Love is Bound to Happen

The Wedding Day

The night was troublesome for her. She kept tossing and turning in bed trying to sleep, but her eyes were always wide. The scenes came frequently to her mind. Her mind was in chaos. She could not understand the situation clearly.

After lots of tries, she slept at last. The morning did not take long to come. Her alarm went off after buzzing for ten minutes. She did not feel like getting up and shutting off the alarm.

She kept on sleeping. After a while, the door opened and Clara entered. She switched on the lights. Sudden brightness hit Belle's eyes like a hammer. She opened them and saw Clara and the brightness of the room. She turned onto her side with the blanket. She covered her face with the blanket.

Clara beamed with happiness, "I can't believe that it's actually happening. You are getting married. And we have grown big. It doesn't feel like a lot of time has passed but it did." She talked more to herself while opening the curtains and then the window.

"Was it not just like yesterday when we met at the kindergarten school? I was wearing a cute panda rubber band which you liked more than I did. And, I brought it out the next day for you."

Clara sat at the bed near her. She stroked her hair soothingly.

"Do it more all over my head."

"Sure, madam. Anything else you would like? May be your breakfast?"

Belle smiled in her sleep but did not open her eyes. She said in her sleepy voice, "Why has morning come so early? I want to sleep more."

"But it's already too late. It's nine a.m. I thought you would have woken up by now."

"I don't know, I could not sleep well last night." She yawned and stretched her arms.

"What were you thinking?"

"Nothing just about today that everything will go well." It was half truth and half lie. She did pray for the day to go well, but she was primarily occupied with those previous encounters.

"Of course, it will go perfectly. Just the way you wished."

Belle nodded and then yawned. Both of them had their breakfast together. Then, Belle took a shower. Clara applied too much skincare to her face. After her makeup was finished, Clara helped her put on her wedding dress. Then, she too got ready.

Belle along with Clara, reached the wedding venue. Clara took her to a room where she was made to wait. After a while, her parents came in to see her. They both were teary-eyed, and they hugged and shared their last moment as a family with each other.

The venue was decorated with flowers just as Belle wished.

Henri reached after her but was sent to his room. Clara did not allow him to see Belle even he requested. Henri and his parents were waiting at the altar. When it was time to take Belle, his father hugged her and sobbed. Belle could not stop her tears. Seeing her friend cry, Clara too could not stop herself.

Her mother blessed her and then hugged her, followed by Clara. Arthur took her hand and they started walking. Their steps were slow and heavy.

As Belle entered, every guest had their eyes on her. They started clapping and hooting. Henri's friends shouted his name while Clara made her group chant Belle's name louder than them.

Belle took slow steps; her legs felt heavy and her heart thudded at a very great speed. She glanced at Henri from beneath her veil. He was dressed in a tuxedo and was smiling at her. She passed him a forced smile.

Both the group were on the war. Their voices were getting louder and louder. The guests were enjoying their competition. As Belle came close to Henri, she stopped and took a long exhale.

The priest started chanting the prayer. Everybody was quiet and listening to it. Henri and Belle were looking at each other. Now, the priest turned for their wedding vows.

"Do you choose Belle as your wife?"

Henri said," I do."

"Do you choose Henri as your husband?"

Belle opened her mouth to say her words. But a loud bang was heard. Then, a bullet was shot at Henri and he collapsed on the floor. The priests and the guests started hiding or leaving.

Belle was standing there without any movement. She was staring at Henri's face with wide eyes. Her eyes were not even blinking. Clara came to her side and grabbed her arm. She started dragging her inside the hall. Belle's eyes were still trying to process the situation. Her legs were walking on their own.

Clara took Belle inside to a room. She made her sit on the bed. She gave her water to drink. But Belle's eyes were focused on the wall. Clara patted her cheeks to get her attention. Her eyes turned to Clara. She made her drink the water.

Then, she informed her, "I am going outside. You wait here and dont leave until I come back." Belle did not hear anything.

Clara left her. Belle's mind was blank. Only the scene was replaying in her mind non-stop.

The door opened with a loud thud, a man entered and his gaze fell on Belle. He approached her with his quick steps. He picked her up in his arms and then turned and ran.

He placed her in the back of the car and then entered the front seat, locked the doors and started the engine. The car sped up and they were gone.

The venue was desolate. Its flowers were bloodied or smashed in the mud. The chairs were thrown here and there. The floor had some lost jewellery pieces and splatters of blood.

Belle could not take the shock well. She had fainted after the car sped up. When Belle woke up, she found herself in a different room. She was in a bed. She sat up and removed the blanket from herself.

She turned her head right and then left. Everything was new to her. She gently placed one foot, then another, on the floor. Her foot slipped, just as she was about to fall, she felt hands around her waist.

As she looked up, she found that same man from the boutique. Her eyes widened.

"You! What are you doing here?"

"It is my home, and not the other way round."

She placed her right palm on his shoulder and straightened up. As she stood firmly on the ground, she created distance between them. He was looking at each of her actions without blinking.

She looked at him again. "I don't remember coming here. My head is also hurting." She said in her pained voice, in a low tone.

"I brought you in here."

"What! But why?"

"Because you belong here, with me. " He emphasized to make a point.

Belle blinked several times continuously. She then frowned and slowly repeated his words.

"I belong here with you." She paused for him to say something. But he simply stared at her.

"What do you mean by that? Was I not at my own wedding and..." Her eyes relaxed and turned wide. She now recalled all the memories of the past few hours. They flashed in front of her quickly.

She could not see the person shooting Henri but she knew it was him. Now, her heart thudded with intense fear.

"What...do...you want..."

"You."

She stared at him with wide eyes.

"What do you exactly mean by me?"

"You. Simple."

"As in?"

He sighed and then smirked.

"I like you. So, I am keeping you forever with me."

Her legs turned wobbly. Cold sweats appeared on her neck and forehead. She closed both her hands to not to show him her shakiness.

"But I have my fiancé. I am already engaged."

"You were engaged." He corrected immediately.

"No, I want to... go home, please..." She controlled herself from crying. But in the end, tears started falling from her eyes.

Her thoughts centered on Henri. She had seen him being shot. But how was he? Was it an accident and had Henri survived or was it a real murder? Did he kill him too? She thought.

She gathered her courage and asked, "How is..." She gulped and then repeated again. "How is Henri?"

His eyes turned lethal. He took her by the neck and started walking. She had to walk very fast to match his pace. He pressed her body against the wall.

Both of their gazes were locked on each other. His hold on her neck was firm. But still, she was gasping for air. Her hands were pressed to her sides, clutching the gown. She did not have the courage to touch his arm and move it away.

Her heart was thudding rapidly. It was so loud that he could hear it. He pressed himself to her. This sudden closeness made her anxiety spike up. Their faces were an inch apart.

His hot breath was falling on her chin and neck. Her neck was raised even after he had bent his neck to her level.

"This is the last time I am hearing his name from your lips." His tone was barely above a whisper, but it was enough to know his anger.

"From next time, these lips will be gone."

Her heart sped up and beat faster. Hot sweats covered her whole body. She started exhaling and inhalnig deeply from her mouth. But it seems as if the whole air stopped moving, fearing his aura.

He left her neck but did not move. She turned her head to her side to avoid looking him. She took breaths abd finally the air made its way through her lungs.

As she turned her head, she found him staring. It was as if he was pentetrating his deep gaze within her soul. She felt exposed and vulnerable.

"Please, do not do this. I have my parents who must be looking for me." She said those words in a low voice.

"You are not allowed to make demands too soon."

She felt herself crushed. Her hope was dying slowly within her. Tears started gathering at her lower eyelids.

"Please." She could not speak further and started sobbing.

His gaze lingered on her dress. His eyes held disapproval. He took a few steps back. He looked at her with no expression.

"Cry as much as you want, but not in this wedding gown."

She tried to make meaning out of it. He sensed her question and answered, "There are multiple dresses in the wardrobe. Choose as you like but just get rid of it before I come next time."

She simply looked at him and sobbed more. He looked at her and then left. The door was shut with a firm sound.

She felt helpless. She could not understand what she could do. She thought of her parents, along with Clara, and their worried faces came to her mind. She sobbed more.

She did not realise that she had slept while crying on the floor. The door was open and the staff came in. One of them patted her cheeks to wake her up. She opened her eyes and took in the new faces. She immediately sat up on the floor.

She asked, "Why are you here?"

"Ma'am, we are here to help with your makeup and dress as Sir has commanded."

"For what?"

"We don't know ma'am. We are just following his orders."

The two ladies made Belle stand up. They helped her wash herself , then they did her makeup and made her wear that dress. Belle was tired. She simply did what was asked of her.

After the servants were done, they left her alone. Belle sat gazing at her ownself in the mirror. But she could not see anything. Just that murder of Henri and his blood all around his body. The sight of blood made her slightly dizzy.

She tried to stand up, to steady her moving mind. But eveything was slowly moving. She grabbed the table and then straightened her legs.

Beads of sweat had already made its way onto each part of her cody. She looked at herself in the mirror. She frowned. She could not feel herself. She felt like she was dying slowly as the world tightened around her.