Iysa happened

6. I am alone

"You, you are lying Vandi could never say something like that" Bhaju screamed at me.

"I-I am not lying, why would I lie," I say not getting any of it, why would she think so low of me, tears prick through my eyes as stand there in disbelief.

"Oh, do I have to? We all know how jealous you are that Vandi got such a good family"

"WHAT HAPPENED?" I hear a thud sound as I turn around, Maa dropped the puja thali, in disbelief.

"Why are you surprised, what else did you expect to happen, told you this girl is a snake, she will kill your happiness and look" Masiji said pulling me in towards Vandi's room as Maa followed us closing the door.

"Where is she?" Maa asks as we look around the hotel room.

"Check the washroom," Masiji says.

"No one, she ran" Maa replied taking a sigh and holding on to the bedpost.

"Maa, I-"

"YOU STAY AWAY IYSA, ENOUGH" Masiji said pulling me away from Maa.

"My Vandi, what did I not do for her and she-" Maa said as tears made their way out, it was killing me to see her like this but Bhuaji was not leaving my hand.

"No our Vandi is not like that, you are her mother, you have seen her grow up but what can we all do we also fed this snake w her" she spated side-eyeing me

"Maa I did not know anything, it's not too late let us all search she still might not be out of the hotel, we will find her-"

"Stop Iysa stop, what do you want, that we all search for her and let everyone get to know that bride has run already, what face will we show to relatives and what about Sehgals and their relatives, you are a nobody no one will give a second thought on you but we, we have respect in the society Iysa, so you stay out of this," Maisiji said cutting me off.

"No Gauri, she cant stay out of it" Maa said getting up as she wiped her tears.

"What do you mean has not this girl caused enough havoc," Masiji said, confusion evident in her voice.

I look over at Maa with a hop, a hope to defend me to tell Masi that I am not this person and none of this has anything to do with me.

"Iysa when she told you that she had plans to run away, why did you come out of the room to tell us instead of stopping her right there, you just gave her an open chance to run away didn't you?"

As these words came out of maa's mouth, i was broken, how could my own mother think such of me, I know i have not been the best daughter but I have always tried to be one, is this the new level I have fallen to in front of my very own family.

"You are right, now i get her evil plans, she wanted her to run away and give this all up, this girl can't see Vandi happy," Masiji said leaving my hand and standing with Maa, I could feel the hate in their eyes.

"Are you guys not listening to me, she signed a contract with Ahan Sehgal, I have no hand in this," I say as I feel my breathing getting heavy, the heaviness in my chest, I wanted to say a lot more but seemed like I was running out of breath.

"Yes you did not but you took full benefit when you knew Vandi will run away, you came out to give her a chance and now pretending to be so innocent" Masiji said throwing daggers at me.

" I was just too shocked, my mind was not running straight, i know it was stupid but i was just-"

"Save it Iysa," Maa said cutting me off, there was a certain hardness in her voice.

"Gauri you stay with her I will go and talk to Sehgals, this is Ahan's fault also, they need to know about this"

Masiji hummed in response as Maa walked away without giving me a second glance.

It felt like hours after Maa left, the silence was killing me and Masijis Taunts were not helping, thankfully after what felt like hours the door opened with  Mrs Sehgal and Maa stepping in, making sure to close the door back.

"Iysa" Maa said looking at me with a stone-cold look.

"Get ready for the wedding" she completed.

W-H-A-T

"Maa-"

"Look Iysa, everyone has come, our relatives, your relatives and of what Ahan, Vandini and you have done this is the only solution we have come up with, you will get married to Ahan, there are a lot of professional relation people over here, let's not create more drama," Mrs Sehgal said cutting me off.

Why does everyone make me a criminal here, i had just made a mistake in the heat of the moment, god.

"No" I said sternly looking away from all of them.

"You will, all these years we have fed you, and kept you under our roof for what? To show this ungratefulness, it's not like you are doing something great in life right now, with average college average marks, average looks and a future would get an average job, I was already doubting if someone would even marry you, at least we get rid of this liability," Maisji says, every word hits me right in the heart.

"Listen Iysa, I can guarantee you, that we will look out for you," Mrs Sehgal says, it takes me a minute to sink that in, what does she think of me? A charity case? I look pleadingly at Maa hoping for some empathy but nothing, she looks right in my eyes with a cold look.

Maybe I was really a liability to them, they don't want me, even if I say no today they will never give me a place in their heart, and life will be meaningless knowing that i am alone, it started haunting me and I said something that I never thought I will.

"Yes, I will marry Ahan Sehgal"