Third person’s pov!

As Vedant walked through the fields, the sky was painted in shades of crimson and amber as the sun sank below the horizon. There was a peace in the air that he hadn't felt in years because of the soft ground beneath his feet, the subtle rustle of leaves, and the distant call of a bird.The village remained eerily quiet. He had seen that the people arose and slept in tandem with the sun.

Vedant found himself enjoying the strange but calm rhythm.

As he kept walking, he noticed a barn in the distance. The building's outline contrasted sharply with the diminishing light. He heard it then, a low, muted scream. His ears strained, he froze in mid-step. A few seconds later, the sound returned, this time more distinct: a woman's cries and struggles.

Frowning, Vedant hurried towards the barn. His instincts screamed that something was wrong. Reaching the door, he pushed it open with a loud creak and stepped inside.

The sight before him made his blood boil.

A young man was holding down a girl, her half-saree dishevelled, her dupatta lying crumpled on the floor. She struggled, sobbing, trying to push the man off.

With a furious curse, Vedant lunged at the man, grabbing him by the collar and yanking him away from the girl. He didn’t hold back, landing a solid punch across the man’s jaw. 

“How dare you!” Vedant growled, his voice echoing in the barn.

The young man stumbled back but managed to shove Vedant off and bolted out the door.

Vedant turned to the girl, who was crouched on the floor, hugging herself. He hastily picked up her dupatta off the ground and slung it around her shoulders. 

"Are you okay?" he inquired, his tone softening.

They both flinched before she could respond, as the barn door slammed shut.

The girl's eyes grew wide with fear. Muttering, "No... no... no!" she rushed to the door. She pulled desperately, but it would not budge.

Vedant frowned in confusion. "Why would he lock us?"

The girl, obviously shaking, pressed herself against the door but made no response.  They heard muffled voices outside, and then there was a great commotion.

"Hey? Open the door, someone! We're stuck here!” The  door was pounded by Vedant.

A mob of villagers appeared as the door opened a few moments later. Vedant felt a wave of relief, but it passed as someone gave him a forceful slap across the face.

The sharp sting shocked him. He staggered slightly before turning, his eyes blazing with anger. 

“What the hell!” he roared.

Before he could process what was happening, the older man stepped forward and slapped the girl too.

Vedant’s fury spiked. 

"Hey! Why are you doing this?" He grabbed the man by the arm and pushed him away from the girl.

 "How dare you push me? After committing such immoral crimes, you dare to touch me with your filthy hands?" The old man spat out in a poisonous voice.

 "Immoral crimes? What are you talking about?" Vedant gazed at him with disbelief.

"I didn't do anything, Bade Papa. You are misunderstanding us!" The girl said, still in tears. 

But her plea was ignored. The elderly man gave her a disgusted stare.

 "Vaidehi, your current appearance is sufficient evidence."

With despair in her eyes, the girl—Vaidehi—turned to face another man. Her voice broke as she gripped his hands. 

"Don't you believe me, Appa? Would your Vaidu act in this manner?"

Her father paused, his expression contorted in pain. Words couldn't express the depth of the quiet. Vaidehi took a step back, her face broken, her shoulders slumping.

“This is what happens when girls are sent to the town to study,” Bade Papa sneered. “What a scene she created to go in the name of education. Now we see what she’s been learning!”

“What kind of people are you? Don’t you have the basic decency to listen to what actually happened?” Vedant clenched his fists, his voice rising above the murmurs of the crowd. 

“Shut up!” Bade Papa snapped. “We don’t want to hear anything from people like you—immoral and shameless!”

Vedant’s jaw tightened as he stared at the hostile faces around him. He had walked into a nightmare, and the truth seemed the farthest thing from anyone’s mind.

The villagers, who had previously been silent, were now whispering among themselves like a disturbed beehive and the tension in the air increased with each syllable. 

The weight of her father's disbelief crushed Vaidehi, and her heart pounded in her chest. His quiet reverberated in her ears, serving as a continual reminder that the man who was supposed to protect her was abandoning her.

"Tomorrow is your sister's wedding. How could you destroy it like this?" Raghav Naik yelled at her, his face twisted in anger and shame.

"Bade Papa, I did not do anything." Vaidehi sobbed, her voice breaking as she begged, but her pleas were ignored. Viswa, her older brother, was far away, accompanying a famous priest who would only arrive in the early morning, yet her mind cried out for him. In her hour of need, she was left all alone.

When another man came up, the audience lapsed into a chilly hush. There was no denying the weight of his presence. Like a keen sword, his speech sliced through the tension.

"Raghav Naik." With an authoritative tone, the man yelled out.

Raghav turned to the speaker, his eyes wide with apprehension and his face devoid of color. It was Anand Ji, the groom's father and a powerful figure in the community. Everyone's attention was on him, and the crowd moved aside to give him space.

"Raghav, the wedding has been canceled." With obvious disgust, Anand Ji remarked, "We don't want a girl from a family where such immoral girls are living." His disdain was obvious as he looked over Vaidehi.

Raghav's expression curled in anguish.   

"My daughter isn't like that, Anand Ji. You are aware of it." The weight of his plea caused his voice to break, but it was obvious that the man in front of him didn't care.

Anand Ji's face stayed expressionless. The finality of his actions reverberated in the air like a death knell as he took his son's hand and began to leave without saying another word. As he watched them leave, Raghav's shoulders slumped, the man's words hovering over him like a heavy cloud.

Raghav whirled around and gave Vaidehi a forceful slap across the face out of wrath. She staggered from the power of the punch. The terrible crunch of skin against skin resonated throughout the barn.

Vedant's instincts took over and he sprang forward, catching her before she could fall.  He could feel her trembling in his arms, her breath shallow and quick from the shock and pain. His heart burned with anger, but he held her steady, his protective instincts kicking in full force.

“Raising your hand against a woman is a criminal offense, Mr. Naik,” Vedant said coldly, his voice dripping with disdain. "You could spend years in prison for this."

His muscles tensed with rage and he moved between Raghav and Vaidehi and pushed the man away from her. Raghav staggered back, giving him a poisonous glare.

“Who are you to teach me?” Raghav screamed, his face red with rage. “This wh*re ruined my daughter’s life!”

The word hit Vaidehi like a physical blow, and she recoiled, her heart splintering at the hateful accusation. She looked at her father, her eyes pleading for him to understand, but his face was a mask of shame and anger.

“My daughter’s life is ruined. Now what will happen to her?” Raghav cried loudly, his voice thick with sorrow. The crowd, who had been watching in stunned silence, now began to murmur sympathetically, their eyes filled with pity for him. Vedant, however, could only be repulsed. 

Vaidehi had been shattered by the man who was supposed to be protecting her.

Each whisper was like a piece of glass cutting her heart as the murmurs in the throng became louder. Vaidehi knelt down, her head lowered in despair, and sobbed, her body shaking with humiliation.  Her fate had already been determined by the village.

Then a voice came up from the rear of the crowd, a voice that sounded definitive.

"My son will marry your daughter, Raghav Anna," The man said, and the whole barn fell silent.

The statement hit like a thunderclap. Raghav, still in shock, turned to look at the man who had spoken. The crowd held its breath.

“Who?” Raghav asked, his voice hoarse.

The man stepped forward, his chest puffed with pride. 

“My son has just started a business, and I am sure he will succeed in it. Give your daughter to us.” The man’s gaze flickered disdainfully over Vaidehi as if she were nothing more than a speck of dirt. 

The murmurs in the crowd grew louder, and Vedant felt his patience wear thin. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, the air around him charged with tension. How could these people believe they have the authority to judge her in this way?

"Pardon me." Vedant's sarcastic voice cut through the din,  "May I please leave if this drama is over?" His remarks were scathing, a direct challenge to the ridiculousness of the circumstance.

“Go?” Raghav sneered, his face contorted in desperation and rage. "After everything you did? You must get married before you are allowed to leave."

A/n

Any sort of offense against women is punishable under law!! Here, I’m just showing how people is some regressive areas of our country still behaves with girls!!

Please leave comments…

Love,

SF❤️