Chapter 15
The phone slipped
through Naina’s lifeless fingers. Before Raj could gather himself and go to
her, she had rushed past him toward the restrooms. He picked up the phone,
glanced at it, and followed her inside the restroom, regardless of the decorum.
He heard her throwing up and hurried to her, holding her by the arms and
rubbing her back. Once she was done, he wet a towel and gently wiped her face.
She was cold and shivering and he quietly gathered her into his arms. She clung
to him as if her life depended on it. Raj didn’t say anything, silently
offering his strength and warmth. They stood there for a long time till Naina
calmed down and clarity seeped back. She suddenly realized where she was and
lifted her head and then stepped away, immediately feeling the loss of the warmth
of his secure arms.
She looked away from
him, “Sorry Raj. I…it must have been something I ate. I am sor…”
He lifted her chin, “Never
mind that. Are you OK?”
“Yes,” she nodded, “I
am fine. Please take me home.”
He put an arm around
her waist and pulled her close to him before turning toward the door. She
looked up in defiance, “I can walk Raj. I am fine…really.”
“I know you are, but I
am not taking any chances.”
“Raj!”
“Naina!”
“Gosh, why are you so
stubborn? I am not some delicate China doll. I can take care of myself. I….”
Before she continued her tirade, Raj put a finger on her mouth, “Sshh! You talk
too much. For your information, if you were any worse, I would have carried you
to the car. So just shut up and walk. I am not letting you away from me an
inch. So don’t even try.”
He heard her mutter
something under her breath. He smiled sadly down at her bent head before
heading for the parking lot. Very gently he glided her into the car. Naina did
not speak all the way home. There was a blankness in her eyes and rigidity in
her posture. That’s when he realized…that the time to push had come. He
couldn’t let her go through the pain and fear alone anymore. He knew she was
holding back the part of her that was scared of her past…scared that it would
somehow harm her present. It was time she felt herself fortified. It was time
she felt the security that he was offering. It was time she felt empowered and let
him in on her secrets.
Raj patted his trouser pocket and felt her phone. He recalled the picture he had briefly glimpsed…a
picture that had triggered off such a violent physical reaction from Naina….a
picture of her with a man in their wedding fineries. Clearly, it was a picture
of her wedding and the man was her husband. Raj’s mind was playing around with
innumerable questions…Who had sent it? And why did it terrorize Naina? Because
that’s the condition she was in at the moment: completely terrorized…even
though she tried to put up a brave front. Raj was filled with an impotent rage
against the people who had scarred her so deeply. He had to know what happened
to her, and what had her running so scared. There was no denying that someone
was playing mind games with her….testing her strength and psychologically
weakening her.
**************************************
In front of the main
door Naina rummaged through her purse for the keys, at the same time glancing
at Raj, “You may leave now Raj. Thanks for all the help and the ride home.”
“I am not going
anywhere.”
She suddenly got angry,
“For heaven’s sake Raj, I don’t need a babysitter. I am fine.” Her voice
sounded shaky and weird to her own ears. She needed to be alone. Why can’t he
understand that? And why the hell were the keys as elusive as a sea nymph when
you needed to find them soon in the depth of your purse. So frustrating!
Through her peripheral
vision she saw Raj reach for her purse and take out the traitorous keys in a
jiffy and open the door.
“Raj!” She protested feebly
as he ushered her inside. She stood like a mule inside the door as he turned to
close it, “I want you to leave Raj.”
“Not before I make you
a sandwich and make some calls.” Nonchalantly he crossed her and walked toward
the kitchen.
She stomped her foot in
annoyance and mumbled, “Suit yourself. I am going to take a shower.”
That stopped him, “A
shower? Now? Why?”
“Because I want to.”
She ran upstairs before he could say anything.
Inside the room Naina
tore her clothes away from her and rushed inside the bathroom. She turned on
the cold shower and stood under it, breathing heavily, trying to cleanse
herself and wash the memories away….memories that had surged back like a giant
wave the moment she saw that cursed picture. This won’t do. She had to think.
She had to plan. She had to leave. She stepped out and toweled herself. Yes,
she had to leave. She had to go to them before they came here and wrecked
everything. For a moment fear for Adi paralyzed her into immobility. She
allowed the fear to consume her so that she remembered exactly how it was, and
then she straightened up. She reined in her fears and let them freeze inside
her. This was not the time to weaken. She let her body tune into battle mode
just as she had all those years back when she had made her escape, blocking out
all weaknesses. Changing into a pair of jeans and a T shirt, she opened the
bedroom door to find Raj with knuckles on the air. His other hand was holding a
tray.
“I waited. You were
gone long. You OK?”
Naina sighed. She didn’t
deserve him and his concern. He had a life of his own and her messed-up life
was messing up his life. She couldn’t allow that.
“Thanks Raj. I am sorry
I was rude to you. You really must go. Tanu must be waiting.”
“Everything is under
control Naina. Altaf chacha will pick up Adi and beeji and take them to the
mahal.”
“Why there?”
“Because we need to
talk….and I don’t want any distraction.”
“Talk? About what?”
“Later. You eat first.”
He placed the tray on her study table and made her sit on the couch. Disregarding
her sulky expression and stubborn stance of shoulders he thrust the plate on
her lap.
“Eat.”
“Bully.” She grumbled indignantly
before taking a bite of the sandwich.
He chuckled and made
himself comfortable beside her. She glared at him and deliberately mumbled to
herself. He heard “stubborn…tyrant…nagging” and a few other colorful words
about pushy friends. He smiled affectionately. His woman was mad at him, and
somehow that calmed him. At least she didn’t have that tormented look on her
anymore. It also meant she had done whatever she did when she was scared to
overcome her fears. Her anger didn’t bother him at all. It just made his heart
ache for tenderness and love for the only woman who when it comes down to it really
cared for him other than his grandmother.
His phone beeped and he
switched it off. Naina was suddenly reminded of her phone. Her hands became
clammy and wet and slowly she kept the plate away. Taking a deep breath she
turned to Raj, “We have to go back to the hotel. I left my phone there.”
“I got it Naina. I
picked it up.”
“Oh! May I have it
please?” She stretched a hand, suddenly sounding distant and aloof, “Can we
have the talk later? I have to do a few things, and I am already late.”
Raj took out the phone
but didn’t give her….just stared at her. She gave him a cold look, “Raj!
Please. I am not in mood for any teasing.”
Instead of giving her
the phone, he pocketed it again. Naina’s eyes widened, “Raj, what are you up
to?”
“Nothing. You will get
the phone after we have had our talk.”
Suddenly Naina knew. He
had seen the picture and connected the dot. She crossed her arms against her
chest and looked away, “Fine. Keep it. I have nothing to say to you.”
Raj knelt in front of
her and reached up to cup her face in his hands and made her face him, “Look at
me, Naina. Talk to me. I want to help you. I am not like him. You must know
that. I would never hurt you.”
Her eyes turned
fearful. She whispered, “What do you mean?”
“He hurt you
sweetheart, and even though I have half a mind to fly over to that town and
take down the bastard, I want you to trust me and tell me what happened after
your parents and sister died in the accident.”
“It was not an
accident.” Her lips quivered and warm tears fell on his hands.
*******************************************
“What?” Raj’s hands
fell to his sides, shocked.
“They were murdered.” She
shifted as Raj sat next to her and held her hands.
“By whom?” Raj wanted
to pull her into his arms and protect her from the pain that exuded from her
bleeding heart. But she needed this…she needed to let go…she needed to talk. So
he steeled himself for the worst. A deathly calm had settled over Naina after the initial tears, as if
she was only voicing a conversation that she had had in her head several times.
“My uncle.” She looked
down at their hands and tightened her grip.
“What was his motive?”
“The age-old one.
Property. Papa was going to sell the land that was in his name in the village for
my college education. Uncle wanted it for himself. Papa refused to give it to
him. After papa that land would have come to my mother and us, so uncle wiped
off the family.”
“But he spared you.”
“Yes. That’s because my
grandfather had willed me a separate piece of land. My uncle needed me alive to
sign it over to him. That’s why he took me to the village. He wanted me alive and
well till the land was his.”
“Why didn’t you go to
the police Naina?”
“That’s because I came
to know about the accident being a murder after I was in village.” She looked
at him with dull eyes, “You have to understand that I was totally numb and
lifeless after papa, ma, and Milli died. I was completely zoned out for weeks
together. I hardly have a recollection of my travel to the village.”
She closed her eyes and
leant back clutching his hand. He gathered her to himself with his other hand
and waited. Raj refused to process his own feelings at that moment. That will
come later.
He rested his chin on
her head as she pressed her face against his chest, listening to his heart beat
against her cheek. She shifted in his arms and soon he heard her flat voice, “One
evening I heard loud voices in the living room. I peeped from behind the
window. A man was threatening my uncle. He said he had evidence and would tell
the authorities if uncle didn’t do as he wished. I couldn’t quite catch what
the stranger wanted of my uncle. But after he was gone, my aunt entered the
room. That’s when my uncle told her that the stranger held proof that my uncle
bribed a man to tamper with papa’s car and then ram into it with a truck. I was
so angry that I barged into the room and blasted them and then tried to call
the police from the phone there. My uncle stopped me and then he…he beat me
till I was unconscious. When I came to, I found myself locked inside my room.”
She paused, breathing
fast. Raj hugged her tight and rocked her. He then tried to get up but she held
onto him, “Don’t go. Stay with me.”
“I am not going anywhere
love. I’ll just get some water for you from the table. OK?”
She drank the water and
then tugged at his hand to make him sit down. Raj brushed his fingers over the
hair falling across her face, tucking them behind her ear. He pressed his palm
on her cheek and said softly, “Naina, we can do this later. Why don’t you rest
now? I’ll be right here.”
“No. You were right. We
needed to talk about this. If something happens to me, I want you to be there
for Adi and beeji and protect them. To do that you have to understand the
background.”
“Nothing is going to happen
to you. I will not let anything happen to you.”
“It’s not me I am
worried about Raj…It’s Adi. He needs protection. And after that picture
message, I know I don’t have time. Hear me out please.”
*********************************
Raj nodded and hardened
his heart for what he was going to hear next. Naina searched his gaze for signs
of pity and anger, but saw only repressed anger. She knew she would have found
it hard to go on if he had shown pity, but there was no hint of the emotion. He
didn’t yet know the whole story, but whatever had happened he seemed to have trust
in her strength to have dealt with it. He just sat there, giving himself. Her
eyes welled up with pride and love that she felt for this man.
She kept her
hand over his and brought it down to rest over her heart. She resumed
haltingly, “I was locked up for days together. My aunt opened the door once in
the day to pass on food and water. The windows were grilled and overlooked a
ravine. Then one day, my aunt came in and told me I was to be married that day.
The village thakur’s son wanted me as
his bride. My wish or choice was never under consideration. Yet I was relieved
in a way.”
She looked at Raj and
saw the question, “You see I thought I would at last have an access to the
outside world. I thought I would ask my husband’s help to get my uncle
arrested. At that point only the thought of justice for my family was my sole
motivation. But I was wrong…so wrong. I got married and the same night I came
to know that my uncle had traded his liberty with mine. My in-laws held the
evidence against my uncle. I also came to know that I was my husband’s second
wife. The first wife stayed in the same house and was treated like a servant
because she turned out to be barren.”
“What did they want
from you?”
“A son. They are
obsessed with a male heir of their bloodline. Manmeet is their only son. They
would face huge property issues with others of the clan if there is no male
successor.”
“That’s why you are
scared for Adi.”
“Yes.” She whispered, “If
they find out he has their blood running in his veins, they will take him away.”
She stood up then and started pacing, her hands balled by her sides, “There is no
chance in hell that I would let those monsters near my son. I will go to them
before they come here.”
Raj stood up and halted
her agitated stride with a hand on her shoulder, “Calm down Naina, and think
rationally. They cannot just take Adi away. You are unnecessarily worrying. The
law won’t let them have Adi’s custody. Especially after you tell them how you
were physically tortured and how they tried to kill you.”
Naina stared at him, “You
don’t understand. The law won’t figure at all. If they come to know that I bore
a son, they will just take him. Once they are in their village, no law can
touch them. Over there, they are law unto themselves. The family is powerful
and highly connected. I cannot fight that.”
“Listen to me Naina,”
Raj made her look at him, “You are not a helpless, lone woman fighting against
an army. You never were. What you did all those years ago was simply amazing.
Best of soldiers fail at what you did…escape from enemy. Whatever they did to
you over there, you still had the courage to defy them and escape. That is not
the portrayal of a weak soul. You are the strongest person I know.”
“Well I sure am going
to need some of that strength now,” she sighed.
“You have it in you,
Naina. Don’t give up. Stay. If you leave, that would mean those bastards have
won. Why would you do that? Stay and fight. You have people here who love you
and care for you and Adi. You have me. Let them come. We’ll face them together.”
Raj pulled Naina in his
arms, even as she murmured, “Why Raj? You don’t even know half of it. Why do
you want to involve yourself in my mess?”
He kissed her head and
said in a thick voice, “Because I love you.” He felt Naina stiffen and then step
back.
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To
be continued…………
