Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Shattered

Khushi couldn't remember how she managed to reach home that day but she did make it. Khushi had worn her winter coat to cover herself, holding it tightly around her. Although her clothes weren't torn she felt exposed. She couldn't let her family know about this. Babuji was already recovering a heart attack & would not be able to bear a shock of such large magnitude. To her relief Payal was alone at home. Amma, Babuji had gone out to a relative's place & would be late.

One look at her & Payal knew that there was something horribly wrong with Khushi.

"Khushi? Khushi what happened? Is everything OK?" Payal said to her.

A strange numbness had spread through her body & mind.. She couldn't register Payal was speaking to her. She just started walking mechanically to her room.

"Khushi?" Payal shook her by her shoulder.

"No.." She almost shouted & flinched at the touch.

"Khushi what happened? Tell me?" Payal had started panicking due to Khushi's behaviour. She followed Khushi to her room. "Khushi?" She raised her voice as Khushi sat on her bed. Payal cupped her face into her hands & turned it up. "Khushi.. Please speak.. You're scaring me."

Khushi looked at her sister's face & burst into tears. She hugged Payal around the waist & started crying uncontrollably. She was unable to speak at all. Payal just held her getting worried by the minute. After half an hour when Khushi showed no signs of recovery, Payal made her lie down & came out of her room. She called Pari & Karan, asking them to come over immediately.

Pari came first and Payal told her about Khushi's behaviour since she had come home. "Pari, do you know anything? Did something happen to her in office?"

"I don't know Payal. I last saw Khushi in the lunch break. She was a bit harassed due to workload but nothing that would get me worried." Pari said moving towards Khushi's room.

Khushi was still sobbing in her pillow. Pari tried to get her to sit, talked to her, asked questions but all in vain. She wouldn't lift up her head from the pillow. Just then the doorbell rang & Payal went to get it. It was Karan and Payal filled him in about why she had called him.

"She's been crying for almost an hour now, Pari & I have tried to make her tell us what happened but it's no use. Please do something, she always listens to you." Payal herself was on the verge of tears.

"Don't worry Payal, let me see her." Karan walked up to Khushi's room.

Pari was still trying to convince Khushi to talk to her when she saw Karan enter. He motioned Pari to move away from Khushi and sat down next to her. Pari went to the door to join Payal. She knew no one could handle Khushi better than Karan in such a situation.

"Khushi?" He said softly putting his hand on her head.

At his touch Khushi suddenly flinched & looked up. Her eyes widened on seeing Karan next to her. She sat up & shrank away from him.

"Khushi? What happened?" He said not trying to touch her.

"D-Don't c-come near m-me." Khushi said sobbing hard.

"What are you saying Khushi?" He started to put his hand on her shoulder but Khushi pushed it away.

"Don't come near me. I-I'll.. t-trap you." She almost screamed. Her eyes were terror filled & insane.

"KHUSHI.." Karan raised his voice & grabbed her shoulders, "Khushi, what are you saying? Look at me." He shook her till she rattled.

She looked at him shocked as if she had just realised he was here. "Karan.." She said & started crying again. Karan took her in his arms & let her cry for a while.

After a few minutes she seemed to calm down a little. "Khushi, are you OK?" She nodded. "Tell me what happened." She was quiet. "Khushi, don't stay quiet, it will not help, you know that. You have to tell what happened. Did ASR say anything to you" Karan spoke to her slowly as if speaking to a five year old.

Khushi shuddered violently in Karan's arms at the mention of his name.

"So, it is ASR right?" Karan said, "What did he do?"

Khushi was not sure what to say. How could she tell anyone that she had been almost.. RAPED!!! Amma, Babuji would never be able to bear the disgrace. What if something happened to Babuji? And Jiji? She couldn't ruin her life, like that. They had already done so much for her. She couldn't put this burden on them. She had to bear it all alone.

"Khushi.. speak up dear." Karan said stroking her head soothingly.

Well she definitely had to tell them something.. She thought for a while and decided on revealing only half the truth. She started telling Karan about how Shyam had come to her cabin, coaxing her to go with him for a coffee & what he had done when she was picking up the fallen papers. Then she told that ASR had come & scolded her. She started to cry again & Karan waited till she calmed down.

"What happened after that Khushi?" Karan asked her after a few minutes.

"Shyam had gone to ASR's office after him. I don't know what he told him but ASR came back after a while & shouted at me a lot. He accused me of trying to seduce men. Shyam, Akash Sir, even You." She broke down again. She couldn't tell him that what hurt most that ASR had accused her of trying to trap Himself.

"But that isn't true. Why didn't you tell him so? Karan asked her.

"He didn't let me speak. He pushed me away," her body had started to feel sore from where he had hurt her, she had to give some explanation for her bruises, "and told me that I should never return to that place."

She started crying again. Karan signed Payal & Pari to come in. Pari took Khushi in her arms. She wasn't convinced. "Khushi, sweetheart, are you sure that is all?" She knew Khushi was stronger than that & wouldn't break down like this over such a scolding from her boss. On the contrary she would have fought back.

"Y-Yes.." was all Khushi could manage.

"Don't worry Khushi, I will not let this happen. ASR has to know the truth. He can't fire you like that. I won't let that Shyam get away with this." Pari said determined.

"No Pari, I will never be able to go back their." Khushi said sobbing.

"Payal, sit with Khushi.." Pari told Payal.

She and Karan came out of her room. "Karan she's lying. At least part of it." Pari said.

"Definitely. Look at her. What she just told.. I mean, we know her since childhood. She is not that weak." Karan agreed.

"I Have to get her to tell me what really happened somehow." Pari said insistent.

"No Pari.. don't.." Karan said.

"But Karan.."

"No" He interrupted her. "Look at her state. She might get worse if you force her."

"Alright, but I will not let that Shyam get away that easily. ASR has to know what happened & get Khushi back to work." Pari said decidedly. "I'll speak to all the girls in office tomorrow."

"Yes and I'll speak to Akash.." Karan said..

~~~~~~

Arnav had drove off aimlessly his mind in utter chaos.. What had he just done? How could he be like that? What the devil had got into him? He had been a monster. Was he mentally imbalanced? He was horrified at what he had just tried to do.. How could he ever be capable of such a blasphemy.. And Khushi.. His blood boiled as he thought of her.. She was a scheming lowlife.. But regardless of that what he did was completely inhuman.. No human being had a right to harm another in such manner.. Then how did he..? Was he even human..? Damn his temper..

He slammed the brakes & leaned against the steering. After what seemed hours later his phone buzzed. He was shocked to see it was past midnight & it was his sister calling. Of course she would be worried.

"Hello Di?" He answered.

"Chote? Where are you?" asked a very concerned Anjali.

"Di, I'm on my way home, I'll be there in half an hour." He said in a gruff voice.

"Chote, are you alright? Why do you sound so upset?" Anjali said in a worried tone.

He cleared his throat, "Yes Di, I'm fine. You go to sleep. Don't worry about me." He said.

"Alright Chote, come soon & be careful." She said.

"Yes Di." He answered & disconnected.

Arnav started his car & turned it homewards.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Chapter 12: Repentance And Justice

Sorry to disappoint those who thought that Flashback is over...