The rain pelted down furiously against her. The force of each droplet against her pale skin felt like the cut of a knife. She stood, shivering uncontrollably in her white salwar kameez that was becoming transparent with the onslaught of rain.
"What do you want, Kabir?" Her voice shook. His eyes were fixed onto her form, taking in her heavy breathing and tremors. His only response was a cold smirk that was directed towards her. Slowly, he stepped forward, getting closer to her. Her heart was pounding in her chest. What is he doing? She felt a surge of nervousness overcome her. If Kabir had assisted his brother in her kidnapping, what would he be capable of now? But she had to stay strong. For her mother. And so, with each step that he placed towards her, she took a step back until she was flush against her car's door.
Kabir placed his hand on either side of her, effectively trapping her. She was like prey in the hands of her predator. She couldn't move. And as his lips neared her neck, she thought she stopped breathing altogether. His lips continued their journey upward from her neck until they reached her ear.
"You." He whispered. She could feel his light stubble against her cheek and the warmth from his body encapsulating her body due to his proximity. Her stomach lurched and she repeated the word in her mind. You.
Quickly, her eyes flickered to his as she shoved him backwards. "What does that mean?" she asked breathlessly.
He gave her a lazy smile and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Marry me." He said. Pooja gaped at him, feeling her entire body slowly growing numb. Marry. Me. "If you want to see your mother alive, marry me." He said finally. Was this really happening? Pooja's mind was entrapped in a whirlwind. Was Kabir really saying this?! Kabir of all people?! But she really shouldn't be surprised, should she? A man that was capable of supporting her kidnapping could very well stoop to such levels.
Pooja swallowed. "Where is my mother? I want to see her." Kabir cocked his head, looking at her curiously. "You know, Pooja, the world doesn't always work like you want it to. I'm not sure whether you realize it or not, but it's not always about you. And I will stick by my word. If you marry me, you will see your mother alive. And if not, you will never see her. Don't even bother looking for her yourself, because you will never reach her without my help." Pooja felt the blood run cold. The mother she had always prayed for. The one whom she had yearned for for all of these years. She had finally found her and now Kabir had separated them once more. Once again, she was left without her mother. Because of Kabir. The hatred that she suddenly felt for him was inexplicable. "You're disgusting Kabir Mittal. Absolutely disgusting." She spat.
Kabir shrugged. "I didn't ask you to certify me. What's your decision Pooja Sharma? I don't have all night."
The rain continued pouring down on them, drowning out Pooja's angry tears in the process. Part of her simply couldn't believe that this was happening. She felt like a mouse caught in a trap. No matter which way she went, it would cause only disaster. If she didn't marry Kabir, who knows what Kabir would do to her mother. A man who was capable of kidnapping would certainly be capable of murder. And if she married Kabir, her life would become nothing less than hell itself. Either way, she was defeated. She closed her eyes, trying to control her tears. Her mother wouldn't be able to handle more trauma. She remembered what her mother had looked like. A crazed woman who barely remembered or acknowledged her daughter. And Pooja's heart bled for the elderly woman. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if something happened to Pooja's mother because of herself. So then wasn't the choice already made for her? She didn't really have a say, did she?
"I would give up my life a thousand times over for my mother," Pooja said finally. "Marrying you is nothing in comparison. I'm ready." Saying so, she turned around, opened the car door and began to drive away. What she failed to see was the broken man she had left behind. What she didn't notice was Kabir's own tears melt away in the rain. What she had missed were his faltering steps as he fell to his knees in the middle of the road, an ache so strong in his heart that not even words could reveal his pain.
I'm sorry Pooja. He wanted to cry out. I'm sorry. But this is the only way I can protect you. I'm doing this for you. He closed his eyes, recalling his last encounter with Dhruv. Kabir had found Dhruv in a small apartment in the edge of the city. He had entered his home without Dhruv's knowledge and what he had seen had made him vomit. His walls were covered in photographs of Pooja, news clippings of Pooja, and her entire itinerary for every day. He was following her every footstep. All of her photos were marked with red X's. He truly intended to murder her. Not only her, but her entire family. He had found her mother tied up and passed out in a chair in the corner of the room. Kabir had wasted no time in rescuing the woman. He knew that in this city, if her mother came to live with Pooja, Dhruv would easily get a hold of her and would not hesitate in hurting Pooja's family. And so, Kabir had taken a spontaneous decision to request one of his close friends from the army (who owed his life to Kabir) to house Pooja's mother for some time in secrecy. For now, her mother was safe. But Pooja? She was in danger. And Kabir had witnessed the insanity of his brother first hand. He needed to be near her and protect her. This was the only way he had thought possible. If he married her, he knew that he would at least have a watch on her at all times. Moreover, he hoped that in the very least, Dhruv would be stable enough to not hurt his brother's wife. He could only pray. He let out a pained laugh as tears rolled down his eyes in the middle of the isolated road. The irony was that he was sacrificing his entire life to protect the woman who despised the very sight of him.
*****
The haldi ceremony was held a week after Kabir's proposal. It was to be followed by the sangeet and culminated by the wedding. Pooja sat in front of her gold rimmed mirror, thinking about the whirlwind her life had turned into. In two days she would be a married woman. This time, for real. To a man who had played an active role in kidnapping her. She would be marrying a Mittal. She felt nauseated at the mere thought. You're doing this for your mother, Pooja. She reminded herself. But she was certain about one thing. She was going to make Kabir regret ever proposing her for marriage every single day of his life. She would make him hate life itself. Kabir Mittal, I will turn your life into a living hell. She silently promised as she stood up and straightened her yellow and gold lengha. Today was her haldi.
Taking a deep breath, she exited her room, slowly making her way down the stairs. Both families had gathered for the ceremony and no member from either looked pleased. Upon realizing that her sister had agreed to Kabir's proposal, Rani had not spoken a word to Pooja in over a week. Amma had simply gave her occasional glances of disappointment but had overall understood why Pooja had taken such a drastic step. The Mittal family was significantly more furious. Suman gave her a disgusted look of disapproval and Jay had refused to join the ceremony at all. Sonali was quiet and expressionless. Apart from the families, several guests had also been invited, including Chopra, his son, the company workers and Mr. and Mrs. Zee.
Squeezing through the crowd, Kabir walked towards her, waiting at the base of the stairs. He held out her hand and waited for her to grasp it. Seeing her hesitation, he stepped up to her and quietly whispered into her ear, "Don't you want to make a good impression? Think of the guests Pooja. And if not the guests, then at least think of your mother." She stepped back, glaring at him in the eyes. Was that a threat? But she didn't argue. She placed her hand in his and he guided her through the maze of people to a small seating area that they had arranged. Two throne-like seats had been placed with a golden, netted cloth lining the wall behind. Golden arches had also been arranged with a red carpet covered in rose petals leading to the two chairs. Hand in hand, they walked, each taking their seat.
An awkward silence prevailed the room. Kabir cleared his throat. "I would just like to thank everyone for joining us in our celebrations today." He looked at Pooja, feigning a lovelorn gaze. "We have been in love for some time now and I'm happy to finally be able to spend the rest of my life with the woman of my dreams." He smiled, looking towards Pooja. She scowled at him and leaned in to whisper. "Don't you think your acting is turning into overacting?" He grinned, turning back towards the crowd. "As we start this auspicious journey, we need all your blessings and love." Pooja nearly gagged. Stupid Kabir. The more she told him to STOP being dramatic, the more dramatic he became! Irritating man.
"This haldi ceremony today has a significance," he added. Slowly, he reached for Pooja's hand, clasping it tightly. "It signifies a bond that cannot be broken. It signifies protection." His eyes flickered to hers and without breaking eye contact he stated. "It means that I will protect you come what may. No matter what problems we face among ourselves, I will always step forward to protect you when the need arises." He finished, softly. Kabir's eyes were fixed to hers. And for some reason, she found that she too was unable to look away. Did she see tears in his eyes? No. It couldn't be. For a moment, the entire world seemed to be at a stand-still. She was still taking in his words. I will always step forward to protect you. She knew he was pretending. His marriage to her was fake. It was to get back at her for everything she put his family through. But then...why did his words seem so...real?
They were interrupted by Chopra's exaggerated cough, reminding them of where they were. Kabir's expression instantly transformed and he quickly plastered a smile onto his face. "We would love it if everyone could come forward and apply haldi on us!"
Within the next hour, over a hundred people had smeared their faces with haldi. Pooja's body was growing numb from sitting still for so long and she felt sticky with both sweat and haldi. She sighed. This is why she hated weddings. What stupid and pointless rituals they had. As if haldi could protect anyone from anything. What nonsense was Kabir saying? And over top of that, now it would take her hours to scrub off the turmeric stains from her body. All thanks to this fool called Kabir. What was the need for these ceremonies anyways? It wasn't as if they were conducting this marriage out of love. For Kabir this was revenge and for her, it was the only way to save her mother. Nothing more, nothing less. These formalities were a waste of time. So when the last person finally applied haldi on her, she was so ecstatic she could have jumped for joy. But of course, Mr. Zee had to put his two cents in. To be frank, she was seriously getting irritated with Mr. Zee and his absurd requests. Today, his request was for Pooja and Kabir to apply haldi to each other as well. What a sickening thought.
Pooja gave her clients a weak smile, internally wanting to murder them for the suggestion. And noting her annoyed expression, Kabir's eyes had developed a twinkle. He picked up some haldi, looking at her intently. "Ready, princess?" He gave her an evil grin as he slowly and tortuously began applying the turmeric. He began with her right cheek, rubbing the haldi in slow circles. His fingers then traveled downwards, marking her chin in the same yellow color. Ever so slightly, his finger caressed her lips. But it didn't last. He made his way over to her right cheek and drew circles there as well. Her entire face had been marked by him. He leaned in as if to give her a hug and whispered, "Scrub all you like, but you won't be able to get it off." He leaned back, laughing at her angry frown. Kabir Mittal, she thought. You arrogant monster, I'll show you. And so, she dunked her hand fully into the bowl of turmeric and rubbed it across his entire face quick and haphazardly. Kabir let out a yell, shirking away from her but she pulled his head closer. "Get your head back here. You deserve only this. Now we'll see who has a hard time getting the turmeric off!" Kabir pushed her away, releasing her hold on his hair. He glared at her furiously. In one second she had turned him from a respectable man at his haldi ceremony to a clown! You will pay for this, Pooja Sharma. He thought. You have no idea what's coming to you.
Writer: -Sanjana-
