ARHI SS : Trapped-Thread 1 - Page 36

'Khushi look at me. What happened? Who is after you?' he asked. But she was shivering in fear and her eyes were filled with terror

'Arnav lock the door They will get me, Please, please, please' she said

'Shhh, It's ok. No one can get you when I am here. You got that?" he asked, as he tried to hold her.

And knowing she needed comfort, he took her in his arms. Her shivering seemed to subside a little. He wanted to ask her where she had been and what had happened. But looking at her bruises and her disturbed state of mind, he thought against it.

'Khushi you need to change and we need to attend to your wounds,' he said, as softly as he could.

She was still trembling like a leaf. He doubted she could walk all the way up. Having made up his mind, he leaned over and picked her up. Startled she looked u at him and he gave her a reassuring half smile.

Once she was in the bedroom, he laid her down carefully on the bed.

'I will be back with the first aid kit,' he said and tried to move and realized she was clasping his hand tightly. And as he tried to leave her grip tightened and the terror was back on her face.

'Khushi, you will be all right. It's just me. No one can come near you. And if they even try any time, I will kill them,' he said. A trace of a smile formed on her lips and she loosened her grip. But still held on.

Gently he placed his hand over hers, 'You will be fine. I will only take a minute. Can you change by into something which helps me clean the wounds" he asked. Color rushed up her cheeks and she looked down.

'khushi, I need to check the injuries. So, you have to allow me to look at them,' he said.

'I will manage on my own,' she said, almost in a whisper.

'Khushi, you need help now. Moreover, I am your husband. So it's all right' he said and walked away.

When he came back she was wearing a nightgown. He sat down beside her with the first aid box. He knew she was going to be in pain due to the anti septic lotion. So, he started talking to her,

'Where did you go Khushi. I was frantic with worry,' he said, gently applying the lotion on her bruised ankle.

'T---tem'ple,' she said, biting her lips hard, trying to prevent herself from crying out in pain.

'What took you so long?' he said, unable to keep the irritation out of his voice for the worry she had put him through.

She was silent and did not reply. He looked up at her downcast eyes.

'Why Khushi. What made you take so long? I went frantic trying to look for you,' he said, moving on to slide the night gown above her knee.

A deep gash ran across her knee. Shocked he looked at her,

'Khushi what happened? How did you get these wounds?" he asked, trying to control the anger at whoever had caused it.

She did not reply.

'I am asking you something Khushi. I have been worried about you,' he said.

'I was coming from the temple. I had lost my phone and while searching I got late. I took the first auto I could find---Then---' tears spilled down her cheek.

Agitated Arnav gripped her arm 'Then what? Did he try to molest you? Why didn't you call me?" he raged.

'No ---no ---he did not do anything. The auto broke down a few KMs away from the house. Since it was late, I could not find anymore autos. My phone was dead. I started walking. And then---' again she started sobbing.

Fiercely he held her close. 'Shhh it's Ok. I am here. Then what?' he asked, soothing her hair back from her forehead.

'Then some men started teasing me. I think they were drunk. I kept walking. And they kept teasing,' she stopped unable to continue.

Fury rose in him as heard her.

'Who are they? Can you identify them? I will see them dead. What else did they do to you?' he said furiously.

'I started walking faster and they did the same. At a point I started running. One of them even reached my dupatta and started pulling it,' she said, the terror returning to her face.

His mind traumatized by the images of Khushi being harassed, he listened silently.

'I threw the dupatta and ran and they chased me. I fell into some bushes and got injured by the pebbles and thorns. But I hid there for some time. And then when I was sure they were not there, I again began running. But one of them was still there----' she stopped then.

'Did he hurt you? Did he touch you?' he asked.

'Yes. He caught me. And he started trying to hug me and tried to rip my clothes,' she hiccupped.

Furious byond words, Arnav got up and paced the room, 'The son of a *****. I will kill him. I will just kill him.' he raged.

'But nothing happened Arnav. I kicked him you know where, and ran home. Since he was drunk he collapsed I think and did not follow me,' she said.

Suddenly, she was taken into a fierce embrace by her husband.

'Thank God Khushi,. Thank God,' he repeated.

Khushi's fuzzy brain registered the fact that Arnav cared and he was hurting for her. It made her feel warm deep down.

After a while, Arnav began cleaning the wounds again, lifting her nightgown further to reveal her creamy thighs.

Shyly she pulled it back and he stopped her

'I am your husband Khushi.

I can see you in even less.

But that is not to say I am demanding that as we both know our marriage is not normal.

But to heal you, I can till look at you. I have those rights don't I?' he asked.

She nodded shyly.

Having got her permission, he cleaned her wounds in her arm and on her face after her knee and a few scratches on her thighs.

All through, Khushi proved to be brave, not wincing even once and stemming the tears of pain.

Having cleaned up, he gave her a glass of milk with some sleeping pills 'Khushi. You have been through a lot. You need sleep. Take these medicines.

And before you sleep, tell me something, why did you stay in the temple from afternoon till late night? Don't you think I would have worried? Why didn't you inform me where you were?' he asked.

'Because I did not know if it really mattered to you where I go and whether I exist,' she said looking directly into his eyes.

Arnav felt a deep sense of pain at her words. He did not know what to say.

'Sleep now,' he ordered, helping her to lie down. Her eyes remained open, the fright still visible in them. Gently, he lay down beside her and held her close. At first she resisted, but he continued to hold her. After some time, she gave up due to her tiredness and her eyes fluttered shut and she fell into a deep slumber.

He looked down at the girl in his arms---His wife.

For the first time he felt like a husband. He should have been with her to protect. She would have never put herself in the line of danger, if he had not been so cruel.

The thought of the men who had hurt her, brought his anger back. He would see to it he would find them and have them arrested.

But then it may not be easy.

One thing he knew for sure, he was not letting Khushi out on her own. He was not going to let her travel in autos.

He was not going to let anyone hurt her or touch her.

He did not know why it mattered---but seeing her in pain put him in pain too------