Durga | ✓

30. He Has Arrived

Durga wiped her tears. It is not wise to shed tears for unworthy people.

She slowly made way to her living room. Though it was four in the evening, the black clouds made it look like as if it was seven o'clock. She switched on the light and went to kitchen. She was thinking about her dinner preparations.

The door bell rung and Durga literally jumped. It's just doorbell. Why do you have to be so scared? But who could come at this hour? Must be the man who delivers milk. After all it is starting of the month. Hmmmm, I will receive my salary tomorrow. I will tell him to come tomorrow.

She went near the door. She closed her left eye and looked cautiously through the small hole on the door with her right eye. She could see a man but his back was facing towards her. Opening the door, she asked, "Excuse me, whom do you want to meet?"

"I want to meet Durga." replied a man. His voice was oddly familiar to her.

"Well, I am Durga. Tell me how can I help you?"

"Can you ask her why she left me?"

"Huh?... Why would I leave you until... Indrajeet?"

The man turned and said, "Thank God you remember me. How are you Durga?"

"What are you doing here? You were in the hospital."

"Durga! I have recently undergone liver transplant. I am feeling tired. Don't you have any manners? Wouldn't you call me in?"

Durga looked at him with surprise. Yet she quickly gathered her wits and tried to close the door. Though Indrajeet was still weak, he managed to push the door and stepped into her house. Durga pushed him but he held fistful of her hairs. "How could you even think of tricking me?"

***

Rudra sat in his house very confused. The sudden turn of events had shocked him. Hearing a low knock, he went opened the door without any enthusiasm. Finding a familiar face, he looked even more shocked.

"You? Here? I had told you to keep an eye on Indrajeet. What are you doing here."

The private detective whispered, "I followed Indrajeet from Bengaluru to Mysore. He has headed to Durga's house. I tried to call you from nearby PCO but you didn't pick up my calls. I decided that I should warn you, so I came here."

"What? I must go and help her."

"Wait mister hero. You should ask help of police."

"But what if it is too late?"

"Well, don't keep thinking here. We need to go immediately."

Rudra nodded. Don't worry Durga. I will be there on time.

***

Indrajeet held fistful of her hairs. "How could you even think of tricking me?"

Durga screamed in pain. "Indrajeet l-leave me. I a-am t-telling you t-that if y-you don't l-leave me, then i-it won't b-be good f-for you." Durga stammered.

Indrajeet laughed. "What would you do? You were helpless when I had added saccharine. You were helpless when your father had died. You were helpless when you came here. You are still helpless."

Sudden rush of anger entered in her blood. Her heart started beating very fast. She had closed her eyes breathing heavily. Incidents of her past six years came in front of her. She didn't know why her body was reacting in this way but she knew what had to be done. She opened her eyes slowly.

She analysed the situation. Her left arm was near Indrajeet's abdomen. Without wasting a moment her left elbow hit his abdomen, little towards the right. She had accidently hit the spot where his liver was located. Opening his right fist, he sat down of the floor. Durga, now free from his clutches, looked at him. She quickly went to dial the number on the landline.

"Durga!" snarled Indrajeet. He got up slowly and walked towards her. Durga had dialled four digits of the local police landline number when Indrajeet pulled her right arm. She swirled, the receiver from her hand fell down.

She glared at him. He continued to tighten his grip on her right wrist. Durga remembered the techniques that she had read while translating Silambam. She bought her left palm, tilting it to an angle, at a spot where she could easily numb him for some seconds. The spot was the place where one's neck and shoulder meet.

As a result, Indrajeet was numb for some seconds. She freed her wrist from his tightened grip. She took hold of his left wrist and bought it behind his back. He was about to come in his senses when she hit him hard on his back with her elbow.

"This is for torturing me."

Indrajeet screamed in pain. Durga couldn't stop here. She repeated the blow again.

"This is for killing my Appa."

Indrajeet whined even more loudly. He wanted to say something but he couldn't. Meanwhile Durga's anger had reached to its peak. She didn't know that she should stop hitting him otherwise it would be dangerous. Her elbow hit his back, at the same spot.

"This is for making my life hell and shattering my self confidence."

Indrajeet screamed in agony. But Durga couldn't stop here. Her anger was now controlling her body. She was about to hit when she felt her anger was slowly subsiding. Similar kind of feeling? Again? Could it be...

"Durga!" screamed Rudra. He ran towards her. He freed Indrajeet from her iron grip. Durga sat on the sofa. A lady constable asked her, "What happened? This man told us that you were being physically harassed and you are hitting him?"

Durga looked at her. She was calm now. "This man used to physically harass me when I was married. I had given him divorce a month ago, he came here. He forcefully came into my house. He took fistful of my hair. I admit that I hit him but it was for self defence."

The lady constable nodded. They went with Indrajeet. The police inspector said, "Rudra, you must come with us to police station. We need lodge a complaint against him."

Durga took a glass of water from the table in front of the sofa. She gulped the water quickly. Thank you Devi Shakti, if Rudra Sir and police wouldn't have come on time then... wait a minute... how come Rudra Sir came to know that Indrajeet was here... how did he knew beforehand that Indrajeet might physically abuse me?

I had told him that I was a victim of domestic violence. I had never given him any details... how did he come to know? Let him lodge the complaint, I will ask answers to all my questions.

***

What do you think would be Rudra's answer?

Thank you for reading.