Ishq laaye ankhiyon mein aab soneya, 

Jeene nhi detein tere khaab soneya

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Pallavi shushed Farhad harshly, signalling with her hand in a swift motion when the latter was about to question Lakshmi. Farhad put his hand on his own mouth looking sheepishly at her while ACP Singh just sighed mentally. 

The three had been sitting in the car for the past three hours. The unmarked black SUV which they had parked far away in a blind spot, from where they had an easy view of the bungalow. When the Policewoman had informed Pallavi about the fact that the man she had freed that night from jail was one Mandar Deshmukh, the latter had dragged her out of her office and forcefully involved her in her personal mission of keeping a close track on the guy. 

Pallavi had had a very strong and unshakable gut feeling that there was definitely something very wrong with the situation. Knowing now that her psychotic former ex husband had been out of jail, with no police custody for one whole night, the same night which had upturned her entire world... that also on one Vedant Pillai's order.. all the dominos where falling too straight to be in mere coincidence.  

"I just know it Farhad. My intuition has.... never led me wrong...not most of the times anyways."

She had looked mildly disconcerted but completed the sentence anyways, feeling like a piece of her heart chip away at the realisation that only one time, her intuition might have led her completely astray... when she had agreed to give Raghav a second chance after what he had done with her and the Deshmukhs. Agreed, that circumstances were not that simple as she was seeing it now but... still. 

"Pallavi... are you sure we'll get something of value tonight? I mean, we have been keeping an eye on him since a week now, Mandar doesn't seem to do anything other than go out on alternate days for shopping and come back home by an hour at most."

Lakshmi asked finally, frustrated at the utter lack of action. Pallavi just kept staring keenly at the single window in the bungalow. She could not see inside unfortunately but for some reason she again had a strong feeling that she might end up discovering something of importance. 

"Have some patience Ms. Singh. These things take time.. I thought being a Police Officer you must be used to stake outs?"

She added saucily but not taking her eyes off the house for even a nanosecond. She heard the other woman grunt in the dark and Farhad sigh almost inaudibly and felt a teeny weeny bit bad for her friend. Farhad was stuck between two hostile forces, acting as the buffer wall. It would have been hilarious in a different situation. Suddenly as if rewarding her immense patience, she saw the door finally opening. 

Bingo!

They all leaned forward, excited and squinted in the dark. Pallavi snatched the binoculars off Farhad's hands in her hurry and looked through it to spot Mandar Deshmukh come out in the open and interestingly another shadow made itself appear in front of him. 

"That's Ved dammnit! He was supposed to be in jail! How.."

"Shhh!"

Pallavi shushed Lakshmi's indignant splutters and strained outside the car window, hoping to hear even a scratch of conversation if she could but it was nearly impossible to make out any words exchanged. Suddenly as if on cue, they shifted positions and in the single light bulb attached to the gate above, Pallavi could spot Mandar more clearly. 

And she gasped at the same time her two companions noticed what was the reason for her reaction. 

"That.. is that blood..on his chest?"

Farhad whispered slightly dazed and Pallavi adjusted the night vision of the binoculars hastily and could clearly make out what where certain blood stains on his... bare chest? Why was he half naked from waist up? And he seemed to be mightily pissed at Ved, seeimgly threatening him with something if his body language was anything to go by. 

"Damnit! Damn! That is blood.. damn.. move. I need to get that bastard. How does that much blood come on someone's body."

"Don't be stupid ACP. If he sees you then he'll get alerted."

Pallavi tried stopping Lakshmi but the woman was already enroute, her gun drawn and in a fully offensive mode. She cursed and kicked the door open following the Policewoman and heard Farhad's diligent footsteps behind her. That man was too loyal for his own good. The trio had almost been upon the two before Ved could fully realise what was happening. Mandar saw the ACP though and yelled out a warning at his compatriot and the other broke into a run. 

"Ved stop! Stop it! Damnit! Stop or I'll shoot!"

Lakshmi screamed at her estranged husband who had just tried to go for a mad dash towards his own car which they could see was parked at the side, a few metres away. Farhad ran behind the other man yelling at Lakshmi to go with Pallavi who had already ran into the house, behind Mandar. 

"I'll get him! Go with Pallavi!"

Pallavi had only seen Mandar gawk at her for a second as if he couldn't believe his own eyes before sprinting inside. At that moment she was so pumped up with adrenaline that she didn't debate the stupidity of going behind a clearly dangerous man who was an accused murderer and a clear psychopath. She just ran behind him, focussed on catching him red handed this time and making sure that the monster can never come out of imprisonment ever again. 

"Mandar stop! The Police are here, they have surrounded this bungalow from all sides, you can not escape so better, surrender yourself!"

Mandar panted almost toppling over the sparse furniture inside and jumped out of the kitchen window before Pallavi could say or do anything, though with no revolver of her own, she had no idea how she was supposed to do anything at all. She heard a scuffle and a few voices from outside and leaned out of the kitchen window to see the two constables they had brought along with them, tying Mandar while he struggled like a man bull. She smirked, thanking the ACP's prerogative for the first time, on insisting on added security. 

Then when the adrenaline had finally subsided, the sudden cloying smell of blood hit her so hard that she almost gagged. The entire bungalow was reeking of it. That sickeningly sweet metallic odour, so thick that she could almost taste it at the back of her mouth. She pressed her hand over her nose and mouth in reflex and walked back into the hall slowly. She was half afraid of what she might find. That blood was definatily not Mandar's. He hadn't looked wounded when she had been at his back, chasing him. Then what.. or rather who.. 

Had he kept someone hostage here? 

She advanced towards the single staircase which most probably led to the bedroom upstairs where the smell seemed to intensify making it evident that whatever horror was waiting to be discovered lied in that room. She gingerly made her way up, mustering up her nerves for whatever she might find there. Halfway through she found what looked like a coat on the stairs. It was crumpled on the ground, a part of it's sleeve torn from the shoulder, the stitches opened. She was about to pick it up and then thought better of it. This was most probably a crime scene, so she shouldn't touch anything. 

But when she had bent towards it to pick it up, another overpowering fragrance had hit her. And she had almost lost her footing recognizing the scent from something locked so intrinsically inside herself that she herself had forgotten about it. But a waft of it and all the memories had come surging back like a freight train hitting her head. 

Something citrusy, woodsy, spicy.. a hint of musk and oakwood.. nutmeg and coal tar..

She knew that scent like the back of her hand, could identify it from a mile away.

Pallavi had no idea when she her feet had started taking her, now with an inhuman speed towards the door which now looked like the Gates of Hell. She had covered the distance within two seconds flat, her heart hammering like a massive bird trapped beneath a stone. Her hands had already become ice when she pushed the door open with her shivering fingers. 

The smell hit her with a malicious vengeance and she almost saw grey swirling in front of her eyes, a hand rising up to rest itself on her heaving chest when it stopped midway as the mist cleared from her brain and she set her sights directly in front. 

Her knees turned to Jell-O, her throat swelled so tight that she couldn't even draw in a sliver of air and her eyes rolled back into her head before she could even comprehend and she felt her body hitting the wooden ground painfully. 

She wasn't fully unconscious but felt like she was having an out of body experience. As if her soul had left her frame and was currently viewing her physical form lying crumpled on the ground below like a pathetic puppet whose strings have been mercilessly severed. She heard Lakshmi Singh come running into the room and almost toppling over her. She must have said something and Pallavi could finally feel herself being manhandled into getting lifted up, various voices and other footsteps coming in tandem. 

But all the noises seemed to be coming from underwater. 

"....Holy mother of... "

"..Is that..?"

"Pallaviji! Wake up! Goddamnit! Shinde paani lao abhi! Aur tum kya dekh rahe hon besharam! Grab me a coat, a cloth or anything right now! Move move move! Bloody idiots.."

"Pallaviji! Pallaviji please.. sambhaliye... "

"What the... wh..a.. n..n..no no... no.. Anna?"

"...."

"Abe Gaitonde tereko coat laane ko kahan tha ke nhi... chod! nikaal abhi woh bedsheet hi nikal.. hain cover him... cover him right now!"

"Anna!"

Pallavi thought she might have felt water on her face. 

Thought she might have seen Farhad's face frozen in part horror and part agony. 

Thought she might have heard ACP Singh's barking orders.  

Thought she might have tried to get up from the chair where she had been unceremoniously dumped, thought she might have succeeded but then all she saw was a lot of red staining the bedspread... dripping on the floor, his bare leg and then she collapsed on the floor again amidst a chorus of panicked yells and then everything turned a merciful black.

-------------------------------------------

When Pallavi came to, the first thing she noticed was the pattern of her mother's shawl. It was an oddly bright colour. Too bright for being in Sharda Deshmukh's collection and then remembered with a jerk that her parents along with the rest of the family had been invited to a wedding. They had left early in the evening unaware of why Pallavi refused to come along. Unaware of the horrifying sequence of events which had struck the former while they were gone. 

Unaware of the harrowing truth waiting to slap them on their faces with a jaw breaking force.

She lifted her head painfully from Sharda's lap to sit up straight on the couch where she had been lying. The sterilized walls which greeted her along with the artificial calm surrounding her mixed with that ever-present smell of formaldehyde and nitrophenol in the air made it evident of the place she was currently in. 

"Pallu! Thank God! Are you okay dear? Do you want something? Amrutha.. give her some water please.."

"Pallavi.. ye lo paani peelo.. haan dheere dheere... "

She drank a few gulps and immediately felt like throwing it up as the thick chalky coppery taste of blood came back at the back of her tongue, making her throat feel like sandpaper. Then she realised that her throat was hurting quite a bit, as if having been scrapped raw with something rough. It was like she had tried swallowing crushed glass. 

"A..ai.. aap.. log.. yahaan...kaise aur mera gala aisa.. kyun.. why is my throat hurting so much...did I contract laryngitis?

She saw Sharda and Amrutha share a look while Krishna, whom she noticed just now, gave her a very sympathetic look. She looked around searching for Farhad knowing only he could probably clear her doubts when suddenly all the previous happenings came back to her like flashes from a psychedelic horror film and she launched up to her feet disregarding everyone's gentle admonishments and protests. 

"Pallu!"

"Pallavi calm down.."

"Didi please.. shaant hoke beithiye please.. aapki tabiyat bigad jaaegi..pehle hi aap itni kamzor hogayi hain..stress mat lijiye."

Pallavi shook her head, a suspicious liquid beginging to hold her aching throat in a chokehold. 

"Where is Farhad? Where is he? And ACP Lakshmi... I have to meet.. I.. where are they?"

"Farhad has gone to clear some formalities with the payments and other stuff with the receptionist. Please Pallavi, sit down and calm down. And tell us.. what has happened? What the hell.. why is.. why.. how.. "

Amrutha couldn't complete her sentence as Pallavi staggered unheedingly towards the door of the OT. Krishna caught her arm and forcefully dragged her back uncaring of her strong protests. 

"Krishna leave my arm. I have to.. I have to see him. I have to.."

"You have to do nothing. Just sit here like a good girl."

"Krishna.. please.. please.. I have to see he is alright. I have to.. you didn't.. see... I can't.. I can't unsee it. I can't... I have to see him please.. let me....I have to.. I am going to"

They might have realised what was about to happen as they jumped apart from her while Pallavi made a mad dash towards the washroom, holding her hand against her mouth gesticulating with her arm for the oncoming people to part from her way, wildly. She almost crashed into the washroom and fortunately managed to catch the sink before retching violently. She heaved, her chest aching so massively that she could hardly breathe. She could feel the heated tears roll down the sides of her crushed eyes and felt a comforting hand on her back. 

"There there... it's okay.. calm down... easy easy... breathe... breathe.. there you go... nice and easy. Put some water on your face. You'll feel better."

She finally saw the face of the person who had so kindly helped her. She had a round genial looking face, slightly greying at the temples and having square spectacles on her button nose. She looked like she could be someone's cute grandma and Pallavi had instantly felt an unforeseen warmth seep into her bones at her contact. 

"Are you okay now dear?"

"Yes.. thank you. I am sorry... I must be looking a mess."

The lady smiled comfortingly and stroked the hair off her wet face with a slightly maternal affection. Then she gave her a clean handkerchief from her big bag. 

"It's a hospital dear. Everyone is supposed to look like a mess here. Don't fret. Are you here for yourself or someone else."

With her words, Pallavi got reminded of everything again and felt like her chest was getting unnaturally tight. The woman might have understood for she immediately took her outside, handling her expertly yet softly, like one would to a stray kitten. Sharda, Krishna and Amrutha had been joined by an extremely perturbed Milind and Nikhil who turned towards her immediately. 

"Give her some space... it'll be okay. There now dear."

Having made Pallavi settle on the couch again she turned towards the other gathered Deshmukhs and gave them a reassuring look. 

"Please let her be for sometime. She has gotten quite a nasty shock from the likes of it. Give her some time. Don't crowd around her but take care of her.. she needs you all to be very gentle and very strong."

Sharda had tears in her eyes by then. A mother always comes to know of their children's pain, however unapparent that looks. She had always been able to detect what was wrong with Pallavi, regardless of her expression and her façade. She nodded gratefully towards the surprisingly compassionate stranger and sat beside Pallavi holding her hand. Quiet but strong. The rest followed suit and soon all of them were seated around her, a wall of support and silent care. 

Whatever she did, they will support her. Whatever she faced, they will be with her, at her side. Once they had disregarded her, taken her for granted, stood by helpless seeing her respect, her very existence being cruelly broken but not again. Not this time. 

This time, no one will be able to get to Pallavi, without breaking through them. 

So, though the Deshmukhs had no idea what had happened, they still sat unquestioning and resolute by Pallavi's side as the latter kept staring emptily towards the wall, almost frightening in her icy calm. 

The doctor came out after what seemed forever and so did Farhad, almost as if he was waiting to enter only at this precise moment. Pallavi sprang from her seat and approached the doctor, the first emotion breaking on her steely face.. one of anxious terror. 

Farhad on the other hand looked almost grey. Haggard like he had aged a decade in a day. He turned towards the doctor too, approaching him like one would a potential bomb about to explode. The surgeon looked disturbed, slightly unnerved and definitely disconcerted. 

"I will have to inform the Police. This doesn't look like an accident or something."

These were his first words which created a small stir amongst the Deshmukhs even as Farhad and Pallavi were unsurprised having seen first hand, something which both would most likely have branded in their brains till their last breaths. 

"We know Doctor. The Police are already informed. We.. just....please... just tell us if he.. how is he.. ?"

Farhad stuttered when Pallavi looked like she wouldn't be able to speak. 

"Alive. That is literally the best way I can put it. God be praised, the man has some willpower left or else I don't know how anyone could have survived that? And for so long as it is. I mean.. I don't even know how to put it.."

Pallavi clutched the surgeon's gesticulating hands in her own, her face paling progressively as Farhad held the wall with a palm as if to steady himself. Amrutha was beside her husband in a moment, grounding him with a hand on his bicep.

"Aap.. aap kya bolna chah rahe hain Doctor.. please khulke bataiye.. Woh.. woh theek toh.. kaise.. kuch.."

"I am sorry Mrs. Rao. I am sure it wouldn't be easy to hear this but I cannot find any gentler way to put it. Your husband was raped. Brutally. Multiple times. And... the worst part is not that. The worst part is that.. the primary observations are hinting at much more.. It looks like this has been continuing for a long time. A very.. very long time. Like almost six to seven years at the least."

There was such a pin drop silence at his declarations that for a second the Doctor thought he'll almost start bleeding from his ears. Then Pallavi started giggling much to their shock which turned into a full blown laughter within seconds. Her voice was painfully high and her demeanour of that of an unhinged woman. 

"Mrs. Rao aap... ?"

"Aap mazak kar rahe hain na Doctor sahab? Ye sab mazak hi toh hain.. bohot ghatiya aur behuda mazak hain par its a joke cause it isn't possible. It simply isn't possible. I know my Raghav... I know him. He can crush Mandar into smithereens without even lifting a bloody finger. No one can touch Raghav Rao. It simply isn't possible. He is invincible.. unbreakable.. untouchable. I know him.. you are joking!"

"Pallu.. shaa..nt.. shaant ho... ja...a.."

"Di..di plea..se aap... shaan..t"

"Di... aap sadmein.. mein ho.. Farhad bhai.. aap... kuch..."

The surgeon grabbed Pallavi by her arms roughly disregarding her illegible mutterings by now, uncaring of everyone else's protests at his harsh handling and did what he usually did to bring the relatives of his patients from their very evident shock. 

Tell them the painful, unfiltered, harsh truth. To their face. With as much anger as possible just to hit it home. So the doctor shouted in Pallavi's face. 

Trigger warning : Graphic description of violence and rape

"You think I am kidding? You think I was fooling around for the past five hours in the OT? What do you think, me and my team were relentlessly trying to do? That man was violated beyond what a normal human body can tolerate. He has multiple hairline fractures. Unhealed and partially healed in a completely unnatural and wrong way. I had to break twenty of his bones to set it to normal again. The skin on his back has almost been ripped off in places and some of those scars are years old. It was like someone had used a bullwhip on him. And let's not talk about the internal injuries. Muscle contusions, lacerations, abrasions, haemorrhaging, clotting and a thousand more which I have fortunately forgotten. His wrists and ankles were almost cut into through the flesh to the bone... I found bits of rope inside the healed muscles.. I don't know how it hadn't become septic by now. And the scratches and teeth marks on his chest, stomach, the insides of his thighs.... those abominations had literally ripped out bits of his flesh with their teeth it looked. I can't guarantee that he will ever be able to have an intercourse properly after this or not. And you think I am joking? Raghav Rao was gang raped Mrs. Rao and continually... over years and if I am even a single percent wrong than I will have my license as a Doctor cancelled."

The Doctor had left Pallavi's arms by then, his face contorted in concern now as the woman kept staring at him in a petrifyingly empty manner and then she turned and walked away. 

A/N:- Sorry... I told it'll be a dark ride and this is just the beginning. I am gonna be kinda evil here.. poor Raghav.