Escape from Hell
:Lights_flickered_and_her_beautiful_face_marred_with_terror_emerged_in the_wavering_play_of_light_and_shadow. Was_this_a_signal_for_her_to_go_on_with_her_plan:
The fateful night had arrived, and now there was no turning back. If she held back today, she's never leaving this hell hole EVER. Who was she kidding, she couldn't even breathe out of fear that gripped her mind, heart and soul with its vice grip. Rethinking on her decision was not an option for her, she had to save her child, and that was the only way.
...
:A_shabby_rickety_toddy_shop_in_a_village:
"Dev Babu, kya baat hai aaj ghar nahi jaana?"
"HUH!!! Ghar ... kya hai ghar main? **** (string of filthy abuses🤢) ****
"Arre itni khoobsoorat patni hai teri...Kya dikhti hai yaaar" One idiot drooled.
"Patni huh!! Aaj main usse khatam hi kar doonga aur uske uss laadle ko bhi."
He faltered carrying a bottle clenched in between his arm and upper body. His so called friends jeered and catcalled at his inability to control himself let alone his wife. But they all knew it was not true, in fact he controlled her like a slave, tortured her, abused her, and above all killed her very soul.
...
:A new start:
A bus started its engine and passengers settled in their seats chatting and all excited. The bus drove out through the narrow lane from the dingy bus station of the small town. And suddenly it came to a halt when the conductor rang the bell.
Some travellers stared at the conductor angrily, and some looked plain curious. Passengers craned their necks to get a view of the object responsible for the sudden halting of the bus. A few moments later the bus started again. But now there was a new passenger in the bus ... settled at the back seat.
...
Unaware of all the commotion, she sat in the bus cuddled to her precious bundle of life. She didn't realise in her reverie when the bus stopped and when it started again. The pink returning to her baby's once tear stained, pale cheeks. She rubbed the soot from her baby's cheek with the sleeves of her blouse. She let her head fall back on the seat and thought of nothing; just let the soothing breeze of freedom soak in. Now and then she'd peck her baby assuring her fluttering heart that now they'll survive ... they'll live after all. The path was going to be a challenging one, but at least now there was a path to lead, unlike the darkness which engulfed their lives before. She knew her baby was alive, since beneath that threadbare blanket his tiny heart was beating against her own. He was her hope, her life.
Baby stirred with a cute yawn pouting his tiny pink lips, when the breeze hit his tender pink skin. She smiled with tears of affection forming in her once again beautiful hazel eyes, and held him close to her heart.
Suddenly a fierce commotion erupted at the back of the bus. A scuffle broke out between some rowdy thugs and the stranger who had earlier got into the bus. Though all were strangers but he fitted the definition in the best possible way, perfect example. He was shabby, with matted hair, manky shoes, and a weird aura of suspense all around him.
At first sight she dreaded him, given her past experience with one such crazy man. But as she saw him clearly there was a bizarre kind of attraction she felt towards him rather than fear or disgust.
It was really uncanny of the stranger, who was silent throughout the scuffle, when the loud mouthed louts were man handling him, hurling abuses at him.
Was it a smirk she saw behind those dark locks? He seemed to be enjoying it all, and suddenly out of the blue, he looked up and looked straight into her eyes through the gap in between the curtain of hair falling on his face. Her heart cringed and she withdrew her gaze, and hid behind the seat tightening her hold on her baby. She dared not look back again. Those eyes...she felt could read her through and through ... her fear, her desires, her very soul. No she cannot be weak any more; she's paid enough for that.
Gradually the sounds died down, and the bus became eerily silent. She still didn't look back. She realised that not much passengers were left in the bus. There was a seventy plus lady in the seat next to hers, and she was dozing off with her mouth open. The old lady was almost about to slide off her seat, when Geet supported her from falling. She looked disoriented for a moment, but then realised what might have happened. Old age sometimes makes you lose control over your senses, and this was clearly one of those situations.
"Thank you beta ... this always happens with me ... but I have to travel alone, there's no one to look after me ... my son lives in this big city I can't even pronounce, and would sent me some money every month. He doesn't realise it is not the money I need, I only want to see him once ... sometimes I wonder why I want to see such an indifferent and stone hearted son, but what to do it is the mother's heart which longs for his one look, even if it's full of hatred," she broke down. The old woman wept beyond control, and Geet wondered what to do, when she herself was travelling in a similar boat, or rather a bus.
"Don't cry D-d..." she hesitated.
And the old lady who was till now crying bitterly wiped her eyes on her sleeves and smiled at her, "You can call me Daadi."
Geet smiled back feeling the warmth and love generating from her big heart. She felt loved and cared for the first time, or may be after a long time, she didn't remember.
Daadi and Geet struck a wonderful cord, and talked like they were really grandmother and grand daughter who knew each other all the while. She forgot about all the pain, and also the stranger at the back seat.
Baby awoke and began crying, and the cry became stronger so strong that Geet feared something serious. She couldn't think ... her mind was blank after the whole ordeal ... she had lost her ability to think. And that is when Daadi's words put some sense into her blank mind.
"Feed him some milk, he is hungry."
She realised how her poor child was hungry all the while. And she forgot about it. What kind of a mother was she? Baby's wailing got louder, but she was helpless, she had nothing to give him, to satisfy his tiny tummy crying for food.
In all this she didn't even realise that the bus had stopped at some dhabba, so that the driver and passengers could rest and fill their tummies.
"Geet beta, why don't you buy some milk for the baby?"
Buy...milk??? She never thought about it ... in all the adrenaline rush to escape...she forgot about one of the most important component she'd need to survive...money. She trembled at the realisation striking her so hard that she felt even her bones weeping. She was such a fool to take such a ruckus step, what was she thinking? Survival was going to be tough, or it probably had ended even before it started. A tear escaped her eyes, but before it could fall down, it fell on something else.
"Here, feed the baby and make him stop. I can't take this ear pain any more. Is it really a baby cuz it doesn't sound like one? Pain in the ***" some one grumbled annoyingly.
*SMACK*
Daadi had smacked the man on his arm, who was actually the stranger from the back seat. Geet was speechless, seeing him suddenly near them and didn't even hear what he said. She was too scared to even move her eyelashes or was it simply her nerves. But she couldn't avoid the fact that he looked much human now with the hair tucked carelessly behind his ears.
"What was that for Old woman?" he complained looking confusingly at Daadi.
"You are asking me ... I mean look at you ... you look like a filthy animal ... specifically a were-wolf ... and the words from your mouth ... any normal person would feel sympathy towards this poor child ... and you are her husband I guess. What kind of a father are you?" she reprimanded like a typical elder.
"WHAT????" both Geet and "the stranger" looked aghast at the statement by Daadi, and stared at her open-mouthed. The baby, who was getting no attention from the three adults, pouted cutely sucking his upper lip hungrily and tried to reach for the bottle in the stranger's hand.
Geet and "stranger" got distracted by baby's action and forgot to clear Daadi's unfounded remark.
"Aww...baby wants milk," Daadi cooed, and snatched the bottle from his hand glaring at him, and held it to baby's pink lips. Baby opened his mouth and sucked the milk hungrily. Geet couldn't stop her tears, and broke down seeing her baby happily feeding on to the milk.
Daadi thought she needs her husband right now, and pushed the "stranger" to the seat near her. They both were getting shock after shock and Daadi was not ready to even listen to them.
"No no no ... I don't want to listen to anything. Fights happen between husband and wife, but that doesn't mean you'll behave like kids, not talking to each other and all. You both are parents to such a wonderful boy ... look at this angel here," she pulled his chubby cheeks, "Look how he is happy seeing both of you. Now c'mon forget about your silly fight, and take care of your wife and kid. This place is not safe to be staying away from them, you know."
"What the hell ..." he began to swear, when the old woman again smacked his head, which made Geet struggle to stifle her laughter.
"Gosh you look so pretty with that smile my child. AND YOU!!" she gave "the stranger" a pointed glare and spoke, "You are so lucky to have them ... never lose them."
...
Edited by pj2012 - 11 years ago
Cricket
474