Married To A Stranger

After breakfast, everyone gathered in the Shekhar’s secret study where they’re free from helpers eavesdropping. Though Shekhar’s helpers know how to keep secrets from the outside world, something is not for their ears.

“Storytime huh?” Jaykar tried to joke. He sighed.

“I will not apologize or be guilty of what I had done to you, Sreesha. I have done what I had to, to save my family from a monster. A family that includes you” Jaykar stated looking straight into Sreesha’s eyes. His eyes held no animosity like they were a few months ago. He smiled softly at Sreesha’s confused look.

“Jayanth, Gagana and I were the only survivors from Thakur’s family. We were protected by a few families that include Shekhar’s. Shekhar’s along with Malhotra’s (Nihal’s) and Sharma’s (Anvika’s) families. The reason why these kids grew up together. They know who to protect when to protect. I was the youngest of Thakurs. A naïve and stupid boy who wants nothing but to be free and unhitched. So, I rejected a girl who was madly in love with me. That girl was none other than Rajat Verma’s little sister. I thought we were just friends but…” Jaykar waved his hand unable to continue what he was about to say.

“That girl killed herself leaving a letter behind that concluded that Jaykar was the reason for her death” Jayanth continued the story while Jaykar reliving the past. “Her parents passed away within months difference unable to get over their daughter’s untimely demise”.

“Years passed. Everyone was busy with their lives. Bhai (Jayanth) and I got married on the same day as per your mother’s orders. She knows when to use her authority. As you already know, Women of our family are Queens with or without a crown. They have the final say in everything either it is household matters or business. What they say is Law.” Jaykar stated proudly. There was no disgust in his voice like before. It was not the tone he used whenever he talks about women and their rights.

“I lost my wife on the same day,” Jayanth said, staring into space.

“His bride was my sister” Yamini Thakur’s voice trembled.

Sreesha was in trance. She doesn’t know how to console Jayanth, who seems to be reliving the past all over again. Sreesha reached to him and hugged him, crying. Jayanth was stunned at first but embraced her into a fatherly hug and wiped her tears, shaking his head. Sreesha can see the thin layer of tears in his eyes. She understood that he was not someone who shows his emotions freely. She nodded and stood by him.

“Though our marriages were arranged, Jayanth and my sister were madly in love. She was the happiest bride I have ever seen and pregnant. Jaykar and I, married for our selfish reasons. He married me for his sister’s happiness while I married him to stay near to my sister. We were inseparable and twins. I lost half of me when I lost her” Yamini Thakur said, reminiscing her time with her sister.

Sreesha wanted to console her mother but Jaykar reached his wife and held to him, while she cries in her husband’s arms.

“After a couple of years, your mother came home from an NGO campaign. She announced about her pregnancy and ordered us to never investigate who the father was. We were in total shock and waited for her to crack up saying that everything was a joke. It never happened. Jayanth, who was mourning for his wife went out of the house for the first time to hunt him down.”

“When I came back emptyhanded. Your mother just smiled and treated my wounds ‘My daughter will never be his, bhai. A girl, who is a Thakur, will remain as one despite the other gene she carries. She is and always will be a Thakur'”.

“When I asked how she knows that it was a girl, she stated that ‘Because she gave you back to me, bhai. Remember what mother used to say? Women could give birth but only angels can make your soul alive again. She’s our angel, bhai. I will not ask whether you killed him or not too because you have every right to do so. If I was not pregnant, I would have done it myself the moment I got to know the truth, but I don’t want blood on my hands while I am pregnant'”.

“That day, I beat him until he was all bloody and verge of dying. How I wish, I could go back to that day and kill that bastard. Everyone is suffering just because he is alive and breathing”

“I was in total shock when I get to know that Gagana fell in love with Rajat Verma and that he’s here to take revenge for his sister’s death,” Jaykar said closing his eyes.

“And he killed my wife and our unborn baby” Jayanth stated, making Sreesha jump away from him gasping. Karthik reached to her in no time and consoled her, while Tej stood numb. He doesn’t know what to think or do to console his parents or his mentor. Not just his mentor but Uncle too. They are blood related. No wonder he was emotionally connected to him instantly.

“He taunted me saying how he was the one who’s behind the fire accident on my wedding day. And that he was there to watch while my family died and how I was too coward to save them. How he trapped your mother. How he married… pretended to marry your mother. He taunted me with every punch he received from me. I thought he died but he didn’t. You know who saved him?” Sreesha shook her head negatively, too numb to say anything.This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

“Manoj’s mother” he stated harshly. Sreesha stumbled back a little.

“Manoj?” she whispered.

“The same Manoj, who was ready to marry you and take you away from your abusive parents,” Jayanth said bitterly, looking at his brother.

“If it wasn’t for my interference, you would have been with that bastard by now. I threatened his mother to take him away from here. Rajat Verma played his cards too well until then. It was Tej who informed Vinay Shekhar about Manoj talking to a strange man. It was then, we investigated about him. According to Manoj’s mother they were just pawns in Rajat Verma’s game” Jayanth concluded.

Sreesha, who was calm all along mumbled, “Why was I, a Verma and not Thakur?”.

She didn’t get any answer.

“If the tale you said was true, I was supposed to be Thakur but why am I not one?” She asked Jayanth Thakur.

“If you truly loved your sister, like you claimed why did you treat me like shit?” She directed the question towards Jaykar.

“If you all are here to protect me, why the hell am I hurt more than once?” She asked looking at everyone.

“Is it because I had that monster’s blood in me? Or did you think that I would turn into just like him” Sreesha yelled at Jaykar and Jayanth, who didn’t utter a word from the moment she started asking questions.

“He has my daughter. We did what we have to in order to save our daughter. My daughter has been living under that monster’s watch from the day she was born!” Yamini said, tears rolling down her eyes. She kneeled on the floor sobbing into her hands.

“We are not even sure if she is still alive or not” she said, weeping in his husband’s arms, who reached her when he witnessed her breakdown.

“Tej and Esha are twins” Jaykar mumbled, his eyes rimmed with red, with a defeated look on his face.