The Billionaire's Hero

Prologue

MONISHA SINGH

Monisha was tired and sleepy and hungry. She wanted to eat something so bad that she had actually munched on some newspaper she had found in a bunch at the corner of her room.

She shivered due to the cold in the room and the rags that she wore did little to provide her comfort. It was actually quite amusing since there wasn't a single window or a door open that would let in the cold air. She wondered if she actually died in there right that moment, will the smell of her body carry outside?

Monisha had been kind of used to it now. Her current situation and also the thought. Everytime she was in here, her brain would flash that thought.

Her family had been punishing her like this since she was five years old. It didn't matter what mistake it was. She would end up in the storage room.

The number of hours and days depended on how bad her mistake really was.

When she was little she had been smart enough to sneak when everyone was asleep and hide some of cookies and chocolates and protein bars.

But she didn't knew it would finish so fast.

She had spread out newspapers and had laid down on it as there was no blanket to sleep on. The floor was cold and scratchy.

Her face felt swollen from when she was slapped a few hours ago.

One of her father's men had already came in and had his fun with her. It had begun when she was 13. When she had complained her father had backhanded as to how she could ever question his men. 

Monisha couldn't sleep. She would be haunted for the rest of her life the way her family had treated her. Every night, in her dreams, a new face hovered above her, pining her down, raping her as her family laughed about it as if it was hilarious. 

In the middle of the night she would wake up, drenched in sweat, and sobbing.

She'd curl up in a ball and rock herself to calm down.

Her grandmother was the only one who cared about her. But she had no say as women shouldn't have their own mind. They were the slaves that were bought by men. Literally, bought by them with money. Because to families around in the village, it was curse to have a girl being born in the family.

And the parents tend to sell their daughters to men more than twice their age rather than pay dowry.

Since her family had everything, fame, money, respect. They didn't need to sell her. They did try to kill her several times when she was little but her grandmother had stepped in every single time.

Monisha had asked to go to school. She wanted to learn. Grow up. She had taught herself everything she could. She would listen to whatever her brothers were studying, standing outside their doors or windows. She had even stolen some of their old textbooks. But now at the age of 15 she had wanted, from the bottom of her heart, to study in school.

And for that her father had ordered his men to lock her up.

Luckily Monisha had a watch and she had kept a track of days. It had been somewhere around five days now.

A rattling sound echoed in the cold hard walls. Scared, Monisha curled herself in a ball and pretended to be fast asleep.

She expected to be kicked. But instead she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Manisha, wake up."

Her grandmother's voice washed down her and she shuddered in relief.

"You have to leave." She whispered in a hurry, the moment Monisha sat up straight.

She pushed a small duffel bag in her hand and some money.

"Run sweetheart. Go out the back door and run towards the bus stand. Don't look back. Run to the city and don't come back. Live your life."

That said her grandmother kissed her forehead and ran out the door that was left open.

Monisha didn't think for a second. She stood up. She felt dizzy but she didn't care.

She picked up the bag and ran out the door, towards freedom and swore to never come back.

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- Nami