2]A Luck Like Mine

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The devil has roared and the destiny has befallen. I could shed tears but could not hide away from the inevitable fate.

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-Selene

“Hello” The monster on another side of the call responded.

The call was picked and a flat, stentorian sound followed. He sounded ruthless and rude. Freaky and scary.

“K.T there is a problem. There are two young girls in the Marvel family. The one we researched about is a cancer patient and could die anytime. The second girl is not a suitable match. She is not…..” Before he could finish speaking his boss yelled aloud.

“Stop this discussion, I am not this free to discuss these frivolous matters. How does it matter as long as the girl belongs to the Marvel clan and is living finalise the wedding. Don’t call me again.” He snipped.

Listening to it my throbbing heart seems to lose all its momentum, it felt lifeless and frightening.

“So, it is final you are going to marry him.” The life has turned upside down.

“Marry him, No. No….There are million other girls ask him to marry any one of them and let our family be at peace.” I yelled. Normally my lips would have been sealed and freezed in such a tense situation. But at least for the first time, I was fighting for myself.

“I won’t marry a Mafia.” I declared, I forgot I ought to have no tongue to speak but a neck to comply.

The girl too timid to whisper a NO was here standing at gunpoint and revolting like a courageous girl.

Even the tiniest and timidiest toads fight for life and run when are in a situation of extreme danger. I was faced with one.

"Saying a No to marry him. Where did you find such obscene courage?" He said revolving the gun in the air.

With frantic nervous breath and a fast pacing heart, I was trying hard to face the eternities of turmoil.

“We could have mutated you into tiny pieces had your life was not this importance to K.T” The leader exploded, he gave me a fiery look which was enough to dissect me into pieces.

“I would die instead of marrying a heartless murderer, a sadist and criminal.” I can’t stop myself from saying these words. My little shivering heart values love, for me marriage is a holy union. I can’t spoil the virtue of this word marriage by marrying a man like him. 

He is the deserter, the one who spoiled uncountable lives dragged them to sorrow. He might have committed so many sinuous deeds. The one who could kidnap my father for such a silly task. This person is utter nonsense and unworthy of pure love. The dark dungeon of blood, power, money he has surrounded himself with, would be strangulating me each second.

God forbid, I could not even think what kind of person he must be, his life, his ways, non-existent values.

I had listened to stories of warfare and dacoits, bloodshed and peaceless life.

“You would have better died, but you are lucky that you are getting a chance to marry him. Look at you ugly soul.”  He said keeping back the gun in his leather pocket. He turned signalled the companions and all left to exit the door.

“I won’t…..” Before I could complete my words he turned back, flipped his sleeves and gave me an intimidating look.

"We would be here to fetch you within an hour or two, pretty less time to spend with your family. Be ready in this bridal attire.” He pointed towards the dress and a man came forward handing over the dress to me. Parting his dry pale lips he spoke about the path to my coffin.

Girls normally have so many dreams about their wedding attire, but I stood there carrying the weighted dress which has deserted my life. Thorny and pricky. The dress symbolises nothing more to me other than the shackles of boundations, and the sharp edged  knife which was stroking my heart. 

Bounded and deserted. That’s what I felt.

I never had wings to fly, nor did I dreamt of an amazing life to live. But I never expected that my zeal to live will be seized and I had to marry a person I never knew, I never saw or understand. He won’t be a good human for sure, let it go the debate of being a good husband.

With wide horrid eyes, fixed on my pale face I gawked. What! Now. Within some hour. What an untold, unforeseen, never thought of tragedy is going to happen to my life... 

Words denied to leave my mouth, it was just tears….tears..rolling down and down..sailing through the ocean of fathomless grief.

I tried to speak, but it was failed attempt, I tried hard but only ended up opening and closing my lips in a wreck, nerves shattered with apprehensions.

“Just some hour, Get ready. If you want your father safe and sound accept the reality and don’t try to run away. Your father life in return for your life bounded by our master for a year. Quite good deal.” He mocked and remarked, in an alarming voice.

If you want your father safe…."MARRY HIM"….the words kept echoing in my ears. Loud, pricky and dangerous.

The world went blank, things became incomprehensible and a lot twisted to be understood, life had taken a harsh turn and things are badly entangled.

My ears could register the receding faint noises of footsteps it felt like a storm has recently blown away. Deserting things, shaking the ground beneath my feet.

I looked around to find Cadie standing at one corner and Mariah at the stairs. She was listening to it all. She might have been rejoicing it all.

In the muddle between what shall I do, fight the fate or accept the unknown I climbed the stairs, to reach my room. I could listen to the voices of my Mom calling me, probably an approaching taunt to worsen the matters. I ignored the voices of the outer world, I wanted some peace with my inner world.

Stepping inside the room closing the door I jumped on my bed, digging my face into my pillow. To hide tears? but already there is no one to witness then. My father who loved me the most is far away from me. In danger and amidst the devil.

I had the key to the prison on the condition that I would become the captive to enter an unknown wild along with the devil soul.

My only string of attachment and love in this big drowsing world, I can't afford a single pain levied on him.

I am asked to marry a Mafia to save my father what shall I do? The heart is too timid to make a decision. 

"I love you Dad"...I repeated.

Some reminisces from the past shadowed my brain. Good old days.

"I will go next" I shouted in excitement amidst all the crowd at the fair. 

"Dad; I will ride that big Marie Go Round. " I spoke with a child like enthusiasm. 

Living in a small town at the edges of the city; the town which is non existent and unknown to many people. I live in a small little family comprising my sister, father and mother.

My mother and sister don't love me, but at least they are ignorant about my existence. They won't make life difficult for me for as long as I do all of the household chores and comply with their orders. I don't have any problem in doing this. I am not a rebel for sure. I could live by peace.

"It is heighted and seems dangerous. What if something happens to my doll? I am not allowing you to ride this. " My dad's voice echoed in my ears. 

"But, I want to ride it. " I urged him, for a ride and he seems to melt at these petty pleads. 

"Ok, So I will be riding it with you." He said with a smile. A smile which makes me feel everything is good, nice and fine. Life is perfect. 

"Dad, I will also protect you like this. " I declared like a strong warrior, in a shaky voice. The fear was narrowed to 1/10th due to dad's presence with me. 

I was thinking about the sweet little moment from the childhood. 

(He was always so protective of me. Why can't I protect him this time. ) 

I was looking back to my resolve.

"Dad, I will also protect you like this. "

His evil shadow has been casted on our lives dragging us into never ending gloominess. 

Why did God do things like these which we had least thought of happening to our lives? Why us? He could have preyed on someone else. 

I was crying and yelling in anguish and pain. 

All this happened yesterday; our happy world has been completely destructed. 

I never thought of killing a single person in my life; let go of killing a person, I would not even kill an insect. Hurting someone emotionally or physically don't exist on my list. 

But I want to kill this person who has brought all this suffering to our life. I never met him, never saw him. The only thing I knew is he had kidnapped my father. 

He has kept my father captive and has been blackmailing us about killing him if we don't agree to his demand. His demand is the cherry on the top. The bullshit demand. What the hell does he want from me? 'To marry him, whimsical and foolish.'

His demand, the demand to marry him. Marry him and live with him for a year. I felt the seriousness and depth of the situation. It would not be a marriage for sure just a stoic feeling less contract with no emotions for each other.

He radiates unimaginable and unfathomable dangers. 

I had my everything at stake to safeguard my everything. 

I had a life given by my father and I could stake it for him. This is the time to protect him and fulfil the promise I once made. The promise I did to my father. The promise to protect him like he always protected me. 

I WILL MARRY HIM. 

If it saves my father, I will marry the unknown danger.

I was there immersed in the myriads of thought when I listened to the continuous knocks on the door.

It was Cadie and Mariah's voice. What do they want now? 

"Selene, my responsible elder daughter. My sensible child. I know you will not put us down. You are our loving child, you love your father the most. Now all responsibility lies on your shoulders, and I know you will not let anything bad happen to your favourite human." As soon as I opened the door she blasted inside, chirping continuously about how much considerate and sensible I am, the adjectives used for me for the first time in these long twenty-two years.

"What are you thinking? He asked you to get ready. Don't waste time. Here is your dress and Mariah will help you get ready." She said with dewey eyes. The drops of joy or grief which I can't decipher were visible on her face.

Probably the happiness of trudging me into the hell.

"So Lucky, lucky you are going to marry a rich brat." Mariah made an inconsiderate statement.

"I am happy that you are not bestowed with a luck like mine," I replied with a harmless smile.

A LUCK LIKE MINE...