Part One
She stated at her reflection in the mirror with a blank expression on her face. Unlike a normal bride, she wasn't looking happy. Only sadness clouded her expressive eyes.
She glanced at her reflection, taking in the blood red color of her wedding lehnga that had bottle green border and sequin designs. The blood red colored reminded her of her bleeding heart. And that bottle green colored..that's his favorite color. He loved it when she wore something of that color. But now it reminded of her broken heart.
From head to toe she was decked up in different jewelries, her make-up, styling, everything was perfect. Only if they all knew that she hated perfect things. She was in love with imperfection after all.
Arjun Mehra
The man whom she had fallen in love with. The man who, though was arrogant and annoying, attracted her like fire attracts a moth.
Fire..he indeed was a raging fire who was burning for revenge. And had played with not only hers but her friend's feelings too. He had claimed that he loved her but he placed that baseless revenge of his over their love.
She hates him but she loves him more. And that was the thing that irked her the most.
Why!!? Why couldn't she forget that man? Now that she's getting married, she should concentrate on her would be husband, Saral but Arjun's thoughts just never left her.
"Stop Radhika, just stop thinking about him!!" she chided at herself and wiped the lone tear that had slipped out of her eye.
A knock after, the door slightly opened, " Chutki, come. Its time to go, pandit ji is calling the bride!" came her sister's chirpy voice. At times she hated her for bringing Saral's proposal for her. If only she knew that she didn't want to marry Saral. But she did and still didn't care because according to her there was no better man for Radhika other than Saral.
Slowly she stood up and walked outside,her sister accompanying her to where the mandap was set. Saral was already there, dressed in a sherwani, his face was covered with sehra.
Her sister made her sit beside Saral. Soon the chat of mantras and other rituals started. While everyone around her was happy, she was feeling dying as each second passed.
Dreams are really bubble like. She had dreamed her marriage to and with Arjun. He had promised that he would fulfill her every wish and won't ever let her go. But nothing such will happen now. Her dream bubble broke just like her heart.
"Now the pheras will start. Bride and groom should stand up now and take the seven pheras, the seven vows." said the pandit ji.
As the pheras started, Radhika was reminded of the seven vows that she and Arjun had unofficially taken.
On valentine's day, he had specially arranged that all for her. He knew that she was still Saral's fiance but his love for her knew no bounds.
But he broke his every vow except his revenge.
She didn't realized when the pheras got completed. Soon they were declared husband and wife.
Nothing could happen now. Her fate was sealed, her life was with Saral now. She belonged to him, his wife, but he heart even broken will always beat for Arjun and Arjun only.
She didn't cried a bit when the bidaai happened. Just blank as her life had nothing but was filled with darkness only. Darkness that Arjun had warned her of but she had countered it, saying that even in darkness she won't be alone, because he would be there with her.
She and Saral were sitting at the backseat of the car that was driven by a driver who would take them to a hotel where a room was specially booked for them, the newly weds.
Half way through the ride, Saral made the driver stop the car. He got out of the car and the driver followed. All this made Radhika curious. What was happening?, she thought.
She found it fishy that Saral still hadn't removed that sehra and why the hell he was giving that driver some cash??!
Radhika too came out of the car as she saw the driver leaving.
"Saral..what's going on??" she questioned as she walked close to him. He took a step back and adjusted the sehra.
"Saral...?" she trailed off. It was then when she noticed his left hand that he used to adjust the sehra.
There, on his ring finger was a tattoo. It was a script. "ArDhika" was elegantly tattooed in the size of a simple ring. Just like hers that she had been hiding with that huge ring Saral gave her on their engagement.
She held his hand and turned it. He clutched his hand in a fist but nothing could stop Radhika now. She forcefully opened his fist and was numb to see her name "Radhika" tattooed on the inside of his ring finger.
It wasn't Saral. Hell!!! That guy could not bear the pinch of a needle and tattoos weren't his cup of tea.
She immediately recognized the tattoo as she had a similar one on her ring finger. The only difference was that she had Arjun's name on her finger.
"Arjun..." she murmured with a shocked but soft voice.
Nothing was said from his side. Radhika stepped closer and hastily removed the sehra. She was right!! It wasn't Saral.
"Arjun..." she fumbled with her steps but got the support of the car to maintain her balance.
"Arjun!!!" she cried as she saw the love of her life, her heart breaker standing right in front of her with misty eyes and a cheeky grin!!
What the hell!! Why the hell was he at Saral's place. OMG!!! Arjun and Saral's place, means that she got married to Arjun?!!!.
"Congratulations love! Finally we got married!" Arjun voiced out the answer to Radhika's query.
"Aap??...where is Saral??"
Arjun frowned and made a face, "Don't talk about that chicken!! Just few punches and kicks and he was over like a coward!"
Radhika didn't knew how to react. She was earlier prepared to marry Saral but now she got married to Arjun instead. And Arjun hit Saral, he beat him!! God...why??!!
"Radhika.." Arjun was interrupted by Radhika who just said, " I want to go back home. I don't wanna talk about anything here, or lists to you at all!"
She snatched the car keys from Arjun and herself sat at the driver's seat.
Arjun groaned feeling like punching himself for teaching Radhika how to drive a car. See now that she knew, she was going away from him.
So Arjun decided to implement his plan B. He poured something on his handkerchief and placed it over Radhika's nose as fast as he could.
Radhika just had opened something door to the driver's seat but was attacked from behind. As she inhaled the contents that Arjun had poured over his handkerchief, she started feeling dizzy and just in 5 minutes she was unconscious and in Arjun's arms.
Arjun picked up Radhika, his love, his life and now his wife in his arms and placed her on the front seat and buckled her seat belt. He then that on the driver's seat. Using his index finger he gently removed the dark tendrils and placed a kiss on her forehead.
"I know that I got late, I am sorry. It took me your absence to realize that you mean to me so much more than my revenge. I love you Radhika, I had always and i promise to you that I will fulfill all my promises."
And then he turned the car and started driving on a different path.
------------------------To be continued!!
------------------
Index
Part One - Page One
Part Two - Page Six
Part Three - Page Twelve Edited by dmegha - 10 years ago