CHAPTER-18: He is dead

                                    

                                          
Trigger warning 
( Mention of suicide and sexual assault)
 ANIKA POV 
Ram was holding me in a firm grip which didn't allow me to move even an inch but it was harsh as he was comforting me with his warmth. 
I was about to move my head back to face him but then I heard a loud gun shot being fired. A scream tore out from my throat which was followed by deafening silence. I felt Ram moving little and his hold getting tighter. 
After what felt like an eternity he moved a little away from me and called his security chief.
" Mrityunjay! Order you men to get hold of my sasurji. And clean this mess as well" as soon as I heard his voice I stood on my tiptoes and looked over his shoulder while holding his strong biceps.  
I could only manage to peep as Ram is too tall for my small frame and huge too. He wrapped his arms around my butt and picked me up.
A gasp was heard in the hall as I was shocked by his act. I left up my eyes and the scene infront of me punched the air out of my lungs. I saw Digvijay's body lying on the floor in the pool of blood and a bullet mark was present right in the middle of his forehead.  
I was regretting what happened with him because it should have been me to take his life. It was a shock for me too when he revealed that he was one of those men who assaulted my mother at the night of my 17th birthday. 
How could I forget that night that has turned out to be the nightmare to me and my biggest secret as well.


Flashback 
"Run...run my little girl. Please, listen to your mother and run for you life. I couldn't save both of us together but I could help you to save your life. Good away from this hell and promise me that you will never look back once you start running......pro..... promise me my baby"
My mother has never said something like this to me before. It was like she was finally giving up on her life. I looked at my maa sa's soulful and hope filled eyes but today it was empty. 
" We...we..co... could..ma...move to...together ma...maa sa.' I said as tears flow out of my eyes. I held her trembling hands and pulled her through the empty lane leading to the forest.
Today was supposed to be a happy day like every year. I thought it will be the same as maa sa and I used to celebrate but everything changed when baba hukum said that we will be visiting his farm house today. I held maa sa's hand tightly when I saw 6-8 men present there when we walked inside but what caught my attention was how my maa sa hands were trembling for the first time. I've never seen her this scared even when baba hukum used to beat her to the brim of death but today was different.
At evening, I was getting ready in a dress baba hukum gave me. It was a black sequence saree with a sleeveless blouse of same colour. I was hesitant but I was scared of his wrath.
My room door burst open when maa sa entered inside and pulled me from the bed. She was asked me to follow her and once we were near the forest she started sobbing. 
I don't know what happened all of a sudden but something didn't feel right. She hugged me like it was our last meeting, she kissed all over my face and looked at me for a long minute.
Keeping a paper with an address and few 500 rupees notes in my hand she said- " go my child, and never look back. I will always be there to guide you and protect you. Go, we don't have that much time." 
As soon as she said those words we heard footsteps and someone shout-" that girl and her mother are not in their rooms sarkar!!!" 
We looked at eachother and gulped. Maa sa pulled out a chain from around her neck and help me to wear it.
" Run, Nika......run as fast as you can. I will buy you some more time to reach up to the highway. I've written your mama sa's address on this paper. Don't loose hope my little love, maa sa loves you a lot" with that she pecked my head and kept standing at the same place until I entered deep into the forest. 
But something inside me stopped me and then I did the biggest mistake of my life. I turned back and what I saw shattered me on that very moment.
I saw a husband dragging his wife in a room filled with filthy men. I couldn't shake the look they were giving to my maa sa, I couldn't forget their lusty eyes on her fragile body, I couldn't shake how my maa sa was looking a walking dead body. 
I was frozen at my place until the door of that room was shut.
After that day, I've never heard anything about my maa sa or that man I once called my father. After reaching to my mama sa's place, the news of my maa sa's demise was given to me. They said she took her own life but no one told me what actually happened to her or how she died.
I still remember how it took me 2 days to reach my mama sa's place. I remember, how I was running in that dark forest aimlessly and stopped right in the middle on that road. I was panting and my vision was blurred when I saw a car heading towards me with great speed. 
The tyre skid when that man applied brake. I don't remember his face or anything about him apart from his clothes. I don't even remember his name. He was a well build man but he was mute as he didn't said anything all night. He guided me to the police station safely from where I contacted Aarman Bhai sa.
Sadly, as soon as he returned back to his car and drove a little we heard a loud blast and later they informed that he died in the accident.
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Oh! Did I tell you, that I lost my virginity to that man that night

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Hello gentle readers 
I am sorry for the late update but things are a little tensed at my family right now so I couldn't update any of my stories recently. 
I am trying to get myself on track and cheer up myself as much as I can to write new chapters. 
I hope you all would like this chapter.

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