Mishal
I walked into the house and was met with mouth-watering aromas from the kitchen. I had been starving, the practical exam and viva had taken a lot more time than we had expected. It was the last exam of my first year of software engineering. I hadn't even got time to grab a quick lunch.
We had a one month break starting from tomorrow and I was truly excited. I had planned to go to Mumbai with my elder sister Saima. She was married to an MLA who was the son of a Union Minister.
Dad had thought by marrying my sister into a political family he could increase his influence in the Mumbai underworld. But his plan had backfired, the Vipers ruled Mumbai with an iron fist. There was no place for a rival gang in Mumbai. Venom had made sure of it.
Jahangir Shah my father had ruled over Surat for nearly two decades. Still, the lack of a male heir had started showing it affects a few years ago. Other rival gangs, were taking over the territory of Shah's. The vipers had gotten strong in Mumbai and the Shah had weakened with time.
Dad had tried everything he could to keep a hold over Gujarat and he was failing. The vultures had seen the cracks, in the syndicate and had started gathering to feast upon them.
I tossed my bag on the couch in the living room and trotted to the kitchen. Mom and Saima Dee (an endearment for older sister) were in the kitchen giving directions to the cook. Saima had been here for a week and was going back after two days. I had planned to go to Mumbai, along with her.
"Is someone coming today?" I asked looking at the chaos in the kitchen.
The maids and cook were busy in preparation for what looked like a feast. I don't remember anyone mentioning a gathering to me. It could be because I had been busy with my examination for the last month.
"Look at her, she hadn't been to the salon in months. Her hairs have lost their shine and her skin looks so pale, " mom said examining me from head to toe.
"I have been telling you to not lose yourself in books. I don't know why you have to be such a nerd, " Dee was looking at me with resentment.
My sixth sense started sending signals to my mind. Something was terribly wrong here. Mom had never cared about my lack of visit to salons in the past, nor Dee had been worried about me being busy with my studies.
If my mind was right, I was in grave danger. Mostly this kind of episode occurs whenever a girl gets a marriage proposal. I have seen too many Bollywood movies to know about this.
"What's going on?" I asked them with suspicion.
They both passed glances towards each other, trying to decide who was the one to tie a bell around the cat's neck. I narrowed my eyes and scanned their expressions keenly.
"Your father has arranged your betrothal and tonight is your engagement ceremony, " mom spoke after Dee gestured her.
My breath caught in my lungs, I had never imagined I will be notified about my engagement a few hours before it. The arranged marriage had been a tradition in my family for decades, but I had never thought that I would have to go through with it.
Girls had never been allowed to go to college, in my family. I was the first girl to attend college in the whole history of the shahs. Being the younger one among the two daughters, I always had been a favorite of my dad. He had allowed me concessions that my elder sister had never dreamt of in her life. I was eight years younger than my sister and she had been married when she was only sixteen years of age. She had not even completed school.
I had always thought if Dad had allowed me to go to college, he might also give me permission to marry according to my choice. It had been foolishness on my part, I should have known that marriages in our family had always been for convenience. As was the case with my elder sister, she had seen her husband on her wedding day.
"You can't be serious, Abbu (endearment for father) would never do anything like this, " I exclaimed in disbelief.
"Mishal, we are not joking. You have been betrothed to Suleiman Khan for a few months now. Abbu was waiting for your exams to finish for the engagement ceremony, " Dee answered me.
Her words proved to be a hard blow to my sinking ship. Tears started accumulating in my eyes. I had been betrothed to Suleiman Khan for the past few months? I was not even informed about this by my mother or sister. How could they hide something of such a degree from me?
Suleiman Khan aka Venom, the name passed a shiver of fright throughout my body. The coldest ruthless killer who ruled over Mumbai. The undisputed King of the Indian Mafia. The biggest enemy of my father. I was to marry such a monster? When had my fate run out? Till a few minutes ago I had considered myself the luckiest girl in the family to have gotten a chance to go to college.
" I can't marry him, he is a monster, " I screamed.
Every movement in the kitchen seized. The maids and the cook were staring at me in shock. The girls in our family were never allowed to speak in a loud voice and I was screaming right now.
"You will marry a cripple if I choose him for you."
I heard Abbu's ice-cold voice at my back, I didn't even have the courage to turn and look at him. Abi had always been loving towards me and my sister but it doesn't mean we could ever cross him. His word was a law in this city and our home.
"Saima take Mishal to her room, make sure she obeys to what the beautician says. I don't want any kind of nonsense tonight, " Abi announced and left the kitchen.
I know my fate was sealed, there was no use fighting about it. Marrying Suleiman Khan, was the only option for me. Abbu had made a decision and only an apocalypse could change it and nothing else. A man who honored his word earned respect in our world. If Abbu had given word to Suleiman Khan, there wasn't any way out for me from this marriage.
Dee walked to me and pulled me with her to my bedroom upstairs. She passed me a buttoned blouse and a long skirt and pushed me towards the bathroom. I didn't have to ask her to understand what she meant. I walked into the bathroom hanging my clothes on the cloth stand, I turned on the shower.
I let the cold water run down my body, it was not easy to accept the fact that I was going to get engaged to a mobster. Just not a mobster but the most brutal of all. Suleiman Khan was not a man to be trifled with, I wonder how Abbu had convinced him for this marriage.
By the time I was done with my shower and came out into the room the beautician had arrived. My mom and sister were speaking to her in hushed voices. They stopped talking as soon as they spotted me.
"I will send the dress and Jewelry upstairs once the guests arrive, " mom informed the beautician and left the room.
I went and sat in front of the dressing on the stool. Dee and the beautician Seema aunty walked to me. Seema aunty had been servicing my family for the last fifteen hears. She had even done the makeup of my sister for her wedding. She was the wife of one of the Shah made men. No outsider had ever been allowed into our house other than the members of the Shah syndicate. There was no exception for a beautician.
Seema aunty started by applying henna on my hands. Dee stood beside her examining my expressions.
"Believe me Mishal, mom, and I had been notified this morning about your betrothal and engagement by Abbu, " Dee spoke after some time.
"It doesn't matter now, does it?" I asked.
"Maybe you are scared for nothing. It is not necessary he will be cruel towards you," Dee pressed my shoulder with her hand.
"Do you really think so?" I looked at her through the mirror teary-eyed.
Venom the name was enough to enthrall fear in the hearts of men and women equally. He had taken over the Vipers after his father died in an accident. He had started weeding out the traitors from Vipers as soon as he took over. Killing whoever stood in between him and his pursuit for power just at the mere age of twenty. He had not stopped until he had eliminated every enemy from his territory.