AN INEQUITABLE LOVE

Her angel in disguise

Opening the door with all his might, Shrey ran towards a panic stricken Shehnaaz who sat down with a thump looking so distressed in her torn and soiled grey clothes. Her feeble cries of pain were back as Shrey asked her about the incident.

Looking into his eyes, Shehnaaz made the little one sit beside her as he was her needless requirement at that moment who could calm her down. The mother and the son heard a groan from Rishabh's room and saw him stumbling as his eyes shot open looking at Shrey.

Rishabh staggered towards Shrey, finally pulling him out of Shehnaaz's grip as she struggled to pull the little boy back. "Baby look what mom has done to me", Rishabh tried playing the victim with his voice even more fainted. Shrey tried moving back as he looked at his face covered in blood. Rishabh's voice started to get heavier on getting no reaction from the little child.

"Stop doing that to my child", said a serious Shehnaaz pulling Shrey towards herself while the man pulled him back with some more strength as this continued. It wasn't doing good to any of the three. Rishabh and Shehnaaz would still fight but the one getting affected the most was the weaker of the three, Shrey.

"He isn't your child ", screamed Rishabh.

" Apna hote hue bhi tumne ek nazar nahi dekha usko", Shehnaaz screamed at the same pitch.

" He's my son. Meri marzi hai mai jo karoon. Yes, choda maine tha usko, jaane deti jaise tha"

" Kyunki mai tum nahi. He's my child, chodo isko", Shehnaaz pulled Shrey back to herself with all her might while he cried. His tear stricken face showed how scared he was of his parents who fought without understanding what impact it had on him. Shrey cried more asking his father to leave his mother's hair. " Chodo unko!", he cried trying to pull his father back while Shehnaaz wriggled like a fish trying to find something to lose his grip. She suddenly hit Rishabh's stomach with her elbow when she slapped him so hard that he fell down.

"This! This is why you deserve to rot", said Shehnaaz bending to his level.

" Babyyy, dada ke saath rahega na?", he tried for the nth time.

Shrey had always loved his mother more than anybody for she was the one who was there for the kid. It was she who took immense care of him. He had even seen her in the lowest of her times and still being there for him. No matter how a kid Shrey was, there was nobody who stood more important than his mother.

"No", denied Shrey on his father's face. He hid behind Shehnaaz as he continued, " Aap mummy ko tang karte ho and mereko bhi bohot daraate ho. Mujhe nahi rehna". He stood behind Shehnaaz like she was his shield. The two of them sat at one corner of the house leaving the living corpse on the floor.

******
"It was so kind of you. I can never thank you enough", hugged a dishelved Shehnaaz thanking her neighbor for the life saving help.

While returning home, Shehnaaz had dropped Shrey to his friend's house who was their neighbor. On hearing screeching noises and screams from the adjacent house was when the woman got to know about the serious affair going on. Serious affair? She couldn't just wait to call the police.

Rishabh was a man of power. No matter how much did they believe in the law, it was the proof which Shehnaaz never had to save herself from the beast. The woman had her camera on as she recorded every bit of the incident that happened in the hall. They weren't at home. They stood in the police station with Rishabh behind the bars. It was tough but the proof accelerated the process and the policemen had to put him behind the bars no matter what.

"I just can't thank you enough" , she cried joining her hands as the lady held hers. "You don't need to. I had to do this. Shrey is a kid, neither does he deserve this. I am happy that I could help you". The angel in disguise.

It was really easy for Rishabh to come out of the jail but Shehnaaz had come to a decision of doing everything she could to protect herself and her child. Had it been for the lady, things would have added up to her trouble. Things felt quite different to her now. Freedom just hit different. Shehnaaz was proud of herself.  It was true that she regretted not standing up for herself sooner but better late than never. She engulfed Shrey in a tight hug as she planted a kiss on his little cheek.

The house was a mess. It was the first time that Shehnaaz stepped in with a sigh of relief. She wasn't scared to be happy. What didn't matter to her was how long would her happiness last this time, she would fight to get it back even if it didn't. Today, she wasn't scared to return home early, she wasn't scared of not doing things on time, she didn't fear anything. Her heart still felt heavy.

Holding Shrey's hand she went inside her room, lying down without in the same clothes. She planted a kiss on his forehead and asked him to sleep as she rubbed her hands through her hair. Shrey glanced at Shehnaaz,  hugging her tighter, he said, " We are free now. Are you happy?"

She hugged him back with her hold tighter than it already was. " Free indeed", she whispered.

****
It's almost 2 months OMG..so sorry..I just couldn't write and never wanted to post something I wasn't satisfied with. I love you all..Do vote and comment and gussa mat hona ab😭👍