Mumbai
She took firm steps towards the mandir, giving herself a pep talk to pump confidence in her that she was strong and that she could do this. However her steps faltered a bit the moment her eyes spotted the long serpentine queue and the crowd outside the sanctum sanctorum.
She avoided being amidst unknown gathering as much as possible; even if she did, she always took either of her sisters with her. The only exception was going out with her ex-fiance PP and any recollection of that terrifying incident only left her with uneasiness and fright.
The knowledge of being abducted while in known company was still fresh in her mind and petrifying even now. Being surrounded by family and still a person could grab you from behind, clutch your body painfully and cover your mouth to block your scream brought tremors throughout her system.
She suddenly had a creepy feeling like she was being closely monitored by someone. She looked around anxiously to ensure that it was just her over-active imagination. Her breathing became laboured and her palms sweaty. She silently ordered her mind to come back to the present and took steadying breaths.
But that didn't seem to calm her as she still had the nagging feeling of being watched and that unsettled her. The phone in her hand seemed to slip from her grip. She switched it to the other hand and wiped her shaking palm across her pallu to get rid of the moisture it held.
She once again glanced around nervously to calm her agitated mind only to catch her husband's challenging yet mocking gaze. She frowned for a moment; his cunning stare didn't give her the jitters she was experiencing currently.
She felt deep in her heart that there was someone other than her husband who was watching her and this time the dread gradually crept into her veins.
She wanted to turn around, run and get back inside the safe confines of the car even if she had to endure her husband's taunts all the way back home. But the thought of not taking darshan because of some unknown and seemingly imaginary threat made her feel weak and defeated. And she was anything but that, she chided herself.
She shook her head trying to release the disturbing thoughts and went towards the congested area; all the while tuning her mind on chanting God's name. But the uneasiness didn't subside however much she tried. Every time she moved, or someone's shoulder brushed against hers or someone's hand accidentally touched hers she jolted in panic. She kept glancing backwards, sideways and everywhere her eyesight could reach.
She prayed for the line to move faster but it was going at snail's pace. She breathed a huge sigh of relief as she finally entered the sanctum after almost two hours. It felt like the longest two hours of her entire life.
She gave the Pooja thaali to the pandit and closed her eyes to pray when she felt something crawl up her arm. She yelped in fright only to notice that it was her saree flapping against her arm. Her eyes still scanned the crowd cautiously; unable to understand what exactly she was looking for.
She staggered back a little when she met the pandit's eyes at close quarters. Murmuring her thanks, she exited the place hastily leaving behind a curious set of onlookers.
She needed air, fresh air to cool her disturbed state of mind. She looked for the exit and rushed out in a hurry to escape the claustrophobia she felt inside the packed temple. She hunched forward in a move to catch her erratic breath and used her saree to wipe the sweat beads across her forehead.
And just when she thought she felt a little better someone shouted stampede' behind her, irking the silent crowd. And that was the beginning of utter chaos with people rushing about in all and from all directions frantically searching for way to escape the impending disaster.
She was rooted to the spot, unable to move an inch. It was like her brain stopped functioning and she didn't understand what to do and her mind was drawing a blank. Extreme terror gripped her and she couldn't decipher the happenings around her.
Just when her trembling form jolted out of the trance and made a move towards the exit gate she felt a pair of hands push her. She fell down with a thud, the Pooja thaali and phone bounced out of her hands and scattered all over.
She used her palms to break her fall and winced when the bruise from previous night met rough asphalt. Her elbow hit the ground and so did her knees making her face twist in pain. The fall made her lose her breath and her edginess knew no bounds now.
She got up gradually only for someone to have unintentionally push her down again. She yelped in anguish when her knees hit the ground once more.
She succeeded in her second attempt to stand and scrambled around searching for her phone and simultaneously looked around to detect if someone deliberately pushed her. All she came across were panicked faces just like hers trying to anxiously leave the area.
She found her phone and looked at its broken screen cursing her bad luck. She tried to turn it on but to no avail. She realised that she first needed to get away from the temple and then attempt to get her phone started.
Her stinging feet made walking difficult, but she still managed to limp towards to exit and stumbled a bit out of exhaustion; she felt something cool graze the skin of her waist just about the same time. She didn't have any energy left to look at what it was; she moved with the flow of the troop and eventually made it outside.
The relief she experienced however was short lived when she felt throbbing pain at her midriff. She glanced downwards to find blood oozing out of a wound and her saree starting to stain with it. She used her empty palm to secure the wounded area.
Her face contorted with agony and the shock of the injury made her wobble a bit; the thought of what caused the wound plaguing her mind. Suppressed panic seemed to find a way into her mind and she was once again transported to the time when the skin of her thigh was purposely sliced by her tormentor using his spear.
Her eyes drifted shut just as her body started swaying; the weariness of the entire episode finally catching up with her. She heard a panicked voice yelling, "Chandini" before a strong set of arms stopped her body from collapsing to the floor.
TBC
