HOPES LIGHT * NEW FF UPDATED Check PAGE 34 - Page 24

Originally posted by: sara1993

Oh Wow Vinnie, i now see what you meant when you said you didn't have the urge to write this chapter. It is indeed sad and very heart breaking to see her in this state again. And Divakar is none other than the chief of police😲,he will surely do everything in his power to find her. I know Sugni has come a far way; she was just beginning to have faith and confidence in herself again and she was gradually learning to face her problems bravely and to stand up for what is right. I can understand her reaction though, i mean given the tremendous difficulties and hardships she had to face, i wouldn't expect all of her wounds to heal so quickly but i do hope that she will try to remember what she learnt in her therapy sessions and in her defense classes and rise above her fears as she is the only one who can truly put Divakar to his place and create a better life for herself, of course Vikram and Amrita will always be by her side and will always lend her support and courage but then again Vikram will not always be there to protect her. The strength and will power to conquer these fears has to come from her only and i know she has it inside her, i just hope she will give herself a chance to see what she is capable of.

Excellent job on this chapter Vinnie, i very much enjoyed it.

Originally posted by: ronshaan

wow vinnie you wrote it so beautifully I liked it

her fears/ her happiness / her feelings u wrote it so nicely that I could see her face infront of my eyes so well done

Well done .. you made him chief of police- some time those people make the biggest crimes hahahah then say they will stop crimes 😆 any ways good and smart idea to make him man with the power !! I can understand sugni's fears .. He is powerfull and she knows he can throw her back from where she run away !!!

Vikram to b worried was a good thing too and all caring for her is some thing she needed !! em sure she will face him very soon and when she does - it wont be nice for him - some times when we have fears and we deal with it and it comes in front of our eyes I guess sugni will be the reason of divakar's fall !!! Im sure she will be Like - (Hindu's bagwan -) Kali Mata

So hats of keep writing!!!

I loved it !!1

Originally posted by: payal7

Hey Vinnie

I have been waiting for Diwarkar to put in an appearance and expected Sugni to regress a little but this is back to step 1 and with good reason.

Your description of Sugni's behaviour/emotions/fears is soo vivid its palatable. I think Vikram is getting an inkling of the tough battle they are going to face.

Diwarkar being man of power, on the right side of the law is going to be tough opponent and its going to mean they will not be able to use law and order to protect them. Vikram is going to need more than strength to win this battle. The battle will certainly test the strength of their relationship and what they are prepared to lose because I suspect Diwarkar will hit Vikram where it hurts - his business ie. Reva's legacy.

Very interesting. Next chapter please.😃

Originally posted by: Sandy66

😊Vinnie dear, chapters 22 and 23 was very intense Chapters.

Sugni was physically, emotionally and mentally brutalized by all the men in her life at a very tender age.

Sugni's action is justifiable and being afraid comes naturally and easily to her, cause not once in her life, did she feel protected by anyone, except her Mother.

Sugni's scarred for life and without professional help, she may never be able to live a normal life.

Amrita's professional help and advice will help Sugni resume normalcy in her life.

Vickram using reverse psychology on Sugni was the best remedy for her to recovered. All her pent up anger needed to be realise.

Vinnie the chapters was beautifully written. Kudos to you. Great job.

Thanks for the PM.

Originally posted by: JulieD

Good job Vinnie. You did a great job showing Sugni's fear. I could easily picture her hiding behind the curtain in fear. Vikram is going to ensure that Sugni is protected for the two days that Diwakar is in town.

Chapter 29

"Well that's the full story, Thank God his visit seemed to be a co-incidence. I didn't know who else to turn to... The man is powerful ... This won't be easy to prove since we have no proof that he brought her. " Vickram said , to his brother in law, Vijay, Deputy Commissioner Of Police and the only person Vickram could think of who could help in this situation.

"Hmmm yes, but not above the law.! I will be keeping an eye on him, everyone makes mistakes and he will soon. Don't worry I'll handle it. "

"Thanks so much , " Vickram said.

"Rest assured he'll be watched. If he is doing something illegal we'll find it."

"Should we do anything else?" He asked.

"No ..there is no way he can connect you to her, you are right it was just casual visit, and co-incidence. Tracing her won't be easy, especially since she has nothing he can track, he doesn't even know her real name! That's in her favor." Vickram breathe a sigh of relief.

"Got to hand it to you man, you sure got yourself in a jam.! Dose Kuhu know what you've been up to?" Vijay laughed imagining his wife's reaction tothis development, he had to hear about the "girl " in Vickram's house for weeks , and when she found out she was still there, he had to stop her from revisiting her brother knowing fully well that would in all likeliness cause bad blood between the two. As he pointed out Vickram is a grown intelligent man, and he can handle his love life without her interfering. He spent a week in the dog house for that!

" Yes...I got your number from her and you know , I got the third degree as to what business I had with you! I did not tell her anything by the way."

"Hmmm'nice now I have to face the third degree when I get home" Vijai compained.

Vickram laughed, he did not envy him that!. His sister could be a piece of work!.

After talking to Vijai he felt much better . It was true. No one knew where she was. The good thing about "the establishment" was that the girls never used their real names, each was assigned a "Special" name they used to give to clients, to avoid any messy situations. Since most of the girls were sold at a young age, against their will, things like birth papers and identifications were not important. He knew Divakar was looking for "Chubuli" and not Sugni.

Sugni never adjusted to the life of that place and hated everything about it, so when he asked her name in the jeep she gave him her birth name, which right now worked in their favor.

****************************************************************************

At 4:30 Vickram got up from the office picked up a couple of mails he did not get chance to tend to and walked out of the office for the day. Making his way down to the store room, again cursing that dog, for her regression he opened the door as he did to tell her it was time to go. However what he saw made him stop. She was bent over her desk scribbling something in deep concentration, but what drew his attention was her face, for the first time since that night she looked relaxed and she had a slight smile on her lips.

He walked into the room not wanting to disturb her, but before he could say anything the door behind him clicked shut drawing her attention. She jumped as she looked up. Quickly closing the book she had she stood up.

"Hey, I lost track of time." she said glancing at the clock.

"That's ok you looked busy , what's that?" he asked casually, pointing to the book she had on the desk. He remembered seeing it on the couch, but was to worried at the time to pay it much attention.

"I-It's nothing..." she said grabbing the book.

"Oh really , nothing must be really important if you got lost in it." He laughed He noticed her hands clinging to the book. as though it was precious.

"If you don't want to share, that's ok...but I would like to know what brought that smile to your face."

She shook her head. Vickram sighed ..one step forward, ten steps back it seemed.

"Ready?" he asked

"Can we skip Amrita today, please?" She asked softly

"You want to do something else?" he asked ...she shook her head.

"Sugni I don't think you should..."

"I don't want to talk about it any more, we did this already" He guessed she was talking about therapy. He guessed rehashing all those memories was too much for her. .

"Ok..we can skip today, how about we go see a movie, there a new one."

She shook her head."I just want to go home." She said.

The drive home was quite with her staring out the window. Vickram knew she could not continue like this...and he had to stop it. Stopping in the driveway, he stopped her as she was about to exit the jeep. "Wait a minute"

She looked at him curiously.

"Remember that promise you made me?" he asked "that no matter how tough things get, you wouldn't stop trying?" She looked down at her lap. Taking her hand in his he said.

"Don't do this Sugni, please, I know it feels like your loosing here , but you're not. I can't watch you do this to yourself. Everything you've been working so hard for ...don't lose it now." He pleaded.

"What's the use?" She said almost lifeless, "He'll find me any way...it's just a matter of time" Vickram placed his hand under her chin , turning her face to face him.

"Look at me ...I won't let anything happen to you...I swear...I love you and I am willing to do whatever it takes to keep you safe, but I can't do this if you won't help me, if you give up on me ,if you give up that will that got you this far." Silently tears started running down her cheeks. He hugged her as she cried.

"We'll get through this" he whispered. "You're my strong girl right?"

She shook her head slightly. "I am scared." She said.. "I don't want to be, but all I can think about is what he did, the pain , humiliation, the way he laughed as I screamed. Somehow I survivied it, I can't again'I don't have the strength." She cried.

"I know, it feels that way'but I am here. Don't give up on me. That night you ran, it was because part of you wanted to survive. Part of you was willing to fight to live. Even knowing the odds were against you, you had nowhere to go you did. And look, today you worked hard to make something out of yourself. . HMMM? Look, we'll know whatever he is up to. And pretty soon he'll pay for it..."

"What?" She looked up. Vickram told her about the conversation he had with his brother in law. "He will have someone watching him...and if he even comes in this direction we will know." He wiped her tears. "He's screwed, he just doesn't know it yet. He won't get to you!"

She closed her eyes and breathes a sigh of relief at that news. "Really?" he nodded,

"I just need you to pull yourself together, and keep on fighting, will you?"

Sugni looked at him, the faith he had in her. Her world was feeling like it was falling apart here, the only thing holding her together was Vickram, because he believed in her, she needed to start believing in herself. She took a deep breath "OK, I- I won't be afraid, I -I won't ." She said determinedly.

After coming in side, she did her best to get back into her normal routine, a shower, dinner; they looked at one of her favorite animated movies. She was trying he could tell but that light she had in her eyes was missing. At least she was not sitting curled up in a ball any more he thought, as she told him she was going up to bed, wishing him a good night.

It was after midnight; when Vickram finished checking through the files he brought home, and made his way upstairs. As he approached her room he saw that her light was still on. Opening the door quietly he saw her sitting on her chair with that note book again , drawing , she was so engrossed in it he did not think she even herd him.

"Working late?" He asked as he approached her.

"Hey ..um no'I just couldn't fall asleep" She said closing the book, as she looked at him.

"hmmm'should I be jealous?" He asked pointing at the book she was hugging again.

"N-No'I was just'"Sugni says flustered as she goes to put the book down.

"Hey..I was joking," Vickram says stopping her, "I am just curiouse is all, but you don't have to share if you don't want to." He said again.

Sugni looked at the book in her hands for a a little while as if contemplating something, the she moved to go sit on the bed. Patting the space next to her, she waited until he sat at her side. Without saying a word she handed him the book.

Taking the book, Vickram looked at her , then flipped it open, as he looked at the drawing on the page, and his first thought at looking at it was one of fright , the dark house looked ominous as the shadows that seemed to be coming out of it towards the lonely figure at the corner. As he turned the page he saw similar drawings which were amazing in terms of detail. Obviously she spent hours on these.

He listened as she began telling him about how she started drawing by chance one day in the store room, trying to copy one of the art work on a piece she liked. He was amazed knowing all of this was her natural talent as she never had any kind of formal training. It became an outlet for all the darkness inside, her way to deal with her nightmares. That struck him, her trying to deal with this by herself. He understood watching these why she would not want to show them to anyone.

"You have a natural talent! These are amazing!' he said softly. "Thank you for sharing it with me." He continued to slowly flip through the pages, admiring her attention to detail. "But if you want to continute, then I can leave, sorry for breaking your concentration."

"No'it's ok'I rather your company really." She said

"Hmmm." He said...as he turn the page he saw the work getting "lighter", more happy images of butterflies, and flowers, outdoor scenary lending a sense of freedom. These made him smile.

As he flipped the page , he herd her gasp he looked up to see her looking at the page,

"Huh?" he asked , before he could look at the paper she reached over and grabbed it, Vickram eye caught what looked like hearts and a V'

"Umm that's enough'" she said her face red.."I..it's private!" Vickram chuckled at her embrarssed flustered expression, it did'nt take rocket science to figure out what was on that particular page. She placed the book inside the draw of the nightstand. As Vickram continued looking at her , smiling mischievously.

"What?" She asked trying to act cool.

"um'nothing" He said moving over lie down, he turned to look in her direction as she too lay down next to him, "your face is priceless!" he laughed. Feeling self-conscious Sugni took the cover and placed it over her head,hiding.

"Awww don't hide, ok ..Ok I'll stop it, wanna hear a joke?" she nodded.

"Ok'but I want to see your face first." He said. She shook her head.

"Ok'good night then'" he said moving as though to get up.

She removed the covers from her head ,shaking her head. "stay!"

He chuckled . "Ok'hmmm", he settled back down, "A woman and man get into a car accident," he began,' She looked at him and shook her head as he completed the joke

"What! I found that one pretty funny!" he said, wearing a hurt expression that made her laugh, more than the actual joke. He joined her both of them staring at each other. As she looked at him, Sugni somehow felt lighter, this one moment here, amidst all that was wrong in her life, this one moment she just felt overwhelmed with emotion, moving closer to him to hug him. Automatically his hands went around her.

"Vickram?" she said softly.

"hmmm?"

"Thank you!" She said.

"Sugni you don't" He began, as she looked up stopping him by putting her fingers on his lips.

"Please, I just want to say this. Please listen?.." she said, he nodded silently as she looked into his eyes. Again it felt like she was drowning here, almost overwhelmed, only the feeling was a good one. Looking at him she wanted to tell him so much, but somehow her words seemed stuck, yet the urge to confess what was in her heart was strong. Resting her head on his chest Sugni closed her eyes, trying to get what she wanted to say out.

'You know, for most of my life I never thought love existed, after my mom died, I certain of that. I would stay up at night and wish that I could just walk out the door and go somewhere, where it was just me, not anyone else. Just me away from everything, cause that was the only way I was safe, by myself..

"Sug'" he began

"Shhh..please'"She stopped him, "I need to say this'"She felt him nod, as she continued.

"That night I met you something told me that you were different. Something in the way you moved, the way you talked. Coming here I saw what love is, what a relationship between a man and a woman is supposed to be like, what being treated with respect is like.." She felt his hand gently caress her cheek,, wiping away tears she didn't know she was crying. Only she wasn't sad. Reaching up she took his hand from her face entwining their fingers together.

"You know, you're the first person, to make me feel like I am worth something, when you look at me I feel special, safe. Like I can do anything. You believed in me, even when I didn't believe in myself and all I wanted to do was curl up and die yet you never stopped. At times I wonder what is it, you see. But slowly even I began to believe it, that I was something. That I am worth something. I never much believed in luck before, or God, but I am lucky that you found me.." Lifting her head she looked into his eyes'eyes that were looking at her softly.

"Vickram, I probably can't give you much compared to everything you have given me, I hope that one day I can make you proud of me. But you have a part of me that no one else has ever touched, a part of me that will never belong to any one else, my heart belongs to you. I love you'so much. " She said , caressing his face, leaning forward she kissed him, a kiss filled with all the emotion, all the love she was feeling.

"I love you!" She smiled pulling back to look at him.

Vickram was looking at her speechless, not sure what he could say. He felt humbled and touched in a way he could not explain. "I love you, too..so much." He said enveloping her in a hug. "Sugni, you are special, and I am already proud of you. You know why?" She shook her head, "because you are so brave and beautiful. Despite everything, you held on to that part of yourself, and refused to let any one destroy it. You were brave enough, to step over your fears and hurt and actually try to love someone, me. You don't know how much it means to me that you trust me this much. You are selfless, willing to be there for others, over your happiness. I admire that spirit you have'"

They lay there both silent , absorbing the emotion passing between them .He herd her sigh softly, as he saw she had fallen asleep, with a slight smile on her lips. Her face had a look of peace and contentment he missed seeing the last few days. Vickram closed his eyes, she trusted him , with so much, she trusted that he would keep her safe and protect her. And he knew he would do whatever it took to do that, but he prayed to God that it would not come to that point. Part of him wanted nothing more to find Divakar and kill him, but another part of him, wished he would just fall off the face of the earth and disappear. He did not want even his shadow close to Sugni.

"Please God, just keep her away from him , that's all I ask." He. prayed silently.

vinnie