" Riya what is-" Before she could complete her question I hugged her tight as I couldn't take it anymore and cried my heart out

It was as if she understood me without my saying that she didn't say anything anymore and consoled me. I cried for what felt like centuries and then slowly calmed down she was roaming her hand on my back to console me. I pulled away from her, wiping my tears.

There was a sick silence for a few minutes and my eyes hurt. She slowly took me to my bed and we both sat on the edge, I noticed I had wetted her dress on the shoulder side because of my crying

" I'm-sorry i-" I softly apologized my voice didn't come out of my throat

"it's okay" she softly said and assured me and continued "But..how did this happen? How is it-" she asked me looking around the room and everything and then looked at me with concern

I again hugged her and I replied shaking my head " I don't know but Srishti I don't want this marriage, I don't want to marry him, I am being forced to this....my parents they-" and from there I told her everything about how they got to know about me and Sameer, this marriage, lock up and everything,

By the end of it, she looked shocked, and with her palm on her mouth she caught my hands and asked with a surprised tone " And you didn't even care to tell me all of this happened"?!?!"

I said I did want to talk to her but my phone was snatched and I was locked like some prisoner and at this, she hugged me, slight tears in her eyes and she said quaveringly

" you don't know, your marriage was kept so hidden, It was only Sameer who informed me that certainly, something's off since he dropped you home at the start I didn't believe him but I went to your house to see empty then somebody told me about your marriage and I ran here...." She completed her voice by the end of it was very low and when I heard her tears also came in my eyes.

" I can't believe how your parents could do that to you....I mean how....like you always obeyed them, always made them proud but it's like because of a simple thing its as if all those moments of love and care vanished and that too just because you loved somebody.... How can they do that" she almost screamed and I held her hand tight and lowered my head i just couldn't hear here anymore....

But then she held me by my shoulders and stood me up and said determinedly " but you don't worry, I will help you out, I'll find some way to help you out you just don't worry you-" she was saying all of this trying to awaken my hopes but-

"-It its impossible Srishti, my parents have held a high-security system, I can't do anything without someone's continuous eyes on me to check...I would simply have to marry him in the end" I cried I knew it was impossible and by waking my hopes up high I would eventually hurt myself and slump on the bed with a disheartening look

"it's not trust me riya, do you think I would come here unprepared, Sameer and I have come with an amazing plan..." she tried to reason when I heard his name I became shocked a sudden sense of happiness rushed through me and I stood up, he is still there for me I was scared I would have to simply marry him and forget sameer

" really" I smiled after such a long time "yes" she laughed out and looked at me with hopeful eyes and smiled " he hasn't forgotten you, he can never, since that call incident he has been trying to look out for you and we worked out together, I came here to save you and he-"

" SAMEER!!- is..is..he safe, I want him safe first please tell me he is safe" I asked worriedly I almost forgot about my dad's threat towards him but Srishti assuringly said

" he is perfectly fine, in fact, he will be here today, to meet you, you don't know how he has been suffering all he is worried about is you and your safety riya" She smiled and looked at me, my heart skipped a beat on what she said but then a fear scared me

" he...he'll be here...how? There are so many people here and gua..guards ..its...its certainly not safe here " I shiveringly said, I was happy getting to know he and my friend were here for me but I wanted him safe first

" arree riya calm down, as I said we have worked it up all, he'll be here tonight, in that garden behind your mansion, he'll be there at midnight and don't worry I'll take you to him" with that Srishti heavied on the bed, my insides were blooming, I couldn't help but squeal at that and whirled around for the first time with happiness after such a long time.... Srishti told me to calm down and hold my horses

But I couldn't help but be happy suddenly I heard a knock on the door and met with a servant of the mansion who called us for lunch and we rushed down, with my heart finally with some peace.

--

In a glimpse it was night, I didn't realize it had already been well, I was in my room in a simple suit salwar an was siting near the balcony admiring the moon, I didn't even realise it had already been night guess I was too happy and occupied to realise that.

We had our lunch and mom and Dad met Srishti I was scared that they may not like her presence but exceptionally they were calm and smiling and talked to each other I guess they did realize weddings without friends was a waste. They let her stay here and also gave her a room adjacent to mine thankfully now I had company and just prayed to God so that things go well.

Restless else the day went well just a few rituals were remanning and few fake smiles here and there and then we were dispatched to our rooms. I was slowly rhythmic a soft song when I heard a knock on the door

I quickly rushed to the door and opened to see Srishti she quickly rushed in and my heart beat accelerated I know why she was here, if she was here meaning he was also here.

" come slowly, everybody is asleep" she whispered and we slowly krept out,

The mansion was all dark from the inside and we were the only two one's we slowly made our way down the stair into the hall, I followed Srishti as she took me to an unknown side, behind the mansion and opened a door which led to a lobby.

she took out a bunch of keys from her pocket and opened the door which led to a dark passage way which looked dirty and abandoned and rest else handed it to me and said huffing and puffing

"riya now listen this key..." she pointed towards one of the keys which looked quited rusted and continued" through this you will open the door of the passage way okay? And from this other key" I wondered how many doors were there, she pointed at another key and said " from the passage way you will enter a store and from that store room and from that to out, the walls behind are quite narrow and small so you could simply jump through them and then from there you would reach the garden understood? This is the safest route sameer could find it wasn't even really monitored so you can easily go from here" she asked and I nodded " till then I'll be coordinating from the security system I have the spare keys and the system at this time of the period is low so you can simply pass through and go" she explained to me nodded but I wondered how did she know all this and looking at the passageway it seemed to have been closed and dirty as if it has been closed for years and how did she know all this about when the security stays low and all

Again suddenly she said " and just in case something wrong happens.." she handed me a button " click on this and we will somehow escape you from here, but pretty much if we abide by sameer's planning I am sure we won't probably face a trouble, now go" she pushed me to go and I left and same did she leave

I entered the passage way and felt scared it was dirty and dark I switched on the light of the torch to see, the walls were dirty and scrapped and it smelled rotten, I quickly reached the door as it was not away and entered the store room which was empty and same as untouched and rotten I opened the second gate and I finally came out.

The waves of air touched my hair and I breathed it in it felt so good, after being locked up in the house for so long I have almost forgotten how it felt to be outside, I looked out to see I was quite afar from the mansion and nothing really was there except some grass and true to the plan there was a broken wall which looked old.

I quickly rushed through it and entered a very grassy and dark place which looked nothing like the garden cause the grass has overgrown , no sights of lightening and no sights of anything expect for the insects and the old leaves as I made my way through trying to see through the grass and only the munching sound of the leaves and insects I looked behind to see I was quite afar from the mansion now which from this distance looked like a haunted dark mansion

I carried my way further but halted when I heard some walking sound, I became numb on hearing there was somebody, he was approaching to my right I became scared I pushed the nozzle of the torch to that side

When suddenly somebody grabbed me from behind, I thundered in fear and turned around to see

" shhh, hey it's me" Sameer said delightfully and hugged me it took me a second to realize it was him and soon enough I hugged him... gosh I missed him so much some tears of happiness

" Sameer!!" I pulled away and cupped his face I was so happy seeing him "How are you? Are you okay?" I asked him questions as I was worried about his arrival he took my hands in his from his cheeks and said softly

" love, I should be the one asking you. I am totally fine how can anything happen to me right? Cmon let's go to a safer place the garden is a little away from here" he assured me and slightly kissed my forehead and motioned me to follow him

I followed him, my heart felt at rest when it finally saw him, I wanted to talk to him, listen to his voice, I also wanted to tell him what all they had done to me remembering that my heart clenched and especially now as he was with me that it strengthened the urge of me to not marry Yuvraj and marry Sameer

Finally, we reached to place that was dimly lit and had swings and slides we sat on a bench, the park seemed to be very old, and surprisingly nobody really lived it..

Suddenly Sameer caught me in his embrace sniffed my hair and emotionally said

" you don't know how much I missed you, I felt like the world ripping when I didn't hear from you these many days and when I called you" he held me in his arms and brought his face near to me all I saw in his face was love, longing, and pain, my eyes became watering, why can't my parents understand the thought irritated me Sameer was nothing like his family or how he described

He joined his forehead with mine and said "Now I finally feel alive, seeing you love" and hmmed and we stayed like that for a few minutes as if we weren't the ones talking but our souls slowly we together opened our eyes and I asked him in curiosity

" How did you know I was here and how did you make out this plan?! and in the news?!" I asked him still near him our faces twinkled in the dim light but...

He seemed quite hesitant to answer me and his face suddenly seemed to drop...

"ugh..that..um.."Sameer stammered as he struggled to answer me, he looked at me and suddenly concern rushed into his eyes and asked me why were my eyes puffy whether I had cried, and what is happening all this

I was quite unsatisfied with his answer but then I remembered what had all happened and cryingly said

"Sameer...they...they are trying to marry me off to someone... I..I don't want to marry him but the-...they are forcing me Sameer" and I broke down in tears, Sameer held me and wiped my tears

"don't cry my love you know right that your tears prick my heart.......... it's okay we can run away from all of this, this marriage and all" he consoled me and muttered the latter in a quite hushed voice

I was shocked at what he said, my eyes widened and I exclaimed "What?!"

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