Yuhn Hota Toh Kya Hota- Rikara FF

Chapter 11

Gauri was clothed in a gorgeous pink and orange banarasi sari-lehenga. The ladies were almost done getting her ready for the wedding. It was mid-morning now, with the festivities over and most people gone. 

Of course, Kali Thakur was not so foolish to get married in front of the entire village while his wife was still alive, thought Gauri. The function in the morning was to flaunt her in front of all the powerful men in the zila, that she is his possession now. A mere expensive object he had acquired. Another stamp of approval for Kali that he was the most powerful man in the zila. And now that he had accomplished this objective, he was ready to get married. 

Gauri was shivering within, but she calmed herself. Tears of fear, of worry, of the imminent danger were slowing making their way from her eyes. 

"The dulhan (bride) is ready. Let us take her downstairs, Thakur saab is waiting." said one of the ladies, as she finished clasping the gajra (flower cap) in her hair.

Gauri looked at herself, almost sparkling in the expensive jewelry and glint of the fine embroidery of the banarasi, she looked like a princess. But will this princess fail to escape from the clutches of the devil? Gauri knew this was no fairytale, her life had never been, no prince would ever come to save her. She would have to save herself. Thinking so she wiped her tears with a finality, thought of her mother, hoping against hope that Gaurav and the others had managed to rescue her. If they did not come in time, she would have to fall back on her back-up plan to escape this wedding. But she hope it didn't come to that. Her original plan was dangerous as it is. 

"You ladies go, I'll follow you." Gauri said, almost like an order. The ladies went ahead and left the room. 

Gauri tried to switch on the phone, but it was still showing a blank screen. Had Gaurav followed her instructions, had he succeeded? 

Gauri walked as slowly as she could, not only was she stalling for time, but even if she wanted to, it was impossible for her to move fast with her feet chained together. Slowly she made her way to the hall. 

Kali Thakur was waiting there, dressed up in the attire of a groom. Beside him, his brothers were smirking looking at her entering. Apart from them, the only other occupant in the room was the pandit. Everyone else seemed to have disappeared. 

Gauri moved as slowly as possible to the mandap, looking for any sign that her little friends had reached here. She could see none. 

"Come, come, don't waste time." Kali said, as he pulled her hand and made her sit in the mandap beside him. The pandit alighted the sacred fire, and started pouring ghee in it. To stall for time, Gauri started coughing loudly. She got up and moved away from the fire. Kali Thakur also got up. 

"What happened?" he asked with some irritation. 

"Water. I need water. The smoke from the fire is choking me, and I haven't eaten anything properly since morning. I'll faint." pleaded Gauri.

"Now I don't want my Bulbul to faint during the wedding. I want you to see you own destruction." smiled Kali Thakur. He ordered a servant to get some water and fruits for Gauri. 

As Gauri gulped down some water, a light caught her eye, it was coming from the opposite window, which led out to the garden. She understood. Gauri held the glass with both her hands and shifted them in a manner to reflect the light back from expensive gems in the ornaments on her hands, to signal. 

"Can I....can I just go to that window, and breathe in some fresh air from the garden? Once the wedding rituals begin, I can't get up again and you know the smoke affects me, just this once?" Gauri asked in her sweetest voice