ArHi Whispers in the dark Ch 1

Prologue

"She is too young. How can you expect us for more than it cost?"

She heard the man talk to her father and smiled lifelessly. She was too young, of course. But she knew what was going on in front of her eyes. Her father had asked her to bring water glasses as there were three men in the house – their guests. She followed the order almost robotically. It had been her work ever since her mother died a year ago. She had been working in her house as a slave, and her father cared less. She watched the woman, who stood behind the chair her father had seated himself comfortably. Her father's wife, she thought with sheer hatred, was the reason for her mother's death. She knew, and understood clearly, that her mother's death was due to the lack of money for her operation, which her father had been busy spending for the woman in that room.

"She might be young, but she is beautiful enough to catch anyone's attraction. When she turned into a woman, we all know how beautiful she would look."

Her father answered with a proud smile. She felt disgust at her life. She prayed to the almighty not to create this kind of situation to any girl. She wanted to save herself now, or else, her life would be ended. Her father was going to sell her to the men. Her eyes fell on the small bag that was placed in the corner of the kitchen counter, almost hidden in the dark. She knew what to do. She took hold of the bag and silently walked out of the room through the back door, into the dark. She was afraid of the dark. But now, fear for her life empowered her senses and she took a deep breath and walked ahead, in speed long strides that turned into a run. She ran as far as her legs could allow her to. Without backward glance, she ran into the woods. She knew the way to the road. She had been very familiar with the directions as she spent her days roaming around the woods alone. She wanted to escape from her father and that was the only thing that mattered to her the most. They were still discussing her cost, and it would take them few minutes to realize her absence in that house. If she managed to reach the road and catch any vehicle before that, she would be safe.

As she reached the road, she saw it was empty. She couldn't see a single person. The shop across the road was closed. It was past midnight and she shut her eyes as she remembered that there would be no buses at that time. If she needed to escape, she had to go to the middle of the city, to a bus station, or else she would be caught. She had no idea about the directions to go there. Tears that she held from the moment she understood her father's plan now rolled freely on her cheeks. She was trapped. She had nowhere to go. They would found her and take her away from this place, where they would force her to do things against her will. They would turn her into wh**e.

She held her bag to her heart as she sank onto the ground. She cried at her helplessness. She missed her mother. She wanted to be with her. She was tired and had no strength to even stand on her own. Her mother had said not to trust her father and requested her to run away while she lay on her death bed. But she ignored her words. She ignored her mother's pleas and had been selfish. She thought to have father's love as she lost her mother. And now, she realized how foolishly she had behaved without running on that day. Now, she had to face the consequences for not listening to her mother. Almighty punished her, she thought as she rubbed her tears furiously.

"There has to be a way," she whispered looking at the sky with her red eyes, "there has to be a way for me to escape. Take me to my Mamma, or show me the light."

She was not going to let them spoil her life. She had promised her mother that she would help people as long as she could, and till now, she hadn't helped even a single person. She was not going to let her promise go in vein and disappoint her mother. She had to fulfill her word.

She lowered her head, onto the road, as she heard a vehicle. She saw a car halted near her and stood, pulling her bag close to her. She watched as the door opened and a man, almost her father's age, got down from the driver's seat. She watched him watching her. He smiled at her, and she stared at him, unable to think whether he was good or bad. She was terrified to be alone with him. But his smile removed her fear and she stood straight, as he kneeled down to her height.

"Who are you, dear? And what are you doing alone in the middle of night?" the man asked her and she knew, he was not a bad man. She felt relaxed as she decided that the man was of no danger to her. She decided what she had to do.

"Can you drop me to a safe place?" she asked him, ignoring his question, "I need a lift."

She saw him watching her for a while and nodded. She could hear shouts from a distant. She could make her father's voice resounding from the trees behind her. She walked with the man as he held her wrist. She let him open the door to the passenger's seat and she sat, her fingers clutching her bag in her lap.

A small smile formed as the car roared to life and she watched the trees moving away from her.

She was safe now. She did escape from her father. She crossed the city in the dark. She turned her head to the right and saw the man staring at her as he halted the car aside.

"Who are you?"

He asked her with seriousness in his face and she knew she had to answer the man. She owe him her life.

"Khushi"

She said in a low tone.

"How old are you?"

"12"

"Where are your parents? Family?"

She shook her head as images of her father bargaining with the men on her life came with force. "My mother died a year ago and my father died a while ago," she spoke, rather to herself, accepting that she was now an orphan.

"Where are you going now?"

She stared at the road ahead. She could see the sky had a shade of orange in it. The clock in the dashboard read half past 5 and she could feel the first rays of sun from the windshield.

"In search of my life," she said to him. She pulled a diary from her bag. It was her gift from her mother on her last birthday. She had taken that diary, mangalsutra, photo frame, and her kiddy bank. She opened the first page and started entering her first entry in the diary, her first experience.

"What is your name, Uncle?"

He smiled at her and ruffled her hair and said, "Ajit… Ajit Singh Raizada."

It had been 10 years from that night. She smiled, looking at the sky. She thanked the almighty for sending her angel on that night to save her. The man gave her a new life, a new meaning to her existence. She was waiting for him to come to the flat for dinner. She had been looking forward to meet him. It was a special day for her. It was the same day 10 years ago. And she always celebrated this day with him. He was always on time but tonight, he was late for about an hour. The shill ring of her mobile broke her thoughts and she smiled brightly as she saw the caller id.

"You are late, Uncle," she said with a pout and heard him laugh.

"I am so sorry, dear" he said, "but my son gave me a surprise with his sudden call. He is returning to home, Khushi. He left India a week before you came into my life. And now, on this special day, my son is back. I am so happy."

She smiled at his words. She could see his face in her mind, with a layer of tears in his eyes to see his son in front of him. She had been listening about his son from the day she met Ajit. "I hope I will get to meet him, Uncle," she said happily, "after all, I never saw him till now."

"I sent the driver over there. Your Aunty wants you to be here to prepare dinner for her beloved son. So, come fast, Khushi. Arnav will reach home in an hour or so. I need you here. "

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Kiara