CHAPTER 31: "MARRIED TO HIM?"

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"No, this is wrong," Kashi pleaded. "Please...let us go."

Ravi, who had been watching, shifted impatiently. "Kashi, stop with this drama! Just obey. You are nothing but a burden. You have to follow my orders. I have already given Neel ji my word, and you will not humiliate me further."

Turning back to Neel, Ravi smiled again. "Neel ji, I have held up my end of the deal. I brought her to you just as you asked. Now, please ensure I'm well-compensated for this arrangement."

The full truth sank into Kashi's heart, her own father had traded her like an object, a pawn in his schemes. This realization was a final blow, shattering her already broken heart into pieces.

Neel waved a dismissive hand, his attention never leaving Kashi, who stood trembling before him. His expression darkened as he saw her hesitation and defiance. In a sudden, chilling voice, he demanded, "Why don't you want to marry me, sweetheart? I can give you everything you desire wealth, luxury, anything you could ever want. So, tell me....why not?"

Drawing her strength again, Kashi looked him in the eye, her voice shaky but resolute. "Because.....Because I love someone else. Please, let me go. I can't marry you."

A tense silence fell over the room. Neel's face contorted with anger, and in a sudden fit of rage, he grabbed a nearby vase and hurled it across the room, shattering it into pieces. Kashi flinched, shrinking back in terror.

"Vishwanath?" Neel spat, his voice dripping with contempt. "That pathetic king?

He's not the right man for you, Kashi. Vishwanath doesn't care about you, he will abandon you the moment things get difficult. But me....I'm the perfect one. I would never leave you." he said closing his eyes to control his rage and forced a look of concern onto his face, masking his sinister intentions beneath a thin layer of feigned care.

"No!" Kashi cried loudly, her voice breaking. "I only love Vishwanath ji! Please, let us go."

Neel's face again twisted with rage, his eyes narrowing dangerously. In a swift, brutal motion, he stepped forward and seized her wrist, his grip painfully tight, bruising her delicate skin. "Keep your voice down," he growled, his tone cold and unyielding. "In Neel Oberoi's world, no one shouts except me. You will marry me Kashi, that to today itself."

As he tightened his grip, Kashi winced, the pain radiating up her arm. Her bracelet a gift from Vishwanath slipped from her wrist, falling to the floor with a faint, heartbreaking clink. She stared down at it, feeling her connection to her Veer ji shattering in that single, agonizing moment.

Neel leaned in closer, his face mere inches from hers, his breath hot and menacing. "If you ever dare mention another man's name in front of me again," he hissed, his voice laced with venom, "you will regret it. I don't take disobedience kindly, Kashi. I get what I want and right now, that's you."

Turning to a nearby helper, he barked orders. "Bring the beauticians, the staff, everyone needed to get her ready. I want her to look perfect for our wedding this afternoon."

With a final, punishing squeeze on her arm, Neel released her and strode from the hall, leaving Kashi trembling in shock. She fell to her knees, her hand instinctively reaching for the broken bracelet, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her heart ached with desperation as she clutched the only piece of her Veer ji she had left with, praying for a miracle to save her.

Ravi, standing over her, sneered with disdain. "Stop crying. This is the last time I have to deal with your drama. Just get ready and be grateful for Neel ji's generosity. Forget about that Vishwanath and do as you are told." With that, he turned and left, disappearing into Neel's office to secure his reward for delivering her here.

Kashi's vision blurred as her fingers clutched the bracelet tightly, her tears falling freely onto the marble floor. In her heart, she clung to a faint hope, a fragile prayer that Vishwanath ji would somehow come for her. Her soul yearned for him, the man who made her feel cherished and safe. But trapped in Neel's dark domain, it felt as though hope was slipping away with each passing second.

Just then, the helper approached, her face laced with fear as she spoke softly, "Ma'am please, you must come with me. Sir will punish me if you don't."

Desperately, Kashi looked at the helper, her eyes wide with fear and hope, her voice a trembling whisper. "Please help me.....I don't want to marry him. He has taken my mother please, tell me where she is. I have to reach her, she is really unwell. I need to know if she is safe or not. Please help me......"

The woman's face softened, a flicker of sympathy shining through her otherwise restrained expression. She looked away, her gaze dropping to the floor, as if the weight of her helplessness was too much to bear. With a sorrowful sigh, she said, "I don't know, ma'am. Truly, I don't. All I know is.....you need to come with me. Please." Her voice wavered, betraying the sadness she felt for the young woman in front of her, yet bound by her own inability to intervene.

Kashi's heart sank further, realizing she was alone in this nightmare, each step forward taking her closer to a fate she desperately wished to escape. As she was led into a lavish room, prepared to be dressed as a bride against her will, she closed her eyes and whispered, "Veer ji.....I need you."

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The large room was beautifully decorated, filled with the fragrance of roses and jasmine, scents meant to evoke celebration, yet Kashi felt suffocated. She had been escorted here and told to sit and prepare for her fate. A group of beauticians and stylists filed in with trays of makeup, jewelry, and a magnificent red and golden lehenga, attire befitting a bride. But as the beauticians went about their work, Kashi's heart was breaking.

As her hair was braided, adorned with tiny flowers, and her face painted with the elegance of a bride, she could only think of the depth of her father's betrayal. She had always known he resented her and her mother, but she had never imagined he would go so far as to trade her for money, sealing her fate with a man like Neel Oberoi. The room was a blur around her, her mind clouded by sorrow and disbelief.

Once the beauticians finished, they stepped back, admiring their work with satisfaction. The woman in the mirror looked ethereal, almost like a goddess brought to life. The red and golden lehenga choli hugged her slender frame, its intricate embroidery catching the light, glimmering with every slight movement. Layers of gold and diamond jewelry adorned her neck and wrists, cascading down her like the rays of the setting sun, framing her elegance with a regal touch. Her long dark hair was woven into an intricate braid, studded with tiny flowers that seemed to bloom just for her, while delicate strands framed her face with a softness that only accentuated her beauty.

But beneath all the finery, Kashi's face held an expression no amount of beauty could mask. Her eyes, lined with kohl, sparkled not with joy but with unshed tears, depths of pain and desperation lurking in their dark, sorrowful depths. She was a bride today, but not out of love or choice, out of betrayal and helplessness. Her beauty was undeniable, but it was a beauty laced with sadness.

The beauticians exited, leaving her alone. Kashi took a deep breath, glancing at herself in the mirror. She felt utterly trapped, yet a small voice within her urged her to act. She knew she couldn't simply sit and accept this. She needed to reach out to her Veer ji, the only person she trusted to save her and her mother. Her phone had fallen in her house when her father had pushed her to the floor, leaving her without any means of contact, but she refused to give up.

Determination set in her heart as she glanced around the room, spotting the door the beauticians had used. She hurried over, opened it quietly, thankfully it wasn't locked, and peeked outside.

The corridor was empty. Gathering her courage, she lifted her lehanga and slipped out of the room moving down the corridor, her steps light and quick. She walked until she came across a landline phone mounted on the wall. Grateful for the opportunity, she quickly dialed the number she remembered by heart, her Veer ji's number. Her heart raced as she waited for the ring, but before the first chime could sound, the line went dead. She tried again, only to find there was no dial tone. A sinking feeling crept over her as she heard a familiar, chilling voice.

"Calling someone, sweetheart?" Neel's voice drawled, cold and mocking. She turned, only to find him standing beside her, holding a piece of broken telephone wire. Her heart sank, and the phone slipped from her hand, hitting the floor with a loud clatter.

Neel straightened, taking two steps forward as she instinctively stepped back."How many times must I tell you, sweetheart? You cannot run from me. You're mine," he said with a sinister smile.

Kashi's voice trembled as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Please....let me go. I don't want to marry you."

Her words seemed to hit a nerve. Neel's face twisted in anger, and he grabbed her hand, squeezing tightly over an area he had already hurt before. She winced in pain but met his gaze, her eyes filled with defiance. "Enough!" he spat. "You have said and done enough, Kashi. We are getting married, and nothing you say will change that. In fact, the ceremony is starting any minute now."

Tears spilled down her cheeks as she struggled against his grip. "Please....I beg you, let me go," she whispered with a heartbreaking sob, but her pleas only fueled his satisfaction.

"From this moment on, you are mine, Kashi," he sneered, a malicious glint in his eyes. "And you will forget all about any other man, including that 'Vishwanath ji' of yours." He smirked, his thumb wiping a tear from her cheek with mock gentleness. "Don't cry, Kashi. I don't want my bride to look sad on our special day. Come on don't make me more angry, now."

He called a lady helper. "Take my bride to her room and bring her when the pandit (priest) calls for the dulhan (Bride)." The helper nodded, taking a shattered Kashi back to the room, leaving Neel pleased with himself.

Back in the room, Kashi sat on the edge of the bed, her thoughts darting between her mother and Vishwanath. How had everything come to this? She thought of her Veer ji, the man she loved but could never confess her feelings to. How desperately she wished he was here to save her.

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Meanwhile, downstairs, the wedding preparations continued in full swing. Lavish decorations adorned the makeshift altar, draped in roses and marigolds that filled the air with their heavenly scent. But unlike a celebration filled with family and friends, there were no guests, only Neel's men, were stationed around the hall and lining the estate grounds, providing a layer of security and a show of force. The workers bustled around, casting nervous glances at each other, well aware of the unusual nature of this gathering.

Neel wasn't taking any chances. The wedding would remain a secret until it was complete, hidden from the prying eyes of the outside world, especially Vishwanath's. Neel knew that Vishwanath's power and influence were formidable, and one wrong move could ruin everything. He couldn't risk Vishwanath learning the truth before he had secured Kashi as his wife. Only once the ceremony was over, and Kashi was his, would he announce it to the media, an irreversible proclamation that would strike at Vishwanath's heart.

Confident in his plan, Neel prepared himself in a luxurious sherwani adorned with intricate gold embroidery. He placed a sehra over his head (headpiece worn by the groom), the jeweled headpiece masking his face, casting shadows that hid the glint of satisfaction in his eyes. In his mind, he had already won. He believed that by taking Kashi,Vishwanath's light, his joy, he had achieved the ultimate victory. His every move was calculated, every step leading him closer to the moment he had been waiting for since ever, the moment he would claim Kashi as his own, shattering Vishwanath's world.

Soon, the priest began chanting the sacred mantras, the rhythmic verses filling the air with a haunting resonance that seemed almost out of place in the somber silence. Neel sat at the altar, his posture straight, eyes glinting with triumph beneath the sehra. With every chant, every word, the gravity of the moment deepened as if binding him closer to his dark victory.

The priest paused, then looked up at Neel. "Dulhan Ko bulaiye" (Bring the bride) he instructed.

Neel gave a small nod to one of the lady helper, signaling her to fetch Kashi. His heart raced in anticipation, a twisted sense of satisfaction swelling within him. This was it, the culmination of his scheme, the final piece falling into place. Soon, Kashi would be at his side, bound by the rituals and vows that would make her his forever.

Kashi sat alone in her room upstairs, paralyzed with fear. Neel's threats echoed in her mind, the weight of her mother's life hanging over her like a dark cloud. She was jolted out of her thoughts by the arrival of the helper, who motioned her to follow. Kashi's steps felt weighted, her heart racing with dread. She approached the staircase leading down to the hall but stopped abruptly, her breath hitched as she saw Neel waiting for her at the mandap, his sehra hiding his face but not his smug aura. Every fiber of her being screamed to run.

"Ma'am, it's time. Please come," the helper urged gently, guiding her to the staircase.

When Kashi hesitated to move, Neel's impatience boiled over. Seeing that Kashi wasn't coming, he clenched his fists and called out, "Come down, sweetheart, it's time for you to become mine."

When Kashi still refused to move, Neel's face darkened with anger. Rising from the mandap, he lifted his sehra and stormed up the stairs, seizing her arm roughly, he hissed “You will come down, sweetheart, whether you like it or not,”. He began dragging her forward. Kashi whimpered in pain, tears streaming down her face, but he ignored her, pulling her into the hall. With one hand still on her arm, he turned to the priest and ordered, "Pandit ji, start the wedding now." With this Neel adjusted the sehra over his face once more.

Kashi's heart shattered. She glanced at her father, Ravi, who watched everything with satisfaction, his face cold and indifferent. Her father, the man who should have protected her was handing her over to a man like Neel as if she was a mere transaction. She could barely comprehend his cruelty, her mind reeling as the ceremony continued.

Kashi was crying uncontrollably, her heart shattered with every tear that fell, her cries muffled behind trembling hands. Only this morning, she had felt a happiness she had never known, a joy that had made her cheeks warm, her heart race. She was finally going to confess her love to her Veer ji, to finally tell him that she, too, felt the same way like him. She had already imagined his happiness, the warmth in his eyes, and the sense of safety she felt whenever she was with him. Today was supposed to be the start of their love story.

But in the span of mere hours, everything had turned into a nightmare. Instead of standing beside her beloved, she was being forced into a marriage with a man, who only wanted to claim her as a trophy in his twisted game of obsession. She looked at the mandap, at the flickering flames that seemed to mock her misery. Every chant from the priest felt like a chain binding her further, dragging her away from the life she had dreamt of and the love she had held so close to her heart.

At one point, the priest asked for the kanyadaan, the ritual where the father gives away his daughter. Ravi approached with pride, fulfilling what he considered his final duty by getting rid of her, seeing this as revenge for all his so-called "misery." But before he could complete the ritual, the lights in the room flickered, and suddenly, the entire estate was plunged into darkness. Murmurs of confusion swept through as everyone tried to comprehend what had happened.

"What's happening?" Neel demanded, lifting his sehra again, slightly in irritation. One by one, his guards left to check the source of the power cut, but none returned. Growing frustrated and suspicious, Neel rose from the mandap, his fists clenched. Before another guard could take a step, he raised a hand, stopping him with a sharp command.

"No," he said curtly, his tone brooking no argument. "I will check this myself."

Instructing Ravi to stay there with Kashi, Neel strode purposefully towards the source of the disturbance, his impatience clear in every step. Kashi could sense his anger rising, but for the first time, she felt a glimmer of hope.

The lights flickered back on, casting an eerie glow over the room. Kashi's heart sank as Neel returned, his face hidden behind the sehra entirely, his presence casting a suffocating shadow over her.

The sight of him, fully prepared for the ceremony, crushed the small flicker of hope that had clung to her heart. She had been foolish to think that her Veer ji might come for her, that he would rescue her from this nightmare. How could he? How would he even know where she was? She was now a prisoner in her own life, trapped in a marriage that was never her choice.

He gestured with his hand, for the priest to resume the ceremony. Ravi's voice, distant and uncaring, blended with the priest's as he completed the kanyadaan, the ritual that sealed her fate. As Kashi sat there, feeling the world around her blur, each movement, each ritual, a reminder of the life she had lost. After the pheras, the priest instructed Neel to apply sindoor in Dulhan's maang and to tie the mangalsutra around her neck.

Neel's hand came to her forehead, his fingers somehow warm unlike his cold demeanour as he placed the sindoor (Vermillion) in her maang (hair partition) , the red powder staining her skin. Some of it spilled over her nose, adding to the weight of the moment. Then, with a finality that shook her to her core, he tied the mangalsutra (sacred thread) around her neck.

The priest's voice rang out, a hollow declaration that sealed her fate, "Yeh vivah abb sampan hua." (This wedding is now complete)

The words echoed through the hall, ringing in her ears like the final toll of a bell, marking the end of her freedom and the beginning of a life she had never chosen.

Cliffhanger!?

Words : 3K

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