Drugged Love (On Hold)

21, Part 2

Elena's face tensed and her brows furrowed. Ishan knew something was starkly wrong. He had to know now. He silently stared at Elena, urging her to say something.

"I don't know how to say this, "she uttered and looked nervously at her feet.

"Just say it Elena. You know you can trust me." Ishan said in a calm, composed tone.

She sighed, and said. "My father abuses me. And my mother. Physically." she winced as the words came out.

Ishan stood there and looked at her completely puzzled. Was he hearing what she was saying? This was insane on so many levels that he could not begin to fathom what it meant. He wished he had heard something wrong and Elena would correct her. Or she would break into wild bouts of laughter and say something like, "Look at your face. I was kidding."

"I don't understand Elena. You mean he hits you?"Ishan asked.

"Yes", Ishan heard it clearly. It was he who winced this time.

The image of Elena's father, the brutal drug lord, the money hungered face of the man tress passed through his mind. The cold stark eyes, the constant twisted expression and the malice in his grin were intimidating enough. He could not bring himself to imagine what he would do if he decided to hurt somebody. He only wished Elena was exaggerating her story.

"How? How bad is it? You mean like he slaps you and your mom? And for what?"

Elena's sounded devastated, "I don't know why. I guess he gets off of it. It has been going since two years now. Since we've been here and he had had his drug obsession. We're quite helpless. His men are everywhere. Literally everywhere. Inside the house and outside the house. We can't complain to anyone. He threatens my mom that he'll do things to me and make others do things to me if we try to seek outside help, "She blurted out in a single breath.

Ishan was overwhelmed by the emotions that swayed his mind. How did he feel? He didn't know. Was he helpless too? Were the words of Elena having little to no effect on her because of the fact that he could indeed imagine her father to be like this? Or was there anger somewhere embedded deep within him.

"And you ask how bad is it? "She allowed herself a sarcastic chuckle.

"I have scars all over my fucking body. She beats us with his hands, his shoes, sometimes even his belt. He'll look for small completely senseless reasons to do it. When he has had a bad day at work, he never spares us. We are his punching bags Ishan. And he doesn't stop until he sees blood. It's like he likes to hear us scream and beg him for mercy."

Ishan gulped hard at what he was hearing.

"I can't believe this Elena. How could he do this to his own wife and his own daughter?"Ishan could only say.

Elena said, "I hate him Ishan. If I had the chance to kill him, I would do it without any hesitation. "Elena said, with unflinching eyes. Ishan was terrified at what he saw in her eyes. She had never seen Elena's eyes clouded by murderous rage. He had no doubt that she would do it if it ever came down to it.

"Scars?" Ishan asked, unable to imagine what Elena was going through. The fact that he hit her was already hard to digest but he hit her so hard that it left scars was completely outrageous.

"Yes. You don't believe me?"

"No. I believe—"

"You want me to show you? "She raised her voice.

"No, it's fine El—" Ishan tried to speak before being cut off again.

"Lift my top, "she interrupted and turned around with her back towards Ishan.

"What? No. I believe you." Ishan was flustered now. He was not sure if this was a right moment to be flushed as he was.

"Just do it for God's sake, "Elena shouted.

With shaking hands Ishan lifted her top holding it at the ends, revealing her back inch by inch. A white bangage appeared, as Elena said, "He hit me with the belt and the buckle cut my skin open causing that. When I was with you that day, the wound opened up. And so I ran. Now do you believe me?"

Ishan could not believe his eyes. The bandage extended from the small of her back to the right end of it. He was left without words, he could only look.

Elena turned around frantically, "See" She lifted her top again from the front unveiling her stomach. A few small scars adorned her flesh. They were mostly small, like the ends of a fairly sharp object had brushed her skin.

She went onto push her top downwards, and a scar in the shape of a leaf revealed itself just above her cleavage. Ishan stood wide eyed in utter shock. He found that his fists were clenched now, he felt rage. She could not watch Elena like this and imagine her being subjected to enormous amounts of pain.

"How can he do this Elena. This is wrong." Ishan cried.

"He has everything on his side. We are completely stranded "Elena sighed. She had calmed down now and leaned with her back against one of the racks.

He looked into the pools of Elena's hopeless eyes and he could sense her helplessness. It seemed she had already given up any hope of things getting better and accepted her fate. This infuriated Ishan. He could not bear to think the number of times Elena had been tortured. She had watched her mother being beaten in front of her own eyes.

"My mom cries to sleep every night. I swear if it wasn't for me, she would have killed herself already." Elena finally broke into tears covering her eyes, pressing her eyes with her fingers trying to send them back as if tears were a luxury and she had to save them for future nights when she would need them more than this moment. Ishan pulled her close and she let her face rest on his shoulder as the sounds of her muzzled cries sank Ishan.

Ishan felt the weight of her tears on his shoulders. He knew not how but what he had to do. What he must do.

"I promise you Elena. I will get you out of this. We will both be out of this. I promise "he said with his mouth close to Elena's ear.

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