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|He captured her ailing heart when she lost the ability to feel it's thumping anymore|

by medicallymessedup

•present•

"Mr. Aryan and Ms. Ruchi, sign here, Please!" The government official dealing with their case urged the two to come forward and do the needful.

Aryan who was agitated since the eventful evening yesterday, somehow calmed down his nerves and signed on the register while Ruchi passively observed the movements of his hand and soon, it was her turn to do the same.

She gripped the barrel of the pen as hard as she could and hastened the nib of the fountain pen on the corner of the register just like the instruction given by the man in uniform.

Ruchi scurried back in a flurry in order to hide her palpitations from the scathing eyes but unintentionally collided with Aryan who was standing a step away. Their eyes clashed for a mere moment and it felt as if the world stopped. The emotions once again churned up but both of them kept up with their facade to seem neutral.

After sharply inhaling a plaguing breath, Ruchi moved away from him and vaguely her mind drifted back to this morning. When she looked at her own marred reflection into the mirror, she found a strange girl staring back at her. She was lost. She wore prominent evidence of defeat. The ugly scars of vulnerability and the traces of exhaustion were hard to be ignored. She was someone who had given up every hope to make it out of this sea of helplessness. She realized that she was a version of herself that she never wanted to become. But here she was, unwanted and unloved.

So, she did what she felt was the right thing to do. She left that strange girl behind and stepped inside a completely different world, where her every nerve screamed and blamed Ruchi for being unworthy. The voices in her head beckon her to become an emotionless doll.

Synchronically, Aryan who closely witnessed Ruchi's impulse reaction to his touch fell into an unrestrained catastrophe. He could sense her repulsion due to his presence even through her rigid stance and sealed lips. It was as if his favorite constellation of stars had scattered away to form millions of galaxies. She had escaped from him like sand in-between his fingers. He knew that his one action had pushed her miles away from his reach. But, he wasn't ready to lose her just yet.

"Exchange the rings." Anchal's voice nudged him out of the mental turmoil and he straightened up.

Aryan gently took the hold of her left hand and then slid a shining solitaire diamond ring into her ring finger.

A minute later, he held his left hand out for her when his mother passed the ring meant for him to Ruchi. Her hesitant gaze darted over her father who was standing at the threshold of the government chamber possessing an obdurate expression.

'Why had you never tried to understand me, Papa?' Her wailing heart wept for the one last time before she surrendered to her ailing fate.

Inhaling a deep breath, Ruchi slipped the platinum band in Aryan's digitus annularis. The material wrapped around their fourth finger was the sole evidence of an auspicious bond that bound them together as a man and woman.

The ownership and sanctity of their prosperous union was witnessed by their individual families, who this time wordlessly blessed them with a token of a long, happy married life followed by the sounds of applause that echoed in the legal chamber.

Amidst the verbal celebration, the newly-wed pair swirled and survived through the surge of several unnamed emotions. The groom was gripped in a slight regret but the content of having her as his wife overpowered the rest whereas the bride didn't experience anything but a void.

Her emotionless state was the main reason that they ditched the exchange of marital vows as per the usual norms but Aryan was convinced that he could single-handedly make things right between them. He believed that if he had given her a reason to detest him then he had thousands of others in the store to win his Ruchi back.

"Congratulations!" The marriage registrar addressed them with a huge smile, "May God bless you both!"

Ruchi remained reticent but Aryan was quick to build a genuine smile on his face and reply to the middle-aged man with gratitude.

Once the legal formalities were over, she noticed Sunil leaving without sparing her a glance. His negligence wasn't new to his daughter but today was different and she hoped that he would've embraced her like a loving father even if it was for the sake of onlookers. But alas, her another wish was left unfulfilled.

The hour of departure came soon, Mamta sheltered Ruchi in a motherly shade while Sujal appeared to be immensely concerned for her well-being. They were barely acquainted with the Mallik's and that was adding up to his worries. None of them had any idea about the functioning of the elite class.

"If anything goes wrong or this boy tries to hurt you in any manner then just ring me, Kiddo." Kartik used his softest tone with his sister while pointing at his brother-in-law through a menacing glare, "I know how to deal with rich lads like him.." He muttered under his breath.

Ruchi nodded her head obediently with an assuring smile plastered on her face and hugged Kartik to calm down his hysteria. She didn't want her family to bear the adversities of her deeds anymore.

The Batras and Malliks walked out of the registrar's office towards the parking lot waiting to board their vehicles after bidding their leave to the lawyer and his team.

Sujal placed his hand on his wife's shoulder and squeezed it lightly as she wept quietly not wanting their little girl to notice the old couple's dilemma of parting away from her. Kartik stood back along with hardened expressions for he was unable to prevent the fire that burned down his sister's ambitions and shattered her belief system.

Meanwhile, Ruchi recalled how much she wanted this Manali trip to be one of the most memorable events of her boring life but somehow she regrets going because it turned out to be her worst hallucination. The fun she felt then had now reduced to remorse. The happy moments which should've made her laugh remembering, today those same moments are forcing her to shed tears. She wished that it was easy to forget, then maybe she would have forgotten. But how can she possibly turn blind to the consequences of an ordeal that caused her life to change completely?

The day changed along with the man who she was going to spend the rest of her life.

On a cue, she looked up at the roaring sky which had been enveloped by dark clouds just like the precarious lines of her fate, mocking the fact that she ever wished to have a normal life.

But all that her anguished soul brooded upon was, if it was a new chapter of her life or beginning of some more sufferings?

🖤🖤🖤

Aryan was about to settle inside his limited edition car until Soham shared a distinct nod with his wife who seemed to understand the unsaid words easily. He initiated, "We will accompany you both to the mansion."

"Keys?" Soham Mallik asked his son again, keeping his right hand out towards him.

Aryan gave his mother a puzzled look, unable to extract anything from Soham's strict demeanor but his attempt went futile because Anchal didn't let out a word. He once again diverted his gaze over to his father whose eyes were turning angrier with each passing second of his reluctance.

Aryan apprehensively bobbed his head at his father as he gingerly handed over him the keys of his limited edition Bugatti car. Soham passed-on the key of their car to his driver while himself getting inside Aryan's car, slamming the door shut and inserting the key in the ignition.

Aryan winced visibly and generously caressed the door of the car that had become the target of his father's fury. The one materialistic thing he loved and protected the most was his car, and unfortunately his weakness was not hidden from Soham. His mother sat on the passenger seat beside his father soon after making sure to get Ruchi comfortable inside.

"Do you want me to leave you here to walk on foot to Gulmohar?" His father blasted and Aryan sullenly joined Ruchi in the backseat while grumbling to himself incoherently even when Soham glared at him from the rear-view mirror, "Shaadi karwa di hai par meri biwi ke samne abhi bhi izzat nahi karte hai yeh meri."

["They have got me married but still they does not respect me in front of my wife."]

There was an uncomfortable silence inside the car when Soham started driving them. Ruchi didn't have any idea about the destination but she silently observed the passing roads when the cars took several turns and wheeled on a much secluded part of the city.

She wondered if the Mallik's could physically harm her or punish her mentally for she was the cause of their trouble. They can label her a gold-digger and malign her character if not more because she had allegedly honey-trapped their million-dollar son. She suddenly started to feel congested in the cramped space.

Aryan who noticed her squirming rustically in the seat while clutching hard on the leather immediately moved to reach her out but stopped midway realizing that Ruchi won't let out the reason of her discomfort to him. He still rolled down the windows of the car and somehow the cool gush of wind appeared to sooth down her perturbed nerves.

Ruchi leaned her head back on the seat but didn't let her guards down even when her suffocation decreased and again dwelled on her never-ending thoughts. She had the back of her loved ones if something went wrong but she wondered if she could fight Mallik's when she failed against her own parents. Hence, the negativity began to surround her once again.

Besides, she was capable of feeling Aryan's covetous gander lingering on her but she did not want to take care of what was going on in his mind. She had once let him inside the walls of her trust and all she received instead was his betrayal. He had overstepped her confidence like others while she blindly believed in her love for him. No way she was going to repeat the same mistake because as they say, 'Once bitten, twice shy.'

So, she looked outside and concluded that the drive to their estate was beautiful. The location was posh but private, secluded and enclosed by picturesque outdoors. There weren't any neighboring plots until some distance either which added to its grandeur. The manor itself was gigantic and stood out of the crowd from far. For a second, Ruchi was forced to believe that she was visiting a royal movie set but then reality resurfaced and her zeal to explore the place briskly terminated.

"Gulmohar!" Ruchi tested the letters of the nameplate on her lips because that would become the address of her residential stay from now on.

The guards quickly opened the huge electric-gates and the car halted in front of the main entrance of the mansion. Everyone stepped out of the vehicle while the curious eyes of the workers got stuck on the new-girl accompanying the family of three.

Ruchi turned uneasy when numerous people overlooked her calculative steps but Anchal was quick to aid her within the comfortable presence of her son's house that was eagerly waiting for the arrival of Aryan's better-half.

The indoor space of Gulmohar boasted a magnum opus, built for a life of recreational gratification. A well-curated selection of clean-lined, contemporary furnishings warmed up with ever-so-subtle touches like luxurious upholstery, colorful artwork along the walls, and fresh greenery. The artist or architect responsible behind this masterpiece called home deserved some greatest words of appreciation because apart from the luxuries it also promoted peace to one's mind, Ruchi thought.

The thing that beheld her unwavering sight was the koi pond; visible from every corner of the cozy living room though it extended till the lawn outside.

Anchal being a good host and caring mother-in-law introduced her new daughter-in-law to the head employees working in and around the estate ignoring the judgemental stares that came from them because nobody was allowed to leak the news of the recent happenings inside the life of the Mallik's. The circumstances of Ruchi and Aryan's out-of-blue wedding wasn't supposed to be out yet until the right time came.

Ruchi was grateful for the politeness shown by her mother-in-law as Anchal herself gave her a tour of the humongous mansion.

"Ruchi, your luggage is already placed inside Aryan's room and just like I said, his room is on the first-" Mrs. Mallik, started speaking when Ruchi cut her off, regardless of the manners she learnt and followed since childhood because she didn't want to be misunderstood again.

"Ma'am!" She addressed the kind woman out of respect and hesitation, "I want to stay in a separate room. Please, you know-" She asserted, "Both of us want privacy in our lives. I just don't want to barge in his life after everything-" Ruchi tried to explain slowly, "Any guest room or even unused cabin would do for me." She hoped that Anchal would acknowledge and understand her resistance.

Anchal looked conflicted for a second before but then she smiled warmly and agreed with Ruchi. "Sure! This is your house as much as Aryan's." She probed, "You don't need to hesitate to address your say in anything here, dear." She inferred and later ordered for the house help to move the luggage in the guest room adjacent to her son's.

The room Ruchi was allotted was more than in a lovely condition along with the shades of pastel green. It arrogantly demanded attention from an outsider like her who was rapidly blinking her eyes like a toddler on the first day out.

As if on a creepy awakening, Ruchi jolted out of her fangirling awe and turned still. She wasn't here for an outing, her conscious rebuked.

She somehow composed herself upon hearing footsteps nearing the door before a soft knock came and she answered the door for her mother-in-law, who made her respectful aura known.

Anchal's natural grace made Ruchi feel small and incompetent to be in the same space as her and the fact that she was Aryan's mother didn't help much with her overriding apprehension.

But now that the said lady was in front of her, Ruchi stared up at Anchal in confusion. Also in bits of fear waiting for her to maybe lash out at her for trapping her son or something similar but what she said was extremely unexpected.

"You're a part of our family, Ruchi. I know this marriage was not done in the best spirits." She noted earnestly, "But, Aryan is not really like what you've seen or heard from last night. In fact, he genuinely feels-" She stopped in the air and changed the course of her words, "What I mean to say is that once you both get to know each other then everything will be fine and good. You will be happy with him." Anchal further requested, "Please, give some time and patience to this relationship, my child." Her tone altered between sincerity and hesitation, "If possible then also try to forgive my son."

Lots of Love,

ANKITA