Taara's Pov
Entering inside the hall, I saw all guests and Virendra are already gone. My family is only here. My father, his wife, Taisa and her son are present here. They are looking at me so sharply that it's digging holes in my body. Looking down, I bite my lips harshly. Whenever I am in infront of these people my eyes always stays down. They think it's out of respect but for me it's out of fear.

Taisa come to me and slapped me hard. It's not first time she done this, she has beaten me many times, and even worsley. Once I had admitted to the hospital too. No one never stops her, not even my father. Stopping her is far away Baba doesn't even talks to me straight.

"This what you wanted, ruin my daughter's life", she said while yanking my shoulder harshly. "When we had told you not to step out from your room, then why were you roaming outside?", saying this she again slapped again.

"Till now I have shown you my soft side but today I will tell you what happens when you disobeys your elders", she hold my tightly and start dragging me out.

"Taisa...plea-please I am sorry. Don't do please", I spoke in a fearful tone. But she became deaf. Her nails are digging in my wrist.

"Leave her Payal", Baba spoke from behind. For the first time ever he has stopped her. He took my side. But what he said further has broke my heart in millions pieces.

"Whatever she has did, now it's time for her to pay. Her wedding is fixed with Virendra Thakur". Taisa left me. My world paused, I never expected him to be so cruel to me. After seeing how Virendra treated me, he want me to marry him. I thought he had broke the wedding with his family.

I ran towards him and fall on his feet. "Baba- Babe please don't do this, I don't want to marry him. Please don't ruin my life", I cried on his feet. But nothing affected him, he stood unbothered. He didn't even look at me. And that broke me more.

"Prepare her, engagement will be held today itself", he spoke sternly to his wife and left. Kakisa left too with her son while banging her foot on the floor.

My father's wife, Chestha Shekhawat.
She came towards me and spoke very calmly, "you thought he left, but he is here and waiting for you to become his wife".

I looked up to see her, my vision is blurred because of tears I blink and see her clearly. "Now get up, we don't have whole day", she said very positively. Maybe it can sound rude but for me it's something different.

She is a very sobar and calm lady. She is not my mother, but that doesn't mean she hates me. She neither hate me nor love me. Her behaviour is very neutral towards me. She usually don't talk much to me but whenever she spoke it's hard to predict what is the real meaning of her straight words. She is always a mystery for me.

And here my destruction is begin. He put the ring in my finger and the engagement is done. Tear slipped from the corner of my eyes. Everyone is clapping but no one seems happy. Only one who is standing in corner of the hall having slightest smile on her lips. And guess who, she is Chestha Shekhawat.

Guests are already left only family is here. And suddenly I felt a strange touch on my thigh. Lowering my gaze I see Virendra is rubbing his palm on the thighs. Although, I am wearing a beautiful lehnga but still touch feels like it's burning my skin. His hand moved upward to waist and he pinch on my bare skin. My breath got stuck on his act. But I still didn't react, just sitting like a dead corpse.

He takes my hand in his and start creasing my ring finger. "Oversized,.. don't worry after our wedding I got you of your size", saying about the ring he hold my hand and start taking it near his lips. He was about to kiss my knuckles but before that I jerked off my hand from his hold.

A dry chuckle left from his mouth. He felt offended. He again grabbed my hand but a little harshly this time and kissed on hand forcefully.

"Run how much you want to run, but at the end you will be screaming my name under me", he whispered near my ears. I look at him with dead eyes.
He smirked.

"I have not giv..en my consent to this wedding", I said fearfully, I don't know from where I got this courage, but I feel that should tell him, maybe he will understand me. His smirk grew wide.

"That doesn't matter to me", he replied sternly. "Your father's consent is enough for me to marry you", he replied.

"But you were suppose to marry my sister, then why you chose me", I asked him.

"Because you are a most precious gem Tara, and your sister has nothing compared to you", he replied.

"Do you know who am I? Do you know what my mother was? Where I had spend more half of my childhood?", I asked to myself but didn't get the courage to ask this from him. He know nothing about me because if he had a slightest idea of my past, he would have never agreed to this wedding. My father have did a good sugar coating of lies.

The day has come. Today is the wedding. Everyone is in rush. Baraat can reach any time. And here I sitting infront of dressing table, whole dressed in a bridal attire. Drowning in my own thoughts.

I came back in my senses by the sound of someone's entering in the room. Turning around I saw Taisa is here. She came towards and stood behind me. She is looking at me through the mirror. Lifting my lashes I look at her and she smiled and I too in her response.

"Beautiful....., Just looking like your mother", my smile fades away. I broke the eye contact and look downwards.
She sense my uneasiness but still continue.

Putting her hands on my shoulders she dig her nails in my skin. "Don't let him know anything. Everyone sees you as an adopted daughter of Shekhawat family, let him believe that too", she said. I nodded slightly. "Words Tara, don't be dumb", she said sarcastically.

"Ji Taisa", I replied while nodding my head. She smirk. "Better for you, otherwise he will make your life a living hell".

Just then I heard the knock on the door. Chestha Shekhawat was standing there. She entered inside. Taisa looked at her and removed her hands from my shoulder. She stood in front of Chestha.

"Chestha you here, what a surprise. I had never expected you to come here. May be your motherly love has awaken today", kakisa taunted her smilingly. Her expression didn't change.

"I am not her mother, but she is my husband's daughter. So by this way, I hold some responsibilities towards her. I am only here to fulfill those ", she said. "So can you please give us a moment of privacy?", Chestha spoke smilingly. She backfired. And her this behaviour, I adore a lot. Taisa left from there while making werid faces.

Chestha came forward and put the jewellery boxes which she was holding on the dressing table. She opened a box and take out some papers.

"I don't like to stretch my words, so I am coming on main point", she put her hand on my shoulder and ask softly. "Do you really want to marry Virendra Thakur".

Her words made me so much confused. Why is she asking this question, when Baarat is about to arrive.

"You better know", I replied, in her tone.

"Yeah! I better know, but I thought may be in these three days you have changed your mind. Just for confirmation I am asking", she said in her signature sarcastic tone.

"Leave it! We don't have much time to waste, take this and run away from this disastrous wedding", she said in hurry.

"Whatt! Have you lost. How can I run away? Our family's reputation will tarnish", I said in a panicking tone. I can't believe, she told me run away. Does she really cares about me this much or maybe she is doing this to make me more worse infront of baba. I don't know whether I should trust her or not. But she sound genuine.

"Do you really care about this family, which give nothing more than pain, humiliation, taunts, ignorance. Don't be selfless Tara, be selfish for once atleast", she said furiously while yanking my shoulder. Her words are breaking me. She is right.

"Baba will be mad", I said. And broke into tears. Tears which I held from years. All the yelling, humiliation, beating, I faced is coming in front of me.

"He will. But I can handle him. Don't get worry about him. Think about yourself. If you marry that animal, your life will be ruined", she said while consoling me. This is true, if I marry him my life will be tarnish. He will treat me like animal, whose trailer I have seen on the day of engagement.

"Where will I go, I have nowhere to go", I asked her. "Don't worry about that, I already prepared everything. Take these train ticket. It will take you to Mumbai. One of my cousin brother lives there. I have already told him about you.", she paused for moment and continue. "You can live with untill you found any way of earning ",explained me everything. But I am conflicting inside, it's very big decision. It will change my life upside down.

She forward her hand and keeping my thoughts aside I took the ticket from her with my trembling hands. I thought to give it a chance and leave rest on fate