Durga's POV - Despising Dev

From now onwards, If anyone I will despise from the core of heart will be the one and only Dev Agnihotri.

I could feel his unfiltered heated gaze on me, waiting for my answer but I deliberately avoided to look at him and walked straight ahead. My eyes didn't miss to catch the glimpse of Nikhil sitting aside with his mother.

This man is still here? Doesn't he have any self-respect for himself?

I even avoided looking at my parents and stepped on the soft cotton cushion placed in front of the holy fire. Feeling utmost boiling rage inside my mind and agonized feeling in my heart I sat on the cushion.

Someone has said it right, the one you love the most, gives pain the most.

I had decided without any further chaos and for the sake of my Baba's heath, complete the wedding rituals and get married. I wasn't in the mood of celebrating my own helplessness. I just wanted this wedding to get done as quickly as possible. That's it. I let out a sigh feeling everyone's gazes on me including Mr Agnihotri who was still standing there in front of me.

If this is not enough hint for him then I will not be blamed for thinking him as an idiot. I am not sitting here to play marbles and I wasn't going to tell him to come, sit next to me like a desperate bride. He will come by himself. I looked down letting out another sigh after hearing the clicking sounds of his boots coming towards me.

Everybody gathered around the stage. As if they also did not care much. The wedding has been happening as far as their arrival did not go waste. In the corner of my eyes, I saw him climbing up on the stage and sitting next to me. The way he was sitting straight and keeping his chin high, spreading his rich arrogant aura. My Baba has given him the groom's turban to wear on his head, looking like a proper groom now.

Dev Agnihotri is none other than a villain who entered my life just like the planet Saturn and destroyed everything in a moment. My dreams, my choices and my self-respect all I felt parting away one by one.

Why I was feeling like this wedding was more like a winning to someone?

Perhaps because it was giving me the feeling of losing everything within me. Just for the sake of my family, I am doing this marriage. My family has gathered enough loans for my marriage and houses which is causing me to now marry the man I hate from the core of my heart.

"Start the rituals Pandit" He said making me flinch a little on my place.

This was happening, all for real. I couldn't believe on my fate. One should marry for love but I was marrying him to pay the debt of the loan my Baba took it unfortunately from him.

Suddenly I felt the cursed feeling of not getting a choice in my wedding. Feeling begrudged on everything, every effort I took for myself. Everybody finds their life partners as per their own desires and here I was sulking over my destiny.

Why this powerful money wrapped man has to get whatever he wants and why it's not the same happening with me. I angrily fiddled with my lehenga while sitting on the cushion.

A thought of being his wife was getting into my nerves. He was already proving that he could easily get what he wants either by doing good or bad. This isn't a sign of a kind generous man. This is very dangerous.

What if he leaves me at one day? I will be happy but the situation won't be similar then.

What about my family? Suddenly I felt the silk cloth placed over my shoulder. I looked over and saw my mother doing the same with Dev Agnihotri too. Then she tied the clothes of both of us tying me with this man in a tight knot. This knot represents the bond shared to be with the spouse. I couldn't imagine any kind of bond sharing with this vile man in the future.

The pandit suddenly poured a holy liquid in the palm of my hands. I moved near to my mouth and glanced at my side. Dev Agnihotri was still looking same while doing the rituals.

Arrogant!

He must be thinking I have accepted my defeat in front of him then he is a big fool because I will make his life hell after this. I will make his ego crush, every time he will try to touch my self-respect. I will not leave him easily until he shows me his real self.

Determining this I drank the holy water. The wedding has started as Pandit began chanting holy mantras. I was feeling devastated. He isn’t a man that I want to marry. But my destiny has taken a drastic U-turn changing my life upside down. I felt as if he glanced at me when I was occupied in my thoughts looking at the holy fire in front of me.

"Finally you are mine!" He murmured leaning little closer to me. His voice was deep, mied with a hidden motive. The every single hair of my hand stood up.

"Huh not even in your dreams" I immediately gave it back almost instantly when he finished talking his last word. This much I was feeling tempted to fight. One word from him against me and I was ready with my thousand soldiers.

What does he meant that I am his? I am not any possession that he was claiming me. He looked bewildered for a moment then his face became blank again.

"Pandit, make it fast it's already late’’ Dev Agnihotri said it between the rituals looking at the time in his watch. If he cared about his expensive time this much then why is he wasting time marrying to me? His words interrupted the priest as he pause reciting chants.

Dev Agnihotri's arrogance has no limits and he has shown it through his every action without any hesitation. The command he held in every word he said can make anyone less in front of him.

While talking with my father, while talking with me, while talking with the priest he never hesitated to talk directly without giving much respect. How ironic is this when money doesn't allow someone like him to respect another human being! I was looking at the holy fire and feel the same fire palpating inside my mind.

After the mantras were done, we got up from our places. I felt a sudden rush of weakness in my body. Perhaps because I was carrying this heavy lehenga from so much time. My mother came ahead giving me the garlands of red roses chosen by me then she moved forward and gave it to Dev Agnihotri. The garlands were of my choice but the man I am going to wear for it isn't of my choice and never will be!

We wore it to each other around our necks. Then the priest told us to take seven pheras (rounds) around the holy fire. I took a deep breath. This is the last ritual then all will be done. How conveniently I was avoiding to think about the future for now, because I was already feeling too much exhausted even to think or walk. Holding my lehenga properly I was taking pheras (rounds) as Dev Agnihotri walked ahead. I get to know that each and every pheras (rounds) has its own meaning as the priest was telling to us. I noticed Dev was constantly checking his watch whilst walking around the holy fire.

"Why don't you just run if your so much precious time is getting wasted in this stupid ritual?" I lowly murmured at him, mocking at his little actions. He looked back at me. The grandeur demeanour of him was making me feel small in every sense. His thick eyebrow raised up at me and then he flashed me a smile. His smile that caused me to halt the racing horses of my thinking.

"Not a bad idea" He blurted out.

And I suddenly felt a jerk ahead as he started walking in the faster pace. The tied knot of the sacred stole on both of our shoulders hanging between us has started dragging me towards him in a jerk, in a speed. I was having a difficult time holding my heavy lehenga while walking and matching the speed of him. I saw the Priest looking at us in disbelief. He also had to match the speed of his mantras with us. Dev Agnihotri and his unexpected actions was not lesser than any trouble.

This made me sigh as he seemed not to be interested much in listening about anything related to wedding rituals. Trust, companionship, understanding, being there for each other in thick and thin, in poor and in rich, in sick and healthy times, being loyal till the death now felt like a burden to me and for him nothing but a mere stupid ritual. But somewhere in the deepest part of my heart, a decision has been made up and I was ready to do it.

After certain pheras (rounds) before it could complete to seven, the priest told me to step ahead of Dev Agnihotri. I was relieved that I was not following behind him but a thought popped up in my mind when he stood behind me. I deliberately started walking in a slow pace, taking my all-time, stepping my foot ahead delicately. I could feel his feet instantly decreasing the gap between and tapping impatiently while waiting for me to walk ahead but I took time and walked ahead lazily.

I glanced back at Dev Agnihotri at every turn with a calm smile and saw how much he looked frustrated by my actions, breathing heavily and holding his anger. His stormy eyes held mine every time I glance at him as if he was warning me. But I did not bother by his fury at all.

This is just the start Dev Agnihotri! You have not been spared by Druga's wrath at all.

“These are the seven vows you have taken with each other in front of holy fire now no one could separate you from each other, this sacred wedding ritual has been completed ’’ The priest said. I saw Dev snapping his fingers and instantly his guard came forward handing a file at him.

“There are some papers you need to sign on it,” Dev Agnihotri said giving me the file keeping his voice calm serious and sharp.

“What is this for?” I hesitantly opened it feeling not ready to look at another file with some documents of loans taken by my family.

“It's a prenuptial agreement,” He said stepping down from the stage leaving me behind. He removed the stole around his shoulder and left it on the floor as it doesn't hold any values anymore. I felt beyond just angry. His every little action enraged me to snap at him and teach him to value the sacred things. And what the hell he just said?

Prenuptial? Seriously? He is the one who offered me the deal previously and now this? What does he think? That I am interested in his money? He is seriously an idiot or forgotten I had at the first refused to marry him. He was the one who boasted up about his money and reputation.

“Why you are giving this to me?” I asked which made Dev Agnihotri to turn and look at me with amused expressions on his face. His lips pressed to each other and thin lines on his temple were visibly showing his stress. How ionic! He is the one who is giving me stress. He stepped up on the stage facing at me. I went back a little feeling that his too much closer appearance was making me difficult to look at his big face.

"Oh sweetness, I thought you would use your brain with beauty," He said in a cool manner.

"And here I thought you are in hurry Mr Agnihotri" I blurted. The constant time checker was having a conversation with me on this baseless topic Prenuptial. But before I sign on it I needed answers. I wanted to know what cooked in his arrogant brain that he without any mistake had time to make this agreement. Since when he was planning to marry me? Or did he do this in a night!

"Signing on this will may not give you any rights over my property if we ever get divorced" He said staring straight in my eyes. Just a moment before we had done a sacred ritual of two lives coming together for eternal time. Forgetting not every action has been done for the truthfulness. It has made by the thread of lies and motives.

"There isn't any date mentioned for d divorce" I stuttered at the end. He shrugged his shoulders at me. The whole procedure isn't new for me as I have studied it before for my clients. But when it comes on you, you feel the dangerous traits of it.

"Yes. Its depends. On my mood. Just like now, I married to you, because I felt like to get married." He said. I gulped.

The exact thing was swirling around my mind a while ago. What if he leaves me one day? He looked at me. What is this man actually thinks of himself? I narrowed my eyes at him. Talking about the divorce just after getting married? Well, the way his behaviour has less chance of our marriage to survive. One might feel worried about losing their life partner in such agreements, I was worried for my self-respect. Everything does come with a guarantee but what about my emotions? I can not put them on stake. After agreeing to this I am unaware of how my life is going to be! And I have always felt conscious for the unaware things.

“You must be thinking what will happen to you and your family after divorce right?” Dev Agnihotri asked me curiously. "Read the next document, I have clearly proposed to provide you with the alimony. You will never have to face the poor middle-class life ever and this will keep reminding you to feel blessed for coming across to me in your life." He said. I grabbed the pen and signed on it. Not wanting to listen his further boring arrogant rant. Lord show some mercy to this idiotic creature as he has misguided himself too much in this materialistic world.

"Bravo," He said after getting his work done and turned to leave.

"Wait Mr Agnihotri" I blurted. He stopped and looked at me. I took a deep breath.

“You had shown your power in front of me and left me no option but to marry you. I was and never interested in marrying you at first place. I don't desire any interest in your money neither in you. Hope you will keep reminding this to yourself too" I said matching his gaze. His eyebrows furrowed a little and then immediately he masked his frustration. I walked pass by him stepping down from the stage leaving the Arrogant Agnihotri behind. I will never bow to him ever even though I have a debt to pay him. His money and his two-cent ego has no place in my heart.

I will keep showing him that he had done the mistake crossing his path to me. This Durga will not let him overpower that easily.

I knew its not the cup of his tea to face it back what he throws, because I am going to make everything difficult for him.

----

The time has come! To take leave. The home I born into, the home which gave me lots of happiness and taught me lots of things. It was the time to leave this home for don't know how many months, years or decades. I slowly walked ahead in a silence. Behind me. my Baba and my mother were walking. I glanced at my Baba who was looking down. I understood his dilemma between feeling the guilt of hiding so many truths from me.

While Mumma looked quite happy that I have finally married now that too with a billionaire! Her long time wish gets fulfilled. But who will tell her, that her daughter never wished for this which might last for a while and not permanent? She always wanted her daughters to marry someone rich. It's not her fault that she had to face poor life and a need for comfort created greed in her mind. Her happiness was radiating from her eyes. Then I noticed DevAgnihotri waiting and impatiently tapping his feet.

I didn’t glance back and kept walking ahead until I reached the big black car standing outside. The emotions suddenly crawled in my mind like the dark rainy clouds cover the sky to pour.

I looked at my sisters. I am going to miss them so badly. They were on the verge of crying. I spread my arms and my younger sister Simran ran into a hug. My eyes accidentally fell on Dev Agnihotri and saw him rolling his eyes. Heartless! I saw him pulling out his phone and getting busy in his own work.

Dismissing him from my sight, I hugged my sister controlling my hard sobs.

While Simran was sobbing in my embrace. We pull out of the hug and Riya held my hand assuringly. I felt her warmth of empathy and patience.

“Excuse me” Simran called him. I saw Dev Agnihotri looked at both sides and then pointed at himself “Are you talking to me?”

“Yes you, dare if you make my sister cry or ever hurt her,” Simran warned him. I smiled knowing my sister isn't young anymore.

“Ahan milady I am really scared thinking about what you will do!” Dev Agnihotri mocked at her making a scared face. I heard the hnt of sarcasm in his tone. This made Simran angry.

I saw Riya came forward glaring at Dev Agnihotri and pulled Simran back.

‘’I don’t have a whole damn night Durga, hurry up!” Dev Agnihotri yelled at me and got inside his car. The nerve of this man! I looked at his friend Mr Bhatia who appeared to be confused on what to do. He stayed out waiting for me.

I moved my attention towards my sisters who were wiping my tears.

“Take care of yourselves girls,” I told them. They nodded at me.

Before walking ahead, I once turned back to look at my Baba and my mother. My Baba was looking at me hiding his tears. I knew what he was thinking. I wanted to hug him for the last time but couldn’t because I was really upset with him.

Although my eyes were teary but every drop would scream an anger if they freed out. I was trying to bury deep inside my mind. I looked at my Baba asking so many questions at a time through my eyes. I know he was feeling helpless just like me. I walked ahead and touched his feet. I felt my Baba's hand touching over my head. I closed my eyes feeling unbearable pain.

I touched Mumma's feet. She whole-heartedly gave me a blessing with a teary-eyed smile. Without talking to them I walked ahead holding my lehenga. When guards opened the door I got inside and sat beside arrogant man, Dev Agnihotri.

The car drives off ahead and so my life, leaving my home and my own people behind.

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