Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that".
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"Where are you right now", a very grumpy voice of my grandmother greeted me as soon as I picked up my phone.
"Hello to you too my queen. Thanks for letting me know that you are very much alive and breathing ", I said sarcastically wishing her.
Not even asking me about my health or well-being. Great , just great !!!!!
"I'm not in the mood for your jokes young lady. All the relatives are home and asking about the bride. What should I answer them?", she bellowed in her stern tone.
"Tell them I'm busy in my clinic", I said in a matter-of-factly tone.
She exhaled heavily trying to calm down her irritation, "Samaira, marriage is not a child's play. Don't behave so carelessly. It's already 10 in the night and you are still in your office. There is a limit to everything ", she said disappointedly.
"It's only a day left for your marriage and the groom's family has also arrived for India", she continued further.
"Why are you telling me all this?", I rolled my eyes.
"Because you are the one who is going to marry. Now, pack up and come back home. Or else I will send people to drag you back home", she warned like a vicious lady-villain of Indian soap operas.
Well, she definitely gives those naagin vibes, but an old ugly naagin. Only if they existed. I mentally laughed at my imagination.
The line clicked off before I had a chance for a comeback.
"Damn it", I threw my phone to the side.
Slamming the lid of laptop I pushed it aside & stood up from my seat moving towards the tall glass windows.
I was greeted by the sight of tall buildings and the noise of bustling traffic of the city, which didn't help my growing headache.
I sighed turning towards my office. Every light in the room was off except for the candles I lit around my desk.
In the darkness I hugged myself. I looked around my cabin. There wasn't a speck of dust on anything, no clutter and no excess. Everything in order. My life was in order before a storm named Nicholas Remington barged into it.
It was hard to get him out of my mind. His cool arrogance, his lack of care for my feelings, the aura that surrounded him, the conviction he held in his tone while referring to me as his wife.
I hated him. I hated him for placing me in this situation where I had to sacrifice my life in order to secure my hard earned hospital.
And on top of that the pressure of my Nina. She wants me to marry and be a good and faithful wife.
I shook off the cold chill that crept through me by the word wife. Silent loneliness surrounded me in this empty room. There was no one to share my feelings or insecurities. My chest burned with the urge to cry.
No. I would not. Not a tear.
I looked away. There was nothing to cry over. This was what I wanted. I chose to marry him for my gain. There is nothing wrong in it , I thought.
Suddenly the door pushed open and entered the very annoyed Elena.
She stopped at the desk crossing her arms and waited for me to speak. Her brown eyes stern, which reminded me of my maths teacher waiting for me to answer those ridiculous algebraic equations.
At last she huffed knowing that I'm not going to open my mouth any sooner.
"I just got off the phone with your grandma".
"Okay?", I replied.
"She was very disappointed with your lack of concern towards your own marriage", she spat.
I rolled my eyes at her as I packed up my belongings to leave.
"Are you going to stand there and pretend that you didn't hear my words", she narrowed her gaze on me.
"You clearly know under what circumstances I agreed for this marriage, Lena", I said with a bored tone.
"Yes. I know that. But your family thinks that you willingly agreed for this marriage. What will they think if the
to-be-bride is busy working her ass off instead of preparing for the marriage which is in two days", she said putting her hands on her waist.
"The old lady has finally succeeded in turning you into little version of her", I joked seeing her speak exactly like Nina.
"I'm not joking", she stomped her foot like a kid.
"Neither I am".
"Ok, let's keep all this aside for a moment", she said staring at me seriously. "Can't you give this marriage a chance?".
"Stop it, Elena! You are not making any sense", I groaned at my friend who was speaking rubbish inspite of knowing my insecurities and commitment issues.
She exhaled heavily before she rounded up the table and stood right infront of me. Her gaze laced with concern as she took my hands in hers.
"Sam, I know you are scared to get into relationships. But trust me, not every relation is going to end up like that of your parents. You just have to open your heart a little bit. A teeny tiny bit", she said gesturing through her fingers like a little kid, which made me to laugh at her antics.
"And on top of that, Nicholas is not that bad of a choice either. He has good family background, he is well-settled and like a cherry on the top he is good looking too", she said with a bright smile.
I agree he is classically a handsome man, with six-foot-three height. With a face so perfect like it is carved out by the sculptor Michelangelo itself. His hair, thick– the deepest shade of black. And he has the clearest grey eyes that I had ever seen on a man.
There were times when I had stared directly into his grey eyes. It was too intense and frightening.
"Holy shit !!!! Did I just witness the cold and tough Dr. Samaira Deshmukh , lost in the thoughts of a man ?, I'm sure my eyes are playing tricks on me", she screamed out in surprise.
"No", I sucked in a deep breath realizing that I was actually thinking about his sinful features.
She eyed me with a satisfied smile playing on her lips clearly knowing that I was submerged in his thoughts.
"Whatever sails your boat darling", she rolled her eyes, "but seriously you have hit the jackpot to get that hotty piece as your husband".
"Eww. Who are you? Are you seriously my Elena who thinks all the male species are brainless dumbwits?", I scrunched up my nose in disgust at her referring him as a piece.
But she is right; he is every girls dream , my mind retorted.
All in all he is a wholesome package that every sane girl wishes for. But I'm not the one among them.
I'm not the one who can play home with him. I'm just not carved out — either to be a perfect wife for someone or to be a perfect daughter-in-law of some family.
I hate emotional attachments. Emotions make us weak. Whether it is love or hate. That's what I learned by seeing dad's state after mom's death. He was drowned in his sufferings so much that he completely forgot about his small kids who yearned for his comfort and love at that time.
He became completely detached from the family and buried himself in his work. I was six and Rishi was eight at that time. Sometimes he even never returned home for months giving reasons that he was busy handling his business.
But I knew all those excuses were bullshits. The truth was that he hated the home where his wife was nomore.
I still remember, I and Rishi waking up till midnights to wish dad good-night. Waiting near the closed door of his room to bid him good bye before going to school.
The months we spent without hearing a single word from him and unable to take a single look of him. He deprived us of the proper love and care that a child of that age craves for.
Although I had a very loving grandpa and Nina, but I think I missed all those little moments that every little kid wants to experiences with their parents.
At that day not only my mom died but she also took away my dad's soul with her. I lost my mom physically but my dad distanced emotionally from us. It was like living like orphans even after having your dad infront of you.
Many years passed like this. And suddenly one day, dad came into my room and without speaking anything, he kept his head in my lap and cried. Cried for the pain of losing his love. Cried, for not being there for his children when they needed him the most. Cried , for failing his duties as a father.
I had no option but to accept the man I called as father back into my life. To forgive the lover, who couldn't bear the separation of his wife from him.
But the damage had already been done, which turned my heart into hard stone, where there was no space for any emotions like love, hate or pain. I just immersed myself in studies and concentrated on building up a strong career and today I am succeeding in it.
But what about me? Whom should I ask forgiveness from, for the empty shell I have become?
No. I'm not blaming my dad. Even today I can proudly say that he is one of the best son any parent will wish for, the best husband a wife can ever have and the best father that any daughter will wish to choose.
I blame the situations. I blame the time. I blame the bitter fate which cruelly took away my mom from us.
I wish no child would have to experience the childhood that I and Rishi had to go through.
"Sam, are you still there?", I came out of my thoughts hearing Elena's concerned gaze.
"Yeah. As you can see, I'm standing infront of you", I said sarcastically grabbing my bags as we moved towards the elevator.
We entered inside the empty elevator as there were only few staffs and patients at this time of the night. I glanced towards Elena who was busy typing furiously onto her mobile while humming a tone of some random song.
Shit!!!! How can I forget this?
"Elena?", I called her softly as I prepared myself to ask this.
"Hmm?", she hummed absently not lifting her bent head.
"I was thinking about something", I voiced out in a low tone.
"Shoot", she blurted concentrating on her phone.
"How do you know Liam Rhodes?"
She inhaled sharply her body going tense as her fingers freezed on her cellphone.
Who is this man that managed to affect my workaholic secretary this much?
"Who.....I don't...What are you talking?"
she stammered avoiding my eyes.
"Liam Rhodes. That's his name right ?
The same name which made you go still like a rock. The same man who managed to intimidate you by his single glance", I said.
"Ummm......I really don't know what you are speaking about", she chuckled nervously clearly dodging my question.
"You should really try harder to mask that horror on your face my lady", I rolled my eyes holding her shoulders and turning her towards me.
"Now tell me Ms.Elena,
How. do. you. know. Liam. Rhodes?",
I asked pressing each word not giving her any chance to deny.
"You are not letting the matter pass, are you?", she exhaled her shoulders slumping down in defeat.
I smiled brightly at her. "No. Not at all, I want all the teeny tiny details", I said repeating her previous words.
"Ok, the story is actually very complicated", she said.
"I can digest any complicated story".
She threw a dirty look at me knowing that I'm not taking No for an answer.
"You are annoying", she scowled before continuing, " You already know that I'm the only daughter of my parents right?", she asked seriously.
"So?"
"You also know that, they want me to handle their business, right?", she asked in a low tone testing her next sentence.
"Yeah madam. I also know that, it was due to your dad's pressure you ran away from your home 3 years ago", I rolled my eyes repeating the same story she is repeating from three years.
I furrowed my brows in confusion not able to grasp how is this related to Liam.
"Actually, that was a lie", she blurted out .
I gave her a confused look.
"The first part— of my dad pressurizing me was true. And I ran away but not from my home", she confessed scrutinizing my face for any reaction.
The elevator door chimed open and we exited from it.
"Liam was actually my fiancèè. I ran away on the day of my marriage", she blurted out in a single breath before running in the direction of her car parking.
"Wait....... what?", my mouth flew open at her words.
"Bye bye, miss you. Get home safely", she smiled at me before driving past me speedily.
"Elena...........wait", I screamed behind her in vain.
Holy hell. I never ever imagined this.

Next update: 7:11:2023.
Next chapter is going to bring a twist to this story & their marriage is gonna take place.
Check out my insta handle resokashyap , for spoilers of Next chapter....

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