SHREYA

"You have to marry him" Amrit Kashyap, my father spits these venomous words as if he was talking to some business partner just for benefits, not his daughter.

Did I say talking? Oh! He was ordering. He ordered me to get married. Will I have any say in this? No! Does anyone care? Absolutely Not!

Upon hearing my so-called father's words the dining room filled with giggles. No! They were not happy for me. They were just relieved that I'll be leaving soon. I looked around and I was surrounded by people but I was lonely.

The voices in the room were echoing in my brain. The voices in my head were getting wilder and I fisted my hand around my thighs as I controlled my anger.

No one asked what I wanted. But I don't know what got into me and now I wanted to tell them that I'll marry.

I did not choose to speak politely instead I stood from my chair. In front of me was a plate. I clenched onto that plate and held it to my eye level.

Servants were standing in my view and I signalled them to move because they were not at fault. Why to hurt the innocents?

With full force and anger, I threw that plate and it clasped with the wall in front and broke in a thousand pieces like my heart with a shattering sound.

Although my heart broke every day but was silently.

"Are you crazy?" My father stood in anger and I was now surrounded by widened eyes.

"I'll marry him," I spoke softly and started to move. "She is mad. It is good that she will be gone" Sheetal Kashyap, my mother whispered but it was loud enough for me to hear. Did it affect me? No! It was now a normal taunt.

I heard fading whispers as I started to head towards my room. I was very engrossed in my thoughts and a bark pulled me out.

"Come Bronnie!" I bent as I opened my arms. I saw a 2-year-old Golden Retriever running towards me with tongue hanging outside and a wagging tail. A bright smile flashed on my face as I took him in my arms. My happiness.

"Bronnie!" I ran a soft hand on him and kissed his head as I started climbing the stairs.

"I will take you with me, my baby. I won't let you live with these monsters. They won't even care to feed you." I whispered as I petted him and pecked him.

I kicked the door of my room and it flew open. My safe zone. This room has seen it all. My happiness, my sobbing, my achievements, my failures everything.

I closed the door and placed him down. He took a run and directly jumped on my bed. I smiled and went to the washroom to freshen up.

I was standing in a cold shower thinking how would my life turn out when I would marry that asshole!

I didn't have any problem with him unless he started being rude and arrogant towards me. And now his presence irritates me.

My parents have done nothing but hate me but their this decision makes me feel different. Not shitty but somehow relieved. I don't know it's weird.

I ran my fingers through my hair to let the shampoo slide. Music which was blasting from the speakers stopped suddenly.

Music? Yes! I cannot do anything without it and bathing is the important one. I quickly washed off the body wash and moved outside into my closet while wrapping a towel around.

I bent to see why it stopped.

Natasha calling......

I saw my assistant calling and I quickly picked up the call.

"Hello, Good morning Mam." I heard her but she was not chirpy as always instead sounded tense.

"Morning! What happened Natasha?" I asked as her voice concerned me. She sounded weird.

"M..Mam actually Ryaan was triggered again and he sort was on the verge of a panic attack." My heart started to beat erratically as I heard her words and kept her on speaker as I started to dress.

"What the hell! Natasha. When did it happen?" I practically scream because I was freaking out about his health. I pulled my pants up and kurti over my head.

"Umm, just this morning. He was asking for you." She stated breathing heavily.

"How is he now?" I asked as I clutched my hair in a hairclip.
"Much better."

"Okay! Keep an eye on him. I'm reaching." I hung the call and went outside to see a snoring Bronnie.

"I'm sorry love. But we need to go now. Duty calls." I picked him up in my arms.

I fidgeted my phone out of my pocket and dialled a number. She picked up in the second ring.

"Hello, Shrey." She spoke.
"Hi, Ahana! Where are you?" I asked as I picked my documents up.

"Luckily about to pass from your house in 2 mins." She said.
"Stop outside my house."

"Why? What happened? Did they do something?" She sounded worried.
"Naa. I want you to take Bronnie with you for some time. I need to rush to the hospital." I can't tell her about the marriage now. She'll freak out and now is not the time.

"Ok! Come outside." She said and I hung up taking my bike keys. I shut the door of the room and started to descend the stairs. Without looking here and there I started to go outside.

"Where are you going?" I heard a voice and I knew who it was. My cousin's sister Nivedita.

"I have a job unlike you." I snapped and without waiting for any reply I walked out. I saw Ahana leaning on her car.

I moved outside and saw two black Endeavors parked behind her car.

"What is this?" I said as she took bronnie in her embrace. She shook her head and scoffed.

"My husband and his worries about my security." I laughed because I knew how paranoid he was of her being safe after everything. I felt good because at least she had someone to be beside her.

"Come I'll drop you." She suggested.
"No babe. You Go. I will go by my bike. I want some fresh air to slap my face."
I said and she laughed. She sat in the car and Bronnie wiggled in her hold.

I went to the parking and then sat in my Kawasaki Ninja H2R.

I have to reach the hospital ASAP. My job doesn't see the time we are in. As a Psychologist, my bond with my patient's trust is unimaginable. I can live in my hospital forever because I feel peace there.

The people there don't fake anything. They genuinely care for me. I started the engine and drove off. I sped because I wanted peace from what I heard in the morning!

My life will be changed completely. For good? I don't know. The hospital is only 15 to 20 minutes away from the mansion. And I was there in 10 minutes.

I parked my baby in the parking and took the document as I practically ran inside.

"Morning, Doctor." I saw Natasha at the reception and she greeted me.
"Morning, Natasha" I responded and we moved towards my cabin.

I pushed the door of my cabin and the fragrance of lavender welcomed me. Lavender has always helped me to soothe my nerves and I practically try to surround them with me.

I moved to my desk and pulled the drawer open filled my pockets with some chocolates and moved to see Ryan.

"Is he talking now?" I asked Natasha as she followed me to his room.

"Yes, Doctor." She said and I heard shuffling of papers. I stopped and turned around to see what it was.

I saw a nervous Natasha, her sweaty forehead and a shivering hand. I faced her and held her hands in mine.

"It is fine, Natasha. There is nothing to worry about. He is alright." She is an Intern and I remember being almost about to faint when I had my first day in the hospital as an Intern.

If you want to be a Psychologist, one thing which is important and is being mentally strong. I learned it and now I heal others with part of my soul.

She looked at me with disbelief and I saw her lips wobble. I took her in a hug and rubbed her back. "The first thing of your job was to calm Ryan and then call me." I pulled back while saying it and she wiped her tears.

"And you did exactly that. I'm proud of you. So, no need to worry." She nodded and gave me a bright smile to which I nodded a warm one.

"Thank you." She uttered and pushed the door of Ryan's room.

"Shreyaa Didiiii" I was greeted with a chirpy happy sound and I looked in that direction. A 10-year-old Ryan came into my view and was smiling with some broken milk teeth.

"Hi, sweetheart. How are you, lil champ?" I said as I reached closer to him and he hugged me tightly.

"I'm good. I had my breakfast and now I was to play." He pulled back and said with a bright smile which I never wanted to disappear from his face.

But then suddenly that smile fell and he averted his gaze from me. "What happened bub?" I said as I caressed his cheeks.

"Didi, Today when I felt that I was getting restless. I took deep breaths as you told me and hummed my favourite song." He spoke in a go and a small smile flashed on his and mine face.

I was proud of this little 10-year-old. He is very much braver than anyone could think of. His family and he got into a car accident when he was 7 years old. That one incident changed his life.

I saw the little me in him. Although, I had no one for me but I'm glad that his parents were there for him in thick and thin. He got scared of cars, the nightmares took over his little brain.

His parents took him to a child counsellor and that is where I met this cham. The way he has evolved from then and now is commendable.

He is way more mature for his age and all I have is love for him and his parents. I hope everyone gets parents like them and no one gets to suffer like......

"Didiii!!" My line of thoughts broke when he called out my name and nodded at him.

"I'm proud of you. You are the bravest kid I have ever met." I brushed the hair off his face and smiled with a red tint on his cheeks.

I shoved my hand in my pocket and retrieved some handful of chocolates. I forwarded my hand to him and he squealed. "Thankyouuuu didi. You are the best".

I looked at him as he ran out of the room. This is what I work for. The smiles and the genuine ones. I find my peace seeing people smile and the reason is me.

"What happened mam?" I looked at Natasha speaking and looking at me with concern.

I realized that a happy tear had left my eye seeing him happy. "Nothing just overwhelmed." She nodded with a smile.

I returned to my cabin and threw myself on the head chair. I closed my eyes only to get thoughts of getting tied with someone I never knew what life would be like.

Except for Ahana and her family, no one ever cared about me not even my own family. And now, I don't know what to expect from the upcoming things.

I had to tell her about everything. She'll be hurt if she gets to hear it from someone else. Will she be happy? Will she be mad? I don't know how she'll react.

'I'm coming to your restaurant. I want to talk to you and then will take Bronnie with me.' I dropped her a text and she replied with a thumbs up.

It was now evening, I was done with my patients and now I had to confront. I took my bag and bike keys as I stormed outside the hospital.

Putting the helmet on and reviving the engine, I drove off to her restaurant. I was driving while maintaining my own business when I saw a speeding car about to hit in my lane.

The car's movement took me off for a second and I changed my lane to save myself from hitting it. "Bastard" I muttered as I accelerated and moved behind that car.

With few much acceleration, I was now parallel with the car. I tried to look inside but obviously, it had tinted glasses. But I had this feeling that the person inside was looking at me.

My hand moved to my helmet's glass as I pushed it done and it covered my face as I saw inside and sped off.

I reached the restaurant but today's ride had a different feeling like a heaviness on my chest. Maybe it was about the talk.

I walked inside and directly moved to her office. The staff here knew me as I was kinda regular. "Dr Shreya come have a seat." Ahana is in her bipolar disorder era. I smiled as I moved inside and settled in the chair in front of hers.

"Ahana Rudransh Raichand. I have something to tell you." I didn't beat around the bush and came straight to the point.

"Spit" she uttered.

"I'm getting married." I spitted like she asked me to but instead, she choked on her water and it came out like a fountain. I knew it.

Shock is the reaction.

"What?" She screamed as she regained her posture and wiped her mouth.

"You heard it" I said as tried to avert my gaze because in her eyes would cause me a breakdown which I definitely didn't want now.

"Why, how and to whom?" She shot her questions in my direction and took a long deep breath before answering.

"The answer to WHY is because Amrit Kashyap had fixed it and you know I cannot do anything now," I said as I started to play with paperweight to keep my tears at bay.

"Your father is an Ass. I'm sorry but he is." She gritted her teeth. I chuckled at her words. "I know. He is." She chuckled too.

"The answer to HOW is with proper rituals. Like the wedding takes place." I stated with an obvious expression and she rolled her eyes at me.

"Bitch! You know how to mask yourself." She uttered and I smiled weakly because she knows when I'm masking it. Bitch!

"Tell me WHO that asshole's name. I will ask Rudransh to have a background check on him." She said she lifted her phone and was about to unlock it when I stopped her.

"You know him." Her eyes widened with shock. My heartbeat rose as I did not know how she reacted. How will she react when she will realise it's the person I could never stand for more than 2 minutes?

"Hain? Who's he?" I gulped hard and looked at her.

Say it, Shreya. He is an asshole for you but for her, he is the best person and the most reliable one. What worse could happen?

"Say it Shreya." I heard her again.

"Abhishek Malhotra," I said and left her stunned.

°•☆•°•☆•°•☆•°•☆•°