They stopped in front of the men and Veer looked at them without any fear.

"Dost hai yo? Aise howe hai dosti?"

(She is a friend? Is friendship like this?)

One of the men jibed seeing Charvi so close to Veer.

His fists tightened and he growled in anger.

"Dari hui hai wo!"

(She is scared!)

The man snickered and one of the older men who seemed like the head of the village came forward.

"Dekh beta! Hume koi farak na padta yo teri ke lage hai. Mahre gaam ka usul hai ki ek ladka ladki dost na howe hai. Aur jo dono saath mai dikh jaawe toh mahre yaha dono ki saadi kra di jaawe hai."

(See! We don't care what she is to you. Its our village's rule that no man and woman are friends. And if we see them together they are married.)

Charvi looked at him wide eyed. Where did they get stuck?

"Dekhiye hum log yaha se hai bhi nhi. Hum bas apne ghar wapas jaa rhe the-"

(See we are not from here. We were returning home-)

Veer said calmly but the man cut him off again.

"Hume koi farak na padta. Tu mahri zameen pr hai. Ek kawari ladki ke saath raat ko akele. Hum toh aise na jaane denge."

(We don't care. You are at our land. With an unmarried woman alone at night. We won't let you go like this.)

Now he was getting angry. These people were unnecessarily creating a scene.

"Problem kya hai aapki? Aaram se jaa rhe the na hum. Aapne hume roka. Aur ab ye badtameezi."

(What is your problem? We were going peacefully. You stopped us. And now this nonsense.)

Two of the men pulled their guns to them and Charvi tightened her hold on his hand.

"Ruko!"

(Wait!)

The head commanded the men and they lowered their guns.

"Ab toh tu yaha se aise na jaa ske hai. Toh ab tu faisla kr le. Tu iss chhori se saadi krega aur yaha se zinda jaayega isse lekar. Ya hum iski saadi apne gaam ke kisi chhore se karwa de aur tu yaha se akela jaaye. Ya hum tum dono ko hi yaha maar de aur baat khatam kre."

(Now you can't leave like this. You decide. You marry this girl and leave with her alive. Or we get her married to one of our men and you leave alone. Or we kill both of you and finish this here.)

Veer closed his eyes in frustration. He so wanted to yell at them and maybe beat up a few of them.

But he wasn't alone and he needed to ensure Charvi's safety. So he made the only sane decision he could think of.

"I'll marry her!"

She looked at him wide eyed but he avoided her eye.

"Ke?"

(What?)

"Mai shaadi krunga isse!"

(I'll marry her!)

He repeated gritting his teeth and in the next four hours they were married with proper religious ceremonies.

Charvi was made to change in a simple red saree and mehandi was applied on her hands. She was now sitting beside her childhood love and her new husband who did not look even a bit happy about the whole arrangement.

She rested her back looking outside the window and closed her eyes. The exhaustion of everything was taking over her.

She wanted to cry. She loved him and wanted to be with him. But not like this. Not against his wish.

Her thoughts were broken by his phone ringing.

He picked up and put it on speaker.

"Bhai? Kaha reh gye aap log? You guys were reaching in the midnight. Subah ho gyi hai bhai. Is everything ok?"

(Where are you both? Its morning.)

Came Vansh's worried voice.

"Vansh listen to me. Hum thodi der mai ghar pahuch rhe hai. Make sure everyone is there when we reach. And Charvi ke parents ko bhi ghar bula le."

(We are reaching in some time. And call Charvi's parents too.)

Veer said and Charvi looked away fidgeting with her fingers.

"Hua kya hai bhai? Are you both ok? Charvi thik hai?"

(What happened bhai? Is Charvi ok?)

Veer looked at her for a second and then replied with clenched jaw.

"Just do as I saw Vansh. Pahuch rhe hai hum ek ghante mai."

(We are reaching in an hour.)

He said and disconnected the call. Charvi's phone's battery had already died.

They reached his home in an hour and he parked the car and got out without waiting for her.

He waited for her in front of the door before ringing the bell and they entered inside together.

Namrata who was dead worried about them after his phone call sprang up with the others seeing them.

All of them were shocked to see their condition. Charvi was wearing a bridal saree with Mangalsutra and Sindur in her hairline.

Looking at her father she broke down and ran to him. She hugged him tightly and he caressed her hair while whispering sweet things to her.

After she stopped crying he asked her softly.

"Kya baat hui bache?"

(What happened?)

"Wo-hum-"

(That-we-)

She hiccupped badly due to crying and Veer answered on her behalf. He told everyone what all happened and what he had to do to save him and her.

Everyone was silent for some time.

"Since dono hi ye shaadi nhi krna chahte the toh phir toh ye shaadi valid hi nhi hui na."

(Since both of then didn't want the marriage then it isn't valid right.)

Vansh said after some time and his father said.

"Tumhare nazar mai beta. Lekin agar hum court mai shaadi annul krwane bhi jaate hai toh wo krega nhi. It will both of them a few months time to give them a chance to reconcile."

(In your eyes son. But court won't annul the marriage.)

His father was a lawyer and Vansh clenched his fists.

"Aur waise bhi shaadi toh hui hai na. Pure riti riwaazo ke saath."

(And the marriage has happened. With all the rituals.)

Namrata said and looked at Veer. Charvi too was looking at Veer to see his reaction.

He did not utter anything and started moving to his room.

"Veer!"

His mother stopped him and he turned to her.

"Kya hua?"

(What happened?)

"Pta nhi mumma. Kuch samajh nhi aa rha. Its all my fault. Agar kuch ghante aur ruk jaata mai aur subha nikalte toh shayad ye sab kabhi hota hi nhi. Sab kharab kr dia maine."

(I don't know mumma. I don't understand anything. If I had waited a few more hours and we left in morning this won't have happened. I ruined everything.)

He said raking his hand through his hair in frustration. Namrata held his hand and said.

"Jo hota hai na uski marzi se hota hai. Aur agar usne ye hone dia matlab wo yahi chahte the. Ab jyada mat socho. Thak gye hoge dono. Freshen up and rest for some time. Baad mai baat krenge. Thik hai?"

(Everything happens with his wish. If he let this happen then he wanted this. Now don't think much. You must be tired. We will talk later. Ok?)

He nodded and went to his room. Charvi too went to her home and rested for a while. She didn't know when sleep took over her.

The next day it was decided that since the two were already married and there was no scope of annulment then it was better if they got them married properly again.
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