4. A favour!

Author's POV 

Mira was sitting at her balcony, staring blankly at the waterfall. The anger was still blazing inside her. 

The stranger entered her holy place with shoes on, crushed her flowers beneath his shoes, touched her, tore her cloth still she was the one to apologise to him. 

She knew that the family hates her but never realised that the stranger holds more value than her.

"जब रोने का मन करे, तो रो लेना चाहिए... हल्का लगता है!" (When you feel like crying, you should cry... It feels light!)

She heard Maya behind her. 

Mira didn't bother to look back at her. 

"कमज़ोर नहीं हूँ मैं" (I am not weak to cry)

She answered in an unbothered tone.

Maya sat beside her and looked at her.

"इतना गुस्सा क्यों, मीरा?... तुम ऐसी नहीं थीं!" (Why so much anger, Mira?... You were not like this!)

"क्या तुम लोग पहले जैसे ही हो?” (Are you people the same as before?)

She asked firmly looking at her.

"तुम जानती हो कि लोग तुम्हारे और तुम्हारे behaviour के वजह से बदले हैं... You can't blame them!" (You know people changed because of you and your behaviour)

Maya sighed.

"You hurt them!"

Mira scoffed and chuckled bitterly.

"Loving a man was a sin. Asking for a happy life was hurting them... Their status was hurt... They loved their reputation more than their daughter... Did I ever matter or was it just a show-off?" 

"अगर ऐसा होता तो हम तुम्हें यहां वापस नहीं लाते!" (If that was the case then we wouldn't have brought you back here!)

Maya argued.

"It's because you didn't want to find me begging on the street..."

Mira smiled bitterly at her. 

"It was also a selfish decision...आपके बाबा नहीं चाहते कि उनकी इज्जत चली जाए." (Your Baba doesn't want his reputation to get spoiled)

She was disgusted.

"And what reputation? He is a bloody criminal!"

She gritted hatefully. 

"मीरा" (Mira!)

Maya warned. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. 

"मुझे पता है कि तुम्हें बहुत कुछ सहना पड़ रहा है...तुमने बहुत कम उम्र में अपने प्यार को खोया है...मुझे पता है कि यह आसान नहीं है!" (I know you are in pain... You have lost someone precious at very young age... I know it's hard!)

"आप लोग इसे मुश्किल बना रहे हो!" (You people are making it hard)

She blamed.

"You didn't rescue me!... You have caged me... This white saree is my prison, I am forced to live like this when I don't want to..."

"तो फिर क्या करना चाहती हो?... उनसे लड़कर मरना चाहती हो?... कहाँ जाना चाहती हो, किसके पास?... तुम जानती हो कि यही होना था, मीरा..."(Then what do you want to do?... You want to fight with them and die?... Where do you want to go, to whom?... You know this was inevitable, Mira...)

Maya rubbed her forehead.

"Only I know, how I am trying to save you from getting murdered... Your father is not here, once he comes then the situation will be under control but till then please don't mess with anyone... I don't trust Baba and Maa with your safety... They don't like you... I am begging you to follow rules and stay away from any problem till your father comes back..."

"Wearing white saree, wandering around like a ghost, living in a room like a prisoner, giving up on dance... What else?..."

She asked madly. 

"They don't leave the smallest chance to humiliate me, Maa... If I want to go out then that old lady says that I am trying to get attention from men, I am characterless... And now when that man touched me, they made me apologize to him... Why?... They are hypocrites!"

She accused.

"बाहर जाके लोगों को देखो... कोई भी इस बकवास को नहीं मानता, वे मुझे ऐसा करने के लिए मजबूर कर रहे हैं क्योंकि वे मुझसे नफरत करते हैं!" (Look around, go and see people... No one follows this bullshit, they are forcing me to do it just because they hate me!)

Maya closed her eyes as tears escaped her eyes. 

"I am sorry, I can't do anything in this... I am helpless, Mira... I just want you to survive... You are my responsibility."

She tried to hug her but Mira didn't let her. Maya looked at her hurt.

"मैं जानती हूं कि जो कुछ भी हुआ उसके लिए तुम मुझ पर गुस्सा हो लेकिन मैं मजबूर थी..." (I know you are mad at me for whatever happened but I was helpless...)

"The least I expected from you was assurance, you couldn't even give me that"

Mira looked at her with her lifeless eyes. 

Maya gulped down the lump in her throat knowing that she couldn't help Mira in the past when she really needed her. 

"I am your culprit... You are not wrong to be mad at me but I just wanted your wellbeing... I never thought that it would turn out like this."

Mira refused to look at her. 

"मीरा, कम से कम मुझसे मुँह तो मत मोड़ो" (Mira, at least look at me!)

She grabbed her arm and saw a blue handprint on her neck.

"Mira?"

She looked at it shocked.

"It's turning blue..."

Mira chuckled.

"You are realising now, how strongly did he choke me?"

Maya quickly grabbed the ointment from the drawer and started applying it on her neck. Mira protested but Maya didn't let her win. 

"तुम्हें क्या लगता है, कि तुम्हें बेरंग कपड़ों में देखना अच्छा लगता है मुझे?" (You think I like seeing you in colourless clothes?)

Tears fell from her eyes. 

"मेरी मीरा लाल रंग में कितनी खूबसूरत लगती है" (My Mira looks so beautiful in red)

"लगती थी!" (Used to look)

Mira looked at her blankly.

"If you are trying to make me cry then you are not going to succeed... I don't have any tears left in me, Maa... Please leave me alone..."

Maya sighed.

"I didn't give birth to you but I am still your mother, Mira... I have loved you like my own daughter since you were kept on my lap after your mother's death... Don't be so hard on yourself,  it's hurting me..."

She walked out of the room and wiped her tears.

"पत्थर हो गई है ये लड़की" (She has become so emotionless.)

Mira touched her neck and gritted.

"Watch out your hands, Mr. Damon... You won't be having them after a few days."

She was not going to let it slide easily.

Damon was sitting at the dining table and was eating his food silently. 

Kalindi looked at his cheek and got furious.

"हाथ से निकल रही है ये लड़की.  इतनी बड़ी गलती, वो भी इतने important guest के साथ?" (She is going out of our hands... This is a big mistake!... She did this to our important guest?)

Everyone was silent. Yashraaj ignored them so did Damon and Yang. 

(माँ, उसने पहले उसे छुआ...इसमें उसकी गलती नहीं है" (Maa, he touched her first... It's not her fault!"

Maya tried to explain. 

"उसे लड़के के पास जाने किसने बोला... उसे हमेशा अपने आस-पास के लड़कों से attention चाहिए होता है" (Who told her to go near him... Always needs attention from men around her)

She shook her head disappointed. 

"जैसी माँ, वैसी बेटी" (Like mother like daughter!)

"माँ" (Maa!)

Maya looked at her in disbelief. She knows that Kalindi never liked Mira's mother.

"उर्वशी अब नहीं रही, कम से कम उसके बारे में बुरा तो मत कहो" (Urvashi is not anymore, at least don't say bad things about her)

"जो भी हो, बस अपनी लाडली बेटी की ये गड़बड़ ठीक कर दो... ये deal मेरे रूद्र के लिए ज़रूरी है" (Whatever, just fix this mess of your favourite daughter... This deal is important for my Rudra.)

She dismissed. 

"और अपनी लड़की से कहो कि जब तक यह लड़का न चला जाए तब तक वह अपने कमरे से बाहर न निकले" (And ask your girl not to come out of her room until this man leaves the country.)

"माँ, ये ठीक नहीं है... उस पर पहले से ही बहुत restrictions हैं... उसके साथ ये सब करने के लिए दिल नहीं मानता" (Maa, this is unfair to her... She already has so many restrictions... I don't have the heart to do this to her.)

Maya shook her head.

"उसे आजादी देने का नतीज़ा हम सबने देखा है... पहले अपनी माँ को खा गई, फिर बाप को, फिर पति को... महनूस है ये लड़की" (Her freedom has always created trouble for us... First she killed her mother, then father and then husband... She is bad luck, I am telling you...)

Kalindi said hatefully.

"और नहीं सुन सकती, बेटी है मेरी" (She is my daughter, can't take this anymore.)

Maya sadly got up from the table and walked away. 

(ये लोग मीरा के साथ ऐसा क्यों कर रहे हैं" (Why are they so harsh with Mira?...)

Durga whispered to Tara. 

"मीरा को भी अपना गुस्सा कंट्रोल करना चाहिए, बच्ची नहीं है अब वो" (Mira should also control her anger... She is not a kid anymore)

Tara sighed. 

"But I think Damon shouldn't have touched her"

Durga looked at her sadly.

"I am sure there must be some misunderstanding... He looks like a gentleman... I am not saying that Mira is wrong but I think he is not a bad man..."

"माफिया है वो, सपने देखना बंद कर" (He is a mafia... Stop dreaming!)

Tara shook her head. 

Durga looked at his cheek.

"कितने जोर से मारा है मीरा ने, उसका गाल लाल हो गया है" (See how badly Mira has slapped him... His skin has turned red...)

She choked when she ate chilly by mistake and coughed. 

Damon slid his glass of water in front of her and she blushed at him while drinking the water. He smiled back and focused on his food.

"देख, कितना अच्छा है" (See, he is so sweet...)

She looked at Tara. 

Yashraaj looked at Damon awkwardly.

"Are you liking the food?"

Damon nodded at him.

"It's good!"

He didn't talk much. 

"बाबा, आपको क्या लगता है कि वह deal cancel कर देगा?" (Baba, do you think he is going to cancel the deal?)

Uday whispered to him. 

"चुप बैठो, सुन लेगा" (Shut up, he will hear you!)

He scolded lowly. 

"हिंदी नहीं आती उसको" (He can't understand Hindi.)

He replied back. 

(उम्मीद है कि वह नहीं करेगा, वरना अब तक वह वापस चला जाता... लेकिन अगर उसने cancel कर दिया तो मैं मीरा को मार डालूंगा... If she can't become an asset then I won't let her become a liability either!" (There is a hope that he won't, or else he would have returned back by now... But if he cancels the deal then I am going to kill Mira...)

He stated.

Durga gulped when she heard their whisper.  

Damon got up and looked at Yashraaj.

"See you in the morning for the meeting. Good night!"

He smirked and walked to his room. 

He freshened up and came out of the washroom when he saw Durga at the door.

"Yes?"

He frowned at her. 

She smiled awkwardly at him.

"Can I come in?"

He raised his eyebrows.

"Can you?... Be careful, they will put you in prison for coming to the man's room this late."

He mocked. 

She laughed.

"True but everyone must be sleeping by now... Here! Ice for you... It will help you with the___"

She cleared her throat awkwardly. 

"One sister slaps and the other puts ice on it?"

He took the ice from her with the smirk. 

"Thanks!"

"Mr. Damon!"

She gulped.

"Call me Damon... I don't like when beautiful girls do formalities..."

He smirked and she blushed furiously. 

"Thanks!"

She smiled.

"Can I ask for a favour?"

He nodded.

"If I can do it!"

"Don't cancel the deal, please!"

She pleaded.

"I heard Baba saying that he will Kill Mira... I know you must be furious at her but she is already suffering enough... I am sure there must be some misunderstanding otherwise Mira never raises her hand on anyone... She is still young and she is dealing with so much, she is disturbed!..."

"Is she?"

Damon smirked. 

"Okay, if you say so then I won't cancel the deal..."

"Really?"

She smiled happily.

"Thank you so much... You are so sweet!"

"Good night!"

He winked at her and she blushed again.

"Good night!"

She walked out of the room. 

Yang saw the girl coming out of Damon's room when he was walking to his room. He frowned at Damon.

"What was she doing here?"

He asked scared, thinking that Damon fucked her. 

"She is not my type, Yang!"

Damon rolled his eyes. 

"But you don't have a type!"

Yang accused. 

"That's what you think!"

Damon took off his shirt and tossed it on the bed. 

"I only fuck those women who knows that it's one time thing. I am not a man who can be with one woman for the rest of his life... This girl!.."

He pointed at the door.

"Who just walked out of the room is typical, delusional and lives in dreamland... The girl who would imagine the whole life with the man if he talks sweetly to her... I don't touch these types of women, they break easily and I don't like to break women."

He smirked.

"Or maybe that's what I thought because there is someone whom I really want to break!"

He touched his cheek.

"Maybe she can be an exception... I would love to see her break..."

"She is a widow and what I have heard is already bad... She is living a shit life... What worse you can do?... Man, just finalize the deal and let's go from here..."

Yang huffed. 

"She is living in hell but she is not broken, Yang"

Damon looked out of the window towards the place where she slapped him. 

"There is a fire in her big eyes... They dazzle, they blaze and I want to test it... I want to snatch that fire from her eyes."

He smirked evilly.

"She will be my exception, my distraction!"