My Destined One

Good Byes

Meera's POV

  The moment the priest uttered the words, "The marriage is complete. From now, you are husband and wife," my heart skipped a bit. For a few seconds, I was the happiest person. For few seconds, I was happy being Mrs Aarsh Sharma, happy to bear his name, to be his wife, his forever destined soul mate. For few minutes, I forgot about Sana, forgot that I was just her dummy. I was enjoying the the words of the priest until someone came and broke my reverie my saying, "Sana, Aarsh, take the blessings of your elders." I understood how few words can change everything, first I enjoyed the priest's words and now I realize my mistake of being happy to be in someone's place. Am again sad. May be sad is a  very small word to describe my emotion. I fell broken, empty, used and all other negative things that I never wanted to be. Its simply hard to explain. The more I thought about it, the more tears welled in my eyes.

  Aarsh helped me get down from the mandap. Firstly, we took blessings from Sana's parents, then I went to Aarsh's father as his mother is not allowed to come (its an old believe that the groom's mother are not allowed to attend her son's wedding. I know its weird, but it is what it is) and other elders. Every time some one said, "Be happy and always be together," my heart broke every time. I wanted to scream, 'Please don't say that, the moment his real bride will come, I will have to leave. Please save your false blessings for his real bride and don't waste on me.' But I just never had the nerve. 

  Taking everyone's blessings is hard. Bending each time to touch their feet just to hear some lies as blessings, it was way tiring than it should be. But nevertheless, I somehow completed it. The bride is supposed to leave her parental house tonight, so everybody started getting ready for that. After some few post marriage customs, it was finally the time to say good bye. The air started becoming thick. I myself don't like crying a lot, but honestly speaking, the things that are happening to me now, is already making my eyes tear up. People were crying, specially Sana's parents. Its obvious that after staying for 25-26 years together, its hard to bid adieu. But rules are rules. Sana's parents were crying while hugging me, thinking me as their own daughter, but behind the veil my eyes weren't dry either. They were crying for their daughter and I was crying because what in future their daughter will do to me. I know its ironic, but it is how it is.

  Things were getting harder now. They weren't leaving me. I had strong fear that too much hugging will make them realize that its not their daughter under the wedding dress but someone else. May be Aarsh had the same fear, that's why he soon came to us and said in a low but serious tone, "Uncle, aunty. I know you will miss your daughter, but I promise you I will keep my wife safe, happy and protect her with my everything." Listening to his words, both uncle and aunty broke the hug, looked at him and nodded their heads. His words were quite assuring to hear. It even stirred something inside me. It felt honest, utmost honest. Well, why not, he is promising all this to Sana and not to me. He will keep Sana safe, happy and will definitely protect her from everything with his everything. After all she will be his wife, I am just a dummy. I sighed and went towards the car that was supposed to take us to a hotel where we will be calling it a night. His father along with his relatives will go to his hometown where the rest of the rituals will take place. And tomorrow we will go there. Now I just hope Sana to come back home before entering Aarsh's house.

  The ride for the hotel was almost dead silent. Yes almost. Because my sobs were still heard inside the car. And listening to my sobs, Aarsh gave me a handkerchief saying, "Take it." That's all, just that's all. I understood why we didn't talk in the car, the driver was present. I don't know who the driver is but I really don't wanna create any more problems for him. Because if it happens, I will have to bear the burden again. Am I being too selfish just to get out and run away from here? This question was coming to my mind again and again. The debate going in my mind is the sole reason that I am still siting here, being Mrs Aarsh Sharma. Am feeling confused, frustrated, sad, a little tinge of happiness and what not. Overall, my heart and mind just declared a shut down. My rational being was devastated and shocked. And its not helping at all. 

  I didn't know when we reached the hotel, but I heard Aarsh speak, "We are here, lets go." He helped me getting out of the car, we entered the hotel, he lead me to a waiting area, I saw him talking with some people through the closed glass door, maybe they are the hotel staff,  and after he finished his talking, came to me. Meanwhile, all of our friends have reached here. I heard a commotion from behind my back, I looked at them and saw everyone coming towards us. Aarsh handed 2-3 keys to them and said, "Girls, take 2 rooms, and boys 1. Rooms are big, so hopefully 3 rooms will be enough. And we will be in another room." "We?" Maithili asked. "Me and my wife." He answered. "What nonsense?" This time I spoke with full authority, removing the freaking veil from my face. "Excuse me?" He asked with confused expression. "What do you mean by we will be another room? I will not stay with you. The marriage is done, my job here is also done." I semi-yelled the last portion. Am not signing up for any other s**t right now. There is a limit to everything, and my newly wedded husband has crossed it already. 

  "Well, let me remind you, my so called wife, your job is not done, yet. The moment you agreed to be a part of this s**t, I made you clear that until and unless Sana comes back, to wherever she went, you can't leave. I said it out clearly-" I didn't let him finish, I took the key card from one of the girls, rushed to the elevator, and went straight to the room that few of the girls were supposed to share. I can't be with him anymore. The more I stay in his presence, the more this whole situation is affecting me. I want to go away from here, runaway from him, but he is just closing all the doors for me to leave. It feels that he is caging me, he promised he will let me go, but somewhere now it feels he will not let me leave, ever. 

  After a few minutes, I heard a knock on the door. I went to the door, but before opening it I asked loudly, "Who is it?" Someone said, "Open it. Its us. And don't worry, Aarsh is not here." I heard it, believed it, and slowly opened the door. Vidushi and Shagun came in. And to my horror, so did Aarsh. I looked at the girls in disbelief. They are my f*****g friends, specially Shagun. They understood how I feel, Shagun spoke, "Am sorry, he forced us." "Shagun, its not required." Aarsh said and then turned to me and grabbed my wrist and said, "And you, my lady, we need to talk, a rather important one." And pulled me out of the room, took me to another, closed the door and pushed me to the bed. I was hell scared. Everything, every part of my mind, body and heart was screaming in fear, I was literally shivering. I was never this scared in my life, I felt the dangerous aura, coming out of Aarsh, engulfing me completely. My breathing got harsh, it became little difficult. He is now my husband, what if he is one of those pathetic husbands who likes to do whatever they want with their wives, thinking them as their property. I shouldn't have thought too highly of him. Right now every decision I took in my life, which involved Aarsh, somehow, made me regretted.

  He screamed in frustration at first, fisting his hair. Somewhere I felt bad for him. I was getting up to reach him, when he turned around to look at me. His eyes were blood red, I got scared again looking at those. He came to me and hovered over me and said with his gritted teeth, "Listen to me Meera, and listen good. Until and unless your friend comes back, you have to keep on being my wife. Whatever you did back at the marriage hall, you did it to save uncle and aunty's reputation and her image. But right now you will keep on doing the same thing to keep my parent's face infront of our relatives. Tomorrow, they expect me to take a wife back home. If your friend comes back, then well and good for you, you can leave as soon as you want. But if she doesn't come back, then you will continue doing what you did back in the mandap, be quiet and obey me. Is it clear?" I stared at him in confusion. How cruel can he get to me? He took my silence as my protest and he shouted again, "IS IT CLEAR?" Apart from nodding in agreement I didn't have any other choice. "Good," he said and moved away from me. 

  I don't know what came to my mind or in my system, but somehow I gained some courage and opened my mouth just to ask, "I get it what you are asking me to do, but I don't get it why are we supposed to spend the night together?" I asked in a low and scared tone. "Cause I don't want the hotel staff or any security to see that the newly wedded are not even staying in the same room. This hotel is mine, I don't want my staff to talk behind my back. So you have to stay here with me." He said in a chilling tone. I nodded making him clear I got it. 

  After doing nothing for 30 minutes, I felt sleepy. Aarsh was sitting on the other side of the bed, doing something on his phone, maybe something related in trying to search Sana. I hesitated to speak to him. May be he saw that and broke the silence first, saying, "Go on, speak up, its not the first time we are alone in a room. And I won't eat you up, I promise." This time  his voice was soft. I got the courage and said, "I am sleepy, I want to sleep." "Then sleep, am not stopping you from sleeping right?" "But I can't sleep in these heavy clothes and jewelleries." I said trying to make a point. "Ok, I will ask Shagun to bring your bag." "No, no need, I will go to her room." With that, I was about to get up, but he jumped to my side, trying to stop me, but it was in such a messy way, I fall on the bed with him hovering over me again. What is with him hovering over me all the time? "You are not leaving the room." He said in a straight face. "Why not?" "Cause I don't trust you." "What?" "Yes, I know since the beginning you are trying to get away from me. But," coming closer to me, "That's not happening baby, your friend ran away leaving me in a big mess. But I promise you, love, I won't let you slip away from my hands." He said with a smirk. "Do you think that low of me?" "Its not thinking any low of you, its just knowing you like the back of my hand. Meera, I am already frustrated with everything happening right now. Don't add fuel to the goddamn situation. You won't be able to handle it." With that he moved from me, took his phone and texted someone. I got up, straighten my self and sit quietly until I heard a small knock. 

  "Go on, open it. Its your best friend with your bag." I got up, opened the door, and saw Shagun standing there with my bag. She gave a nervous smile to me which to be honest I have never got since the beginning of our friendship. It felt weird. "Ahh..." she started, "Aarsh texted me that you needed this. So here you go. And we have managed your driver saying that we all are supposed to be travelling in a big car, so his service was not needed. So you don't have to worry about him. Moreover, Aarsh said he will send you home whenever its needed." I nodded. I hardly had anything left to say. "And for earlier, am really very sorry." I was about to say something when I heard Aarsh shouting, "How much time does it take to take a bag in?" I felt bad and so did Shagun. She gave me a tight smile and so did I, she left and I closed the door. I took my bag in the room, opened it, took out some night wears, went to the washroom and changed into my night attire. After I was done, I went back to the room, laid on the bed and was about to sleep when all of a sudden a question popped in my mind. "Aarsh?" "Hmm?" "Where will you sleep?" "Don't worry about me. Its a huge room. I will sleep any where I want." I nodded and with that I closed my eyes, letting sleep engulfing me this time.