PART 5
Antara 's body reacted to the medicines she was given...soon she fell asleep. Raghu himself too felt sleepy. He locked the door of the room, checked Antara once n went to the couch near the window and laid there. Soon he was into deep sleep. The cold night breeze from the mountains came n caressed both Raghu and Antara like a bliss from Bappa.
The next day the sun was shining bright n the birds started singing through the mountain ranges.Raghu got up from his couch n came near Antara. She was sleeping deep like a sleeping beauty with her brown long hair laid by her like a brown cascade. Raghu touched her forehead with his palm n felt she had still a mild fever. He couldn't resist himself to touch n feel this beautiful sleeping princess ...He trailed his thumb from her forehead to her cheek n caressed her skin. Raghu was looking at her mesmerized but some other thoughts came n engrossed his mind.
He took his mobile n called up Machmach ...but couldn't as the network was missing. He picked up his jeep key opened the door n came downstairs...Kaka came up to him with a smile in his face n asked :kaisi hai antara bitia? Raghu : so rahi hai .bukhar abh tak utri nahi. Kaka aap ek kam karna ..wo jage to use acchese khila dena. Mujhe zaruri call karna hai .yeha network nahi milrahi ...main bahar jaraha hun.
Kaka : breakfast ready hai beta. Pahle kuch khalo tum. Aur network yeha milna mushkil hai .gari lekar 5 km niche chale jao asani se network milegi.The bunglow at girivan was on the lap of westghat so kaka asked Raghu to drive down 5 kms. Raghu got freshen up n had his breakfast n rushed to his jeep n drove away.
Around 10 am Antara opened her eyes n found her alone in a beautiful room with huge windows aside . She tried to sit on the bed but her body ached bitterly. She further tried n managed to get down from the bed n went near the window. The ecstatic view of the mountains n the garden mesmerized her deeply and a small beautiful smile appeared on her face. She looked for Raghu but couldn't find him anywhere. Antara turned back hearing a knock on the door...she saw a pleasant looking old man smiling at her holding a tray on his hand.
Kaka entered the room n said : kaisi lagi ye jaga betia? Ye farmhouse ka pura dekhbhal main karta hun. Raghu beta mujhe kaka bulata hai.tum bhi mujhe kaka hi bulana. Antara liked the pleasant kind man and smiled at him. Kaka placed the tray on a table near the couch and asked antara to sit n have the food. Antara felt hungry as soon as she saw the food. It was a typical Marathi breakfast with poha,shira and sabudana khichri along with juices and fruits. She had her breakfast happily and praised him for the yummy breakfast and kaka too was very happy. They chatted about village girivan , the farm house, the garden n its flowers,the mountain n suddenly antara asked in a worried tone: kaka Raghu kahan hai? Kaka : use kuch kaam tha isliye bahar gaya hai, kuch der me laut ayega . tab tak tum fresh ho jao fir main tumhe garden ghumane le jaunga. Saying this kaka left.
Antara found herself as a weathered doll in front of the giant mirror...her long shiny hair became dry n untidy...she removed her dupatta n saw she had few bandages all over her body and ugly bruises on her both hands , neckline n shoulder. Her dress was torn near her sleeves n her shoulder revealing her bruised skin. She turned a little n she could see her back ...the dress was frayed here n there n she sensed a sharp pain on her back. She tried to touch there n felt a bandage beneath her dress. She wondered that she didn't even know when n how her wounds were dressed up so perfectly. She was shattered to see her like that. She hurriedly searched for her bag n found it on the bed. She sighed when she saw one fresh dress in her bag. She thanked her mumy as she asked her to keep another set of dress with her when she left Mumbai with Raghu. She went to the washroom and got freshen up thoroughly and changed her dress. She came in front of the mirror again and looked at herself. She looked fresh now at least she thought. Water was dripping from her wet hair...she towel dried her hair and tried to set her wet hair with a comb ...Suddenly her eyes went towards the windows and she gasped as she saw raghu standing there resting his back on the wall ...his hands in his pockets...staring at her shamelessly.
Antara didn't know why but blushed to see him staring at her like that ...n suddenly in her mind it flashed how Raghu kissed her cheek yesterday. Antara got nervous and the comb from her hand fell down on the floor. Raghu looked down at the comb and looked at her face again and with long slow strides approached towards her. The torment against Raghu that was there in Antara's heart came out as Raghu came close to her. The fight on the lonely road ...Raghu blaming her , yelling at her without knowing the whole thing ...and finally leaving her there frightened and shaken ... and then the goons attack on her ...all the scenes exploded in her mind at once. Antara tried to move away from him but raghu caught her upper arm and stopped her. He touched her forehead with his palm n asked : tu thik hai ??
Antara didn't answer his question n tried to release her hand from Raghu's grip. Raghu just couldn't take it anymore. He twitched her wrist to her back and pulled her towards him and looked at her eyes intensely n asked in a low firm voice : mujhe ye jaan na hai ki tu kyun merese baat nahi karrahi...?
She was shocked by the sudden proximity n gasped in pain as raghu caught her wrist. Raghu immediately released her wrist but encircled her waist with his arm n held her firmly. Antara was even more tensed now as Raghu was more close to her. To keep some gap she put her both hands on his chest n tried to push him away. But her each move n each resist was making Raghu more impatient. He lifted her up a little by her waist n carried her near a wall n placed her against it n pinned her one hand. Antara was enough scared by his act but she didn't give in. She wiggled in his strong grip and tried hard to shove him away . But she couldn't thrust him even an inch n all her efforts were in vain and finally frustrated antara shouted at him : NAHI KARNI baat tumse...choro mujhe... she sobbed as the iron grip was hurting her as well.
Raghu looked intently to her teary eyes...tightening his grip even more, he asked in a calm n determined voice : kyun ?
Antara gasped in pain pleaded with Raghu : Raghu chodo ...chodo mujhe .dard ho raha hai
Raghu immediately loosened his iron grip but didn't let her go ...he still held her by her waist n jerked her a little to make her look at him n said : Nahi baataygi ..to tujhe nahi chodunga...samjhiii
The sky was cloudy outside then ...the sun was not shining n it was about to rain. A grave thunder cracked in the mountain and a heavy rainfall started. And with this all of a sudden raghu's mobile was ringing and he picked up the call leaving antara's hand but kept her holding by her waist. It was the village doctor who called him up and the convo was like this :
Doctor : Raghu bhai mai aapko yaad dilane ke liye call kiya ..wo ladki ka wound dressings change kar dena chahiye nahito deep wounds heal nahi hogi. septic honeka chances baad jata hai.
Raghu : Han doctor main abhi bandage change kar deta hun aap ne batayatha kal sham ko within 24 ghante uska change karneka tha'aur kuch zaruri hai to bata dijiye'
Doctor : nahi aur kuch khas nahi' use rest karna hai acche se aur dawai leni hai bas.
Raghu thanked the doctor and put off the call and looked at antara. She was staring at Raghu with an utter shock ...her pupils were dilated in fear. ..
Raghu jerked her a bit and asked in a concerned tone : kya hua? She asked with a disbelief :tumne meri wounds pe bandage ki?
Raghu left her softly n opened a drawer to take out the medicines cotton n etc and said: Haan...
Antara was taken aback by his words but controlled herself n said firmly: main ghar jake mummy se dawai laga lungi .tumhe ye sab karneki koi zarurat nahi .mujhe abhi ghar jana hai.
Raghu's face hardened hearing this. With a stony voice he said : Hilegi nahi tu yehanse ..samjhiii...jabtak thk nahi hojati. aur waise bhi 24 ghante ho cuiki hai teri bandages change karna hoga abhi. Tu ruk yeha. Saying this he went n locked the windows as rain was coming inside n then locked the room door. Antara was nervous like hell ...it means Raghu has done all the bandages n all in her body she thought ...and that bandage on her back ...without removing her clothes it was not possible...she just couldn't think anymore any further...she felt lost n collapsed on the bed. Raghu saw her sitting on the bed and clutching the bed sheet with her shaky fingers. Looking at Raghu She asked in a trembling voice: kya tum tumne meri ..Raghu understood what she is trying to say .He said in a firm n confident tone : Haaan main ...maine kiya sabkuch ...kisi aur ko kaise karne deta ?
Antara controlled her tears hard n said firmly: Raghu main ghar jarahi hun abhi . how dare u ki tumne mere saath ...she couldn't finish her sentence ,her voice choked . She ran to the table where she saw his jeep key , picked it up n ran towards the locked door.
The reason why she became so much upset after knowing that Raghu did all the bandages ...that was awfully clear to Raghu. So she thinks him a trash who could take advantage of a girl in every possible opportunity. Raghu's features completely changed to see her running away from him like that . His eyes were calm but the fire of rage could be seen through his eyes...his face hardened ...his entire corpse ...his each n every cell in his body ...his nerves ... Just reacted exactly the same way as they react when he faces his contenders without the fear of fatality.
Completely shaken Antara was trying to unlock the room door when she heard Raghu's voice : ANTARAA RRUKHHH... That very moment the door opened n out was Antara and she locked the door from outside. She heard Raghu banging on the door n saying to her in a harsh voice: Antara ...Main Darwaja TOD SAKTA HUN...isliye achha hoga ki tum khud darwaja khol do . A cold fluid of terror ran down her spine ...Without wasting a second she hurriedly came down the stairs and opened the main door of the bungalow n she could see the jeep on the slanting pebble way few more steps away ... She gave a trance for a sec to the locked door in the upstairs which was still closed n ran down the way out the bunglow ignoring the rain. Antara was just few steps away from the jeep when she heard the giant windows opened up in the first floor ...n to her deadliest imagination which she never thought would happen with her right then ... It happened. Raghu was on the window standing with a sharp stern look and within split of seconds he jumped off the window n landed straight in front of Antara blocking her way. Raghu ...fully drenched...the water dripping off his frame... strands of hair falling into his eyesight ...looked dangerously handsome. His well built tough body ...his stern eyes... n his each n every fiber conveyed that he could crash antara any moment into pieces.
Antara shivered in fear seeing Raghu like that. For a few seconds she couldn't even move an inch ...she felt herself frozen. The jeep key dropped down from her numb hand . Raghu took a firm n sure step towards her n she took her steps backward. He came near his jeep key ...bent down...picked up the key and kept it in his jeans pocket and looked at antara. Antara started running back to the bungalow n he followed her with his long slow strides.
Antara entered the huge bunglow in a rush n struck badly in a furniture n stopped. Raghu came n stood in front of her. Antara sobbed in fear and pain n closed her eyes . She took a flower vase from the centre table and cried: Raghu jao yehanse... nahito main...main marungi tumhe . Raghu looked at her and the flower vase n snatched it from her n right away hit the vase on his own head with a bang. The glass vase shattered into pieces with a big smashing noise but raghu didn't budge ...not a single line on his face was shaken. Antara was scared to death n screamed in shock. She pushed Raghu aside n rushed up the stairs and reached the room she locked earlier. Hurriedly she unlocked the door... entered the room and tried to lock it from inside. But Raghu didn't let it happen...he thrust back the door forcefully... entered the room... and then calmly locked the door.
To be Continued'..
Advocate Anjali Awasthi
Health and Fitness
Arjun
