karishma refused to let her sleep, keeping her awake with his taunts and accusations. He forced her to listen to every detail of his family's suffering, every injustice he blamed on her father. And when she finally broke down, sobbing uncontrollably, he watched with satisfaction.
"You're weak," he said coldly. "Just like your father."
But beneath Karishma's rage was a man consumed by pain. He wasn't just angry at Haseena; he was angry at the world for taking everything from him. He had spent years building walls around his heart, convincing himself that revenge was the only way to heal. Yet, as he looked at Haseena, trembling and broken, a small part of him felt a pang of guilt. It was fleeting, buried quickly beneath layers of bitterness, but it was there.
For Haseena, the first night of her marriage was a nightmare she would never forget. She realized she was trapped in a life of torment, married to a man who saw her not as a partner but as an enemy. But even in her despair, she resolved to find a way to survive.
TO BE CONTINUED
