chapter 27

Permission?Back to College – Year 2004: Semester BreakPratham and I drove for almost three hours, during which neither of us spoke. He had the most self-satisfied grin on his face, but I couldn’t reciprocate. Everything that happened today was a little too sudden and too much for me. He gave me many sideways glances, but I was lost in my thoughts to pay heed to them. Finally, we stopped at a big resort in Manesar, and he called his family to inform about our safe arrival. He even called Shiva to let her know. Once in our room, I hid in the bathroom. I was still dumbfounded and confused. Shiva had packed up a bag for me, and after a long shower, I changed.‘What just happened?’ I wondered as I sat on a stool in the bathroom. ‘I was supposed to stay away from him, but now I was married to him… he had been so distant all these months, had he really been pining over me like I had over him? I am cursed, and I just ruined his life. But that certificate is legit. But they didn’t put up a date. If I tore it, maybe I won’t be legally married…’Knock! Knock! Knock!Sudden taps on the door startled me. “Hey, are you okay?” Pratham asked in a concerned voice. Slowly I got up and came out. The moment I stepped out, he hugged me with all his might, and I felt I was home, at last. I so wanted to melt in his embrace, but couldn’t. Despite my cold attitude, he held on to me. And hugged me even tighter. “I love you,” he whispered in my ears. Finally, I pushed him, and he let me go.“What is all this?” I demanded as I found my voice.“What?” he looked around, wondering what I was talking about.“You and I… This… What is all this?” I pointed, color rising on my cheeks.“This is us. We are married,” he smiled my favorite smile.“And you didn’t bother asking me?” I raised my eyebrows.“Oh, that. We all knew you would say no due to all the stupid beliefs you have. So, we had a surprise wedding,” he laughed in the end. “By the way, this all was Shiva’s plan. She asked me if I would marry you, and I said ‘yes’.”“You just said yes?” I asked in an accusatory tone.“I would never say no to anything regarding you. Your friends wanted me to take care of you when they were gone. You are kind of suicidal, do you know that?”“So taking care of me meant marriage?”“Well, I want that and much more, so…” he grinned again.“So all this to finally get me out of my clothes? What will happen once we have sex?” I asked brutally, and his smile vanished.“You think this is some cheap trick to sleep with you?” he snarled. His rage was beyond him. It seemed his eyes would pop out. I didn’t respond to his question, so he added in the same tone, “Do you have any idea how difficult it was to convince my family to get us married?” “Why? Because I am an orphan!” I bellowed too.It took him a moment to register my question. “Are you insane?” he asked in disbelief. “Not because you are an orphan or anything, it doesn’t even matter to them. It was difficult because it is a secret. They don’t know you. They just know you are the girl I have been pining over for months, and suddenly I am marrying you – without your consent. You think it was easy for them to accept my marriage as a secret?” I didn’t respond to it. “But they did… because of me. Because of what you have been through. They are currently planning on how to decorate our room to welcome you. They arranged everything under wraps so that nobody could know you broke the rules of that stupid contest. And you think that I did all this just to have sex?” he spat. I was speechless now.We sat quietly as he exhaled fumes. I was too stunned to speak. He picked up a wine bottle from the counter and drained it. Throwing the empty bottle in a corner, he took off his shirt. I stepped back, but a part of me wanted to kiss every inch of his perfect chest. He lay on the bed and closed his eyes. After a while, he turned his back to me and muttered, “If you really don’t want to be here, then go to the reception in the morning, they will drop you home.” And with that, he turned off the lamp on his side and placed his pillow on his head.  I lay awake in bed for long. I was hungry, yet I was not. Pratham was lying too still next to me, and I didn’t know if he was really asleep or was just faking it.Staring at his back for long, I remembered everything he had done for me. If not for him, I was sure to land up in Akshara’s escort agency. Had he not fallen in love with me and supported me, some vulture would have torn me to bits. I had met people all along my way where they were just waiting to use me, abuse me, but it was only because of Pratham that I had survived this long with my dignity. And, in that moment, I realized that I was enslaved. Enslaved by his love and everything I owned was his. My heart was his, my soul was his. And now with this marriage, he had legally owned my body too.I went to the bathroom and took another shower. The thoughts of the upcoming moments were tickling my body. I wore the cozy bathing gown and stepped out. He was lying in the exact same position. Feeling conscious, I went and sat in front of him.“Pratham,” I whispered. He didn’t respond.“I am sorry, Pratham.” He didn’t move again.“I…” my throat choked at his indifference. I pulled the pillow from his face, and I knew he was faking sleep. I went around and hugged him. I felt him stiffen. “Pratham,” I whispered again, and I kissed his back and forced him to turn. A sigh of losing the battle of self-control escaped his mouth, but he didn’t turn.I kissed him again, his neck, his broad shoulders, his perfect back. He didn’t respond verbally. But I felt his body loosen a bit. The lamp on my side of the bed was on, and there was enough light to see our bodies.“Pratham,” I spoke in a hoarse voice. The dark, the proximity, his strong masculine body, and his fragrance was making my body ache at very sensual places. I forced him to turn, and this time he did. I kissed his forehead, his cheeks, his chin, his neck, his chest, his stomach, and he groaned underneath my touch. His hands were straight, and he was lying still.“Pratham,” I whispered, this time sitting on him. My naked body, barely covered with the gown, was now touching him. I felt a shock spread across my own body as my thighs brushed against his bare stomach. I bent down and kissed him on his lips. His lips parted with passion. I picked up his hands and placed them on my each thigh. “I am so sorry,” I moaned as I raked his neck with my lips and kissed him hungrily.He was softly grazing my thighs. His thumb brushed up to my waist and then moved down. “Pratham, I don’t know what to do after this,” I whispered in his ears and started undoing the belt of my gown. My words made his lips curl, but he stopped my hands. “Wait,” he mumbled, clearly trying to control his own desires.“I am sorry, I won’t,” I spoke, but he shushed me. He let go of my hands and got up too. My legs were now wrapped around his waist, his hands were inside my gown and on my bareback, and we were merely inches apart.“Do you love me?” he asked seriously.I was confused.“Tell me,” he demanded, staring deep in my eyes.“You, Pratham Khatri, are the craziest man I ever had the pleasure of knowing,” I said, getting out of bed. “No, I don’t,” I declared as I undid the knot of the gown. His face fell.“I don’t just love you,” I continued, dropping the gown and showing my naked body to him, “I love you to the extent that you would feel that this one life-time with me is way too short to grasp the true extent of it.” I finished tying my hair in an untidy bun, getting all ready to…  Present Day in Ishana’s HouseIshana paused; she had a blood-red blush on her face.“WOW…” Ravi exclaimed joyously. It was as if he had been reunited with the woman he loved.“What happened next?” he asked excitedly. “What do you think happens on a honeymoon Ravi?” Ishana teased, and Ravi flushed.Ishana was smiling merrily at the memory when her phone rang. A concerned crease appeared on her forehead.She took the call and moved to the open room. Ravi couldn’t help but overhear the conversation. “And the medical examination is done?” Ishana was saying.“Good, I will get things ready here. Great work, Rumi,” and she disconnected.“What happened? Did they find the girl?” Ravi enquired.“Yes, and they have filed a complaint and even got the medical examination done. Now they are bringing her here,” Ishana remarked. She had a mixture of worry and relief etched on her face.“Here, you mean this house?” Ravi was curious about Prathana’s operations.“Yes. Please wait here while I inform others and get things ready downstairs,” and with this, Ishana disappeared.Ravi waited for Ishana, but he was too curious about her. He had seen the rest of the house already, now only the two rooms were left. He knew one was locked, so he tried another door. It was unlocked.He walked in and was stunned. It was like he had walked in a massive wardrobe. A bright green and white wall-to-wall sliding wardrobe adorned the room. A gigantic mirror was attached to another wall. However, what he saw on the third wall shocked him… How was it even possible? Â