Her Peculiar Husband

CH 3 || The Doom Day

Olivia

****

The green-eyed ghost whose gaze was on me had scared the daylights out of me. I tried to not look in the ghost’s direction but there was something in those eyes that didn’t let me.

I felt as if I was hypnotized. The ghost was trying to make me his prey but I decided not to let him. The ghost was a male that I had discerned when I noticed his outfit which was a blue suit. I got off almost stumbling on my steps to confront the ghost.

“Where are you going?” Mike questioned, concerned.

“To the ghosstttttt,” I replied, pointing to the direction occupied by the ghost.

“What?” I bobbed my head up and down. Mike and Mia couldn’t point out anyone and when I again looked at where the ghost was the space was vacant.

I was astounded. The ghost was fast-paced. He was gone in the blink of an eye.

“There is no one,” said Mike.

“I want to see a ghost too,” Mia said, pouting. I felt bummed as my friends couldn’t catch sight of him.

“It’s gone,” I mumbled before I sat again. Emotions of gloominess kept kicking in from the inside of me to come out and I started sniffing. The ghost had disappeared but I wanted him to appear once more so that my friends too could see it.

Mike was trying to pacify me, was attempting to tranquil my heightened emotions but nothing worked. Soon after Mia started to cry because of me and I had to stop for her.

"Let's raise a toast to the green-eyed ghost," I yelled. Mia cheered for me and so did Mike.

I tried to get up to get to the dance floor but stumbled and fell on the couch beside Mike.

"Oli, you are very drunk." Mike held me steady. I laughed looking at his stern expression.

"I knowwww. I am sooooo drunkkkk." I slurred again and giggled.

"Let's get you home," he suggested.

"Noooo." I got up instantly. I didn't want to go back to the place which was a prison.

"I wanna dance." Wobbly legs of mine took me to the dance floor. Everyone was moving in my sight at three sixty degrees.

How? I had no idea.

Everything moved even when I was still. I felt someone's presence on my left. When I turned, I found the same ghost. At first, I was affrighted and in fear, I took a few steps back. But the ghost seemed harmless as he stayed at his place, and was only staring at me. I presumed the ghost had not been to a club before.

I felt terrible for him.

“Are you lonely?” I queried, taking slow steps towards him. The ghost had brows which he furrowed.

“Oh boy, you have eyebrows.” I touched them both one by one. My index finger moved ahead and I touched his nose.

"The ghost has a nose too." I giggled. I was overwhelmed by my new achievement of meeting a ghost for the first time in my entire life.

“I am Olivia, green-eyed ghost,” I said, smiling.

"Oli." I heard Mike who was coming towards me.

"Catch me," I yelled and tried to run. One step I took and I stumbled. Before my head touched the ground I found myself floating. I had clutched my eyes shut but had to open them when I heard, "Are you fine?"

The voice that reached my ears was gravelly calm. I gaped when those green eyes of the ghost came into my sight.

"The ghost speaks." My eyes were widened. My hands palmed his cheeks. His face was not blank unlike before, instead, there was an ounce of concern.

‘Is he concerned for me?’ I wondered. I ran my hand around his eyes and touched something softer.

"Why can't I see your lips when my fingers can touch them? Am I going to be blind?" My heart ached and tears pooled up in my eyes. Before I could question the ghost about the non-existence of its lips I started to feel dizzier and my eyes got closed.

When I opened my eyes I found myself tucked in bed in Mia's room. I wasn't in a state to go home. Mia told me she had lied to my family and they let me stay at her place. I after a long time slept without fear, oblivious that the next day my life was going to be ruined forever.

****

The Next Day

****

Numb was the only feeling I felt. In a blink, my whole world collapsed. I was supposed to be the bridesmaid but I was asked to be the bride's replacement.

I cursed every moment of my life where I had proved that I was nothing more than a slave.

If I had once raised my voice, for once took my stand, for once had proved I had my identity, no one would have even dared to ask me to be the substitution.

For once I was given a choice, a choice of whose answer was apparent.

Everyone was aware of what I would do yet they put me in a situation where I stood powerless. Invisible shackles were stopping me from taking a step in my interest.

I wished I were dead the moment I was born. I wished I shouldn't have woken up in the morning.

My mind went back to the starting of my doom, where it all began.

****

FLASHBACK STARTS[A FEW HOURS BACK]

****

"Olivia, get up."

"Mmmm, let me sleep." I felt the comforter leaving my body so I pulled it back with force and covered myself once more.

"Olivia, you need to get up asap." I heard Mia's voice. Even though she had a sweet voice still at that time it sounded irritating to my ears.

"No, I don't want to." I was vexed by her behaviour. I had slept a few minutes ago and she was being a devil trying to break my precious sleep.

"Olivia, it's the wedding day." I was under the impression that I was the one that had adverse effects but was proved wrong when I heard Mia talking about my wedding. I didn't have any groom to take vows.

"I don't have a groom yet," I mumbled.

"I know."

"Then let me sleep." I was having a dream, a very pleasant one, nothing more than a chimera, where I was dancing with the green-eyed ghost. A smile crept on my face when I was in his arms. It might sound funny to many but that was a stupendous dream for me I had in the past few years.

"I am talking about Ava. Ava is getting married and you have to be there to look for arrangements. It's seven already and the function is in the next five hours, dumbo."

I felt as if a bucket full of ice-cold water was splashed on my face when I reminisced about Ava's wedding. I pushed the comforter off my body and got up with a jerk. My sleep was gone and so was my dream.

"Holy s**t!"

"A very good morning to you too my dear friend."

"Don't mock me. I don't have much time." I got off the bed and started running here and there in search of the clothes I had worn a day before as I was still in that short party dress. I stumbled when I tried to walk towards Mia's closet.

"Olivia, calm down." Mia held me before I fell.

"No, I can't." After I took out my clothes from her closet I quickly ran inside the washroom. Hurriedly I changed back into the dress I had worn the other day and got out after washing my face.

"Do I look like I had drunk yesterday?" I questioned Mia when I was combing my hair with her curved hairbrush. I checked my appearance in the mirror that was hung on the wall on the extreme left of her bed. Below it was the eight drawers double dresser upon which my hairpins lied. I was running out of my time so I just kept them in my overcoat's pocket.

"No, but if you keep stumbling here and there then it might be evident." She said, pulling her jeans up to her waist.

"I am late. They would kill me."

"No one will." Mia was getting ready while I was making sure I looked sober by applying a little amount of makeup. None of us had taken a shower. We decided to take the same at the venue where we had rooms booked as well.

We both were ready to head out when I recalled Ava's order. I wasn't allowed to wear the dress I had bought.

"I don't have a dress to wear." I cried. My heart sank into my boots.

"I will arrange something for you," suggested Mia before taking out some new dresses for me. She showed me a pastel yellow coloured knee-length dress. It looked quite pretty. Moreover, I didn't want anything fancy otherwise Ava would never let me wear it.

"Will it be ok, I have worn it twice....." I cut Mia off in mid, "It's great. Thanks and I love you."

"I am straight." she teased after my confession.

"So am I." We laughed and sprinted out of her house.

****

Mia and I reached the venue which wasn't less than any castle. The majestic, exalted palace was three storeys tall. The combination of white roses along with red had enhanced the beauty of it. Resentment crept inside of me for Ava.

There weren't many people to be seen. I was ready to receive cuss words from the bride for being late. Mia and I ran towards the stairs that led us to the first floor that had only three rooms. One was for the bride and the other two for the rest of the family.

I knocked on the door waiting to hear a curse instead of a sweet come in by the queen Ava Parker. But nothing reached my ears. To my surprise, someone asked me to come in when I knocked on the door once more. It wasn't Ava.

Mia and I walked in. The hairstylist, makeup artist stood there distressed.

"Where is Ava?" I asked roaming my eyes to find her.

"She hasn't reached yet," replied Ray, the hairstylist.

"We tried calling you but you didn't pick up." added the makeup artist. I looked at my wristwatch and it was quarter past eight. Ava was supposed to be there at seven-thirty. Never for once in her life, she was behind schedule for something momentous to her.

"I can't believe she is late on the day she had been waiting for the past six months." Mia voiced out my thoughts. She looked perplexed and so was I.

"I know that's strange. Let me call her." Borrowing Mia's phone I went out of the grand bride's room and tried calling Ava. Trepidation rose inside of me when the system-generated voice penetrated my ears, 'The number you have dialled has been switched off.'

My mind went vacant. I walked inside the room to inform Mia, "Her phone is switched off."

But what I heard next from a perturbed make-up artist had shaken the grounds beneath me as she said, “I think she ran away.”