Dwija had never been to the place before. A lone furnace was glowing in one corner of the room, several pieces of metal works were strewn carelessly around the same. The shiftable door was plucked open loudly. Dwija shivered from the sudden gust of air hitting her almost bare body. The same group of men walked in. They took their usual place around the room, one of them making his way to Dwija.
He had a tall, lean frame, clad in a dark blue hoodie and washed jeans. He had a black cap on, casting a shadow on his eyes. His facial features nose down were covered as well. He walked his way leisurely towards Dwija. He sat on the bed facing her, one foot touching the floor. Her eyes were closed, and she barely breathed. He kept looking at her for minutes spanning across eternities. Dwija did not dare to move even a bit under his gaze. He raised his hand moving it closer towards her, she could feel the air change between them. She resisted the urge to squirm. If only she could disappear, if only.
He moved the hair sticking to her face and tucked them behind her ears neatly. He traced her face with his knuckles, grazing slowly and carefully past the scratches and darkened spots. Dwija resisted the urge to hiss through the pain while her skin tingled with goosebumps. His thumb traced her lips, slowly wiping off the dried blob of blood stuck to the corner of her lips. He was so gentle, it surprised her. He could have done worse in the moments that ticked by, but his fingers kept tracing her face, not descending down to forbidden places. He gently pulled out the socks stuffed in her mouth. Dwija could breathe fresh air again. She was grateful. Even though the horrid events of the afternoon were fresh in her mind, she wanted to believe the man before her, once and for just once she wanted to open her eyes and beg him. She wanted to beg him to let her go. For the single ounce of kindness she was experiencing, she wanted to find hope in the man and cling to it.
Dwija was preparing to open her eyes in one, two, and....
She lost count when she felt the man's frame closer to her body, much closer to her than before. His fingers extended and now entangled in her hair behind her ears. He lifted her face and cupped it with both his hands. His face now loomed over hers. His breathing was calm, mingling with her shallow ones. The imminent kiss hung in the thin air between them. Despite their closeness, he did not hurry, he held his ground there, just like that. Dwija failed to read between the silence. Blood pounded in her ears but she feigned unconsciousness. Before Dwija could do anything, his lips were on hers. Initially, it was a soft peck but soon he started laying claim on her lips, brutally. Dwija was filled with fury and disgust. She felt like the sacrificial goat who is fed well just before being slaughtered. But she would not let that happen, not as long as she could fight, and in the spur of the moment, as the man was busy devouring her lips coaxing them to open up with his tongue, she bit down his tongue suddenly for seconds too long, long enough to draw out blood. The man seethed.
He pushed her shoulders hard to get her off him. She opened her eyes to look back at him and victory shone in those jewels of hers. She laughed exposing her blood-stained teeth. The man covered his mouth immediately with his left hand and with his right slapped her hard. Hard enough to cause her head to go limp and mind blank.
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"Dwija, wake up! We are already at your college.", Dwija woke up to the concerned-looking face of Sashi. It was not that she was sleeping or something. She just could not register the happenings of hours before. She knew her mother was correct to some extent but wasn't she going a bit over the board concerning her kaka and bua. Given the trust Dwija put in all of them, she simply denied accepting otherwise. She had known who held her the moment Sashi had laid her head on his lap. She preferred keeping her eyes shut lest he should take the happenings from before for their on-the-way conversation.
She blinked her eyes open. Her eyes were swollen. Tears had gushed out of them all through the way soaking up Sashi's jeans, yet he had not stirred a bit. Her neck, back, and arms felt sore from earlier thrashings when she moved to sit up. Finally, she did manage to sit up and look around.
"But this is not my college", Dwija said while peeking her head outside the window of the vehicle.
Sashi moved his upper body across her seat and forced her head inside the vehicle. He cupped her face trying to turn her to meet his gaze. She faced him but her eyes were lowered.
"Look at me Dwija! What happened?"
"This is not college.", she tried to move away and get out of the vehicle. "I will be late. I will take a taxi or bus.", she was determined to avoid any conversation with Sashi.
Sashi acted faster than her expectation and locked both of her wrists in a tight grip. Now both of them sat facing one another. Sashi bore holes in Dwija's face while Dwija rained tears on her college bag. None of them spoke.
"Kaka, please wait outside.", as per Sashi's request the driver left both of them alone in the backseat of the vehicle. Sashi's hold on Dwija's wrist loosened, so did his stern look. He pulled Dwija into a tight hug. She snuggled into his chest drenching his shirt with the remnants of her banter. Sashi breathed the strawberry scent in her hair and patted the length of her hair, in an attempt to calm both, him and her.
"How far into the conversation did you get to listen?", Dwija croaked while her face was still snuggled up against Sashi's chest.
"From The Beginning.", Sashi spelled out each word carefully like he was unsure of how she would react once she heard his response.
Dwija looked up at Sashi instantly. She hated looking up at them. Such innocent, honest eyes. She dipped in swirls of honey and bathed in its sweetness whenever she looked at the beautiful brown eyes. "Then why didn't you interrupt the moment it started."
"These are personal matters Dwija, between you and your mother. How can I interrupt?", Sashi replied while looking out of the window.
"No, you are family Sashi!, whatever I know, you have the right to know that as well. I don't care what my mother says. I trust you. I am not sure what others might do or refrain from doing, but you Sashi, I know you will protect me. I know." Dwija said while lying her head on Sashi's chest and fiddling with one of the buttons.
Sashi kept gazing out of the window and after a long thoughtful moment he spoke.
"Marry me!"