21 - Sparrow with no escape(S1)

The night echoed with the chants of mantras, marking the unusual union between Prithvi and Niharika. Despite the unexpected turn of events, Prithvi stood firm in his decision, and the wedding proceeded against all odds.

The priest, undeterred by the murmurs, continued the ceremony, declaring them officially married after the completion of the pheras. Prithvi, holding Niharika in his arms, accepted the newfound status with an air of authority.

Niharika, caught in a haze of consciousness, experienced fleeting moments of awareness amid the rituals. The weight of the Mangalsutra around her neck and the touch of Sindoor on her forehead left an indelible mark on her blurred perception.

Once the priest proclaimed them husband and wife, Prithvi, carrying Niharika, strode out of the ceremonial space. The onlookers, still processing the unconventional turn of events, watched in silence as the newlyweds disappeared into the shadows of the night.

INSIDE THE CAR

Abhi couldn't contain his frustration and confronted Prithvi, "What do you think you will say about her to your family?" He glanced at the unconscious Niharika, awaiting Prithvi's response.

"I don't know, we will see," Prithvi replied, his gaze fixed on the outside world. Abhi, concerned about the consequences, warned him about his family's reaction, especially Dadi Sa.

"Prithvi, you know how your family is, and Dadi Sa won't even let you enter the house, let alone accept her," Abhi cautioned. Prithvi, worn out and frustrated, responded, "I don't know, Abhi. It's done now; we can't change anything, can we? I'm tired; let me sleep."

"You can't just change or sleep at a time like this?" Abhi exclaimed in disbelief. "Prithvi, do you even have a clue what will happen now? How can you sleep in such a situation? My brain can't even function, and you, man, seem unaffected. Just come up with something, an explanation," Abhi demanded, then turned his gaze forward.

"Stop the car, Amar," Prithvi suddenly said, his voice carrying a mix of anger and frustration. Amar, confused, questioned, "What, boss?" Prithvi reiterated, "I said stop the car right now."

"Why the hell have you been making me repeat things these days? Can't you hear it at once?" Prithvi added, his annoyance palpable. Amar, feeling the pressure, responded, "No, boss." Prithvi instructed again, "Stop the car," and Amar brought the car to a halt with the brakes in the middle of nowhere.

Prithvi, visibly frustrated, stepped out of the car and ran his fingers through his hair in a gesture of exasperation. Abhi and Amar exchanged confused glances as they observed Prithvi's restless demeanor. Sensing something was amiss,

Without further explanation, Prithvi knocked on the window. Abhi, irritated, rolled down the window and asked, "What now?" Prithvi, still grappling with frustration, simply said, "Come out," while absentmindedly scratching his forehead.

"Now, what game are you playing?" Abhi inquired in anger as he stepped out.

He continued, "What's cooking in your mind again, Prithvi?" His shoulders tensed, betraying a mix of frustration and impatience.

"Why does it matter to you? Abhi, listen; I will not repeat. You don't need to meddle in my family affairs. I will handle it myself. What the hell do you think you are? My fucking therapist, huh?" Prithvi said, pointing his finger.

"Or tujhe kyu itna fark padh raha, mein kya boluga kya nhi, it's my matter, right?" Prithvi continued.

"Coz tujhe fark nhi padh rha, you fucking maniac, emotionless fool," Abhi retorted.

"Haan hu mein emotionless fool," Prithvi responded defiantly.

The tension between Prithvi and Abhi escalated, and the conversation took a serious turn.

Abhi, with a serious tone, said, "Prithvi, yeh jo tune kiya hai na, yeh sahi nahi tha. You can't just force someone into marriage like this. It's not right, and you know it."

Prithvi, still visibly frustrated, retorted, "Abhi, mujhe pata hai kya sahi hai aur kya galat. I did what I had to do. Now, stop questioning me and let me handle it."

Abhi, concerned, replied, "Handle kaise karega tu? Your family is not going to accept her, and you know it. What's your plan now?"

Abhi, with a stern expression, warned, "Prithvi, you're heading into dangerous territory. Think about the consequences of your actions. You can't just shut everyone out."

Prithvi, unwilling to entertain further discussion, said, "Abhi, enough! I don't need your advice or interference. Just stay out of it."

clenching his jaw, He replied again, "I will deal with it. Tujhe kyun fark padh raha hai? It's my life and my decision. You are just no one."

"Yeah, right? I'm no one!" Abhi exclaimed, thinking deeply.

He then laughed in a somewhat psychotic manner and threw a punch at Prithvi.

"Abhi, stop!" Prithvi demanded, trying to diffuse the situation.

"Saale, yahaan mein tere baare mein soch raha hoon, aur tu pooch raha hai mein kaun hoon!" Abhi retorted in frustration and threw another punch at Prithvi's stomach.

"Haan toh, kya galat kha tujhe har cheez mein apni tang adani hoti hai, Just tell me! Why do you need to poke your nose in my affairs?" Prithvi responded, reviving from the punch and delivering one in defense.

"Haan, right? I should mind my business," Abhi said, shaking his hand and rolling his tongue inside his mouth.

He then grabbed Prithvi's shirt, However, Prithvi regained control, removing Abhi's hand while taking a deep breath and panting.

"Tujhe kya lag raha hai, mein peace mein hoon, maza aa raha hai mujhe iss sab mein," Prithvi said, folding his sleeves and loosening his tie.

"Yeah, wahi toh sab tera hisaab se chal raha hai. Kaise bhi mile ho bride hai toh teri choice ki, so you definitely might be enjoying the chaos you created," Abhi said, tapping Prithvi's shoulder before delivering another punch to his stomach, expressing his frustration.

"Saale mujhe kehta tha, 'Abhi, stop your stupid games, stop running behind girls,' " Abhi continued, mimicking Prithvi's tone. "Saale player, sidha shadi karke le aaya."

Prithvi, fueled by frustration and anger, retaliated with another punch aimed at Abhi's face. Abhi attempted to stop him, cautioning about the visible consequences they would face at home.

"Prithvi, not on the face! Ghar ja rahe hein, ghar wale puchenge," Abhi exclaimed, attempting to reason. However, Prithvi paused for just a moment before delivering a powerful punch directly to Abhi's face. The impact was immediate, and blood started to flow from Abhi's torn lips.

"Acha, ghar ja rahe hein? Okay, chal jaane diya," Prithvi said with a twisted smile, throwing his hands in the air in surrender.

"Prithvi, you bastard," Abhi uttered, his lips stained with blood as he touched them.

Throughout the intense exchange between Prithvi and Abhi, Niharika gradually regained consciousness.

She looked around, absorbing her surroundings, and confusion clouded her expression. Observing the chaotic scene, she directed her question to Amar, who seemed engrossed in the spectacle of the two grown men exchanging punches.

"Wh..e.ere ar..e you t..aking me?" she inquired, her voice reflecting a mix of concern and fear.

Amar remained silent, his attention fixed on the unfolding altercation. Niharika, growing more perplexed, followed his gaze and was taken aback by the sight of the two men exchanging blows.

"W..hy are t...they fig..hting?" she asked, her voice reflecting a mix of shock and concern as she witnessed the heated confrontation. One man was seated on the other, delivering punches with intensity. As the other man got up, he nonchalantly rolled up his sleeves, preparing for the next round of the impromptu brawl.

Unable to see their faces clearly from the distance, Niharika questioned further, "W..ho are y...you? Wh..o are they? W...h.here ar..e you t..taking me?"

Amar finally tore his eyes away from the brawl and turned to Niharika, providing some context, "You are married to my boss, and we are going to Rajasthan, to his family home."

The revelation added another layer of complexity to Niharika's already bewildering situation.

"What?" she exclaimed in shock, her eyes widening, but got distracted by the loud sounds of the ongoing scuffle reached her ears.

"W..ill yo..u.u not st...op the..m?" she asked Amar, a genuine concern in her voice.

"No," Amar responded nonchalantly, "No one can come in between. They always fight like that. Don't worry."

"Is t..t.there no..t go..i.ing to be anyt..hing ser..ious happening?" she inquired, her worry escalating as she heard another scream from the two men.

"No, ma'am. Yeh inka aisa hi chalta rehta hai. By the way, did you have something? Oh, I forgot, you were unconscious all the time," Amar said, offering some wrapped food.

"Eat this," he urged, but she hesitated.

"Don't worry. I didn't add anything. It's edible, and I'm eating too. See?" Amar took a bite to reassure her. Still, she remained reluctant. He handed the food to her, insisting, "Just take it."

Taking a cautious bite, she observed the ongoing fight between Abhi and Prithvi.

"Wh..y are t-they figh..ting for?" she questioned, her eyes fixed on the two men.

"Hmm, I can't tell you... But do you have your seatbelt on?" Amar asked, glancing at the rear-view mirror.

"Yes, wh..y d.o.o you ask?" she replied, innocence and confusion evident in her tone.

Amar whistled, "Let's go," and started the car.

"Hey, yo..u.u leav..e the..m there," Niharika said, expressing her concern.

"Don't worry, they will come on their own, mam!" Amar reassured her.

"This is the only way to stop those two" Amar explained, justifying his actions.

Niharika looked back through the car's rearview mirror as it drove away. Prithvi and Abhi eventually got up and looked towards the departing car.

"Th..ey stopped," she said, shocked.

"I told—" Amar began, but his phone rang, and he answered the call.

"Why the hell did you drive away, Amar?" Prithvi shouted from the other end of the phone. Amar made faces as he held the phone a little away from his ear.

"Amar, your mind has also gone crazy, aligning with your cocky boss," Abhi shouted through the phone.

"Boss, Abhi Bhai, I have booked a cab; it will be there in any minute. Let's meet at the airport," Amar said, cutting off Prithvi's attempt to fire him.

"Amar, who do you think you are? I'll fire you—" Prithvi began, but Amar ended the call, took a long sigh, and looked in the rearview mirror, where Niharika was staring in disbelief.

"What? Mam, that was the only way," Amar defended himself.

"Don't worry; they will come on their own by cab," Amar assured her.

At the airport, they all met while waiting for Prithvi and Abhi. Niharika fell into a deep slumber, and Amar received a good amount of shouting for playing a prank on them.

***

AT CHOUHAN PALACE, RAJASTHAN,INDIA

"Bhabhi Sa, this girl, I'm telling you, you should finalize this girl; she looks pretty," Yashaswini said to Prithvi's Mother, forwarding a photo of one of the girls.

"Ghani Chokho pasand se thari Yashaswini, ya chokri, parivaar own steel business, in Mysore," the matchmaker added.

"Na koni, savitra, ina mein woh baat koni si, mhari samaj may koni Ave, yeh ladkiyon mein mhara prithvi ki beendni bano layak koni," Prithvi's mother, Rachita, said.

Rachita continued, "These girls have no quality of being a future queen; they are just too modern and spoiled. And My Prithvi not only handles his king title but also keeps expanding our name and our Rajasthani culture all over India."

"Bhabhi Sa, you rejected more than 500+ girls. Bhabhi Sa, they all are from well-known families," Yashaswini, Prithvi's bua, said.

"Ache gharane ki hein sari ladkiya, kya problem hai phir " she added.

"Bass, Yashaswini, Mena ek bar bol diya, mujhe kuch nahi suna ab," Prithvi's mother said.

And with that She got up, and the other ladies present followed her lead.

She spoke to the matchmaker, "Khammam ghani , mhane maff Karo, savitra Magar ibb the koi rishte lan ki jarurat koni si "

"Raj Mata! Woh Bhai Ji! Yuvraj Sa!" One of the maids exclaimed, coming inside while running, panting, and grabbing everyone's attention.

"Raj mata! Bhai ji ke hua? Aage bolegi mahari samaj may koni Ave ?" Prithvi's mother said in confusion.

"Woh bade yuvraj prithvi sa ? Aaye chha saath mein , Ghar - aali mhara mtlb beendni lekar--"the maid said, completing her sentence.

" Kae ? Prithvi ? Beendni? Ke bolne lag rhi hein " Prithvi's mother said in shock.

They all walked towards the gate and saw Prithvi carrying a woman in his arms, dressed in a red lehenga.

"Maa Sa," Prithvi said, looking towards his mother.

"Prithvi? Baccha tu. Aur yeh kaun hai?" She asked, shocked.

"Maa Sa, apki bahu, meri binani," Prithvi said.

"What?" Dadi said.

"What's going on in my house, huh? When did you get married?" Dadi asked,coming outside.

Prithvi stepped inside, and His Dadi said, "Stop, you can't enter inside," halting him.

"Sorry, Dadi Sa, but right now, no one can stop me," Prithvi said, his voice authoritative.

He walked inside, went directly to his room, and gently placed Niharika on his bed.

THE WHOLE FAMILY WAITED DOWNSTAIRS, FOR PRITHVI.

"Dekha, Bhabhi Sa, maine bolti thi na aapko, ki Prithvi ke liye kar lo pasand koi ladki, ab dekho, khud hi shaadi kar aaye," Yashaswini said.

Prithvi's mother didn't speak.

"Prithvi, what's going on? Will you explain?" she said as Prithvi came downstairs.

"Maa Sa, I married her. That's the only thing I can say," Prithvi replied.

"Prithvi, explain everything. Don't think you can get away after doing something like that!" Dada Ji said.

"Dada Sa, I married her because I love her. That's the only thing I can tell you," Prithvi said with a serious look.

"Prithvi, you really disappointed us for the very first time. How could you take this big step on your own?" Dada Ji expressed his disappointment.

"Vansi, get her luggage transferred to my room. She will live here with all of you from now on," Prithvi ordered.

"I will not accept her as my bahu, Prithvi," his mother said with a stern expression.

***

IN THE NIGHT,

Niharika's POV:

I woke up lazily, taking in my surroundings, which seemed unfamiliar. A rush of confusion hit me, and then it all came flooding back – the midnight fight, the unexpected marriage, the words of the priest declaring us husband and wife.

"You got married to my boss," the man had said.

"You are now officially husband and wife," echoed the priest's words. I looked around and saw the Mangalsutra, a tangible symbol of the unexpected turn my life had taken. I ran my fingers through my scalp, feeling the weight of Sindoor.

"What?" I exclaimed in shock. The realization hit me hard, and tears welled up. "No, no!" I repeated, shaking my head in denial. This couldn't be true. I couldn't be married to someone I barely knew.

I stood up, wiping away my tears. "H..e.e will co..me any m..oment now. It's n..ot the ti..me fo..r C-cr..ying, Nih..arika; do..o som..ething," I told myself, mustering the strength to face whatever awaited me. I walked towards the room door and unlocked it.

As I opened the door, I overheard the conversation of the maids passing by. "Did you see how Bade Yuvraj was so angry in the morning? Even Thakur Sa couldn't speak in front of him. I've never seen him this angry before," one of them said.

"His anger was on peak. No one could speak in front of Bade Yuvraj. I felt goosebumps all over my body. By now, the whole of Rajasthan would have known about his marriage," another maid added. I couldn't bear to hear more and closed the door again.

"He's marrying you off to someone else, some king or their business partner," echoed Ishita di's words in my mind. I sat back, leaning against the door, contemplating my fate. "Wh..at wi..ll he do w..with you? You ha..ve no e..escape," I whispered, feeling the weight of uncertainty and fear settle in.

SOMETIME LATER,

The door unlocked, and I looked up in shock and fear, clutching a knife in my hand. His steps drew towards me, and I took a step back, pleading, "P-please...stay away." My hands trembled as I positioned the knife in front of me, a feeble attempt to protect myself. "Mujhse...d-dur raho," I stammered, but he didn't stop.

"I w..will attack, I'm tell..i.ing you," I said, fear evident in my voice.

"Attack," he commanded, unfazed by my threats.

"I wi..ll r..really att..ack, ju..st st..ay aw..ay. D....don't come near me; I wi..ll n..ot let y...you ta..ke adv..a.antage," I continued in a panic.

"I wi..ll S-shout. St..O.op com..ing near," I threatened, but he continued to advance.

"Help--" My words were cut short as his steps quickened, and he swiftly put his palm over my mouth, taking the knife from my hand. And He pinned me against the wall, his voice low and commanding,

"Don't try to be smart. We are having our suhag raat. No one will come here, hearing your sound."

"And that's how you will welcome your husband—by attacking him with a knife," he remarked. Surprisingly, his voice was deep and oddly familiar. As he pressed me more against the wall, a switch was flipped, and the room flooded with light. I felt a hard object against my back, and his face became visible to me.

"T...Tum (you)," I stammered in shock, my heart pounding as I saw him standing there, replacing my husband. Who is this man that seems to appear everywhere? If someone saw him here in my room or if my newlywed husband or the old king who orchestrated our marriage found out, I would be in grave danger.

"Yes, mein (yes, me)," he said with a smirk, a mischievous glint in his eyes. What on earth is he doing here? I felt a rush of nervousness coursing through me, making my heart race. I hadn't even seen my husband until now. My life's biggest decision had been made for me, forced upon me without my consent. The man I had been married to was some king, and I couldn't even recognize him.

"Get in the car and do the marriage."

"No, s--stop T...thi.s...wed..ding pl..ease,"

I gripped his shirt in my hands in anger. "A..ll th..is happ..ened bec..cause of you. If y..o..ou wo..uld ha..ve let m..me es..cape this marriage—"

"I w..would h..ave d..ied. It wou..ld ha...v..ve been b..better," I said, tears streaming down my face, throwing punches at his chest.

"H..uh, ky...a.a mila y..eh sab krke," I said while crying, frustration and helplessness overwhelming me.

"Listen, miss—"

"N..o, wh..at do yo..u.u want now? You all pe...ople are t..the same," I said, feeling like nobody cared about me. "Th..ey ju..s.st want to get r..rid of me."

"Listen, me first."

"Wh-what...a-a...re...you...doing...here now?" I managed to stammer, my voice trembling with nerves.

"Suno ladki," he said while shaking me vigorously. I stopped and looked into his eyes; those eyes were not of someone familiar but someone whom you should fear.

And I did.

I stepped back in fear.

"What am I doing? I am your husband. You got married to me," he stated with a twisted smile, approaching me. I stepped back again nervously, halting as he mentioned "husband."

"You are my wife," he declared, leaning in closer, whispering in my ear. I was in disbelief; it couldn't be true. But my mind raced with the possibility that had I really married him? He is a king, and my husband was supposed to be an old man. Why would he marry someone like me? Did my father deceive him into marrying me?

"W-what?" I asked, my voice still shaky. My mind raced with disbelief, but a small voice inside me whispered, "What if he truly wants me? What if I've found my true life partner at last?"

"Yes, and now I'll see where you can escape, my girl; now you are mine," he said, leaning closer.