Warning in the scene ahead Kalpi has been raped... There will be emotional turmoil... Pain.
I want to apologise in advance, should I handle the situation incorrectly... Or bits of it incorrectly. Luckily I have never had to suffer such plight nor do I know of anyone in my circle that has suffered this plight. I want to write a story about a woman's fight, her journey and how sometimes that one person makes so much of a difference. Just to have one person believe in you. Here that person will be Ragav.
In no way am I advocating how the situation should be handled. There is no correct way to handle such a situation... Just different ways.
Please check out character sketch on page 2 - I have edited it.
Chapter 1
Sitting in his car, in the driveway of Kapoor mansion...smoking a cigerette, ragav sighs as he looks out to the house in front of him, "Another party to attend!" He would rather be anywhere but here... Unfortunately duty calls, his mother would have his hide if he did not attend this party. He had already skipped the last two. He looks at the digital clock in the car... The time reads half twelve... And thinks to himself... Let's wait another fifteen minutes. He hated such parties.. It was all about loudness... Falseness... Shallowness... It was a waste of his time... Time better spent in expanding his business... He had a pile of paperwork waiting for him when he got home.
Hearing laughter, Ragav sits up and looks about... He sees prem and several friends standing in the garden laughing away as they keep looking ahead. Curious he follows their gaze to the outhouse. He sucks in his breath in shock at what he sees.
He sees a young girl... Her clothes tattered... Blood dripping from one side of her lips... It was obvious what had happened, but he was not sure to what extent... Wanting to step out and assists... He stops himself and watches in awe as she steps forward towards the group... Her gaze meeting theirs... Fearlessly... Defiantly. Impressed with her display of strength, he sits still... Curious to see what she will do next.
A mature woman comes into his vision... Rushing towards the girl... Worry etched on her features. Frustration eats Ragav for he cannot hear the conversation... But from the woman's gestures... He could read that the woman was angry with the girl. The woman turns towards the group, her gaze slightly lowered... In servitude... filled with fear, pain, shame. She drags the girl back inside the outhouse. The group laugh and jeer as they head back into the house... No sense of shame... No prick in their conscious.
Ragav sits still... His soul suffocating... He hated this country... The people... The attitude... He wished he never came back... this world was very different from the one he grew up in... There everyone was equal... The law applied to all... Here people rarely fought for their rights... The poor puppets of the rich...
He quietly walks up the the outhouse... His intention to ease drop...
Kamla says in a determined voice, "kalpi nothing happened."
Tears falling silently, Kalpi replies with equal determination, "no Aai, something happened." Crossing her hands around her waiste, she continues, "I want to go to the police station."
Trying to keep the panic at bay, Kamla says, "you foolish girl, you don't understand anything."
"Aai there is nothing to understand. I..." Kalpi says.
Kamla interrupts, "they are rich, you think you will get justice. You will be mocked, taunted. They will spend money and throw the case away or worse will twist it so that you look guilty to save their son. They will say you were after him... That you purposely..." Kamla stops, unable to finish her thought process.
Kamla begins pacing as she thinks of all the consequences and worst case scenarios, "omg. We will lose our jobs, our home. Nobody will marry you. Kalpi beta please forget it happened. Your baba will never be able to handle this shame."
Folding her hands, Kamla pleads, "kalpi I am begging you, please forget about it. It never happened."
Kalpi holds her mother's hands, crying she says, "aai, why is being poor such a curse? Why is being born a girl such a curse? Why do girls always have to feel the shame? Why do girls always have to keep paying the price for society's double standards?"
Kamla pulls Kalpi into a hug, "everything will be okay. We cannot fight destiny. It was written."
Kalpi steps away angrily, "God did not plan for me to get raped. Don't bring fate into it!"
Seeing the determination set in Kalpi's eyes, Kamla panics further, thinking, "I have to protect my baby from future misery. I could not protect her this time, but I will protect her from society." Steeling her heart, she grabs Kalpi's hand and drags her in to the bathroom... Pushing her under the shower... Watching with relief as the proof is washed away.
Ragav rushes inside when he hears the girl named Kalpi yell for her mother to stop... He was too late... He sees her sitting under the shower... Her gaze filled with despair. He chokes, realising that the girl who had a fighting spirit moments ago... Has accepted defeat. He calls out, "society will not change... If the people living in the the society don't change their attitude... Change comes about one step at a time." His voice startling Kalpi and Kamla of his presence... For they were so immersed in their grief that they were not aware of his presence.
Seeing the glimmer of hope and fighting spirit, Ragav turns and leaves... Thinking that he has done his bit and justice will be served.
Note: don't be upset with Kamla's attitude. Her worries are real and at the same time she has been moulded with this thinking. As a mother she is thinking further ahead... Thinking of future battles that her daughter will face. Ragav and Kalpi... Maybe because of their youth are thinking of today's battle. None have had time to realise that the actual battle will be a battle Kalpi will have to fight from within.
Edited by angelpureness - 10 years ago
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