✿ Nandini ✿
Twenty years ago, the dread coiled in my stomach as the front door slammed open. He was back, reeking of alcohol and malice.
“Sunita!”
Even fear couldn't quell her instinct to protect me. She turned to face him, and his hand lashed out, striking her with brutal force.
“You bitch! You’re a disgrace to my family! You’re the reason I lose every bet!”
The blows continued, each one a hammer strike against my fragile world. I trembled, listening to my mother’s cries of pain.
The sickening thud of the belt against her skin drove me forward. I reached out, kneeling beside her.
“Dad, please!” I begged, tears blurring my vision.
He swatted me aside, the force sending a searing pain across my face.
“I’m not your father!” he slurred, his voice thick with contempt.
“Raghu! Stop it!” My mother pleaded, her voice cracking with desperation.
He turned toward her, his eyes burning with rage. He seized her throat, his grip tightening.
“You don’t tell me what to do, you slut!”
“Dad…”
He shoved her against the wall, her head impacting with a sickening thud. She slumped, unconscious.
“Now, my dear,” he sneered, “you’ll marry that man. Otherwise, you’ll lose your mother.”
I clung to her, sobbing, the weight of his cruelty crushing me.
A four-year-old bride for a pedophilic alcoholic, all for money. He was willing to sell me, to shatter my childhood for a quick profit.
Present Time.
“Bye, Mum. Bye, Dad.” I whispered, hugging them tightly.
Twenty years ago, a savior emerged. My mother, somehow, had contacted him. Vikram, utterly consumed by love for her, arrived with the police and hauled my biological father away.
Mom was hospitalized, her injuries severe. She remained in a coma for two weeks.
My own wounds were minor, nothing I hadn't endured before.
Now, my parents are settled in Malaysia, thanks to Vikram. He believed a fresh start would heal my mother. She’s recovered, and deeply in love with him.
“I love you, Nandini, and remember I’m always proud of you.” He said, pulling me into a hug.
He kissed my forehead before I left.
I was returning to India. My therapist believes a return for closure is best. Though Vikram healed Mom, I’m haunted by the past. Nightmares plague me.
He suggested I go back to India, spend time there, and then return. Perhaps it will help me find peace.
I boarded the plane, plugged in my earphones, and closed my eyes, waiting for the journey to end.
Maybe, just maybe, things will be better when I land in India.