Choices

CHAPTER | 24

The clock struck ten in the night. Radhika paced back and forth in the hotel suite, waiting for the one person that she desperately wanted to meet. But he hadn't yet come sauntering to her.

Radhika worried her lips and bit her nails in frustration. She had to wait, hadn't she? It was only ten in the night and there were times when Vijay had come after eleven. She didn't have to worry to have to entertain another customer. She didn't.

She sat on the soft bed, which was freshly changed to new sheets. The room was sprayed with rose water to let the customers have the time of their life. Ignoring the crumpling of her hope, Radhika closed her eyes to steady her over imaginative brain.

But her inner eye only showcased two women looking at her discretely talking to themselves. It was none other than Kanchi and Ramani. Radhika was sure that they had caught her smiling to herself over her life which had turned out to be the best right now. With their jealous stares and stinky minds, Radhika anticipated the worst.

That was probably the reason why Vijay hadn't come in. Yes, that had to be that.

But the rational part of her brain told her to calm the hell down. But how could she? If he wasn't going to turn up before the next customer, she would be sold off to the devil and her hell would start over again.

She recalled the night when Vijay had found her. Humiliation was the first emotion that had rooted in her that night. She was barely conscious and the hopeful part of her had wished to die and get rid of this sinful life.

Then, like a ray of hope, Vijay had come in. With her hair pulled out of her braid, her lips smeared off of the lipstick and the dress torn off – she knew she looked more like the devil incarnate. But most of all, she was mortified to let Vijay watch her bleed.

She had never hated herself more. Hated because she couldn't do anything to help herself. Couldn't stand up to what she wanted. All she could do was pled and beg the monster to let her go.

A part of her hated Vijay too. For helping her clean up. For letting her be alive again.

Now, that she was alive again, the fear was alive too. Fear of getting caught under the monster's paw. Fear of not able to voice that this wasn't the life she had expected when she had run away from home.

Just as she sat there, thinking the worst possibilities of how her night might go, a soft knock on the door startled her. Fearing the nastiest, Radhika held her breath, shrinking further into the mattress. This was it. This was how things were going to end for her. It was a harsh reality that nothing good in life would last.

The door creaked open and Radhika closed her eyes yet again, scared to know the future the doors held for her. But the better part of her popped one eye open, not able to restrain the curiosity of her fate.

Dark matted hair was the first thing that she noted. It was followed by the olive skin tone. Radhika let herself breath again and before she could think better of it, she found herself running towards her guest.

Gliding her hands around Vijay's waist, Radhika hugged him. The contact – though was familiar to her, in ways that she would have liked to forget, Radhika relished the feeling of his warm heart beating on her cheeks.

"Radhika," Vijay's voice was soft and husky – all at the same time. It was just her name and yet the word didn't hesitate to let her heart skip a beat.

The word alone was enough to take away the cold insecurities that Radhika had only a few seconds ago. Not wanting him to lose over her stupid fears, she tightened her hold on him, burying her face into his chest, trying to etch herself onto him, if that were ever possible.