The chapter contains mature language. Readers discretion is advised.

Ragini POV

The wounds on my back were deep and painful, but I had no time to take rest, or apply some ointment on that. The lunch was ready, and I served it in a plate, to give it to my father.

"Babuji, khana laye hai."

"Father, the lunch is here."

I spoke in a soft voice, only audible to him.

"Rakh de, aur sun... Chhuttan ke khane se pehle tu mat khana... ladkiyon ko akhri me khana chahiye."

"Keep it there, and listen.... don't eat before your brother.... girls should eat at the end."

My father instructed, like always, and I nodded.

"Ji babuji, hume pata hai. Hum usse khilaye bina nahi khayenge."

"Yes father, I know. I won't eat before feeding him."

I complied with his words, and came out. A huge Jeep was parked before our house, and I felt a little terrified. Was there something wrong? It was a Thar, in which 'The Thakurs' was embedded, with golden bold letters. Thank God, I had learnt to read secretly, otherwise my father never wanted that.

I saw a man coming out of the passenger seat. I sharpened my gaze to see clearly, and my eyes widened with astonishment. He was none other than 'Jaswant Singh Thakur', the head of this village, along with hundred other villages, that were our neighbours.

He stared at me, and I came inside my hut, running at full speed, to escape his sight. The Thakurs are well known for their lustful eyes on the women; by any chance, if he asks my father to have me, he would definitely not deny him, and I'll be gone, forever.

I ran inside the kitchen and hid myself behind the gas stove, and with closed eyes and adjoined hands, I began chanting Sri Hari Stotram in my heart.

"Arre pranam Thakur saheb, humari jara si jhopdi aaj dhanya bhai apke paav parne se."

"Welcome Thakur saheb, our small hut is blessed to be touched by your feet."

I eavesdropped on my father's words. I inhaled sharply, realising that Thakur saheb had already arrived in our small hut. Why did he come here? I hope, this is nothing to do with me.

"Ayee Ragini.....chai naste ka intejam kar. Darwaje pe Bhagwan aa gaye hai hamare."

"Hey Ragini.... arrange some snacks and tea. The God Himself has arrived here."

Huh! They are not at all eligible to be called as 'Bhagwan', but who was going to explain this to my father? I freaked out, and started preparing tea. I poured oil in an iron pan, and chopped a few onions and potatoes. I added water to the chickpea flour, and began mixing it up, with my fingers.

Within a few minutes, tea and pakodi were ready. Hunger pangs were troubling me now. I was hungry since the morning, and even after cooking for two times till now, I couldn't eat anything myself.

I carried the edibles in a tray, and walked to the open area, where my father was standing, and Thakur saheb was sitting.

I kept the tray, and greeted Thakur saheb with adjoined hands, and started to walk away. I came inside and stood by the wall, to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"Who was she?" Thakur saheb asked my father, dominance was quite evident in his tone.

"Hamaar durbhagya hai Thakur saheb, hamaar ladki."

"My misfortune, Thakur saheb - my daughter."

My father uttered those aggrieved words, and my heart sank deeper. This wasn't the first time, he was introducing me to someone like this, but it always incapacitates me. I wiped off a lone tear, that had refused to stay its limits.

"Hum tumko 500 bigha jameen aur 50 lakh rupya denge....tumhari ladki humko chahiye."

"I am offering you 312 acres of land and 50 lakh rupees....I want your daughter."

My breath hitched, listening to Thakur saheb's words, and I sat on the ground, with a thud. My father was certainly not going to deny this whopping offer. No! No! You can't do this to me Narayan.

As per my knowledge, Thakur saheb had three sons, the eldest one wasn't staying with them, at this juncture, the middle one was a spoilt brat, with no ounce of morality in him, and the youngest one was their secret agent, but he was also famous as a manwhore.

"She is yours, Thakur saheb! But how many nights do you want with her, or are you taking her with you forever?"

My father asked, and I felt a sword piercing through my chest. I broke down into audible sobs. How could my father, my own father, do that to me? Are daughters so unfortunate? Are they such a misfortune, that their parents could sell them like this?

"Baura gaya hai ka saare! Hamaar bitiya ke Umar ki hai tumhaar ladki aur tum humko itna harami samaj liye ho ke Aisa soch dale. Kasam se tumhaar ladki sundar na lagti na to abhi ga*nd me goli maar dete."

"Are you mad or what! She is my daughter's age, and you are shipping me with her? I swear, if she wasn't beautiful, I would have shot your ass right now."

Thakur saheb exclaimed. What was he upto? This means, he wasn't buying me for himself, then what was he planning?

"Hamaar manjla ladka hai gadaha, to kauno acha sabhya admi to apni ladki nahi dega hume. Tumhaar bitiya itni khabsurat hai ki ane wale ladka bachchan to badhiya paida kar degi. Tumhari ijjat ke sath khilwad nahi karenge. Byaah kar le jayenge isse. Apni bahuriya banakar. Dhanraj se byaah karenge iska."

"My second son is wretched, so no honourable person is ready to marry their daughter to him. Your daughter is gorgeous, so she will certainly deliver beautiful kids with my son. I'm not playing with your dignity. I'll take your daughter as my daughter-in-law. Dhanraj will get married to her."

I felt my breath getting out of control. My tears had already drenched my cheeks and neck. 'Dhanraj Singh Thakur', the mad bull of the Thakur family. I'm going to die under him!

I felt like running to them, and slap all of them together, but I couldn't do this, since I was a daughter - the curse to the family!

"Bilkul thakur saheb, aaj byaah ke le jaiye aap isse."

"Undoubtedly, thakur saheb. Take her with you, right now."

My father sounded extremely cheerful. Why wouldn't he? He was getting 300+ acres of lands and 50 lakh rupees, after all. What else could make him happier?

They both started talking again, and I strolled to my small room, that did not deserve to be called as a room, but that was the only part of the hut, that was given to me, to keep my two pairs of clothes there, and sleep, that too on the ground - without any mat or carpet.

I lied down on it, and fresh tears rolled down my eyes. I shut them close, and cried miserably. Why Narayan why? My fate was going to be darker than I could even imagine.

All my life, I kept dreaming about a happy married life, where I could share all my pain with my husband, and he would solace me, but this alliance was going to be far more torturous than my present.

I didn't know how many times am I going to be raped, molested and beaten? Dhanraj Singh Thakur is strong enough to eat me raw, and I couldn't even scream, because I'm being sold to him.

"Aye ladki.....khana laga fatafat. Aur din me kaise soi tu? Babuji ko batau...chaar belt jadke sahi kar denge."

"Hey girl....serve me the food. And how dare you sleep during the daytime? Should I inform father about this...he'll hit you with the belt for this."

Chhuttan pulled my hair, to make me get up from my place. I winced in pain, but he started dragging me towards the kitchen.

"Anhhhh! Leave me...." I screamed, and I heard my father striding towards us.

"Haramkhor, chhod usse. Ganda mat kar...aur ab usko bilkul nahi marega tu."

"Bastard, leave her. Don't ruin her....and you won't hit her anymore."

My father scolded him, for the first time, and that too for me. We stole glances of each other, as both of us were astonished at his behaviour.

"She is going to be the daughter-in-law of 'the Thakurs', and I don't want to listen to their complaints, that she is bruised or ugly. From now on, she will take proper rest, and you asshole....you'll cook for me."

He declared, with a huge grin on his face. Chhuttan turned appalled, and I stood inscrutable, realising the reason behind my father's sudden change of behaviour.

"Go and serve yourself, and bring a full plate of food for her too."

My father ordered Chhuttan, and strode to me. Holding my shoulders in a tight grip, he muttered

"I want her to gain some weight in a week. She needs to look prettier."

He exclaimed, acquistiveness and avarice clearly discernible on his face. He cupped my cheeks, for the first time in his life, and tears escaped my eyes staring into his eyes.

He kept caressing me as a doll, but his gaze couldn't read my tears. He couldn't discern my emotions. He couldn't feel the emotional turmoil I was going through. I was atrophied to being a golden egg laying hen, for him now.

I wanted to embrace him tightly. I wanted to cry my heart out, and tell him that I didn't want to get married to that monster, but I knew he would never understand me.

He left me with a jerk and I shuddered for a while, before balancing myself. Chhuttan brought the food for me, unwillingly, and father fed me with his hands, for the first time in his life.

I had turned into a mute person, but no one asked me the reason behind it. I stopped visiting the temple, I had stopped singing the bhajans, and I had practically stopped living. I was reduced to a breathing marionette, that was about to become the sex doll of Dhanraj Singh Thakur.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

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Honestly, I am crying imagining myself as Ragini. Let's see what's coming up in her life!

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