ââ§â
Pakhi stared at Aryan, Rajdeep and Ekta.
" Don't know where the hell she is?"
Aryan muttered angrily while dialling his sister's number. It's around 9 PM and she has not arrived home yet. Everyone is so worried because she never goes anywhere without telling her family.
It was odd behaviour from her.
" Did you ask Keshav?"
Ekta asked and Rajdeep nodded before saying,
" I did and he told me that left his restaurant after having lunch. She seemed in a hurry."
Aryan crossed his hands around his chest and tapped his foot impatiently on the ground.
" I am going to find her," Aryan said and his parents agreed.
He started walking outside the house but stopped just a few inches away from the main door.
Three of them stared at him confusedly while Aryan's eyes widened seeing his sister coming out of the car. He stepped backward and parted his mouth to say something but felt tongue tied, seeing vermillion on her head and nuptial chain around her neck.
" Aryan? What happened? Did Shruti come?"
Rajdeep asked and Aryan did not budge from his place nor replied to his father. Shruti's eyes met his and guilt rushed down to her spine. Helplessness overpowered her mind and she found it difficult to walk to him.
" Aryan?"
He looked behind and seeing his expression, a puzzled expression plastered on everyone's face.
" Shruti-"
He pointed outside.
" Did she come?"
Ekta asked enthusiastically. She walked toward him while saying,
" I won't leave this girl today. How can she be so careless? There you are-"
Ekta too stopped talking in the middle and knitted her eyebrows seeing her daughter who was not daring to look into her eyes.
Shruti came to them and Ekta held her shoulders before looking up and down at her with teary eyes, " what is this?"
Rajdeep and Pakhi were left stunned seeing the daughter of the house married. Aryan was too shocked to say anything until his eyes caught the sight of a man coming out of the car.
Jaydev passed a smirk at him and walked forward. It took Aryan a minute to realise that his sister married him.
" Shruti?"
Rajdeep called his daughter and she looked at him. Their shocked and confused reaction clenched her heart. Jaydev entered the house and Pakhi's mouth hung open seeing him.
Ground slipped under her foot, finding out that her brother married Shruti.
" I told you that I will step into this house with full rights," Jaydev said to Aryan with not a hint of guilt in eyes. He completely enjoyed the situation of the Chauhan family.
" Wh..what did you do, Shruti?"
Ekta slapped her forehead and stepped backward.
" Maa-"
Shruti came towards her.
" I am..I am sorry, maa but-"
" But what? How can you marry someone like this?"
Ekta's voice raised, making her daughter flinch. Shruti looked down to the ground in shame, not knowing what and how to answer their questions.
" Did you lose your mind?"
Ekta scolded her and she broke into sobs.
" Don't cry. Answer my questions, Shruti. Why did you marry him?"
She shook her head, " I..I love him."
" Don't fucking lie!"
Aryan finally spoke. He came to her and held her shoulders then made her face him.
" I know you don't. I know he forced you. Don't lie, Shruti."
Without meeting his gaze, she shook her head, " I...I do love him. We love each other. Y..You would get angry t..that is why I was afraid to tell about him. We..we got married-"
" Shut up!"
His voice turned louder and she flinched, breaking into unstoppable sobs. Her body was quivering. She looked scared and helpless.
" Do you think we are fools to believe you? Do you think we don't know when you lie and when not? You don't need to be scared. I will deal with him."
" You are right, saale-sahab, she is lying."
Everyone turned their gaze at Jaydev.
" Sorry for interrupting but now I am your family so I have every right to give my opinion."
" Bastard!"
Aryan marched towards him and landed a punch at his jaw.
" Bhai!"
Pakhi went toward them hurriedly while Jaydev chuckled and wiped the corner of his lips when a little blood drew out from there.
" What an impulsive fool," he murmured.
" Bhai," Pakhi came by his side.
Aryan held his collars and pulled him close to him.
" Why did you do that, huh? You had enmity with me right then why did you drag my sister, bastard!"
Jaydev held his hands and removed them from his collars.
" Our enmity was no longer personal since you forcefully married my sister," he said.
" So I was right. You wanted revenge, didn't you?"
Aryan asked with a furious tone.
" Bhai-"
Pakhi grabbed her brother's hand and he looked at her face. He could sense that she did not like his move at all. Knowing, his sister is just an emotional and sensitive girl, he decided not to be affected by her.
He looked at Aryan and asked,
" So how does it feel? Being helpless and watching your sister throwing herself in dirt. Worse, right? That's what I felt when you snatched my sister from me."
" But I loved Pakhi and you don't love my sister," Aryan uttered with a defeated voice.
" What about love? That will happen even after marriage," Jaydev replied carelessly.
" Jay," Ekta called him.
He turned his gaze at her and she adjoined her hands at him,
" I can understand your enmity with my son but what did we do to you? Did we trouble Pakhi? Did we throw her out of the house? Did we not accept her? Because of a stupid revenge, you ruined my daughter's life."
Jaydev shook his head, " it is not a stupid revenge. I still remember how he married my sister by putting my family at gunpoint. My sister was crying but he did no mercy on her and married her without her consent. I am called the protector of law, but couldn't even take help of law to help my sister. Now,"
he moved his gaze at Aryan and continued, " if you want your sister, send Pakhi back to me. Divorce her."
He put 2 choices. It was impossible for Aryan to choose one and leave the other. It would be so pathetic of him to leave his sister but he can't let go of his love whom he got after so many years.
" Please, Jay.. don't be like this," Ekta pleaded.
Jaydev glanced at Shruti before saying, " let's go."
" Bhai," Jaydev faced his sister and cupped her cheeks.
" You will soon be free from this man, princess. Don't worry, hmm?"
Pakhi sighed heavily, not wanting him to stoop so low like Aryan and force Shruti.
" Let's go, dear wife."
His tone was anything but sweet. Shruti gulped down her saliva and looked at her father. Tears gathered in her eyes when he turned his face away from her.
He looked hurt but she did all this for him. She wiped her tears and walked toward Jaydev but Aryan stopped her by grabbing her wrist.
She found him shaking his head at her. His eyes are watered.
" I have to," she barely sounded audible. He licked his lower lip and said,
" Don't go. I'll manage-"
" I am sorry, brother-in-law but this cannot happen."
He freed their hands and intertwined his fingers with her.
" A wife should stay with her husband. She has a house. A wonderful in-laws and an alive husband."
Aryan shot a glare at him.
" I will kill you-"
Jaydev fake gasped, " will you make your sister a widow then?"
He clenched his jaw as Jaydev repeated all his words. Jaydev chuckled at his condition and pulled Shruti to his side.
" Say bye, dear wife."
His tone was mocking. Aryan could have grabbed his gun and shot him but his hands were tied due to his wife, Pakhi. Jaydev flipped the table and surely made him helpless by putting him at the threshold. He can neither let go of his sister nor divorce his wife. Jaydev glanced at his sister before leaving the house.
Shruti turned her head behind and saw her family one last time. Her father moved his face away from. Her mother looked heart broken. Her brother seemed helpless and probably regretted so many decisions in his life.
ââ§â
Pakhi flinched when she heard the loud sound of something breaking. His scream echoed in the whole room. Ekta and Rajdeep went to their respective rooms. She had no strength to talk to them. They looked heartbroken.
It would be scary to get inside at this time but sudden silence made her curious to open the door and walk inside.
The room was pitch dark while he was standing in the middle of the room with his back facing her. She turned ON the lights and gulped seeing the condition of the room.
Everything is scattered on the ground. The table has flipped, a jar made of glass was broken in the ground, the bedsheet was removed, and a wall painting fell down.
The room looked horrible and messy while the man, behind all this, looked more scary. She thought to escape as soon as possible but his voice interrupted her,
" You must be happy now."
" Hm?" She frowned and he turned around.
His expression was cold and his left hand was bleeding. His eyes were blank.
" After all, your brother succeeded in taking revenge. So, you must be happy."
She licked her lower lip and said, " I am not."
He raised his eyebrows amusingly, " then why didn't you say anything to him that time? I am sure he would have left my sister right there."
" Just as I could not say anything during my turn, I could not say anything this time too."
He chuckled and wiped his tears which escaped his eyes.
" Yeah yeah," he muttered and lifted his foot to walk.
" There's a glass there," she quickly voices out.
He stared at her face and put his foot aside from the broken glass.
" Will you hate your brother too after what he did?"
She couldn't understand his question while he walked toward her in slow and steady steps.
" He forced my sister to marry him. Will you hate him now? I chose you over my sister, will you stop hating me now?"
" W..what are you saying?"
She stuttered because he was not really behaving normally. Her eyes were from time to time glancing at his bleeding hand.
" My words are clear, little one. You just need to give answers. Will you hate your brother-"
She shook her head, " no. I won't."
She gave her reply and he chuckled sarcastically, " as expected."
She gulped and continued, " I know Bhai did wrong but..he gave you a choice. You could have got di by leaving me."
" Seriously?"
She blinked and his expression stiffened as he held her shoulders.
" I love you. I am in fucking love with you from so many years. But he? He doesn't love my sister or anything. He's using her."
She licked her lower, " I trust my Bhai. He won't do anything-"
" But I don't trust your Bhai!"
His voice raised and he withdrew his hands from her shoulders. She was startled witnessing his furious response.
" He ruined my sister's life. How will she manage there? My father. My father was heart broken. What should I do now?"
She took a pause of few seconds before saying,
" You did the same."
He knitted his eyebrows, " huh?"
Gathering enough courage she continued, " even my family cried. My brother was helpless but you enjoyed our condition and now when the same is happening to you, you are regretting it."
He raised his eyebrows, " so you are justifying his deed?"
She shook her head immediately, " I am not. He did wrong to di but at the same time, that's what he wanted you to feel."
" What can I expect from his sister? You will only take his side."
He turned his back to her.
" What do you mean? I did accept that he did wrong with Di."
" Please don't talk to me," he showed his hand at her and walked toward the messy bed. He dropped his body and faced his back at her. She fisted her hand and scoffed before beginning to clean the mess he created.
There was a ruckus in Chaudhary Niwas too. Jaydev, very carelessly escaped from the scene after saying,
" Do whatever you all want. I don't care."
Shruti stared at his disappearance while standing at the doorstep.
" This girl can't stay here, " Rohini said.
" Then throw her out," Jaydev replied while climbing the stairs.
Dravid sighed heavily, " come back Jay, you can't go like this."
Jaydev stopped on the middle stair and faced them, " what?"
Dravid pointed at Shruti, " why did you marry her without taking out permission? Don't you remember what his brother did?"
" I do remember, mama. That's why I married her. Now, it's upon you all if you want to accept her or not. Yeah, don't send her to my room. Storage room will be better for her."
Shruti fisted her hand and glared at him. She has the capability to change his master bedroom into a storage room and she won't hesitate now.
" I don't accept her. Send her back."
" No, mami. She is not going back. She is free to leave once they send Pakhi here."
The eldest woman observed her family silently.
" Then do you mean to say she'll stay here until then? I can't watch her in my house everyday. Her brother ruined our daughter's life and now she wants to ruin our peace."
" Shut up everyone!"
The grandmother stood up and Shruti turned her gaze at her. She glared at each of her family members before walking toward Shruti.
" She will enter the house with all due rituals."
" But maa-"
She showed her hands to her son, Dravid.
" Jay and Aryan should be punished, not Shruti and Pakhi. Why are you all hating on her when Jaydev married her? And Jay, you-"
She stopped her gaze at Jaydev and continued,
" I didn't know you would stoop so low just for revenge. You ruined a girl's life just because Aryan hurt your ego? Why did you even invite him to the marriage in the first place? You knew he wouldn't leave Pakhi if he got to know she's getting married."
" Is it my fault then?"
Jaydev raised his eyebrows.
" Of course it is. You are as much at fault as Aryan. Whatever you have done today, you are no longer different from Aryan."
" Nani, don't say his name."
" I will!"
She scoffed at him and looked at Rohini.
" Bring things to welcome our daughter-in-law."
" Maa-"
" Now!"
Shruti sighed softly, realising that there will be a person with whom she can talk in this house.
Jaydev fisted his hand in anger because he did not expect any of his family to welcome her with all ritual and respect. He hates her as much as he hates her brother.
Dravid and he walked away from there. Rohini, unwillingly, put the bowl filled with rice before Shruti's feet.
As per Janki, Grandmother's order, Shruti lightly kicked the bowl.
" Now put the plate of Alta also or do you want me to hurt my back."
Janki said to Rohini who put the copper plate filled with alta before her feet and spread a white cloth on the ground, on which Shruti left her footprints by walking.
Rohini walked away from there and Janki held Shruti's hand.
" Come, I'll show you your room."
" Where is his room?"
Janki knitted her eyebrows after hearing her words.
" Hm?"
" I am his wife now so I should stay with him, right?"
Shruti said. Janki took a minute to process everything before smiling and pointing upstairs,
" The first room on the right side."
Shruti nodded.
" Have you eaten dinner?" Janki asked.
" I am okay. Uhm, can I get a glass of milk?"
" For?" Janki asked before gasping loudly.
" Oh!! Wait wait. Come with me," Janki pulled her toward the kitchen.
As per Janki's instructions, she found utensils and poured the milk in a pot and put it on the gas to boil.
" I am sorry on behalf of Jay. You know, I can't even do anything except this. When Aryan married my Pakhi, I could do nothing instead of pleading. No matter what, I knew he would marry her anyhow."
Shruti shook her head, " please don't say sorry, Nani. It's not your fault. My brother.."
She took a deep breath and fluttered her eyelashes down when her family's faces flashed in her mind. They looked so hurt. Janki smiled and caressed her hair soothingly.
" When Aryan and Jay broke their friendship, I was shocked. The anger, misunderstandings and ego of 5 years have taken root in the hearts of both of them. To defeat the other, both of them are crossing all limits. They are forgetting their principles, promises, everything. In between their mess, they are ruining the lives of two girls."
She wiped Shruti's tears before grabbing her hand.
" I am sure Pakhi wouldn't have told you much about me but I always take the girl's side. I will help you."
Shruti frowned, " to?"
A mischievous smirk formed on Janki's lips and she said, " to irritate Jay. He wrongfully married you and thought his Nani won't leave his side but I am not such a human."
Shruti couldn't help but to chuckle.
" Nani, you are full of playful ideas."
" Indeed. Now, just keep this thing in mind. Don't touch a wooden box in his almirah otherwise he would get so angry. In such moments, I can't even control him. If you don't touch the box, rest will be easier for you to irritate him."
" Okay," Shruti replied.
As the milk boiled, she poured it in the glass and put the glass on the table before walking outside the kitchen with Janki.
" Go," Janki said to her and went to her bedroom.
Shruti walked upstairs and stood outside his bedroom. Luckily it was not locked.
Her expression stiffened and eyes turned cold. Her grip on plate tightened as she said,
" Bahut shok tha na tumhe shaadi karne ka, Jaydev Chaudhary. Ab sahi maayine mein tumhare ye biwi shaadi-shaadi khelegi. Nark bana dungi mai tumhair zindagi."
( You were very eager to get married, weren't you Jaydev Chaudhary? Now your wife will truly play marriage. I will make your life hell.)
She grabbed the door knob and twisted it before entering the room. She locked the room from inside and turned around.
Her gaze fell on him.
ââ§â
Read more chapters in scrollstack.
Leave your reviews in the comment section and click the star icon below. Don't forget to share the story and follow.