chapter 26
When they stepped back into the tense quiet of the house, Jian's eyes immediately swept the room, desperately searching for her Omma. She finally spotted them near the 'mandap,' exactly where they had stood earlier, but now the atmosphere around them felt heavy, suffocating. The mandap itself was a heartbreaking sight of abandoned ceremony. It stood near them, a stark, elaborate contradiction to the silent grief it overlooked. Crafted from four slender wooden pillars, it was meant to symbolize the four parents involved in a sacred union, but now felt like a cage.
The entire structure was lavishly draped with heavy garlands of marigolds and jasmine, their vibrant yellow and white petals already beginning to droop and brown, releasing a sickly-sweet, fading perfume. Silks and chiffon in auspicious shades of deep crimson and gold hung limply from the ceiling, their shimmer dulled by the shadows of the room. Beneath the small, ornate canopy, the sacred fire pit ( hawan kund ) sat cold, its ashes gray and undisturbed—a silent testament to the marriage rituals that had been planned, started, and violently halted. The scattered, colorful offerings of rice, betel leaves, and flowers on the floor only emphasized the sudden, traumatic end to what was meant to be a joyous occasion.
Her aunt was huddled against her onna, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs buried deep in his shoulder. Nearby, her brother held onto their aunt, his face streaked with tears, his whole body bowed with grief.
A sharp, almost frantic impulse made Jian want to rush forward, but Jinman's grip on her hand tightened sharply—a non-negotiable anchor. She stopped, turning her head back to him. His gaze was stern, his jaw set, and he gave a slow, deliberate shake of his head, a silent command telling her to hold back and not break into a run.
They moved forward slowly, together, their footsteps feeling unnaturally loud. As they approached the gathering, a chilling silence descended. Every eye in the crowd turned to them, and the murmurs and whispers ceased entirely.
There weren't many people present—a maximum of fifteen people, perhaps—and Jian was silently thankful she hadn't called all her extended relatives to witness this difficult moment.
When her aunt spotted her, she instantly took a few steps forward, stumbling slightly, and pulled Jian into a fierce, desperate embrace.
"My child!" she cried out, the sound raw and hard. Jinman stood unaffected, his posture rigid. It was only the tears of his Love, that ever touched him.
"What has happened! I am so sorry! I can't do anything. We are so sorry!" Her sobs wracked her body.
Jian hugged her aunt back, forced to use only one arm, as her other hand was held fast by her husband, Jinman.
Jaxon was scared beyond limits! His small frame was trembling, but Jian gathered her strength and courage. She couldn't appear weak in front of her little brother.
She bent down a little and tried to cup his face with her hands, when she realized that only her right hand was free, her left remained imprisoned. She looked at Jinman in anger, her eyes flashing.
"At least let me hug my brother, Jinman. It's not like I will disappear into thin air," she demanded, her voice shaking but laced with defiance. She didn't care whether she addressed him by his name in front of her father or the others.
Jinman reluctantly released her hand, and she instantly hugged her brother, who was still weeping.
"Jaxon! I may be a bad man, but trust me, I will not hurt your sister, okay?" he assured him, his voice dangerously smooth.
"Is he lying, Jiji?" Jaxon asked, pulling back slightly to look at her, his voice muffled.
She didn't know what to say. She herself didn't know what would happen to her now! But, she desperately wanted to calm her brother, or else this trauma would affect his studies terribly.
"No, Jax, he is right. He will not hurt me, okay?" she lied softly, trying to sound certain.
"Time, Love," Jinman's voice cut in, a cold reminder of her deadline.
She sighed, the sound heavy with sorrow, and slowly stood up straight. Tears threatened to spill again. How could she abandon her family?
She joined her palms together in a gesture of profound reverence and begged for their forgiveness with teary eyes. She didn't get the strength to ask for forgiveness aloud, so she just whispered the plea. But, her father and Arisu's parents turned their heads away from her in shared anger and hatred. Her heart ached...it hurt a lot.
Jinman didn't listen to her inner turmoil. He simply took her wrist and dragged her with him, as she was not willing to walk. She wanted to cry out for help, but she knew no one would come. Her last hope was her Onna but he himself thought Jian had intentionally summoned Jinman. How could her Inna not trust her,she was like his own daughter? This thought alone brought more tears to her eyes, if that was even possible.
"I don't want to go with you!" she shouted, but it came out as nothing more than a fearful whisper. Jinman felt a flicker of pain, but he didn't have any other option. Only this marriage could ensure his right on her.
He opened the door of the passenger seat of the waiting car and gestured for her to get in.
"Get in, Love," he ordered, his voice low and uncompromising.
But Jian didn't move. She couldn't take the step towards an unknown future. Her defiance clearly frustrated Jinman.
"Mazen, kill everybody," he shouted orders to one of his men. Hearing the horrific command, Jian snapped back to reality.
"No, no. I... I am getting in," she stammered, and quickly lifted her dress slightly to climb into the car.
He closed the door with a sharp slam, and then went to give swift, final instructions to his men. His men were more than happy for their boss. After a minute, he asked his driver to start the car, and he himself got inside, sliding in next to her.
"Sir, should I drive?" The driver asked his permission again. Jinman nodded curtly and pulled up the barrier glass that separated the driver's seat from the passenger area, sealing them in a private, silent compartment. Jian was crying and crying without any realization of her immediate surrounding, lost in a world of grief.