Chapter 4

"The only person that deserves a special place in your life is someone that never made you feel like you were an option in theirs."

The bond between Ayushi and Aryan was getting stronger and stronger day by day as she too was falling for him slowly and slowly. His gentleman kind of nature, his funny antics, his little bossy nature, his manly cologne, everything about him was making her fall for him.

After some more family gatherings and dinners together, finally Aryan gathered his all courage and after ten days of their meeting, decided to ask her out for a lunch date. Their first date!

"Hey, love," Aryan greeted Ayushi on the phone call that he dialled. She was in the office at that time & luckily it was lunch break.

"Hey," she replied with a little nervousness. Even after talking with him from ten days overcall, she was still nervous around him.

"So, busy?" he asked casually.

"Nope, was just devouring my lunch," Ayushi replied cheekily as just a second ago she gobbled down the first morsel of chapati down her oesophagus.

"Ahan. I was thinking to take you out for lunch. Would you like to go with me?" Aryan asked her nervously, pinching the tip of his nose.

Ayushi was hell nervous now. All the time they met, they were always surrounded by their family members, but this time, he just asked her out. All alone. This new man called Aryan was so new to her, how can she go with him just like that. She just knew him for a few days only. Leave that, how much her parents will shout on her for her this small meeting.

"Actually, Ma-Papa will not agree. I cannot...," before she could complete her sentence, Aryan interrupted her.

"Hahaha. Obedient would-be-wife of mine, I've already asked them and they permitted too. So now, would you like to come with me? Also apply for a leave, as I really wanna spend some quality time with you," Aryan smiled at her obedience. She was so obedient to her parents although they were the devil.

Ayushi was just confused about whether to go or not because she hadn't tried anything like that. Although she had her parents' permission, she still was doubtful. Between her inner turmoil of saying "yes" or "no", she received a call from her father. She immediately received the call and was surprised to hear him allowing her to go with Aryan for lunch. She just despised his greedy thinking. She replied in positive to both her father & Aryan and within a few minutes, she received a call from Aryan stating he was just outside her office, asking her to come soon. She applied for leave and immediately gotten a positive reply as her leaves were never used because she was very sincere to her work. She packed up her laptop and other files and finally went down, taking down her purse along with her.

Taking the lift to the ground floor, she was finally outside her office premises. She was looking for him here & there and finally, she spotted him, leaning on his Audi with a charming smile adorning his face. She walked towards him taking nervous steps as it was their fourth meeting only.

"Hi beautiful," he greeted her and out of love, hugged her. She stiffened at this sudden contact but before she could comprehend anything, he broke his embrace and again smiled at her.

"Hello," she replied a little shyly.

"You're so shy, and your blush is just making me hard," he complimented her which caused her to blush more.

"Let's go," he held the door open for her like a true gentleman. Ayushi smiled and thanked him for his this sweet gesture. All these things were literally so new to her. She was enjoying his undivided attention.

****

They were done with their lunch date and were just roaming around the city when Aryan took her to one of the very famous hotels of Bhopal.

"Why are we here?" she asked him getting all nervous.

"It's a surprise," Aryan winked at her & took her hand in his & moved inside the hotel. Ayushi just let it go & went inside him, trying to calm down her heart which was beating loudly, the reason was unknown to her own self.

The interior of the hotel was exquisitely beautiful with intricate paintings hanging on the cream designer walls.

After taking the keys from the reception desk for their 'suite', Aryan took Ayushi to a certain room which he has booked for her.

"Now this is your surprise," he spoke cheerfully & opened the door to a very beautiful & spacious room which was decorated with flowers all around.

"Wow," Ayushi was in awe when she saw how charming that room was looking.

"This is all for us, for our love, for our night," Aryan spoke seductively and held Ayushi from behind. She immediately stiffened at his sudden contact on her waist. His words confused her to the core. She moved out of his embrace and asked him directly that what did he really mean by that statement.

"You're so innocent, baby. Well, I meant that I wanna have a beautiful night with you today. A lovely, erotic night filled with all your...," before he could complete his sentence, Ayushi stopped him with her eyes as wide as saucers.

"We have known each other for 10 days only, Aryan. It's too early and we are not even married yet," Ayushi tried to reason out with him. But he had no ears for that. He was determined to have sex with her. Either by hook or crook.

"Now don't be such a party-pooper. Lemme have my way with you. I wanna devour...," he tried to touch her again but she moved away from him in a panicked state. She wasn't ready for this kinda intimacy with him.

"Aryan, I'm not ready for this. We aren't married yet and we've known each other...," before she could complete her sentence, he held her tightly in his embrace and tried to kiss her. Tears of fear and frustration started flowing out of her eyes as he was way too strong for her to fight with. She was pushing him away with all her might. But he was no more the handsome Aryan but a merciless monster.

"Please, don't do this," she begged him again to stop. But he didn't.

She has had enough of all this. She was crying to make him stop. She pushed him away with all her strength and slapped him hard across his cheeks.

"You bitch! How dare you to slap me! Today only I paid half price to your father & now you slapped me. You're my slave. Just come here," he abused her harshly and tried to catch her again but she immediately moved towards the door and was just going to unlock the door when Aryan pulled her harshly towards him, causing her sleeves to be torn because of the force he applied while pulling her.

"Aryan, please leave me. Don't do this," she tried to push him away again but he was no more the sweet, funny, and gentleman Aryan but a potential rapist, a demon, and a monster.

"Today I'll show you who I truly am. I'm you soon to be husband and I have got the whole right to touch you the way I want. And it'll be more exciting if you'll have this feisty facade on," he snatched away the scarf that was around her neck. She was horrified that how wrong she was to think of him as a good human being but today his all true colours were in front of her. He was a molester for God's sake. With rage and fear building up inside her, she didn't know when unknown energy got up in her, she lifted her right leg and hit him hard on his crotch. Well, that was a hard stroke which caused him to drop down on the ground while cupping his crotch in his hands and wincing in pain.

"If I'm broken from inside that doesn't mean that I'm weak. I can still burn you with the fire within me. I despise you, Aryan. And now, this marriage is over, everything is over, Mr Singh," Ayushi spoke out venomously, with hatred and abhorrence in her every word. The kind of pain she felt was indescribable. Her soul was wounded, again.

"I'll show you, that who is fire and who is a weak straw," Aryan stood up again with his enraged and hurt ego. In a way of revenging her, he tore her another sleeve and tried to hurt her again but she again hit him on his neck with a punch and after taking her scarf from the floor and wrapping it securely across her arms and neck, she ran towards the door, unlocked it in seconds and ran away from there towards the exit, with a resolution of never turning back.

Her green salwar suit which she loved so much was just a torn piece of cloth now. And her body felt like it had lost everything.

Aryan was left behind wincing in pain. He cursed her abhorrently.

On the other hand, Ayushi was running from the hotel room while wiping her tears which were not stopping at all. How could she love a monster like him, how could she even like him, how could she trust him in this small span of time of knowing him. She was in agony that he, her soon to be husband tried to molest her. All the staff members of the hotel were just staring at this woman who was running like she had seen a ghost. They didn't know that actually she was tried to be molested by her own soon to be husband, they didn't know. Nobody tried to stop her to ask what happened. They could see that she was, again and again, wiping her tears. But nobody went near her.

While running briskly and due to her foggy vision because of tears flowing down her eyes, she ran across a lady and fell down on the marble floor. Actually she got a migraine and she felt like her head would explode at any moment.

"Ayushi?" that woman asked her with concern but till then she was already blacked out.

"Hey! Ayushi! Beta(Child)," that woman was none other than Gayathri Devi, the grandmother of Dhruv who was tapping on Ayushi's cheeks to wake her up but alas! She was blacked out because of the mental trauma she had to went through being tried to be molested by her own to-be husband.

See the game of Karma. A few days ago, this lady was lying unconscious in Ayushi's arms and today, Ayushi was lying in the arms of this lady.

Dhruv and his whole family were here as they had to attend an engagement ceremony of their close relative. Dadi was just going towards the washroom when she collided with Ayushi. And now she was trying to wake her up but all went in vain. She immediately called Dhruv and asked him to come near the washroom area so that they could at least take her to some doctor. Meanwhile, she called one of the cleaning staff who was cleaning the washroom nearby and asked her to call a Doctor if this hotel has any arrangements for emergencies like that. The staff immediately ran towards the manager's cabin for calling the doctor. Meanwhile, Dhruv too arrived panting heavily as he was scared when he heard the anxious and panicked voice of his grandmother.

And there he saw that his grandmother was trying to wake up a girl who was partially lying on his grandmother's lap. He rushed towards them and got down on his knees to check that what really happened here.

"Dadima, what happened to this girl?" he asked in a panicked tone too as he could see the same part of the torn sleeves of the girl who was lying lifeless on his grandma's lap.

"I was going towards the washroom when she collided with me and immediately blacked out. I am really concerned fo...," before she could complete her sentence the staff came with a doctor by her side.

"Sir, please carry her towards this room," the Doctor instructed him to carry her to a room so that he could check up on her.

Dadi moved a little away from Ayushi so that he could carry Ayushi towards the room where the doctor instructed him to. When Dhruv took her in his arms, he felt electricity kinda sparks all over his body, he didn't know that why he felt like that. He hadn't even seen the face of the girl he was carrying in his arms as her hair was covering her face. But he just wanted to see the face of this girl who made him feel something that he had never felt before. He carried her towards the instructed room while all the time his eyes were trained on her so that he could at least see her face for once. But her hair was prohibiting him to see the face of this Angel who was blacked out.

He gently put her down on the bed and then his hands moved unknowingly to push aside the strands of her hair that were stopping him to look at her face. And he was awestruck at how innocent and beautiful she looked. She was the first girl who made his heart skip a beat when he looked at her for the first time. But before he could look at her more, the doctor came in between so that he could check that what suddenly happened to her.

For checking the nerves of Ayushi, when he tried to hold her wrist, the scarf she had wrapped around herself pulled out and her torn sleeves were on full display.

Dadi gasped at that. She couldn't believe her eyes that Ayushi was in this state, where it was all clear that she was tried to be raped. Even Dhruv saw that and an unknown fear and anger built inside him.

"Oh, God! She was tried to be raped," the doctor exclaimed loudly.

"Hey, Bhagwaan! (Oh God!)," Dadi was shaken to the core. The lovely girl whom she had met a few days ago only was in this condition, she couldn't believe that.

"I think because of the trauma she had to go through, she passed out," the doctor spoke anxiously as it was the first time he was dealing with something like this. As this hotel never had such a kind of case like this.

"Who tried to rape her?" Dhruv asked in an angry tone with his eyes blazing fire. He even didn't know why he was reacting in this way.

"Sir, this girl was running away from room no. 303. I think we should check there to find out the culprit," the manager who had come just now spoke in a very serious tone as he had seen how this girl was running away from room no. 303 but as he was busy rectifying one of the mistakes in the auditing file with the officer, he didn't get near her.

"Where is that room?" Dhruv spoke with anger evident in his voice. They all rushed outside, leaving only Ayushi, Dadi and the doctor there as he had to give her an injection so that her mind would get some rest as being in such a trauma terrorizes the mental state the most.

"Why bad things always happen with good people?" Dadi started crying, taking Ayushi's hands in hers. From day one only, she had liked Ayushi so much. Like she was her own granddaughter. She used to feel so much connected to this girl, even she didn't know why.

"Mam, please control yourself. Nothing major happened. Thank God for that. She's really a fighter as today she saved herself from being ...," the doctor left the last word in air as he couldn't make himself to say that word which was just so agonizing and painful.

He injected Ayushi and gave some medicines to Dadi as he had thought that she might be her family only.

Meanwhile, Dhruv's parents and his sister too came into that room as not finding Dhruv and Dadi for so long, they got worried and one of the staff told them about this incident as there was a lot of chaos outside the corridor because this was the first time, a girl had been tried to be raped here in this reputed & most famous hotel.

"She's Ayushi," Dhruv's father exclaimed loudly when he saw that who that girl was.

He suddenly felt an agonizing pain building inside him when he saw the torn sleeves of Ayushi. He felt that he lost his daughter.

"How did this happen Maa?" Pratibha asked her mother-in-law.

"I was just going towards the washroom when she collided with me and blacked out. She's the same girl who saved me that day," Dadi spoke out sadly because she felt that somehow it was her mistake that she couldn't save her from this trauma this beautiful angel had to go through. If only she could've arrived earlier.

"Dadima, please don't blame yourself. She's fine by God's grace. She's truly a fighter," Payal came near her Dadima and hugged her tightly to make her feel good as she couldn't see her grandma in such distress.

"She's really a fighter," Dadi whispered slowly, a tear dropped down her eyes.

"Mam, we've caught the molester. Dhruv sir is beating him mercilessly. Please do something to stop him as the police are soon going to reach," the same doctor spoke in a panicked voice after what he saw in the corridor.

They all rushed outside and were shocked to see this side of Dhruv which they haven't seen before. He was beating a man so mercilessly.

"Son, stop. You'll kill him," Dhruv's Dad tried to pull Dhruv away from that man but Dhruv wasn't in the mind to listen to anything. He just wanted to kill this guy who tried to rape a girl.

"I'll kill him," Dhruv roared loudly and was again beating Aryan. Aryan was crying out in pain but it fell on deaf ears. All the staff along with Dhruv's father pulled out Dhruv as they couldn't make it more worse as this was a police case.

"Urgh," Dhruv grunted loudly. He didn't know why he got this much angry. This was the first time he hit someone like this.

"Son, calm down. The police are coming. They'll handle the case," Dhiraj tried to make his son understand because even he shuddered to see the intensity of the punches, Dhruv was throwing at that man.

Meanwhile, the police too came. They started the investigation and all the shreds of evidence spoke against Aryan. As room no 303 was booked by this person only and the CCTV footage also showed that how he and a girl entered inside the room no 303 and how terrified the girl was when she was running out of the room. Of course, it was a piece of huge evidence that this man did something very heinous and wrong with her.

The police went towards Ayushi and examined the marks on her body. It was evident that she was tried to be forced as her sleeves were torn so mercilessly, leaving her into shreds.

"When will she wake up?" The police asked the Doctor as they had to ask her too for lodging an FIR against Aryan. They needed to know everything.

"Sir, she'll be awake soon," the doctor replied checking her nerves.

****

Finally, Ayushi was awake and she felt that her body has been scratched so badly as she was feeling fire all around her hands and arms. She groaned in pain and that caused the Doctor to immediately rush towards her side.

"Finally you're awake," he spoke a little smilingly and checked her nerves. Everything was fine.

"Ayushi, I know what you've to go through was so tragic and painful but you've to tell about this to the police that is waiting for you outside. Please be patient and calm. And don't worry. Now that rapist will be behind the bars," the doctor spoke deliberately and Ayushi started crying after remembering all those things she had to go through.

"You're brave my child, don't cry," this time it was Dhruv's grandmother who came inside when the nurse informed them that Ayushi is awake. She hugged her tightly as she knew that now all she needed was some love and comfort.

"Dadi, he tried to ....," she started crying loudly and that made Dadi more emotional. She couldn't see this girl crying. It broke her heart to see this girl in this tragic state.

"Sshh. Nothing happened to you. Just some scratches because you fought with him and ran away from there, saving your life. You're very brave my child," Dadi spoke soothing words to calm her down.

Meanwhile, police too came inside the room along with Dhruv and his family.

"Mam, we're here to take your recording for pieces of evidence against Mr Aryan Singh. So please don't be afraid and tell us whatever happened," the inspector spoke calmly as he knew how to handle such situations.

"He was my to-be fiance. Today after lunch, he brought me into a hotel room. I wasn't aware of his plan. And then he showed me his true colours. He tried to force.." Ayushi started crying again when Dadima just held her hand in a soothing manner and gestured her to continue.

"When I tried to run away from him, he tore my sleeves and started molesting me. But then I hit him on his neck and ran away from there," Ayushi completed her tragic incident and cried in Dadi's arms as this was the first time she had faced something like this. No man has ever touched her like this. She felt so disgusted by her own self.

"Strict actions will be taken against Aryan. Don't worry mam. We'll make him suffer," the inspector stood up from his stool and spoke in a promising way.

He shook his hand with Dhruv and his father and then went away, where Aryan was awaiting him with his hands tied around the handcuffs.

"I cannot believe someone can stoop so low just for some minute pleasure," it was Dhiraj who spoke.

"I just wish to God that he rots in hell," it was Payal this time.

"Ayushi, child. Please don't lose hope. You're fine now" Pratibha consoled Ayushi as she too was feeling like a mother to her.

Ayushi observed all the people around her and she remembered that yes, before blacking out she had seen the same lady whom she had helped a few days ago. And even her son was here, looking worriedly at her. This was the old lady's family here.

"Dadi, he was my soon to be husband. We were soon going to get engaged but he just showed that what really was behind his that face," Ayushi's voice trembled again.

They all knew that what she must be going through now. It must've been so difficult to digest the fact that her own soon-to-be husband was a molester and a potential rapist too.

"Child, now don't think about him. He was just a bad phase of your life. Forget him and move on. Thank God that you're safe and sound," Pratibha spoke out in her motherly tone, grabbing Ayushi's hands in hers.

Ayushi was feeling so much connected and loved by this family who was just a stranger to her.

"Don't worry now. Everything will be fine," Dhiraj spoke while putting his hand on her head in a fatherly way.

"Give me your parents' phone number, child. I'll ask them to come here," Dhiraj asked her.

And Ayushi just realized that what will happen now when her family will come to know about all this. That the proposal is no more. She trembled in fear that what will be the reaction of her parents. But she also felt disgusted that what happened today was the result of her parents' greed. Just for some money, they literally sold her to that Devil Aryan. Thinking about that, her eyes started pouring out. She was just an object for her parents nothing more and that man whom she had started trusting was nothing more than a rapist. How much more could she endure! She was tired of all this.

"Hey, Ayushi. Stop crying beta(child). We need to inform your parents beta," Dadi spoke out softly while wiping Ayushi's tears off her face.

Ayushi told her father's number to Dhruv's father and he immediately called him so as to inform about Ayushi's whereabouts. Ayushi knew that her father wouldn't be even one per cent worried about her, but about the money that they lost. She didn't know what to do, she didn't know what will happen now. Everything was so frustrating and problematic.

Dhruv was silently noticing all of this standing a little away from them. He somehow felt connected to this girl by some bond but he couldn't pinpoint that.

A staff came there with some clothes for Ayushi which was arranged by Pratibha so that Ayushi could change into some appropriate dress as her earlier dress was torn badly. She thanked her and moved towards the washroom to change her attire.

"How do you know her?" it was Dhruv who asked this question after Ayushi went away towards the washroom. He was quiet all the time.

"She's the same girl who brought me to the hospital that day when I fainted," Dhruv's grandmother explained to him which caused Dhruv to admire Ayushi more.

She was kind too along with her angelic features. He smiled in his mind.

Meanwhile, Ayushi's parents too came inside, in a panicked state. Once they saw that who was standing there, they were shocked and amazed, because Bhopal's most successful business family was standing in front of them, surrounding their ailing daughter.

But to maintain the sad and worried facade on for their daughter, they rushed towards her side and started their drama of how much they are hurt by that Aryan who tried to rape their beloved daughter.

"I cannot believe that he could do such a thing. I thought he was a good boy but so wrong was I," Ayushi's stepmother started crying, hugging Ayushi tightly in her arms and Ayushi was shocked after seeing her parents this touching yet dramatic reaction.

Ayushi had thought that they'd shout at her for breaking this alliance but instead they were mourning for her. She knew something was fishy. She had lived with them for so many years, she was aware of their nature very well.

"Ma, Papa I'm fine," she replied in a weak voice, trying to hide the disgust she had for them in front of others because they were the reason behind her misery today.

"We're so sorry beta for what you've to go through. We should not have allowed him to even go near you. We are really so sorry beta," it was the first time Ayushi was hearing such kind of sweet words out of her father's mouth for her. She literally was so shocked. She didn't know why they were reacting like this, why all this drama at all.

"Nothing happened to her, Sir by God's grace. She's a fighter. She hit that boy and ran away from there, saving her life," Dhiraj spoke deliberately, trying to pacify the parents who were just so shattered.

"But knowing after all this incident, who will marry our daughter? She has been tried to rape, who will want such wife?" it was Ayushi's stepmother's words which shook all of them to the core. Ayushi too was shocked after hearing her mother's words.

Everyone was aware of how society worked. Even a small scar on a girl's life can turn her life upside down, and here she was tried to be raped. Thinking of all these her stepmother started crying loudly, hugging Ayushi tightly in her arms.

"Please dear, don't cry. Ayushi is a very good girl. She'll get the best. Don't worry about that," Dhruv's grandmother spoke in a soft tone, trying to console the crying mother whose daughter was tried to be raped.

"But people will raise a finger against her, they'll ask questions that why the alliance broke? What will we tell them?" it was Ayushi's father this time who spoke in a broken tone.

"Sir, I take responsibility for her marriage. I'll marry her off to the best person. Now, don't pressurize her. She had just suffered a trauma," Dhruv's father swore and Ayushi looked at him with her widened eyes. How much more would they do for her, she was already so much indebted to them as they had only treated her and took care of her when no one was around.

Dhiraj came towards her side and put his hands on her head in a blessing way, "You're like my daughter, Ayushi. I'll find the best groom for you if your parents' concern is that."

After he said that, Ayushi's parents shared a knowing look because the first stage of what they wanted from this family was finally done. They were the most manipulative and greedy people alive, in worse to worst situation, they could still want to make a profit out of anything, either a thing or even a person.

"This is my card. Take it, Beta. Whenever you'll need our help, I'll be there. And Ayushi beta, be careful and always remember that you're a fighter. Always," Dhiraj spoke in a fatherly tone and gave the business card to her, on which his name and his designation along with his company were inscribed beautifully.

All the ladies hugged Ayushi one last time and wished her to be well soon and moved outside.

Dhruv was the last one to move out of the room. He didn't know why, but he didn't want to leave the room. He wanted to stay there in front of her and look at her, but he knew that he had to get out of here. He sighed and moved towards his family who was now dispersing towards the parking area.

"So, you got a big fish this time after hitting that Aryan?" this was Ayushi's father this time who asked this salacious question to his own daughter.

~**•**~

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