BEYOND THE CLOUDS (Completed)

Chapter 18

“Haramzadi, tune meri puri zindagi kharaab kar di hai” his powerful fist was launched in her gut, making her mother cry out in pain and collapse on the floor.

“Rabbbaaa” she wailed, clutching the sore spot with her hands. But he was in no mood to show mercy.

Even when she was on the floor, wriggling and crying like a wounded animal, his foot was relentlessly kicking any and every spot it could manage.

He was sweating too, abuses flying out of him with every breath. He was cursing her & their daughter for being the bad omen in his life. He was cursing his bad luck which had made him lose again in a game of cards.

The teenaged girl all of 15, was hiding in the bedroom, crouched beneath the bed with terror in her eyes.

Scared that he might harm her too, her mother had warned her to never come out when her father came home drunk.

She was helplessly watching the shadows from the tiny gap of the door, willing her father to stop and go away. He took a break to take a swig of alcohol from the small bottle in his pocket.

Soon as the voices stopped, the girl came out from under the bed and tiptoed near the door. He had probably gone, she thought. She wanted to reach out to her mother and comfort her.

Her trembling hand reached the knob of the door and soon as she was about to open it, her mothers cries could be heard again. She panicked and hid under the bed again, covering her mouth with her palm to muffle her sobs.

She wanted this ordeal to be over as soon as possible, so that she can go out and look after her mom.

After a while she heard the loud bang of the door being shut and that was her cue to run out of the bedroom. Her mother was lying face down, softly writhing in pain.

She bent down near her and turned her over, only to witness her mother’s face and the front of her dress wet with blood.

“Mummaaaaaa” Shehnaaz cried out loud.

She could see her mother’s bloody face withering away slowly and all of a sudden she could now see her father lying down in a pool of blood.

Her hands were covered in his blood.

Her body shuddered and thrashed on the bed and felt captivated, like she had been tied to something.

“letttt gooooo” she wailed and bit on the thing that was restricting her movements.

She desperately wanted to break free and wash the monsters blood off her hands. Still sleep induced, she frantically jumped out of the bed, and sprinted to the bathroom.

She held her bloodied hands under the running water, rubbing furiously. But the blood wont go away.

Squirting out a large blob of handwash, she rubbed at her hands again, when a pair of arms held her from behind.

“Blood, theres blood” she squeaked, scratching her palms with her nails.

“Shhhh baby, theres nothing on your hands. You probably had a bad dream, love” Sidharth’s groggy but composed voice calmed her down.

His touch was rather comforting but woke her up from her sleep induced daze in an instant.

She looked at her clear hands and leaned back into his chest, relieved. She took a few moments, to savor his gentle touch, the way their bodies fit with each other snugly.

But her mind went back to what just happened.

Her nightmares. They were back, after almost a year. And he was probably waiting with a volley of questions to be answered. She separated herself from him in an instant.