10

His parents will be arriving today with the marriage proposal. It will be the worst day of my life, including the day my parents died and I met him. This is the day when my fate will be intertwined with the fate of a man who is well-known to the world but unknown to me. My life will never be the same again after today.

Maybe he's not that bad, as he shows himself? How can I even think of it—that man is literally forcing me to marry him!

I spent the night before reading articles about him. He is 30 years old and has been involved in several dating scandals. It is not the first thing you want to know about the man you are being forced to marry.

His reputation is bad because he is ruthless in business. His mother passed away five years ago, and his father remarried the following year.

His sister, Muktha, is the best event planner in the country. He has a younger brother, but there has not been much coverage of him in the media.

I could not take my thoughts away from him. He appears to be a wealthy, arrogant brat who gets whatever he wants, no matter what it is. Just like he wants me, and my opinion does not matter to him. He is blackmailing me into marrying him by threatening the lives of my siblings.

If my bhaiya's career was not on the line, I would never have accepted him. I was lost in thought and did not notice when the door opened. "Chandini, are you all right?" Bhaiya asked me as he stood at the door.

What do I tell him—that I'm breaking inside? How do I tell him I do not want to marry that monster of a man? Who does not think twice before hurting anyone—or me?

I raised my head to look at Bhaiya. "Yes, I am fine. In fact, I'm very happy!" I tried, but failed, to smile. Bhaiya did not believe me when I told him I loved him. I could tell by the look on his face.

"You know, Chandini, you are like a child to me. You can tell me anything that bothers you. I am your brother, and I will look after you." Bhaiya said as he entered the room and sat at the end of the bed. When I heard Bhaiya, I could not stop myself.

Tears streamed down my cheeks like a river, and loud sobs escaped my mouth. I covered my mouth with my hand and tried to remain calm. 

"I am sorry. I am just sad." I burst out crying.

"What happened, Didi?" Taara came inside, and seeing her made me cry even more, hiding my face between my hands, my shoulders shaking from crying so much.

I gasped as I struggled to breathe properly. It felt like someone was choking me, and I could not stop them. My chest tightened and blocked the oxygen, making it very suffocating. I saw black dots in front of my eyes and then heard my parents' voices.

"You are such a selfish person, Chandini. You saved yourself instead of us, who gave you birth and brought you into this life. And this is how you pay us back."

"Nahi, Mumma Papa, aisa nahi hain." I screamed and covered my ears with my hands to silence the voices.  (No, Mom Dad it's not like that.)

I heard a voice, but it was distant. Not clear.

When I started panicking at the gala, Rudra told me to breathe slowly. So I remembered and followed his instructions once more. I began to take slow, deep breaths over and over.

When I opened my eyes, Bhaiya and Taara were in tears. They hugged me tightly, and we all cried together when they saw I was calm.

My phone began to ring, and we had to break our embrace. Barkha's name appeared on the screen. "I asked her to come. So that you would feel better." Bhaiya informed me. I nodded and smiled as I looked at him.

Bhaiya and Taara left, and I answered the phone. Barkha was upset that I did not tell her anything about Rudra or my impending marriage. I did not say much, and she decided to come early. So I hung up the phone.

I rose from my bed and entered the bathroom to take a bath. When I looked in the mirror, my eyes were puffy, and my face was flushed from crying.

I took a bath and went back to my room, where I found Barkha sitting on the bed with some overpriced-looking gift boxes. I looked at her, puzzled.

"What is it? What have you brought? Is it a wedding present? You know it is not today." I tried to lighten the mood with my words. But when she looked at me, her face was flushed with rage.

"I did not see this coming from you, Chandini. You hide a whole fucking relationship with a ridiculously handsome man from me. How can you do that?" I could not look her in the eyes, so I looked down at my feet.

"Are you here to help me, or what?" I snapped because I knew if I looked her in the eyes, she would know I was lying in an instant. So I did what I needed to do.

"Oh, you are going that way. Bitch! If I smack you, your ass will start talking. So do not go there with me." She said this as she approached me.

I took a look at her. "You do not want to tell me; don't. Okay, just tell me you are happy with your marriage, and I will be fine." She looked at me, her eyes moist with tears, and I nodded my head at her.

I asked her about the boxes again, and she told me they were outside our house, so she took them with her. "I thought you ordered something and did not bring it in. So I did," she explained.

"But I did not order anything," I pointed out, and we both looked at each other, puzzled. "Chal dekhte hain, inme kya hain?" She asked, and I shook my head. (Let us see what is inside them.)

She did it anyway, and in the first box was a pink saree with a floral print. It was gorgeous. Pink heels that matched the saree were in the second box. And in the last box was a jewellery set with hanging earrings and a lovely neckpiece. Everything was perfectly complementary to each other, and it was really lovely. They all looked like it would have cost a fortune. Barkha and I looked at each other in awe.

She then pulled a note from the box. Which said...

All of this for the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life. When I saw this saree, I immediately thought of you. When my parents ask for your hand in marriage, wear them."

~~RUDRA KAPOOR

I shook my head and crumbled the note in my hand, furious. This man's audacity has no limit.

"Hey, Barkha I want to eat. "Can you please get me something to eat and some coffee?" I told her, and she immediately left, saying she was starving herself.

I took out my phone and dialled "hel–"

I ended his sentence. "Stop talking! How dare you send these things? I am going to burn them. If you don't take them back!" I yelled angrily.

"Do not be mad, darling; all I wanted was for you to look presentable in front of my parents," he said casually.

Wha– Me? Presentable? What the hell!

"Y-you are a piece of crap. Don't you dare comment on my appearance; I can look more presentable than you." I fumbled in frustration, and I heard his sharp intake of breath.

"Darling, you should remember who you are talking to," he said flatly, but I was furious.

I knew I would regret it later, and I was not in control. So, I just said it. "Oh, I will talk however I want. Who are you to say anything to me? You are a shitty person and a moron!" I yelled into the phone and then hung up.

I was breathing quickly and heavily. My hands shook as I tried to relax by taking a few deep breaths. I went into my closet to look for a dress. And I put on a yellow Anarkali suit, which I paired with simple pearl drop earrings and a set of bangles. I will be damned if I wear that saree.

I put on minimal makeup and wore my hair down. After some time, Barkha returned with burgers, a coke for her, and coffee for me.

We ate and laughed and pushed each other while talking about silly things. I almost forgot about why I was ready.

Bhaiya walked into the room. "Chandini, they are here. Come!" said Bhaiya. I nodded, Bhaiya returned to them, and I looked in the mirror. 

"You look beautiful, Nini," Barkha stated. I thanked her while trying to hold back my tears.

We entered the drawing room, but I came to a halt when my red and puffy eyes met his cold and empty ones. His gaze is burning into me—he appears to be deep in thought because he is not even blinking, just staring at me.

Barkha pushed me slightly, and I moved towards his parents to greet them. I noticed the handsome little boy, who happened to be the devil's brother. I clasped my hands together. "Namaste, Uncle Aunty," I said as I smiled at them and walked over to Athwa, who eagerly hugged me. I squeezed him even tighter and kissed his chubby cheek.

"Hello, angel," Athwa said, widening his smile and revealing his dimples.

My heart burst at the sight. "Hello, little man," I said, flicking my finger across his nose, and he laughed. I took a seat next to my brother.

"Before starting any discussion, I would like to speak with Chandini in private."

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