Sirayat: Love of a Mafia

Married

Aadhya's POV

I opened my eyes slowly and took my surrounding into consideration. I am in my room but how I came here, all the memories from Dad's office came to my mind and instantly my eyes filled with tears and I start hiccupping.

“Vy-Vyom”

I cleaned my new formed tears with back hand.

No!! this can't be true. I pulled the duvet covering me and came to my feet, suddenly my eyes fell on my mehndi and tears started reappearing when the letter “V” held my attention.

“Do it fast, marriage is in few hours.”

The voice fell on my ears as a ray of hope. It means that's a nightmare. I took a long breath.

“Thank God!!” she joined her hands and placed it near her mouth.

Wait, then why there is too silence. She looked out from window for getting the view of backyard which was all empty.

I think all are getting ready but what about me. It's my marriage, I should get ready first, she curled her lips to a cute pouting pose.

No problem, I'll show them what are consequences of making a bride wait.

I stepped forward to open the door but before I could do that it opened wide and there entered my parents with pale faces which made me confused.

Are they not happy for there daughter’s biggest day?

But they are not like this they were so happy yesterday and even in my mehndi then what happened suddenly.

Oh!! Gotcha. This is because they are sad because I am going to leave them.

Mom was holding a large golden plate covered with red cloth. I removed its cover to see a beautiful velvet lehenga of red colour.

“Mom what's this, another lehenga. Don't you remember I have one in my wardrobe?”

“Aadhya”

Dad said in a painful voice as he was on verge of crying, he came forward and make me sit on the bed.

“Aadhya bache(child) I wanna tell you something.”

 I noticed tears in his eyes and turned to look at my mother whose eyes look swollen as if she cried before coming here. The time I turned towards my father who is sitting opposite to Mom, my eyes fell on the mirror in the front and the sight in front have the rug swept out from under my feet, my tear strained face. Yes, My tear strained face, bags under eyes, frazzled face, red cheeks and swollen nose.

I touched my face while looking straight on my reflection, where is my engagement ring. It-It-It means th-that's in real, it was not my nightmare.

“No-No” I start stepping back when Mom came to console me.

“Aadhya beta” Mom said with difficulty. She's not in much good condition than me. I know they are suffering as well.

Then what about the wedding preparation and this lehenga.

I wish-

I am still assuming it to be a nightmare.

“Aadhya bache listen your Dad now” Dad said while gathering the courage to reveal the truth.

"I-I have never asked you to do anything against your wish, never forced you for anything. Since your childhood you get what you wish. But today I want you to do something for me, for your father. Please don't say no."

“Wh-what”

“Get ready for this marriage.”

“Ho-How could you do this.” I burst out in silent tears.

Then those faces rewind in my mind, hater on those faces was crystal clear.

“At least tell me what happened with Vyom?”

“Woh-”

“What will he tell I'll tell you what happen to that fucker.” Randhir said abruptly entering the room.

What surprised me the most is Randhir calling Vyom a fu-fucker.

“Bhai”

“Yes, Aadhya I mean what I said.”

“This person standing in front of us is not worth calling father. He-he-He's curse on- “

“Bhai. Please Stop it!” my sobs doubled.

“You need to know the truth Aadhya. Your feelings, your love and this so-called marriage, all were just a part of a deal."

"Deal for betraying Sirayat, for joining Satan."

"The same Satan which was involved in killing our family member."

"Because of whom we lost our beloved one, because of whom you suffered."

"Because of whom that tragedy happened, and our lives changed.”

Randhir said venting out his frustration in form of venom filled words.

I am feeling numb after encountering these words. No feelings, no loss, no mourning, even my tears stopped shedding by this time.

I turned by gaze to my father with one last hope that this isn't true. His pale face is answering all my questions, but I don't believe, or you can say don't want to believe.

“Dad Is this true.” I asked in a hard voice promising myself to never conversate with him if its so.

His silence is killing my hope and I counted till ten because I remember when I was 4 he used to play hide and seek with me, he always found me and say pee-ka-boo before I finished my counting till 10.

But this time he didn't utter a word. Is this the same person, my father? No, he's not my father. A father will never do this to his daughter.

My legs feel week and like a lifeless body I was on the floor the very next second.

I want to be alone.

It's suffocating here.

I don't want to breath this air.

I’ll do this marriage.

Yes, I’ll do.

“I’ll marry him.”

---------------------------------

"Miss, you are looking so beautiful." 

These words pulled me out of my waves of thoughts and I lifted my eyes to see myself in the mirror. 

Indeed, the beautician did a great job of dolling me up. 

I am wearing red coloured velvet lehenga with a net dupatta, beautiful heavy necklace over my neck which is further adorned by heavy mang tikka and jhumkas.

My Sabyasachi lehenga has a ballgown-esque skirt. The lehenga was topped off with delicate hand-cut organza flowers, French knots in silk floss and layers of thread work.

I am wearing golden coloured beautiful bangles with ring chain bracelets at the end. What caught my attention here was the ring mark on my middle finger, the one where I used to wear my ring of mine and Vyom's engagement. 

I am looking beautiful from my outer appearance but who would care about my inner turmoil.

I looked at my reflection in the mirror and noticed my watery eyes before stepping back and sitting on the bed with my head resting on the headrest, I closed my eyes shutting down my gloomy emotions which were about to explode few seconds ago. I took a deep breath.

Control Aadhya!! You have to stay strong for this long day. But how am i gonna control them for the whole day if i am failing just in the start. 

I heard footsteps coming to my room. It means its time to ............. 

I took a sharp breath and got on my feets to start this long day. Door was opened by Randhir bhai " Aadhya". 

Then his eyes rest on me and i can notice his teary eyes, the time he saw me in this beautiful bridal outwear but I can see he's trying to avoid any eye contact with me as if not getting the courage to do.

I went near to him not wanting him to be this vulnerable and without exchanging any word I hugged him, I was on the verge of crying but I controlled myself before retrieving my arms which were wrapped around his waist. 

"Lets go bhai." I said while making eye contact with him showing my strong side which was hidden from so long and hence announcing my arrival to the war with my determination to win, to stay strong and marry that  Devil.

Bhai adjusted my veil before offering his arm which I grabbed instantly. We headed out of my room upstairs and strode towards the main stairs which end in the middle of the lobby where the whole function is taking place.

There was dead silence in the hall the time we reached at the edge and heads turning my way making me more nervous. 

"I am a confident girl I can do it." I refrained these words in my mind, remembering how i used to chant these words when ever i got nervous while performancing on school functions. But its not working this time. I took long breaths before taking a step down.Fortunately, net red coloured veil covered all my face along with my neck and my arms hence hiding my tensed expressions as well as goosebumps of arms. 

Strange!! Everyone present here were either in black or white. Guest and my family members were wearing white while his man were in black, few of them were in pathani suit I guess they must be close to him.

My eyes fell on my mothere, she is wearing a white saree embroidered with thread and pearl along with a chiffon silk blouse and what I discovered next made me tizzy,there were no other women except her.

Like seriously, their is not a single lady from his side.

I was so engrossed in admiring the guest and searching for any female guest that i didn't notice when i get downstairs and here he is, wearing black sherwani with golden embroidery on its neck and sleeves. 

Bhai made me sit beside him. I hold Bhai's hand on my arms trying to give him a silent message of staying at his place because I am losing all my courage but he pulled his hands which I didn't try to hold for the next time not wanting unwanted attention. He left my side when he saw me adjusting to my surrounding. 

The time priest start chanting mantras my heart starts beating rapidly and the goosebumps starts reappearing , i placed one of my hand to the side in order to keep myself in place and a minute later, i felt a squeeze on it.

The moment i realise what it is, my breath got hitched, his right hand is placed on my left one giving it a tight squeeze but when he see my lack of reaction to his indirect order, he tilted a little to my side and said "Breathe" in usual hard tone fanning my ear with his breathe. 

And that made me realize I was holding my breath from a long time so I took a deep breath but his hand is still on mine not in a harsh grip but a loose soft hold.

Priest called my parents for Kanya Dan ritual where they will officially gave their daughter away by placing my hand in his. The time my back hand came in contact with his rough and hard ones it ignite a spark of current inside of me as he's not leaving my hand even after it's over. I initiated an effort to do it myself but it only result in making his hold more firm.

I am sure it didn't go unnoticed by my mom who's sitting behind us tying my dupatta to his sherwani scarf. A lone tear escaped my right eye and rolled over my cheeks noticing how helpless I am and the next thought was what she'll think about me? "Oh God please help." I start inhaling and exhaling quickly.

The priest announced us to stand and take our seven vows by completing 7 rounds around the Agni. Bhai came forward and helped me to stand on my feet and we start taking ferre. And with each ferra, my heart starts sinking into immense pain which start coming out in form of tears. All the things that happen in the past 6hrs came to my mind: Vyom's truth, his demise, Dad's betrayal and then this marriage. 

I came back to my senses listening to priest voice. 

"Now groom can put mangalsutra in brides neck and fill her hair partition with sindoor." My breath hitched for another second as he came closer, his breathing on my neck this time and in few seconds he tied the nuptial chain around my neck. 

Mom came to hold my veil upwards while he filled my hair partition with vermillion. I closed my eyes the instant my saviour veil was not in his way and i know all the eyes were on us cause all this time they didn't get the view of the face. My veil is of net but only a person closer could see me through it.

"Now you are husband and wife", priest said releasing my death warrant. We bowed in front of some elders and touched their feet, whom I don't know. I am just following him with some newformed tears in eyes.  

Nanu came forward and congratulated us.

"Now you are heading to my mansion because we'll do Aadhya's vidaai and a Muh dekhai function there, at my place."

Thank you Readers for reading my story and showing your interest.

Stay safe and :)