A busy market at night, blindingly flashy lights in green and blue and burning red on the boards of all the shops, as it all thrusted on to her face, as she looked around sitting by the window. ishita realised how long she had been wide awake, as the time was already 2 am. 

she looked at her phone again, another message from an unknown number, an image. ishita wasn't eager, or even intrigued, but exhausted, questioning whether this should even take her attention. 

another image joined a thread of them, but this one stood out, in what appeared to be just text screenshots, this was an image clicked in real time. ishita zoomed in, only to find neelu putting a knife inside an unconscious purvi's nightgown, her underwear was around her ankles....the wounds that can easily cause a miscarriage...

she swiped back, to the first screenshot, everything was making sense now. 
the first screenshot displayed a chat between purvi and neelu, a message by her clearly stating, 'purvi, tumne khudh apne naam ke aage kavin ka nahi lagaya hai...why are you doing this to your own child? you know it's better for all of you to use arora, i don't get it...why are you being so stubborn about this!'. 

she swiped to the next, neelu and sameer are in a conversation. 

neelu: 'i cannot believe this! did you actually say to purvi i'm overreacting!'

sameer: 'neelu, come on, kavin itna progress kar chuka hai....aur woh moga ke ek sarkari school mein padha hai 8th tak....unke bache ke future ka toh kitna acha chance hai...'

neelu: 'sameer, tum literally logon ko bathka rahe ho...taaki yeh bacha safely paida hi hojayein! yaar kya hojayega agar kavin bhi apna naam change karke arora karle...they can be untraceable, leave their normal lives! their child would be safe..' 

sameer: 'neelu, yaar ghar aake baat kartein haina...i'm kind of busy right now...' 

neelu: 'you do realise tumne mujhe unki shaadi ke din hi kaha tha ki main purvi ka saath de rahi hoon uski zindagi barbad karne mein?'

sameer: 'neelu...seriously? tumne kaha tha unka bacha reservation pe palega kya jab unhone pregnancy announce ki thi!'

neelu: 'come on sameer...don't tell me suddenly you have changed your mind on this entire thing!' 

sameer: 'it doesn't matter yaar neelu....purvi khush hai, and safe hai...and i can protect her, that's all that matters so far....now i really have to go, shaam ko baat kartein hai.' 

neelu: 'yeah sure....purvi ki khushi ek murderer aur chamar ka bacha karne mein hai! just like hamare bete ki hamari naukrani ki beti ke saath hai, out of all girls in this planet! did you know i heard some women talk behind our backs like hamara beta naukrani ke saath bhaag gaya hai! if you don't want to take care of this, you better mark my words, i will.' 

ishita couldn't help but remember, the first time dushyant took her back to his parent's place, after they had gotten married. 

a nervous ishita exchanged smiles with a dushyant who was looking equally awkward. 

"it was purvi's idea..you know, abhi kuch hai relatives joh reh gaye hain....aur badhai dena chahte hai....and i don't know...lady relatives want to see your face....and...pay you for it...right, moh dekhai, sorry..uhh.." explained dushyant as ishita just chuckled awkwardly, setting the paloo of her saree again, meanwhile dushyant just bit his lip so hard, he clearly wanted to say, 'i told you so...', but he didn't, it wasn't required for her to understand. 

"what? ab maa ne di hai....aur woh bas chahti thi, mera pehla impression acha hoon tumhare relatives pe...aur, you know, i can get used to wearing sarees..." attempted ishita to defend herself, as dushyant just lovingly put his arm around her. 

"shaam tak we'll be out for our honeymoon...bahaut mushkil se mere boss ne mera peecha choda hai, i'm not gonna let them ruin this for me...."  assured dushyant, as he rang the bell, and the door was answered by none other than purvi. 

"hi! oh my god! tum kitnnnni achi lag rahi ho!" exclaimed purvi excitedly, as ishita faked a smile, looking at dushyant, completely weirded out. 

"maaf kardena, humne iss purnima ke chaand jaisi tumhari dost pe grehan daala hua hai...chala jaata hoon..." remarked dushyant sarcastically, as purvi just rolled her eyes. 

"nobody cares how you look...it's her day! come on now, hurry up!" exclaimed purvi, already getting back inside. 

"chalo, IT'S YOUR DAY!!!" mimicked dushyant mockingly purvi's words from the last seconds, raising his hands up, as if saying 'yay!', in the most insincere way possible, as ishita chuckled and got inside, letting dushyant lock the door. 

ishita entered, only to find the eyes of almost every lady in the room, the only ones who weren't looking at her, just included neelu and purvi, and her utter cluelessness about how to act, didn't help the situation. dushyant, who could really care less, just waved to the only person he wanted to see here, kavin and walked to him, leaving ishita feel completely ambushed. 

 Half an hour had passed, as dushyant was on his third drink with kavin. 

"so, did that therapist thing work?" asked kavin, as dushyant nodded, taking a long sigh. 

"well, you know....ishita was very understanding yaar, considering what happened on the damn first night...i mean literally, when i finally manage to get it up...i cannot climax...i mean, my honeymoon is not refundable man, i don't want it to be worse after almost spending half our annual incomes on it!" admitted dushyant, with such sincerity even to his comical take on it, kavin couldn't help but chuckle yet be concerned. 

"i mean...yaar, i get it...you were so young, and your maasi out of all people had to do this at like nani ke ghar...like literally, that's the backup summer vacation destination..it's fucked up ruining that for a child! but, i gotta say this, you know half my life, when i didn't stand up for myself, to all those teachers and kids who would harass and bully me...scared about what they would do...i just made things worse for myself...i'm glad you talked to a doctor and got help, and, found your confidence back you know...like not letting your trauma get to you in an unhealthy way..." gave kavin dushyant some assurance, as dushyant placed his arm on his. 

"i swear yeh daru nahi bol rahi hai, mere liye, sahi maine mein..tum aur purvi hi family ho...tu mujh pe hass sakta tha meri problem sunke...par tune mujhe apne doctor ka number diya...mujhe apne experience ke baarein mein bhi bataya...tu...i love you, yaar.." said dushyant, almost getting chocked up, as kavin's eyes got moist too. 

"kaisi baat karta hai tu! yaar, tune mere liye najaane kisse panga nahi liya! apne baap se bhi ladda...saale, teri problem sunke main kaise hass sakta tha, aur yeh sabke saath hota hai, itna common hai yaar! pata nahi ladke baat kyun nahi karte iss baarein mein...aur jabki mujhe pata tha ki tujhe aaj bhi kitna guilt hai uss sabka...joh teri maasi ne tere saath kiya...i'm so proud of you, you came out of it, and you are doing so well..." replied kavin, as they both shared a hug, completely teared up. 

purvi and ishita, who were witnessing this from behind, just knew this situation all too well. 

"so, you should call  a cab for the airport..." stated purvi, as ishita was already on her phone. 

"the tickets almost costed half the wedding, so....i think it's better if we you know, get there alive.." remarked ishita, as she shared a chuckle with purvi. 

"savita toh bahaut saavli thi na?" questioned a lady in a whisper to the other, as the other nodded along too, they both had a stare fixed on ishita. ishita and purvi, who were only a few steps away from them, froze at their spots, after hearing that. 

"pata nahi bhai...shayad marad thoda acha dikhne waala mil gaya hoga..bas sambhla nahi..." remarked one of them, making the rest chuckle. 

"arre maine toh suna tha, jiss chawl mein yeh rehte the, woh toh koi legal area bhi nahi tha, joh sheher ke blueprint mein aata hai!" informed one of them, as ishita looked away, trying not to let them get to her, but purvi wasn't having it. 

"aunty, yeh dushyant aur ishita ki shaadi ka celebration hai...agar aap celebrate nahi karna chahti hai...toh please chali jaiye.." directed purvi, catching attention of neelu, dushyant and kavin. 

"kya hua purvi?" questioned dushyant, getting up immediately, as ishita sensing dushyant could make a huge scene considering how drunk he was, attempted to stop him. 

"uhh, kuch nahi...woh misunderstanding thi thodi si..." attempted ishita to make everything look okay. 

"oh please...tumhari woh so-called physiotherapy ki "degree"....hum bhi jaante hain woh kaise mili hai tumhe...aur kyun har client ke ghar hi jaati ho tum..." bluntly stated one of them, as ishita felt utterly humiliated. 

"ek second, ek second....aap jaanti kya hai iske baarein mein? hafte ke 5 din kaam karke isne apne college ke liye pay kiya hai...weekend aur raaton ko padhai ki hai...and she works at Ganga Ram Hospital! arre tum khudh do takke ki aurat nahi ho budhi! as if humein nahi pata ki tumhara husband saala dalaal hai "realtor" ke naam pe! tumhari aukat bhi nahi hai iske baarein mein baat karne ki!" lashed out dushyant, in ishita's defence, as the scene only escalated with the woman's husband now coming up. 

"oye, hero! hum bhi sab samajhte hain, college mein tha jab isse mila, jawaani phot rahi thi...ab tabse saala iske blouse mein ghusse hue ho aur kya!" exclaimed the man, as purvi glared at him, kavin infuriated at this point. 

"mind your language!" exclaimed purvi, as the man scoffed. 

"abe behenchod mera dost  shareef aadmi hai toh tu uske sarr pe chad raha hai, abhi teri aisi haalat karunga na, saale mutne layak nahi rahega tu!" yelled kavin, as ishita, just attempted to move dushyant out of there, she just wanted to leave at this point and not make things worse. 

"dushyant tum itne bade journalist ho beta, kitne ache parivaar se ho, tum ek ache ghar ki ladki se shaadi kar sakte the! ab dekho bilkul, ab iski  aur iski maa ki tarah inn logon ki bhasha bolne lag gaye ho..." stated one of the ladies, as ishita was just done at this point. 

"kaun hai 'yeh log' jinki bhasha bol raha hai yeh? chote log? jaise ki aapka driver? jiske saath apne sone se pehle do minute bhi nahi socha! aur jhoot mat boliye, maine khudh dekha tha aapko subha-subha aate hue, uske saath car mein karte hue! ya phir aapki maid? joh meri maa thi aapke ghar itne saal? aapke tharki pati ne molest karne ki koshish ki baar-baar, aapki maujudgi mein! aapne unke paise kaate, unhe naukri se nikaala, unhe batchalan bola! yeh hote hai badhe log! nahi banna mujhe phir aapke jaisa! ek naukrani ki beti hi achi hoon main, meri maa ne joh bhi kiya izzat aur imaandari se kiya, apne dum pe kiya, aur maine bhi, hamare liye yeh sharam ki baat toh bilkul bhi nahi hai...yaa iss baat ki zyada takleef ho rahi hai ki aapka toh beta dhoban ke saath bhaag gaya kyunki woh bhi aapki izzat nahi karta tha itni ki aap ke ghar bahu shaadi karke laaye? rakh lo apna auda apne paas hi, mujhe uski zaroorat nahi hai izzat ke liye." ranted out ishita, her tone went on a complete roller coaster, from sheer fury at the apathy she was being shown, to complete self-assurance, she left that room with her self respect intact for herself, that's all that really mattered to her.

Would she ever be able to escape this monster, from poisoning her relationship, her love, her mother's dignity or her self-respect? Was it even worth it, if there was no one she could trust to let this demon out, hidden within themselves?