14. HURDLES
Next Morning
Jai came with his lawyer Neil Sinha.
"He's Neil, Mrs. Dhawan", Jai introduced Aashi to their proclaimed savior.
" Please take a seat"
"Mrs. Dhawan I have got the bail papers for Rishi", Said the new visitor.
" We must rush to the police station so that Rishi is out"
************************************
At the police station
Before they could submit the papers they saw Ananya with her lawyer.
"I'll check out", Neil said as he went towards their opposition.
Aashi had become more or less like a statue, pretty unsure of what may come and hit them next. Her bloodshot eyes only wanted to see Rishi. But the sight of Ananya enraged her from within. She wanted to kill this lady for sure.
Neil seemed to be taking too long with the discussions.
" Are these the proceedings or some gossip sessions? ", Tia had become impatient.
" I'll see.", Jai proposed.
Even Jai took long. The discussions seemed endless.
Before the ladies could go and know the matter, Anu came to them with a victorious smirk on her face.
"So, it seems you didn't sleep Aashi", she mocked her.
" Its better you stay away ", Tia warned her.
" Well I guess its you who needs to stay out of all this", Anu was quick to back answer.
"What do you want?", Aashi asked her, weakness evident even in her tone.
" Ryan", Anu replied.
"And what makes you think that Rishi has kidnapped him?"
"What shouldn't make me think it this way, Aashi?"
"If you have missed some details, then let me remind you. Your husband had beaten up Ryan like a dog. But how will you know that? You were unconscious", Anu coldly replied.
Tia and Aashi were surprised at the details their rival had known about the incident.
" What's so surprising? After all Ryan is my husband and I his first love, am bound to know such petty things", Anu stressed on the word 'first'.
"How can you even fall for Ryan?", Tia was infuriated.
" Why can't I? What's the problem?", Aashi was confused at all the melodrama happening in their hostel room at midnight.
"He's younger to you Aashi", Tia was exasperated.
" One year younger ", Aashi was pretty chilled out.
" Yes and look at you, it doesn't affect you"
"Why will it? In fact now am regretting why did I even confess it to you.", Aashi sat on the bed dejected.
"You make one thing clear. You love Ryan or you like Ryan?"
"Now what's that?"
"I mean is it serious or just a fling or a mere infatuation?"
"I am pulled towards him from the day I first met him. His eyes are intoxicating. His voice is a melody to the ears. He's a flow. Never have I seen him shout on anyone. He is calm. More than that he is unaffected by his family's status quotient."
"And you call this as love?"
"Yeah, maybe it is. In fact I find him very similar to me"
"Being similar and being compatible are two different things Aashi"
"Maybe. But I think we are similar and so we are compatible."
"Will your or his family accept this relation? Especially when you are elder to him?"
Tia did have a point. Aashi's family wasn't orthodox but they did follow certain things. Her mother always had taught Aashi to do all the household chores. Cooking was something which was compulsory. Aashi was a bright student. Even when her parents had given her freedom in career, she was expected to be perfect in the house work too. After all by fate she was a WOMAN.
"May God save us", Aashi's mother came in kitchen chanting these words.
Aashi was making tea.
" What happened Ma?"
"Gajendra's daughter eloped with her boyfriend"
"What?", Aashi was shocked at the guts of the girl.
Gajendra Maheshwari was definitely stricter than Aashi's father Virendra Maheshwari.
Gajendra and Virendra were paternal cousins.
Gajendra's daughter Shriya was pursuing her MA in English literature and fell for her classmate, Kavish Kaur who was a Punjabi.
Understanding the dynamics of a Marwari family, Shriya had always known one word " Impossible ".
" I don't want to marry", Shriya had called up Aashi.
"Why?"
"I love someone else who isn't of our caste"
Aashi was speechless. She knew Gajendra uncle who would rather cut his daughter into pieces than marrying her off to her boyfriend.
Things had hit the ceiling when Kavish had come to her house with proposal.
On Gajendra's orders, the security had badly beaten up Kavish.
But the things didn't end here as Kavish's parents lodged a complaint against Gajendra Maheshwari.
Bring an influential political personality of the city the case was shoved under the pile of other files. The gifts under the table always worked for him.
Unlike Virendra, his cousin was a hot headed personality.
Shriya's marriage was fixed at 10 days interval when the girl ran away from her home on the 5th day.
There was utter upheaval in the house as the news broke. Gajendra had kept a tight security but his girl was one step ahead who had duped the food which was in the kitchen of the security staff.
Shriya ran away from the balcony at the back side of the house.
As Rani ( Aashi's mother) was busy criticizing the girl, the phone rang.
It was Shriya.
Aashi picked it up.
"Why are you late Rishi? I had told you I'll search for the answer and tell you. But you didn't call. Now I again need to go to the room. Please hold on"
Aashi gestured Rani who allowed her to go to her room.
"Where the hell are you Shriya di?", Aashi asked as she closed the door behind her.
" Well we are getting married today."
"What? Where?"
"Court. Aashi we need witnesses. Our friends are here, but we need two more. Can you and Rishi make up?"
Aashi could not reject Shriya's plea.
She called up Rishi and they reached the court.
Aashi had always known about Shriya's affair and her partner in crime Rishi was with her even in the secret.
"Mark my words, Rishi won't be out soon.", Anu's brutal words got Aashi back.
She saw everything around her was moving fast as if she wasn't there for so long.
" What's the matter? ", she asked Tia.
" Rishi cannot get bail. This stupid lady has screwed up things ", Tia glared at Anu.
" Its better you first decide. What do you regret more? Loving Ryan or Marrying Rishi?", Anu said leaving the shocked faces behind.
Anu definitely knew more than they had estimated.
******Water and fire both had purified her. One destroyed her, other built her******
--------------------------------------------------------------
What does Anu know about Aashi and Ryan? Will Aashi get a chance to meet Rishi. Stay tuned for the next update.
Now trending @ #252 in romance on wattpad.
Edited by daydreamers - 7 years ago
comment:
p_commentcount