Chapter-11

Abhita thought about how to refuse Anik without hurting him, the whole week. Meanwhile, Anik’s father on Abhita’s insistence invited Detective Anuj over lunch for next Saturday. Abhita not only thought about Anik and his father but also about herself. What next for her? The anger she had felt for those men was subsiding, one of them was dead, and the other may rot in hell. She thought about going back to Ludhiana, but matrimony would be a major issue there. Her parents were already scouting for a suitable groom; her presence will only increase the search scale. Delhi was a beautiful place, she had spent many years here, and this city had given her exposure, education, money, independence, freedom and even pain. The pain part reminded her that she won’t be able to stay here too long. She was lonely here; there was emptiness all around. Haridwar was a possible option. She had been there when she was in her teens. That place had spirituality, which could do some good to her. Neha had told her that Bangalore had many oppurtunities.She could go there, but loneliness may follow her there too, and what if she is harmed again? Going to states with Shivani would have been the best idea, but her parents will rake up the marriage issue and never agree to this. This home where she was living now was the safest place she could think of, but she could never live here forever especially now that Anik had proposed her.

Thus, the days passed, anxiety, tension, sleepless night not only restricted to Abhita but also were affecting Anik and his father. Anik particularly was drowned in deep fear of loosing Abhita. This made him realize how much he loved her, how much he wanted her. One night, He went up to his father, “Dad, even if she says yes, will he parents agree? I was thinking about it.” His father unable to hide his nervousness, responded, “With that overgrown beard and a bad haircut no one will marry his daughter to you.” Disappointed Anik got up to leave, “Listen here son, let the girl agree first. If she agrees I will convince her parents. Don’t worry.” His father called out to him.

The week passed by, silently and quietly. The members of the house, seldom talked and when talked only few sentences at a time. One evening, Abhita found Anik in the middle of the night, in the balcony his legs resting on the railings, his head, gazing up the stars that sparkled bright in the sky.

“Coffee Anyone?” She called out. Startled, he looked behind him, then again looked up at the sky,

“Tea, is a better idea, make it strong please.” She looked at the person, her closet friend perhaps, how sad and distraught that face looked. “I couldn’t sleep; I thought you will make some coffee for me.” She said naughtily to cheer him up. Instead, he looked at her blankly, got up and went inside, to make coffee for her. She protested, but he didn’t budge, explaining her to keep her voice low as his father was sleeping. She tried again, but Anik was unusually stubborn, he pushed her out of the kitchen, and bolted the door.

He came out with two steaming cups of coffee. Abhita felt angry but was too tired to fight. She took a cup and went with him outside. “You needed tea, then why did you made coffee?” She asked him.

“Because you wanted to have coffee.” He replied, again his eyes looked for stars.

“It’s all these stars Anik. This was my destiny. I was raped. Can you imagine? Raped. Two men raped me, Anik. You see this,” She spoke, indicating her breasts with her eyes red, tears dropping in her cup of coffee, creating a distinct sound, “ They wanted this, and they wanted this.” She pointed to her crotch, “I never harmed anyone, Anik, I swear, the only heart I have ever broken is yours.” She sobbed, as Anik, shifted his eyes from the sky to her face. “Its all destiny, Abhita, I was never capable of you. I failed to capture your heart the first time. Destiny gave me another chance, I failed again. Perhaps I am not made for any women. Destiny Abhita.” He lifted her cup to her lips and made her drink the hot liquid and continued, “It was your destiny that you were forced, but it made you a stronger person. You were hurt, angered and beaten. But destiny showed you a part of yourself you never knew. That is to fight, and fight with a zeal and spirit that many would just enviously see from the sides. No one would volunteer for such courage as you have shown. Its destiny Abhita, these stars, they are trying to convey a message. Interpreting is your domain, you may interpret it as you like.”

He wiped out tears of his eyes, with the back of his hand, and drank the coffee that was now cold.

“Why you helped me Anik, you had told me it is for all those rape victims and crap but today you will tell me the truth.” She said, making no attempt to stop the tears flowing of her eyes. He looked away, to the road beneath. “I love you Abhita, I did it for you. I never believed much in your plans or actions, but I trusted you. So I assisted you. But can we ignore the fact that many women in this world are facing such fate, maybe someone is being raped just now as we talk. I sometimes wished I could do something for them. But you, you were my own, for you I couldn’t just wish, or think, I had to do something and I did whatever I could. I tried my level best Abhita.” He looked at her with pleading, tearful eyes. Eyes deprived of love. “You don’t need to tell me how much you love me, and you didn’t have to act like a bollywood actor, to start bashing up people for me. When you just sit besides me, hear all this shit I talk about, make this awful coffee, or those pjs they are more then enough. It reminds me that when this entire world will forget and ignore this rape victim, this one soul will be always there for me. I won’t ever be alone. What more I can ask for by destiny.” She spoke, smiling, her red eyes, now looking up to the stars, as if looking for answers unknown. “I am a selfish person, Abhita; I will always take care of you, because, in this lonely world of mine, I also need a person, whom I can call my own, true friend.” He replied, returning the smile.

“Anik, you will promise me one thing?” She asked

“Say, what my princess needs, of her servant” He replied, looking at her

“This world has many Abhitas but all those Abhitas don’t have Anik’s by their side, to avenge for what has happened to them. Promise me, you will fight for them, like you fought for me. I may leave you, but this promise you will have to honor, Anik. I could have done it, myself, but my strength, my power was my best friend. I want many more to benefit from it.” She asked for him

“And my strength is my love for a woman, so strong and firm that no amount of hurdles and problems could alter it. Its time tested.” He spoke with a determination that Abhita about to speak something, held back, as he went inside, to spend another sleepless night on his bed.

It was Friday night, Anik’s father, was lying restlessly on his bed, when there was a knock at the door.

“May I come in uncle?” Abhita called out from the door.

The man, switched on the light, surprised. “Come in, girl.” It was the first time perhaps she had come into his room.

“Sorry, disturbed you in the middle of the night.” She said, looking down on the floor.

“No worries, I wasn’t able to sleep anyways. Nice of you to come. Sit down.” He made her sit, near the foot of the bed.

“Uncle, I am going tomorrow. After lunch perhaps. Will stay at my flat for few days, and then move to some other city, I still not sure, where.” There were tears in her eyes, as she said that.

“So you won’t marry Anik?” Anik’s father was in tears too, unable to face the reality.

“He deserves someone better uncle, at least u try to understand. He won’t be able to tolerate me for long” She tried to clear her eyes.

“He isn’t a schoolboy, Abhita; he can judge the consequences of his actions.” The father defended his son.

“What if he regrets it later, what if this marriage is a disaster? Uncle, he is a nice guy, he will get many more girls, better then me and also purer then me.” She broke into tears again, as she hugged the father

Tightly. Finally when she let him go, he said, “You are very much pure my daughter, people tried to harm you, I know, but they couldn’t beat you, purity should be of the heart not the body. That’s what I wanted for my son, that’s what he wanted for himself.” He tried to console not only to her, but to himself as well.

“You know, the girl who would marry Anik, would be lucky not only to have such a doting husband, but also because of the loving father she will get.” She replied smilingly. He wiped off the tears of her eyes, as she continued, “You know uncle, who a girl needs the most in such crisis?” She asked. He nodded his head negatively so she answered, “It’s the mother and her father. The mother the most. How much I missed them when it all happened. But you with all the love and care, tried to fill in that place. I gave you lot of sadness, a lot of grief, please forgive me.” She sobbed, and once again, Anik’s father wiped off the tears, “Daughters don’t ask for forgiveness from their fathers. Do they?” He asked. She leaped over him, hugged him again and cried loudly. He patted her head, and said, “If you can’t be my daughter in law, please don’t snatch from me the pleasure of being your father at least.”

They both cried in each others arms, knowing very well that days of their togetherness were now numbered.