Flashback
(4 years ago)

After bidding bye to her two friends, Nandini moved out of her college only to be stopped by a huge crowd at the college's entrance. She peeked into the scenario and she saw there was some fight going on between the two guys, they looked nothing less than roadside hoodlum fighting on a very petty issue. She shook her head and started walking into the direction of the bus stop to catch a bus.

While passing the crowd she heard the abuses and sounds of growling, she felt disgusted. She never liked such people and she stayed 100 feet away from such people.

The fight started when a guy from street started abusing Sumit when he was pasting the poster of one political party on the nearby wall, that person got affected by it as he was supporter of another political party and scene started with him throwing verbal abuses and threats on Sumit which provoked him to flight and it turned into a physical violence within a minute.

The other guy, after finding a way through the crowd, started running for his life. Sumit tried chasing him but because his knee was injured during the fight he couldn't run faster and due to exhaustion he just fell on his knees on the nearby footpath. Just when his knees touched the ground Nandini took a step back due to a sudden hurdle in her way.

Without looking at her he asked for water, he was in dire need of water. She looked at him, he was breathing heavily, trying to catch his breath. Usually she never entertains the flights or people associated with it but what she can do when someone is asking her for water.

Hesitatingly she offered him her medium sized purple bottle, he took it in desperation and emptied it in one go.

“Thank you” he stood up and held the bottle in front of her and that was the moment where he saw her face and he was awestruck with her beauty. It's good he didn't see her face before otherwise he wouldn't have dared to ask water from her because she looked out of reach for him and he didn't intend on pursuing her either but he was glad to see her once in a lifetime.

Her hands were shivering little when she took that bottle from him, she was scared enough to be in proximity of someone who was equally involved in a violence. He saw her trembling and realised that she was scared of him.

“Hey don't worry, I am not a roadside goon …… I don't pick fights with any random person ……That man and I know each other and we are supporting different political parties so these fights are common between us ….. There's nothing to be scared of” he explained himself. He wanted to come clean in front of her so she won't be scared of such things again.

“That is not a very valid reason to fight …. It's completely okay to follow the different parties …. I don't think so violence is justified here” she dared to utter the words in protest of his thought process.

“He didn't only abuse me but also our leader so what was I supposed to do? ….. Wouldn't you do the same if someone who you respect a lot is being abused by a random person?” He questioned her to prove his point.

“I won't involve myself in violence …. I don't get my hands dirty by touching the dirt” she shrugged her shoulders and started moving forward in order to go far away from him before anyone could see her walking on a road that too with a boy. Though they don't even know each other's name and there's a three feet distance still any known person will see her and will spread a rumor that he/ she saw her roaming on streets with her boyfriend.

“You are right, I'm nothing but a dirt” he said being gloomy, he felt highly insecure in his own skin.

“Why would you say that?” She stopped after hearing him and turned to see him.

“Isn't it true?” he asked with sad smile adoring his face.

“No ….. It's not ….. The world has divided people into religion, caste, class, race, gender and all of that but above all everyone is a human first …. No human is superior to other humans unless the other person is criminal or is hurting someone ….. That's why I said the work you do is dirty ….. I didn't mean that you are dirty” she explained herself though she regretted starting a conversation with a stranger but she didn't want him to question his self worth because of her few words.

“Life is not the same for everyone and as much as you hate the work which I do but it's necessary to be done and different people are made for different roles …..  You can't fight like me and I can't study like you” he simply shrugged his shoulders to prove his point.

“Though you are right about me but not about yourself ….. You choose to be the person whose characteristics resonate with you …. So of course life is not the same for everyone but surely it depends on the choices you make in life ….. If you choose to study you will definitely learn it one day …. It's just about your own interests” she was definitely seeing the world with pink glasses that's what he understood from her answer and in that moment he was besotted by her.

“Your words sound very right but still I am finding it difficult to agree with them …. I'm not as good as you to put my thoughts into words….. However I still feel not everyone gets to decide what life they want to live and in which way they can live it” he tried to keep their conversation on the surface he didn't want to stain her pink glasses, her innocence is to protect and preserve.

“Maybe ….. But still I would like to stick to my beliefs” she stated to end the ongoing conversation, she doesn't intend to have deep talks with a stranger.

“That's completely fine ….. There's a contrasting difference in our lives. Your thoughts represent everything which has a brighter side of life and whereas my thoughts represent the darker part of life” not wanting to end the discussion he shared his thoughts, he even forgot the physical pain and that blood was still oozing out of his wound on the knee.

“Or it could be just your excuse to make you feel better about yourself. Otherwise, who doesn't have problems in their lives? …… Not everybody who is not a criminal is living a vanila life.” He might be thinking her life doesn't have any problems but that's not true. It's a task to deal with strict parents where freedom feels like a privilege and you are burdened with a never ending list of expectations.

“Now don't take away those excuses too ….. Self pity is still better than self loathing” he thought for a moment before answering her.

“How about changing yourself to be better? …. Doesn't that sound good?” She suggested.

“Are you willing to change me ? ….. I'm ready to change if it's you for whom I'm changing” his question paled her and alarm rang in her head. Silently she started searching for the ways to escape from him.

“I'm sorry this conversation is going in the wrong direction ….. I have nothing to do with you …. Bye” instantly she changed her direction and ran towards the nearest bus stop, getting into the relationship is the last thing she wants for herself at least not till she becomes an IAS officer.

That day she studied for extra 2 hours because she was regretting the conversation she had with a human who was possibly a hoodlum. Her parents will kill her if they get to know that she is talking with strangers that too with boys. To keep her mind distracted she focused on solving integration problems, she has a 2nd board exam that too within the next 3 months.

On the other hand it wasn't that easy for Sumit to forget her, he was enchanted by her beauty as well as her empathy. It wasn't the first time he had seen a beautiful girl but it was the first time someone was looking at him like a normal person and not as someone who is poor or a hoodlum. It was that moment when he wanted to change himself and his way so that he will become better for her.

After that day, everyday he used to visit her junior college and whenever he didn't have money for patrol he used to travel via local train and then used to cover 3 km distance by walking on the road just to see her. It continued for next 3 months and later on when she got admission into her graduation college he again started his ways.

It wasn't like she was completely oblivious to his stalking but she didn't have guts to confront him and nor could she complain about it to her family or else they will stop her education. And subconsciously she knew he isn't that big of a threat because he never misbehaved with her and he didn't stalk her either, he just used to come there and after having a glance of her he will just go.

Sumit’s patience bore him a fruit when one day he got an opportunity to drop her home because her physics practical ended at 8 pm and her father was out of station and she couldn't find an auto rickshaw who would drop her without looting her because she didn't have that much money either.

When he offered a ride she hesitated first but accepted the offer because she didn't want to walk alone on roads of Mumbai which are heavily loaded with traffic. But she told him to drop her to nearby station and she will go by local and he agreed instantly.

This happened for few more times and slowly they started talking and he also became her companion whenever she needed attention because her feelings were ignored by her parents and she didn't have friends who would talk with her because recently they got into relationship and they both are always with their new boyfriends.

And almost after a year of their first meet they got into relationship with each other, she didn't know it was love or attraction but she felt less lonely in his company and though his habits and beliefs were really different but again every other human is different and world is not perfect and definitely it doesn't have fictional men and that's why it is real world and her Sumit is flawed but real and with time she will change him. He just needs a little bit of grooming.

For Sumit he was deeply in love with her and he used to be his best version in front of her so that he won't hurt her, many of the times he just used to agree with her so that she isn't upset but that wasn't his real nature, he had different thoughts but he didn't want to get into flights with her so he used to avoid such topics. He just wanted to be there with her and he was ready to conceal his broken self as well as his rusted beliefs.

For the first two months things were going good but insecurities peeped into his mind when he told his friends about her being his girlfriend, they didn't believe him at first and when they realized that she is really his girlfriend they started feeding his mind with shit. Slowly he started projecting his insecurities on her and initially she was baffled but having no prior knowledge about how to deal with boys she did anything and everything to keep him happy.

Later on he started blaming her for his shortcomings and stopped putting efforts into making himself better for her instead he started abusing her mentally but she was naive and in need of attention and affection so she kept bending in front of him. Even he didn't realize he was hurting the person whom he loves.

Earlier he didn't have any plans to have sex with her without her comfort and consent even he was willing to wait till they get married but when she was getting tired of his tantrums he manipulated her and asked her to have sex with him if she loves him and trusts him.

She loved him but she wasn't comfortable with sex and it wasn't just about her comfort but she didn't want to do that before marriage as it was considered as a sin in her house though she didn't believe it still she was made to follow that by her family and that was one prominent reason she had zero knowledge about how to deal with everything related to this topic. Of course she knew the biology behind this but she lacked knowledge on psychology and how to handle situations practically.

Yet when he demanded she had to give in to his demand because her love was in question and every other couple in her surrounding was doing it so she thought maybe it's not that bad in fact it gives physical pleasure. However she was proven wrong. She wasn't just guilty for going against her own comfort but she was also in physical pain, she kept waiting for physical pleasure but that didn't happen either. She thought they didn't do it the right way as it was the first time for both but he was very ecstatic within 5-10 secs but she was left with a pain.

They did it two more times and after a month she was breathing for two. He didn't like using condom and he used to ejaculate on the floor but she didn't know how she got pregnant.

And that was the day where her life turned into a never ending misery .......

......................||

When she ended with her story for the second time, stealthily Adhiraj moved out of the hall when he saw ladies were busy with their own conclusions of her story.

"Get in touch with my lawyer ..... Bring him here within next one hour" Manik huffed in rage.

"First promise me you will behave and won't create any scene in police station till the time I reach there" after hearing Adhiraj's words Manik released his hold on constables hand and that man ran for his life, away from police station. He was about to break constable's hand when he tried snatching phone from his hold.

"And if you are still worried for that rat's safety then hide him six feet under the ground or else I am not leaving him to see the next second once I'm out of Jail" Manik roared from his end and Adhiraj shivered in his place.

…………… End ………..||

Next update will be after my exams i.e. till 29th Nov. So assume it to be updated in Dec only.

.................. Aish❣️.................