Mira's pov

"What???? I can't believe this.....how can he get married to you by force,,we should go to the police station and file a complaint against him..."- Atharv was seething in anger.

"He didn't marry me by force....my parents forced me to get married to him"- i said while wiping my tears.

"Both the things are same Mira,, that bastard has manipulated your parents...You should have called me once....if i knew this, i would never let that marriage happen"- Atharv said by placing his hand over mine.

"I can't hurt my parents...i love them more than my life"- my voice shook so much.

Atharv stayed silent for sometime. Then suddenly he wiped my tears with his finger.

"Please don't cry,,,We can correct this mistake,,,i have a plan"- he said to me.

I stared at him being confused.

"You will file a case of domestic violence against him by hurting yourself a bit....my uncle is a lawyer....he will help you to get divorce from that Anurag and also he will be behind the bars for atleast 10 years"

I was stunned after hearing his plans.

"Mira,,this is the only way to get rid of him...."- Atharv said eagerly.

"Sorry Atharv, i can't do this....I don't like him but that doesn't mean that i will make a web of lie for him.....my parents never raised me like this..."- i said and stood up from my seat.

Atharv caught my wrist.

"Okay,,I'm sorry...but what if he really hurts you physically??"

I stared at him again with confusion.

"Push his limits...irritate him so much that he do something to hurt you physically"- Atharv said.

"He will never hurt me Atharv"- i said to him.

"How can you be so sure??"- he asked with shock.

His question really shook something inside me. Really how can i know this?

You know this very well Mira how much Anurag loves you!

I gulped with my own thoughts and almost ran away from the cafe.

I reached home early. I entered the room which is now our bedroom. I'm feeling so much tired with all these things. I should focus in my study to divert my mind.

But i felt devastated when i realized that Anurag's aunt has sold my books and notes. Again tears brimmed into my eyes.

"Come to the kitchen and help me to prepare the dinner"- Anurag's aunt's voice broke my state.

I stared at her hatefully.

"Don't you dare to look at me like this,,,i will pull your eye balls out of your socket"

Unknowingly i got scared after seeing her cruel face. I never knew that she can be that much monstrous.

"I can't cook"- i shouted.

"You have to.....you are not a fairy anymore...you have came to a poor family, now you will follow our lifestyles..."- she walked out of the room.

I came out after a while. I will cook, i will work like a maid and then after one month i will go to visit my parents. Let them see what they have done to their daughter. I want to see the regrets in their eyes. The girl who wanted to do research, is now doing household chores. I cried on my fate and came out. But i stopped when i heard some whispering between Anurag's aunt and Tiya.

"Don't worry,,,,soon Anurag will start hating her..."

"I don't think bhai will ever do that,,can't you see that he is head over heels for her"

"Just wait and watch, if i can't convert his love to the biggest hatred of his life, you can change my name from Kalindi to a stray dog's name"

I was just speechless. What kind of conspiracy is going on against me??

"You can do whatever you want aunty ji,,,i have nothing to do with Anurag's love and hate...i will leave this house as soon i get a job"- i said loudly.

They both become alert after seeing me. Then a smirk appeared on Kalindi aunty's face.

"It's good that you heard everything....now the battle will be face to face....i challenge you Mira, my Anurag will soon throw you out of his life"- she said to me.

I smiled broadly.

"Then i will be the happiest person on this planet aunty"- i replied.

She clattered her teeth and immediately threw a water drum near me.

"Now go downstairs and bring water...."- she walked inside her room after giving me order like I'm her maid.

What she thinks that i can't do these works? I can do anything.

........................

I was filling water in the big drum from the road side corporation water pump. My hands are paining as hell. They have turned red for carrying that heavy weight drum to the upstairs. Still i kept pumping with all my force. The sun is hitting directly on my skin. But i care less. I'm doing this out of the anger for my parents. Let them see what their daughter is doing after marriage.

"Let me help you bitiya, you are not accustomed with this"- an old lady offered me to help who is standing in the line.

I stared at her in shock. Previously i thought that poor people are uncivilized, but after watching her tone, my heart melted. May be good people are just good people. There is no division like rich and poor.

"I can manage"- i said with little hesitation and kept on pumping the tubewell.

Suddenly i heard the sound of the bike. I found Anurag has arrived. As soon as his eyes landed on me, he ran towards me hurriedly.

"Mira, what are you doing?? Leave this,,,i will fill the water....go upstairs and study...."- he said with so much hurry.

"No, i will do this"- i said stubbornly.

"You will hurt yourself Mira,,,please..."- he is literally pleading me.

I heard few whispering from the women standing on the line. They were suppressing a smile.

"Bitiya, you are so much lucky to have him in your life"- that old lady said.

My face heated up after hearing her words. I looked at Anurag. We both averted our gaze in awkwardness.

"Mira,,,come with me....leave this"- Anurag said.

"No..."- i kept on pumping the water.

Suddenly my hands slipped and my head collided with the pump. A sudden feeling of pain rushed inside my head. I held my head and cried out in pain.

Within a second i felt myself getting lifted from the ground on Anurag's arm. I clutched his shirt tightly and buried my head on his chest.

"I told you to not do this......you are not habituated with this,,,oh god..."- he ran inside the apartment my taking me on his arms. He was looking so tensed. He was sweating in tension.

I stared at him by forgetting about my pain. For a second i remembered my dad's face who always get tensed just like this whenever i hurt myself accidentally.

He almost ran through the stairs and entered his house.

"What happened?"- kalindi aunty appeared and asked Anurag.

He didn't reply anything and hurriedly entered in the bedroom. By placing me into the bed, he ran outside and within a second he brought some ice cubes. He started to rub those cubes in my forehead and slowly blew air.

"Everything will be fine Mira,,,don't panick okay,,,oh god.....please don't panick bachhi (kid)...."

I don't know why but an electric jolt ran through my skin after hearing the word "bacchi" from his mouth. He used to call me Bacchi when i was little.

"Don't panick....oh god..."- i saw tears on his eyes.

He was looking so tensed and in pain. It felt like my pain has transferred to his body. I was really shocked after seeing his state.

Is it really affecting him that much?

"I'm fine Anurag"- i mumbled softly.

He raised his eyes and those pairs of black orbs met with my brown orbs. For few seconds i find myself lost into the intensity of those orbs. This is the first time probably I'm looking into his eyes. I saw something on his eyes which send a shiver down my spine. Something so deep and boundless.

"What is going on Anu?"

Our trance broke with Kalindi aunty's voice.

"I should have ask you the same aunty.......She was bringing water from the downstairs??? This is my duty to bring the household water.....how can you give her such duty???"- Anurag yelled so loudly that i also flinched with his voice.

"She is doing this intentionally...i told her to not do anything but she is deliberately doing this, so that she can complaint her parents about us....this girl is not so innocent Anu"

I stared at her in shock.

"Stop this aunty.... i know her from her childhood, noone knows her better than me....so stop saying nonsense about her"- Anurag said while running his hand through his hair in frustration.

This is the moment, i lowered my head.

"Yeah,,i knew this...now you are supporting your wife and who is this Kalindi?? Noone...she is just a maid...oh god please kill me...i can't live like this"- Kalindi aunty started her drama and walked away from there.

Her whimpers and moans kept coming inside the room. I know she is deliberately doing this drama so that Anurag will feel guilty.

Finally she succeeded in her drama. Anurag went to her room to console her. I can hear his apologies from here also.

I got angry at him. Few minutes back when he took my side, i felt happy. Unknowingly a splash of happiness ran inside me but after hearing his apologies, again my anger came back.

I lay down in the bed by turning my head towards the window. After a while i heard his footsteps.

"Mira,,how are you feeling now?"- he asked me.

"You have nothing to do with my wounds....go to your aunty and apologise to her"- i snapped at him.

He was silent for sometime.

"Mira,,,let's have dinner....."

"I'm not hungry....."- i stated.

"Okay"- he walked away.

I get up and stared at his exit. How easily he left even without convincing me. I thought he will call me again and again for the dinner. But look what a selfish man he is.

I held my stomach. It's growling out of hunger.

Suddenly i found Anurag entering the bedroom by holding a tray on his hand. I immediately laid down and turned my face opposite of him.

I have self respect. I can't eat like this!

"Mira, don't act like a kid.....eat and then go to sleep"

"Nooo"- i replied.

"It's too much you know"- he walked to my side of the bed.

I immediately get up angrily.

"Not too much....you are....."

Suddenly my tummy makes sound and my face heated up in extreme embarrassment.

Gosh!!

Anurag's face covered with a suppressed smile and i felt like to hide my face forever.

He sat infront of me and placed the tray near me. I lowered my head in embarrassment.

"You need to study well Mira, exams are near....I'm sure this year you will also top your semester exam...."- he said with a smile.

I smiled a little this time. But again my heart crumbled after remembering that his aunt has sold my notes and books.

Suddenly Anurag placed a bag infront of me. I stared at him in confusion.

"Your notes and books......"- he smiled.

I immediately opened the bag and took out my notes and books. Everything is intact inside.

"How did you.....??"- i was really bewildered.

"Good night Mira,,,I will sle

ep in the hall....you can study as long as you want"- he walked with a warm smile on his face.

I stared at the notes and then at his exit.

For the first time in my life i felt something different towards him.