Sapna's pov.

I could feel the intense gaze on me as soon as I walked into the room, four people were observing everything I did, my every move didn't went unnoticed under their sharp eyes. I was afraid I would make a mistake. The way they were looking at me reminded me of a job interview I had once had. And my heart raced every second because they appeared to be unwilling to accept any mistakes, and it felt like they were looking for fault in me.

They were Shobha's in-laws, who came from the groom's side. They arrived in the morning, when I went to get Advit. And for some reason unknown to me, the elders, particularly Yash's great grandmother, make a special request of me to serve them tea. They also forced me to wear a saree after changing my clothes. I refused to change out of my clothes. But they tricked me on an emotional level. They informed me that since they are the family's most powerful branch, no one should ever offend them. And they are upper-class people who will not tolerate a single speck of dust. I was hurt to be compared to a speck of dust just because I wearing a kurta.

But I knew I had no rights to express my displeasure; as in this world that we live, only the rich have voice, people like you and me have to silence our voice. But I had to make a compromise for Ruhi and Shobha. Why should they have to suffer because of a problematic friend like myself?

The saree they chose for me was elegant; it was a white blouse with a deep V neck, and my boob line was slightly visible, which made me very uncomfortable. Are they sending me there to entertain them? But I don't know how to belly dance.

Is it just me, or is there something really strange about this blue saree? Did I really need to dress up so much to serve them tea?

I had a million questions racing through my tiny brain while they were dressing me. However, I set those thoughts aside.

Jo hoga dekha jaiga.



A maid escorted me, and she held the tray as I proceeded to serve them afternoon tea in a manner befitting a distinguished host.

While I was serving them tea, my body was becoming more rigid by the second and my heart was pounding with anxiety. And I had to cover my breasts with my saree because who wants to show off their two dumplings in front of four strangers? There were four people sitting on the sofa, three of them were men. I am assuming the man in his late 50s is the woman's husband, and the other two men are their sons. I did not like the air of arrogance that surrounded one of the four persons sitting on the sofa, even though he was a handsome man. From the look of him, it appears that he is the older son. While the younger guy, who appears to be the same age as Advit and is probably in his mid-twenties, was constantly staring at me with mischievous smiles.

Is his mental screw loose?

I will definitely cut his face in half if I have my butcher knife. He is then free to smile at any girl he pleases.

His smile makes me think of Advit a lot, whose smile was somewhat Makhi jaisi shakal (like a fly; housefly).

The woman, who looked to be in her middle fifties, had calculating eyes that were watching my every move, and I was becoming more and more nervous by the second.

"So you are Sapna?"

Next, I gave a nod.

"You are quite pretty." She said, giving me a smile.

Have I misjudged her?

I smiled, beaming with enthusiasm.

They all smiled at me as I served them tea. But when I was handing the tea to their son, their first son he was staring at me with the intensity of a UV ray that I almost died at the spot. I was trying not to look him in the eyes, keeping my eyes from meeting his. But curiousity, this damn bitch; is the cause of every problem.

While I was looking to see if he was still staring, our eyes locked. He gave me a small smile, I am unsure of the meaning behind the slight smile he bestowed upon me. I just awkwardly smile back.

With a playful grin, the second son made me want to slap him in the face with the tea cup I was about to hand him. Why does he remind me so much of that stupid Advit? We have only met for a short time, but my hostility toward him makes us appear to be sworn enemies from our previous life.

And by the time I finished serving them tea. I was about to walk away.

" Where are you going? Take a seat. I would like to chat with you." The calculating lady spoke.

I paused and hesitated for a moment. "Sharmao mat (do not be shy), take a seat." Uncle said with such a relaxed expression.

I sat in one of the available seats on the sofa.

She went on" We have heard a lot about you from Maji, she's very fond of you. She described to us how lovingly and caring you had treated her. How lucky your grandparents must be to have you."

I smiled bitterly, but it seemed like a happy smile to them.

"She makes me think of my late grandmother, and I find myself thinking of her as my own. That is why I took such good care of her."

She gave her husband a satisfied look.

Were they satisfied with my response?

That's a good thing, better than getting on their bad side.

"This is Vikram Greval, my son. He is a doctor, he recently completed his PhD."

"Oh, congratulations!" I stated, looking at him. He just smiles at me.

"You must also be aware of the history of our family, as we come from a distinguished background. Any girl would be overjoyed to marry into our family because we have everything. She won't have to work or sweat all single day, not even a single day. And we are currently looking for a good match for him."

" Then, does he have someone in mind?"

I looked at Vikram Greval, who had the air of a high-class nobleman. Rich people are definitely born different.

" Ji, aap ke dil mein koi hai"

( Do you have someone in your heart?)

"No, I was too busy with my studies; I did not have time for other trivial matters."

I faced Aunty," I am confident you will find a suitable partner for your capable son. I will pray for it to happen."

"Your prayers will be answered soon, Sapna ji." The second son replied.

So, what was his name again? I don't remember. It's useless to remember, useless piece of garbage like Advit gainda( Rhino).

The couples smiled at each other in approval again.

Then Uncle ji spoke," We won't beat around the bush anymore. Sapna beti, we want you as our bahu."

My ears exploded.

What the hell have I just heard?

It felt as if the ground had swallowed me whole.

I laughed awkwardly, saying, "Uncle, you have a unique sense of humour. You almost gave me a heart attack."

" Well, this may appear unbelievable and too good to be true. But we are very serious; we will give you the opportunity to be a part of the prestigious Greval Khandan."

My brain, my senses, my body had gone numb.

They asked me not to offend them? So, am I supposed to agree to their proposal?

This is a devil's trap.

Now, what should I do?

I looked at Vikram, hoping he would comment on the marriage on my behalf. But he was simply sipping his tea, totally relaxed.

Bro is not concerned about who he will marry. That is the problem with all workaholics; only their work is important to them.

He should just marry their work.

"Sapna ji, apko kya ab Bhabhi bula sakti hu?( Can I call you as sister-in-law now?)" The second son asked.

Heck ! No. Never

Bhabhi?

Whose Bhabhi? That can't be.

I sank my nails into my saree. "I am sorry, Auntie, but..."

" You can take your time. After this wedding, we will be waiting for your decision." I was out of breath when Aunty said that.

" However, we already know that you will eventually agree. You can take your time." Uncle said with such confidence, without considering my wishes.

" Aunty, but my family..."

" Don't worry, it's of less concern. It is nothing to worry about."

"Since Vikram has not explored the palace yet, would you please give him a tour for the time being?"

Nope.

Why him?

I want to avoid being tied down.

It is really difficult to understand God's Maya; why did he bring two men into my life at the exact moment I was least interested?

So, what do you think I did?

I simply nodded because I lacked the courage to reject them on their face. I was thinking the most about Ruhi. What if her wedding is postponed due to my mistake?

Oh, god.

💦

After a while I was done showing him the palace. We talked briefly, I gave simple response.

We were in the balcony of the library.

"About the marriage, I think Aunty should drop that idea." I said, looking at him anxiously.

" Why? Do you think I am too good for you?"

I narrowed my eyes for a sec, and said," Jaisa aap samjhe.( Think what you like)"

Because what you think is unimportant to me.

" I am not getting married." I stated folding my arms against my chest.

After giving it some serious thought, he said, "Do you have another person in your life?"

I gave a simple headshake.

" Then? What's the issue?"

" I just don't want to marry, be it you or anyone else. "

"All right, I respect your choice."

Yay!

"Then you must respect my choice as well."

" OK."

" I like you and I am getting married to you."

"Wait, how is that respecting my choice?"

" It's alright if you don't want to marry me. You're not marrying me, it's me who's marrying you."

"What nonsense!"

"It does make sense."

"But not for me."

"What does that matter? It sounds very good to me."

Then, as I was about to walk away, I stumbled on my saree and almost fell, saving my precious self from embarrassing herself in front of a stranger. And I had no idea my saree had fallen off my shoulder, exposing my breast line. All of the colors drained from my face. With horror in my eyes, I turned to face VIKRAM. And guest what? He kept his gaze fixed on my chest. I quickly drew back my saree to cover my exposed chest.

I asked them to give me a safety pin, but they said it would be fine.

How it is fine?

" You don't have to act that conservative, to us doctors, they're just an organ."

"Does being a doctor include disregarding someone's dignity? We women, our body is our diginity. We can't expose it to just anyone."

"What about Vaishya (prostitute)?"

"That is a different story."

He opened his mouth to speak, but mine opened faster.

"Don't you have anything against this marriage?"

"No, why should I? You don't like me?"

"Do you think it is normal to go around liking strangers?"

"You are no stranger."

" What? How so?"

"I had seen your photo before meeting you. I was skeptical at first, but then I saw a video of you and the way you care for those around you. I became interested in you because of the way you smile and laugh."

It left me stunned.

Which video? What photo?

Suddenly I felt so betrayed. Without my consent, they are setting me up.

I take good care of Yash's great-grandmother and grandmother; this is what I get?

"Don't worry, I will be a good husband until you misbehave with me."

"If I misbehave, are you going to abuse me by beating the hell out of me, disfiguring my face, dislocating my joints, and breaking my bone?"

"Even worse than that."

And I gave a horrified look and stepped back. I could tell that the man in front of me was not kidding. Since his eyes was somewhat similar to my father's. One of the reasons I don't want to marry is that I don't want to be stuck with an abusive husband for the rest of my life.

Then I moved to the balcony railings. I don't want to see his face or anyone's face. I am upset with Yash's grandmother. They want me to marry this type of man. The fresh, cold wind blowing towards me helps to relieve some of my stress. I closed my eyes for a moment to let go of all the tribulations and be immersed in this refreshing peace.

Then I felt a warm sensation on my hand, similar to that of a living being. That eerie feeling again. Damn it. I pulled my hand back as soon as I felt his hands touching mine.

" What's wrong?"

" Don't touch me." I yelled.

"If you are afraid of my touch right now, it will be difficult later in our marriage. Get used to it."

He came closer, and I took a step back. And my heart rate was dropping by the second as he approached. I had a feeling I was going to die.

" Don't come any closer."

"I will; what can you do about it?"

For God's sake.

What had I gotten myself into?

And he cornered me, my back against the wall, and he positioned his arms against the wall, leaning to get a closer look at me. There were only a few inches separating our bodies. My soul was freezing, my heart was pounding erratically, and my mind was cloudy.

"Why are you so scared of me? I am not a bloody rapist."

" Then stop intimidating me."

" I am not, you're the one who's scared, without me doing nothing."

I pushed him away before he could get any closer; he was quite strong, and I had a difficult time pushing him away, because he was not budging like a boulder. I was about to walk away because I could not take it any longer. In the morning, it was Advit who eat my piece of mind by annoying me with his dramatic tantrums. And now this haramee insaan( bastard) who wants to marry me.

Why can't I be left alone?

I don't want anyone now?

I had endured enough pain already.

I had already played the game of love and got hurt by it.

No, I can't do it anymore.

A firm hand gripped my wrist, preventing me from escaping during that moment of disorientation in my thoughts. And just as I was about to break free from his grip, he drew me in closer, my face colliding with his chest. And when his hand was on my bare waist, my soul was screaming bloody tears. All my senses went numb. I hate being touched physically.

" You can't leave without my permission." He growled.

I think I am going to pass out. My mind is foggy, and I can't concentrate.

Then someone's strong hand break me free from Vikram's grip. And he had pulled me back behind him, his protective shoulder was blocking my view. And he shielded me from Vikram's eyes. I felt like I could breathe again at last.

Without realizing it, I instinctively grabbed his arm and dugged nails into his arm.

He glanced at me over his shoulder.

His hazzle eyes gave me a brief sense of assurance.

Finally, my heart felt safe.

****************

You must have known by now 🥰 who is the saviour.

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