KUCH NAYE FEELINGS

17.Zakhm

TRIGGER WARNING ⚠️: DO NOT READ THIS NARRATIVE IF SOMETHING MIGHT TRIGGER YOU. Nothing more important than your health and this chapter is about Aarohi revealing the full incident of her case to Neil. IT MIGHT TRIGGER.

Neil and Aarohi were having the biryani that Aarohi made for their lunch.
Neil: yeh bohot acha bana hai chipkali. Main yeh biryani pura zindagi kaa sakta hun.
Aarohi chuckling said
Aarohi: lekin main zindagi bhar nahi bana sakti
Neil also laughed at her and said
Neil: aur banana bhi nahi. Sadiyon main ek baar banaoge toh value rahega.
Aarohi smiled.
They had their dinner quietly.
Aarohi was in the kitchen washing her plate. Neil got up from the table with the plate and he hit his leg to the table. He dropped the plate while an utter of pain left from his mouth.
Aarohi turned back in terror.
Watching her, Neil realised that he dropped something that might have already triggered her.
To his surprise, Aarohi ran to the TV cabinet, bent down and grabbed the first aid-box and she put a band-aid on Neil's toe.
Aarohi got up and sat on the chair.
Neil: sorry mujhe sambhal ke rehna chahiye tha! Mujhe laga ki tumhe kuch trigger hoga... Tum thik toh ho na?
Aarohi: haan! Main thik hoon. Mujhe nahi pata kaise.
Said Aarohi blankly looking at the broken pieces of the plate.
Neil held her hand as if he was assuring that he is there for her.
Aarohi:(looking at their hands) shayad isiliye kyuki mujhe pata hai ki tum ho mere saath.
Neil immediately got up from his chair and hugged her. Aarohi sits on the chair and Neil stands in front of her. Aarohi's head on his chest and hands around his waist, she was crying as if a 8 year old Aarohi found her lost mother.
Neil: ek baat puchu kya?
Aarohi: kya?
Neil: tumne kabhi case kyun nahi karvaya... Us vikrant ke khilaf?
Aarohi:(taking a long breath) Bade papa...
Neil: mujhe yeh baat toh samajh mein aagayi ki tum vikrant ki random victim toh nahi ho! Hua kya tha? Kaise Mila voh tumhe? Aur bade papa ne case kyun nahin karne diya?
Aarohi: uske papa aur bade papa buisness partners the.
Neil: toh Bhai babhi ke shaadi main anjaan kyun ban rahe the.
Aarohi: taaki meri baat bahar Naa aa sake.
Neil: phir...?
Aarohi: bade papa ne vikrant ka rishta laaye the mere liye.
Neil: rishta... us ke saath. Soch kya rahe the bade papa?
Aarohi: sochte hi kahan hai mere baare main?
Meri aur vikrant ki sagai bhi ho chuki thi.
Phir ek din usne call Kiya aur Kahan 'sagai bhi ho chuki hai par hum Aaj Tak saath mein time bhi spend nahi kiye.' Toh maine us se poocha tha ki 'kahin date pe chale?'
Neil: tum ne poocha!
Aarohi: haan. Phir date, time, jagah sab usne fix kiya. Us jagah bohot isolated tha. Purani bandh padi koi cafe. Maine pucha us se ki 'bandh padi cafe mein date pe kaun aata hai'. Usne Kahan 'kuch plan Kiya hai usne mere liye'.
Neil: isolated?
Aarohi: haan. Bohot door logon ki aawaz, traffic ki awaaz aarahi thi.
(Now crying) He asked me if he can kiss me. Woh mera mangethar tha, maine bhi reciprocate karne ki koshish ki. Lekin voh dheere dheere mujhe touch karne laga. Main door hat gayi thi. Kahan tha ki rukh jaaye. Kaha tha Maine ki 'I'm not ready'. Usne nahi maana. Mujhe niche giraya and he was forcing himself on me.(Said Aarohi with her breaking voice).
That was when I realised he was...date-raping me. Mai kuch nahi kar paayi. Saari raat...(She stopped there and started crying loudly and was barely able to breathe).
Mai sirf kiss kar Rahi thi aur usne...
Koi Maan ne ke liye taiyaar hai hi nahi ki main uske saath date pe jaau yaa phir uske saath sagai ho jaaye... uska koi haq nahi banta ki voh mere saath jabardasti kare.

Neil hugged her. This has broke him.

Neil: case kyun nahi kiya?
Aarohi: jab ghar pe yeh baat pata chala toh bade papa ne mujhe ek zor ki thappad lagaye the. Ek dum vaise jaise meri baar baar naa kehne par us vikrant ne zor se lagaya tha. Aur tumhe pata hai bade papa ne kya Kahan tha.
Neil: kya? (Said with a shivering voice...he was scared to hear what her family did to her. after all she is the victim).
Aarohi: unhone kaha tha ki 'shaadi Tak rukh nahi sakti thi kya'. Jab bade papa Maan ne ke liye taiyaar hi nahi hai ki mere saath jabardasti hui aur Jo bhi hua usme meri Marzi nahi hai toh case kya karvaenge. Jaise bhi karke maine us shaadi rokh diya. Ghar vaale bhi nahi maane the par Bhai aur akshu bade papa ke khilaf Jaa kar case nahi karvana chahte the. Phir akele Jaa kar case karke ladne ki himmat nahi bachi mujh me.
Neil: vikrant police station main hai lekin uspe attempt to rape ka case hai. Hum jaaenge aur f.i.r. likhva kar aaenge. Is baar tum akeli nahi ho. Tum akeli nahi ladoge. Main tumhare saath ladunga. Usne attempt to rape nahi rape kiya hai usne.
He turned towards her and cupped her face.
Neil: usko uski kiye ki saza milni chahiye.
He now held her hands.
Neil: usne tumhe aise zakhm diya hai ki tumhe zindagi bhar ke liye bhi bhulana mushkil hai. Voh bahar khule ghum raha tha itne dino se aur use andaaza Tak nahi hoga ki jis ladki ke saath usne Aisa Kiya uski toh Puri zindagi upside down ho gayi. Koi ladka agar paas bhi kada ho toh panick ho jaati ho aur voh pata nahi aur kitne ladkiyon ko aise zindagi bhar ke liye traumatize kar raha hai.

Hey guys... After a very long time. Hope you did not forget the story or me. Writing after my one whole month of exams. How was the chapter? Do comment and vote if you like it.