Our Covenant Marriage

Kanika

"It's over between us. We should call it off."

wedding."

I read that text over and over again. It

it was from Ajay, my fiance of six months, who broke

our encounter with the text a few hours ago. Yes,

with text.

"Coward!" remarked my inner self.

"But was it his fault?" I asked myself.

"So, it was your fault?" answered my inner self.

Just yesterday, dad was arrested. No, no papa, Mr. Devesh Goyal, unfortunately he is

my father. I slammed my phone against the opposite wall

to bed. It hit the floor with a loud thud and

it could also be broken. Who cares? My

whole life became a mess.

I kept crying and hiding my face

pillow. I couldn't take it anymore. It seems to be dying

easier than living life in such hell. Yes, life is hell

for me now My father was arrested for running away

human trafficking and brothels. His name,

there was his picture and our names and our pictures

pasted whole newspapers.

Rishabh Bhai asked me and Mau to stay overnight

at Candy's. We did. And he succeeded

keep all journalists out of our home. But,

how long we could escape the consequences

revealing the secrets of my father's luxury

account balance. Maa and I had to face it before or

later.

She was in the solitude of her room, shut up

thoughts of her husband while I was in

surrounds my room and cries like a coward. I pray

to the greatest power in heaven, turn back time and let me be an unborn child.

Maa and I knew what would happen on the birthday

party planned yesterday. Still, it stung and hurt

see a lot with your own eyes. My father had

to become a monster in your greed to become richer

than Singhani to show his dead father and

to this society that he was more fortunate than his

sister.

My muffled crying sounds got louder and louder

Maa knocked on the door of my room.

"Kanu, beta, open the door!" Her voice rang out

hoarse.

She had to cry herself to sleep. Wiping mine

own tears, he opened the door. A pair of hollow a

blank eyes greeted me. What a must have

passed after seeing her husband of 28 years

like this? I hugged her tightly and let the tears flow

loosely. My hiccups were increasing and she had to drag me along

hall. She sat me down and gave me a glass

water. My throat was parched after so many tears

and in no time I swallowed the whole glass.

She lovingly patted my head and said, “Kanu!

Rishabh came a while back! He asked

to move to Mumbai. Social circle in

which we have lived until now will not let us live

take it easy now."

he looked at her with lots of questions in my eyes.

First of all, why should we run? We

I didn't even realize what my father was doing

And the news appears on all TVs

channels across the country.

Do you know us in Mumbai?

Maa seemed to have questions that I did

she wanted to ask out loud, so she continued, “It's not

only about relatives and people who throw

daggers at us when they see us. And I know too

that Devesh will stay in the news for a while longer

longer this time. And people would identify a

would try to avoid us wherever we are."

She gently caressed my face. Her motherly touch

it brought fresh tears of pain and shame to me. Pain,

because of dad and shame because instead of me

to stand as her support during this time, she had to

support me I'm such a mess.

She continued: “It will be harder for us if we live

here, in this house, with his memories around us. I

i think we should listen to rishabh and leave delhi

forever. We should move to Mumbai and

to start our lives again."

"Again?" I asked.

"Yes! I don't want us to take a penny."

Devesh when we move out. He was doing it all for his ego

and his selfishness by bringing pain and despair

the lives of others. I don't want to use the money that

he made money by selling innocent girls. And I never can

forget what he did to Nishi. We cut out ours

own path, beta. We are in this together. And to trust

we will both sail through it. We'll get you

married to Ajay with our money”.

I could see determination in her eyes. I hugged myself

firmly, showing my agreement with her thoughts. I

agree with her, absolutely. But there was one more

what I needed to tell her so I said “Ajay broke down

up, just with text."

She broke away from our embrace and looked at me warily.

I nodded, fresh tears welling up in my eyes again. I

recently became a crybaby. My emotions

they were everywhere.

“If he can't support you in hard times, trust me, he will.

He doesn't deserve to be your life partner. It's alright

beta, you'll get through it. You're only 23. You

have your whole life ahead of you. I'm sure you will find

someone worthy of your love."

I knew Maa was right, but it was so easy to forget

Ajay. I dreamed of marrying him. We

they should have happily ever after. He

just broke up. Didn't he get attached to me?

We have been talking on the phone since the day

we got engaged. We met at almost all of them

alternate weekends. We shared our first kiss in

at least me.

Didn't he feel anything for me? Or he was

marriage to Mrs. Kanika Goyal and no

Kanika? Selfish bastard! But also by swearing

for Ajay, it didn't help. It caused a piercing pain

my heart for all the love I put into it, the person I thought loved me.

Now, more than Mao, I wanted to leave Delhi.

In addition, show him that I am something even if

I am not my father's daughter. But we still had

some time to move out of delhi. Rishabh Bhai and

Nishi got engaged the next week.

One more week! I thought to myself.