Driving through the bustling streets of Lucknow, Akash glanced to his side, towards the sniffling girl who kept her gaze out of the window. She’d been silent since when he’d offered his jacket and convinced her to allow him to drive her home.

Although she didn’t look hurt, at least not physically, it was obvious Arnav had hurt her emotionally. Or was it both? His eyes travelled to the way she clutched her arm and winced.

He wanted to ask her what had transpired between her and Arnav, but instead kept his gaze out to the road again, guilt-ridden at not having acted sooner. If only he’d called Anjali and informed her of what Arnav intended to do.

But glancing at Khushi again, he pressed his lips in a thin line. Perhaps he hadn’t informed Anjali, because a part of him too was eager to find out how she’d react. 

Over the years Arnav and he had been playing a silent game. A battle of sorts. A battle in which he was hell-bent on proving to his brother that not all girls are easy. But every girl had proved him wrong. And Arnav had won every time.

But the moment he saw Khushi, his instincts had screamed at him that this girl would change the game forever in his favour.

But now seeing how badly shaken she was, guilt scorched his heart. In a bid to prove himself right, he’d let the innocent doe into the lion’s den.

What if his brother had truly hurt her? What if…Sighing, he glanced at her again, his gaze roaming languidly over her, his mind struggling to see how she was any different to any of the girls he’d met.

Why had she affected Arnav the way she had? Why had he said she was the one girl who fit the description perfectly.

He perused her features.

Yes, she was pretty, but did she have doe like eyes? To him she seemed like any other sweet simple girl, her eyes full of dreams, and her smile seething of the innocence that was akin to the girls of small towns.

“My Dadi was born around Aminabad.” As soon as they made a turn, he broke the silence, making her stiffen. 

“Jee?”

“My Dadi, my grandmother, she was born just a few gallis from here.” He pointed to a chowk.

“You are from Lucknow?” He smiled at the way her eyes lit up. She was pretty, without a shadow of doubt. And despite what she’d endured over the course of the evening, the way her smile brightened her face, he could understand Arnav’s fascination with her.

“Have you lived in Lucknow all your life?” he asked next. 

“Haan, all of my life.” She smiled. “Lucknow is my life, my city, my first love. And maybe my last too.” 

Akash laughed at how she’d transformed into a happy bubbly girl at the snap of her finger. Khushi, just like her name, he thought with a chuckle. 

“Kya Kahe kya baat hai Lucknow,” she began chanting a poem. “Har vo chupa hua alfaaz hai Lucknow. Tehzeeb-e-tameez ka gulistan hai Lucknow. Buzurgon ki nimmat aur meri jaan hai Lucknow.”

“Waah Waah kya baat hai.” 

“Ab aap ki baari, your turn, since you are from Lucknow too.” Khushi crossed her legs on her seat and batted her eyelids at him. 

Akash laughed, amused by this girl and her antics. He felt sorry for Arnav too, to have not had an opportunity to have acquainted himself with this sweet girl. 

“Hmm…I can’t….but here’s a famous one.” He pushed back his glasses and smiled. “Kiya tabah toh dilli ne bhi bohut ‘bismil’. Magar khuda ki kasam Lucknow ne loot liya.”

“Arey waah.”

“Not by me. Bismil Saeedi has said it.”

“Aap dilli se hai?” Her eyes grew wide.

“Dilwalon ki Dilli.” He chuckled.

“My Buaji is from Delhi. We visit her sometimes during out holidays.” 

And soon they had a full blown conversation happening. It felt like two long lost friends had found each other.

“I’ve been to that chowk,” he continued, as soon as they passed a busy street. “We usually order our lucknowki embroidered pieces from there.”

“Oh achcha.” She listened to him with intent, as he spoke of how much he loved the city and how he has promised himself to take a month long holiday and spent time in the city where he was born.

“When you take a holiday and come, call me. I’ll show you around.” She smiled brightly. “I’ll take you everywhere. From Bada Imambara, Choto Imambara to Bhool Bhulaiyya to the chowks and gallis everywhere.”

“Well lets enjoy the sight of Rumi Darwazza for now.” He chuckled as they drove into the stunning gateway standing majestically in the centre of the road. 

“I love Rumi, and I love this gateway that we must pass through to get to my home.”

“I’ve read Rumi too.” He smiled.

“You have?” Her eyes widened. “You must meet my Jiji, she’s a Rumi fanatic.”

“Acccha? What one’s her favourite?”

“Woh toh you must ask her, but my favourite is ‘The moment I heard my first love story, I started looking for you. Not knowing how blind that was.’ She stopped for a moment and blushed. “Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere, they are in each other all along.’”

Akash gazed at her with a smile as she recited those words.

“Khushiji.” His kept his voice tender. “I’m sorry on behalf of bh…”

“Why are you sorry?” She shrugged. “Honestly, I feel terrible for having ruined the show. Did you incur huge losses?”

“You’re worried about our losses?”

“I…” She bit into her lip. “I stepped the line…I shouldn’t have….never mind. I’m fine now.”

“Why were you there at the Sheesh Mahal tonight.”

“Oh.” She smiled. “My sisters fiancé, Dhananjay Jijaji, he’s a very good man. They’ve been engaged for over three months now and he’s been so kind and respectful. I adore him,” she continued. “His parents too seem to be nice. They never demanded anything from my parents. They were happy in accepting Jiji in whatever gifts my father was planning on bidding away with…..But today.” She frowned. “Just as Jiji was getting dressed for the wedding, his parents stormed into the house with a few other relatives. They were rude. They were crass. And they said they’ve suddenly incurred losses, all because of the bad luck Jiji’s has brought them. And that they would go ahead with this wedding only if we paid them five lakhs cash in dowry.”

Akash frowned at her words.

“Yeh bhi koi baat hui, Akashji. The wedding is at half past eight. And they demand money from us at half past four.” She fumed. “Hence I thought if I personally met up with Jijaji, he might stop his parents. Or might give us more time…pata nahi, in that moment I wasn’t thinking. I jumped onto the next rickshaw and got to Sheesh Mahal….and ab yeh sab. Waisey what time is it?”

“Almost half past eight.”

She gasped in horror. “Mahurat ka time ho gaya. I need to get back home as quickly as I can.”

Worried, she began fidgeting with the edge of her dupatta.

“Haan yahan se right, please.” He shot his eyes to the road again. And once he made the right, at a distance an old three storey house decked in lights came into view. 

“Thats our house….but you can stop here. I’ll go.”

“No, I’ll take you home.” The place was busy, yet he couldn’t risk leaving her here in the middle of the street. A part of him was also curious to find out about this entire wedding and dowry fiasco.

“No, if you drop me here, I can run into the house from the back door….there’s not way I’m going in from the front door looking like this.” She gathered his jacket tighter and smoothed her hair. 

“Then I’ll drive you to the back of your house.” 

“Achcha.” She pondered for a moment, before agreeing. “Teek hai.” 

And the moment he stopped the vehicle behind the brightly lit house, Khushi jumped out. So did Akash. Thankfully it was a quiet street with no many people around. 

She reached for her jacket.

“Keep it.” He smiled

“Please give me your address I’ll have it returned.”

“No Khushiji. Keep it.” 

“Okay, I must run now. Thank you so much” 

He watched as she sprinted across the road and towards the house. But she stopped and turned. “Akash ji,” she yelled. “Don’t forget, next time when you come to Lucknow, you must come home. And I will show you around.” 

“Deal.” He held his thumb up for her as he watched her climb up a wobbly set of steps, and tug at a window frame on the floor. Chuckling he watched her climb into it and disappear into the house. 

But as he was about to get into the car, he stopped. He glanced at the house again. And even before he knew it, as though tugged by an invisible string he found himself walking around the house and towards the main gate.

  ____

Khushi looked left, she looked right before jumping into her dimly lit room. Given how busy everyone was with the wedding preparations, she had been certain they wouldn’t realise she’d gone missing.

And then she had her darling sister Payal to cover for her like always.

Yet, it had been one hell of a risk and one hell of an evening. 

Her thoughts settled back on that mysterious stranger again and she clutched her heart. It hurt. She didn’t not why.

“Now is not the time, Khushi.” She slapped herself mentally and began pulling of Akash’s jacket. “Hey Devi Maiyya, thank god no one caught me. Now just be with me till the rest of the evening….let this wedding be done with with no more dramas.” 

Once she undraped her dupatta, she winced at the way her arm hurt. Why? She wondered, quickly tuning on the lamp beside. But she gasped to see how her skin had reddened where his finger’s had dug into her arm. 

Rakshas, she muttered under her breath, fully aware she’d bruise.

But as she glanced at the twinkling lights the house had been decorated it, she smiled—her sister was finally getting married.

And although the evening had left her shaken, yet her drive home with Akash has calmed her nerves.

“Devi Maiyya, who would believe such kind men exist in this day and age.” Standing before the mirror, she assessed the damage. “Such a gentleman. Nahi toh woh jallad…..Monster.” She groaned at how his finger marks were beginning to turn blue. Now she’d have to find a long sleeved blouse to hide her bruises. 

The Shenais were weeping on the loudspeaker. She’d have to hurry up, she knew and quickly began fumbling through her wardrobe. 

“Yeh Shaadiyon main, why do they play this weeping Shainai, Devi Maiyya.” She sulked. “Dhinchak gaana bajana chahiye naa. In my wedding, I’ll want all of Salman khan songs played out loud on loudspeakers. Dekhna….my wedding will be one of a kind.” She laughed, but blushed at the thought of marriage. And the handsome face of the stranger who’s left her bruised came back to her.

She slowly slipped her hands into another one of her blouses, but her gaze fell on how her blouse had been ripped apart. Along with how his fingers had clawed into the smooth skin of her chest. Yet, instead of feeling disgust, she felt a strange tingle all over her body. 

“I don’t know why Devi Maiyya. His touch didn’t feel wrong.” She glanced at the pretty little idol of the goddess on the table beside her. “And his eyes, there was sadness in his eyes. His eyes were telling me something….if only I hadn’t been so rude. Hum bhi naa…”

But as she hooked her blouse in place, and recalled his dark fervent eyes, she felt incredibly shy. She was mortified too— he had seen her. 

Covering her face, she shook her head, yet the way his eyes had turned darker the moment his gaze had rested on her exposed breast kept flashing before her. Why was she not angry? Why wasn’t she disgusted? Any other man would have tasted a taste of her pure leather jhootis. But not this man. “Why Devi Maiyya?” She whinged. “Yeh kya ho raha hai?”

“Yeh Shaadi nahi ho sakti. We are calling off this wedding.” Suddenly a roar made her jump in her skin. She blinked, training her ears to the outside out.

“Sharma saab, please give us at least two weeks time.” She hear her father’s soft voice. 

She froze— so the nightmare wasn’t over yet. 

Quickly draping her dupatta around herself, she ran out of the room and down the stairs.

The wedding was in the courtyard of the house. 

The corridors, the stairs and the landing was bustling with guests. Lights and strings of marigolds hung everywhere. The air was suffused with the aroma of laddoos, and hot ghee, and lip-smacking biryani.

Yet, there was no hustle around her.

The Shenai’s had been turned off. The cooks had stopped cooking too. And the Pandit waited before lighting the Havan in the centre. 

Everyone stood in pin drop silence, their horrified gaze locked on the scene happening in the centre of the courtyard. 

Khushi silently slid between the guests and managed to slither between her sobbing mother and her trembling sister. 

“Khushi.” Payal, instantly clutched her arm, making her wince.

“Kya hua. Are your hurt? Where have you been?” Payal’s eyes searched her sister’s tormented eyes. 

“Chodo jiji, its a long story. What’s happening here?”

“Pata nahi,” Payal choked. “They just turned up twenty minutes ago with the baraat. And now are creating a commotion in front of all the guests.”

“Sharma saab, earlier this evening, you agreed to give me time.” Her father kept his hand joined together and his eyes soft and pleading.

“That was earlier, not anymore. If you don’t hand us five lakhs right now, we take back the baraat and your daughter can rot forever. And your reputation can go for a toss.” 

“Yeh, kya….” Khushi fumed, but Payal pulled her back so she didn’t open her big mouth and make matters worse.

Her gaze then shifted to her fiancé, hoping he’d speak up, or at least request his father to stop being so rude to her Babuji. But when Dhananjay smirked at her with malice, she knew they had misjudged him all this while. She had fallen for him charms, but he was a dowry monger, who treated women as nothing more than a commodity, a way to make a quick buck.

“Please, please think of my daughter. Hum Barbaad ho jaayenge. We’ll be ruined.” Her father choked on his tears, making both Khushi and Payal well. Their mother was sobbing too, while their aunt—buaji kept her gaze to the heavens and chanted on her tulsi beads.

“I’ve never seen Babuji so helpless,” Payal whispered.

“I’ve never seen him cry.” Khushi sniffled.

“Enough, Shahi Gupta. Enough of your nonsense. And your fake tears.” Sharma roared. “If you cared so much about your reputation you’d have found a way to pay me.”

“I’ll do anything. All I’m asking is time,” Shashi pleaded.

 “Your daughter is manhoos, she’s brought us bad luck. Did your wife not pass away after she was born. Now she’s ruined our luck too.” Sharma and his wife shot their angry dirty gaze at Payal. “My business has never incurred a loss.Yet, it has now. Pay for our losses, and we will take the bride home….nahi tho you can all go to hell.”

Through the commotion, a shell-shocked Akash stood at one corner and watched in utter disbelief. His curiosity had drawn him to the venue. But the images playing before him brought back the painful memories of a similar scene he’d seen as a young boy many many moons ago. 

It had been the night of Anjali’s wedding. His family had been stuck in traffic and had reached late. Perhaps too late. 

His aunt and uncle had long died before they’d drove up to the Sheesh Mahal. 

And he remembered the evil face of Arnav’s uncle Arvind Malik who had thrown out two youngsters out on the streets on the night of their parents death.

But as he watched Shashi plead and beg, his own father’s face from that night came back to haunt him.

 He remembered how his own father had begged Anjali’s fiancé and his parents to not call off the wedding. He remembered his father’s helplessness at not having been able to mobilise the kind of funds the groom’s family were demanding. And he remembered the wicked evil eyes of the Groom’s father and Arnav’s uncle as they had ousted two young children out on the streets to fend for themselves. 

 And although a calm peace loving man, he couldn’t help the anger flooding in his viens. 

And when his gaze caught a blurred glimpse of the trembling bride hidden behind her veil, he felt sorry, his heart punched. Anjali’s sobbing face flashed before him, forcing a fresh wave of hot tears pricking his eyes.

Fifteen years, yet people continued ruining girls and blackmailing their families for dowries. Would this ever end?

If only Arnav had been here to witness this night, he sighed.

But he was here. He couldn’t just stand to one side and watch. He glanced around to see how he could help. 

Shashi’s pleas brought him out of his thoughts.“Please, don’t say such things about my child,” Shashi sobbed. “My business has flourished after Payal came into our lives. And my wife, she died when Payal was three. It was unfortunate, but please don’t blame my child.”

“I don’t care,” Sharma thundered. “Pay me five lakhs now, or we’ll leave.” 

He glanced around towards his guests, as though telling them to prepare to leave.

“Khushi.” Payal gripped tight to her sister and handed her her phone. “Call Kar.”

“Jiji.” Khushi gasped when she saw the number Payal had dialled. 

But Payal looked her in the eye. “Call kar.”

“Chalo everyone, lets go,” Sharma yelled.

“Nahi nahi nahi.” Sobbing loudly, Shashi Gupta finally fell to the tall pot-bellied man’s feet and begged. “Please don’d ruin us like this.”

“Babuji.” Khushi gasped.

Her mother broke into a sob. 

And when Shashi Gupta reached for his turban, his honour, so he could place it at Sharma’s face, Akash opened his mouth to object.

But, “Bas Babuji. Enough.” Payal’s voice sliced through the silence, making everyone shudder. 

Akash shot his eyes to the frail delicate girl, but felt like as through struck by a thunderbolt. Her voice was firm, but it was also so sweet. And it cracked, so tender. She was hurting he knew it in his heart. 

A strange desire engulfed him. He wanted to take her in his arms and comfort her.

But he watched in awe, as she lifted back her viel and stepped down from the altar and towards where her father was still kneeling before the greedy man. 

He face wasn’t clear yet, he moved forward from between the crowd to get a better glimpse of her.

But he watched her help her father to his feet and declare before everyone. “I do not want this marriage.”

There were gasps, murmurs, whispers all around.

“Shut you mouth.” Dhananjay glared at her. “Women of our household do not speak before men.” 

“I do not belong to your household, unless I buy you for five lakhs.” She kept her voice calm and placid, making the men before widen their eyes in horror. 

“How dare you?” Sharma hissed. 

But she raised her hand, motioning him to stop. “There is no need for you to call off this wedding. Because I am calling it off.” 

“Payal you’ve lost your mind.” Dhananjay hissed again. “We’ve been engaged for three months. Think of what’s going to happen to you.”

“Do not worry about me.” She looked him in the eye. “Worry about yourself.” 

And even before they could react or argue back, they heard the wailing sounds of the sirens of a police jeep coming to an halt at the entrance.

“You want dowry. Explain your circumstances to the police while in custody.” She smirked at him just like he had been at her.

A chuckle escaped Akash as he watched the scene unfold. 

“What’s going on here?” The police inspector strode inside along with his men. “Who called us?”

“I did.” Payal replied.

“Payal.” Her father gripped her arm, while her mother sobbed. 

But Khushi took a step closer to her sister and stood beside her. 

Payal glanced at her sister, before wiping her tears and gathering herself. “Sir, these people are demanding dowry from us minutes before the wedding is meant to happen.”

“No we’re not.” Sharma broke into a laugh and stepped closer to Payal. He placed a hand over her hair, but she jerked it away. “Our bahu here has misunderstood everything. We’ve incurred losses. Shashiji has agreed to repay our losses. One month…” He glanced at Shashi Gupta. “Take a month. Take two. Now lets not waste our time and the Inspector’s time….”

“Jhoot.” Payal snapped her eyes to the Inspector. “Sir, he’s lying. The mahurat for this wedding was at half past eight. Its almost nine now. For the last half hour they’ve been insulting my father and blackmailing us so we organise the funds.”

“Its not dowry, its just helping with our business. Guptaji knows. Kyun Guptaji.” Sharma placed his hand over Shashi, who glanced between his daughter and the rest of the guests.

“And the reason the wedding is delayed is because Payal has been making some unacceptable last minute demands.” Dhananjay spoke. “She wants me to move in with her family. Ab batao how can I move in with her, when I have my elderly parents to care for?”

“They’re lying.” Payal and Khushi snapped together. But no one spoke in their favour.

“Were the groom’s family demanding dowry?” The inspector looked around, to see if anyone else was willing to vouch for the girls. 

But an eerie silence hung thick in the air, and the girls glanced around, disgusted by their own neighbours and relatives whom they’d known all their lives, yet none were willing to stand by them now in their hour of need. 

“The bride is telling the truth.” A deep masculine voice spoke, drawing everyone’s attention.

Payal shot her eyes to the tall lean man at the back.

Her gaze clashed with his. Her heart stopped. And time stood still.

Akash too stood spell bound and watched her in awe. She was beautiful. So fragile, yet so strong. And her eyes, like a beautiful doe, the words echoed in his eyes. 

Now he knew what those words meant. He too had found a girl that fit the description. But this doe-eyed girl wasn’t peeking at him coyly, she was glaring at him with eyes burning like hot coals.

Yet, his heart lusted to see how she’d peek at him coyly from under her lashes. Would she blush? Would she lower her gaze? Would she bite into her lips? He wanted to learn every little secret about her. He smiled at his weird trains of thoughts.

“And who are you?” The inspector broke his trance.

“Akash.”

Khushi’s eyes widened the moment she recognised who it was. 

“From who’s side?”

Akash’s eyes collided with Khushi’s next. 

“Do you know him?” The inspector asked Shashi Gupta, who looked just as bewildered as the rest. 

“I know him. I’ve invited him.” Khushi quickly answered. “He’s from the bride’s side.” 

“Will you be willing to give a statement at the station?”

“Yes, along with video evidence of what happened here.” Akash kept his cool gaze on the groom’s family.

“Video evidence?”

“I’ve recorded it all.” He handed his phone to the Inspector. “In fact, the wedding photographer also must have recorded it all.”

The camera man shivered, but one of the policemen strode up to him and confiscated the camera from him.

“Right, arrest them.” The Inspector commanded as soon as he watched the video on Akash’s phone. “You’ll have to come to the station with me.” He nodded at Akash, and turned to glance at everyone else. “As of the rest of you, you should be ashamed of yourself. The next time when its your daughter in this girl’s shoes, do not expect justice to be served.” 

“Stop this. This is madness.” Sharma and his son yelled and struggled, as the police began cuffing them. “Payal, Guptaji, please. Please take back your complaint. We’ll give you time. You don’t need to pay anything. Please…..please don’t do this….Hum barbaad ho jaayenge. We’ll be ruined. Think of my son.” 

The pleas continued but the policemen dragged them all behind them and forced them into the jeep. 

Some of the guests dispersed, while others whispered amongst themselves. 

And just before Akash turned to leave, he glanced at Payal again. They kept their gaze on each other for several beats, till she finally lowered her gaze and smiled. 

He sighed.

But when she peeked at him from under her lashes, lightening struck his heart. And he knew he was a dead man. 

His feet remained frozen to the spot, but the Inspector patted him, asking him to following him. 

Reluctantly, he broke his gaze from her beautiful face, and turned to leave. But he stopped to give her nod, and Khushi a smile, before following the Inspector out.