Beyond The Golden Skies

♛ 01: Party & Permission •

Sakshi Rani Kumar shut the windows of her bedroom, disgusted by what she saw. Her father's drunk friends were dancing with girls her age, throwing cash on them and running their wild fingers over their bodies. Since the men were from her father's political party, she couldn't say a word against them. The smell of cigarettes and alcohol filled the air, burning her lungs.

"I can't take this anymore!" she murmured to herself.

She had a pile of college work to complete. Maybe working on the projects would help her escape her problems. Grabbing her files, she trudged to the family library on the third floor.

The library's heavy door creaked as she pushed it open. Golden lights filled the room with warmth.

The noise was much less up here, thankfully. She took a deep breath of the night's clean air. Stretching her aching muscles, she settled in a chair and stacked her files on a desk.

"Why is accounts so difficult?! I wish Rajesh Sir gets lost in some island. Then I won't have to calculate this stupid balance sheet." She stared at the ugly numbers in the question.

"Alone huh?" A groggy voice tingled behind her, making her freeze. She turned around, coming face to face with the muscular man.

"H-Hemant? What are you doing here? You should be at the party," she said.

"Let's have our own party, just you and me." He inched closer and eyed her body with a smirk.

Fear clawed her heart. She hurried to the door but he blocked it with his large frame.

"Come on, don't act smart." He dug his harsh fingers into her waist.

"Move away!" She said in a firm voice, struggling against his grip.

"Don't talk like that to your future husband!" He growled, his eyes burning with anger.

"Husband? No, that can't be true."

He ran his thumb over her collarbone. "It's true, my darling. You can't escape me."

"LET GO!" She screamed.

He froze for a second, puzzled at her sudden reaction. Using the opportunity, she pushed him aside with all her strength and ran downstairs. Everything turned hazy as she reached her room on the first floor.

She dashed inside and bolted the door, gasping for breath. She gripped the lock again and again, making sure it was tight. Hemant's memories flooded her mind, tormenting her soul.

His perverted eyes. His smirk. His wicked hands. This wasn't the first time he tried to misbehave with her. If she married him, it would only get worse.

Dragging the velvet curtains over all the windows, she sank into her foam mattress. Before she knew it, a wave of sleep washed over her tired body.

•~•♛•~•

Broken glass bottles, burnt cigarettes, and leftover food filled the main hall the next morning. The servants cleared the trash and mopped the floor with a lemon-scented cleaner.

Sakshi peeked out of her bedroom, eyes crusty with sleep. A dull pain gripped her skull. She slipped out to their garden filled with roses and mango trees.

Ranveer Kumar, her older brother, marched around the marble fountain and yelled at someone on the phone.

"Finish it before we finish you! This is your last warning." He cut the call and his eyes landed on Sakshi.

"Saash, what are you doing here?"

"Hemant told... Hemant said he's going to marry me. How can you arrange my own wedding without asking me?" She managed to choke out the words.

"My dear sister, nothing is arranged yet. Babaji (father) will never do anything without asking you!"

She stood numb, unsure if she could trust those words.

"Also, I want to meet Babaji about something very important," she said.

"He's at an election meeting again. He'll come home before dinner."

"Fine." She sighed and retired to her bedroom. Hours passed while she busied herself in completing the assignments.

The dark night washed over Sonambar City. Her father's luxury car zoomed into the mansion. An uneasy feeling gripped her bones. Did she have to do this? Yes. She had promised her best friend.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed herself to her father's office room downstairs.

His screams got louder as she neared the door. "Fracture every bone in his body! No one should dare open their mouth about us."

Her heart hammered in her chest. She turned around quietly but the sound of her anklets betrayed her.

"Sakshi?! What are you doing there? Come in!" He ordered.

She stepped inside carefully. The room was dark, except for a dim floor lamp.

Udayveer Rana Kumar leaned on his leather armchair, his eyes flickering in the shadows of the night. He blew out a generous cloud from his imported cigarette, making Sakshi's throat sting.

His lion-like eyes stared right through her. "What is it?"

He clearly wasn't in a good mood. Why on earth did she get herself into this?

"I... need your permission to go to the annual fair tomorrow. My best friend Vini is putting up a shop. I promised her that I'll surely make it."

"It's dangerous to go out during the election season. What if our enemies see you?"

"I won't be out for long, even an hour is enough. Please, Babaji."

"Shut your mouth or else I'll stop you from college!" He yelled and cursed at her.

She had to break her promise to her best friend, though it would break her own heart. Her footsteps faltered as she barged out of the room, making her bump into someone.

Ranveer gripped her shoulders and steadied her from falling. She moved past him and hurried to her room, trying hard not to cry. She hated showing her emotions in front of others.

He followed her with a stern frown. "I heard everything. Babaji has a point, no?"

"This election thing is just an excuse. Babaji never allows me to go out even when things are normal. He can't keep me locked up forever."

"If you want something from Vini's shop, I can send our men to get it."

"Vini is moving to another city after the exams. This is the last chance to make some memories with my best friend."

He paused for a moment, looking at her with worried eyes.

"Alright, you can go," he said.

Her heart fluttered at his words. "I can’t believe this is happening. Thank you so much!"

"Promise me you'll keep this a secret. If anyone finds out... I can’t save you.”

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