Simran

******

I loved being the center of attraction. I always thrived when all eyes were on me. I suppose that was another reason that never for once I felt stage fright in my dancing career. I would glide and groove, hop and move with grace and confidence. Even with hundreds, thousands of eyes on me would not make me jittery at all.

But right now, making my way towards my fiancé was making me feel things I had never felt. My heart was beating faster with every step I took towards him. I could hear nothing but my deep breaths. Everything was a blur for my eyes except the beautiful man in an elegant Sherwani waiting for me.

The scene was nothing short of a dream. In fact, it was something I had dreamt of once. Once, I wished to walk down the aisle while he waited for me. But that was when he did not know how I felt about him. I always thought we would fall in love and get married with everyone’s blessings. But my reality was far from that dream. While I had almost everyone’s blessings except my parents, there was no love. While my buried feelings kept resurfacing, he did not feel even an ounce of those buried emotions I had for him.

When I was closer to the stage, Dhruv Bhaiya, Namit Jiju, Hredhaan, and Ajrun blocked our paths.

“Guys… come on, move,” Di asked them to move so that I could walk up the stage, but neither of them budged.

“We will, once we have THE TALK with our Simran.” Namit jiju, who was standing right in front of me, said.

“THE TALK, huh?” Saavi teased them, smiling as if she knew what they meant by THE TALK. The girls willingly moved, leaving me there while the guys took steps closer, completely covering my view of the stage. Earlier, I could see part of the decorated stage except my fiancé, but now I could see nothing. I wondered a little with curiosity and a little with wonder about what they wanted to talk to me about right before the wedding.

“So, Simran, ready to take care of the big guy there?” Jiju gestured towards the stage.

“Wrong question, buddy….” Hredhaan said before Dhruv Bhaiya chimed in, “Simran, you don’t need to take care of him. He will take care of you. And if he fails, hit him….”

My eyes almost widened, and I whispered in shock, “What?”

Kiaan was his brother, how could he advise his brother’s to-be wife to hit him, I mused.

I thought they were all teasing me and would probably laugh now, but none of them did.

“Of course. You got him on his knees, and I would love to see you hit him too,” Arjun added with excitement, mentioning how Kiaan got on his knees for me while fake proposing to me.

“Just make sure you capture that in a video,” Hredhaan added, causing me to be more stunned. First, because Hredhaan rarely speaks, and second, he, along with Arjun, Dhruv Bhaiya and Namit jiju, were advising me to trouble Kiaan.

I could not understand what was going on. I was sure the relatives were then whispering about how I was talking to other men instead of walking to my fiancé, but the guys seemed really unbothered about it.

They shared a laugh after Hredhaan seriously suggested capturing me hitting Kiaan in a video. Hredhaan did not laugh, though; he gave a slight smile, which did not last for long. Once the three of the four stopped laughing, Dhruv Bhaiya came forward and extended his palm. Confused, I stared at him and he gestured for me to keep my hand over his open palm.

I hesitantly did that and was still very much confused now about what was going on. When I put my palm on his hand, Arjun pulled out a square box from his pocket. I thought he would open it but he did not. Dhruv Bhaiya encased my palm gently with his other free hand and then said, “Simmi, my brother is a dumbass. He tends to hide his real self, which is flawed, dangerous, and hurt.”

Hurt?

When he said hurt, he took a sad pause, like it was difficult talking about it. But I wondered how that could be possible. Because as far as I knew Kiaan, he hurt others, not get hurt himself.

Maybe you don’t know him well enough. My inner self put that thought in me.

“I am not sure if he let you see the real him yet or not, but my guess is he has not yet,” Dhruv Bhaiya added, growing my inner self's suspicions stronger.

“I hope when he removes the mask and lets you see the real him, you won’t run away. I hope you give him a chance like the one you are giving him right now by marrying him.” Bhaiya sounded so hopeful, like by marrying Kiaan, I was doing a favour to him and not the other way round. His words seemed like a puzzle which I was unable to solve, and seemed even a little impossible to do without any clue.

“And if by any chance you choose to run away, we will stand there for you.” Namit Bhaiya said, keeping his hand on Dhruv Bhaiya’s, which was on top of mine.

“We will be available for our brother, but you too,” Hredhaan added, keeping his hand on top now before he added, “There won’t be any biasedness, Simmi. So, don’t you ever hesitate to reach out to either of us.”

Arjun put his hand on top now, giving me a soothing smile. He cast a glance back at the stage and then at me before he said, “That man is our brother, and you are the queen of his realm. We will protect you till our last breath. Okay?”

I gave them a small nod. My eyes were filled with unshed tears now. These guys who did not know much about me, and were not even my own brothers or blood related, were promising me they would take care of me like their own, even if I decided to break their brother's and best friend’s heart and my own family who knew me from years abandoned me after my mother’s accident. That thought not only broke my heart, but even healed some parts of it at the same time. The guys removed their hands, and before I could remove mine, Arjun pulled out a gold bracelet from the red box he had fished out from his pocket before. That bracelet had different colored diamonds attached to it. My eyes went wide as I realized what they were doing. They all held the bracelet and tied it around my left wrist. I was too shocked to react or even form words.

“This….”

“I…”

“This is….”

I shook my head in disbelief. I knew it cost a lot, and how could I accept that? That surely cost them way too much.

“You can’t deny us our rights to give a gift to our family member.” Namit jiju said before I could even actually protest.

“You see, this bracelet has five diamonds. They represent the five pillars of your life,” Dhruv Bhaiya said, smiling. I noticed and found they were actually five diamonds, all the different colours.

“Obsidian Yellow represents your husband, the strongest pillar of your life. Royal Blue represents Hredhaan, Red represents Arjun, White is me, and green is Namit. Each one of us is your shield from now on.”

I did not realize my tears had slipped until Arjun tapped his handkerchief softly at the corner of my right eye.

“Don’t cry. You are supposed to make his crying video. Deal?” Namit jiju swatted his hand, shaking his head at his request of Kiaan’s video.

“At least a video of him being a puppy around you,” Arjun whined. I chucked now. My heart burned with the healing lotion they put on it through their promise, which worked wonders for my broken heart. Just a night ago, I was an embarrassment to my father, and now these guys cloaked me in their shield of protection.

“I wish you would go easy on that dumbass,” Hredhaan said, but I could not understand what he meant by go easy on Kiaan.

“I am scared more for him because if anyone can break and make that man, it’s you. Now it’s up to you to choose what you want to do with him. Even if you break him, just make sure you don’t leave any cracks. It will be impossible for those cracks to fill without you.” Dhruv Bhaiya said solemnly. They all considered me to be the keymaker of the relationship but in my opinion, it was Kiaan. 

“What if I never get to unlock him?” The question slipped out of my mouth before I could even think.

“Only you can do that. You are his only key...” Arjun said mindlessly as if it slipped out of his mouth, just like the question slipped out of mine.

The guys unblocked my path eventually and stood beside me now. That's why my eyes landed on Kiaan, whose off white Sherwani had some hues of yellow. He wore a pagri too, looking handsome than any other man I had ever laid eyes on.

Kiaan walked down the stairs now, and it felt like the earth stopped rotating or revolving or whatever it does going around in the galaxy. I had never seen someone I considered a beast looking that godly, which almost knocked me out of my breath.

“Move.” He said to the guys. The guys moved, patting his back as if giving him their good wishes.

Kiaan and I stood there staring at each other, like we shared the same feelings, like we both once yearned for each other. My nerves went haywire, and I could feel heat creeping up to my cheeks. I knew he did not want me, but for some reason, I craved for him to want me, even if for a show.

“Mrs. Chauhan…” He murmured. My heart almost stopped beating. I knew I would lose myself if he kept on that act.

Suddenly, the question of self-doubt rose up in my mind. What was I doing? I was marrying the man I did not love. We were going to get tied forever. I was about to voice out my thoughts.

“Ki…”  I tried taking his name, but he put his index finger on my lips. 

“Shhhh…. not now. You can say whatever you want after the wedding.” He kept his finger there for a moment extra as if it hurt him to move it away. And when he did move it away, I looked at him in pain like I wanted his finger back at the same place, on my lips.

“Kiaan…” I breathed.

“I will lose it if you keep taking my name, firefly. I would not mind taking you away without even marrying you. But you would not want that now, do you?” 

I nodded my head. I did not know why. I did not even pay much attention to the question he asked, but I just bobbed my head as if it was the right thing to do.

“Hold my hand.” He said, extending his palm. I kept my palm on it, and he held it tightly, taking me up on the stage with him.

******

Kiaan

******

It was difficult for her to walk up that ramp. She was wearing heels, dressed in the most beautiful lehenga. I had seen brides before, but this time, it was different. This time, it was the woman who was the cause of my sufferings, my pain, and the woman because of whom I was still alive. This time, it was the woman who had lost herself but made sure I didn’t get lost.

I scooped her up in my arms without much thought as I walked up on the stage. 

If only our lives had been different, my heart wouldn’t have been hurting like it was set on fire. That day, I realized I did have that organ, a heart that pumped blood faster than it ever had before.

Simran Kashyap... no, Simran Chauhan ruined me once and for every woman out there, and now it was my time to return the favour.

The thought that I had to hurt that lovely, beautiful woman who was mine, who was in my arms, was like acid on my already burning heart. I was a beast; I shouldn’t have been feeling that way. But the chained beast inside me was wailing in tears as I held her close. Hurting her wasn’t just her punishment; it was mine too. It was not a union of two souls but a collision of broken pieces, each sharp enough to wound, yet desperate enough to fit.

We fit with each other so well, and while we would take the steps of life ahead together, we would burn in each other, break each other, and yet come back to each other: bruised, battered, but never apart, because that was our only destiny.

What we had did not promise peace, but it definitely promised permanence, it promised forever, in all its chaos, in all its fire.

I put her back on her feet. It was time for the garland ceremony, so without delay, Sonia came with the plates of garland. I took one, and so did Simran, and Sonia left the ramp. Everyone sitting had stood up, and our friends and family gathered around. I could feel Simran’s hesitance, but there was no turning back now. Turning back was never an option.

“Eyes on me.” She nodded, releasing the breath she was holding, and I bent my head so that she could put the garland around my neck. Once she was done, I put mine around hers. Everyone cheered, hooted, and showered flowers at us.

******

Simran

******

I loved getting clicked, but not when I am in six-inch heels, wearing a lehenga that weighs tonnes without having anything to eat. I was famished, my feet were aching, and I simply wanted to eat and sit. But I had to pose for the camera, and the relatives from both families kept coming up on the stage, so there was no relief, no respite at all.

“You need to smile for the camera, otherwise people would assume you have been forced to marry me,” Kiaan whispered to me when we were getting clicked with his distant relatives standing on either side of us.

“Isn’t that the truth?” I whispered back, giving my best fake smile to the camera.

“Last I checked, sweetheart, you were quite eager to have my surname.” I shuddered slightly when I heard him call me sweetheart. I looked up at him and found him smiling at the camera. He was quite unbothered after calling me by the endearment he would never use for me in his sane mind.

“Stop shivering, Simmi. I haven’t even touched you. You aren’t ready for that.” I heard him say under his breath, his eyes were still on the camera. How could that man act so well while there I was struggling with the same? It ruffled my feathers about how he was so careless while I had to walk on eggshells. The relatives walked down the stage, and I fired at him with a low voice.

“Yeah, in your eyes, I am not ready for anything, just like I am not ready for your truth.”

He smiled.

He fucking smiled so gorgeously that my heart skipped several beats all at once. And no, it was not fake. He actually smiled at me, the real one this time.

“Just need to clarify, are you desperate for truth or my touch?” My eyes widened. That man never stopped to amaze me with his assholerely.

“You appear eager and impatient for both.” He then added, making me go speechless. Blood rushed to every part of my skin.

“Now, that’s the natural blush the cameras there would love.” He said before he held my bangle and tugged me close. He was still not touching me, yet touching my soul, if that made sense. He was tingling me, without even laying a finger on me. Just holding my bangle, he put my hand around his neck, the other on his chest.

“Look over there, smile. This is your life now, me by your side and the world capturing us together.” He looked at the camera, but I kept staring at him, my heart aching at the sight of the man I was marrying, but he was not mine because he never wanted me, and never ever will.

Why me, Kiaan? The question arose again in my mind, like a tiny flicker of flames, but it quieted down with no answer.

“I hate you, Kiaan Chauhan, and I will torture you. You will have to pay the price to marry me.” I whispered as I stared at him, standing close. He turned to me, and a fire of challenge glittered in his eyes.

“Yeah?” He asked like he was excited about me torturing him, like he yearned for it.

“Bring it on. I have been waiting for you to torment me.” He said with determination, and the session of pictures continued until my feet gave up.

******

Finally, after the relatives were done coming up on stage to bless us and get their pictures clicked with us, I finally got time to sit and take off my heels. Our pictures with friends were done too, and now we were sitting on the chairs on the stage while our friends surrounded us, teasing us and cracking jokes. That was, to be honest, the most relaxing part of the night. I had to go change into another lehenga for the pheras, but before that, I suddenly remembered I hadn’t gotten pictures clicked with two important beings in my life. I panicked all of a sudden and turned to Niti, who was standing on my left.

“Niti, I didn’t get pictures with them.”

She understood exactly whom I was talking about and placed her hand gently on my shoulder.

“Calm down, Anvi and Saavi had gone to get them.”

“Who?” Jai asked curiously.

“My kids…” I replied, looking toward the way from where Anvi and Saavi would come.

“You have kids?” Nikhil asked Kiaan, incredulously.

“When did you give birth?” Arjun asked Kiaan, baffled. The guys looked too stunned while the girls stayed calm, quietly wondering what was wrong with them.

“What are you talking about?” Kiaan asked, confused.

“I mean, when did she give birth?” Arjun corrected himself, smiling sheepishly.

“You’ve been hiding a baby all this while?” Namit Jiju asked him. Di shook her head at how the guys were behaving.

“Babies, not baby…” I corrected Namit Jiju. I had two babies, after all.

“Babies?” Hredhaan asked, too shocked.

“You are so fucking dead.” Dhruv Bhaiya almost threatened Kiaan.

“Shut up. I don’t have a kid,” Kiaan said to the boys and then turned to me, looking confused and irritated.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

“I will clear things up,” I told him before I turned to the guys and said, “He didn’t have kids, but from now on, he will have them. I adopted those babies.” I ended that with a smile.

Just then, Anvi and Saavi came holding Popcorn and Biscuit. I grinned, looking at my fur babies.

“They are so cute,” Niharika commented in awe.

“Kiaan would surely love them,” Shruti teased Kiaan, who seemed horrified, like he had seen ghosts. If only I had known just two fur babies would spook him like that, I would have adopted more. In fact, I would have gifted them. But now I had my whole life for it. I was going to fill our home and life with them. A plan started weaving itself in that moment on how to torture my husband.

I held Kiaan’s palm up, and Saavi placed Popcorn on it while I held Biscuit close. I then instructed the photographers to take our pictures. Kiaan wasn’t smiling. He wasn’t even looking at the camera. He was staring at the small guinea pig in his hand like it was some ghost or alien he had never seen before. Popcorn, though, was enjoying himself. 

The guys could not control their laughter, and the girls joined them. I was having way too much fun.

“You need to smile for the camera, otherwise people will assume you’ve been forced to marry me,” I whispered the same thing he had said to me a while ago. He stared at me with rage-filled eyes. I loved getting on his nerves.

After the pictures were clicked, Popcorn peed, not on his hands, but he made sure his little butt was off Kiaan’s palm. So Kiaan’s hands didn’t get dirty, but he was definitely grossed out.

“Aww, Popcorn loves you already…” I commented.

“Get this thing away from me,” Kiaan said, disgusted, trying to give him back, but I was already holding Biscuit. Popcorn was about to fall, but Nitya caught him in time. She patted his head, and I did too, saying, “Don’t worry, baby. Papa is a little scared right now.”

Everyone there laughed, everyone except Kiaan.

“Those things are not coming into my house,” he said.

“Our house, honey…” I corrected him, enjoying every second of his torment.

You have no clue what I would do to you, Kiaan Chauhan. Marrying me would cost you way more than you could think of.

******

Author

******

The wedding ceremonies began. Kiaan and Simran were sitting on the wooden chowki, which was cushioned, while they followed the priest’s lead, doing whatever he was asking them to. Kiaan was a little alert, though. He had a hunch and a confirmed suspicion that something was going to happen, that there would be some kind of obstruction. And he knew that could happen at any moment. So, he was prepared. He eyed his friends, who were, though, sitting closely with their wives, ready to be in action the moment anything went wrong at the wedding. Kiaan’s men were watching everyone and everything closely. Some of them were guarding the gate, but most were stationed near the mandap because Kiaan knew the storm would surge up any moment. He also knew this storm was none other than the person sitting there, and his hunch, like always, was going to be right. At any moment now, the storm named Arvind Kashyap would try to stir things, would leave no stone unturned to stop the wedding.

It was time for Kanyadan. This is a sacred Hindu wedding ritual where the bride’s parents entrust their daughter to the groom, symbolizing the giving away of his most precious gift. Since Simran’s mother was not alive, her father Arvind, was asked to come forward for the ritual.

Arvind stood up from his spot, but he stayed there and did not move ahead to sit close to the couple getting married.

“I won’t do this,” He said.

Everyone got shocked. Whispers broke out. People stared at each other in confusion and then with worry, wondering what was going on. Simran stared up at her father. She knew her father hated her enough, but she never had a clue he would try to humiliate her publicly like that by denying to fulfill his fatherly rights. Kiaan was sitting there calmly. His men were ready for one nod before being in action. He did not give them a sign yet, and he waited patiently for Arvind’s revelation of his motives.

“What are you saying? Without the kanyadan, the wedding rituals cannot proceed,” the pandit said, his voice laced with concern and disbelief.

“Arvind, what are you doing?” Namit’s father Naveen Khanna, came to him, trying to reason with him to solve the matter. He presumed Arvind did not want to perform that ritual because of the absence of his wife, and he continued convincing him to think straight.

“As much as we all understand your love for your wife, you need to understand you are giving up on your fatherly duties because of grief. Grief is temporary, and you will regret doing this to Simran.”

“It does not matter anymore. When Rina died, she took away a piece of me with her, and this man standing here is hollow. He can’t do things he always wanted to do with his wife by his side.” Arvind replied, staring at the ground beneath. His face was stone cold like he had no emotions at all.

“Do you think Rina wanted this? If Rina had been here, she would never have done that to Simran. Come on, think straight.” Arjun’s father Alok Malhotra, joined Naveen Khanna in convincing Arvind, but it seemed Arvind had already made up his mind.

Kiaan’s grandfather, who had been silently observing the chaos unfolding before him, finally stood up and walked to Arvind. He gently patted his shoulder and said, “Arvind, let us not turn this into a scene. You are an intelligent man, a devoted husband, and always a dutiful father. I understand your pain, but in that pain, let us not forget that your daughter is moments away from becoming my grandson’s wife. We can talk about everything later. But for now, fulfill your duty. People look up to you, Arvind.”

Simran’s eyes were clouded with tears by then. She felt someone was stripping her layers of strength she had been faking all this while. Even though it was Arvind Kashyap creating a scene, everyone’s eyes were on Simran, everyone was whispering about Simran, and everyone was loathing and cursing Simran.

“This is a bad omen.”

“I knew something would happen, after all, it’s her.”

“She always brings bad luck to the family.”

“I guess she is associated with every bad thing that ever happened to this family.”

“She is the origin of the ruination of the Kashyap family.”

The whispers kept on growing, did not quiet down, and the humiliation began pouring inside her as if filling her soul with it. She was shivering, and her tears streamed down consistently. Her lips quivered, but no sobs left her mouth. Kiaan took a shawl he had kept nearby and covered her with it. Simran did not look up; she was too ashamed of herself, as if whatever was going on was her fault only. Kiaan gave one last glance at her. His face turned hard with anger when he saw her in that state, and he stood up.

“If a father can’t give away his daughter, then she was never his to give.” He announced, stone cold, matching Arvind’s gaze.

“You can choose your grief, but I am choosing this woman here by my side,” He said resolutely, shocking everyone. Then he turned to the relatives who had been whispering nonstop, and when he glared at them with rage, they avoided meeting his eyes in fear.

“And bad omen, huh? Sure, there are bad omens. The presence of you all is a bad omen. You all whispering unnecessarily is a bad omen. Your existence here itself is a bad omen.”

Dhriti, who was in tears, feeling hurt for Simran and speechless at his father’s conduct, hurried to him after she had wiped her tears and composed herself.

“Dad, please, don’t do this.”

“I can’t do it, beta…” Arvind was soft to Dhriti, quite opposite to what he had been to Simran, and that shattered Simran more. Who would have thought, sitting as a bride, her soul would be torn apart in pieces like that by her own father? But that was not it. There was more coming her way, a slap of reality she was not expecting at all.

“Dad, please .... this is Simmi, our Simmi…our notorious little Simmi. We love her…don’t…don’t do this…” Dhriti sobbed for her, fought for her to bring justice to the sister she was not related to by blood, but loved the same.

Namit came beside Dhriti, holding her close, giving a hard glare to Arvind, for not only was he creating a scene, he was breaking his wife’s heart too, the wife he loved more than anything else in the world, the wife he could burn the world for.

“I am doing this for her only. That’s why I won’t perform the Kanyadan, because I don’t want this wedding to happen.”

Now, more whispers broke out. Dhriti looked at her father in shock. She stared at Ishaan, Sonia, Adya, her Uncle Rishabh, and Aunt Sheetal, but neither of them was raising their voice against it.

“You guys are fine with it?” She whispered hopelessly, was in tears, feeling the pain of Simran.

They stayed quiet, which made it obvious that they wanted the same thing, that they all were suddenly against this wedding. No one could understand how they were fine a while ago with this wedding, but now supporting Arvind’s unreasonable act.

“This is for Simran’s well-being. We only want to help her.” Dhriti and others could not believe when Ishaan said that, going against the wedding.

“Simran, get up, now,” Arvind ordered Simran.

Simran all this while, sat there in shock. She could hear nothing, could see nothing, except for shivering and her tears coming out. She was not in her right senses. All the pain she went through because her family accused her of her mother’s accident in the past flooded her mind, and she closed her ears with her hands. She had no clue who was against her and who was standing up for her.

“What is wrong with you all?” Dhriti screamed at the top of her lungs. Her body could not take all the overwhelming pressure, and she felt dizzy. She did not lose consciousness, but did stumble. Since Namit was holding her, nothing happened to her. When Arvind tried to hold her in concern, Namit gritted his teeth and said, “Stay away from my wife.” Namit picked her up in his arms and headed to go inside the mansion. He knew such a stressful environment was not right for her and their babies, so he preferred taking her away from the chaos.

“Namit, take me back. Simmi….” She cried in her husband's arms. Namit, whose first priority was to ensure her safety, assured her, “Don’t worry, love. The wedding will happen. Even the gods can’t stop it tonight.”

He knew Kiaan would go through with the wedding with Simran, even if the world was crumbling around them.

Shruti and Saavi rushed in after Namit to take care of Dhriti.

“Simran, did you not hear your father? Get up, now.” Rishabh Kashyap told her niece. 

Simran could still hear her cries from the day her mother died, instead of what people around her were talking about, so she kept her ears covered with her hands, and now even the flashes of that day started playing in front of her eyes, so she shut her eyes closed. While everyone made sure to humiliate her, she was struggling with her demons, all alone until she was not alone anymore, until someone removed her hands from her ears, until someone made her wear headphones which were playing her favourite ballet music she dances to when she is stressed.

Kiaan was kneeling in front of her, doing all of that. She opened her eyes, and the flashes were gone, and instead of the flashes was the gorgeous man who was a beast for her. Staring right at her, he announced to the others, “I don’t need to perform some silly rituals to cherish her and respect her.”

She could not hear what he was saying because of the song playing on the headphones.

“From here on, you don’t have a father. You can’t be a daughter to someone who considers you nothing more than a burden. You are not someone to be pitied, so keep your head high.” He said that to her, even when he knew she could hear nothing. Her tears had stopped streaming down, though.

“Pandit Ji, go ahead without Kanyadan,” Kiaan said as he sat beside her.

“But someone must perform the Kanyadaan...” the priest said, feeling unsettled, for he had never seen a wedding proceed without it.

“I said we don’t need that ritual. It’s my wedding, and I have every right to decide the way I want to do it.”

“But without Kanyadan…” Interrupting the Pandit Arjun stepped up, “I will do it.”

That gave waves of shock to a lot of people. Of course, someone else who is not blood related stepping into the shoes of your alive father to fulfill the duties one’s father should have fulfilled would definitely shock a lot of people. That’s exactly what happened when Arjun stepped up, clasped his wife Nitya's hand, gave her one charming smile, who was in tears because of her best friend Simran’s suffering, and proudly announced, “My wife and I here will perform the Kanyadan.”

“But…” The pandit had never heard of it before, not when one’s parents were alive, and Simran’s father was alive, who just did not want the wedding to take place.

“Why do we perform Kanyadaan, Pandit Ji?” Arjun asked calmly, even though there was a volcano erupting inside of him. The wedding was in shambles, and he simply wanted the wedding ceremony to be completed within the mahurat. And now this Pandit was testing his patience, just like the criminals do when he fights against the evils in court.

“The bride’s parents put their daughter’s hands in the groom’s with hope and trust that she would be cherished. It’s a pure act of love for them to pass on their blessing of a daughter to the groom.” The pandit replied instantly.

“Simran is no less than a little sister to me. The Kanyadan would still have been performed by someone if her parents were not alive, right?”

“Yes…but…” Before the Pandit could interject more, Nitya’s anger knew no bounds, and she yelled at the priest, “If it’s a matter of trust and love, then we love her more than her real family could.” She gave a hard glare to Simran’s family, who were suddenly against this wedding, and firmly stated, “We will perform the ritual. She is not someone to be given away. She is a human who is supposed to be loved, cherished, and respected.”

Nitya sat down where the bride’s parents were supposed to sit. The elders were watching the drama unfold, not liking any bit of it. Everyone opposed the idea of the wedding being proceeded further, even after Arvind’s disapproval.

Kiaan then simply announced, “Anyone who has a problem with this wedding they are free to leave. This applies to you too, Pandit Ji.”

When people kept whispering and no one moved, Kiaan yelled this time, “I said, I want everyone who does not approve of this wedding to leave the site right now….”

“We are not leaving. We won’t let you ruin Simran….” Ishaan said, taking steps towards his sister.

“We won’t let this wedding happen,” Rishabh said.

But they stopped when a scream echoed. Everyone looked in the direction of the woman from earlier, who was strongly opposing this wedding and had cursed Simran a few minutes ago, standing in shock. Enzo was holding her at gunpoint. Kiaan had indicated his men, and they went into action instantly. Kiaan had a suspicion something like this might happen, so he had instructed his men to hold everyone who would oppose the wedding strongly at gunpoint. He knew scaring these people was quite easy.

“Drop the gun,” Arvind gritted his teeth. He took a step towards Kiaan, but stopped when Kiaan spoke, “Might I suggest you stay where you are… before someone aims a rifle at you?”

“Kiaan.” Dharmesh Kapoor yelled at his grandson for acting so rudely. Kiaan did not care though.

“Kiaan, what is wrong with you?” Kiaan’s mother asked now. She was panicking about everything going around. Ashok, Kiaan’s father, though, was the only one who did not try to convince Arvind. All this while he had been with his wife, placating her. Even this time as well, he did not take anyone’s stand, but only tried to calm his wife.

“Jai, Hredhaan….” Kiaan took their friends’ names.

“On it…” they said before walking to the relatives who were held at gunpoint.

Kiaan’s men pointed guns at each one who opposed this wedding, even each family member of Simran. Jai and Hredhaan made sure the relatives were being filtered out from the site so that they could take their stuff and leave the premises as soon as possible.

“We can talk things out, beta. This is not right. Arjun, make him stop.” Alok asked his son to reason with Kiaan, not knowing Arjun would never go against Kiaan.

“Sure, Dad…” Arjun replied before he gave a goofy grin to Pandit.

“Now, Pandit Ji, would you chant the mantras or should I do it in your place?” Arjun asked, smiling as he casually indicated the gun he was carrying. The pandit’s throat went dry, and sweat began dripping down his forehead. Arjun’s smile screamed danger.

“Arjun, is that what you believe is right? Are you on your friend’s side?” Alok asked in disbelief.

“I believe anyone who wants to marry the person they desire should get to marry them without any hassle. And I am on the wedding’s side, Dad.” He replied nonchalantly and then asked the Pandit, “So Pandit Ji, what did you decide?”

“Tradition says the father gives his daughter, but today, it is done by the one who stood up for her when her own father wouldn’t. That too is sacred.” Pandit supported Arjun and Nitya doing the Kanyadan not out of will but fear.

“I knew you were smart…” Arjun said smilingly and winked at Pandit. The Pandit smiled, being shit scared of him, and began chanting mantras in a hurry. Arjun took the place beside his wife.

No one could utter anything now. Most of them watched the wedding take place, rubbing their temples, trying to release the headache, in stress, in worry, in anger, and in concern.

Simran did not know what was happening around her. She was oblivious to the threats, her family being held at gunpoint, and everything. She was simply hearing the songs that were playing on the headphones and looking down. Her shivering had stopped, and so did the troublesome flashes of the day her mother died, but she knew this was not the end. She knew her family did not love her like before, but she did not know she would be humiliated and disrespected like that in front of the world by the same man who used to give her piggyback rides, who used to read childhood stories to her, who used to scare away the monsters from her nightmares. But that man seemed to be long gone now.

Kiaan was aware Simran had lost her sense to do anything, to say, to act, to react. So he wanted to end things fast and leave the place as soon as possible with her. When it was time for gathbandhan, a sacred ritual in a Hindu wedding where the bride’s dupatta and the groom’s scarf are tied together, symbolizing their union and commitment to walk through life together, it was generally performed by someone from the bride’s family. But since Dhriti was inside the mansion and the others in her family disapproved of her wedding and were held at gunpoint, Anvi stood up, taking up that responsibility. She tied the knot tightly, making sure no one could loosen it.

Niharika, Nikhil, and Dhruv were making sure the weddings went by peacefully without the involvement of anyone else who was not held at gunpoint. Dhruv and Nikhil were calm people, so everyone knew they would be listened to. It was smart of them to take up the responsibility. Still, if anyone went ahead to create mayhem, Niharika was there. She was chaos wrapped in beauty and knew how to tackle someone very well. This trio was giving a hard time to those who actually tried interfering again.

Simran just sat there like a lost child, and when it was time for the pheras, Kiaan did not tell her to stand up. He simply scooped her up in his arms like before and began taking the pheras. Pandit Ji might have been surprised, but he was not. After witnessing the irrational behavior of Simran’s family and the righteous actions of Kiaan and his friends who stood by her, he decided that staying quiet was the better choice. Besides, he loved his life, and Arjun had already threatened him with a gun. So, he kept chanting the mantras while Kiaan took the rounds around the holy fire with Simran, who was not in her senses. She was conscious, but what had happened earlier broke her too deeply. She wanted to hide, and there was only one way to do that. She hid her face in the crook of Kiaan’s neck, hoping that would keep her safe, hidden from the cruel world and its venomous people. The beast she was marrying had suddenly become her safe place to hide.

After the pheras, Kiaan made her sit on the cushioned wooden chowki and sat beside her. It was time to fill her hair’s partition with Vermilion and tie the nuptial thread around her neck. It was time to make her his officially.

She looked up at him, broken, vulnerable, in a state no one had seen her in before. All her walls of defiance were crushed. He put the vermilion in her hair’s partition with a vow that first, he would hurt everyone who hurt her. Her silent tears streamed down her face, but she was not sobbing. She was still in a state of shock, but her soul was crying, weeping, and screaming out loud. Ironically, it was only he who could hear her soul withering in pain. At that moment when he was wrapping the nuptial thread around her neck, he promised himself and her that all those people who made her cry would cry the tears of blood, that he would make their lives hell, that he would make it impossible for them to live without seeking forgiveness from her on their knees.

The moment the wedding ceremony was complete, Simran could not keep her consciousness intact anymore. All that pain, overwhelming exhaustion, humiliation led her to wheeze for breath, and before she knew it, her head rested on Kiaan’s shoulder and her eyes were closed. Her soul in pain gave up and consumed darkness instead of staying awake and being the witness to the faces of her treacherous family and the cruel people who wished evil for her.

It was not the first time the darkness pulled her into its embrace. But this time, there was someone to hold her when the darkness played its round. The beast who defeated every other dark entity, who was capable of defeating every other evil, was beside her. She had become the queen of his dark realm, and he was going to guard her throne with his life.