Chapter- A cry for injustice

3 months ago

Mikky

@MidnightLibrary

Chapter- A cry for injustice

As we started talking, I asked him about his life . Satish told me he was a botanist and also continued his passion for writing. He wanted to be a writer. I was touched by his sincerity and dedication.

At our college freshers party he recited a poem , And I came to learn from my friend, he dedicated that to me. I felt a flutter in my chest remembering that moment . No-one has ever done something thoughtful for me before. It was a small gesture, yet It made meI feel special, at least for once.

Satish spoke about his work with the NGO , a cause of which he has been passionate about since his college days . When he asked me about my life , I felt a wave of fear and embarrassment wash over me . I don't want to share my reality with him , so I feigned to have a happy married life.

I could observe the effort in his gesture , how he was trying to maintain his composure. He told me he was delighted to see me in happiness .

I felt a pang of guilt for lying to him , and however he had nothing to do to save me, when my own mother advised me to adjust.

Later, I came across a friend whose sister studied in the school where I worked. and came to receive her sister.. seeing me startled. We had lost contact over the years , in college we were very close . Together we shared a good conversation. I opened up to her about my life. It was a relief to talk to someone who knew me, who understood me.

She was the first person who advised me to take a stand for myself . I stared at her unblinking. Feeling hopeless and trapped.

Another day, I was supposed to meet my friend Avni at a nearby beach. But when I arrived, I was startled to see Satish there.

I was angry with Avni but she suggested the same thing to me once again.

“ Ayesha!! What you're getting by enduring unbearable pain ? No one values you at that house , and your husband… I feel disgusted even considering him as a human. ” Her words were like a slap on my vulnerability to bear Gautam this long.

Avni's advice was straightforward: “I already told you whatever I have to tell you. Now it's your decision. You can either continue living as your husband’s slave , or just take a stand for your dignity and self-respect .. decision is all yours"

Avni left.

Satish stood there, looking directly at me and intensity that made me feel inferior. I was unable to reciprocate the gaze.

We sat together near the sea shore, watching the waves to and fro , merge with the horizon. Cold breeze soothes our skin, lacing the ointment to all my wounds. My heart was still reeling from Avni's words.

As I told everything and finished my words , I was expecting him to lecture me or as he used to do to his juniors. He was the leader of his group in our college.

But instead, he remained silent. His silence spoke volumes, and I felt a sense of anticipation building inside me.

After what felt like an eternity, Satish broke his silence..

"Ayesha, I won't give you any advice, nor do I have any empathy to comfort you. But... can you... can …

His fingers trembled as it brushed against mine , I felt a sweet shiver coursed through her veins, accelerating my heart .

His voice was laced with longing and anticipation “ Can you restart a new journey with me ?"

I shoked off his hand and stood up on my leg abruptly , in a responsive jerk .

“ Satish, pagal ho gaya ho kya ?? Do you even have any idea what you are saying?” I exclaimed , surprised by his overture.

I felt a throbbing in my ear as my heart was pounding so fast against my chest wall.

"Why not, Ayesha? What's wrong with us?" Satish's voice was laced with concern and frustration. "That monster is destroying your life, and you're tolerating it for the sake of who?”

" Satish, I'm married" I stammered , my voice on the verge of choking with emotions “What will people think? My family?” I turned her face away , unable to meet his gaze , tears welled up in my eyes.

Satish stepped closer, I felt his hands on my shoulders, spinning me around to face him. "Ayesha, life always gives everyone a chance. I'm not saying you have to restart everything with me. Not that I'm showing any sympathy to you. I just want you to see you in happiness and peace. If not with me, then with someone else. But I want you to know that there will always be someone who values your feelings and thoughts."

Tears flowed from my eyes, cascading a swamp of unspoken emotions .

Satish’s hands lifted to wipe them away, beneath his gentle crease my all cold breeze shivers down my spine. I held my eyes shut , feeling heard and understood for the first time in a long time.

Gautam had touched me umpteen times , but never reached my soul, as if there was a thick curtain between me and him, that prevented true connection.

But Satish who had never touched my body but soothing words , his gentle touch, his calming eyes , reached deeply into my soul, awakening those feelings I thought were long dead .

Many days had passed, days even turned into weeks , then months, and Satish and I met frequently. our bond strengthens with each passing moment . If any passerby saw us, they would understand we were a happy married couple.

On a Saturday, Satish took me to his NGO, showcasing the work he was passionate about. As we spent the day together, I felt a sense of freedom, my pain, fear, and loss melting away like ice in water. He seemed to wash away all my agony in his rain . I discovered a newfound beauty within me that I never knew existed.

In the evening, we strolled along a nearby beach, our favorite meeting sanctuary , where we were enjoying ice-cream .

Satish noticed a stray ice cream droplet on the corner of my lips, and his hand instinctively reached out to wipe it away. A spark of electricity coursed through my skin, making me startle.

A spark of current course through my skin , making her startled . His breathing grew heavy, not because she was frightened, the experience wasn't new but the feeling was .

His breathing grew heavy, not from fear, but from a feeling that was new and unfamiliar. Satish's hand rubbed her lips for a brief moment.

After a while he withdrew his hand and I felt a taste of bitterness in my throat, reminiscing my tattered reality. I looked away, drenched in the feelings that refused to emerge.

The setting sun cast an orange glow across our features, but I could see the pain in his eyes, the longing he held back for so long. We were close, yet separated by an invisible barrier, unable to bridge the gap between us. Neither he reached me, nor did I have the power to break free .

**********

I returned home . The house I tried to claim as mine made me realise how much alone I was there, making me suffocating.

I was startled to see Gautam sitting on the bed. When my eyes fell on him , a shiver danced across my skin . I was surprised to find him in a good mood, but my instincts told me to be cautious.

I asked him why he hadn't informed me about his arrival from his business trip . I stood in front of the mirror to remove my earrings, and he approached me from my behind. His hand fondled the small of back. He drew closer , his chin resting on the curve of my neck. His large arms seemed to cage me as if it was a chain.

“ I wanted to give a surprise, dear!" he whispered, his breath hot against my skin.

I felt uncomfortable with his touch. He didn't leave me, instead he dragged me into a frenzy of kisses, from my temple to my neckline. He spun me around with swift of motion,his kisses turned into bites , digging deeper in my flesh. I pleaded with him to stop, but he didn't listen.

With bodily defense , I pushed him hard in a responsive jerk, trying to free from his grip. "Gautam, leave me !" I shouted, my voice echoing through the room.

He looked at me , his expression was unreadable. A playful smirk crept on his lips “ Why, sweetheart. Don't you like my closeness to you? Or didn't I give it to you like him?”

His words seemed to stung deep in my skin , and I felt a wave of revulsion rush through me . Panic set in my nerves, fraying like a thread about to snap. My legs were shaking with fear .

Gautam's voice was venomous as he insulted me. "I never knew my wife would turn into a wh*re," he spat, his words like a slap in my face. "Btw kitne dino se ei chakkar chal raha hai tum dono ka (How long has this been going on between you two?) Was it a friendly hello or have you been sleeping with him too?”

His mocking tone made my skin crawl.

"Gautam, stop it!" I cried out , but he wouldn't let up. He leaned closer to me , his large hands grasping my chin, lifting it up, my throat began to ache.

Eventually, he let go of my chin,, and then without warning, he erupted into a fit of maniacal laughter. The sound sent shivers down my spine as I watched him clap his hands in front of me, his eyes flashing with an evil spark .

Then he pounced on me like a beast . Words poured out of his mouth like poison — each cutting deeper, like a knife twisting in my gut. "What did you think? That you could sleep with other men and I'd never find out?"

He yanked my arm behind my back, twisted it cruelly . His fingers tangled in my hair, clutching them so hard I thought they'd rip out of my scalp.

Every movement was violence. And I was trapped, breaking silently under the weight of his rage.

"Tell me, what's your body count?" he taunted me , his filthy tone burned my skin with disgust. "How many men have f*cked you, wh*re ?”

He hit my forehead against the wall, and I felt a searing pain , blood trickled out of my skin. The world around me began to blur, and pain excruciating through my head , and eyes .

I opened my mouth to protest, to raise my voice against him , but it cracked with emotions “ Gautam , leave me..I hate the way you beat me.You treat me like your puppet, Like I'm nothing but a plaything for you to manipulate " My voice cracked.

My lips were cut . I tasted the metallic blood in the corner of my mouth.

But Gautam wouldn't listen , he mocked me saying “Don’t argue with me , you sl*t , tell your fake story to your Baap . He will listen to your shit “ he shouted.

I shoved him back with every ounce of energy I had , in my body “ I'm not your slave , Gautam . Day after day , you hide your multiple affairs from me. What do you think? That I'm blind to your infidelity . You meet girls outside, spend nights with them, and you have the audacity to judge my character . “

My voice rose in decibel, even my shoulders were moving up and down due to rage and humiliation and hatred.

“ Every night , you crawl all over me like a hungry monster, never bothering to consider my consent. Not even spare me those days of months when I'm bleeding. “

My words dripped with venom as I hurled them at him. "You're a monster, Gautam. A monster who only cares about his own desires, without any regard for mine." My rage, humiliation, and hatred boiled over, fueling my tirade.

Gautam sneered at me , his face twisted in contempt, “ You are a whore!!! Stop your nonsense “ He slapped me again, so hard that my head spun around for a moment.

“When I catch you or cover up your scandal, you are quick to shift the blame to me “

He yelled , reaching to my ear. It took me a while to see him .

Punch and slapping kept coming my way. He pulled me by my hair and gave me a big push, and I fell over my back . But he stood still, grabbed me by his hand and hit me on my face, after a while I found blur before my eyes. The room even apparead blurred in my vision, and I even have difficulty breathing, as something discharge comes out , blood or mucus I don't know .

“ Aahhhh!!! Gautam..leave me" I plead with him,

“Keep your mouth shut,” he charged at me with the full flow . He kept yelling and kicking rage pouring out of him , until my cries echoed through the corner of the house —loud enough to reach his parents.

Gautam shoved me with a brutal jerk, I stumbled and fell , landing hard on my stomach.

A sharp pain shot through my pelvis and abdomen. My hand instinctively reached to my belly , clutching it in pain . I pulled my knees up, bringing them closed to my abdomen.

I lay there, frozen, hoping the pain would pass . But then I felt something wet sticky — something sticky in between my legs.

I found everything in my surroundings was spinning . I didn't have the energy to even cry out .

When I finally regained consciousness, I was in a hospital bed . A nurse came and informed me with a solemn face that I had lost my baby . Only two months old....gone , aborted due to trauma.

My pain had no bounds and, no matter how many times I wiped away the tears, each time a fresh one gathered in my eyes — streaming down my cheeks like they'd never stop.

When my family, including my mother, visited me at the hospital, I expected comfort and support. Instead, they accused me of tarnishing their reputation.

Gautam told everyone that I had an extra marital affair and that the baby wasn't his . To hide my scandal, I tried to jump from the stairs.

Despite that I was anticipating my parents to speak in my support. They had raised me and they knew about my character better than anyone else, turned against me.

My younger sister avoided eye contact, their gaze dropped to the floor. My grandmother cursed me, accusing me of ruining her son's name. And my father, who occasionally showed me affection, remained silent, his paternal love and protection nowhere to be found.

All voices raised against me, only the sound was the cacophony of accusations and condemnations. No-one understands, or however if a few try to hear me those were dominated by others.

I had lost my child and with it , my sense of self . I left annihilated, disheartened. My entire world crumpled upside down.

Leaving me alone.

My demons ate my flesh , snatched everything from me. I wonder if I’d ever be spared from this evil shadow . I wondered if my demons would claim another victim.

I decided no matter what may come , this time I won't stop. I vowed to punish everyone who had wronged me . I gave him punishment for everything he had done to me .

I had nothing to lose this time , as he had already killed me half from inside. I have lost my child two times. I leave the house and of course my own parents won't have the space for their daughter in their home.

They cursed me , my sister's marriage was uncertain, all because of me.

But in the midst of this darkness, Satish stood by me. Initially I was frightened , fearing about his parents opinions but they all supported me when my own turned their back against me

Ayesha gazed at both the officers sitting in the room. Her words left hung in the air, filling every corner of the room.

Zunaid and Zoya were speechless, neither had words to comfort her . As words were insignificant in front of her anguish.

Zoya remained silent, her thoughts swirling around picturisation countless women who were forced to stay quiet in a cycle of injustice, too afraid to speak out due to the weight of family reputation.

Other hand, Zunaid, however, understood the gravity of Ayesha's situation, the depth of her pain and the courage it took to come forward.

As he began to speak, his voice was empathetic and chosen with care. "Ayesha…" He took a deep breath before speaking, “registering the complaint was a significant step, and I appreciate that you had support with you." He paused, his eyes locked onto hers. "But I have to ask, what brought Mrs. Malhotra to meet with you?”

Ayesha's eyes locked onto ACP, her voice was steady " Sir, she came to offer her support here by telling me she will help me to bring justice to my case . And she wanted to provide a statement to the court about what Gautam had done to me.”

Ayesha's words were laced with a mix of emotions, her eyes welling up with tears. But she controlled them to spill out . “ And she assured me that she’ll stand by me till the end , no matter how powerful Gautam’s family may be "

Zunaid nodded in agreement, his mind racing with the implications. If Sanyogita had given her word, she would undoubtedly follow through.

"And anything else?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.

Ayesha shook her head. “ No officer. She just mentioned me she will come to visit me again"

Zunaid's expression turned thoughtful. "Alright, thank you for your assistance , Ayesha.”

When they were about to leave, Ayesha's curiosity overcame her. "Officer, you mentioned Mrs. Malhotra has been missing since yesterday night?”

Zunaid nodded his head as a sign of positive gesture , " Yes, “

Ayesha's brow furrowed. "But why isn't it on the news?”

“ But why doesn't anything show on the news?" Aayesha asked with curiosity

Zunaid's expression turned wry. "Mrs. Malhotra is a public figure. The media will likely show more interest in it ."

With that, Zunaid and Zoya both came out of Satish house

As they walked, Zoya asked “ Sir, Ayesha knows nothing about Mrs Malhotra’s disappearance.But I feel terrible for her. Sometimes , God sends monsters in a human disguise . “ Her face twisted in disgust.

Zunaid's response was measured " Zoya , if police begin to take things emotionally, it’ll cloud our investigation. We need to remain objective . “

Zoya nodded her head in response, she also added " But where's Mrs Malhotra gone ? I pray she didn't fall into the in hand of this man .unless …if a man can treat his wife like an animal , what would he do to her if he knew she'll drag him to the court”

Zunaid's eyes locked onto Zoya's, his expression unyielding.

……………