Chapter 3

*Premila Pov* 

“How many times do I just have to tell you not to come home like this? Next year will be the final. Do you really want to score bad?” I asked, folding my arms when she entered the house. 

“I will score ok.” She said, fidgeting with her hands. 

“You shouldn’t come home every week, Mridula.” I said in a stern voice. 

“I did come home only on holidays in the first year, but you didn’t take care of yourself at all.” She mumbled walking near to me. 

“And you can take care of me?” I asked her raising my eyebrow. 

“I try to.” She replied, and I shook my head. 

“Go and freshen up. In a few minutes, food will be served.” I said before walking away not saying anything else to her. 

“Mom! Dad! I need to talk with you guys.” I heard Aahil’s voice and looked up from the books to see him entering the library. 

“What is it?” Abivanth asked him. 

“Shreya is pregnant.” Aahil replied, and we both sat stunned in our places. 

“What?” I asked, standing up. 

“She is pregnant and I thought of marrying her.” He replied looking down. 

“You are right. Otherwise, this will have a bad effect on your career, which didn’t even start." Abivanth said nodding. 

“Getting a girl pregnant outside the marriage? I expected better from you, Aahil.” I said, staring at him with disappointment and walked away. 

“What happened?” Mridula asked when I entered the guest house. 

I explained everything, and she sat stunned in her place. She slowly stood up and gave me water before sitting before me. 

“Everything will be fine.” She said, assuring me. 

“Promise me that you will not do such stupid things at all.” I said threatening her remembering the way Dileep started his relations along with the company. 

“I would never! I want kids, but I want them with my husband.” She said smiling. 

“What did you think about that?” I asked knowing she would not be my daughter-in-law. 

I couldn’t make her marry Dileep with his way of living with mistresses, one after the other and then Aahil with him marrying his best friend. And Tajwar is out of the question with the age difference. 

“After finishing the studies, I will go for a job. When you find some nice groom for me, I will marry him and show them how you gave me the knowledge about the way a home is made.” She replied and continued to talk while I listened in silence. 

“I wish!” I mumbled smiling at her, to which she frowned but continued to talk. 

“Finally, everything is finished.” Mridula mumbled from beside me, and I nodded, feeling tired with all the work. 

“Without your help, I wouldn’t have made even half of it.” I said, glancing at the arrangements for the wedding tomorrow. 

“Mom!” I heard Aahil’s voice and then glanced to see him walking near to me. 

“Ask him what he wants to say.” I said turning towards Mridula. 

“Shreya is not pregnant at all.” His words made me turn towards him with wide eyes. 

“What do you mean?” I asked him not believing his words. 

“This was all a trap to marry me. I asked for a doctor’s test today morning and said I will accompany her. She was not able to add any new ideas and blurted out the truth.” He replied. 

“Mridula! Cancel all the arrangements.” I said before walking towards the door already knowing a big scandal lurking around our heads with this news. 

“Why did you do it, Shreya?” I asked after entering her flat. 

“For money!” She replied shrugging. 

“For money? You will fall this low?” I asked her frowning as I always liked her when she came along with Aahil to visit us. 

“Don’t be shocked, Aunty. It is your family’s fault to be in that place. Each and every person’s mind will turn greed after knowing about your wealth and name. I was a good friend to him, but I wanted more in my life.” She replied rolling her eyes. 

“Don’t say stupid things to cover your mistake.” I said glaring at her. 

“I am not saying anything stupid. Trust me on this, Aunty. Each girl around your sons lurks only for your wealth.” She said, and I walked away repeating her words in my head. 

When I got down from the car, I saw Tajwar getting down from him while staring at the decorations which are being removed. 

“Tajwar!” I called walking near to him, to which he turned around smiling. 

“Mom! Why are they removing the decorations?” he asked and I sighed. 

“It is a long story, but I am so happy you came to visit. You know, there are mining industries even in this city.” I replied to which he grinned. 

“You got your wish. I decided to shift here completely.” He said and I immediately smiled. 

“That is really great.” I said and turned to see a girl standing near us. 

“Mom! She is my girlfriend Lavanya. She is the reason for me to settle here.” Tajwar said, gesturing her to move near to us. 

“Let us go inside.” I said after she folded her arms before me and stood in silence. 

“Where is Mridula?” I asked Aahil seeing him sitting alone at the dining table. 

“I guess to tell the decorators and see to that the decorations are removed.” He replied shrugging. 

“Why are they doing that?” Tajwar asked. 

“He will tell you.” I replied, walking away and entered the kitchen to lean on the platform. 

One girl walked away without getting her wish fulfilled and now another girl is here. Maybe he is not that serious about her. 

No matter what, I will not allow any of my son fall for any of bad women who have more interest in the money. 

“Tajwar! Show me your mansion.” I heard the girl’s voice. 

“Wait for some time, Lavanya. My Bhai needs me.” He said politely and then talked with Aahil. 

“Where will we stay when we get married?” She asked looking around. 

“Marriage?” I asked, frowning at them. 

“I wanted to tell you soon, Mom. I proposed her, and we thought of getting married this month itself.” Tajwar replied smiling at me. 

“I will not accept.” I stated looking at them. 

“Mom?” he asked, frowning at me. 

“I will not accept this relation and will even make your Dad not accept this. If you say against it, then you will be removed from the family.” I replied in a stern voice, and he just stared at me. 

“Do you think I care, Mom?” He asked frowning. 

“Tajwar! I need to go.” The girl said and walked away with him following her. 

“Are you happy now, Mom? She doesn’t want to create problems in our family, so she is leaving me.” Tajwar shouted entering the house. 

“I am sure there is another reason for it.” I said, feeling contempt that I am right in this situation. 

“No! I will not leave this matter, Mom. I love her and will marry only her.” He said before climbing the stairs. 

“When will this day end.” I mumbled, rubbing my forehead. 

“Aunty! Everything is over along with a refund. You need not necessarily to worry about it anymore. I even called the guests saying the bride doesn’t want this marriage.” I heard Mridula’s voice reaching me and saw her entering the living room. 

“I am sane, just because of you.” I mumbled even though she can’t listen to it. 

“Mom!” I heard Aahil’s shouting the next-day morning and turned to see him running towards me when I entered the home after sending off Mridula for her college as she already missed a few weeks because of arrangements. 

“What happened?” I asked him frowning. 

“Tajwar Bhai ran away.” He replied before giving me the letter. 

“What? Why did he do it?” Abivanth asked, walking near to us. 

“I said no to him marrying his girlfriend. He left home to marry her.” I replied after reading the letter. 

“We need to find him.” He said and held me when I felt a little dizzy. 

“Yes! Find him soon. I have a bad feeling in my heart.” I said, frowning at the letter. 

                               

*Tajwar Pov* 

“What are you doing here, Tajwar?” Lavanya asked with a tear-stained face after opening the hotel room door. 

“I am here to be with my love.” I replied holding her face. 

“But your Mom doesn’t want it.” She said shaking her head. 

“I don’t care! Your parents accepted us, and I want to live with you anywhere. Let us go somewhere and live happily.” I said holding her hands. 

“We will not be safe.” She said and started sobbing. 

“What do you mean?” I asked her frowning. 

“He will find me and kill me, Tajwar. We cannot live without your family support.” She replied and continued to sob. 

“I don’t understand.” I said still not understanding her words and suddenly felt something hitting my head hard. 

I heard her screaming my name, but I lost my consciousness. Will that person harm her? I thought before entering the darkness. 

I groaned opening my eyes to see myself tied to the wall in the standing position and then glanced around looking at the old warehouse. 

“Lavanya!” I shouted and then heard a moan to see her tied to a chair with little conscious, but finally she opened her eyes. 

“Where are we?” I asked her trying to remove my bounds. 

“I don’t know! They gave me chloroform on the way here.” She replied and leaned back. 

“How did the hotel management allowed them to bring me here without any doubt?” I asked hoping I get to remove the wire. 

“They threatened me saying they will kill you if I make any sound. They managed the staff saying you are feeling ill and are being taken to the hospital." She explained but shivered in her place. 

“Who did this? And why?” I asked her feeling the blood coming out of the wrists where the wire is tied. 

“In my city, a guy liked me, and I thought he was nice, but later I got to know that he is a goon. He is not accepting that I don’t want to marry him and was behind me for the past few years. I lived in fear until I met you, but now you are in danger too. I thought with your family name, you could save me and yourself.” She said crying. 

“Ahh! It seems like love birds have waken up.” I heard a voice before I could say anything to her. 

“Who the hell are you?” I shouted at him. 

“Her future husband.” He replied, shrugging and then smiled at her. 

“Leave her alone.” I shouted when he placed his hand around her shoulder. 

“Will you marry me, Lavanya?” he asked, ignoring me while I put more pressure to remove the bounds. 

“Never!” She replied and he immediately slapped her. 

“I told you that you have to do what I ask you to. Now, will you marry me and love me?” He asked again. 

“I don’t love you. I love only Tajwar. And I prefer death than you.” She spatted and I called her hoping she controls herself. 

“Beat him!” He ordered to the two men, and they immediately started beating me, while she screamed for them to stop. 

“It is really bad that you have such a wish. But I always said I will fulfill your wishes. We will see if you can change your wish or not, but before that there is a small gift for both of you.” He said before taking out a knife, and I immediately started shouting while he pointed it on her arm. 

“Ahh!” She screamed when he made a small line with it. 

“How can I forget you?” he asked, walking near to me and moved the knife in a long line on my chest, slicing it while I gritted my teeth with pain, and he walked away after that. 

“I thought we would be safe.” She whispered groaning with pain while I didn’t make any sound not wanting to make her feel bad. 

“We will be fine.” I mumbled remembering my family. 

“I don’t want to die. I want to marry you and live happily.” She said staring at me. 

“It will happen. My family will find us.” I said in confidence she looked down not believing the words, but I didn’t let it affect my belief. 

“I shouldn’t have left the city. I had a restraining order on him there, but not outside. I shouldn’t have come here.” She repeated and I fought against falling into an unconscious state, hoping we were found soon.