Nightmare

Vedika -

'No I can't marry you, leave me alone.' I am yelling at my highest volume. I can feel my heart trying to jump out of my chest. Why can't he leave me alone? I don't love him.

'You are mine Vedika, only mine. We are made for each other. Come with me. Don't make me abduct you.'

He is trying to take me away from my ma and pa, I don't want to go.

'Come with me you bitch.'

No. No. No....

Vedika sat up on the bed abruptly, screaming and breathing rapidly.

Hema and Harish, Vedika's ma and pa barged in through the door, worry evident on their faces.

"Vedu, what happened child." Harish and Hema were right beside her, consoling her.

"Ma, I am so sorry I didn't tell you before." Vedika attempted to speak in between the sobs.

"What didn't you tell us Vedu." Harish asked.

"Pa Aman. Aman came today to my clinic. He said he won't rest until I. I accept him. It may be nothing but it worries me."

"He came again. Why? After 2 years. Was the time in jail not enough." Hema said.

"Ma I'm scared. What if he comes again?"

"Don't worry Vedu. And don't wait to call the cops if he comes around you again. Now go back to sleep. We are here with you."

Harish said and they both sat on the couch beside Vedika's bed while she went back to sleep.

Aditya -

"This is what you call a party." Aditya yelled over the music in one of the public bars in Australia.

"We deserve it bro, we killed it." Rocky yelled back.

Indian cricket team was partying after the series win against Australia along with some players of opponent team.

"Bro, that girl is totally checking you out. Why don't you go and talk to her." Rocky pointed at a woman across the bar.

"I don't think so. She's engaged." Aditya replied uninterested.

"How do you know?"

"Her ring finger. Look at the mark."

"Maybe she's divorced."

"No, I saw her remove it out side the bar. And don't worry about finding a girl for me. I'll get the one made for me. Ok?" Aditya said pointedly.

"Ok whatever you say." Rocky held his hands up in defeat.

"Don't you want to rest, we need to head back tomorrow." Sahid joined along with Jaz, and Maahi who came to cheer her husband for the match.

"No, we will sleep on the plane." Rocky said and joined the dance floor back.

"He is the most comfortable sleeper of all." Aditya joked.

"Hey why don't you guys join me and Jaz for dinner party day after tomorrow. We invited others too." Maahi asked and both Aditya and Sahid agreed.

After partying hard for couple more hours they all went back to their rooms. And next morning was on the flight back to India.

_____

"I just left the clinic, I will be there soon." Vedika was talking to her friend Asad who was celebrating his 25th birthday that day.

"Come fast or I will eat all the cake myself." Asad said from the other end.

"I am coming, I am almost there." Vedika said as she hurried into the first auto that stopped.

Asad has always be very excited for his birthdays so it was a big day for him, Vedika didn't wanted to miss her best friend's birthday party.

"Move fast please, I have to reach there on time." Vedika requested the driver.

"Madam look at the traffic, I'm going at the best speed."

"I'm sorry I have to hurry, isn't there any other way?" Vedika asked.

"We are stuck between the vehicles, can't back down now."

"Okay, I have to get down. I'm getting late. How much is it till here?"

The auto driver looked at the meter and announced the cost of travelling so far.

Vedika got down the auto and started walking among the cars and bikes stuck in the traffic.

"This is so dense, I'll make it faster on my feet." Vedika talked to herself as she made her way to her friend's house.

Suddenly the cars started shifting forward and honking at her who was walking in the way. She closed her ears tightly to shun out the ear damaging horns.

"Hey get in." Vedika looked to her left and noticed a young man pointing at her.

"Excuse me?" Vedika said trying to make a safe distance between the car and herself.

"Get in, you are blocking everyone's way." The man in the car gestured to the passenger seat.

"I am not getting in with you. Who are you?" Vedika said firmly.

She was not going in with a stranger.

"You don't know me?" The man in the car said. Vedika noted he was wearing blue Jean's pants and blazers. She hated the fact that this unknown man was trying to enforce his smartness on her.

"Get out of the way lady." Someone from behind shouted startling Vedika. With the cold breeze blowing she cursed herself for wearing salvar suit that day, her dupatta was trying to run off in every direction along with her hair.

With all the terrible noice of horn mixed with people yelling at her, instinctively she opened the car door in front and jumped in.

Vedika was still hyped by all the commotion created earlier as they drove off into traffic of the honking cars. After taking a calming breath Vedika turned the the man sitting beside her and said, "Thank you for the lift. You can drop me here now, no more traffic."

"Where you wanna go? I will drop you." The man beside her said.

"No I have to go in a different direction." Vedika excused.

"Ok I will stop once we get into less rowdy area. I know there's no reason for you to believe me but I'm not going to harm you. I'm Aditya by the way."

"I am Vedika and I don't know you hence the lack of trust." Vedika was nervously playing with her locket the entire time.

"Ya its totally fine. Nice to meet you though, I was just going to dinner party with my friends." Aditya felt a strange connection to the woman sitting beside him. Something inside him wanted to be with her longer, keep talking to her.

He has never met a person so smooth, gentle and pretty.

"Good to meet you too. I was going to a friend's birthday party."

"Really? You are going to a party like this.?" Aditya raised his brows at Vedika's formal, party phobic attire which made her chuckle.

"I know, I will change in some bathroom at the venue." Vedika pushed a string of hairs behind her ear and Aditya sighed with relief as it was hella distracting for him.

"Is this good for dropping you off?" Aditya stopped in front of a restaurant assuming Vedika's destination was not far away.

Vedika was more than happy as this person Aditya dropped her exactly where she wanted to go but she was not gonna tell him that. She wanted to trust him but the past experiences told her not to.

"Ya it's good. Thanks." Vedika said and got off the car.

After waving goodbye Aditya enterd the parking lot thinking about the girl who sat beside him for no more than fifteen minutes but has already stolen half of his peace without even knowing him. That shyly chuckle, that innocent face, that nerdy look and the stubbornness. He never thought about the kind of partner he wanted but Vedika's memory refused to leave his thoughts alone till he came face to face with his team mates and their families and got indulged in small talks.