"Eat more, son" coaxed Salena as she placed more wontons on his plate. "These are your favorite."

Danish groaned, "Mom I can't eat anymore."

Sarah giggled, "Mom, he's not a pig, though he might resemble one".

"Don't call your brother a pig," admonished Salena.

Jay laughed at his children's antics as Danish made a face at Sarah. "Don't make your mother angry or I might be banished to the couch tonight."

Salena choked on the water she had been drinking. "How can you say such things before our children?"

Jay shrugged, "They are not children anymore. Danish should have found a girlfriend by now. Next year Sarah will be joining University. Then she will be coming home with a boyfriend."

Sarah burst out giggling, "Hia will have a girlfriend. Impossible. Which girl will put up with him?"

"Enough Sarah, or I will dunk your face in the soup," warned Danish.

"Enough children. Behave," huffed Salena. "But Danish, I too would love to meet your girlfriend."

Danish blushed a deep shade of red as a certain pair of stern eyes haunted him.

"Rachel is a very talented girl," remarked Jay without looking up.

This time Danish choked on his meal, thumping his chest he drank a full glass of water before looking at his father.

"She handled the inquiry so well. The evidence she presented was enough to indict those bullies. It's amazing that she went head-to-head against the Techaapaikhuns and came out successful in the end," continued Jay.

"She outsmarted the mafia Techaapaikhun? All on her own? Her parents didn't stop her? They must be so brave," commented Salena.

Danish winced at the underlying criticism of Rachel.

Sarah looked askance. "Are you talking about P' Rachel? The university topper and debate club captain?"

"Yes," replied Jay with a nod. "She is Danish's partner."

"Lab and assignment partner," corrected Danish.

Salena passed the salad to Sarah. "Better you stay away from her, Danish. She seems far too nosy for her good."

"Mom, she is a Student Council member. It's her duty," protested Danish.

"See, nosy." Salena waved her fork as though she had proved a point.

"Stop Mom," yelled Sarah angrily and began to sob hysterically.

Salena quickly embraced her daughter, murmuring soothing words as Sarah held on and cried her heart out. Jay and Danish hovered over them protectively, concerned to see a lively Sarah in tears.

After a while, when she had calmed down and had a glass of water. Salena held onto her face lovingly. "What happened Sarah? You can tell us anything."

Sarah hiccupped, her eyes swollen, her nose red, and her face paled considerably.

"You should be glad P' Rachel is nosy. On Open House day, I was looking for the faculty office, a senior misled me to the male washroom. A group of boys began to harass me and chase after me. P' Rachel came in between and scared those boys away. She then escorted me to the faculty office herself."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner? I shall hunt those boys down and teach them a lesson!" thundered Danish.

"P' Rachel notified the Student Council and got them suspended for the rest of the semester."

"Still, you should have told us," Muttered Jay.

Danish frowned, "I am such a bad brother. I should have been waiting to escort you then none of this would have happened".

Sarah sniffed, "No Hia, it's not your fault. P' Rachel told me that we are responsible for our actions, not that of others. Besides girls aren't weak, we are stronger than boys when we stand up for ourselves and the things, we believe in."

Jay smiled, "Seems like your P' Rachel is not just smart and brave but also incredibly wise. Don't you agree wife?"

Salena nodded reluctantly, "I was hasty in judging her. Her parents must be incredible people to bring her up so well."

He needed to thank her, thought Danish- his erstwhile enemy and his sister's benefactor.

............................................................................

"Were you out of your mind?" screamed Mr Daniel as he flung his glass of whiskey at Rachel.

Luckily for Rachel, she sidestepped in time. The heavy hand-cut glass exploded into tiny pieces and the whiskey stained the pristine carpet of the study. Mrs Suppasit would have a tough time cleaning that, wondered Rachel vaguely.

"Can't you stay out of trouble?" roared Mr Daniel holding her arm and shaking her violently.

Rachel didn't even flinch as his fingers dug into her soft flesh. Her hands would bruise tomorrow, she noted silently. She would be needing several long-sleeved blouses till the bruises faded. Mrs Suppasit must have arranged for them already.

"This is the last time you involved yourself in a scandal. The last time I forgive you. If you cost me the election, I will not spare you."

Mr Daniel wrapped his fingers around her throat and squeezed till her eyes bulged. A thrill ran through him as she thrashed around, struggling in his grasp, fighting to live till she was ready to pass out from the lack of air. Finally, he let her go and returned to his preferred armchair. Rachel sank to her knees and gagged till she could breathe again.

"You can go now," said Mr Daniel dismissively.

Rachel stood up on shaking legs and started for the door.

Mr Daniel lit up his cigar. "Remember not to embarrass me in the campaign events."

Rachel nodded in agreement and made her escape.

Back in her old bedroom, Mrs Suppasit waited for her anxiously. Seeing Rachel's condition, tears sprang to her eyes and she embraced the poor girl.

"Here, let me apply the cream to the bruises."

Rachel glanced at the carefully folded blouses on the bed. "I need some concealer for my neck."

Mrs Suppasit's lips tightened in a deep frown. She applied the cream on the bruised neck as well.

"You know, Mrs Suppasit. Sometimes I wish he wouldn't stop till I died, but he always brings me back from the brink of death."

Mrs Suppasit sobbed. "Don't say such things, young mistress. How will we live without you? Rest now. I shall be back with hot soup to soothe your throat. You stay here for the night. I have kept your university clothes ready and your friends will bring your bag to university."

Rachel nodded, too spent to argue. "Don't forget the concealer".

Overwhelmed, Mrs Suppasit hurried out of the room.

Rachel lay down, wincing as her arms touched the bed. She had known this would happen to her after she had been summoned on a Sunday evening.

When Mr Davis had contacted her the night before the Inquiry and passed on the evidence videos, he had warned her of her father's wrath. She knew this was the price she would have to pay for his assistance and protection. His chances of winning the election would have been destroyed had the media caught sight of this scandal. No wonder he had been mad enough to kill her.

Rachel was used to the physical abuse regularly meted out by her father and she never begged for mercy. Probably because she refused to struggle, he felt deprived of gratification and tended to be crueler. She closed her tired eyes allowing herself to slip into mindless dreams.

............................................................................

When Rachel pulled into the university parking, Marisa and Monica were already waiting for her, clutching her bag. One look at their faces was enough for Rachel to know they had already spoken to Mrs Suppasit. She checked in the rearview mirror to see if the concealer still did its job, luckily the purple bruises lining her throat were well hidden by her shirt collar and a generous helping of concealer.

As soon as she stepped out, Marisa and Monica pulled her in for an embrace, careful of her injured arms. "I am fine," insisted Rachel in a hoarse voice, "He doesn't wish to kill me as yet."

"How is your throat? Painful?" asked Monica with concern.

Rachel smiled, "It's hard to swallow."

"It's my fault," claimed Marisa tearfully. "And you had to bear the brunt."

"Being related to him is the worst burden I bear." Rachel ruffled her hair, "Let's go or we will miss the roll call."

"Will I carry your bag?" asked Monica.

"Whatever for? I don't want to attract unnecessary attention."

"Shall I cancel the tutoring session with Danish's group?" asked Marisa

"No don't. I have the notes prepared. Monks can handle it for me," replied Rachel digging into her bag for the notes and handing it over to Monica. "Just make sure they don't suspect a thing."

Marisa and Monica nodded in agreement.

At lunchtime, Danish and his friends approached the three girls and were taken aback by their pale faces and subdued demeanor. Monica and Marisa were fussing over Rachel who looked far too sick to be in university. With her head lowered she was painfully swallowing the soup placed before her. 

"Rachel looks sick", commented Niam. "Maybe you should thank her later."

"Hell, they all look too pale," added Milan.

When an upset Danish had revealed Sarah's ordeal to his friends, they had been as livid as he had been. Sarah was their sister too and they wanted to hunt down the cowards that had dared to harass her. But with the offenders suspended, there was nothing much they could do.

"Hi girls, did you catch the flu or something?" asked Milan with concern.

Monica was the first to look up at them. "Not us. Rachel is probably coming down with flu."

"Did you take medicines? I could get you some from the sick bay," offered Niam pushing his long hair back.

Rachel shook her head, "No. I took them this morning before coming in". She had swallowed the painkillers Mrs Suppasit had kindly provided along with her breakfast in her haste to leave before her father had come down to the dining room.

Danish's grey eyes lingered on her swollen ones. "You should ditch the rest of the classes and go home. Forget about our tutoring session. Take leave for a few days."

Rachel shook her head in denial. "I can't skip Professor P's class; my attendance is already low. Then I have to hand over certain things to P' Lily in the Student Council room. Monks will take over the tutoring session, you can meet up in her place. I plan not to come in tomorrow."

"Good. I can drive you home today. Tomorrow, you take a rest. Monks and I will handle the debate club," stated Marisa firmly.

"Sounds good," replied Rachel before her voice trailed off. She struggled to speak but no words seemed to come out.

"You should go to the doctor," asserted Danish. "I can take you."

Rachel stared at her friends in panic.

Marisa crossed her arms and leaned forward. "No need. I will take her to my family doctor after class. Since Rache is insistent, Monks can continue with tutoring".

Niam studied Monica's tight smile. There was something fishy going on. The bell rang indicating that lunch hour was over.

Monica gathered her bag. "Let's head to class."

Just as Rachel tried to get up, she slipped. Danish quickly caught her by the arms, but she winced loudly. Looking at her peculiarly Danish let go of her. Rachel rubbed her sore arms, too miserable to care.

"What's wrong with your arms?" asked Danish.

"She fell and got hurt," supplied Marisa quickly.

"She hurt both arms at once?" asked Danish incredulously.

Marisa shut up. Even she realized that the lie had been too far-fetched.

"We are perfectly capable of handling our affairs," snapped Monica annoyed. "See you at 5 pm in my apartment."

When the girls hurried away, Milan let out a low whistle. "Monica is never rude, even when she's super angry."

"They are hiding something", guessed Danish remembering the panic in Rachel's eyes when he had offered to take her to the doctor.

"Maybe she was assaulted by Hans's goons," supplied Niam.

Milan scratched his head. "Why would she be hiding it then?"

Niam shrugged, "Probably Hans has already been rusticated and she wants this matter to die down."

Without Rachel telling the truth, they were helpless.

"We should probably give her some space. She needs time to recover," declared Milan after much consideration.

Niam smacked his head, "When did you become so wise?"

Danish tuned out the ensuing bickering between the two, lost in his thoughts.