Kavita's Submission [COMPLETED]

Chapter 18

Kavita's POV

Sameerji barges inside the room, shutting the door closed behind him.

I look for a few seconds at his angry demeanor, then resume my work of changing the bed sheet.

"Maa bata rahin thi ki tune unse bohot badtameezi ki aaj," he says.

Properly tightening the bed sheet around the bed, I smoothen any creases I could see, not bothering to say anything to him.

"Kavita, mere sabar ka imtehaan mat le," he tells me, his tone getting bitter and louder.

I sigh and look at him. "Main aapke sabar ka imtehaan nahi le rahi hoon, Sameerji."

"Maa se badtameezi ki ya nahi tune?"

Wry smile curves my lips. "Ajeeb baat hai. Aaj tak jab maaji mujhpe unke saath badtameezi karne ka jhutha ilzaam lagati aayin, aap ne mujhpe chillane se pehle, apna haath uthane se pehle, nahi puchha. Aur aaj, jab maaji sach keh rahi hain, aap mujhse puchh rahe hain ki yeh sach hai ya nahi."

Stepping closer to me, he tightly grabs my arms. "Toh iska matlab tune badtameezi ki unse? Ho kya gaya hai tujhe, Kavita?"

With great difficulty, I loosen Sameerji's hold on my arms and take his hands off me.

"Badal gayi hoon main, Sameerji. Ab nainsafi bardasht karna chhod diya hai maine," I answer, looking into his eyes.

He also gazes into my eyes, glaring in a way as if challenging me to look away.

But I do not look away. I stand my ground, not wanting to be scared or back off anymore.

I only blink after Sameerji averts his gaze from me.

"Main pani leke aati hoon," I say and turn, about to get the empty jug from the bedside table.

But before I could take it, I feel Sameerji's hand over my shoulder, and before I could shrug his hand off, his hold tightens and he turns me back to him.

"Hamare bich sharirik sambandh lag bhag do mahine se nahi bane hain. Isliye shayad tu bhoolne lagi hai ki main tera pati hoon aur tujhe mujhse izzat se paish aana chahiye."

Sameerji's voice is so low and menacing that a chill runs down my spine. Yet, I refuse to back down. I refuse to show my weakness to him anymore. Although late, I have understood that I should not be vulnerable around him. Because, if I do, he will surely take advantage of it.

"Main bhi toh aapki patni hoon, Sameerji. Jab aaj tak aapne meri izzat nahi ki, toh aap yeh mujhse izzat ki apekshya kyun rakhte hain?"

"Tu apne aap ko sunn rahi hai, Kavita? Yeh kaisi behki behki baat kar rahi hai tu? Ek patni ka dharm hota hai ki woh apni pati ki izzat kare, uska kaha huwa har baat maane. Yahi patni dharm hai tera."

"Aur aapke pati dharm ka kya, Sameerji?"

Tightening his clutch over my shoulder he pulls me closer to him.

His face was so close to me now that I could feel his breath fanning my face.

"Tu aise nahi samjhegi. Lagta hai tujhe yaad dilana hi padhega ki main tera pati hoon aur tu sirf meri patni. Chahe jo ho, tujhe mujhpe hi samarpit rehna hoga," he says, clutching my saari's pallu with his other hand and sliding it down.

As the pallu slides, he clutches the edge of my blouse to tear it open.

I ball my hands into fists and close my eyes, trying to control my fear as well as the shaking of my body.

"Mujhe pata hai agar main abhi chahun toh bhi aapko nahi rok sakti," I say, my breath hitching when I hear the slight tear of my blouse's fabric over my shoulder. "Mujhe yeh bhi pata hai agar main abhi naa kahun, roun, chillaun, tab bhi aap nahi rukenge."