The pandit called them for the rituals n puja………. Krishna n Pratigya climbed the mandap , walking towards their places on a silk rug before the fire ………….. they tried to avoid each other , each fighting with their own desires n mind , not looking at each other………… they say down , very well aware of the spark in the air between n around them……….. 'God is watching over us , beti….. see, u just performed the puja n tied the sacred thread on the tree a few days ago n see, u have landed urself with ur soulmate……..' smiled the pandit at Pratigya, indicating her to open her palm…… color seeped across her cheeks while Krishna chuckled , thinking back to the occasion ……pratigya felt weird , even though she didn't care a hoot about rituals n God himself …….bec she had lost faith in god very early in her life ……she looked sideways at him , feeling weird ……. Stupid! She didn't even knew what she was doing that day , her mind nor her heart in it ….. n he had come there to kidnap her , didn't he? ……n now, now he is going to marry……. Stop! Why r u thinking about it ?... u r pathetic pratigya ……...
'oh! that's was what u were doing back then?' he asked , holding her hand in his palm from below , squeezing her palm teasingly , startling her……………. Pratigya blushed more deeply n tried to pull her hands off but the pandit placed petals in them indicating them to hold it… his touch ,his close proximity was doing things to her ! pls stop !...….. 'trust me, being my … mistress….is the best honor for u …..' he murmured lest the pandit heard him, his face close to hers as they leaned over to put the petals into the fire ……pratigya shivered involuntarily , tensed , anger n humiliation chasing across her mind ……….. he continued ,chuckling, his fingers brushing over hers, his eyes on the mehendi pattern 'see , even the gods know that u r mine…..'before letting go…… Pratigya could feel her breath quickening n her temper rising …….. but she forced herself to concentrate in the puja……. Which was proving to be difficult as he was too close …..both for her liking n dislike ……….. Krishna continued to smile a bit , reliving the moment when he first met her…………. He could feel an unusual happiness n then remembered that he was supposed to ignore her …………. He gritted his teeth n willed himself to concentrate on the flames …………
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'poor girl…..she is so upset……n sad…..natural….. Her mother is ill n can't attend the most beautiful moment in her life ……' sniffed some women around seeing Pratigya's face..……….. gayatri smirked , looking around n inhaled in panic as she saw their family pandit climbing up the steps ,craning his neck , clearly looking for her……. She excused herself from the mandap n motioned the pandit to follow her , frantically checking that sajjan was busy with some close friends ………… 'why r u here?' she asked, alarmed , when they were outside the temple, below the steps …… 'what's happening ma sahib? I told u to postpone the marriage till he crosses 26…..!' the pandit exclaimed , surprised n confused ………. 'shh…..I understand…… I told Sajjan about it…… n he agreed …but u don't know Krishna ……he is such an adamant n stubborn boy …….' She tried to sound exasperated n yet concerned …………………'n he cares a hoot for these kind of things …… he won't listen….to anyone , for that matter …… how to tell u , pandit ji, I am feeling ashamed , but he is a bit …er…. lustful about this girl , to put it mildly, n he …. Well, u know ….. he just wants her ….. n so we r forced to conduct this marriage this soon to prevent him for doing any stupidity which will tarnish our family name……n I just couldn't tell everybody the real reason why we want the marriage postponed ……. ' the pandit nodded apprehensively ….. 'yes…I understand ….but ….' Pandit began …. But gayatri cut him short …. 'pls…could u pls find any solution for this …any puja, rituals….anything….we will do….. I will meet u after this is over ……I will come to ur home…..pls, now excuse me ….I don't want anybody to see us an suspect something bad…… u know….. if this thing gets out , it will be fatal……u know there r so many enemies around ……...pls, I will come n meet u….' she pleaded with the pandit….. the pandit nodded gravely …..'ok…..I will try n look up any solution …… hope everything will be fine….' He sighed n went away ……………..
gayatri let out a sigh of relief ………….. but , no , he could be a problem…. A very big, painful problem………… she climbed up the steps , her eyes looking for angad ….. she found him , lolling beside one of the pillars , jealously watching the puja….. 'come with me…' she hissed in his ear , pulling him along with her , without arousing any suspicion …… 'what is it ma?' angad almost shouted , irritated ……….'shh….keep ur voice down…..there is a problem……. I don't want anything to spoil my carefully weaved plan in the last minute …………. After the marriage , u should go to our old family pandit's house ……… kill him….' She said, checking if anyone was listening …. 'what? ' asked angad, curious …… 'is there something I need to know…?' he asked , his eyes glinting in hope….. 'no…not now….! Just do what I say' hissed gayatri , smiling up at the wife of a business man …… angad looked at his mother, who voraciously started talking to the woman, in resentment as he walked away …………..
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'I want to talk to u , please come with me towards that tree, Pratigya ' Chandu muttered to her as she climbed down the steps , after the puja…….. Pratigya looked at his direction as he walked away , anxious ……… why would he want to talk to her? What would be it ?... she looked towards the tree n saw Chandu standing near it , as though busy with phone , but his eyes staring straight at her……….. she excused herself from the horde of women around her in the pretext of offering prayers near the small mandap near the tree n walked towards chandu …….. images filled her mind as the tree came into detailed focus with every step she took……….. n sensations………. The feel of his breath over the back of her neck……his fingers over her mouth……..his intense,deep voice ………. No! stop! ……she tried hard to concentrate on the bite she had given him that day , arranging her face in what she thought was impassive ……..
'yeah, what do u want to talk?' she asked rather snappily , as lately she had not been feeling warmly towards Chandu ……she still trusted him, somehow, why , she don't know…..… 'why r u doing this?' Chandu asked , his voice carefully low , but his eyes hard …. 'doing what?' Pratigya asked, confused ……… 'we both know what I am talking about ….. please tell me the truth Pratigya , why did u play all these heinous drama to make him marry u?' Chandu asked , his tone even ……… Pratigya stared at him , traumatized ………… her mother is in terrible danger n her life is going to be ruined bec of that devil's lust n her father's evilness , n his stooge is asking her why all these r happening ? !!!...n he wants to know why she wants his dear friend to marry her? …….may be he is perfectly ok with the fact that his dear friend n malik wanted her as a mistress n she should have complied to it!!!!... 'what do u mean? ' she hissed through her teeth , clenching her fists ……… Chandu looked at her exasperated …… **********************************
Manjula who was looking for Pratigya ,saw Pratigya standing next to the tree n to her horror with Chandu ……… she looked at ma sahib in time to see her staring at the direction of the tree , a look of panic in her eyes…….. she caught manjula's eye n nodded frantically at her ………… manjula walked briskly the other way n came n stood behind the eastern side of the small mandap , facing Pratigya , right behind chandu ,although from a distance ……… Chandu stepped closer to pratigya , his eyes now getting angry …………. 'why all this tamasha over a rape attempt lie n forcing krishna to marry u ?' Pratigya looked at him surprise n anger ….'forcing ? who is forcing who? Why don't u ask ur dear friend about it ? or is it malik?' ………Pratigya almost shouted , her distress taking over her ……..Chandu looked angry 'I very well know his reason for doing this , I want u to tell me urs……. R u doing this for money ? power ? how much more do u want ? u could have waited a bit more …….ur dear father is capable of looting the whole state in a matter of months n shower u with all the riches u want ……' he snapped at her ………… Pratigya looked at him, bewildered ……. Of course they don't know about the files ……but Is he thinking that she is doing all this for money ? why would he think like that ? does he think that she would sell her body to secure riches!!!!!... how dare he ? does he can't see the sheer arrogance n lust in his dear friend ? ……
pratigya closed her eyes for a sec in anger n opened them………..she inhaled in fear ……..she could see manjula standing behind Chandu at the other side of the small mandap……she had her mobile n was smirking evilly at her , mouthing 'one call…….. n ur mother would be drugged …' ……………..'what ?' Chandu asked in confusion , noticing the way Pratigya went pale in unmistakable fear …………. Pratigya shouted, so that she could keep her voice stable….. 'yeah ……thanks to u all, my father is in a position where he can't even get a single rupee out of the system n society ….how could he ? when u have the files …..! n ur dear friend did a terrible mistake in kidnapping me! N even more stupidity in not returning the files ! ….see , how easily he fell for ….' Pratigya gulped 'our plan … Now, my father somehow has to organize his election to win …… u have the files , thus robbing us off our means to money n power ……… but now we have a relation which we can use to our advantage in front of the society n public…… n money n power comes with it as a bonus ….' Pratigya turned to leave , her throat dry as her mind screamed 'oh what have u become ….Pratigya ……… such lies…! ' ……..but my mother is safe ….for now…..! n that's what's all matters … countered her mind…… she won't let her mother suffer mentally too……… Pratigya fought the surge of tears which threatened to spill over ……n anyway , she will be a lifeless shell in mere hours ….. a mere slave …… turning a liar is least of her ordeals ……..!
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Krishna turned from a near by pillar of the small mandap , his eyes blazing in anger ………. N oddly he could feel a tinge of what he felt was pain ………..pain? hurt? Why was he feeling hurt? He knew it all along , didn't he? He knew it when she tried to drag that woman's saree into the mess!!!... but somehow hearing it from her mouth was making his anger boil to dangerous proportions…….. n it was causing him an uneasy feeling….of pain…..of being hurt….. what the f***? He had seen her walking towards the tree n had made to follow her , but stopped when he saw Chandu………..n curiosity got better of him n after a split sec indecision he had decided to eavesdrop……stupid, really , he had thought ……but not now!……. He stormed down the mandap in the opposite direction…………. She has to pay….. very dearly …….. does she really think that she has got him trapped in her stupid plan!!!? ……n she wants power n money , as all of them….. he will give her power n money!…….. he shook his head as a sinister snort broke his lips…. She is going to wish she was never born……….. her n her father! He won't ever contest in one more election!
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'Pratigya , stop there …..' Chandu snarled in anger , looking at Pratigya as she walked away……….he walked towards her purposefully …….. although he felt hatred n anger at her , he was feeling frustrated that still , at some corner of his mind he felt that unexplainable feeling of caring for her ……..caring, his foot !!!...Pratigya stopped , bec she could hear underlying pain n disbelief in his voice, although laced with anger ……….suddenly she had a feeling that she had lost a friend ……..why , may be bec she lied ……but ….but why is she feeling bad that she lost his ….trust ….trust ?...n caring ………caring ? like as if she had lost a brother ….. he came n stood behind her , eyeing her in loathing ……'do u know Pratigya ….. I was praying to god that u don't turn out to be like ur loser of a father ….. bec I don't know why , but I trusted u ……….hell , I cared for u …….. like a brother ……. I thought that u were different …… thought u were forced into this circus by ur father ……… but u surprised me ….. n u know what , I would have loved u to enter my brother's life , yes… not friend, not malik , my brother's life as his wife , to our home as the bride ………' Chandu paused , feeling pain as krishna's face came into his mind….. oh! Krishna ! after all this time, u have to fall for such a vile woman !!!!...
Pratigya turned her face in his direction , shocked , feeling gutted at the pain in his voice…. 'But now , I have only one thing to say , Pratigya …..welcome to hell…..usually I never approve of the way krishna treats women ………. But with u , I …..' Chandu paused , frustrated that he was still feeling protective about her …….. 'I don't care ' he hissed in anger n walked past her ……………….Pratigya stood rooted to the spot , feeling depressed n hurt n sad…. N then angry…… okey , Blame her ….. ! everybody ! just come n blame her! Threaten her!!! ……she blinked back angry tears …..she is desperately clinging to hope to save her mother , going to such extends unthinkable for a girl !... n how dare he? …he actually wished her to be that devil's wife…! It is perfectly OK for him if his dear friend wish to take a girl as a mere slave , in the pretext of marriage ! she seethed , even as hurt strung at her heart …why was she feeling bad that she had to lie to him...! why was she feeling hurt that he no longer trusts her !……. 'careful , girl….. ur mother's life is in ur hands…' manjula hissed in her ear, making Pratigya jump in shock ………. She looked at manjula in half disgust n half fear ……….'u did well , as of now…….lets go…. We need to get u ready for the big occasion ' she boomed the last words in a loud laughter , steering Pratigya towards a group of waiting women ……
hope u liked it ...😳
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