She sat there resting her back across the headboard while she gazed outside the window, hearing the soft chirping of birds. Oh how wrong it was of her to think that everything would get back to normal. She ignored the warnings of her inner conscience and now here she is contemplating about her life since last few months. Two months to be exact and everything changed for the worse. Her loving and caring fiancee became overprotective to the point that he would freak out if she is out of his line of sight for even five minutes. He wouldn’t let her in the garden, hell, most of the time he wouldn’t even let her walk. “I NEED TO hold my Angel in my arms”, is what he would say whenever she tries to argue. She didn’t even get to meet her brother.
He said that he would put a chain on her if she dared to go outside and she didn’t doubt that for a second. In Sanskar’s mind, all of this was perfectly reasonable. He thought this was the best way to keep his Princess safe. By secluding her to the mansion, he was taking care of any future threat that could be dawned upon her. He was behaving exactly like the article she read. He doesn’t even want her to shake hands with a male at the party.
“But that is wrong. I’m also a human being, and human beings have more freedom than this.” She thought quietly to herself. The ugly feeling of loneliness would gnaw inside her stomach and she has to find new ways to keep herself occupied every single day.
*****/////
Sanskar was driving back home after working hours when something hit hard against his car causing him to lose the control of steering. It was then that he saw a black SUV coming at him again. The car was damaged to the point that he couldn’t drive away. Before it could bump at him again police sirens sounded nearby and he sighed in relief finally succumbing to darkness.
“Cupy!!” Ragini cried, letting out a sob at his unconscious state.
“I would say Mr. Maheshwari is very lucky that he got out with minor scratches. Thankfully, he didn’t suffer from any internal injury. Patient is under medicines effect, he will be conscious in an hour.”
“Th-thank you.” Ragini nodded gratefully, wiping away any stray tears. She was about to walk to her unconscious fiancee when she stared one last time at the doctor who seems to be a bit hesitant.
“Y-you wanna s-say something?” The doctor sighed before asking, “I noticed the scars when dressing patient’s wounds. Is something bothering Mr. Maheshwari?” Ragini stared at him shocked but quickly regain her composure. “You d-don’t need to worry doctor. It’s something related to his past but we can handle it. I-its our personal matter.” Words escaped his lips before he had the time to process. “And what about those recent ones?”
“What?” This got her attention. She looked at him baffled. Recent ones? What do he mean by that? Questions swarmed her mind like a flood.
“Look Ms. Suryavanshi, I know it’s your personal matter but I’ve been Mr. Maheshwari’s doctor for years now, so I am simply concerned. There are marks littered on his back and the way they are shaped into and positioned, as a medical practitioner, I easily figured out that a few of them are the result of self harm. And I’m sorry to say but some of them are recent ones. Not older than probably 2-3 months. Sorry for the inconvenience. I’ll get going. You can stay with the patient.”
Gathering her courage, she peaked at Sanskar’s backside and sure enough there were scars that appeared to be recent. Gasping, she staggered back, shocked at the revelation. Tears freely falling down her black doe eyes.
“What’s happening?” This seems to be the only question she has been asking herself from quite some time.
“I need to get the answers. I can’t let my Cupy get hurt like that.” She thought determined. “But he wouldn’t tell me anything then how?”
“Ramu Kaka!! Yes. He could help me.”
*****///////
“Please be still for a while.” The doctor requested for the third time. Sanskar tugged on her hand once again, silently asking Ragini to lay next to him to which she gave an angry glare.
He is already hurt and now he wants to get more hurt by me unknowingly touching his wound!!
“It would be better if you do what he is saying Miss. At least then he wouldn’t move around to look at you.” The doctor calmly advised.
“But what if I accidentally hurt him or something?” She looked at him in horror.
“You won’t. Just be careful.”
“Come on. Hurry up.” Sanskar urged, patting the vacant space beside him. And just like the doctor said, he remained still for the rest of the time, holding her close to his chest and didn’t even complain about anything.
“Is it hurting somewhere?” Ragini asked worriedly after everything was over.
“Here” Sanskar nodded, pointing at his heart.
“Wait I’ll call the doctor.” Panicked, she was about to sit up.
“But I don’t want him to kiss me.”
“What?” She looked at him confused.
“It has been hours since you last kiss me.” He complained like a five year old child.
“Seriously? You scared me!!”
“Sorry. But kiss me now or I swear I will rip the bandages off me.”
There he go again with the threats!!!
Ragini sighed exasperatedly.
“Fine.” She complied, kissing him.
“We should go now.” She got out of the bed helping him to stand up.
“What are you doing?”
“Picking you up. What else?”
“You’re wounded Cupy. You can carry me later on.” She looked up at him sternly.
“You will get hurt.” She chided when he scooped her up bridal style.
“What are you doing Mr. Maheshwari? Please put her down. You are wounded.” The doctor protested.
“You don’t get to tell me what I should do to My fiancee, doctor.” With that he heads to the exit with Ragini in his arms.
“Told you, I always NEED TO hold you in my arms.” He whispered nuzzling her neck.
******///////
“Who was that lady in that photo Kaka? Please you need to tell me. I know she has something to do with those marks on Cupy’s back.” Ragini pleaded, looking desperatly at him. Ramu Kaka was about to deny but she interrupted him before he could.
“Please Kaka. We need to help him. Please tell me what happened in the past. Please!!” She begged him teary eyed.
“Fine!! I will tell you.” Thankfully, Sanskar was fast asleep leaving them enough time to talk without any interruption.
Ramu Kaka sighed as the past incidents zoomed past before his eyes. “Sanskar was never the same after his mother’s death.” Kaka gazed at her once before continuing, “He desolated himself from everyone and everything. He would either keep himself locked inside his room for hours or continue to stare blankly, lost in his own thoughts. We thought it was a phase that will be over soon but nothing seemed to help. Finally, Om Prakash Maheshwari, his dad remarried with the hope that Sanskar would be able to get a mother’s love but he made it clear that he would never be able to give his second wife the love a wife deserves. The lady, Avantika that you saw in the photo, was her. She was always sweet and kind to everyone.”
“Then what did she do to make him feel this way? There must have been something-”
“She used to whip him.” Ramu Kaka said, shutting his eyelids closed. “Over and over again.”
Ragini’s mouth parts open at the statement, a tear slowly trailing down her right cheek. The room was silent, while thoughts ran into her mind like a wildfire.
This was the question she had since the beginning that now have been answered but this only adds more to the reason why her fiancee is the way he is.
How could she? To a child? To her Cupy?
“Little did we know that she was not quite right in the head. We were not aware of the the psychotic mind hidden behind her gentle facade.” It was hard to hear out the incident let alone absorb it. She subconsciously fumbled with her fingers, wary of what’s coming next.
“W-why would she e-even d-do that?” It was hard to form words when her mind was running miles a minute.
“Children are innocent and gullible, like pure water. They would morph into any shape or form you desire and this fact was enticing to her insane mind. She was a huge believer of ‘Healing the Soul’.” Ramu Kaka mocked, quoting that lady’s words.
“How did whipping heal your soul?” She asked baffled.
“It didn’t. But in that ‘not-so-sane’ mind of her it did. An illusion.” Ramu Kaka answered patiently.
“Then what happened to her? And Cupy’s dad? How did he never came to know that?” Ragini rambled, clearly impatient.
“She made Sanskar believe that one should be punished for hurting their loved ones. She made him believe that he was responsible for his mother’s death. He was a child. Innocent and vulnerable at that time, so he fell prey to her words.
His dad was too busy grieving over the loss of his loving wife that he engrossed himself in work to the point that Sanskar would barely see him. When Avantika’s evil deeds were exposed it broke him. Om Prakash Maheshwari held himself responsible for his son’s condition, so he hanged himself and Avantika was arrested.” Ragini stared dumbfounded at him, unable to digest the information.
But why would Cupy harm himself now? She was about to word out her question when the doctor’s words ranged in her ears.
“The marks doesn’t look much older than 2-3 months.”
2-3 months? What happened that time?
“She made him believe that one should be punished for hurting their loved ones.” The words echoed in her mind causing her eyes to widen, as the realisation struck her hard.
Hurting their loved ones?
That incident also occurred two months back right?
She sunk lower in the seat, guilt over weighing down her shoulders. “T-that mean, h-he, he hurt himself b-because he accidentally sprained my wrist t-two months b-back.” She mumbled incoherently to herself, not caring that she unknowingly voiced her thoughts out loud.
“Don’t berate yourself beta. It was not your fault.” Ramu Kaka tried to reassure her guilt ridden conscience.
“He grew up believing that punishing oneself for hurting the ones you love is completely reasonable and it’s hard to break that perception but you have to, before things get too ugly than they already are.”
Thank you so so much for all your comments. I hope you liked this part. If you do, then please comment.