Danger
1000 Words
NUR
“You should be feeling relaxed since we haven’t seen each other for two days now.” That was Auni with her usual mocking tone.
“It is nice to see you, Auni,” I said, concentrating on my knitting. That was why I came to the garden: to clear my head.
“Is it? How are you enjoying your new babysitters?” Auni continued.
“ need no babysitter. I am perfectly fine; I am not in danger of anything. I wonder why you’ve been so gracious to contract two men to guide me. Am I worthy of that?” I flippantly replied, now looking at her face.
With eyes narrowed, Auni shot back “It is bold of you to assume I care whether you are hurt or not. You know the reason why these men are here, and until I get what I want. They are not leaving.”
“I don’t know why they are here.” I calmly replied, goading her further.
She laughed. “You will know when the time comes. You will.”
“What did I ever do to you, Auni?”
“You came into my house. You shouldn’t have done that.”
“I loved your son; you wanted me to leave him because you didn’t like me?”
“You are not wise; if you were, you would have known that I will never accept you into my home. You stink of poverty.”
“So, why do you want me to marry your second son? You hate me!”
She laughed her full mocking laugh and, with a mocking smirk, replied, “Exactly, I hate you, and the only one who can treat you the way a hated woman should be treated is my second son.”
I felt goosebumps wash over me. “How should a hated woman be treated?” I questioned with tears threatening to drop.
“They are treated like the trash they are. Lucas doesn’t want to get married, and so he will marry you. I know he won’t touch you, but I will have the satisfaction of watching you tied to a man who will never notice you. A man who will treat you like a piece of furniture. Aiden cared too much about you. Lucas would change that. So be prepared. You will marry him.”
Just then, Sri came bearing tea and biscuits.
“Good afternoon, Madam.” She greeted as she bent to drop the tea tray.
“And who are those for?” Auni’s voice rang out, stilling her.
“For madam.”
“Which Madam?”
“Auni.” I interrupted, “The tea belongs to me.”
“To you? Why should you be served tea when I am here? Sri, take that back to the house; we do not have enough to waste on nonentities.”
Sri gasped, and with an apologetic look at me, took the tea and walked back to the house.
I looked away, telling Sri to keep back the tea would be putting her in trouble, and I did not want that.
“Auni, can we talk amicably and resolve this? Give me any other condition apart from marrying your son, and I would do that. I am already mourning Aiden. Please, do not make my life more miserable. I beg you.”
“That is the only thing I want from you,” She sneered.
“And if your son refuses?”
“That is not your worry; it is mine. He is my son, and even though he is a mafia, he still listens to me.”
“And he did not come for his only brother’s burial.” I chuckled.
“Don’t you dare! He did not make it because he had an emergency, and why should I be explaining things to you.”?
“Auni, I don’t know what your son looks like. I have never met him. Don’t you think he will be miserable marrying me too?
“No, he won’t; you will be like a piece of furniture. He does not care for women. He just wants to be left alone, and why should you bother with his looks? He is not touching you,” Aiden said, walking away.
“I will go to my supermarket tomorrow.” I declared.
“Have you finished mourning the man you so much declare you love?” She asked, turning around to face me.
“I am tired of staying indoors.”
“In just two days?”
“Am I now a prisoner?”
“Of course you are. You can’t leave this house until I say so. If you must, you will have to go with your babysitters.” She smirked.
“Auni, that shop has not been open in over three months. Let me go there, even if it is to clean it up.” I pleaded; my shop has been closed since Aiden’s ill health, but I didn’t just want to go so I could clean it up. I wanted to leave the house and get a breath of fresh air.
“Well, you cannot leave the house until you are done mourning or until you marry my son, who you will eventually marry.”
“What happens if I decide to leave your house so as not to marry your son?” I queried.
“I will hunt you to the end of the world. I will spend all I have to go after you. You think you can spite me by having Aiden marry you even when I told him not to? I hate you, Auni, and as far as I am alive, you will never have peace. You will go through hell for spiting me by marrying my son when I made it clear I didn’t want you. Do not try to dare me; you will not survive me.” She said and walked away while I gasped at her.
- Writer
