Malaal-Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

“Who...are you?”, she said uncomfortably.

They weren’t in a mood to listen, they were there just for the job. Rashi turned to run but two men pinned her arms behind her back and held her strongly. Her instinct told her what she didn’t want to believe. It was hard for her to stay conscious, such was the fear that their touch injected in her.

“You know how many murders have we committed till now? How many burglaries? And how many jobs of extortion?”, their leader asked her, stepping closer.

Rashi breathed a sigh of relief. “So they are here to kill me. Better.”, she thought. It was funny how death had become a preference for her already. But she was wrong. They had some other plans.

“ But still in all these years, we never got an order to rape someone. And see, how beautiful our first project is.”, he said and laughed loudly. Rashi froze. She couldn’t feel her legs, neither the grip of the men on her. She wasn’t ready to believe this. Neither that her husband had ordered them.

“Who has sent you?”, she cried. The man was taken aback. Here she was going to be raped but the confirmation whether her husband was behind this or not was more important? 

“I told you, your heartbroken husband. Jigar Modi. Waise he looks so innocent, never knew that such men had such choice in revenge. Okay, much talk. Let me taste you now.”, he said and raised his hand to touch her. 

Upon hearing that this was Jigar’s plan to get her raped, something surged inside Rashi suddenly. A mixture of anger and heartbreak that came out as unbelievable physical strength. In one jerk, unexpected for the goons, Rashi got herself released and punched the man straight into the face. All three of them got thoughtblocked for a moment or two. And this was Rashi’s time to escape. Some urgent survival instinct and an urge to live to take her revenge made her run full speed and she bumped straight into a car.

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“Excuse me girl. Hello? Why the hell were you running like that? Ruined my car’s glass.”, Rashi heard someone say. 

She opened her eyes fully and saw a  man looking at her in anticipation. Her head was aching like anything. She suddenly sat straight and looked around. “Why am I in a car...and who is this guy? Another goon who kidnapped me? Oh my god.”, she thought and kicked the man in the stomach.

“What the hell! Are you insane? First you ram into my car, lay unconscious here and make me nurse you and now kick me hard? Are you crazy or what?”, he cried, holding his stomach. 

Rashi looked at him in confusion. She suddenly recalled hitting a car while running away from the goons. “Wrong move Rashi.”, she thought, looking at the now distressed man sitting infront of her.

“I am so sorry. Umm, actually I was running away from some men who were trying to rape me and ...”, she said, hoping that he had understood without giving out much detail.

The man’s hazel eyes melted, the irritation on his face was replaced by a soft look of empathy. He looked divinely handsome.

“Okay, I don’t think such a handsome face would’ve been even a negative. Let alone being a goon.”, Rashi thought, when she suddenly remembered that Jigar too was handsome. And negative.

“Umm, I think you are alright now. Let me drop you home and ya, don’t forget to file a police complaint against those bas*****.”, he said and was about to get out of the backseat.

“No! I...”, Rashi stopped him. He looked at her with a questioning expression.

“I don’t have a home. I was actually waiting at the bus stop, to go to Ahmedabad.”, she said slowly. He smiled.

“So you live in Ahmedabad?”, he asked excitedly.

“No. I am going to live there.”, Rashi replied. Mentally concluding that she’s coming across as a psycho already. 

The man thought for a moment. His expressions told that he was not used to be in tense situations at all.

“I also live in Ahmedabad. Had come here for some work and was on my way to return. I don’t know who you are, but what about a lift to the city? It’s a long journey, we’ll end up knowing each other. To start with, let me introduce myself. I am Ishan. Ishan Desai.”, he said with a smile and a funny twinkle in his eyes.

Rashi uncomfortably weighed his proposal. 

“He seems fine, else wouldn’t had saved me. Plus, it would be safer this way, and if he turns out to be decent, he can help me find some foot in his city.”, she thought.

Ishan was looking at her expectantly. He raised his eyebrows to ask what was she upto.

Rashi smiled.” Okay, I am Rashi Modi. I mean, Rashi Shah.”, she said. 

“Shah suits better.”, he said casually and laughed.

“Maybe it does.”, Rashi thought.

After some hours, Ishan glanced at Rashi, who was sitting beside him, half asleep. It had been some extremely tiring hours for Rashi. Emotionally and physically.

Ishan was intrigued. “Why the hell is she dressed in a saree. I don’t know why but she looks like she should’ve preferred western clothes.” Ishan worked in a fashion company in Ahmedabad and judging fashion for people was the first thing that came to his mind everytime he met them. He was disappointed by Rashi’s fashion sense but still relieved a bit that atleast the way she wears a saree is better than other worse ways. He sighed.

“Why are you staring at me rather than the road?”, he heard her say. Okay, she had caught him looking at her.

“Nothing. Have you ever thought of dressing western?”, he asked, trying to hide the judgmental tone in his voice and make it sound casual.

“Thought? I LOVE western dressing. Used to wear a lot before my marriage. Wasn’t accepted in my in-laws place though.”, she said.

Ishan smiled with relief. “Yeah, it would’ve suited you.”, he said. Rashi looked at him with suspicion. Ishan sensed that. He decided to change the topic.

“So you’ve  got your in-laws? And you said that you don’t have a home? And, I don’t see a mangalsutra...mind if you want to share something?”, Ishan asked.

Rashi was taken aback. She again felt as if something hit her in the heart. What was she going to tell him? That her two children died hours ago? Her husband and mother blamed her? Her husband wanted her to get raped by three men? Rashi tried to control her tears but they rolled down her cheeks. Ishan was looking at the road and waited for her answer. He turned to look at her face. Something told him that it wasn’t something petty, such was the grief on Rashi’s face. She looked heartbreakingly sad and lost. He continued to look at her face for some more seconds and then turned back.

“Okay forget it. You know I love partying.”, he said quickly, kicking himself mentally for saying something so random. Talking about partying when the girl beside her is crying? He was definitely not meant for serious situations. But surprisingly, he heard Rashi laugh a bit. It was too stupid to be heard without a smile.

They both laughed at the awkwardness and Rashi collected this laugh and put her in the closet of her heart. After all, these superficial, light moments would have to act as joy for her now. In her new life.