Chapter 1

It’s 12th November 2022.

It was a happy, joyous day for everyone except the one sitting on the stool of Mandap getting wedded off, By her Aunt and Uncle. Her face under a veil, stained with tears not because of happiness but because of her fate.. That it took away her parents from her leaving her alive in the car accident, everyone in the neighbourhood called her bad omen including her aunt, uncle and cousin sister. Yes she was her aunt’s sister’s daughter. 

The wedding was happening without her choice with someone who gave a hefty amount to them in return, yes in some sort they sold her off, and she doesn’t even know him, nor his name. When that man suddenly spoke “Jaldi kar be pandit mujhe konsa isse saat janam rehna hai..” (Do fast pandit? I don't have much time and nor am I gonna spend seven years with her.) 

The gaze of his made her uncomfortable, giving her an idea what happens when they... Boom…  

I was sitting here almost leaving the idea of staying alive, when I heard a gun shot making everyone scream but not me. I was not in the place to react anymore, I was numb, numb from my life, from everything. I was pulled by my arms harshly not hurting me but in a forceful way, to get smashed in a man’s body I didn’t have the energy to even react or look who it was. The only thing that went through my mind was TO GIVE UP MY LIFE. Yes at an age of 24 it’s totally not how a mature woman should say, but who told, I was mature. 

I was just a girl who was always blamed for my parents death, but why it was an accident I was not driving, it was because they died and I lived.  My aunt, whenever she gets a chance would slap or say degraded things to me as well as about my mother. Why? Don’t know. 

“I am taking her, she cannot marry anyone.” The voice rang in the hall making me shiver and scared. “It’s okay you wanna marry her, marry  but give her to me for the nig-....” He couldn’t complete his dirty sentence, when one of the men shot him in between his two foreheads. He fell dead and the blood splattered all over my face, saree and hands. Will it be wicked to say, I felt immense happiness seeing him dead. I turned around to see no one else in the hall except my aunt and uncle. 

They looked at him in anger, not out of fear like they are not at all affected by the scene.  “How can you kill him? He was giving so much money to marry that bitch, who is not even worth it.” “Shhh… if you don’t want to end up like that.” That’s when I looked at him to see him wearing all black clothes with a black mask, his face not bare. “Yeah like you can? I am not letting you take her away….like that. And moreover, why will you even want to..”    “Someone out there wants her… how much money was he offering?” “5 lakh. Can your  ‘Someone’ give me that?” “10 lakhs.” 

I laughed in my mind at the thought that how easily they are even discussing the amount of me, like is it that easy to put an amount on a person? 

“Done. You can take her and do whatever you want. ” And then I was taken away from the hall to the car. The car roared to life and went to a destination that I had no idea of. The destination I know nothing of. The person who is sitting beside me, I had no clue of was on his phone informing someone something. Maybe that SOMEONE of his.. When the car stopped he got out, opening the door for me. “Comeout.”  ordering me.  I got out and I got pulled by my hands to the temple present here.. Making my heart beat raise, but then again what worse could happen. I looked forward to seeing a mandap created with holy fire lighting in between. When he spoke.. 

“Pandit ji mantra pariye kanya laye hai hum.” (Pandit ji read the mantras I brought her, the bride.) 

“Ji.. Devendra.” Devendra… that’s his name. That’s when he removed his mask and the leather jacket, I looked at him. He was a good looking man but… “Mahurat nikal raha hai Devendra. Aur ek aur bar soch lo aise shaadi …” (Time is passing by fast Devendra, and one more time think… ) “Kuch sochna nahi hai soch liye hai hum.”   (There is nothing to think about that I already did.) 

He made me wear the garland and he also wore it. We sat on the stool (Piri) and the wedding started. It was the time for the garland exchange “Var aur  vadhu mala badal kijiye.”(Groom and Bride exchange the garlands.) Then pandit ji again started chanting mantras… “Aab phere ke liye khare ho jaiye.”(Now stand for the Pheras.) and he also stood up and tied a knot between us with my anchal (shoulder pleats ) and his dupatta.   “Var char phere age rehenge aur baki ke teen phere Vadhu age rahenge.”  (The groom will walk four rounds in front and the rest three rounds the bride will.)    

“Nahi pandit ji we both will walk together in the first four rounds and the rest she will be in front.” “Jo tumhe sahi lage waise tum kaha sunne wale ho.” (Whatever you think is good, anyways you will not listen.) 

1. You will always be my equal, never ever you will ever be lower than me.

2. You will always find me with you no matter what you do, you kill I am with you.

3. I will take care of you in any situation we are in.

4. I promise to give you immense love and respect, along with lifelong friendship, loyalty, understanding and maturity. If you anyhow find me not doing any of these. Be sure to shoot a bullet right in my chest. 

He vowed all these while making rounds against the fire… making me think If I am dreaming, as if I am the most important in his life. We again started now me being in front of him, I felt his hands slipping in mine. Holding it and giving me energy.   

1. I … I will try to

2. ……

3. ……

I couldn’t even utter more than two words when he spoke soothing my nervousness with his hand caressing mine. “It’s okay Ayesha.. No need to hurry. My love is enough for both of us, for now. Till I make you fall in love with me totally.” I nodded my head at his words. I don't know what I am doing here. It's not like I  have any other option. It's better than marrying the one who is killed. 

   We completed our pheras to move to Sindoor daan and mangalsutra. He applied the vermillion on my hairline, two times. A little vermillion fell on my nose making pandit ji speak “Dulhan bahut sukhi hongi.” (The bride will be very happy in the marriage.) 

Me and happiness doesn’t go together. I chuckled thinking that. That was the biggest joke for me. He tied mangalsutra around my neck completing the wedding. 

“Vivaah sampan hua… ab aap dono Pati-patni hai.” (The wedding is complete, you both are husband and wife now.)

I knew my life was never easy at least till my parents were alive. The little memory fragments I have left in my mind to let me know at least my childhood was happy. But this– getting married to someone who killed someone in front of people and have no regrets also bought me telling lies to them.

  “Now is this how my life is going to be I guess.” I whispered to myself while walking towards the car ‘Let’s make my mind stable, My life is already busted so I will make sure that I will change my fate by using this person right beside me.