CHAPTER 8
The next day,
Prisha left Shaurya's house as her mother returned. Meanwhile, Shaurya was sitting in his cabin, consumed with thoughts of Prisha.
He was thinking about Prisha, whensomeone entered his cabin, he shouted, "I told you not to disturb me!" He stopped in the mid, upon seeing his best friend and asked in a teasing tone, "What happened, bro? What’s got you upset? Is your dad gave you punishment?"
"Shivay, don’t talk rubbish. I’m not in the mood," Shaurya said, glaring at his best friend.
Shivay sighed and asked with concern, "What happened, Shaurya?"
"Dad wants me to marry that Prisha. How can he think I would marry her? I hate that girl. And you know, she talked back to me last night. She used to act like she was
the most innocent girl in the world, but yesterday, she shouted at me. Can you believe it?" Shaurya was ranting about Prisha, but stopped when he saw Shivay looking at him with wide eyes. "What happened?" he asked.
"I’m surprised. I mean, I thought you’d be worried about Tina, that you’d talk about how you felt jealous and how difficult it is for you to live in the house. And look at you, all you’re talking about is your ex-girlfriend’s sister," Shivay said, looking genuinely astonished.
Shaurya was stunned hearing this. Prisha was affecting him in ways he didn't understand. He didn’t believe in this marriage, so why was she on his mind? He was surprised to realize he hadn’t thought about Tina since her marriage. All he was thinking about Prisha, after Tina's marriage.
He came out of his trance when Shivay asked, "What happened, Shaurya? Why is this girl bothering you?" Shaurya took a deep breath and told him everything.
"What? You married her? How could you do this?" Shivay asked, shocked.
“I was drunk, but she was in her senses. If she wanted, she could have stopped me. But no! She wanted all this
because she’s a gold digger, just like her sister,” Shaurya said, gritting his teeth.
Shivay closed his eyes, stood up from his chair, and said, “Shaurya, you’re sick. You did wrong to that girl, and instead of apologizing, you’re blaming her. Be a man, Shaurya! Correct your mistake and accept her as your wife.”
“Shut up, Shivay! You don’t have to teach me,” Shaurya retorted angrily.
Shivay sighed and walked toward the door. He stopped and turned back to Shaurya, saying, “Shaurya, you’re wronging an innocent girl. I’m scared you’ll pay for this. Think about it.” With that, he walked out of the cabin.
In a fit of rage, Shaurya threw everything off the table and yelled, “Prisha, you’ve taken my only true friend from me. I won’t let you get away with this.” He grabbed his phone and dialed her number. When she answered, he spat out, “You’ve spoiled my life. I hate you so much.”
He cut the call, leaving Prisha shocked, confused and hurt. She closed her eyes and prayed, “Why is he doing this? Please, God, help me. I don’t want to see him ever again. Please, protect me from him.”
One Week Later
Prisha walked out of her college and was about to call an auto when she saw Shaurya’s father approaching. She wanted to run, sensing he was about to say something that would disturb her life. Before she could react, he said, "Come inside the car, I’ll drop you. We need to talk."
"I don’t want to talk to you," she retorted and started walking away. But he stopped her, adding, "Go ahead, but remember your sister will pay for your mistake." Prisha froze and then silently walked toward the car. She hates these Rawat's, always blackmail her.
Shaurya’s father smirked as he sat inside the car. "How was your exam?" he asked.
"Please don’t beat around the bush. What do you want?" Prisha replied, barely controlling her anger. She hated this—first his son blackmailed her, and now his father was doing the same.
"I want you to marry my son," he stated bluntly.
"I told you, I don’t want to marry him," she replied firmly. She couldn’t imagine spending her life with a monster.
"As expected, nobody wants to marry a man like my son," he said sadly, then continued, "Prisha, my son is impulsive. He makes hasty decisions without thinking about the consequences. I want you to marry him because I believe you can change him. You can make him a better person."
"I am not a rehabilitation center that will change your son," she snapped at him angrily.
His father sighed, feeling bad for her, but he has to do this for his son. He can't let his son spoiled his life like this. He took a deep breath and said, determined to help his son,"Prisha, I’m not giving you an option. I know Shaurya thinks I hate him, but he’s my son. I want him to become a better person and settle down. After Tina’s betrayal, he would never marry anyone else. But you are like a blessing. He already married you, so it’s easier to convince him to marry you."
Prisha listened silently. She knew he was worried about his spoiled son, but she couldn’t sacrifice her life. She took a deep breath and said, "I can’t marry him. It’s hard for me to stay with him for even a few seconds, and you want me to spend my whole life with him? My answer is no. I will never marry your heartless and arrogant son."
"Prisha, please. I’m sure my son will change," he pleaded, but she didn’t budge. She was about to leave the car when he said, "Your mother is ill. She needs money for her bypass surgery. I can give you the money if you agree to marry him."
"I can arrange the money for my mother. You don’t have to worry," she said. But before she could say more, he continued, "Prisha, you can arrange money? In how many years? One, two, three…?"
Prisha stayed silent, and he pressed on, "You need at least five years to arrange the money. Your mother’s condition is not good; she needs the surgery within six months. We both need each other’s help. You need my help for your mother, and I need your help for my son."
The car stopped in front of Prisha’s house. He said, "Think carefully, not just about yourself but about your mother too. You have two days. Your decision will not only affect your mother’s future but also your sister’s. Remember, Rakesh loves me so much and never says no to anything." Understanding the meaning behind his words, she stepped out of the car and walked into the house.
As she entered, a neighbor stopped her. "Prisha, my child, your mother had chest pain and is in the hospital." Scared, Prisha rushed to the hospital.
Prisha was sitting in doctor's cabin, the doctor said, "Prisha, your mother is fine now, but please try to arrange the money fast. It’s dangerous for her health. We need to operate her as soon as possible." Prisha nodded and walked out of the cabin.
She was in her mother's ward, looking at her mother lying on the hospital bed. She wondered why life was so cruel to her. She had never done anything wrong to anyone, yet life kept testing her. And this was the toughest test of her life. On one side, it was her mother’s life; on the other, it was her own.
Marrying Shaurya meant ruining her life. He would never let her live peacefully. But she couldn’t lose her mother. She held her mother’s hand and said, "Mom, I’m ready to do anything for you. You are precious to me, and I’m ready to jump into hell for you." She kissed her forehead and walked outside, calling Shaurya’s father to inform him of her decision. She knew she was ruining her life and would never be happy again, now trapped with the devil. She said,"I am ready to marry your son, but please arrange money for my mother's treatment."
Within two hours, Shaurya’s father had arranged the money for her mother’s operation and brought in the world’s best doctor for her mother's treatment. She was happy for her mother, forgetting all her worries.
She was sitting with Tina, in front ofher mother's ward.
"See, my father-in-law is such a nice person. He arranged the world’s best doctor for Mom," Tina boasted arrogantly and walked toward the canteen.Prisha looked at Shaurya’s father, who was busy talking to the doctor. Despite everything, she didn’t regret her decision. Her mother was safe, and the operation was successful.
Shaurya’s father walked over to her and said, "You don’t have to worry. Your mother is fine. She will be under observation for 72 hours, and after that, she can go home. I’ve arranged for the best nurse to take care of her."
"Thank you so much. Thank you for saving my mother’s life," she said, tears in her eyes and hands joined in gratitude. Shaurya’s father felt a pang of guilt; he knew he was doing wrong to this innocent girl, but he was selfish for his son’s sake. He patted her head and said, "Take care of your mother. After this month, I will discuss your and Shaurya’s marriage with her." Prisha didn’t respond and walked back to her mother’s ward.