A/N

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Warning: Some parts of the chapter could be triggering to some. Read at your own risk ⛔️🥺

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Author

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"Mahisha Ji, humne ek afwah suni hai..." 

["Mahisha-ji, we have heard a rumor..."]

One of the ladies smirked and tried poking Mahisha.

"Kaisi afwah?"

["What kind of rumor?"]

"Yahi ki aap ke Sangram Singh ko koi jawan maas pasand aa gaya hai...." 

["It's just that your Sangram Singh has taken a liking to some young woman...."]

The lady couldn't gauge the agitated reaction from Mahisha, but the response she received was something that could curdle the blood of any sane human.

"Vo maas bas uske kokh ke liye khareedi hai maine vo bhi pure 20 lakh mein. Vo mujhe kul ka vaaris degi aur jaise hi vaaris haath mein aaya, fenk aaungi kisi kothe pe use...." 

["I bought that piece of flesh solely for her womb, and for a full twenty lakhs, at that. She will give me an heir to the lineage, and the moment that heir is in my hands, I will dump her in some brothel...."]

Pure shock spread across the face of that lady.

But then people didn't fear Mahisha just because she came from a wealthy family, but because she came from a dangerous family. 

She had killed her own sister, the first wife of Sangram Singh, to marry him. The city knew, whispered about it in the dark, but no one could ever dare to go to the bottom of it because no one had survived the bite of that venomous snake.

"Aap toh badi khiladi nikli, Mahisha Ji. Jaanti hain kya kisi aise kothevali ko?" 

["You turned out to be quite a player, Mahisha Ji. Do you know any such courtesan of a brothel?"]

This came from another woman, who was well-versed in Mahisha's deeds, who always invited her to such gatherings and was the one who invited her to this Jagrata as well.

"Aise hi naam prachlit nahi hai mera. Taaze maas ki taskari ke liye log Mahisha ko yad nahi krenge toh kise karenge? Vo toh main bas maas chahti thi lekin jab uski tasveer dekhi...aisa laga jaise Mata Rani khud ishare de rahi hai ki iski kokh hi janmegi mere bete ko. Fir kya tha le gayi apne tharki pati ko apne saath aur fir aa gayi us buddhe ko uski chikni chamdi pasand...."

["My reputation isn't for nothing. Who else would people turn to for the trafficking of fresh flesh if not Mahisha? I had only been looking for meat, but when I saw her picture... it felt as though Mata Rani herself was signaling that it was from her womb that my son would be born. So, I took my lecherous husband along, and that old man took a fancy to her smooth skin..."]

Mahisha elaborated, staring at the woman who had tried teasing her as she put one leg over the other, sitting on the chair in the out lawn. She wasn't interested in the Jagrata nor the women who surrounded her.

Mahisha believed in strong networks, some of which had greatly benefited her in the past, and that's why she always accepted being a part of such gatherings. While those women who never stopped bootlicking her were doing so because they wanted to be feared and revered too, being oblivious that it would only bring forced respect.

All of them had already sold their dignity and were proud of it.

"Bohot umda khiladi hain aap...." 

["You are an excellent player...."]

Some other lady from that group said, and they all burst out in laughter. And then one of them spread cards on the table, while alcohol was served to each one of them.

Mahisha was exceptional at bluffing and had fooled the others while claiming around fifteen lakhs. And by the time the last card was revealed, the total count of her winning amount wasn't just fifteen lakhs, but every gold jewellery piece the woman who tried to poke her earlier had worn.

That was how she processed; she had never let anyone pass with even a jab at her, and snatching a woman's gold was no less than stripping them of their dignity and respect for some.

That woman sat there with her head hung low, while this time it was Mahisha who sneered, and the others? Well, they just laughed along with Mahisha.

All of a sudden, Mahisha's phone rang. It was one of her house staff who only called Mahisha in an emergency, which no one could handle.

There was only one emergency at Mahisha's place, which no one could deal with apart from her: Sangram Singh.

Mahisha got off the chair and headed to a corner to pick up.

"Bolo...kya hua?" 

["Tell me.... what happened?"]

She asked in a low, dangerous tone the moment she picked up the call.

"Malkin, vo...Malik..." 

["Madam,... actually...Sir..."]

A panicked voice reached Mahisha.

"Ab kya kiya unhone?"

["Now, what did he do?"]

Before the woman could reply, Mahisha heard screams from the other end, which were enough for her to understand the situation

'Please...please...mujhe jaane do...'

['Please...please...let me go']

'Bachao....'

['Help']

'Bachao....'

['Help']

Those were the cries of a woman. 

Anger rose in Mahisha's chest, not because she was worried about the woman, but because she didn't want to skip the second round of cards.

'Kaha ja rhi hai...chammak challo? Us din toh bada itra rahi thi, garmi dikha rahi thi. Aaj garmi main dikhaunga tujhe...' 

["Where are you off to... You flashy little thing? You were acting so high and mighty the other day, flaunting your attitude. Today, I'll show you some heat..."]

She heard Sangram Singh's voice.

'Mujhe jaane do...main...main kisi ko kuch nahi bataungi....' 

["Let me go... I... I won't tell anyone anything..."]

The woman pleaded.

'Arey bateygi toh tu tab jab tujhe main batane layak chorunga....'

["Oh, you'll talk only if I leave you in a condition where you can talk..."]

There was a loud scream from the other side that could tear open anyone's heart, and then there was dead silence.

Mahisha clutched the phone tighter in her hand, and she could hear the panicked breaths of the staff, which annoyed her. She wished to just put a bullet in her staff's head for breathing that way, but then that staff had been too loyal, and Mahisha didn't wish to go to the lengths of finding another who would clear the mess for her.

"Main aa rahi hu..."

["I am coming..."

That was all Mahisha said before she hung up the call. She had already started joining the dots, leading to who would be perfect to clear the mess this time.

And there was only one name that struck her: Sargam.

******

Sargam followed Geeta inside the haveli. Her each step was heavier than the last. Geeta wasn't alone who had gone to pick her up; an army of guards was with her too.

There was no way Sargam had a chance of escaping that. The entire route, Sargam had prayed for death because torments of Rukmini don't just kill, they make you lifeless, yet make you feel the pain at the corners of a soul no one soul dared to visit.

The moment Sargam was presented to Rukmini in the Haveli's courtyard, Geeta stepped aside, like a loyal dog, proving how, even after disrespect, she was ready to lick the feet of Rukmini.

Rukmini was sitting on a rocking armchair in the Aangan, her hands on the arms of it. Her eyes burned with rage, and every nerve of the haveli was burning alive because of her anger that was simply emanating from her gaze and breath.

Fear should be too small to describe what Sargam felt then.

She knew that with Rukmini, every attack on her was unpredictable, and since this time, the punishment was going to be for the sin she actually committed and not what everyone hypothetically assumed; this was going to be the worst of all. She couldn't even look at Rukmini.

She was shaking visibly; anyone could see it. It would not have been surprising if she fainted then and there in fear....because she had done that in the past.

"Maine socha tha saanp paal rakhe hain humne par Geeta tu toh wafadar kutiya nikli...."

["I thought we were harboring snakes, but Geeta, you turned out to be a loyal bitch..."]

Ritu said as she walked to where Geeta stood. Her words sounded more like an insult than praise. She then took some money out of her bra strap and threw it on Geeta's face. The notes fell to the floor after slapping Geeta.

And that would have made anyone feel insulted, but Geeta bent down and started collecting each note as if even a delay of a second would turn those notes into ashes.

Meanwhile, Sargam's eyes started tearing up solely because she was too scared.

You know, when you forget a homework notebook at home, of the subject whose teacher is very strict and who hits the back of your palm with a wooden stick at even the slightest mistake. 

How would that child feel if that teacher started calling out every student with their homework notebook while the wooden stick rested on the teacher's table, ready to taste your blood?

Anyone be scared to death, right? 

And a child would simply pee in their pants because of the fear.

There was a sound of consistent drip, and the floor of the Angan in one spot started getting covered with transparent liquid, the space getting filled with a foul smell, and also the painful sounds of sobs.

Sargam had just peed standing at her spot. Her salwar was completely drenched, and as the warm pee slowly dripped down her vagina from her legs to the floor, she felt so ashamed and scared that she started crying like a child. 

She was so mortified that she covered her face with her palms. Her knees gave up, and she fell to the floor, now kneeling, hiding her face, sobbing loudly.

She didn't do it intentionally, but the deep-set fear could push out of your body in various ways, and this was one of them.

That was why physical scars weren't visible on her when she was stripped at the hospital, because her soul was scarred. Fear of Rukmini was deeply etched into Sargam, and it was so bad that she was only praying for death.

Ritu witnessed everything, made a disgusting face, and said, "Chii...besharam kahi ki..."

["Ewww...Such a shameless woman..."]

As she walked away a little farther, covering her nose, she commented, "Ghin aati hai is kulakchini se mujhe..."

["I feel disgusted by this wretched woman."]

Rukmini being quiet was bothering Ritu, so she turned to face her, trying to read her face, and there was nothing that gave away her intentions, not even her anger could tell Ritu what she was up to. 

She gave up the idea of guessing, losing patience, and asked her, "Didi...ab kya karna hai?"

["Didi...what to do now?"]

Rukmini stopped rocking the chair, picked up her phone from her lap, and then dialled a number.

"Mirza, airport pohoch gaye?"

["Mirza, did you reach the airport?"]

"Ji..." 

["Yes"]

Mirza replied from the other end.

"Chaudhary Sahab aur baaki sab ka dhyan rakhna..." 

["Take care of Chaudhary Sahab and everyone..."]

She ordered him.

She didn't call Mirza for him to take care of her family members who went on a pilgrimage trip, but she wanted to make sure they were out of the precinct she wanted them far away from.

Ritu didn't like how Rukmini sat unbothered. She wanted her to do something nasty, something which would put the deepest scar on Sargam's soul. So, when the call disconnected, she began piling dirt in Rukmini's head.

"Maine kaha tha na didi...koi ashiq toh hai iska...kabhi uska bistar narm karti hai...aaj toh apni zindagi hi use daan karne chali thi...main toh kehti hu...."

["Didn't I tell you, Didi? She must have a lover. One day, she is warming his bed, and today she was ready to sacrifice her very life for him. I tell you..."]

"Geeta..." 

Rukmini called as she glanced at Geeta. She didn't pay heed to Ritu, which made her feel insulted, but then she kept quiet, knowing a tornado was knocking on the door of the haveli through Rukmini's quietness.

"Ghat sajwa do...." 

["Have the ghat decorated..."

She ordered her.

"Ji?" 

["Yes?"]

Geeta asked in bewilderment as confusion marred her face.

Instead of replying to her, she looked at Ritu as she said, "Mahisha Ji ka phone aaya tha....vo apni ghar ki bahu ko aaj hi vida karana chahti hain..."

["Mahisha Ji had called. She wants her daughter-in-law to be sent off to her marital home today itself."]

******

Blood dripped through his hand, creating a line of red as he walked like a force of hell. The hospital lights flickered because of the terrible weather. The clouds roared, mirroring the storm inside of him, while his face remained poker as if the deep cut on his hand was nothing.

"Dr. Raizada, where were you....the patient...."

One of the cardiothoracic surgeons, Kakesh, tried stopping him until he saw the line of red following Nirbhay, and then he gasped in shock. He looked at Nirbhay as if he was death itself, being scared of the man who was an exceptional cardiothoracic surgeon.

Nirbhay didn't even spare a glance at Kakesh, walked past him, and headed straight to the pharmacy in the basement of the hospital.

Naveen Pandey, who worked for him, owned that pharmacy, and he also used to be a licensed doctor before he left practice and opened his own pharmacy.

Standing right in front of his pharmacy, Nirbhay raised his blood-filled hand and said to Naveen, "Treat it..."

Naveen saw the blood, the deep cut, and grew worried for Nirbhay, but didn't ask or say a word.

He simply nodded and took him to one of the small emergency rooms there and began treating the wound.

When it was time for the stitches, Naveen eyed the anaesthesia bottle just like every other time he had treated his wounds, but one glare and he received the answer.

When the stitching began, Nirbhay didn't even flinch. He just sat there, taut, emotionless.

He didn't feel anything when the antiseptic should have burned, he didn't feel when the needle pierced his skin around the wound, and he didn't feel it when the suture was done. 

And this wasn't the first time. Nirbhay hadn't felt a thing since he was eighteen. For him, physical pain was nothing, and he had nothing to do with emotions either.

"Mr. Raizada, what reckless behaviour is this?"

Kakesh barged into the emergency room in anger, and then he saw Naveen bandaging Nirbhay's palm. He cast an indignant look at Naveen and then queried Nirbhay about his recklessness.

"In a few weeks, you have to perform an open heart surgery on the MLA's son, don't you feel a little responsible? Now you have your hand cut, who would operate on him?"

He then turned to Naveen as he started with, "And you...."

"....how dare you do the stitches? Do you know how important he is to the hospital? You left being a doctor, didn't you, then go to that shithole pharmacy of yours and...."

"Tell me, Kakesh, did you get your five lakhs?"

Nirbhay interrupted him menacingly. His voice was calm like a dead sea.

One thing Nirbhay detested was being questioned, and the other thing he hated was when the people who worked for him were being questioned. And here, Naveen was someone brought to this hospital by Nirbhay, and Naveen worked for him with full loyalty.

"What five lakhs?"

Kakesh acted innocent. 

But a wolf can only act innocent until it is disguised under the coat of a ship, and Nirbhay planned on stripping him of exactly that coat

"The very same five lakhs the judge gifted you...."

"What are you talking about? Are you blaming me for being corrupt?"

Nirbhay didn't have patience for nonsense, so he simply gave a curt nod to Naveen, who was finally done with bandaging Nirbhay's palm.

Naveen pulled out his phone, opened the private folder, and showed Kakesh the picture that drained colors off his face.

"If you were that desperate for money, you should have begged me for it. I have a lot of loose change to spend on beggars like you."

Nirbhay scorned him as he got off the stool he was occupying. He took leisured steps towards Kakesh and then asked with a low, dangerous voice, "Your son is in London, right? And so is your daughter?"

Sweat dripped off Kakesh's forehead as he gulped in fear. He took out the handkerchief from his pants pocket and, with a shivering hand, he tried wiping the sweat off.

["Sarkar....vo main..."]

["Sarkar... I was just..."]

Kakesh tried, but words had lost their way the moment he saw his picture taking a bribe in Naveen's phone. It was an old picture, but it could still destroy everything he had earned or stole till now.

Kakesh fell to his knees, crying. He joined his hands in front of Nirbhay, his eyes brimming with tears.

"Sarkar...maaf...maaf kar dijiye..."

["Sarkar... forgive me... please forgive me..."]

He tried holding Nirbhay's feet, but Nirbhay took a step back and kicked on his chest, causing him to fall flat on the floor.

"Tumhari khokhli maafi apni jeb mein dalo aur dafa ho jao mere hospital se. Kal se yaha tumhari parchai bhi dikhi toh tumhari kabar main khud khodunga bilkul is hospital ke saamne..."

["Take your hollow apology and shove it in your pocket. Now get out of my hospital. If I see even your shadow here from tomorrow onward, I will dig your grave myself, right in front of this hospital."]

Kakesh pushed his body off the floor but was still sitting on his knees.

"Main barbaad ho jaunga....main...barbaad..."

["I will be ruined... I will... be ruined..."]

Nirbhay didn't let him finish as he said, "Apni beti aur bete ko vapas bula ko Kakesh. You won't be able to afford London now."

["Call your daughter and son back, Kakesh. You won't be able to afford London now."

That was the last blow that made Kakesh numb and filled with the realization that there was no turning point for him. No amount of apology or bootlicking could save him now.

That was with NirbhayRaj; he hurt where it hurt the most and when it hurt the most. 

Kakesh's kids were about to graduate, and he had never been a man of honour. Not only that, he had started putting a dent in the hospital's reputation, which was Nirbhay's ancestral legacy. Nirbhay had waited for this moment for years, and tonight seemed perfect to ruin Kakesh in an irreversible manner.

Nirbhay left for his cabin, followed by Naveen, who needed an important document from him. 

Just as he sat on his chair in his cabin, someone knocked on the door.

"Come in..." came Nirbhay's reply while he opened the reports of the MLA's son on his laptop to go through them once, and pulled out the envelope of documents from the top right drawer of his table.

Another doctor from the cardiology department, Dr. Amrish, entered the cabin. He walked closer to Nirbhay and sat opposite him, looking extremely worried.

"Sir...There is chaos going on. There is a man crying in front of the hospital as his daughter's surgery is being postponed. Can we not do something?"

Nirbhay recalled walking past the man, not paying heed to the drama he was creating in that stormy weather that had gathered the attention of passersby and hospital staff. For Nirbhay, it was all irrelevant.

"The surgery was postponed because they couldn't afford it," Nirbhay replied coldly, his eyes scanning the reports opened in front of him on screen.

"But what about her daughter?"

Amrish looked genuinely concerned, on the edge of his seat, almost pleading from his eyes to Nirbhay.

Naveen watched the interaction standing in one corner of the room, thinking this might shift Nirbhay's perspective slightly. But that was never the case with Nirbhay. He was way too strict with his principles.

"Ye hospital paiso pe chalta hai, Dr. Amrish...emotions par nahi..."

["This hospital runs on money, Dr. Amrish... not on emotions."]

Nirbhay's reply had an icy edge to it that turned down the temperature of the room.

"Then what about the doctor's oath?"

Nirbhay then cast his cold stare at Amrish, who looked fearful as well as concerned. He then picked up the receiver of the landline and dialled someone's number.

"Schedule the operation of Miss Varsha to the original date."

Naveen was surprised, while a hopeful smile spread across Amrish's face until he heard Nirbhay say, "...aur treatment ki fees Dr. Amrish ki salary se kaat lena."

["...and deduct the cost of the treatment from Dr. Amrish's salary."]

The momentary smile on Amrish's face dropped, and his face turned ashen.

"Sir...wait!"

He stopped Nirbhay in panic, who didn't respond but simply hung up the call.

Guilt marred Amrish's face as he mumbled, "I will ask Varsha's father to stop with the strike...I will... convince him."

Defeated, he got off the chair, his eyes sunken and face low, and he walked out of the cabin.

The moment he left, Naveen walked closer to Nirbhay's desk, still confused over what had just happened.

"Mujhe laga vo maan jaayenge fees bharne ka liye...." 

["I thought he would agree to pay the fees."]

He commented, still perplexed.

"Insaan aur geedar mein pata hai kya fark hota hai, Pandey?"

["Do you know what the difference is between a human being and a jackal, Pandey?"]

Nirbhay asked.

Before Naveen could even think of what to reply, Nirbhay spoke with his gaze affixed on the door Amrish just walked out from, his eyes turned incandescent while his words, like the blade of a knife, left his mouth, "Geedar apni fitrat chhupane ke liye achchai ka choga nahi pehente."

["Jackals don't wear a cloak of goodness to hide their true nature."]

Naveen stood there speechless, taking in the heavy words of Nirbhay.

Nirbhay then signed the documents that Naveen had followed him to the cabin for, which was for the approval of a controlled drug. 

Since his right hand was wounded, he used his left one to sign. The stroke of the ink on the paper was the same, and anyone who would see the sign could never imagine this was a sign from the left hand of a right-handed person. But it was a deliberate choice for Nirbhay. He had trained persistently over the years to use his left as efficiently as his right.

Sometimes people have weird hobbies, but Nirbhay had no choice. So, when life cut out every option, shut every door, he created a way out for himself on his own.

Naveen left the cabin, taking the documents with him, and Nirbhay leaned back on his chair. He shut his eyes, the blackness covered his vision, which was soon replaced by the brown abyss of someone's eyes. There was fear, rage, and disgust in those eyes. It fueled him; her fear was like some kind of drug.

He didn't even scare her, yet she was shaking but wasn't ready to give up. He wondered what would happen if he showed her who he truly was.

But why would he show his true colors to her when he did to no one?

Because you only do that to those, either you love, or you hate, you show your raw form to someone whom you want to worship, or you crave to ruin.

"Tum mard ho ya Rakshas?"

["Are you a man or a monster?"]

Her words echoed, and then he opened his eyes. Clenching his teeth, he grabbed the glass vase from the table and threw it forcefully across the room. The vase hit the wall and then shattered into uncountable pieces.

He hadn't lost his cool like that in years, but one encounter and he was a walking menace.

"Theek aise hi bikharta hua dekhna chahta hu main tumhe...Til til karke marte hue....barbaad hote hue..."

["This is exactly how I want to see you falling apart. Dying a slow death, piece by piece... watching your life crumble into ruin."]

He muttered to himself as if taking a vow.

A dark rage coiled in him as he breathed in anger. He might not feel pain or other emotions, but anger was his shadow, his inner self, and everything one needed to know about him.

As he breathed hard, still burning in immense fury, his phone rang.

It was the SHO calling. He picked up the call and heard the SHO address him, "Sarkar..."

Nirbhay clutched the phone tighter in his hand as the SHO continued to tell him something, making it apparent to him that it was time for him to take an unimaginable step and not just move pawns on the board.

After his call with SHO ended, he dialled Naveen's number.

"Ghat jana hai...abhi...isi waqt."

["We need to go to the ghat... right now... this very moment."

******

Sargam stared at her reflection in the mirror. She didn't look like a conventional bride, ready for her prince charming to sweep her off her feet, but a goat who was decorated not for some sacrifice but to be ruined.

The red bindi on her forehead, between her eyebrows, was not enhancing her beauty; that was simply a tool for a monster to snatch it away from her face and leave her face barren. 

The red bangles that jingled synchronously around her wrists weren't there to be kissed by someone, but rather to be broken harshly by a demon. 

The earrings and jewelry around her neck weren't supposed to be delicately removed by her man, but they were there to be pulled off ruthlessly to make her feel empty and worthless. 

At last, the silk Saree draped around her curves elegantly, and the red veil pinned on her hair wasn't to make her look like a perfect Indian beauty, but they were to be torn apart and thrown away, making her feel bruised and broken.

That was the intention when she was dressed up as a bride.

She wasn't in the true sense dressed to be a bride, but to satisfy the ego and needs of some worthless dicks and cunts. 

Yet, nothing could match or tarnish the grace her soul carried, the authenticity it had, and the courage that wasn't explored much.

The red banarasi silk saree Sargam was wearing was Ritu's old saree, which she didn't even wish to hand over to her, and the veil her head was covered with, it belonged to Rukmini.

She always wished that if she ever became a bride, she would be the one of poise and grace, but ended up becoming the bride dressed in pain and hate.

And whatever she was adorned with from top to bottom wasn't carrying blessings rather curse.

It was two in the night, and Sargam was in one of the tents on the ghat. Ritu was sitting on one of the comfortable leather chairs she specifically had the guards carry with them to the ghat from the Haveli. She was still in her nightgown and was scrolling through reels on her phone, laughing like a woman who had just run away from a mental hospital.

She was there to keep an eye on Sargam, but was too busy watching funny videos of a young man flaunting his six-pack abs.

That was when a distant hum of approaching vehicles reached the ears of both Sargam and Ritu. 

While Ritu felt relieved that finally the wedding would take place and she could go back to haveli and sleep, Sargam, on the other hand, felt her heart sinking deep. She curled her fingers around the Veil, while her eyes began to sting with unshed tears.

The slow rumble of the engine stopped nearby, and then footsteps echoed in the quietness of the night.

Sangram Singh entered the tent, and so did Mahisha. Ritu stood up as soon as they noticed them, greeted them with a fake smile, and then both Mahisha and Ritu walked out to go to the tent Rukmini was in.

Sargam felt the heebies jeebies, which one has when their intuition warns them of a grave danger, a potential threat about to knock them out.

'Kuch bohot galat hone vala hai...'

["Something very bad is about to happen..."]

Sargam's inner self warned her.

But what would she have done?

All the doors of hope and freedom were shut for her.

And when someone acts out of their character, that's when they have to be worried more. 

So, when Mahisha didn't even look at Sargam when she loved insulting and belittling her, and even her expressions were serious and stern, she knew it was the indication of a cyclone she could never be prepared for.

Lost in her deep thoughts, Sargam didn't notice that she wasn't sitting alone on the cot. But when she felt something rubbing on the back of her palm, she shrieked in fear and stood up, turning to face the old man beside her.

The old man had just rubbed his palm on the back of her hand and was staring at her hungrily, like he was drooling.

Sargam brought her hands closer to her chest, like a scared child. She knew Mahisha's husband was immoral, but she didn't know who he actually was.

Sangram Singh put one foot on the other, his dhoti moved up a few inches, and his hairy legs showed up like he was a black bear. It weirded out Sargam.

"Ae...neeche baith..."

["Hey, sit on the floor."]

He ordered Sargam, pointing towards the floor, but she didn't move an inch. She wondered if the father was this indecent, then how cruel his son was going to be. The poor soul didn't know there was no son.

"Maine kaha na neeche baith..."

["I told you to sit on the floor, didn't I?"]

Sangram raised his voice, feeling irritated now. He hated being disobeyed as if everyone was obliged to listen to him.

Sargam still didn't move and kept twisting her bangles in anxiousness.

She thought to peep out of the tent, trying to distract herself, and when she took a step, she heard him ask with authority,"Apne hone vali pati ki baat nahi manegi?"

["Won't you listen to your future husband?"]

Her steps halted in dread and shock. Her throat dried, and she turned to him with her face blanched as if she saw a ghost.

He was a man of her father's age, with no morals, and not only that....he was married too.

"Aap toh...aap toh Mahisha ji ke..." 

["But you... you are Mahisha Ji's..."]

She tried forming words, mumbling, not in a clear way.

"Arey chor usko...vo toh kamini hai sali. Mujhe khush nahi dekh sakti na vo kutiya. Par tu...tu vo sab de sakti hai mujhe...de sakti hai na?"

["Forget about her. She is a bitch. That damn woman can't stand seeing me happy. But you... you can give me everything she couldn't... can't you?"]

If a slap of fate ever made noise, then that was the moment when the entire Universe would have listened to it. Fate was never kind to Sargam ever, but this was the cruelest of what had happened to her.

Her shock was so deep and visible that Sangram had to ask her, "Tujhe pata nahi main kon hu?"

["Don't you know who I am?"]

She looked up at him, eyes welling with tears with realization, and then she slightly shook her head.

He laughed maniacally and then stood up. He walked to her and then patted her head, but she flinched, got scared, and felt disgusted by him touching her.

"Arey darr kyu rahi hai? Main hi hu tera hone vala pati...Sangram Singh...Pura Prayagraj mujhse kaanpta hai aur tu mujhe nahi jaanti?"

["Why are you so scared? It's me, your future husband, Sangram Singh. The entire Prayagraj trembles at my name, and you don't even know who I am?"]

She shook her head again. This time, she wasn't just in tears; she was crying. He grabbed her jaw painfully as his expression turned grave.

"Kyu nhi jaanti...ha? Kyu nahi jaanti mujhe?" 

["Why don't you know me, huh? Why don't you know who I am?"]

He shouted as if he was her God and she was obligated to know about him.

"Mujhe kisi ne...kisi ne nahi bataya...." 

["No one... no one told me..."]

She murmured, sobbing harder, realizing she wasn't just being tied to a cruel man, but a nasty old, cruel man whose entire personality was dangling weak between his legs with two weaker balls.

"Aaja ab bata deta hu sab tujhe apne baare mein...janna hai na?"

["Come here, I will tell you everything about myself now. You want to know, don't you?"]

Sargam shook her head, so he tightened his grip on her face.

"Bol...janna hai ya nahi..."

["Speak....Do you want to know or not?"]

She, with no choice left, had to give him one small nod, as tears streamed down her face. 

But that wasn't enough for Sangram Singh because now she was going to be officially his; he didn't want to wait to claim her like she was some property.

"Chal...."

["Let's go..."]

He said, grabbing her arm and pulling her with him.

"Kaha....kaha le ja rahe hain mujhe?" 

["Where... where are you taking me?"]

She cried, resisting, trying to set herself free from his grip.

"Meri haveli....raani ki tarah rakhunga tujhe..."

["To my haveli. I will keep you like a queen."]

"Mujhe...nahi jana....mujhe nahi jana...." 

["I do not want to go... I do not want to go..."]

Strangled emotions in her throat poured out through her painful words, her throat ached with those lumps of pain formed there, her sobs were heart-wrenching, but there was no one to listen .... Actually, there were guards to listen, but they were paid not to.

"Nahi jana? Aise kaise nahi chalegi tu?"

["You are not going? How can you not go?"]

Sangram couldn't take the denial. Even though he was old, he still carried a good amount of physical strength. Bending slightly, he grabbed Sargam, hooked an arm behind her knees, and hoisted her on one shoulder, carrying her out with him.

She screamed, "Choti Maa..."

Rukmini's tent was a little farther from hers, so there was no way she could have listened. 

Sargam pulled on Sangram's hair, dangled her legs, and even dipped her nails in his back over his yellow kurta.

"Choti Maa..." She screamed out loud again, but it wasn't enough.

The guards stationed there didn't care when Sangram moved towards the bushes instead of his Scorpio, like he had said he would take her to his haveli.

The rustling of the grasses scared Sargam because she knew that path led to the most secluded section of the ghat, where even spirits were scared to go.

"Choro mujhe...."

["Leave Me"]

"Bachao..."

["Help..."]

"Choti Maa...please...please...mujhe bacha lo..." 

["Choti Maa...please...please...save me..."]

Her voice lowered with each word and then turned into a whisper. "...please...please.."

Sargam kept struggling, but it was no use.

When Sangram had gotten to where he wanted to take her, he stopped and then threw her on the floor as if one throws a pile of clothes on the washroom floor before washing them.

Sangram watched her with the gaze of pure lust as if he hadn't seen a woman before, as if he didn't just tarnish someone's dignity before he arrived at the Ghat.

He opened the knots of his dhoti, throwing it aside, displaying his dark, cruel, and disgusting limp dignity hardened just with the mere gaze of a woman who wasn't even his wife, who was in tears, in fear.

Sargam was ashamed; she didn't look down and kept scurrying his body back, but Sargam was too fast. He bent, grabbed her leg, and pulled her body. Her back scratched as it rubbed against the soil and hard rocks.

She screamed, shaking her head.

"Please...no....please...."

"NO"

"NO"

"NO"

But for monsters like Sangram, a NO was always an invitation. The more she cried, the more he got turned on.

He was so lost in his disgusting lust that he started rubbing his dick over her Saree, near her feet.

Sargam froze, and she felt like this was when she would be ruined, this was when Madhuri's little Sur would forever lose her soul. Sangram held the hem of her saree and started pushing it above her leg, her skin getting visible under the moonlight. 

Just then, out of nowhere, something kicked inside of Sargam, and she grabbed a handful of whatever caught in both of her hands.

She grabbed soil in her left hand and a small rock in her right, pushed her body off the soil, screaming as loudly as a woman in labour would, and then rubbed the soil on his face. She hit his head with that small stone she had grabbed, injuring him in the process.

Sangram cried, "Aaaaa...."

His eyes, filled with dried sand, started burning. Sargam pushed him away, picked up his dhoti, and ran away.

She thought maybe if he didn't find his dhoti, he would just give up and not follow her. But she was wrong to assume that.

He got up, rubbed the sand off his eyes, and ran after her.

The fire of the ghat had still not cooled down, so when Sargam noticed some half-burning small bamboo sticks, she stopped. She pulled one bamboo carefully with the help of the dhoti as it was hot, wrapped the dhoti around it so that it didn't burn her hand, and stood up.

She burned the other end of the stick with the small flame still flickering.

She didn't look like a well-dressed woman, but a woman whose dignity was on the line, and either she could kill or die. 

She thought if death wasn't possible for her, then how about killing someone, because then she would be sent to prison.

And in her eyes, a prison cell was still a better place than living in the haveli that killed her multiple times yet kept her alive somehow to kill her again.

She waited for Sangram Singh, who came out of the bushes, half-naked. He laughed, looking at her.

"Areyy...main toh darr gaya..." 

["Oh... you scared me."]

He mocked her and walked closer to her.

Sargam didn't budge an inch and warned him, "Pass mat aana mere varna isi mashal se teri choti si izzat jo tere taango ke beech latak rahi hai use jala dungi..."

["Do not come any closer, or I will use this very torch to burn that tiny bit of 'honor' hanging between your legs."]

Sangram's ego took a dive deep into the pits of hell, after all, the very manhood he deemed as great, and he used as a tool to hurt women, was just insulted.

"Mujhe aag lagayegi? Tujhse toh shaadi karke reham kar raha tha...par ab pata hai kya karunga?"

["You are going to set me on fire? I was doing you a favor by agreeing to marry you... But now, do you know what I am going to do?"]

Sangram couldn't control himself as he started spewing more venom.

"....vahi jo ek rakhail ke saath karte hain....pehle tere saath suhagraat manaunga....fir apne admiyon ko kahunga apni bhookkh mita le aur fir tujhe nanga karke teri neelami karunga..."

["...the very same thing they do with a concubine... first, I will spend the night with you... then I will tell my men to satisfy their lust, and finally, I will strip you naked and put you up for auction..."]

While insulting her, he had gotten extremely closer to her. He had undermined Sargam's courage, so when she got the chance, she hit his arm with the burning bamboo.

Sangram cried out in pain.

Sargam then pointed the bamboo towards his dick, and his face paled.

"Aee...Pagal aurat...pagal ho gayi hai kya?" 

["Hey... madwoman....have you lost your mind?"

He stammered, taking steps back.

Sargam started walking towards him; her tears were still fresh, and so was the pain of her body and soul.

Sangram turned around and started running away. He didn't take the route of the bushes, but another one, and then Sangram collided with someone and landed up on his naked ass.

The SHO of the area stood in front of him, and so did the army of constables.

The SHO said something and then put cuffs around his hands. One of the constables picked up an old newspaper and threw it at Sangram Singh's face. Sangram took hold of it urgently and covered his dick with it. The newspaper was big enough to cover his front while his naked back was still very much visible.

Sargam was far away, so she couldn't hear what they said, but she only understood that the cops were taking him away.

They started taking him, but then the SHO turned around, casting a curious glance at the woman who looked bold and courageous, ready to kill someone, and then he left with his team.

The moment Sangram Singh and everyone were gone, and she was left alone, the courage from her body just whooshed out as if kicked out from inside. She left the bamboo and fell on the sand. She sobbed harder, staring up at the dark sky.

"Kya Itne Nirdayi hain Aap, Mahadev?"

["Mahadev, are you really this merciless?"]

She cried out.

"Agar til til karke marna hi hai toh ek bhayankar danav hi bhej dijiye mere jeevan mein....khatam hi kar dijiye kissa ek baari mein..."

["If I am destined to die a slow death anyway, then send a fearsome demon into my life. End this story once and for all."]

Just then, the sky roared, as if it was summoning someone.

Sargam realized she would never get her prayers answered, so she tore away her gaze from the sky, and she very slowly rose to her feet. She removed the sand crumbs from her saree and took heavy and tired steps towards the Sangam.

She stared at the dark waters and felt pulled to them. A weird realization settled inside of her that this was her chance, her only opportunity to choose something other than life. HER DEATH

She had tried running, she had tried staying, she had tried speaking up, she had tried being silent, and everything worked against her.

So, she decided, it was time to try to hug death once more. Maybe this time, death would accept her.

As she took one more step, trying to dip her feet into the water, she felt a harsh pull on her arm.

"Kaisi manhoos hai re tu...."

["What an ill-fated girl you are..."]

Ritu yelled at her niece in disgust as she grabbed her veil, also grabbing her bun. She stared at her with revulsion and then said, "Pehle apni maa ko kha gayi...aur ab hone wale pati pe bhi grahan laga diya?"

["First your mother died because of you, and now you have cast a shadow of your cursed fate over your future husband too?"]

Sargam cried; her eyes burned because of tears threatening to spill out. Her head ached because of Ritu's grip.

Sargam was dressed as a bride, but her fate was no less than that of a rag doll, and she was treated just exactly like that.

Still gripping her veil and fistful of her hair, Ritu marched her to the tent where Rukmini Chaudhary and Mahisha Thakur were sitting on comfortable cushioned cots.

Ritu pushed Sargam to the floor with force, and she fell right on Rukmini's feet, where her fate lies.

"Ab kya hoga didi? Ab kon byahe ga is kalmuhi ko?"

["What will happen now, Didi? Who will marry this wretched girl now?"]

Ritu feigned hurt, as if she was worried about what had happened. Rukmini stayed quiet and only gestured for the staff to go out of the tent.

Sargam shivered in fear because she knew no one could save her from Rukmini's wrath now.

But even scared, she wished for her wrath, because that way her torment would end that night, and she would be embraced by death; after all, that's what she had been wishing for years.

"Kya hua?"

["What happened?"]

Mahisha asked, while Rukmini stayed quiet like a dangerous Cobra watching its prey at its feet, waiting for just the right moment to strike.

"Vo... Sangram Singh ko police pakadkar le gaye..."

["The police arrested Sangram Singh and took him away."]

Rukmini still stayed quiet, but then cast a glance at Mahisha, who was now red with fury. Mahisha stood up and asked Ritu angrily, pointing at the guards outside, "Tab aapke ye bhade ke tattu kya kar rahe the?"

["Then what were these hired lackeys of yours doing?"]

"Aur aap kahan thi, Ritu... jab woh unhe le gaye?"

["And where were you, Ritu, when they took him away?"]

She snapped at Ritu.

Ritu couldn't bear the humiliation and looked at Rukmini for rescue. But Rukmini had only been watching Sargam, whose tears kept falling onto her feet.

Ritu understood that if Rukmini was quiet, then something menacing was surely going on in her head, but she didn't know what.

Instead of waiting for her sister-in-law to respond, Ritu replied, "Aap mujhse kyun pooch rahi hain? Sangram Singh ki hone wali biwi se kyun nahi poochti? Ye kaisi hai, iske kisse nahi sune kya aapne?"

["Why are you asking me? Why don't you ask Sangram Singh's fiancée? Haven't you heard the stories about her? Don't you know what kind of girl she is?"]

"Maine kuch bhi nahi kiya....maine...sach...sach mein kuch nahi kiya..."

["I did not do anything... I... I truly did not do anything..."]

Sargam cried, pleading with her hands joined together, but for Mahisha, it was a mix of jealousy and contempt that made her arrive at a decision.

She grabbed Sargam's arm, forced her to her feet, and yelled, "Chal mere saath..."

["Come with me."]

She hauled her out of the tent, closer to the Sangam shore, where a small stage for the wedding was set up.

"Choti Maa..."

Sargam screamed for Rukmini's help, looking back, but you don't ask a devil for help, now, do you?

Rukmini was still seated there. An evil smile burned her lips, and she laughed like a madwoman.

Ritu's breath hitched in fear because the last time Rukmini had laughed like that, someone's head, removed from its body, had been lying at her feet.

"Didi...kya...kya karne vali hai aap?"

["Didi... what... what are you going to do?"]

Ritu asked nervously, as she gulped the lump of fear lodged in her throat and sat beside her.

Rukmini looked back at her, smiling, and replied,

"Main kuch nahi karungi, Ritu... ab jo karegi woh is manhoos ki kismat karegi... aur aaj iski kismat Mahisha Thakur ke haathon mein hai."

["I won't do anything, Ritu... whatever happens now will be decided by this cursed girl's fate... and today, her fate rests in Mahisha Thakur's hands."]

"Please..please...mujhe bacha lijiye...Choti Maa"

["Please...please...save me...Choti Maa"]

Sargam kept crying, pleading, because the known devil was still better than an unknown one, right?

She knew Rumini might hurt her, hit her, or worse, kill her, but she didn't know what Mahisha was capable of. She was scared of the uncertainty that Mahisha brought with her.

"Maine kuch nahi kiya hai..."

["I haven't done anything..."]

She whimpered, trying to free herself from Mahisha's hold, but Mahisha was twice her size, and her grip was equally strong.

"Please... please... mujhe jaane dijiye..."

["Please... please... let me go..."]

The men gathered for the wedding watched her with undisguised lust as Mahisha dragged her away, like a piece of meat being led to the butcher's block.

Her beauty captivated those men like it was some drug they couldn't live without.

Those pigs knew only one thing: how to take advantage of a woman's dignity, so they waited for one order, one moment of chaos, to grab her and to quench the thirst that arose in them just because of her one helpless look.

Mahisha threw Sargam onto the stage, kicked the pandit sitting there, and yelled, "Hatt, Pandit..."

["Move aside, Pandit."]

She then grabbed the microphone that had been set up for the recitation of the wedding mantras.

"Suno sab log... Main Mahisha Thakur ye ailaan karti hoon ki is manhoosiyat ko main us aadmi ke kadmon mein fenkungi aaj raat jo iski sabse zyada boli lagayega..."

["Listen, everyone... I, Mahisha Thakur, hereby announce that tonight I will throw this cursed girl at the feet of the man who places the highest bid for her."]

"Nahi..."

Sargam whispered in shock as she looked up at the merciless woman, who didn't have the soul of a human, but rather that of a monster.

This was the moment those pigs had been waiting for all along. And now they had a free hand, nothing to hold them back from pouncing on a helpless woman.

Sargam looked at them and observed that they were not human beings, but wolves in human disguise, for whom Sargam was not a woman, just a piece of flesh.

But she was going to fight for her dignity; if she had to run, she would; if she had to beg, she would... whatever would keep her dignity intact, she was going to do all of that.

Putting her self-respect aside, she held Mahisha's feet as she looked up at her with pure vulnerability.

"Mere saath aisa... aisa mat kariye..."

["Please don't do this to me"]

She mumbled, with no strength in her voice.

Sargam ko aisa dekhkar ek pal ke liye shaitaan bhi pighal jaaye, par Mahisha woh rakshasni thi jiske andar pighalne ke liye kuch nahi tha...na dil, na zameer aur na aatma.

[Seeing Sargam like this, even the devil might have melted for a moment, but Mahisha was that demoness within whom there was nothing to melt...no heart, no conscience, and no soul.]

"Bada shauk hai na tujhe logon ki hawas mitane ka... aaj teri saari pyaas bujha dungi main..."

["You have a great passion for satisfying people's lust, don't you... today I will quench all your thirst."]

She spat venom that burned Sargam's soul, and then turned to the crowd, holding a smile of pride and power, and said, "Boli shuru karte hain..."

["Let the bidding begin..."]

Before the bidding started, an old drunk man slurred loudly,
"Aur agar... agar... kisi do aadmiyon ne ek hi... ek hi....boli lagayi toh?"

["And if... if... two men place the same bid?"]

Everyone laughed hearing him but was also curious about what would happen then.

A sneer appeared on Mahisha's face as she looked at Sargam, holding the same expression, and then replied, "Toh ye dono ki hui... aapas mein mil baat kar maza utha lena..."

["Then she belongs to both of them... they can share her and enjoy themselves."]

"Toh shuru karte hain..."

[Let's start now."]

"2 lakh..."

A young man in his early twenties started the bid.

"10 lakh..."

Then a man older than him showed him his place as he shouted an amount more than double of the first bid.

"30 lakh..."

This was raised by a boy; he was nineteen...even younger than Sargam.

Sargam bas dekhti rahi ki kaise uske shareer ke ek-ek hisse ka hisaab ho raha tha...

Kisi ko uski aankhen pasand aayi toh usne chaar lakh zyada laga diye... kisi ki nazar uski kamar par fisli toh usne do lakh aur jod diye...

Aur rooh... uske baare mein kisi ne nahi socha. Aur uska kya hisaab hai?

Par rooh ka kya hai? Woh kisi ko dikhti thodi hai. Woh toh zindagi bhar tadapti rehti hai, aur agar kahin dikh jaaye, toh ye cheel aur baaz jaise mard use bhi kha jaayenge ek din... uski bhi boli laga daalenge.

[Sargam could only watch as every part of her body was being measured and priced. If someone liked her eyes, they added four lakh to the bid... if someone's gaze lingered on her waist, they added another two lakh...

And her soul? No one spared a thought for it. What price could be placed on that?

But then, who sees a soul?

It spends a lifetime suffering in silence. And if it were ever to become visible, these men like hawks and vultures in human form would devour it too one day... they would put a price on that as well.]

Jab aadmiyon ke hawas ki baat aati hai, woh umra nahi dekhte, aur aise log mard nahi... mard ke naam par kalank hote hain. Aise bahut se kalank hain duniya mein... kuch ne shareefon ka choga pehna hua hai aur kuch besharmi ka gamcha liye chalte hain.

[When it comes to men's lust, they do not look at age, and such people are not men... they are a stain on the name of manhood. There are many such stains in this world... some wear the cloak of respectability, while others openly carry the towel of shamelessness.]

"40 lakh..."

Now, this was raised by a man in his sixties. It felt like there was a competition going on between the young and the old, who was the most powerful, and the prize was Sargam.

No one raised the bar, and it was stuck to 40 lakh.

"Aur koi nahi hai isse jada ki boli lagane vala?"

["Is there no one willing to bid higher than this?"]

She asked the crowd, but her gaze was on Sargam, taunting her that her worth was no more than mere 40 lakhs.

"Isse zyada mein toh meri bhainse bik jaati hain..."

["My buffaloes get sold for more than this..."]

Sargam was too numb to react to any mockery now, and how would she? Her fate was being written by the devil and monsters, who wanted nothing but her ruination.

"40 lakh ek....40 lakh 2...40 lakh..."

Before the deal could be sealed, a chilling roar echoed through the deep, restless, weeping waters of the Sangam: "10 crore."

******

Guys, agle update mein ache ache kapde pehenkar aana... ek dhamedaar shaadi ka invitation de rahi hu sabko. 🥹💃

Mast khana hoga shaadi mein...bas aap logon ke liye 🍔🥟

[Guys, make sure to dress up for the next update... I am inviting all of you to an epic wedding. There is going to be amazing food at the ceremony... especially for you all. ❤️✨]

Itna likhne ke bad bhi lag raha hai kuch gadbad hai...pata nahi kyu 🥹

[Even after writing so much, it still feels like something is off... I do not know why 🥹]

Anyways, be prepared for the real journey that starts from the next update...because the husband is Heartless and maybe so are we 🥹😭

Also, do share your views on what you think of Dr. Raizada 🥹

Do share your views about the chapter. It would mean a lot to me. ❤️

Thanks,

Shrishtee