" I live for my dreams.., But if, they are shattered.. Then, what's the cost of being alive??"

~ MAYA MALHOTRA

🥀___AUTHOR'S POV___🥀

It was time for maya to leave her home and have to go to another house, the home where her husband belongs.

She has to follow him now, in every step he takes, she has to agree with him whatever he says, she has to bear everything that she hasn't seen yet..

Everyone was helping to place her bags on the back side of the car , while —she was just staring at her home with sad teary eyes , the eyes which was having a dream to fulfill and fly in freedom , that was shattering in front of her eyes.

She was devastated, —

but she doesn't have any option but to follow her father but now , she has to follow her husband and his family.

Her lips were trembling, she was crying by her heart , she was soaked in tears, her throat was in pain because of crying so much.

Her eyes and brain both were crying and —imagining her freedom life before going to lock in a golden cage for forever.

She was imagining a happy freedom of her, she was imagining her mother with her talking with her, playing with her ..

She was imagining the time when she, her mother and father were together, happy .

But in the end, it was all her imagination which was giving her happiness for a minute— But she already knew that it is not possible now, and she was going to be dependent on someone else for her whole life.

MAYA - M.. mummy..I ..I lost it..! I failed.. it's over!! S...sorry mummy..

She was lost in her own world that time a tap on her shoulder made her come back to her reality.

She looks towards that person and that was her husband, she looks at him in innocence and just stares at him while— he looks at her for some minutes and then— he touches her cheek and wipes off the tears and patted her head.

KHUSHAAL - Crying? Not suits you, anyways every girl cries when she leaves her home because of marriage.

MAYA - I..I am n..not crying.. because..

KHUSHAAL - We can talk later, we should head now..! Let's go!

He holds her wrist and walks towards their car and makes her sit inside the car and he, himself sits inside the driving seat and starts the car and drives off to their destination while everyone outside the car is staring at the car.

Maya looked towards her family but, she regretted looking at them because that didn't even look at her for the last time not even her father.

They were talking to the guest, laughing like —she was no one to them, and it's true though they didn't even treat her well.

But —she was still looking at them from the side window which was showing them.

KHUSHAAL - unki taraf dekhna, tumhe hi dard dega hamesha, mat dekho!

( Looking at them, will only give you pain, don't look!)

While saying he looked at her but there were no expressions at all at her face , a straight face with so much emotion but can't express it at all.

She was looking outside of the window where fresh air was touching her skin making her comfortable on the seat.

Khushaal focused on the road while driving, it takes them 2 hours to come to their home. He parked his car while the other members went inside the house to prepare everything for their daughter in law.

He opened the gate of Maya's side and helped her to come out of the car. After that, khushaal's grandmother did aarti of both .

SANGEETA - Beti , iss chawal se bhare kalash ko girao apne per se uske baad iss aalte me apne dono pairo ko iss thaal me rakho uske baad apna ek pair phele rakhna phir dhire dhire aage badhna .

( Daughter , this pitcher full of rice drops down it with your leg and then puts your both feet on this aalta plate and moves on with your first leg and slowly slowly moves forward.)

MAYA - k..kyu?? (W.. why??)

Everyone including Khushaal looks at her in a confusing way.

SUMITA - kya matlab? Har bahu yeh karti hai jab apne sasuraal aati hai tumhe bhi yeh karna hoga. Tum is ghar ki laxmi ho..

( What do you mean? Every daughter in law does this when they get into their in-law's house you also have to do this. You are the Laxmi of this house.)

For some minutes—maya didn't say anything she only looked downwards and then, she looked at khushaal —with her cute innocent eyes and so he looked at her .

They were making eye contact but maya then looks elsewhere and—hold her lehenga upwards and drop down the pitcher while everyone sighs in relief and smiles brightly and the younger ones start clapping and smiling brightly,

then, maya move forward to the plate and places her both feet on the plate and move her right leg first and then left leg and starts to move forward and so khushaal's family move forward.

Khushaal's grandmother takes both of them to the temple first , maya lights up the temple lamp and both of them do the aarti and take blessings from the god and move on to their room .

While the others also went to their respective rooms.

🥀___KHUSHAAL'S POV___🥀

After all the rituals we finally went to our room , I take a shower to take out all my tiredness after 20 mins I came back to my room, to find— maya struggling with her hair pins.

I chuckled and move towards her , her back was facing me and she was trying to take out all the pins.

I stood behind her and touched her hands that made her startled— and she looks at me from the mirror while I look at her .

She removed her hands from my hold and I ask her for her permission and she nods — and I begin removing all the pins that were already messed up in her hair.

She hisses a little bit but at last— I remove all the pins and her hairs opens making her look more beautiful ,

her little cute baby hairs in front of her face making her looking cute.

She moved aside— and stand in a little distance from me giving me more view to look at her .

She is looking gorgeous in the bridal dress that I gifted her for the wedding.

The orange colour— It makes her enhance it more, the beauty she adapts in herself she didn't even know .

The nuptial chain, the vermillion, the bangles all she was wearing is for me. I proudly look at her that “she is mine” , I achieved her.

MAYA - B..bathroom.. c..can I..use it ?

KHUSHAAL - Yeah go..

MAYA - By the way.., I was cr..crying b.. because of a..a prom..promise that I was..wasn't able to m..make t..to my mumma , n.. nothing else..

She runs away and locks the bathroom's door from inside while I couldn't understand what she said and why she said.. she doesn't even talk to me clearly always shivering and stuttering while saying .

How am I supposed to control my temper in front of this innocent girl??

I sigh —and lay down on my bed and some times later I dozed off .

NEXT MORNING...

The next morning I woke up , I look at my phone and it was five in the morning.

I always wake up early in the morning to go to the gym and take out all my stress there for like one to two hours daily.

I look at my other side of the bed and didn't find maya there— there was not a crease at all on the other side of the bed.

I find it strange and roam my eyes around the room and the thing is she was nowhere.

I sit up on the bed, when I was standing up —my toe felt something which made me startled .

I look downwards and the scene make my eyes widen in shock — maya was laying on the floor and shivering because of the cold , the ac temperature was down and the room was so cold .

I quickly turn off the ac and kneel down and touch her forehead to see if she has a fever or not.

I sigh in relief that— she is okay , I shake her and she opens her eyes and sits up abruptly and looks downwards while —she was sliding back to have some distance from me.

I didn't like it at all , is she scared of me or what?? I sigh and ask her..

KHUSHAAL - Why are you laying on the floor , don't you have any idea you will get a fever if you lay down here..

MAYA - S..sorry b..but I..I h..have ha..habit of la..laying on the floor. I..will n..not do it a.. again..

KHUSHAAL - Habit?? Don't you have your own room in your home?

MAYA - It is there.. umm..I..I should go n..now.

She stands up and runs away to the bathroom.

KHUSHAAL - (MIND THOUGHT :- I couldn't understand her behaviour. Is it a bad idea ? I think I shouldn't scold her , she is scared)

___________________________

🥀____MAYA'S POV____🥀

I ran towards the bathroom after he scold me .

I am scared of him and what my stepmother said is —still ringing on my head , that is why I am making distance from him .

I don't like him , I don't like that old man . He takes my everything from me , he destroyed everything that I was supposed to dream and working hard for it.

I hate him!!!

I take one hour for myself and came out of the bathroom wearing a red suit that was giving by his family's side .

I look around the room and didn't find him —I sigh in relief .

I sit on the bed for some minutes patiently and then, the click sound of the door handle and — I abruptly stands up and try to run away because —I don't want to face anyone right now.

But, as always my luck wasn't on my side and I got caught by a sudden heavy voice of a man .

I stopped at my place , my hands and legs were shivering but I can't do anything.

"Caught you little rabbit!"

The man said and it was him.

While shivering I slowly turned around and find him staring at me with a smirk .

MAYA - W..wo me n..niche jaane wali thi..

( U..um i was about to go d.. downstairs)

KHUSHAAL - Hmm.. I don't think that was the route to go downstairs little rabbit.

MAYA - Sorry..

KHUSHAAL - There is nothing about to say sorry okay. By the way you are looking beautiful little rabbit. You can go.

When he said to go my legs automatically runs to go away and not to see him again.

But —why is he calling me little rabbit??

Am I looking like rabbit?? Uff!!

~ To be continued...

_______❤️🪄🦢🍾🥀🔥_______

Heyyyy my cute little fellows!!

I know , this time I am late posting the chapter, I genuinely apologize to you all😭

I thought to write more but I couldn't because I want to continue it in next chapter that's why !

Anyways, the chapter is out read it and tell me how you think it is and tell me in the comments

so that I can view your side thoughts..

Till then comment and vote and stay tuned for the next chapter and ignore my grammatical mistakes and words mistake 🥺

Byeeeeee

Love you all!

💌