Escape

Zara.

There is a saying that it doesn’t take long for your life to get flipped upside down.

One wrong choice.

One mistake.

And it’s over.

If I had known what cost I have to pay for my foolishness, I would have done things differently.

But the thing is no one can predict the future.

Time passed in snail pace as I tried to stay calm and wait for her to open this door. The same door which is nothing less than the entrance door of my cage.

Cage.

My doom.

Since last one month I’m held confined in this room. Like some captive.

 I’m treated worse than an animal.

 She entered inside halting my thoughts closing the door behind her back and I kept my facial expression neutral.  

 My heartbeat began escalating with each step she was taking towards my bed.  My chest constricted while gathering all the courage in the world to do what I intended to do.  This is do or die for me. I can't breathe under the same roof. Inhale and exhale the same air. With him.  

 I can survive with the physical pain he inflicted on my body but the hatred in his eyes suffocates my soul. Had he ever looked at me the way he did to HER, then things would have been different. But I was never his choice and it took my everything to realize it. The ache in my heart resurfaces like some evil spirit.      

  I dossed down my depressive thoughts and keenly observed her movement to execute my fully weaved plan. This time I cannot let any mistake sabotage my plan. Our eyes met. She looked at me with pity. Yes, I'm a sight to feel pity. What she doesn’t know was soon I’m going to changer her view toward me.

She stepped closer and kept the tray of food on the corner table near the bed as she does every day.  Everything is going perfectly until. She turned her steps back to leave when I blinked several times, cleared my throat and normalizing my tone and said, “I need to use the washroom."

  She looked at me for some time and then reached near my body to remove the shackle from my ankle.  My eyes keenly observed her movement as she unfastens the iron bangle.

That’s it. Once done I jumped down on the floor and pushed her which made her land on the bed. Before she could react or do anything I sealed the same iron shackle around her ankle.

She screamed but to her utter dismay the room was soundproof. She got up and tried to get hold on me but I raced towards the door.  

  Closing the door my heart was wary as I scanned the area and ran towards the corridor. Reaching his study room, I started hunting for the one thing. I looked down on his table to pull out the wooden drawer.  Here it goes, the gun.  Clutching my fingers around the metallic gun, my legs strides to leave the room when I saw the bunch of keys hanging on the hook.   

 I stopped and pulled one of it. I tucked it inside my three-quarter jeans pocket and griped the metallic pistol tightly. My eyes quickly scanned the area.

The entire hall appeared vacant. I took a step near the window and through the narrow space between the curtains I peek a glance outside. Most of the guards were patrolling in the front lawn.

As I descended down the stairs approaching the back door, one of the guards saw me and tried to stop my action when I quick fired against his calf to halt him approaching near me. The man wailed to which the other one stood raising both his hand in surrender. He got the hint that I won’t stop after witnessing his injured partner.  After that I rushed towards the car parking slot.

The sound of the siren started ringing around the whole area in high alert. The sound heightens terrifying the shit out of me. My heart will leap out of my throat any moment. The fear escalates

Yet I choose to do what I intended to do.

 I have accomplished half of my plan now I stand unlocking the door of the car. Hastily I entered my body inside and ignited the engine. Taking a reverse gear l raced speedily towards the metallic security coded gate.    

 I rolled down the glass of my car and aimed my gun at the security guard who was dumbstruck looking at me.

 Flicking twice the metal at his way, I indicated him to open the gate.   "Fast." He shuddered under my command and immediately press the unique code. It opened and I looked at the rare view mirror to find some of the guards of my husband speeding towards my direction.  

The gate of freedom was open and now nothing can stop me leaving this hell. Yes, it’s a mansion of hell with him as devil. He built this cage where every night he traumatized my heart and body. 

 "THERE IS NO WAY I'M LETTING YOU GO WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT."

His menacing voice echoed inside my brain. 

 My eyes determinedly stared at the way outside the gate. Without wasting any minute, I roared the car engine taking the highway route. My one hand clutching the steering wheel and the other gripped the gun which turned my knuckles pale. 

A lone tear slides down my left cheek and I have no attempt to rub it.

This is all because of the insanity of my love.

The love for him has no boundaries.  That day I was ready to give up my life for him and today I just want to escape from his paws.  What an irony? I did what I shouldn't have done. 

Flashback –

I threw my heels below to make him realise the depth of my seriousness. It landed directly on the ground with a thud sound. But he remains unfazed as he stood with folded arms across his chest. 

 "I love you.  Say that you love me...." The only reaction I got from him was his cold face and emotionless stares directed at me.

"Beti(daughter) don't do this " my father's terror filled voice echoed from below.  No reaction.  "Look, if you don't love me, I will leap down." I tried again. 

 " Beti(daughter) don't do this. Your every wish will be fulfilled. You will marry him. Just don't do anything. We will do as you say.”  My mother was scared.  I tamed the lioness.  See, it worked with them.  But... not with him.   

Each side of my fingers rolled into a fist to control my disappointment for this man. Yet I refuse to give up easily.

  "He is not saying anything dad .... He doesn't love me...then why should I live ...let me die ... bye dad... Bye mom...I will miss you in heaven."

 I looked up at the sky back and glared, “...oh God!!! We are going to meet soon. Just one request .... I want a seat reserved for this man in hell...keep burning iron rod ... Hot oil in pan ready for him." I said pointing at the heartless man who was still gawking as if I'm doing the most absurd thing. The thing is I never mattered to him.  

--End –

I took a deep breath recalling my foolishness.

  Two hours passed like a blink and it was afternoon time. I tossed aside the gun on the seat. Again, I checked the mirror for any sign of danger. Road was crystal clear behind.  

 A slip of a moment can results into an accident as now I circled the steering wheel to avoid the lorry which passed my blackish car. And the worst happened. Misbalancing it hit the tough trunk of a tree. My head jerked forward hitting the steering wheel. Blood started oozing out from my forehead.

The smoke from the engine filled the air.

  Out of suffocation I opened the door but the sudden jerk from the accident drained my body. Somehow sliding in my seat I pulled myself out  and rested my head out of the door panting heavily.

I tried to stay alert but the blood loss wasn't helping. My whole body started aching mostly my lower abdomen. My heart that beats normally and, in his presence, runs marathon a second, now beating slowly. Something crawling down my ankle but my head was way heavy to lift up.

  I spread my trembling fingers on one of the thighs. Blood.  I think any moment the angel of death might be descending down from the sky. 

 I looked at the endless road. A broken smile escaped my lips recalling my life. A painful one.  And his face. 

My half-opened eyes stared at the road again. How long I was lying I had no idea. Suddenly, I heard some steps approaching near me.  

The tall man with his bulky figure looked at my face with hard expression and eyes hurtful.  

 Rihan!

 Helplessness.

Humiliation.

 That’s what I feel now. Tears rolled down through the sideway of my eyes feeling his strong arms wrapped around my body. They feel big but instead of trapping me, they’re holding me up with warmth.

 My lower abdomen hurts like bitch as he picked up my body. He encircled my fame in a protective manner.  Slowly my eyes started blacking in the darkness as my whole life stared playing in front of my eyes like a reel of some movie. 

Mostly, its him. Still?  Yes... Because he runs in my vein like blood.   Don't curse.... 

 What I like the most of him? 

Don’t ask...Ahhhhhh ...long story...   

 Infelicitous love story. 

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