it was almost 8 pm and was already dark outside.. Raghu was worried for Antara as she has not reached home yet and it was raining outside..
he was roaming here and there in the hall and was trying to reach at her cell but it was not reachable..
then he heard the door bell.. somebody was ringing it continuously and was banging on the door..
he got more worried and rushed outside.. he opened the gate and it was her..
Antara! where were you? he asked..
and you already have the key.. phir ye door bell.. itni baar..
Raghu! she sighed and hugged him tight..
Antu? what happened..?
she was almost drenched in the rain.. he tried to pull her out but she didn't let him..
she hugged him more..
he pulled her out with some force and made her look at him..
her eyes were full of tears.. her face was flushed.. he brought her inside..and realized she was a mess right now..
he got concerned..Antu! what happened?? he asked in stern voice..
he shook her holding her shoulder.. Antu!!??
she almost trembled..and looked at him with tearful eyes..
she pointed outside while still trying to meet her gaze with his..
wo... kuchh log...raaste mein...
bike pe...
Raghu looked outside and his eyes turned red in anger..
tum andar chalo.. main aata hoon.. he said.. and was about to move..but she held his arm..
Raghu!! she nodded in no...she was already very much scared..and when she saw him in anger she shivered..
he looked at her..she was terrified.. he hugged her and gently caressed her back..
he kissed in her hairs and made her sit on couch..
he caressed her hairs and gave her some water to drink..
she was crying and almost choked it..
she gave it back to him and he kept glass on the table..
her hands were shivering.. she held his arm as firmly as she could..
he saw him looking at the blank..and again tears flew down from her eyes...
he took her in his embrace.. its okay.. its okay.. you're home..
ssshh!!!
after a while she tried to get up.. he looked at her with concern..
i'll go and get fresh n up..she said..
he nodded in yes...
- - - - - - - - - - -
its already been 20 minutes that she was in bathroom.. Raghu came to their room with some toast and tea for her..
he kept the tray on table and knocked her door..
she turned the shower off..
Antu! kitni der shower logi?.. beemar ho jaogi..!
aa jao ab.. mujhe bhi change karna hai...he said..
she didn't reply.. but came out after 5 minutes..
Raghu was shocked to see her.. she never came out like this..she was wearing only her bathrobe..
Antu? he called her name..
she tried to meet her gaze with his..he wanted to ask her if she is okay.. but he couldn't..
main so jau... thodi der?? she asked..
he nodded in yes...
she lowered her eyes and tried to smile..and slipped on 'his' side of bed..
he wanted to talk to her what is wrong.. but seeing her condition he didn't ask anything..
after a few minutes, he went into the bathroom.. he was about to remove his kurta and throw it in laundry but something caught his attention..
he checked the laundry bag and his eyes widened.. which soon turned red in anger...
he found her blouse and it's sleeve was torn..
that is why she is so scared and lost.. he gritted his teeth and clutched his fist tight digging his nails in his palm..
he came out and looked at her.. she was asleep but he noticed tears that were dried on her cheeks..
he dimmed the lights of room.. came out and drove his car outside..
it wasn't that late when she reached home.. if they were locals.. they must be around..
may be somewhere near the cafe a few kms far from their colony..
he slowered down his car on side when he saw a group of 3 men..sitting under the shade..
they were drinking..he also saw a bike.. due to heavy rain and cold weather no one was there on the road except them..
usually that cafe was open till 9 in night.. but today it was closed..
it could be them.. he thought..
he crossed them.. but stopped his car a bit far from them.. so they won't notice..
he grabbed the iron rod he used to keep under backseat of his car..
hid that beneath his kurta and came out..
he walked towards them..hid behind a tree and listened their convo..
they were just drinking and talking random stuffs..
Raghu was about to leave.. but then he heard them talking disgust..
they didn't mention who.. but they were def talking about some women they harassed a few minutes back in local street..
Raghu's anger took over him.. he came out.. and hit one guy hard with the rod.. other two guys got alert and was about to attack him.. but they were already drunk..Raghu pushed one guy on the road and hit the thirs one with rod.. they tried to get up.. but he kept beating them..
Raghu picked their bottles and hit them on their shoulders.. he knew he can't kill them.. but he wanted to punish them as much as he could..
due to heavy rain and dark weather they were not able to see his face clearly.. and top of that they were already drunk..
they tried to get up and grab their bike.. but Raghu hit the bike.. one of the guy tried to lift it.. Raghu pushed him with leg.. and hit the rod on his legs..
suddenly one guy got up and hit Raghu with knife.. he got a cut on his shoulder.. Raghu looked at him angrily and hit him hard with rod in his shoulder..
they were bleeding and were not able to move..
Raghu grabbed their bike and walked a few steps forward with it.. and threw it in bush..
he came back and again hit them with rod...
they were crying and hissing in pain..
their blood was flowing on rod..he once again looked at them and was about to his one of 'em.. but seeing their condition he stopped..
he didn't shout or blurt anything to them..if they could get any idea of him.. or why he was beating them..
he walked back to his car...threw the rod under the backseat and drove back to his home..
- - - - - - - - - - -
by the time he reached home it was 9:30
he was fully drenched in the rain..so he went to take a hot shower and then came back in room to change his clothes..
he wore his boxers and vest... he was applying some ointment on his shoulder..but he turned to Antara when he heard her scream...
she was sitting on the bed.. she had a nightmare.. her face was full of sweat..
Raghu almost ran to her..
he was about to hold her.. but she covered her face in her palms and sat on bed folding her knees..
Antu?
he shook her shoulder..
Antu..?
it's okay...nothing happened... he gave her some water to drink..
she looked at herself with tears in her eyes..
you're home.. you're with me...
she nodded in no...and got up to run into bathroom..
she slammed the door making Raghu more worried..
what did they do..? I should have killed them,.. Raghu gritted his teeth...
after a few seconds he could hear that she was in shower again..
he got worried for her.. and knocked the door...
there was no reply from her side..
he pushed the door a little and he was surprised because it wasn't locked..
he opened the door and came inside.. he saw her bathrobe lying on the floor.. and she was standing there in the shower wearing only her inners...she was continuously rubbing her shoulder and neck..
Raghu picked her bathrobe and rushed towards her.. he covered her with that and shook her holding her shoulders..
Antara, kya kar rahi ho..?
she stopped and looked at him.. tears rolled down on her cheeks..
he held her hand and tried to bring her with him...
room mein chalo.. aise beemar pad jaogi.. he said in anger..
but she didn't move...he wasn't able to see her like this..
Antara... kuchh nahi hua hai... chalo..!!! he almost raised his voice on her...
she nodded in no.. and her eyes welled up...
th...they touched me.. they.. touched me here.. she placed her hand on her nape and shoulder..
here... she touched her waist..
she looked at him and cried.. her tears flew down from her cheeks getting mixed with the hot water..
but he could feel that burning inside her heart and eyes..
she clutched his vest..and cried..he hissed in pain as her hand touched his wound...i can still feel their hands here.. i can still...
Raghu wiped her tears and nodded in no..
Ssshhh!!! sshh!! calm down Antara... you are with me..
now you are with me... hmmm?
from tomorrow.. i'll come and pick you up from bus stop.. okay..? he wiped her tears with his thumbs..
just...d-don't worry...
but she didn't hear anything he said.. she wasn't herself at the moment...
i tried to run.. i hid... she choked..
i hid there in dark..she pointed towards the blank.. raghu looked and nodded in yes...
i... i..
she broke down..
Raghu took her in his embrace.. and turned the shower off
i... i was ... i-... she choked again...scared..
Ssshhh!!!! he pulled her close to his heart and kissed on her hairs..
i was calling you...she tried to speak...he nodded in yes...
she came out of his hug.. and looked at herself..
i.. i can... she choked again..
i can still feel their filthy hands over my body...she looked at herself in disgust...
Raghu clutched his fist in anger..his breathing was not normal due to anger.. but he controlled himself for her..
she clutched his vest in her small fists and buried her head in his chest...
she hugged him so tight that Raghu could feel her nails on his back...
blood started oozing from his wound.. but he was more concerned for her..
th..they touched my hair.. they... my hair.??..she looked at him with pleading and complaining eyes..
it.. it feels disgusting..she clutched her fists... tried to kneel down.. but he held her from her shoulders..
she shook her head...
those nasty things they were saying.. she was crying in his arms.. he caressed her hairs and tried to make her calm..
she pulled herself out of the hug.. she looked into his eyes.. and then lowered her gaze..
she took two steps back...
i- i feel like...
she choked...i'm no more worth of u..
his brows frown...
he nodded in no... no! don't say that...
he held her hand...don't ever think like that..
she crossed her arms around her chest..and held her shoulders...
i- i need to wash all it off... i- i need to rem..
before she could say anything further...she was cut off by him..
Antara, there is nothing that has happened to you...
you are fine.. you are with me.. those guys paid for what they did..
you come with me.. just go to bed and take some rest..
he held her hand...but she waved his hand..
then why do i feel so disgust of myself.. she almost screamed..
why i want to scrape this skin of mine..he turned and looked at her...
his heart wrenched and his eyes welled up..
why i feel that i'm no worthy of you...
why??? she screamed...
i can still feel their filthy touch on me...
i need to rinse it off my body...she turned on the shower and started rubbing her nape..
she almost scratched her skin on her shoulder..
Raghu grabbed her hand and nodded in no...
he cupped her face.. and looked into her tearful eyes..
you were always.. and you will always be...
i'll make you forget everything.. stop hurting yourself...
because that hurts me too...
her tears got mixed with the hot shower..
but he could feel her pain.. ..she closed her eyes..
Raghu slid the sleeve of her bathrobe down and pressed his lips on her shoulder..
a shudder ran through her spine down..
and at the same moment.. tears flew down on her soft cheeks.. he looked at her and kissed her tears away.
he leant down.. and showered his wet kisses on her shoulder... his hands roamed on her waist making her robe falling down..
she felt his hot lips on her skin..and his kisses mixed with the hot water of shower...
she broke down.. but Raghu held her in his arms..
you are in my arms... i won't let anyone cause you any pain...
but this... she touched her shoulder and looked away...
it won't!... he held her chin and made her look into his eyes.. it won't... trust me..