Chapter 36


    JENNIFER''S POV


    Have you ever imagined how it would feel (A) to get pricked by endless needles, or (B) feeling heavy


    as if you were sinking in a major hangover, or (C) feeling suffocated as if huge blocks of metal were


    covering your body?


    No? Well as of now, I shall go with option (D) all of the above!


    I felt numb, across my body as if, all these years I had been lying deep beneath thick bs of bone-


    chilling ice. I tried to turn to a side, but failed miserably. Then somehow, I turned to my left. The linen


    bedsheets wrinkled because of my constant movement.


    I couldn''t understand why I had been feeling so dizzy.


    Am I kidnapped? Did someone rape me!? Am I going to die?


    My mind was clouded with such questions. I tried opening my eyes and the lights of the room blinded


    my sight. I blinked rapidly, trying to adjust myself with the surroundings. I dragged myself up the bed


    and somehow sat on it. As I got limatized with the room, I took in the things arround me. I was in a


    suite. A grand one, which had been decorated with red, orange roses and warm colors close to them. It


    felt as if the room had been constructed in a rose garden. I turned my gaze to the bed and spotted


    cremé coloured linen sheets covering the queen-sized mattress. There was a nightstand with a tulip


    shaped red colouredmp on it, near the left of the bed.


    I gently stood up.


    To the left of me were big mirrors as if I were in some movie set''s green room. There, in front of them,


    piles of ornaments were stacked. Cosmetics, flowers were lying on the counter present in front of the


    mirrors. There were several stools kept.


    Straight to the bed was the door. I limped to it, still a feeling sort of paralysis gripping my feet. I tried


    turning open the know but as expected, the door was locked.


    The wardrobes on the right of me were open with endless number of lehengas peeping out of it. All of


    them looked stunning. I moved to those dresses with heavy steps, slowly but steadily recovering from


    the hammering sensation. I ran my fingers callously over the lehengas. I don''t know why but, instead of


    dread or fear filling my senses, all I felt in me was numbness. Nothing was being registered in my mind


    and I was behaving like a zombie, absolutely ignorant to what situation I was in.


    As I had been running my fingers across the soft fabric of the expensive attires hanging in the


    wardrobe, I noticed my fingers. They looked different... oddly different. And Darn it! They had nail paint


    on them with henna appliedon my hands and feet....


    I never apply such things on my nails then..? And mehendi... absolutely not possible!


    Subconsciously, my gaze went to the ring finger of my right hand and I spotted the ring there.


    My engagement ring! Chimed my brain.


    And my memory shed the moments back from my dance ss. I stumbled on my tracks and jerked


    my body behind. As I turned to face myself in the mirror, I was left dumbstruck!


    I was d in a royal blue lehenga with a cream coloured, blue bordered dupatta draped around my


    shoulders.


    I had a gorgeous sapphire studded ne resting on my my cor bones, with matching earrings


    dangling from my ears.


    I even had a simr nose ring on my nose, whose long chain had been hooked within my hair.


    My long, wavy, jet-ck hair had been rolled into a french bun with a diamond studded broach at its


    side. It had something written at its side. With shaky steps, I walked up to the mirrors and side faced a


    little to get a clear view of it.


    And my breath hitched on reading what the broach read.


    ''My Tigress''


    The diamonds were studded to give this writing. But one needed to look very closely to decipher what it


    really contained, from afar it was like any other diamond broach in the shape of a flower.


    I was trembling now. All the feelings of feeling heavy, suffocated was because of the heavy, bridal attire


    I had been wearing all this time!


    But, who changed my clothes? I thought.


    My head had been spinning like crazy and my throat felt parched... even more dry and burnt than the


    Sahara desert. I moved my gaze to the night stand where I spotted a jug full of water. I quickly covered


    the distance to the jug with brisk steps. After pouring myself a ss full of water, I drank it greedily.


    Finally, I felt at peace. Clutching my head, I slumped back on one of the armrests ced nearby. Just


    then, the door clicked open. I froze, in fear.


    I shut my eyes tight, I was not at all in a position to face the devil now. But, on hearing the jingling bells


    of payal (a type of ornament worn on the feet, which makes jingling sounds due to the small bells


    attached to it) I opened my eyes and looked who it was.


    There at the corner of the door, stood a sweet and chubby girl in a yellow colored frilled frock. She


    smiled looking at me. A genuine, innocent smile.


    I returned the gesture.


    "You are going to marry Dhanu bhaiya ( elder brother in hindi) isn''t it?" She asked innocently.


    I have to dear, as he threatened to wipe out all my loved ones of I dared to do something otherwise!


    But I simply nodded instead of blurting that out.


    Did she just call him Dhanu... really!? That demon doesn''t deserve an endearment! I snarled mentally.


    Then, turning back, she held a trolley full of mouth-watering goodies. If circumstances had been


    different, I would have certainly nursed myself with that appetizing food but I surely didn''t want to


    ept anything that was offered by him! And that included food too! I could live on water only for now


    atleast.


    "This is all for you! If you need anything else, please press the red button present near the bathroom


    over there. I shall do the rest!" She chirped pointing towards the red button near a ss cubicle, which


    was apparently the washroom.


    With that, she left.


    If I press the button will you be able to provide me with my long lost friend call freedom?


    I sighed heavily. Trying to open the door again would obviously turn out to be futile so I didn''t try again.


    My stomach grumbled but I didn''t nce at that trolley for once.


    Just then, I heard a sound. Something chimed


    Phone... my phone!


    I literally sprang up on my feet and ran towards the direction of the sound. It had beening from one


    of the drawers of the wardrobe. After opening a dozen of them, I finally got hold of the one which


    contained my cellphone.Content ? provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    I opened that drawer and fished my phone out. By the time, the call had ended. What threw me off-


    gaurd was the time. It was past midnight, 1:15 a.m. but still, even through the closed room, I could


    make out the preparations going on downstairs in full swing. There were 33 missed calls from father, 19


    missed calls from Tristan and surprisingly 30 missed calls from Natasha too, with whom I rarely talked


    ever.


    Are they all so much concerned about me being missing for so long?


    Nevertheless, pushing those idiotic thoughts aside, I called Natasha. The phone was epted by the


    second ring.


    "Where are you Jenny darling?" Came the very first question from her end, dripping of fake concern


    and pure disdain.


    "I don''t really know that." I replied.


    "We heard you getting married to one of the devils? Is it really true?"


    Silence.


    My knees turned jelly. I tensed on hearing ''we''.


    Do they know about the Marraige? How did theye to know!?


    A sweat bead trailed down my spine. Even the air conditioner seemed to be of no good.


    Apart from our breathing, there were no other audible sounds.


    "I... I actually.." I stuttered. I was already shaking on thinking of the consequences of father getting hold


    of this news. Now that Natasha knew it, it was sure that soon he shall be knowing it too.


    "You always thought yourself to be above me didn''t you? You don''t deserve him! They may be evil but


    they are the most sought after ones. I always thought you shall be whimpering helplessly while that


    Mayank Prakash shall be robbing away your innocence above you. But look at you! You bitch! You got


    hold of the devil! They are great in the bed. They are known for their unnatural desires. Threesome


    hook-ups is their thing. It''s quite puzzling why he chose you!"


    My interiors churned as I took in her vicious curses and her tant disy of lust. Although she had


    never even bothered to treat me as a formal friend of hers, looking at our age difference of mere 2


    years, expecting kind words on her end was utter foolishness.


    She went ahead with her facade of fake sympathy," I feel so sorry for you dear.... I should remind you


    another thing though. You shall soon get married to a rich and powerful, not to mention a bloodthirsty


    criminal. So do act as an underworld kingpin''s wife too! Who knows, he may not inflinct you with much


    pain then-"


    But she couldn''t continue as the phone got snatched from her and the thundering voice reached my


    ears which I had desperately ignoring till now.


    "You dirty whore! Its because of you that my son is in the hospital. Just wait and watch, you filthy bitch!


    Once he shall y you into two and feed you to a pack of wild wolves!" Father roared.


    I had been already confused with so many dead-end clues. And hearing Tristan to be in the hospital


    was a big blow for me.


    "Father... I don''t know what you are talking about..." but he didn''t let meplete.


    "Mark my words bitch! He shall y you! All these years he has been waiting for you to get ready so


    that he reaps you, uprooted you at the right time! You shall soon be dead!" He barked.


    "Who?" I whispered, absolutely aware that the person father had been referring to was different from


    Dhanush and that he had a link to my past.


    "Randhir! Randhir Manthena! Your fucking father!"