OS.
NOTE – Shaurya is not a male chauvinist here.
“ Papaji please leave my hand. I don’t want to go back to Kapurthala. I have college here and I want to make my career. Please papaji!” Anokhi begged her father for the fifth time in two minutes.
She had just gotten out of her classroom as the political science lecture had ended and there she saw her completely angry father and her mother, helpless, waiting for her.
“ There she is, the girl who has tarnished our family name. Just because of you Anokhi I cannot look into people’s eyes while I walk past them and this happened because you decided to run away. Not anymore. You will come back with us to Kapurthala and where I have somehow convinced a family to get you married with their son. Enough is enough. You have taken undue advantage of my love, not anymore.” Her dad started to hurl insults at her and was shocked for a moment again as he started to drag her by her arm while her mother just spectated everything silently.
“ What….no papaji! I don’t want to get married. I want to study and you cannot force me!” Anokhi screamed back and this whole ruckus was brought in notice to Shaurya Sabherwal by Anokhi’s friend Reema who had ran to inform him about what was happening. Nope of the other Sabherwals were present there as they had gone to Delhi to attend a wedding.
Shaurya, post registering what Reema had just told him was up and about on his feet as he made way to the corridor outside the 2nd year classroom where he saw Anokhi being dragged by a man, her father towards the exit gate of the college and she was screaming and begging her father to let go.
“ What the heck is happening in my college?” His voice roared across the corridor, grabbing each and everyone’s attention on him. Even Anokhi’s father paused for a moment.
“ I am just taking my daughter home. She will not study here or anywhere further.” He announced, his ego talking.
“ That is not your decision to make papaji. It’s mine and I choose, not to leave. I will study here.” Anokhi said, trying to free her wrist from her father’s grasp but was failing. He was pretty sure that the tight hold was going to leave a nasty bruise on her wrist but this was not the time to be concerned about it.
“ You are my daughter and I have given you enough love and freedom, not anymore.” Her father said, dragging her further.
“ I am going to have to ask you to stop sir before I decide to press legal charges against you for entering my college premises without permission and then harassing one of my students.” Shaurya warned Anokhi’s father in his deadly calm voice, just like the calm before a huge storm.
“ She is my daughter and hence, I will take her. She will not study anymore and will get married to whatever man I have chosen for her. You don’t get a say in any of this. Whoever might you be.” Her father spat back and Anokhi have had enough.
“ That’s it papaji. I am your daughter, not your property. It will be my decision what I want to do with my life, not yours. I will decide if I want to marry, not you and I will decided if I want to come back to Kapurthala, not you. And I have decided. I am not going anywhere with you. This is my college and I am here to study, make a career and make my future.” She declared, finally giving a very hard jerk to his hand and freed her’s.
A flash of anger passed her father’s eyes. Just the same one when he used to hit her back then. She could recognize that look from miles away but before she could dodge herself, a very tight slap landed on her left cheek.
“ Stay in your limits.” He shouted at her again and Shaurya was done. He marched towards where Anokhi was and held her father by his collar. He usually was a very well-mannered and polite man but not right now. Not after what he had just witnessed right in front of his eyes.
“ You are the one who will have to stay in your limit Mr. Bhalla. How dare you raise your hand at her?” Shaurya pinned him to the wall, holding his collar.
“ Sir…sir, please leave him.” Anokhi immediately stepped in to stop the situation which was clearly about to get out of control. Her mother had a horrified look on her face.
“ Miss Bhalla, not right now. I don’t want your lecture on respecting parents alright?” He was so blinded by anger that he managed to snap at Anokhi, with whom he had almost fallen in love and definitely grown fiercely protective for.
“ Please sir, just let go.” She held Shaurya’s arm very lightly, hoping that he would calm down a little and so it really did as he left her father.
“ Anokhi, I don’t want any drama. Come along.” Her father held her arm again but as he started to drag her, Anokhi’s another arm was held by Shaurya as he gave her a very determined look. Determined to make her stay and determined to give it back to her father.
“ Anokhi, do you want to go with your parents?” Shaurya asked her, perfectly knowing her answer but he wanted a straight yes or no at the moment.
“ No sir.” She replied, without hesitating for a second.
“ That doesn’t matter. What you want does not matter. You are coming home and you definitely are getting married next week to Chabbra’s son. They are no even demanding for dowry.” Her father mentioned marriage once again and Shaurya lost his temper once again.
“ See Mr. Bhalla, as she said, she does not want to get married right now so she will not get married right now.” He spat each and every word very clearly to her father.
“ And who are you to make any decision for her? Her father, brother or husband?” Anokhi’s father asked very arrogantly.
“ I am not making that decision for her sir, she had made it for herself and I don’t think that anyone is supposed to make decisions for anyone once they are a legal adult. If she wants to study, she is free to study and our institute is proud to have her as a student.” He said, as he pulled Anokhi towards him slightly.
“ Girls are not allowed to make decisions on their own. What does she know about this world and what will she do after studying? All she has to do is get married, cook, clean, look after her children and take care of her husband and his needs.” Her father roared with his 15th century logics. Shaurya cringed at Anokhi’s father’s words and a lone tear made way from her eyes to her cheek.
“ Papaji, before I say anything that you might find rude or insulting, please leave.” She asked, taking a step towards her father. She was done with him from today.
“ Anokhi….you are getting married next week. I have promised the Chaddas. I will not be insulted once again because of you so you better come with me right now.” He threatened her but she was determined to give it back now.
“ Papaji, the last time you thought that I insulted you by running off from the wedding was because you didn’t listen to me. The boy you wanted me to marry didn’t want a wife, he wanted a maid with benefits. He confessed that to jiju and I recorded him as proof but you didn’t listen to me once and locked me in the room. That is the reason I had to run away. Before I heard all of that, I was okay to be marrying him because you said that his family would allow me to study further and I said yes because I wanted to make you happy too while chasing after my ambitions but not anymore. I don’t trust you and I don’t trust the family you want me to go in and most of all, I have too big dreams to just leave them all to get married and if you can’t accept that, then forget that you ever had a younger daughter. I have been living without your support for the past eight months and I can most certainly continue to live this way. I might be your daughter but you don’t get to make any decisions for me anymore. And before you tell me how humiliated you are and will be because of me, let me tell you that I didn’t bring this on you, you yourself did. I didn’t ask you to try to sell me off to Chaddas or whoever they are but I refuse because I am not a commodity and I am most certainly not for sale.” Anokhi finished what she had to say and the look on her father’s face was again back to wanting to hit her and so he tried as Anokhi tried to dodge but Shaurya had held his hand to prevent him from hitting her.
“ Lay another finger on her and you’ll wish you never knew Shaurya Sabherwal.” He threatened the man.
“ Listen, you cannot keep my daughter away from me.” Her father replied back and Anokhi rolled her eyes.
“ Papaji, he is not keeping me away from you. They are your actions which did that to you. I am not going anywhere with you.” Anokhi declared. Her father, looking around and then giving her a furious look, stormed out of the college, followed by her mother.
“ Okay guys, back to classes and Miss Bhalla, please come with me.” Shaurya dispersed the crowd and looked at Anokhi who nodded, anticipating a lecture on the drama created in the college because of her. Clearly, she was oblivious from the feelings that Shaurya had for her because she could never ever, even in her wildest dreams could think of anything like that happening with her.
“ I am so sorry for whatever happened sir. I will try my best not to repeat it.” These were the first words that slipped out of her mouth the moment she stepped inside his office.
“ So you think that I blame you for the chaos and want to scold you?” He asked, a flash of hurt crossing his eyes and Anokhi was left confused.
“ Why else would you sir?” She asked, scrunching her eyebrows and winced a little because of how terribly her arm had started to hurt.
“ Have a seat Miss Bhalla.” He sighed, bridging the gap between his nose and he pulled out a chair for her and he himself kneeled down on the floor in front of her, looking at her carefully.
“ Sir, why are you kneeling down? Please take a chair.” Anokhi said, feeling a million butterflies in her stomach and cold shivers down her spine because of how near he was to her.
“ Anokhi, let’s worry about you right now.” He said, very softly as he assessed her hand which had already started to turn purple.
“ I am fine sir.” She tried to assure him because he kind of looked disturbed to her.
“ Has he always been like that?” Shaurya asked her, looking at her in the eye, clearly asking her about the hitting and violence and Anokhi looked around, uncomfortable with the question. She wasn’t the one to show or talk about weakness. She didn’t like anyone giving her pity.
“ Sir, may I please leave? I would like to go home.” She asked, desperate to change the topic.
“ Not before you answer me Miss Bhalla.” He said, straightening his face a little, taking his glasses off in his signature style.
He knows that he was crossing a line here but he just had to know. He needed to know what kind of emotional and physical damage had been inflicted upon the girl in question, the very same he had started to love with everything he had in himself.
“ I don’t want to talk about any of it sir. Now if you’ll please excuse me.” She said, trying to get up but Shaurya held her hand which were in her lap to stop her from standing up.
“ Anokhi….not talking will only add to your baggage and stop you from moving on.” He confessed to her truthfully, talking from his own experience. Not expressing himself to someone…..anyone had done so much of emotional damage to him that he was beyond repair, or so he thought.
“ Sir, I have been doing just fine for the past many years, I think I can manage.” She knew that she was getting a little rude but she never wanted to talk about it. As he said, it was all in the past.
“ You think that now and let me tell you, this baggage doesn’t get any lighter as one grows up. I assure you that.” He tried to convince her once again and she fell silent and started looking anywhere but at him.
Taking a long pause, she decided to get it over with if that is what he wanted.
“ Well, I did tell you earlier that you are not the only one with parent problems. Yes, he used to beat my mother, sister and me but he stopped raising his hand on my mother once Babli di got married. His only target post that was me because I am a family rebel. I don’t act according to how he would like me to. I never have and I never will.” The look in her eyes was fierce and determined.
“ Did you never try to report him to the police?” Shaurya asked her again, hesitant and she fell silent once again.
“ Anokhi?” He called out her name as she fell silent once again.
“ I am going to go now sir. I am not talking anymore.” She once again held her ground but Shaurya too wasn’t the one to give up so soon.
“ Miss Bhalla.” He addressed her, getting a little more stern and this further irritated Anokhi.
“ Why do you want to know sir!? Why do you care?” She screamed, losing her mind because of his questions and interrogating gaze.
“ I care because I lo…..because I am concerned about you dammit!” He gave her back in the same tone and was about to make a massive slip up but controlled at the end moment. Yes, he did love Anokhi and he wanted nothing more but to tell her that but at the very same time, he didn’t want to scare her off. He wanted things to build up with him and her rather than just dumping so many feelings on her at the same time.
“ I don’t need your concern sir.” He replied and freeing her hand, got up from the chair.
“ Miss Bhalla, I haven’t permitted you yet to leave.” He had to use his professor tone to make her stop as last retort.
“ So expel me sir, but I am leaving.” She said, equally stubbornly but then once again, he held her wrist, carefully not to injure her and pulled her towards him, making her bump on his chest.
“ Wh…..what are you doing sir?” She stammered as the butterflies were back in her stomach, all the millions.
“ Anokhi, we have been crossing lines with each other ever since we met and if I have to do it once again, I will because I cannot see you suffer alone.” He said, huskily, in her ears and his lips brushed her left cheek and his grip on her waist tightened.
“ Like I said sir, I don’t want anyone’s pity.” She replied with the best hard tone she could muster up despite the closeness she had with him.
“ Miss Bhalla, two things, first that I am not just anyone and secondly, I don’t pity you. I admire you for what you did today. Standing up against your own family is not an easy thing to do.” He told her, honesty sparkling in his eyes and her expressions and hear softened towards him and she let go of the rigid stance she had to resist his efforts and gave in, in his arms, crying her heart out.
And he let her, because he knew that it was the best way to let the emotions out of the system. She needed to express herself, even if it was through crying because piling up negative emotions will only corrupt her soul, only hatred will increase in her heart and the beautiful heart she has will only focus on the negative things around her. He couldn’t let that happen. He will never let her be alone.
“ Thank you sir, for standing for me and standing by me today. No one really has done that so effortlessly for me without any expectations.” She muttered, sniffling while Shaurya gently caressed her head gently, pressing her against his chest.
“ I will always be here, right here.” He promised, both to her and to himself and this was one promise he intended to keep, no matter what.
She did eventually stop crying and told him everything. Her every pain, everything she has been through, her wishes, achievements and dreams. She poured her heart out in front of Shaurya who was listening to each and every word of hers so carefully, as if his life depended on them.
Maybe for some people their heart to heart connection would seem something unethical but as it is said, jo tera hovega, zaroor aawega.
And the truth to be told, they both were each other’s. No matter what.
Hey guys….this is another OS!
I hope you all like it.
Please, please do review it. I beg of you because I crave them. I love to hear what you think of my works and they motivate me to no end to write more.🤗🤗
I love you all…..until next time,
Byee!!❤❤❤❤
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