Wrecked - An After-Divorce Romance?

Chapter Twenty Four

"What? Theft? We didn't steal anything!"

"Madam, this car belongs to Dharmendra Kapadia, please don't make us force you."

"Dhariya?" She held on to him in fear.

"Let's just go. I'll call papa from the station."

****

Dhariya could feel his collar tightening, the feeling of being in a cage was back. Ofcourse, his father had him arrested. He should've known that he could never escape his father's clutches.

"Papa, I'm sorry." He said as immediately as the phone was picked.

"Your sorry is worth nothing. You're nothing but a useless son. How dare you run away with the bride's sister?"

"I love Nakshatra. I don't love her sister."

"Ofcourse that whore must've seduced you! Eloping is her speciality! But I thought you had brains to think from, but you got seduced by that 2 paise whore!"

"Papa!"

"Your yelling will not change reality! Did you think we'll accept you, if you marry her and come back?! Never! I'll never accept that whore as my daughter-in-law! I'll disown you if you marry her! I'll make sure you get rusticated and you can beg for all I care and we'll see how much that bitch supports you when you're penniless, doing daily labour to feed her!"

"I love her...I cannot live without her. " He said desperately, hoping his father would show some understanding.

His father laughed, "You can have her even after you get married, I'm sure she won't deny you."

"Papa! Enough!"

"Look, son, I'm giving you a second chance. Come back, bring her back too. Get married to her sister. And live in comfort or else if you want to live in squalor then go ahead. I'll wait till the evening."

***

"What did your father say?!" She stood up from the bench and saw that Dhariya had a dejected look on his face.

"Doesn't look like he said something good..." She sighed and held his hand.

"Nats...he won't accept us..."

"So what? We'll start fresh. I'll take a job! I can teach! You can earn?"

"How will that work?" He sighed.

She stepped away from him, her expression serious, "You've made up your mind, you're going to go back."

"Nats..." He held her shoulders.

She pushed it away! Even though it felt like her heart was tearing she stepped away from him, "Well! You can go back! But I'm not!"

"Don't joke! How will you stay alone?!"

"I'll manage! I have more guts than you despite of being a woman!" She tried to storm away but he held her elbow.

"Nakshatra. You're not going anywhere. You're coming back with me."

"Dhairya! Let go!" She said through gritted teeth.

But he held harder. Her eyes widened and she struggled but he didn't let go pulling her towards the car.

"Stop it! You're hurting me!" She screamed and scratched his fingers, yet he didn't let go. Her saree flailed and she was sure that it was unladylike but she didn't care.

He dragged her until they reached the car and he opened the car door and ushered her in.

"You promised you wouldn't hurt me!" Her voice cracked and he looked at his grip on her arm and let go. Slamming the door, he walked to the driver's seat and got in.

"I'll never forgive you!" She shouted.

"You'll get over it." He snapped at her.

****

"Nats... please..." He had begged her to talk to him the entire time but she refused to utter a word.

Nats felt stupid. Like a fool for trusting him, that he would marry her. She should've never eloped with him. She felt heartbroken and most of all, she felt ashamed.

She got out of the car and slammed the door shut, "Nats..come on...talk to me." He got out of the car door too.

"Are you going to talk to your father and marry me?"

She watched him close him eyes and sigh guiltily. "You know, I can't...." He said.

"You can but you won't! I was such a fool to have believed your false proclamations of love!" She spat and turned to enter the house, he came in front of her stopping her.

"I do love you! I didn't lie about that."

"You're marrying! My sister!" She yelled hitting his chest.

He stopped her fists by holding them. "I'll have to just marry her. We can still stay together. We'll go away after I marry her, we can go to USA, and...."

She slapped him. And he froze. Nats had promised herself that she won't cry for a man, but yet she couldn't stop the tears pouring from her eyes.

"So, you want me to be your whore then?! The other woman?! To debase myself like that?"

She shoved him away and walked to the door. By that time, her family and his were already at the courtyard. Her father came and dragged her inside the house. He said nothing. Did nothing.

***

She stayed under the covers rotting in her bed for 2 days. She had sobbed so much that her eyes were cry now. She tried to shut her ears shut during the wedding.

But today she got out of the bed. She looked at herself in the mirror and winced. The black eye her father had gave her was now purple and it hurt that bad too. Her face was pale and she looked sickly.

She took a breath and decided that she would stop crying for Dhariya Kapadia this instant. She took a shower and changed herself from her nightdress to a beautiful white chiffon saree she owned.

Nats then patted her face with compact but the black eye was too much. Her lips were painted in her signature maroon lipstick. So she looked around and found her sunglasses in her drawer.

Taking that, she walked downstairs to the lawn. The wedding was over and the family was gathered for the family picture.

"No one called the bride's sister for a photo? Well, I came anyway!" She smiled her brightest smile and walked towards them

She didn't even have to look at her father to know he was fuming. But Dhariya Kapadia, he looked livid. She knew he was uncomfortable because he snapped his neck to the side refusing to look at her. A coward to the boot She thought. She stood beside him facing the camera.

"Well what is everyone looking at? Take the photo!" She said in her sweet voice.

When the photographer moved she stopped him, "Oh wait! Wait! I'll put this on!" She put on her sunglasses to hide her black eye.

"Ofcourse I would never embarass you, daddy!" She told her father who was red in anger, and then turned to the camera man again, "Take it now! I'm ready!"

As the camera man took shots, she muttered through her teeth loud enough for only him to hear,

"You'll take care of my sister well, won't you, Jijaji?"

She didn't think it was possible for him to go more stiff but he had. She also knew he had his eyes on her but she stared straight and smiled.

***
A/N: wanted towards write more but this is 2000 words anyways, vote and comment.