“Inka saaman gaadi mai rakhwao. Ye saath chalengi hamare.”

(Keep her stuff in the car. She will come with us.)

Aadya smiled gratefully but just as she took a step forward she was stopped by her father’s voice.

“Oh naa sahab! Isse yaha se toh kahi na jaane dunga mai aise. Mana yo shaadi galat thi par beti hai meri. Aise kisi paraye mard ke saath na jaane dunga.”

(No sir! I will not let her leave from here. I agree this marriage was wrong but she is my daughter. I will not let her leave with a stranger man.)

“Bakwaas band kro! Agar beti ko beti ki tarah rakhte toh aaj ye din nhi dekhna padta. Insaan hai…koi cheez nhi jo karz ke badle chuka do!”

(Shut up! Had you loved her like a daughter, this day wouldn’t have come. She is a human…not a thing to repay in return of a loan!)

“Baap hu sahab uska. Meri ijazat ke bina na le jaa skte aap.”

(I am her father, sir. You cannot take her without my permission.)

He tried again but Rudra knew better.

“18 saal se upar hai aapki beti. Adult hai legally. Aap toh kya koi bhi nhi rok skta usse apni marzi se kahi jaane se. Aap chaliye saath.”

(She is more than 18 years of age. Legally an adult. Nobody can stop her from going anywhere with her consent. You come with me.)

He said the last part of Aadya softly. She nodded but was again stopped.

“Aur rakhoge kaha, sahab? Apne ghar?”

(Where will you keep her, sir? At your home?)

That made Aadya freeze. She hadn’t thought about that. Where would she go? Even Rudra did not have any answer to that.

“Aur log ke kahenge? Biwi ki hote parayi aurat ghar le aaya.”

(What will people say? You brought a stranger girl home even after having a wife.)

He taunted and Rudra scoffed.

“Shaadi nhi huyi hai meri.”

(I am not married.)

It was only after he uttered those that he realised that this was even worse.

“Yo toh aur bhi kharab hai sahab! Ke ijjat reh jaayegi meri beti ki? Paraye mard ke ghar, bina kisi rishte ke reh rhi hai. Mazak ban jaayega iska.”

(This is even worse, sir! What about my daughter’s dignity? Staying at a stranger man’s home, without any relation. She will be a laughing stock.)

“Aapko iss sabki chinta krne ki koi zarurat nhi hai.”

(You don’t have to worry about all this.)

“Aapke shehro mai aam baad hoti hogi sahab. Hamare gaao mai chhori paraaye mardo baat tak nhi krti, ek ghar mai rehna toh dur.”

(This must be common in your big cities, sir. In our village, girls don’t even talk to stranger men let alone stay together in one house.)

Rudra didn’t bother to reply and turned to Aadya instead.

“Aap chaliye.”

(You come.)

But he froze when he saw the doubts in her eyes. He clenched his jaw when he realised that she too was thinking the same. The fear of judgment. And the fear of being humiliated.

He walked towards her and she lowered her eyes.

“Aap…aap mujhe kaha chhodenge?”

(Where will you…you leave me?)

She asked and heard him sigh. She knew the answer then. She was supposed to stay at his place. She instinctively took a step back and he closed his eyes. He knew he had to make a decision and make it quick.

“Aap inn sab cheezon ki fikar mat kijiye. Dekh lenge hum waha chalke ki kya karna hai.”

(Don’t worry about these things. We will figure out what to do after reaching there.)

Aadya looked at the button of his shirt, not being able to meet his eyes.

“Mai…mai ek narak se nikalne…dusre mai nhi jaana chahti, sahab. Log…sawaal toh…mere kirdaar pr hi uthayenge na.”

(I…I don’t want to enter another hell…after getting out of one, sir. People…will question…my character only.)

He stayed silent for some time. And then, finally making a decision, he looked at the old man she was supposed to marry still sitting at the altar.

“Utho yaha se!”

(Get up from here!)

“Hain!?”

(What!?)

“Utho yaha se!”

(Get up from here!)

He repeated firmly and the man immediately got off and hid behind some men. He then looked at Aadya and said in low voice.

“Baithiye!”

(Sit!)

“Jee?”

(What?)

She looked at him shocked.

“Baithiye yaha.”

(Sit here.)

He repeated softly and she obeyed. Her eyes followed his movement and they widened when he sat beside her.

“Ye…ye aap…”

(What…what are you…)

“Baat sirf itni hai na ki hamare beech koi rishta nhi hai. Ab sab sahi ho jaayega. Pandit ji! Aap mantra padhiye!”

(The problem is only that we do not have a relationship between us. Everything will be fine now. Priest! Start chanting the mantras!)

“Lekin sahab? Mai kaise…”

(But sir? How can I…)

He looked at her and said.

“Mai toh aapko aise bhi le jaane ko taiyar hu. Lekin aap hichak rhi hai. Galat nhi hai aapki hichak. Mujhe joh raasta samajh aaya mai wo kr rha hu. Ab faisla aapka hai.”

(I am ready to take you without all this. But you are hesitant. Your hesitance is not wrong. I am doing what I can think of right now. You decide now.)

She lowered her eyes and thought. He let her. The silence was broken by the priest who asked in a fearful voice.

“Umm…mantra padhu? Ya nhi?”

(Umm…should I chant the mantras? Or not?)

Rudra let Aadya decide. She gave him one fleeting look from the corner of her eyes. She didn’t know if she was doing right or not but she trusted her Kanhaiya. 

“Ji pandit ji. Aap mantra padhiye.”

(Yes. You chant the mantras.)

Rudra gulped and within the next few hours, they were married, her stuff was packed and put in the car and she was travelling to a new city with her newly married husband.

Aadya looked at her henna and bangle clad hands and smiled. They didn’t look so bad anymore.

Once out of the village, she felt like she could breathe again. Her eyes betrayed her and moved to the man sitting in the passenger seat. He hadn’t spoken a word since they started driving. There was just one officer driving the car other than the two.

Varendra Chandoli and his sons were in three other cars. Rudra did not know what to feel. 

The car finally came to a stop a few hours later. Aadya, who had slept midway, woke up and looked around groggily. They were in front of a police station.

The officer who was driving immediately got off and Rudra opened his door. Before climbing out, he stopped and spoke without turning to look at her.

“Mujhe thodi der lag jaayegi. Aap andar chaliye. Pankha hai andar. Yaha garmi lagegi. Kuch khaa pee bhi lijiyega.”

(It will take some time. Come inside. There’s fan inside. It will be hot here. Eat something too.)

Aadya hummed and got out. She followed him timidly, looking around at everything with curious eyes.

The officers at the station, the ones who did not accompany them, looked at her with equally curious eyes. The DCP was present and Rudra saluted him. Rudra disappeared in his cabin with the DCP who praised him on the work and asked about what happened.

Rudra explained everything. Including marrying Aadya.

“What do you mean Rudra? Shaadi?”

(Marriage?)

“Koi aur raasta nhi tha sir. Aur mera mann nhi maan raha tha unhe waha chhodne ko.”

(There was no other way, sir. And my conscience didn’t allow me to leave her there.)

He answered truthfully.

“Toh ab kya kroge?”

(What will you do now?)

“Shaadi kri hai sir. Biwi hai ab wo meri. Uss izzat se rahegi jaise meri biwi rehni chahiye.”

(I married her sir. She is my wife. She will stay with the respect my wife deserves.)

The DCP smiled and patted his back congratulating him. Rudra sighed and moved out. Aadya was given tea and samosas in the meantime. She was fidgeting with her fingers, waiting for him. She wanted to use the washroom.

She got up when she saw Rudra come out of his cabin and walk towards her.

“Ghar chalte hai. Aap thak bhi gyi hongi.”

(Let’s go home. You must be tired.)

She just nodded and followed him. She started opening the backdoor but he stopped her.