"Are you comfortable to share Naina ?" Rajveer asked as he seated beside a scared Naina.

"I am not Rajveer...but I've realised you should know this" Naina said truthfully.

Without replying, Rajveer waited for Naina to continue.

"This is all about my past Rajveer...
I was 5 when my father passed away, for daily expenses Maa started working as house help in people's homes. But some people from the village compelled her to remarry, they said she wouldn't be able to get me a good upbringing being a single parent. Giving up into there demands she married a person named Paritosh. He had returned from Dubai, he was a taxi driver there. He open handedly accepted me nd my mother. The initial years were very fine, it was as if nothing had gone wrong. But the downfall started when I was 9, one day i returned from my school and found my mother layed on white sheets nd some covering her head to toe as well. On enquiring they said she died because of snack bite. I cried for weeks at night asking God to send her back to me. Paritosh started showing his back to me. But I couldn't go anywhere afterall he was my father" she said with a chuckle and moist eyes.

"Slowly he would come home drunk...and soon that slowly turned to everyday...not giving me food regularly, confining me to the house. It was one day that changed everything, on one afternoon I was playing outside in rain, all my clothes were drenched. He had just returned after meeting one of his friends in the locality when he asked me to come inside the room, not knowing his real intentions I went inside. As soon as i stepped in h...h..e pulled m..m..me a..a..and confined on the b..b..bed. "

"Started saying that if I don't cooperate with him he'll slit my throat. He even kept the knife sharply and made a scratch"

"It was here...right here" Naina sobbed while pointing a finger on her neck trying to show the scare.

"It even bled then. H..He r..r..ripped off my clothes a..a..and...."

"I kept on shouting for help, I kept sobbing I kept trying but no one came for help"

She couldn't continue further and started crying miserably, recalling the past had made her weak and all those horrific scenes were running in her mind as if she was being subjected to the same torture once again. Her fears had become more with the realization of return of Paritosh. She was afraid of being pulled into the past happenings which she still had nightmares of.

On the other side Rajveer was left shaken. He didn't have an ounce of information or a slightest of idea about what Naina had faced in her past. When Naina had rejected his proposal he felt she was conscious about the financial condition of their houses as she was always considerate about the money she spent. But he didn't know what fear she has been living in for ever. He wanted to kill that beast right that moment. His anger, his frustration, his helplessness was all over overpowering his senses but now he needed to be for Naina, she needed him and not his anger.

Clearing her tears and cupping her face he spoke out "Naina, calm down"

"Nahi, wo waapis aa gya hai rajveer, wo lejaayega mujhe, usne kahaa hai, tum please mujhe bacha lo, please Rajveer i beg you, wo collage tak aa gya hai, usne dhoondh liya mujhe, kahaa bhi ki wo waapis le jaane aaya hai, mujhe le jaayega, wo phir se wo sab karega, tum to mere dost ho na, mujhe bachaa lo" Naina shouted in fear

"Kya yeh Kal raat kii baat hai ?" He inquired

She nodded in answer. Not ready to understand anything further. " Wo jaanwar kuch nahi kar paayega naina, mai hu na tumhare saath, kuch nahi karega wo" he reassured. "please sambhalo...agar tum bikhar gayi to uss ko sazaa kaun dilwaayega ?"

"Nahi rajveer, bilkul nahi, mujhe kuch nahi karna, take me away Rajveer, mujhe inn sab se door le jao please" naina pleaded clutching his hands which were on her cheeks.

"Naina, tum to itni samjhdaar ho, phir aisi baatein kyu kar rahi ho, tum sherni ho, aise kaise dar ke baith rahi ho, tum itne saalon darr mei rahi ho, ab aur nahi, you need to stand against the wrong, tumhe uss haivan se larna hoga, aur tum kabhi bhi akeli nahi ho, hamesha mai hu tumhaare saath" he tried to make her understand

"Kya zaroorat hai inn sab kii ?" Naina asked being frustrated.

"Ek haivan ko, ek jaanwar ko sazaa dilwaani hai, ek pedophile ko uske gunaahon ka jawaab dena hai, yeh btana hai ki tum darri nahi ho, tum ek victim nahi, survivor ho"

After thinking a lot, Naina asked in a mild voice, "tum ho na mere saath"

"Hamesha" he stated

"Theek hai Rajveer, tum jaisa bologe mai waisa karungi"

"Tumhe wo nahi karna jo mai chaahta hu, tumhe wo karna hai jo tum chaahti ho"

"Mai apna badla lena chaahti hu Rajveer" Naina said with fire I her eyes and determination in her voice.

Giving a very short smile he applauded her "thats like my Naina" to which she reciprocated with the very short smile.

Sending her to the dining area, Rajveer went to his room siting a lame excuse. Banging the door shut he dropped on his knees and started crying with his back against the door. Each and every word uttered by her had pierced his heart. He was feeling Naina's pain. The pain of an 8 year old orphan girl who was subjected to hell by someone whom society termed as her 'father'. Finally after crying his heart out he wiped his face and went down with a normal face masking his hurt. He found naina smiling at his father's silly jokes who was trying to make Naina forget the last few moments.

After their breakfast Rajveer asked Naina to get ready as he wanted to start the process soon. Before they were leaving, Rajveer's dad hugged Naina and assured her, "tu to mera sher bacha hai na Naina, bilkul nahi darna, hum sab hai tumhare saath, nidar hoke tu chal, dekh kisme himmat hai tujhe rokne ki"

"Haan bache, hum sab hai, fikar nahi karna okay ?" Jahnvi also said.

Grateful for them Naina teared a bit "Thankyou so much, for everything" she expressed her feelings in the simplest of words, but everyone knew what depth they held.

Later, in the car they were going to the police station to file the complaint and start the process when Naina noticed a car following them. Afraid of it she told Rajveer or rather panicked.

"Rajveer koi hmaara peecha kar raha hai"
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Didn't know I'd update this any soon
Waiting for ur comments

Byeeeeeeee 👋🏻
Signing off
Kikaberry