Daayre | ✔

Chapter Twenty

A horrid silence filled in the atmosphere of Shantivan--nothing was heard, not even the sounds of breathing. Some seemed to have lost their voice in some corner of their throat as their mouth opened and closed with no sound coming out. Those who somehow had their voice, stood quietly, not daring to speak. 

The officers simply waited patiently for the last revelation so that they could move, as according to their Arjun sir's orders.

"M..my husband.."

Nikita's low croak was equivalent to an explosion in this pin drop silence, causing them to almost flinch in surprise. They nonetheless, remained speechless, allowing Nikita to continue after a few more seconds' composure. Once sure she would be able to withstand recounting her ghastly past, she spoke,

"My name is Nikita, Nikita Bakshi. Eight years back, I used to live in Darjeeling with my dad. He, he was the sole support of my life after the demise of my mother. Being a manager in a renowned company, he was able to fulfill my every necessity. I had everything, but most importantly, I had him. He loved me more than anything, we, we were happy." Her sight went out of focus and her voice reduced into a scared whisper as if she was not retelling her past but instead, living her past all over again.

"But then everything changed." Her whisper broke and her body trembled as if what resided in her said past, was a monster closing in on her, "That day I was returning home from my business course. The car broke down but my house was not that far away. So I decided to walk. I was walking but, but then, a group of boys came out of nowhere. They--they closed in on me."

"I--I was scared. They were four, I was alone. They--they started touching me and I tried to run but I couldn't. I was being weakened, I was, I was loosing my strength to pure disgust."

Gasps broke in the hall again but Nikita did not register any of it. She was lost in the past and was now shuddering; the past played like a movie in front of her.

"But then, just as I felt I would lose it all, something happened. He came." For the first time since she started talking, Nikita acknowledged someone in the hall; Shyam, her hatred for him intact in her eyes, as she added, "He saved me."

"I did not know what was happening. I was losing conscious but I knew that I was saved. The goons fled and he took me to the hospital. The doctor knew my father and so he called him. He broke down upon seeing me but he was also relieved that at least I was safe. But, but I was traumatised. I was lost in sadness. I was scarred. That was when he took the first step in our heart. He stayed with us, he consoled us. He introduced himself as Ajay Raheja, a reputed lawyer and promised us to get a hold on those goons as soon as possible and even though we never got news on those boys, he continued to penetrate our lives."

"He started visiting us frequently. First it was once every few months, then it became once every month, then soon, it became a daily habit for us to see him in our house. We were both alone and he said he was an orphan so we thought we were merely seeking solace in each other. He then became more than just an acquaintance--he became my friend. My only friend. He preyed on my loneliness, reassured me that he was there for me and soon, I fell for him. That's why when Dad proposed our marriage, I agreed. I couldn't imagine my life without him."

"So we got married. It was the most wonderful day of my life, or so I thought it was. But after the marriage we had to stay back. Dad suddenly fell sick, he was unable to manage on his own and so Ajay volunteered to take care of him. He proved himself to be so worthy, so kind, so helpful and I fell deeper in love. Few weeks later, however, dad died but still, I thought I had my husband. I thought I had his support but it all changed. He started behaving weirdly. Phone calls in the middle of the night, his frustrations and sudden outbursts, it all got me worried. I thought he was in some trouble but was not telling me. So I decided to keep an eye on him, and that's when I realized how big of a fool I was."