JENNIFER'S POV
Have you ever imagined how it would feel (A) to get pricked by endless needles, or (B) feeling heavy
as if you were sinking in a major hangover, or (C) feeling suffocated as if huge blocks of metal were
covering your body?
No? Well as of now, I shall go with option (D) all of the above!
I felt numb, across my body as if, all these years I had been lying deep beneath thick slabs of bone-
chilling ice. I tried to turn to a side, but failed miserably. Then somehow, I turned to my left. The linen
bedsheets wrinkled because of my constant movement.
I couldn't understand why I had been feeling so dizzy.
Am I kidnapped? Did someone rape me!? Am I going to die?
My mind was clouded with such questions. I tried opening my eyes and the lights of the room blinded
my sight. I blinked rapidly, trying to adjust myself with the surroundings. I dragged myself up the bed
and somehow sat on it. As I got acclimatized with the room, I took in the things arround me. I was in a
suite. A grand one, which had been decorated with red, orange roses and warm colors close to them. It
felt as if the room had been constructed in a rose garden. I turned my gaze to the bed and spotted
cremé coloured linen sheets covering the queen-sized mattress. There was a nightstand with a tulip
shaped red coloured lamp on it, near the left of the bed.
I gently stood up.
To the left of me were big mirrors as if I were in some movie set's green room. There, in front of them,
piles of ornaments were stacked. Cosmetics, flowers were lying on the counter present in front of the
mirrors. There were several stools kept.
Straight to the bed was the door. I limped to it, still a feeling sort of paralysis gripping my feet. I tried
turning open the know but as expected, the door was locked.
The wardrobes on the right of me were open with endless number of lehengas peeping out of it. All of
them looked stunning. I moved to those dresses with heavy steps, slowly but steadily recovering from
the hammering sensation. I ran my fingers callously over the lehengas. I don't know why but, instead of
dread or fear filling my senses, all I felt in me was numbness. Nothing was being registered in my mind
and I was behaving like a zombie, absolutely ignorant to what situation I was in.
As I had been running my fingers across the soft fabric of the expensive attires hanging in the
wardrobe, I noticed my fingers. They looked different... oddly different. And Darn it! They had nail paint
on them with henna appliedon my hands and feet....
I never apply such things on my nails then..? And mehendi... absolutely not possible!
Subconsciously, my gaze went to the ring finger of my right hand and I spotted the ring there.
My engagement ring! Chimed my brain.
And my memory flashed the moments back from my dance class. I stumbled on my tracks and jerked
my body behind. As I turned to face myself in the mirror, I was left dumbstruck!
I was clad in a royal blue lehenga with a cream coloured, blue bordered dupatta draped around my
shoulders.
I had a gorgeous sapphire studded necklace resting on my my collar bones, with matching earrings
dangling from my ears.
I even had a similar nose ring on my nose, whose long chain had been hooked within my hair.
My long, wavy, jet-black hair had been rolled into a french bun with a diamond studded broach at its
side. It had something written at its side. With shaky steps, I walked up to the mirrors and side faced a
little to get a clear view of it.
And my breath hitched on reading what the broach read.
'My Tigress'
The diamonds were studded to give this writing. But one needed to look very closely to decipher what it
really contained, from afar it was like any other diamond broach in the shape of a flower.
I was trembling now. All the feelings of feeling heavy, suffocated was because of the heavy, bridal attire
I had been wearing all this time!
But, who changed my clothes? I thought.
My head had been spinning like crazy and my throat felt parched... even more dry and burnt than the
Sahara desert. I moved my gaze to the night stand where I spotted a jug full of water. I quickly covered
the distance to the jug with brisk steps. After pouring myself a glass full of water, I drank it greedily.
Finally, I felt at peace. Clutching my head, I slumped back on one of the armrests placed nearby. Just
then, the door clicked open. I froze, in fear.
I shut my eyes tight, I was not at all in a position to face the devil now. But, on hearing the jingling bells
of payal (a type of ornament worn on the feet, which makes jingling sounds due to the small bells
attached to it) I opened my eyes and looked who it was.
There at the corner of the door, stood a sweet and chubby girl in a yellow colored frilled frock. She
smiled looking at me. A genuine, innocent smile.
I returned the gesture.
"You are going to marry Dhanu bhaiya ( elder brother in hindi) isn't it?" She asked innocently.
I have to dear, as he threatened to wipe out all my loved ones of I dared to do something otherwise!
But I simply nodded instead of blurting that out.
Did she just call him Dhanu... really!? That demon doesn't deserve an endearment! I snarled mentally.
Then, turning back, she held a trolley full of mouth-watering goodies. If circumstances had been
different, I would have certainly nursed myself with that appetizing food but I surely didn't want to
accept anything that was offered by him! And that included food too! I could live on water only for now
atleast.
"This is all for you! If you need anything else, please press the red button present near the bathroom
over there. I shall do the rest!" She chirped pointing towards the red button near a glass cubicle, which
was apparently the washroom.
With that, she left.
If I press the button will you be able to provide me with my long lost friend call freedom?
I sighed heavily. Trying to open the door again would obviously turn out to be futile so I didn't try again.
My stomach grumbled but I didn't glance at that trolley for once.
Just then, I heard a sound. Something chimed
Phone... my phone!
I literally sprang up on my feet and ran towards the direction of the sound. It had been coming from one
of the drawers of the wardrobe. After opening a dozen of them, I finally got hold of the one which
contained my cellphone.
I opened that drawer and fished my phone out. By the time, the call had ended. What threw me off-
gaurd was the time. It was past midnight, 1:15 a.m. but still, even through the closed room, I could
make out the preparations going on downstairs in full swing. There were 33 missed calls from father, 19
missed calls from Tristan and surprisingly 30 missed calls from Natasha too, with whom I rarely talked
ever.
Are they all so much concerned about me being missing for so long?
Nevertheless, pushing those idiotic thoughts aside, I called Natasha. The phone was accepted by the
second ring.
"Where are you Jenny darling?" Came the very first question from her end, dripping of fake concern
and pure disdain.
"I don't really know that." I replied.
"We heard you getting married to one of the devils? Is it really true?"
Silence.
My knees turned jelly. I tensed on hearing 'we'.
Do they know about the Marraige? How did they come to know!?
A sweat bead trailed down my spine. Even the air conditioner seemed to be of no good.
Apart from our breathing, there were no other audible sounds.
"I... I actually.." I stuttered. I was already shaking on thinking of the consequences of father getting hold
of this news. Now that Natasha knew it, it was sure that soon he shall be knowing it too.
"You always thought yourself to be above me didn't you? You don't deserve him! They may be evil but
they are the most sought after ones. I always thought you shall be whimpering helplessly while that
Mayank Prakash shall be robbing away your innocence above you. But look at you! You bitch! You got
hold of the devil! They are great in the bed. They are known for their unnatural desires. Threesome
hook-ups is their thing. It's quite puzzling why he chose you!"
My interiors churned as I took in her vicious curses and her blatant display of lust. Although she had
never even bothered to treat me as a formal friend of hers, looking at our age difference of mere 2
years, expecting kind words on her end was utter foolishness.
She went ahead with her facade of fake sympathy," I feel so sorry for you dear.... I should remind you
another thing though. You shall soon get married to a rich and powerful, not to mention a bloodthirsty
criminal. So do act as an underworld kingpin's wife too! Who knows, he may not inflinct you with much
pain then-"
But she couldn't continue as the phone got snatched from her and the thundering voice reached my
ears which I had desperately ignoring till now.
"You dirty whore! Its because of you that my son is in the hospital. Just wait and watch, you filthy bitch!
Once he shall slay you into two and feed you to a pack of wild wolves!" Father roared.
I had been already confused with so many dead-end clues. And hearing Tristan to be in the hospital
was a big blow for me.
"Father... I don't know what you are talking about..." but he didn't let me complete.
"Mark my words bitch! He shall slay you! All these years he has been waiting for you to get ready so
that he reaps you, uprooted you at the right time! You shall soon be dead!" He barked.
"Who?" I whispered, absolutely aware that the person father had been referring to was different from
Dhanush and that he had a link to my past.
"Randhir! Randhir Manthena! Your fucking father!"
"Who?" | whispered, absolutely aware that the person father had been referring to was different from
Dhanush and that he had a link to my past.
"Randhir! Randhir Manthena! Your fucking father!"
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