"But I don't want to marry you, in fact I won't marry you" astounded by his sudden proposal she rejected him right away right in her father's presence.
She then walked right up towards him with her glaring gaze directed right at him, "How could you even make this suggestion? Did you really think I'd agree? Especially after what you did? Really? " Mahima lost her cool as she lashed out at him.
"Your father holds me responsible for what happened so I'm taking the responsibility for the same, If you walk away now then it's on you" Lakshya stated in a calm yet cold demeanor.
"You are indeed responsible for what happened but if you really wish to take responsibility then just give us Vikram's whereabouts, I may still consider forgiving you for what just happened" Mahima demanded
"I'm sorry but that won't be happening, moreover you won't be able to find him even if you tried because like I said earlier he isn't human" Lakshya refused
"Then you can get lost" with that an infuriated Mahima turned around to walk away as she climbed down the temple stairs, however before she could leave Arvind called out to her "Wait" forcing her to stop right in her tracks.
He then turned to Lakshya and gave him a nod, "I have no objections" much to Mahima's shock who then turned around to approach her father and discuss over his unexpected agreement.
"What are you doing Papa? How can you agree to this? " She questioned her father
"I know what I'm doing, you've already done as you pleased and see the result" Arvind dismissed her objection
"I know you're hurt but that was never my intention however whatever happened today is solely because of him yet you're agreeing to his proposal? Why?" Mahima questioned her father
"We live in a world where even good intentions end up getting punished, I know you are innocent and have done nothing wrong but the society we live in doesn't care and will hold this against you till the end. As a father I won't be able to put up with that and watch the world point its finger at you" Arvind explained his plight
"I don't really care about the world or the society if doing so comes at the cost of my own dignity and integrity" Mahima told her father
"You can't keep fighting all your life, you need to get along with people to live in this society" Arvind pointed
Mahima felt helpless as she couldn't explain why the society which her foster father feared at the moment had no real relevance to her or a place for her although she was aware of how that wasn't the case for him where people would start questioning him as a parent which would have proved to be a severe blow to his emotional and mental wellbeing, however his agreement to Lakshya proposal was simply out of the question for reasons which she again couldn't reveal to him. The last thing she'd ever want is to marry a person who is related to the murderers who killed her family and destroyed her clan.
"I know what's bothering you, but trust me I'll find Vikram and get married to him then no one would bother pointing fingers at us" Mahima desperately tried to assure him however he remained unconvinced and then held on to her shoulders
"Snap out of it, he would have come if he had to but he just didn't show up" Arvind pointed
"Because this person is behind it" Mahima pointed at Lakshya as she accused him who continued to remain silent as he watched them argue.
"I know, and from the likes of what he told us it's seems that Vikram is no longer alive" Arvind expressed his fear
"That's not true Papa! And even if it were by any chance I would never marry him for the same reason" Mahima cried out making her objections clear.
"I know how you feel but trust me, this is for the best. If you truly believe I'm your father and care about me then you would do as I say. It's the only way to retain our family's honor and reputation if not then you might as well see me dead from hereon" the ultimatum given by Arvind put Mahima in a dilemma, although she was repulsed by the idea of having anything to do the with the son of a murderer she loved her foster father who was very dear to her. As she were an orphan, it was Arvind who had raised Mahima and showered her with all the love and care any parent would have done for their own child. Mahima couldn't bear to imagine his death nor could she think of hurting him any further by going against her father as a result of which she reluctantly agreed
"If this is what you wish then so shall it be, but don't expect anything more besides this because any union that is formed out of compulsion or force is bound to fail. Do know that this union would never bring me or anyone else joy" Mahima warned her father as she then walked back upstairs in a state of dejection and apathy at the same time. As Lakshya watched her he could tell she was broken by her father's unexpected decision. To be honest he too wasn't ready for this and somehow wished he could take it back but couldn't dare to do so after what had happened but rather hoped that Mahima would stand her ground till the end and walk away. Once Mahima took her spot Lakshya too walked up to join her allowing the priest who was waiting to commence the marriage rituals.
Once the rituals were complete and they were declared married the two rise up and walked towards Arvind to receive his blessing as they bowed down and touched his feet who then reluctantly blessed the groom concerned.
As they rose up, "I know that I have unintentionally hurt and caused you a lot of pain today, which is why I promise you that you'd never have to go through the same again since you won't ever see me again" Mahima told her father
"What do you mean?" Arvind asked her though he dreaded to hear her response
"It's exactly as I said, I won't ever return home and make you go through the same" Mahima who was very upset with the turn of events told her father before leaving the temple along with Lakshya.
......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Abhay had returned home along with Srishti where they were received by the former's family, "I can't believe we were living with that imposter all these days" Soumya remarked
"I agree, he sure fooled me too" Shipra admitted
"Not just you but everyone of us here were fooled by his act" Anvay added
"Thank you so much, you've been through quite a lot and yet you stepped up to help" Shipra expressed her gratitude to Srishti
"No it's alright, you'll have been through a lot yourselves this was the least I could do from my end" Srishti told them as she prepared to leave only to be held back by Shipra.
"Why don't you stay back for dinner?" Shipra requested her
"I'd love to Aunty, but I'm good. Thanks for asking though" Srishti politely refused the reason being she wanted to avoid Lakshya whose return was expected any moment.
As she was about to Leave Adish entered the house alone from the main entrance. "Where is Lakshya?" Chandrika asked him to which Adish explained that he had left to attend a necessary matter concerning his work.
"Any Idea when he'd be back? We were supposed perform the ritual today" Chandrika reminded Adish
"I don't think that would be necessary" Adish told them
"What do you mean by not necessary? Wasn't this pooja being done to help my father attain peace?" Chetan snapped at him
"What I meant was it's anyways too late for that now so we can get it done tomorrow instead" Adish clarified before excusing himself and headed back to his room while the rest dispersed from the hall except for Abhay and Srishti.
"I better leave, please take care of yourself" Srishti excused herself
"You too and thanks once again. Also I'm really sorry I had no idea about the wedding getting called off had I known this I would have never bothered you. I guess a lot has happened behind my back here" Abhay told her
"Don't blame yourself, anyways take care" Srishti then walked away to leave the Singh mansion while Abhay stayed back in the living room
A few hours later Lakshya had returned back home alone, Abhay who was waiting for him in the hall stood up from the sofa and walked right up to him, "you were right all along" Abhay told his brother
"I'm just glad your safe and okay, next time don't just go around investigating alone without letting anyone know" Lakshya scolded him
"By the way, I heard that you called off the wedding, I know you were being considerate of the Tau ji's death but I guess there could have been a way around it" Abhay asked him
"Even if there it's pointless now" Lakshya answered
"What do you mean?" Abhay looked at his brother with as he tried to figure what Lakshya just said
"Forget it, I can't undo what has already been done now, besides it's a bit too late to discuss this right now" Lakshya evaded the question and then suggested that they both get some rest before walking up towards his room.
Once inside he sat down on his bed and began to agonize over what he had done and what followed after that as he recalled how Mahima asked him to stop the car while on their way back home midway in a deserted location before stepping out of the same.
"What are you doing?" Lakshya questioned her
"What does it look like? I'm getting off right here!" Mahima answered
"Have you lost it? You wanna get off in the middle of nowhere and you expect me to allow that" Lakshya snapped at her
"You could say so, as I don't really need your permission. Yes you heard me right I don't need it at all. Why do you seem so shocked though? Did you really think I'd move in and live with you especially after what you did?" Mahima's question left him speechless
"Then why did you agree to the marriage?" Lakshya asked her
"Don't mistake my compulsion for my agreement, I may have been compelled to get married but that doesn't mean I've agreed to carry on or put up with this farce for the rest of my life" Mahima told him
"But it isn't a farce" Lakshya argued
"To me it is simply because I refuse to acknowledge it! Do you know why? It's because I love Vikram and I refuse to betray him by accepting you as my husband" Mahima cried out following which she ripped off the her wedding garland and threw it on the ground following which she removed her nuptial chain and handed it over to him.
"I regret having listened to you that day, had I known you'd backstab me in this manner I would have just walked away that night" Mahima recollected the night which led her current situation
"First of all I didn't backstab anyone in fact I had already warned you about him much earlier. He was the one that came after me and my family by impersonating my brother. All I've done is just defend myself" Lakshya defended himself
"Enough of your lies! I know him well and he would never do that" Mahima shot back
"I'm not lying though I don't really expect that you'd believe me" Lakshya told her
"Believe you? I will never believe you in but you will regret what you've done eventually some day" Mahima warned him
"I know you're upset right now but trust me, time will heal everything" Lakshya tried to console her
"It is foolish to trust a backstabber and please be honest, you didn't want this marriage yourself now did you? It's obvious you proposed it in a haste without letting your family know. How are you going to explain this given that you called off your own wedding a few days back due to your Uncle's untimely death?" Mahima pointed to which Lakshya couldn't help but agree as she was right about it, showing up home with Mahima would itself prove to be a shocker for everyone let alone explaining how he agreed to it himself.
"So please do me a favor and just let me be" with that Mahima began to walk away only to be held back by Lakshya "Where would you going at this hour?"
"That's none of your concern" Mahima told him who then began to book herself a cab and waited there till it arrived to pick her up.
Lakshya couldn't stop worrying about her as he tried to fall asleep and wondered if she were going to be okay besides contemplating over how and when to reveal to his family about him ending up marrying her.
.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Mahima was at the entrance of the Shiva temple where she seemed to be waiting for someone. A while later Ashlesha emerged from the forest in her serpent form and assumed her human avatar before approaching Mahima.
"What happened? Where is Vikram? I thought he was busy on a case and would show up on time? Then where is he now?" Mahima questioned her
Ashlesha didn't know what to say, "Did he attack Abhay and impersonate him the entire time while I was working there?" Mahima continued to ask her
"Yes, but how did you learn about this?" Ashlesha responded
"So it's true...." Mahima sighed
"What do you mean?" Ashlesha asked
"Lakshya showed up at the wedding today and told me that Vikram was put to sleep, what am I supposed to make of that? They obviously had a confrontation because of which he's missing now" Mahima then confronted Ashlesha over why she was kept out of the loop regarding his involvement "had I known about this then I would have dissuaded him from going ahead with that plan or perhaps helped him get away"
"That's exactly why we didn't tell you, we can't afford to have your cover blown away" Ashlesha admitted
"But look at what it led me to today" Mahima broke down right before Ashlesha as she recalled how she was married off earlier
"What's wrong? What happened?" Ashlesha was taken aback by the distraught princess before her.
"Something that shouldn't have... something that makes me hate myself" Mahima uttered
"I'm sorry but I'm not really following" Ashlesha grew worried
Mahima then explained how she was compelled into marrying Lakshya against her will and how it made her feel quite guilty.
"I was supposed to learn from my sister's mistake not repeat it" Mahima told Ashlesha as she began to loathe herself over what happened
"Get a grip of yourself Mahima and look ahead, you can't break down so easily. We'll find a way around this so please don't let this bother you" Ashlesha consoled Mahima
"We need to find Vikram, he's in deep trouble for sure" Mahima urged
"We will! please don't worry about it and get some rest..." Ashlesha looked at her
"I'll be out this city for a few days" Mahima informed her
"I understand" Ashlesha replied
.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Anvay found himself wandering around in a strange yet familiar place. It was a dark room that appeared to be a large hall of some sort. Upon taking a closer look he noticed the decorations on the wall and the mandap which had been set up. As he looked around he couldn't find anyone around and wondered how he got there in the first place.
He then heard a voice call out his name and once again looked around only to find no one, however the voice continued to call out to Anvay prompting him to follow the same and look for its source which eventually led him outside where a woman in a bridal attire stood before him with her back facing Anvay.
The woman then began to laugh out loud in an eerie manner making him quite uncomfortable.
"Who are you?" He asked the woman
"History has been repeated once again however it won't end the same way this time" the woman answered
"What do you mean and you still haven't answered my question" Anvay asked her once again to which she turned around leaving him shocked.
It was Neelima who stood right before him "Your Karma is on it's way to strike you" she told him as she continued to laugh
"I don't understand" Anvay muttered to himself
"You will soon" Neelima told him before vanishing into thin air prompting Anvay to call out to her "Neelima wait!" as a result of which he felt a jerk to his body causing him to wake up.
"Are you okay? You seem pretty disturbed" Shipra tried to comfort him
"Yeah I'm fine" Anvay assured her and asked her to go back to sleep.
"Why did she show up now after so many days and what did she mean?" Anvay wondered
.....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
The Next day
Adish was at his home where he was greeted by his assistant who had his office ready and set up for the day. After he was done with his breakfast Adish entered his work chamber where he would normally meditate along with the basket that contained the shapeshifting serpent. Once inside he sat down in the middle of the room and drew a large circle on the floor before opening the basket to remove the serpent and placing the same in the middle of the circle.
Adish then took out his gem and hovered it in front of the serpent as a result of which the gem began to glow forcing the serpent to assume it's human identity.
"Now that you're back to your human self how about you introduce yourself" Adish spoke up however Vikram didn't bother responding to him.
After a moment of silence Adish repeated himself once again to which Vikram dissed him with a "I am not obliged to answer any of your questions"
"Why are you doing this?" Adish asked Vikram however his question remained unanswered leaving him frustrated "Fine you've left me no choice then" Adish then pulled out a pouch from his bag and opened it to remove its contents using his hands revealing some ash
"I guess this should make you speak" Adish then threw the ash at Vikram however nothing happened much to Vikram's surprise.
"That's some pretty useless ash you've got there" Vikram mocked him
"Is it? Let's find out" Adish smirked at him leaving Vikram confused "I'll ask once again, who are you and why are you targeting that family?"
Vikram refused to answer and continued with his silence for a minute before finding himself involuntarily speaking up giving Adish the requested information "I am Vikram"
"And why are you targeting the Singh family?" Adish looked at him as he waited for an answer
"For revenge!! To make them pay for what they've done years back" Vikram's answer got Adish intrigued making him wonder exactly was the former referring to
"What do you mean?" Adish asked him
"Don't put your nose where it doesn't belong if you wish to live" Vikram warned him
"Worry about yourself at the moment but you know what? I won't let you kill anyone from here on" Adish declared his resolve before the serpent to which they broke out in laughter as if to mock him.
"Won't let me kill anyone? As if that would help them escape their impending death" Vikram continued laughing
Seeing how Vikram didn't take him seriously Adish's earlier suspicions about him having an accomplice were confirmed, "Who is your partner and where are they right now?" Adish asked the serpent.
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To be continued....
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Comments (2)
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Bloodmoon @Bloodmoon
+ 2
2 years ago
Thanks for the fast update