If You Loved Me (completed)

Chapter 3

She sobbed and sobbed in his arms feeling the world ceased to exist but in his hug and that moment where he hugged her back and let all her tears lay on his chest.

He don't understand what happened to the poor girl or why she wet his chest with her tears and why all the tears and how much pain she suffered and most of all, why god put her in his way?

Shivaay: Anika!! Anika, are you all right? Now please stop crying. Please! What happened? I am sorry I know you don't know me but you can trust me, if you want

Anika calmed down and nodded slowly sitting on the sand and he set beside her. And gave her a tissue from his pocket and she took it and wiped her tears then she smiled to him faintly and he couldn't help but smile to her back but seeing another tear trickled from her eye that she didn't notice, He wiped it with his hand and she looked at him for a moment and wondered if he knows that he is the first hand that wiped her tears in years

Shivaay: now can you tell me what happened to you after you left here?

Anika looked at him for a moment not knowing if she should talk with that stranger about that or not but then she thought that this stranger maybe the only one she really trust now, the only one who showed kindness

Anika: I went straight to home but Bhabhi and bhai misunderstood what happened When they saw me like that and Surya ...well he chose to leave me than to stand by my side....that what happened and that what caused those bruising if that was your question

Shivaay: Surya is your fiancé right? That is why you tried to kill yourself? You love him that much?

Anika shook her head and said in disgust: NOO... I really hate him, I do not think I ever loved him.

Shivaay couldn't help but feel a fast beating in his heart Although he feel bad for her but he felt a relief when she said she hates him but his eyes noticed her hand and found her still wearing the ring ! And the relief vanished and he couldn't help but feel annoyed

Shivaay: why you still wearing his ring then?

Anika looked at her fingers in disgust and took off the ring and toss it in the ocean and Shivaay couldn't help but smile widely but his smile vanished when Anika looked at him confused, then she chose to ignore his smile and he did the same not because it's embarrassing but also because he really don't understand why this smile appeared on his lips!

Shivaay: I am sorry for what happened with you (then he shook his head and said) no no wait why did they do all this with you? Why your fiancé left you and your brother beat you, what did you do? It wasn't your fault. I don't understand.

Anika sadly smiled and said: would you believe me if I say that I too don't understand why they did all this with me? You are the first one who said it's not my fault.

Shivaay sadly smiled to her as she smiled to him and he said.

Shivaay: so that is why you wanted to kill yourself?

Anika shook her head and said: I never thought before of killing myself, I can handle pain belief me,but what I couldn't handle was to be forced to marry him

Shivaay: who?

Anika: him.

(And she pointed to where Veer was standing the night before)

Shivaay's eyes widen hearing her: you mean Veer?

Anika: yes , him ..My engagement is tomorrow

Shivaay shook his head and said: No, you can't marry him ,I know Veer, he only wants you for .....

Anika looked down and closed her eyes so he didn't complete his sentence, hanging it in the middle.

Shivaay: did you tell your brother?

Anika: yes and he said after what I did I don't have the right to talk.

Shivaay: WHAT YOU DID? ARE THEY CRAZY?

Anika looked down then she smiled and said

Anika: now you know everything ,Can you let me die now?

Shivaay: No, I won't let you kill yourself, never. It's not your choice

Anika: then can you help me?

Shivaay: you mean you want me to talk to your family?

Anika: talk won't help me, they won't agree

Shivaay looked at her desperate eyes and his heart ached and then he took a deep breath. What she meant with helping her? Only one thing came to his mind .he said reluctantly..

Shivaay: I can talk to your fiancé and make him understand so he can marry you!

Anika: I prefer death than looking at his face

Shivaay sighed in relief and didn't know why he feels so relieved whenever she says that as she continued

Anika: beside my brother won't agree on any other marriage ,thanks to my dear Bhabhi who confessed to me that the money is very important to them and I guess that Veer will offer anything to make what he want happens , he said it " you don't have a choice , little girl "

Shivaay took a moment and his eyes got lost as Anika nodded

Anika : I am beyond help , right ?

Shivaay: how old are you Anika?

Anika: 21 years old. Why ?

Shivaay: really? I thought you are 17 you look very young.

Anika chuckled and her face blushed and looked down.

Anika: Thank you, no I am 21.

Shivaay: ok I have a solution but don't misunderstand me .

Anika: ok?

Shivaay: you can come live with me in Mumbai

Anika eyes widen and stood in shock as he nodded to her then he pulled her down and said .

Shivaay : sit down , I mean marry me and come with me to Mumbai. I am leaving this village and will do small business there.

Anika put her hand on her lips and looked at him shocked .

Anika: but you don't love me. Why will you do that for me?

Shivaay: I can't leave you like this and don't worry, I won't touch you and when you want divorce I will divorce you (then he took a deep breath and said) I know what you are going through, Believe me I know and I will help you. I have too .

Anika: people don't help people without a reason and not marriage so why are you helping me ?

Shivaay: will you believe me if I said I don't know why?

Anika chuckled and nodded as he felt happiness in his heart when he made this girl chuckle.

Anika : I am so desperate, I will believe you even if you said that you saw the cows fly

Shivaay chuckled and said: I don't know really about flying cows .. So will you marry me, Anika?

Anika nodded then chuckled...

Anika: I guess this is the weirdest marriage in the world neither of us loves the other nor even know each other but we will get married by a choice

But soon her smile vanished and she shook her head.

Anika: bhai will kill me, what I am thinking ? I can't do that

Shivaay: you are 21 just get your cloth and come with me. I will wait for you...there is no other choice in front of you and I don't have any other solution for your problem , it's a risk , I know but you were going to kill yourself so I think you should take the risk

Anika: he won't let me out, bhai won't let me out even if I am 21

Shivaay: I don't know if you will understand what I am asking you ,but I will leave tonight and you will be engaged to Veer tomorrow so if you can't come out of the house, run from it , run from your house and come with me, we will get married and when you are ready I will give you your freedom and you can move on with your life

Anika took a moment then said ...

Anika: okay Shivaay , I will think about that.

Shivaay: Anika you have to come at 10, I have to leave by 10: 30, and I won't miss the train I have to go today only with you or without you.. I will go ..You understand ?

Anika nodded as his words slightly disappointed her especially "with you or without you"

Shivaay: I am sorry Anika but I have problems too. I have to go at 10: 30 from here not a second later, I can't stay in this place anymore

Anika smiled and said: I never thought I will leave here, this was always my home ..But I guess it is not anymore ..Home should be with my loved ones and I don't have some one that loves me anymore ..You don't understand how bad that feels

Shivaay chuckled faintly and said : you will be surprised of how much I understand .

Anika: why ? What happened with you ?

Shivaay swallowed and closed his eyes trying to not remember his own pain. It's not about him as Anika looked at him and said ..

Anika: Shivaay? Are you even from here ?

Shivaay nodded and said : yes I am from here , I even have a house not far from here

Anika : but you talk with the city accent and your thoughts and cloth are different , you can't be from…

Shivaay interrupted: ok so I will wait for you in front of your house till 10:00 then I will go if you decided not to come, so don't sleep and if you decided to come at 09: 45 come out of your house and you will see me waiting for you...I will wait for you for those 15 minutes. If you came we will both leave this town forever and never look back , you get it ?

Anika: ok I won't sleep , I promise but be careful not to be seen

Shivaay: Ok I will take care of that. Now I will walk you to your home. I have to make sure you will reach home safely.

Anika smiled widely and said: it's still morning!!

Shivaay: so? It still not safe for you ,from Veer or your fiancé. I have to make sure no one will bother you

Anika smiled and said: thank you

Shivaay nodded and walked with her to there and saw her enter through a small window and wave to him as he nodded with a wide smile

Shivaay thought” I like her smile she is a nice girl. I wish her people were kinder ”

It took Anika an hour of deep thoughts till she decided it was stupid to not to agree on running away from the first second, yes it's scary and a huge risk to put all her trust in that stranger, but what other choice she have, maybe that was fate plan all along , and maybe fate plan will be much better than hers

So she started to pack her cloth in a small bag. She didn't want to take much but she has to wait till 09:45 till he comes.

Time passed very slowly on the terrified girl. She counted the minutes and the seconds sitting on the bed and looking at window wishing nothing go wrong but....

The door like usual knocked twice and opened like storm as Anika flinched and looked at the suit case near her and knew that was it ..She does not have a lock for the door, she should have thought that anyone can enter her room, maybe she should have hid the suit case but what choice she has now. She is doomed, she thought of that as her Bhabhi entered and said

Bhabhi: how is the bride tonight, come with me and have a look on what I bought for your wedding

Anika eyes widen and stood with pale face as her Bhabhi smile lessened seeing her fear that she couldn't hide then she looked at the floor and saw the suit case that was packed and just beside the open window and Anika saw where she is looking and shook her head

Anika: it's ..It's ...n...nothing...nothing

But her Bhabhi went towards the suit case and pulled it over the bed and opened it and started to throw the contents on the floor , cloth , gold jewelry that she inherited from her mother and money that she saved , all was on the suit case and Anika knew there was no use to make up a lie , it's so clear what this suit case was for .

Bhabhi: WERE YOU PLANNING TO RUN YOU SHAMELESS GIRL?

Anika sit on the bed and tears flow from her eyes .

Anika: Bhabhi I can't marry him, I can't ..You should understand

Bhabhi: this time I won't waste my time with you. RUDRA! RUDRA!

Anika eyes widen and stood fast and hid in the corner of the room, she preferred her Bhabhi beating in compare to her brother's anger, she is terrified, and she can't hide that

Rudra ran to the room and found Anika shivering not looking at his eyes and her angry Bhabhi said..

Bhabhi: she was planning to run and bring shame to you. She wanted to leave the house

Rudra looked at the cloth on the floor and at the shivering girl then to the open window and his eyes widen in anger and Anika eyes widen in fear. They had the same eyes but in this minute, they didn't look the same!!!

Rudra in low tone: bring me rope, wood and nails from under my bed

Bhabhi nodded and Anika shivered more not knowing what her brother want to do to her now but she is now praying if he planning to kill her then death wouldn't be painful. She closed her eyes as her tears flow and started praying for god mercy. She started praying that he find in his heart a bit love for her.

Bhabhi brought the stuff and gave it to Rudra.

Rudra: hold her hands

Bhabhi held the Anika's hands as she fought and struggled as much as she can but her Bhabhi who was much stronger than her held Anika's both hands with one hand and put her other hand over Anika's mouth as Rudra came with the rope and tied her hand tightly and she sobbed and her hands took a faint shade of red from how tight the rope was then she looked at his eyes that wasn't even looking at hers, she knows why he hate her so much, but there must be something that he still have for her, there must be. Her Bhabhi removed her hand from over her lips and she shook her head and said to Rudra

Anika: don't hurt me..You will regret all of this .. I am your baby sister remember, you used to love me, Remember?

He looked at her and came near her face as she pleaded for him with her eyes.

Rudra: hurt you? Believe me Anika, You know nothing about pain.

(Then he opened his shirt and showed her his whipping marks and Anika's tears flow closing her eyes)

Rudra: he did this to me every day, every single mistake and pampered you with kindness, cloth and everything you wished for, why ? (Then his eye widens to her and said) aren't we brother and sister?? Am I not his child too?

Anika sobbed and said: I am so sorry bhai. I don't know why our father was hard on you and not on me? However, I love you. I did nothing wrong to you. So stop hurting me (Then she sobbed harder and screamed) IT'S BEEN 9 YEARS, AREN'T YOU SATISFIED YET?!!!

Rudra looked at her shocked then he looked at the open window and took the wood and the nails and started closing it roaring in anger and Anika flinched with every hit of the hammer on the wood , each nail was making hope of freedom get lessened till he locked the window tight and she wondered if she have any hope left

Rudra: I wish I died before you come to the world Anika , since you came to the world I knew nothing but pain and since our parents died, I knew that they are leaving to me crises but you are more than that. You are the pain of my life , my terrible childhood and YOU DARE TO SAY THOSE WORDS TO ME !! YOU WANT AN ANSWER ? OK

And he pulled her from the robe cuffing her hand dropping her on the floor and she screamed and he started beating her with all his strength on her all body Punching and kicking like a maniac as she screamed in pain with the top of her lung and her Bhabhi screamed in fear

Bhabhi screamed: RUDRA YOU ARE GOING TO KILL HER

Rudra tears flow more while he was punching her and kicking her and he screamed

Rudra: I HATE YOU ANIKA...WHY YOU CAME TO MY LIFE?

Anika screamed in pain till her eyes fall on the clock that reads 10: 45

(He left )she thought

And she just gives up to Rudra's beating wishing he never stop till she dies. She didn't scream anymore but when she felt a horrible pain in her ribs, she screamed as loud as she could and fainted.

Bhabhi terrified: what happened to her?

Rudra eyes widen and looked at his hand covered in her blood as if he just noticed what he did .. Then came near her and put his hand on her neck feeling her pulse, then he took a deep breath in and swallowed looking at her with wide eyes, what have he done ? He thought

Rudra : I think we should call the doctor.

Bhabhi shook her head and said : tomorrow !! If someone saw her like that, we will be the talk of the village ..I will clean her up and clean her wounds ..Then it won't look as bad

He nodded and carried her with her hand still tied and was about to put her on the bed her Bhabhi shook her head and said ..

Bhabhi : she have to be cleaned up first , otherwise the bed with be covered in blood...put her here

Rudra nodded and put her on the floor and tie her hand to the leg of the bed and then he put a pillow under her head and he looked at her with teary eyes and said ..

Rudra : feed her and give her some water when she awakes , take good care of her and I will call Mr. Veer to postpone the engagement till she heals (Then he looked at his wife and said) what have I done , why didn't you stop me ?

Bhabhi looked at Anika and said: Should ..I mean... should we try to wake her up ? Or ...

Suddenly they heard a loud knocking on the door of the house that soon started to be an attempt to break the door as Rudra and Bhabhi froze beside the unconscious girl tied to the leg of the bed , and looked at her now blue and bloody body. Hearing a man voice screams "ANIKA"