A slap on my left cheek, and as my head turned to the right, I could see my upper arm bleeding from the cut of the knife he used to get my blouse off the chest. About 5 feet apart from where I lay, was my dupatta with bangles on it. I could see fine moonlight falling on them. A few of them seemed broken. I thought of the time Baba bought me these bangles. Just a day before his accident, we were at the Wednesday market of the village. I went to the market every week with Suhani and Roya. However, I knew well to keep my heart in its cage so that it doesn't run off and fall for the pretty bangles, long ghagras, small elegant purses, or anklets that had tiny flowers carved on them. I stuck to the rules of window shopping and helped Suhani and Roya overcome their indecisiveness when they bought things for themselves. Baba was working hard, day in and day out. In such low wages, we could barely afford to run the household. Buying stuff from the Wednesday market was a luxury I kept at the distance of the moon. But that Wednesday was different. Baba took me to the market and bought me a pretty blue saree, silver anklets, and these bangles. My eyes twinkled, and as inevitable it was for my heart to dance in glee, I couldn't help wondering about the expenses it would cost him. "Arnab and his son are visiting us tomorrow. All of us think you would be a great match for Kapil. Wear this tomorrow when Kapil will be here to meet you," he said with the most decent smile, trying to explain my bizarre expressions. I liked Kapil. We were friends since we learned to read, we read stories to each other, and he always played my husband for the 'Ghar Ghar' game. When I tripped on a rock along the river bank and injured my knee so bad that I was unable to play, I cried, for I was the only one sitting and watching all children run around, play hide and seek and collect pebbles that looked different with a unique smooth surface. It was Kapil who saw me crying and sat beside me the entire evening. Digging his index finger in the soil, writing our names side by side, he said, "Now you aren't the only one who cannot play. Stop crying."
My head spun, and nausea crept to my throat as I wondered what would he be thinking now that I didn't reach the fair we were supposed to meet at. Would he be worrying about me? Had the thought of me lying helpless under a monster thrusting inside me occurred to him? Is he walking every road hunting for a slight hint that would bring him to me, asking every shopkeeper to recollect their memory of seeing a girl that matches my description?
My eyes moved from the bangles to a vehicle light approaching us, I was unable to make out what kind of vehicle, but all I could see in that light was hope. I gathered all life left in my body to push away the human-looking animal kissing my breasts. As I saw the light coming closer, I screamed at the top of my lungs, crying out for help. It was a car that stopped a few meters away, the headlights went off, and a man about 40, dressed in all white, emerged from the door. I heard his footsteps approaching before I fell unconscious.
I open my eyes to a room that appeared to be someone's home. I was on a king-sized bed. There was a tiny window with lace curtains, a side table with flower vases on top, a dressing table with not so new make-up products lying recklessly on it. The same man from the car, dressed in all white, walked in the door with a glass of water in his hand. "Do you need something? " he asked me with blunt expressions and a flat voice. " I know it's a lot to ask for, but it would be very nice of you if you get me a corner to sleep for the night," I said to him with tears rolling down my cheeks. "You will sleep...... just not alone," he said as he closed the door behind him.