⚠️‼️The following chapter contains domestic violence (scene) and triggering personalities. Skip if you're not comfortable with such stuff.
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Sugandha's pov
• Flashback to 2 years ago.
I was cooking in the kitchen with Saraswati Maa Ji. It was 9 pm, Vardhan Ji must be coming back at any moment.
My heart races with fear every time I hear his name or think of him. And… as expected, I heard the main door opening. I gulped in fear and covered my head with my pallu.
I was scared to serve him, but… I had no choice since I was his literal maid.
My hands were shaking while serving him. He seemed to notice it. He reeked of alcohol, which I despise.
After I was done serving, I stepped back and stood aside. I clutched onto my sadi, praying that he liked it and… leaves me alone for today.
Then I watched some women enter into the house. They… looked like prostitutes. This was a daily routine now. Every day a new woman appears in this house.
"Kya dekh rahi hai?? Chal mere pao daba." He yelled out.
(What are you watching!? Start pressing my legs already.)
I flinched and nodded. I started pressing his legs with my shivering hands, and he started eating with those women all over him.
Then I watched his father enter the house. I was extremely scared of him; he had no ounce of mercy on anyone.
"Can't you keep control of your wife?? Look at what this bitch did. She was about to send a letter to her parents about how she wanted to escape this house." Vardhan's father passed the letter to his son.
My heart stopped racing at that moment. h..how did he get a hold of it? I was petrified of the consequences of this.
I fell back on the ground and my gaze fell onto Vardhan ji. He was looking at me with such furious orbs.
When he got up and crouched down to my level, my stomach dropped by his raging aura.
"So, you took an oath to ruin my family's name again." He spoke while he gripped my cheeks harshly.
Tears brimmed in my eyes. I was scared of what he was going to do now.
"J…ji nahi, saheb… jaane dijiye hume, dard horaha hai. H…hum aise firse kabhi nahi karenge. K…kisise b..baat tak nahi karenge." I muttered.
(No, Saheb. Please let me go, it's hurting. I'll not do it again, I'll not even talk to anyone again.)
He started laughing like a monster. He legit looked like one, and his creepy figure was making my body shake with fear.
He clutched the back of my hair tightly and dragged me into the kitchen while I screamed for help.
Sadly, no one can save me from him. But… I still try. Hoping that one day I'd get to escape this hell.
He lifted me with a grip on my hair and I yelped in pain. My eyes widened when he lit the fire.
"N…no, p…please. I beg you, Saheb. J..just show some mercy for this one… I'll not make the same mistake again." I started begging him while crying.
He held my hand firmly and forwarded it towards the fire. No matter how much I tried to stop him or pull my hand back, I couldn't match his strength.
I cried out in pain when the fire hit my skin and burnt my palm. My body couldn't handle it, and I kept begging him to stop.
He let go of my hand, and I immediately pulled it back and sobbed while looking at it. It was hurting a lot; my hand was quivering because of the trauma.
He then kicked me from the back, and I fell on my face. My tears were smeared on the floor, and I continued to sob.
I flinched when I heard the whip sound. My heart was pounding out of my chest in fear.
I yelled out in agony when the whip touched my back. He kept whipping me without stopping for a second, and the torture was unbearable.
After a while, my back went numb, and I had no more energy to let out any more sobs. I just closed my eyes and prayed for death.
Each strike was shattering my heart, mind, and physical strength.
I let out a final cry because of the affliction he was putting on me, and then….
I woke up.
• Present
My eyes opened wide, and I sat up. My whole body was sweating profusely.
My frame was still shivering, and I looked down at my palm, it had a burnt scar…
I flinched when I heard a voice behind me.
"Sugandha, what happened? You screamed in your sleep. Did you have a nightmare?" Rudra ji asked.
I…it was a dream... Yes, it was a dream. I escaped the nightmare in reality, but… I can't seem to escape it from my own mind.
Tears welled up, and I couldn't contain them. I was thankful that I was able to get away from that life. And the torments finally came to an end. But I could never forget a single day that I spent there. I just keep dreaming of that bastard and how he used to torture me.
Author pov
Rudra was concerned looking at her state. Sugandha was not speaking a word, so Rudra hesitantly held her shoulder, and it was enough for Sugandha to fall into his arms.
She was crying against his embrace. Rudra was confused but also paranoid looking at her figure.
He hugged her back and caressed her hair softly.
"It's just a nightmare… I'm here." Rudra said reassuringly.
Sugandha clung to him, afraid to let go. "P…please don't leave me… ever." She muttered.
Rudra's gaze softened, and his grip got tighter around her. "No, I won't. I'll always protect you, okay? Now calm down." He said.
Sugandha hummed against his chest. She felt secure when she was with Rudra.
"Rudra ji… What if t…that creature (Vardhan) comes back…?" Sugandha inquired.
"Were you dreaming about him? Is that why you're so scared?" Rudra questioned.
Sugandha nodded; it earned a deep sigh from Rudra. "He'll not come back. He's dead. And if he wasn't, then I would've killed him again." Rudra spoke with anger.
He felt pity for her. She looked so vulnerable against him, and her petrified face was a sign of how much torment she had endured.
Just by looking at her scars, one can imagine her situation and past. It's just igniting the fire within Rudra. He wants to kill that Vardhan again… and again… and again… in every fucking life.
Then they heard a knock on their door, and Rudra groaned in annoyance.
"Who is it?" He asked.
The person from the other side spoke. "Indra…"
Rudra broke the hug and got up from the bed. He then opened the door.
"What happened, bhaiya?" He asked.
"Sugandha's parents are on the front porch; they want to meet her." Indra said.
Rudra didn't want them here, he hated her parents.
"Tell them to leave. She'll not see them." Rudra said.
"I think you should ask Sugandha's opinion. Whether she wants to meet them or not." Indra said.
Sugandha didn't know how to feel about this. When Rudra turned back and looked at her, Sugandha was deep in her thoughts. He wanted to hear her say 'no'
"I…I'll meet them." Sugandha said.
This answer of hers really disappointed Rudra, but he didn't argue about it.
They all make their way towards the area where her parents are waiting.
"Sugandha!!" Her mother yelled in happiness and hugged her tightly.
Even though her parents were also the reason behind her dark past, she just can't help but accept her embrace. She's so attached to her family.
When she saw her younger brother, she immediately pulled him into a hug. She adores him a lot. She missed their bond, memories, and love.
"How are you, didi" Raghu asked with a smile.
"I'm very happy. What about you?" Sugandha said.
"We're fine, didi. But… we miss you a lot." He said.
Rudra scoffed. "Why are you guys here now? You didn't even attend our wedding. You people just left her to rot in that house." He said.
Sugandha's parents bowed their heads in shame. They had no reply, because they knew that they were wrong.
"We're here to ask if… we can take Sugandha didi with us. We want to spend a few days with her in our house." Raghu said.
"No, she'll not come. This is her house now." Rudra said.
Indra observed Sugandha's face, trying to read her emotions.
"Let Sugandha speak for herself." Indra said.
Sugandha glanced at her parents. She was contemplating whether to go or not. But deep down, she missed her parental house. It's been 5 years…
She took a deep inhale and spoke out. "I'll go."
This made Rudra really upset and a bit angry. He stormed off to his room after her answer. Sugandha felt a bit guilty about her decision, but she was also very confused as to why Rudra was overreacting. I mean, he's the one who told her not to expect anything from him and this marriage.
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