[Un]conditional Love (A Hate/Love Story)

46. Mr. X

Mom is cooking dinner for us.

My brother and I - we are playing.

"And I win" he jumps in joy and peeling up the shirt off his body, he starts jumping. What's this with boys when they win something?

He runs as I try to catch him. In the doorway he bumps with someone and falls down.

I run to him.

I look up and find who just entered the room. Lawrence Richards - my so called step dad.

I took my brother up and my mom said both of us to go outside the house and wait in the lawn. I don't argue with her. Never.

We both went out and sit there under the peach tree. It has been a regular routine.

[2 hours later]

My brother is asleep in my arm and I too didn't know that it had been dark as I myself got slept.

I took my little brother in my arms as I carry him towards our house - then to his bedroom.

I put my brother in the bed, then hear my mom's crying. I quickly run towards her room.

In shadows I can see that he takes a step towards mom and mom backs up. Once he reaches her, he slaps her hard. I can't control it anymore and run to save my mom.

As I burst into the room, a sight of my mom on the ground waiting for another hit from him comes up. I run towards my mom and I get a hit instead my mom from him. The belt across my skin withdraws and my skin burns out.

As I try to stop him, he pushes me and comes to hit me too.

On my stomach.

It hurts... It hurts so much....

It hurts me....

I jerk up the bed. Beads of sweat grinding down my forehead. My breathing is ragged. I'm fighting for breathing.

That was just past.

Get yourself together Nandini. Your in present now. Past is past and we can't change it.

I dive my head in my palms as I rub my forehead when only everything comes up in my mind.

Harshad... Oh shit...

After I fainted I remember nothing.

Am I raped ?

Oh my god... Oh my god.... Oh my god... No. It can't happen. Not at all.

Fear rushes through my body . Panicking I trace my body. I'm still wearing my cloths .

I look around and I found that I'm in my room.

What?

I peel the top up my head and search for any marks of violence or something like that. But nothing like that.

I try to move and then I get that I'm not raped. I sigh as my head falls back .

My phone starts ringing. I don't want to pick it up. Life's so like a misery. And I'm here wishing for someone to lead me the right path and resolve all this melancholy for me.

I could feel the salt in my mouth. What's going on? I can't stop the tears flowing down eyes across my forehead as I lay there like a dead body.

Who saved me?

May be Manik.

But how would...

I don't know why but I have some instinct that he save me like last time.