Rang Rasiya
"If you're planning to kill me, then just do it. Shoot and it'll all be over. I'll be dead. That's what you want don't you? So why don't you just kill me already?"
"Finally we managed to find the girl." The slightly plump man sighed, wiping the sweat off his thick brow. "Thank God we did before Thakur Saab got angry with us. He'll have taken our lives then." He gripped the young woman's wrist tight as she struggled against him. He gave her a dirty smile and teased her. "Yaar, if you weren't Thakur Saab's daughter, then I would have-"
"Mukesh." He uttered, silencing the other men. Unlike the others, he was tall and built, with dark stubble shadowing his chiselled face. He wore a white vest, slightly torn and tattered; his arms were bare except for the deep red cuts that had been furiously bandaged with pieces of cloth.
"What Arnav? I won't do anything to her but at least I can think about it." He laughed almost cynically whilst the girl gritted her teeth in disgust.
"And you'll do nothing to her." Arnav spoke sternly. He clenched his fist watching as the girl hidden in the shadows tried to yank her arm away. He sighed. "The sooner we get her back, the sooner we can end this." He glanced down at the struggling girl and felt nothing but sympathy for her.
I'm sorry, he wanted to whisper. But he couldn't. He couldn't save her from her fate, but he could at least save her from the leeches that he had to work with. Arnav clenched his fist harder in disgust and anger. He hated that he had to force an innocent girl to live her whole life with a stranger who she barely knew just to please her father. He hated that he was forced to work for this man; continuously worrying over what troubles could bring him any second.
"Please just let me go." She whispered. "I can't go back, I'll be forced to marry that man! Please." She begged, her heart banging against her chest as she cried.
Mukesh tied her hands together with a piece of rope as Arnav looked on. He hated seeing her cry, not even being able to wipe her tears. In the darkness of the warehouse, he could not see her frightened face and he was too guilty to even do so. He could hear the tinkering of her bangles as she bashed it against the chair, trying to free her imprisoned hands. She gasped and whimpered as the rope burned against her soft skin. Mukesh walked off with the rest of the men not wanting to listen to her cries leaving Arnav alone in the room.
"Ow..." She cried softly, arching her head back in defeat. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get away from her fate. Her controlling father and her marriage to the son of an underworld don who had promised her father power and wealth for handing his daughter over to his lustful son. She was just a simple girl, with dreams and aspirations like every other girl. She had loved her father but even her love failed in his greed for money. And when she was forced to wear the red lehenga and adorn herself in gold jewellery, just to please them, no one stopped to help her. Even her mother, who gave birth to her, could not muster up the courage to go against the great Thakur. She was completely alone now. Her father had nearly sold her, and her mother simply turned the other cheek. What else could she do that run away? She had decided on leaving her village in search for something new, in search for hope, protection and, love.
She had failed. They were too quick for her, her father's men. She was just on the outskirts of her village when they had caught her, and that leech that wouldn't let go off her arm even when it was bruising. And as her father eased the guests and the groom's family, she was locked in this room until she was to be wed. She struggled to get free again but she couldn't. Her face was sticky with tears and she couldn't even move over the strand of hair that had fallen on her face. She cried silently, her eyes closed, her heart completely broken. This was her life now. Her broken, bruised life.
A cold hand brushed against her face, and pushed the annoying strand of hair behind her ears. She looked up and saw two saddened eyes looking at her. She looked at him confused and tried to get her hands out of the rope. "Sshh..." He whispered, looking into her big chocolate brown eyes. He saw the sadness in her eyes, almost replicating his. He saw the hurt and anger in those eyes, that he once saw life and laughter. "Khushi..." He whispered, wiping away the tears.
She looked at him, her heart thumping heavily before turning away in a flush of anger. "Get away from me!" She tried to contain her tears as he stumbled to the ground numb. "Why are you doing this? I just want to be free. Please. Arnav."
He shut his eyes instantly at the pain of her begging him to save her. His heart panged as she spoke his name. "You promised that you'd protect me, so why not now? Why don't you save me? I'm begging you Arnav." She looked down, crying.
"I promise I'll protect you from everything, whatever happens". He lied. He couldn't keep that promise. He couldn't save her from her father and the guy she has to marry, he couldn't. He couldn't bear to see the girl who taught him how to see things in a different light, crying in front of him. As he glanced at her, he remembered the first time he had met her. The first time he felt as if a new chapter had been written in his life.
Every year at the Thakur mansion, Holi was celebrated in such a way that everyone would remember it for days. Bright colours, dance and just a massive celebration was what it was about. And every year, Arnav spent it the same as always. Alone. He had no one in his life who he could call his own, and he didn't find the strength to play with the colours. Why would he? After all, his life was simply black and white.
It was this particular Holi exactly a year ago, that he had met the stern Thakur who had made him the bodyguard of his vivacious daughter. "Why don't you play with the colours?" The first thing she had asked, all innocently yet with a slightly tinge of cheekiness in her voice. He had replied that he had no wish to and that he didn't like it - that was all. But it wasn't enough for her.
"You know Mr Bodyguard, you should never stop a bit of colour coming into your life. Who knows maybe something good will happen?"
"Like what?" He asked her annoyed.
She giggled and once splattered a deep pink rang across his face. He looked at her startled but she simply stood there laughing. "Who knows? But if you're going to be my bodyguard I'm going to make sure you get your Khushi in life, or else I'll change my name!" She laughed, throwing another colour across his shirt and running away."
She had taught him to live again, and when he thought he had no one, she had been there always. She was right, she did bring Khushi into his life. He learnt to live again, he learnt how to smile and laugh. He learned to love colours. And now she was going to lose hers.
He couldn't let his saviour live a life of nothing but sorrow. No! He had enough of that and he knew what that was like. "The same way you brought Khushi into my life, I'll bring that same Khushi into yours." He spoke softly but quickly. His heart quickened but he knew he was right. Even if he died, he would rather die a million times than let her die. He sniffed and wiped the falling tears from his eyes before rushing up to free her hands.
She whimpered, slowly massaging her swollen wrists and tried to stand up. Her lehenga was heavy and she felt too weak to even walk. Holding her skirt, Khushi tried to walk but nearly tripped. "Khushi!" Arnav yelled out before rushing besides her and holding her in his arms. He glanced down at her brown eyes, looking deeply into them. They used to be so warm and alive, now they look dull and dead he thought, a pang of guilt hitting his heart. How could this have happened to her?
Khushi broke away the stare and held herself up. She turned around, facing away from him. Her heart quickened and she began to feel really warm. She looked around the darkened room desperately seeking for a way out, an escape. And yet even though she was the one that wanted freedom, there was also another who secretly wished it too: Arnav.
"Why do you work for my dad?" Khushi asked, taking a bite into a ripe red apple.
Arnav shrugged, his view fixated on the bright blue sky. "Do I even have a choice?"
"Everyone has a choice." Khushi passed the apple towards Arnav, asking if he wanted a bite. He shook his head and looked straight on at the clouds. Khushi shrugged, taking a bite for herself. "If you don't like doing something then you should never do it, even if that person is forcing you to. Always fight against it."
Arnav stopped and turned towards Khushi. "And what if you lose all the hope to fight?"
She smiled. "Then you find a new hope, a new light. And believe me, once you find that hope, you'd do anything to keep that hope alive."
"And you?" He asked her. "What's your hope?"
Khushi looked up at the bright blue sky and simply smiled. "Freedom."
Arnav clenched his fists, his eyes welling up with tears. He sniffed, shaking his head slightly as if to stop himself from becoming weak. She was right, after all. Once he found that hope, he'd do anything to keep the hope alive. That hope was her. "Khushi..." He spoke, his throat feeling croaky. "You are fine, aren't you?" He asked, not knowing what else to say. Instantly he cursed himself from asking a silly question, of course she wasn't! But then, neither was he.
"What do you think?" She asked, her tone somewhat spiteful. Arnav squinched his eyebrows, wondering what to reply. He knew she would be angry but he would do anything to abide that promise and protect her.
"Khushi?" He turned around to talk to her but instead was faced with her anger. "Khushi!" He looked at her in shock. "What are you..?" He took a step towards her but she instantly stopped him.
"No!" She spoke out. "Don't you dare get a step closer." Arnav looked at her wearingly, his heart feeling quite heavy. He tried to speak but no words came out. His mouth felt dry and his hands felt clammy. He glanced at Khushi and then at his gun that she was holding against him.
He didn't stop her, but simply nodded. She was doing the right thing after all, by killing him she would be able to escape and he'd be able to escape from this life. "If you're planning to kill me, then just do it." He spoke softly but sternly. "Shoot and it'll all be over. I'll be dead." Khushi looked at him, fear evading in her eyes. "That's what you want don't you? You'll be able to escape before that Mukesh and the others find you. Run Khushi. Kill me and run!" He begged her.
"Arnav..." She looked at him in shock and pulled the gun away from him. She couldn't do it. Not even in her dreams. How could she even dare to?
"You're holding the gun, so why don't you just kill me already!?" He yelled at her.
"I can't!" She shouted back.
"Why can't you?!"
"Because I love you!"
"Arnav?" Khushi asked as the two walked through the fresh green grass of their village. He muttered what she wanted to ask. "Have you ever been in love?"
He looked at her as if she was crazy. "No. Never. And I never will." He said, looking away.
"But why not?"
"Because I don't believe in love. Love doesn't exist. And even if it does, it only makes you weaker. Love is nothing but a thorn in your path."
"Khushi..." Arnav whispered as she told him that she loved him. He didn't know exactly what to say, except it felt good. He didn't know why but he finally felt as if life was nice at the moment, and he somewhat wanted this moment to just stay here like this.
"You were wrong, you know." She said, tears in her eyes. "Love doesn't make you weaker. It only makes you stronger."
"How can you love someone like me?" He asked desperately. He stepped closer towards her and took the gun into his hands. "The only thing you've seen me do is kill. How can you love a killer?"
"I don't love the killer, I love the man behind it. I love the man who gets hurt every time he is forced to hurt someone else. I love the man who whispers sorry as he is forced to kill someone. I love the man who is passionate and honest." She looked at him and whispered. "I love you, Arnav." She held his free hand, her fingers locking in perfectly with his. She laughed a little. "Arnav, remember when you asked what my hope was?" He nodded. "I said it was the chance to get to freedom, but I didn't tell you that you were the key to my freedom." He looked at her confused. "Ever since I saw you, I thought you were the same type of bodyguards I had every time, but when I looked at your eyes, it told me something different. And since then, I knew you would be the one to take me away from this... anger and hate and violence."
"Khushi..." He looked at her eyes, now twinkling and smiled. He hadn't realised it before but right now, everything just seemed right. She was his hope, just like he was hers. She told him in jest the first meeting that he'd find his Khushi one day, but didn't realise how real it became. He did find his Khushi. "I promised I'd protect you, and I'm going to keep that promise. Whatever happens." He held her hand tight and smiled. "If this is love, then I truly was wrong. Love only makes you stronger. Love is what you have hope in, and you are my hope." He wiped his tears away and consoled himself. Holding the gun tight into his hand and Khushi's in the other, he took her towards the back of the room where there was a small door that was usually locked.
"What if someone sees us?" Khushi asked, getting scared. He held her hand tighter and shook his head.
"Everyone will be outside safeguarding this place, and they'll be thinking I'm with you and you won't escape." She smiled at him. "There was no one here when I came out here before, and everyone else would be busy with the wedding. As soon as it's the time for the nuptials, they'll get you and I know for a fact that its not for another few minutes. We'll get by." He smiled at her, reassuringly. "I'll protect you, whatever the cost."
Anupamaa
Book Talk
Indian Idol 16
44