Begusarai

033

Niyati remembers it vividly.

The innocent soul she once was, before she fell in love with the man of anyone's dreams-Achintya. How lucky she had thought herself to be, to have found someone like him, who was willing to put societal norms and judgments behind and love her.

It was an intense and gripping love, one that sometimes suffocated her, yet most of the time, it was something she could hardly breathe without. As if oxygen was necessary for living, Achintya was necessary for her.

The man for whom she lied to her parents, her friends-putting everything behind just to be with him.

Panic gripped her throat as Shekhar's voice interrupted from the side, surely alerting Vijay, though he was nowhere to be seen. It must have been the adrenaline pumping through her veins that allowed her feet to move.

It must have been survival instinct that made her clutch the bottle in her hand and bolt outside, even as thudding steps followed behind her.

"VIJAY... VIJAY... THE BITCH IS RUNNING AWAY... VIJAY..." Shekhar yelled, trying his best to keep his eyes open.

But it was too late. Niyati was already outside the main door. Shekhar ran after her, only to slip on the floor, his body crashing hard as he fell face-first into a puddle of blood.

"Fuck," he groaned aloud before lying still, his body refusing to cooperate.

Once Vijay knew what had happened, he would be dead meat.
_

Niyati had no idea where she was. As far as her eyes could see, the place was barren and lonely-no shops, no vehicles, only tall grass obscuring the dilapidated buildings. They had kept her in what looked like a factory, but she had managed to escape. Yet, her problems were far from over. She had no idea where to go, which road to take, whom to trust, or when to hide. Niyati was utterly lost.

Her head throbbed, on the verge of splitting open, and the back of her cotton kurta was soaked in blood. The wound had been bleeding steadily since Vijay had thrown her to the floor, making her head spin and her body sway. Finding balance was nearly impossible; she was out of control.

And then came the roar that made her heart stop.

"NIYATI..." She turned around, her heart sinking as she saw Vijay standing there, murder in his eyes.

Suddenly, she was running-running to save herself, knowing that if he caught her, there would be no tomorrow, no light to dispel the darkness he would bring. She ran on weak, trembling legs, her throat tight, her heart pounding in her mouth. She could feel him getting closer, even without turning around. The smell of alcohol and sweat grew stronger, more nauseating.

"Run... because once I get you, I'm going to beat every single bone out of your legs-"

Oh Goddess, help her, please. Summoning what little strength she had left, Niyati suddenly hurled herself backward, catching Vijay by surprise. She stabbed him with the broken bottle, using all her might. He howled in pain.

"I'm sorry... but an animal like you deserves this," she whispered fiercely, pushing the bottle deeper into his upper thigh.

She was about to run again, hoping to take advantage of his temporary distraction, when Vijay's hand shot out and clutched her throat from behind. "Ahhh..."

"Not so fast-" he hissed, leaning close to her ear, about to say something cruel. But their struggle came to an abrupt halt as the sound of screeching tires filled the air, and Achintya's Jeep came into view.

_

Achintya had thought this through.

If even a single strand of her hair was harmed, Vijay would die an excruciating, painful death. If not, Vijay would still die a slow, agonizing death.