EVA'S WEDDING RING^

EVA'S P.O.V

"You are looking really beautiful Eva."

Jess whispered from beside me. I turned towards her to see her chocolate brown eyes gleaming with pure admiration and happiness. She was looking beautiful in her white knee length dress which was intricated with embroidery. Her long silky hair was tangled in a messy bun adored with a tiara. She looked like the perfect bridesmaid.

I gave her a small smile. I was trying hard to look like a normal bride but it wasn't that easy considering the storm of thoughts going on within me. Crashing thoughts of the decision I had made combined with the disturbing possibilities the future held for me. It was practically impossible for me to behave like I wasn't aware and afraid of the life I had chosen for myself. But nevertheless I tried to give my best convincing smile. I couldn't let anyone know. It was my decision, I can't drag anybody else into my mess. And on top of that, I don't think I am ready to tell about Aaron to everyone. And without telling about him how can I explain why I am marrying a man whom I met a week ago.

"You are sure about this, right Eva?" Jess asked me as concern filled in her previously happy eyes. I nodded at her, put up my most convincing look and said "Yes I am very sure about this wedding Jess. You need to stop worrying about me so much."

"Okay then if you say so. Though I am not going to stop worry about you, my girl. You are my best friend Ev. You have been there for me in all my ups and downs. Whether it is the time when I was alone and depressed because of my parents or whether it is was about the sleepless nights I have ever had. You never made me feel lonely, you were there beside me. I want you to know that I am here too. I don't know what made you marry someone so soon but I will always be here for you. I will always support you and when I don't - I will slap you hard and tell you when you are wrong. Either way, I will be there. I haven't seen much marriages working out but I am still supporting you because you love the man you are marrying." She said.

Love?

Talk about joke of the century.

Yet I totally understood what Jess was saying and why she was saying that. Her own personal experience with her parents had taught her to not believe in marriages as they always fail. And she was doing her best to ensure that I don't end up miserable like her divorced parents. I wished that I could pour my troubled heart in front of her and tell her everything so that she could comfort me by saying that everything will be okay and I don't need to marry him.

I gave a real smile to her to show how much comfort her words gave me.

"Okay now at least look at yourself in the mirror and tell me if there is anything you want to add to your makeup." Jess said giggling like a baby.

I turned around and looked at my reflection. A beautiful girl stared at me. She was wearing a long flowing white wedding dress with intricate and beautiful lace designs on the front and shoulders with an off shoulder sleeve highlighting her collarbones. Her long shiny hair was draped in a beautiful braid decorated with flowers and her face was enhanced with light make up which made her look a little older. A simple yet elegant diamond necklace adored her by shining. In short she was indeed looking beautiful and I could not believe that it was my own reflection.

I then looked down at my 'engagement ring' - as Ace called it when he gave it to me two day ago. He just sent a jeweler to me who waited patiently while I chose my ring from the photos of other thousand expensive ones. It was difficult to chose and I would have chosen the cheapest one but then Ace's reputation came in front of my eyes and I reluctantly decided to chose something up to the mark of what Ace would be expecting. The one I selected was a gold plated with silver work and had diamonds studded around it. In the center rested a beautiful diamond crystal which made it look breathtaking. After I selected it, the jeweler said that the same ring as in the photo but of my size would be made and delivered to me by that evening only. And surely that evening Ace came and gave it to me.

But it was nothing like a normal engagement where the groom makes the bride wear it because there is nothing normal about our fake-deal-marriage.

So this is why I am wearing this ring which costs much more than me.

I shook my head to clear my thought, smiled and told Jess that I do not need anything else. I told her to take care of the arrangements outside and after doing a last touch up, she went. Then I again stared at my reflection and thought how beautiful I was looking and wondered what my mom would have said if she was with me today. The thought made my heart clench and eyes watery.

Everything about today, from my dress to the arrangements everything was perfect, just the way I had imagined my wedding day but the most crucial thing was missing - a perfect husband. How good would have it been if all this and our marriage was real-

But it was just a deal.

I shook myself from the thoughts and put on a fake yet convincing smile on face. I can do this, I am going to do this for Aaron.

With this thought I stood up and closed my eyes for a second thinking about my mother. Just then Jake came and said "You are looking gorgeous, Eva. But think once again, I have been telling you this since the day you told us about your wedding - please reconsider this, are you sure about this wedding - just say once and I will stop this wedding you don't - "

"I am sure about this Jake. I want to marry Ace. We have been together since the past one few months." I said lying to him. I didn't want to worry him. Ace had told me not to tell anyone about the marriage being fake without providing a reason why I should do that, but I know better than to question him.

He had given me a whole file of rules and regulations made by his lawyer about this fake marriage and I had requested some changes which he thankfully agreed to. He said he would come to me before the marriage to get it signed by me but till now there is no trace of him, unless he has discovered a way to make himself invisible like Griffin in the book "The Invisible Man".

"I want you to know that I am here for you beautiful, whenever you need me, okay?" Jake's voice brought me back to earth and I just nodded giving him a smile. He then pulled me into a hug and I hugged him back reassuring that I will be fine.

"Sorry if I am disturbing something but I need to talk to my to-be-wife for a minute if you please." A voice came from behind me. I turned around leaving Jake's embrace, to see Ace standing on the doorway of my room - In the hotel of course, as all the preparations have been done by Ace.

"Oh okay, sure." Jake said and with one last assuring look he left.

"I see you were busy with your boyfriend but I think I mentioned in the rules that till-"

"-I am your wife and I am not allowed to date anyone else." I completed for him "Yeah, I perfectly remember it Mr. Ace and for your kind information Jake is not my boyfriend, we are just friends so no need to create a fuss." I said quite curtly.

"Well, it doesn't even matter to me, I just came here for your sign on the documents. I have changed the things you asked. The money you will be getting after this marriage ends, has been reduced to the amount you wanted, the rule that I won't force you to do anything "idiotic" as you quote, has been added, though I am not even interested in doing so, and thirdly the rule that I won't be saying about Aaron to anyone has been added. So, sign on it." He said handing me the file and pen.

I think that's the longest he has spoken in a conversation. New Record!

I shut my conscience to refrain from thinking about such idiotic things in a serious situation like this as I re-read the documents and after being satisfied I signed the documents. I then handed the file to him and he left without any other word.

I huffed. I was not really expecting him to compliment me on how I was looking but then also now that I was thinking about it, it was really unusual that the husband didn't compliment his to-be-wife but then again this isn't real.

I think I am going to need a Pensieve like Dumbledore else I am going to drown in my own thoughts.

I sat there for a little while and then Jake and Jess came to tell me it's time for the wedding ceremony so here I am now standing in front of Ace looking as handsome as always, wearing a tux which fitted him very well. His hair was gelled and some bangs were falling on his forehead enhancing his features. Who could say this handsome man was a devil who could force someone into a marriage without love?

Well I guess anyone could say that considering the blank expression he was having on his face.

But I guess no one really understood that this was all fake, considering the fact that there was a huge applause when the priest said

"Now you may kiss the bride".

What?

wait?

kiss?

Oh kiss?

Who says that a couple has to kiss in a marriage ? Can't we stay holy after marriage. It is far more hygienic and better.

Says the one who has been dreaming about this kiss since the adolescence hormones had started being secreted in her body!

But no! I don't want to-

But a hand made it's way to my waist and pulled me towards a body. I was shocked as I bumped on a hard chest. No please, no please, no-

I closed my eyes as I felt Ace coming closer, his breath was now mingling with mine- anytime now -

"Don't look so scared, people will think I have forced you into this marriage." Ace whispered near my ear.

"Well let them know then, because it is the reality." I tried to mutter with my eyes still closed because of his close and toxic proximity.

I could feel his breath on my lips and then his lips brushed past my cheek. He then brushed his lips near the corner of my lips for a mini-second and then pulled back.

He didn't kiss me , thank god, but the people must have thought he had because there came a even louder applause from the crowd near the altar.

*

Every one has heard about brides running before marriage but I think my reflexes are a little slow because I am thinking about it minutes after my marriage.

Damn these reflexes!

So here I am standing in front of the mansion where Ace lives. I was dropped by his driver as Ace had gone earlier only because he had some 'work' in his office. He said he would be home by the time I would reach there.

The mansion in front of me was the same one I went before that day with Ryder, a beautiful and huge one. I went inside the mansion and started searching for either my room or Ace. I just want to sleep, too much has happened today.

For the sake of holy gods, I am married!

I was lost in my thoughts when suddenly I was greeted by a woman of late 40s. "Good evening Mrs. Parker. I am Hannah, I am the head of the staff working here. Can I help you with something ma'am?" She asked kindly. She was really kind and like a motherly figure to me.

How did she know I was Mrs. Parker?

"No, thank you. I don't need anything now but can you please tell me, where is Ace?" I asked reciprocating her smile.

"Mr. Parker? Umm I don't really- Oh he is there!" Hannah said pointing towards the door. I turned to find Ace coming towards us only. He was having a stoic expression on his face and was looking into his phone and suddenly his eyes went up, zeroed to me, confused and then something clicked in his eyes.

Did he just forget that he was married?!

God save me from this jerk who is suffering from such a severe case of Amnesia that he forgot that he forcefully married a poor innocent soul, left her to go to work and then comes back with all the memories of the last 1 hour erased from his not -so-useful thick head.

"Oh there you are, come on darling let's go to our bedroom." Ace said in a pathetically sweet voice.

Darling seriously?

I was about to interject when I remembered Hannah was there, so I kept quiet and nodded. Then Ace took my wrist and started pulling me towards the staircase but I just freed my hand from his grip and said "Just one minute- darling." Ace raised his eyebrows but nevertheless nodded. I went back to Hannah and told her "Please call me Eva only, okay? I prefer it over Mrs. Parker." I said with a smile. She gave a warm smile and nodded.

Then I went back to Ace and we went towards the first floor by climbing the long staircase.

Are we going to share a room? I wondered. No way I am doing that.

But things aren't really how they are supposed to and that is why I am going to land in Ace's room. He opened the room and it was as I had imagined it. Black and grey colors all over the room. But the room was huge. It had a king sized bed in the middle, a side table on both the sides of the bed, a study table, a walk in closet and just one window.

Seriously! One window?

Will the ventilation happen by any bewitching spell or some other magic?

I huffed and asked Ace "You know right that I won't be sharing any room with you?".

Ace turned to me and said "I know that we are going to act like a happily married couple outside this room but in this room - You.are.nothing.to.me." stressing on his last few words.

The hatred in his voice made me look at him in shock. It really hurt me.

"If you hate me so much then why did you marry me?!" I asked him outraged.

"I feel disgusted to even breath in the same air that you are breathing. I don't even know how am I going to tolerate you for one year. But get this thing straight into your head- I am not going to share a room with you, ever." Ace snapped on me.

That was really harsh. I think if this continues for another minute I will start crying. And honestly he is the last person I want to cry in front of. So I chose to ignore him.

Ace just looked at me with a disgusted face, then took his clothes and went to change in, what I assumed to be a, bathroom - leaving me standing there like a lost puppy searching for something on which it's life depended.

I looked around inside the room searching for a couch or something to sleep on because I was not going sleep with that ass face-

No scratch that, there is no word called ass face. Jerk face is better.

So I was saying that I was not gonna sleep with that jerk face even if all the space in this world evaporated into the black hole and only a single bed was left in the universe.

I huffed for I guess the third time today and took a pillow from the bed along with the blanket. With that I went to the balcony opening the slide door and saw a lounge chair. It was not really a chair, it was kind of a round sofa but it was enough for me. I took of some of my accessories, because these jewelries would choke me to death before Ace did, kept it on the table in the room. A thought of changing my dress came but I thought to leave it like this only because I didn't have my clothes here. So I came back to the balcony, closed the sliding door and made myself comfortable in the sofa though my dress was really very uncomfortable.

I closed my eyes thinking about my day and dreading for my mother more than I had ever did.

I miss you so much mom, why did you leave me alone here?

Thinking, I didn't know when tears started pouring out of my eyes and with the thoughts of my mother I slept, dreaming about -god and my sleep -knows what.