Anamika blinked as the world around her shifted and changed. The familiar sights and sounds of her present reality were replaced by a landscape she hadn't seen in years. Confusion knitted her brows as she realized she was no longer in the life she knew.
She looked down at herself and noticed the clothes she wore were different, reminiscent of her teenage years. Anamika's heart raced as she tried to make sense of the situation. Was this a dream, a hallucination, or some inexplicable journey through time? As she explored her surroundings, memories long buried resurfaced. She started to get up from the mat as she found herself covered with some kind of ayurvedic medicines. Her footsteps halted by the indistinct chatters of some people. Lying down again she pretended to be fainted there.
"ye ab jagi kyu nahi?"
the woman asked in deep sealed frustration. This voice.....the same voice which tortured her beforing pushing into brothel. how can she forget her........
"ab tak to uth jana chahiye......Shayad kamjori ki wajah se thoda waqt lag raha hai."
the man stated in fear
"dekho vaidhya ji ise jaldi se hosh me laao warna hamein ise aise hi le jaana padega. Are waha jaakar ise kuch ho gaya na to lene ke dene pad jaaenge. aur pata nahi kab police yaha aa jaae..."
the lady gritted out and left from there. Vaidya ji looked at her out of pity and start to give some potion to her
"na jaane is paap ke liye mujhe kya dand milega.........magar mere paas koi aur raasta nahi hai.inki baat nahi maani to mere parivaar waalo ko ye nahi chhodenge. mujhe maaf karna beti ...........main tumhe in logo se nahi bacha sakta"
In a voice fractured with vulnerability, the Vaidya began administering the potion when Anamika, her touch a delicate yet resolute reassurance, gently clasped his hand, revealing her conscious presence, leaving him momentarily startled before understanding dawned upon him.
"vaidya ji mujhe sach sach bataiye.......kya me sapna dekh rahi hu ya fir yahi hakiqat hai."
Her gentle yet firm voice left him appalled for a moment. The girl didn't appear vulnerable in the slightest. Instead, her eyes held a kind of ferociousness, a silent strength that belied the fragility of her external demeanor.
"koi sapna nahi hai ye beti. sach hai ......yahi sach hai"
A stream of tears continuously flowed from his eyes — tears of guilt. Anamika, grappling with the surreal reality, seized the sharp knife from the other end, and with a determined motion, slit her arms. The searing pain and the welling blood served as visceral confirmation; this was no dream. In that moment, amid the anguish, Anamika realized with chilling certainty that she had indeed transcended time. Panic settled in the nerve of vaidya as he processed what she had done. He immediately starts to treat het wound while looking at her questioningly.
"vaidyaji, nothing will happen to your family but you have to hide this incident from the couple outside....."
Vaidya was totally unaware of the plan that was ongoing inside Anamika's brain but this is least he could do for her, right?
"thik hai, agar esa karne se ham dono hi bach sakta hai, to thik hai .............ek min..........ye aushadhi tumhare liye........."
Anamika knitted her brows in confusion and asked
"what is this"
"bete, this will help you to cope up with any kind of intoxicated drug. Me bas itna hi kar sakta hun, agar tum isse bach jao to me samjhunga ki mera paap kuch kam hua. Tumhaare ajanme bacche ko maarne ka paap bhi kiya hai maine"
While Anamika harbored no optimistic expectations for the unborn child, a faint glimmer of desire lingered in the recesses of her heart for its safety. Regardless, a silent conviction resonated within her – the belief that, inevitably, the child would find its way to her in the future. He or she was destined to be a part of her life. She managed a faint smile at him before reclining once more, just as the distinct sound of approaching footsteps reached their ears. The couple, sensing an abrupt shift in the atmosphere, entered the room, their expressions morphing from casual ease to ones etched with concern.
"are beti tumhe hosh aa gaya. Tumhare to gharwaalon ko sadma lag gaya aur abhi wo log sheher ke hospital me admit hai"
The lady commenced the art of shedding crocodile tears, oblivious to the profound realization that Anamika possessed an intimate understanding of every choreographed step in this orchestrated drama. Playing along she replied in a panicked voice
"kyaa?...........kaha hai wo log.........please mujhe unke paas le chaliye.......please mai aapki ehsaanmand rahungi.......me aapke haath jodt........."
"are nahi beti.......ham to tere gharwaalon ke karzdaar hain.......ese haath jodkar hamein sharminda mat kar."
the couple hugged her and took her to Mumbai. She was quiet in the whole ride, waiting for the right moment to attack them.
**************************
Anamika woke up and found herself between 15 girls. If everything happening as per the past then today they are being pushed into the brothel. She was staring at the girls one by one and there she noticed her..........
"suman di......?"
Suman looked at her with a horrified expressions but Anamika passed a little smile which turned into a pained one when she noticed the marks on her body.
"who did this to you?"
Anamika inquired, concern along with anger lacing her words. Despite the initial unfamiliarity between them, Suman found solace in Anamika's presence, treating her as if they shared a deep, unspoken connection. Summoning the strength to confide, Suman began recounting the harrowing tale of the harassment she endured before.
"dhyaan se suno Di, ham bach sakte hai magar jo me kahungi wo karna hoga"
Thinking what more bad could happen, she trusted her and nod in assurance. The sound of door clicking heard and they all become alert. The group of men start injecting them drugs one by one and threw them in the truck. With her eyes slightly ajar, Anamika keenly observed every movement around her. Midway through their journey, she stirred, gently waking Suman and gesturing for her to discreetly pound on the truck door. The driver, perturbed by the disturbance, brought the vehicle to a halt in an isolated location.
"Aye, dekh kar aa, kya ho raha hai andar," he hissed in annoyance.
His companion reluctantly swung the door open, only to be swiftly ambushed by both girls. The man's scream echoed through the confined space, alerting the driver, who rushed to the scene only to be met with a formidable punch from Anamika, resonating with the strength borne from a fierce determination to break free.
"Now?"
Suman looked at her waiting for her next instruction.
"kuch nahi karna bas is truck ko udana hai "
her eyes widen as she looked at Anamika
"mujhe ghooriye mat in ladkiyon ko ek ek karke bahar nikalne me meri madad kariye, aur han saath me khana bhi nikaal dena kaam aaega hamare"
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Threads of Imagination
Short StoryThe book unfolds as a compendium of short stories, each narrative encapsulating its own unique world, characters, and emotions. Through this collection, readers embark on a journey through diverse tales, where the brevity of each story belies its po...
