chapter 31

Chapter 4A traumatic nightAll the enthusiasm for work vanished as her old demons assailed her and she wanted to escape...to Rampur, to her kaki, to the life she had got accustomed to. Being along in Jamna’s house made her insecure. She rose early and left for the next village she was to cover in the report. Work was her opium, dulling the pain that had rebounded with the old unwlecome intensity, Ganga’s “dear” babu causing a strange disturbance in her. She returned to the office late in the evening, hoping that she could leave for her village the next day and file the reports from there.Ganga was not there, so she went to Ramdulari. “When can I meet ma?”“She should be back tomorrow.”“Oh,” Anu said disappointed. “Okay… I was hoping to leave for home tomorrow and thought I would inform her.”Ramdulari glanced back furtively and, restraining Anu with a friendly touch, whispered, “I did what you told me to! My husband didn’t take it well. But he knows I mean business. Thank you.”The gratitude in the woman’s eyes overwhelmed Anu. Placing her hand on Dulari’s, she smiled and said, “I hope this is the end of your troubles.”When she reached the house, she was tired, and she went to bed without dinner. A few hours later, she woke up screaming as a pair of hands groped her in the dark. One hand covered her mouth roughly. She was pinned to the ground by a man. The babu, first her mind screamed, for she had been dreaming of him with Chintan’s face. But the stench of country liquor was strong. The hands were calloused and the body tough. The man cursed under his breath, “You will teach Dulari to deny me! You bitch!” The voice and the words had no finesse, and were like that of a country brute. She fought him fiercely, belatedly admonishing herself for not having been more careful. Her body writhed under the strong legs that pinned her down. She thrashed, and felt the grip on her mouth loosening. She started to scream, but the hand was back. In that one second, though, she got her chance and bit down hard.  The man jerked his hand back, and in his drunken state, he slipped to the floor.Anu sprang up and screamed again. She knew where some logs were kept. She blindly lunged in that direction. She picked up one log and straightened, ready to hit out. She turned quickly, panicking as the darkness made it difficult to see where he was. Suddenly he was on her again, and she screamed once more before he cut the sound off by covering her mouth. The log fell from her hands. Someone forcefully pushed at the door. Another man said, “The courtyard. Go from there.”They jumped in over the low courtyard wall and rushed into the room, dragging the offending man off her. Anu shrank. Her attacker was a stranger. She had never seen him before. “Are you okay? You are safe now,” said one of her rescuers. She slumped down and started crying. There were women around her now, who spoke to her gently and took her away.“Babu,” a woman muttered as a man walked in. Somebody touched her. She looked up and felt dark brown eyes with flecks of grey staring back at her intensely. The world went blank after that. She sat up screaming as she felt someone touching her. She shrank back in pure fear, unable to think one coherent thought.“It’s me, Anu…my darling Anushka…” Chintan whispered, gently taking her hand and rubbing it. It was Chintan, stroking her hair… She opened her mouth to speak, but words wouldn’t come. He put a finger to her lips and closed her eyes. She forced herself to open them. There was no one there. She was alone. All alone. Had it been a dream?Panicking, she got up. The steady breathing of a woman in one corner of the room reassured her, but also confirmed that she had imagined him.She lay back, and cried. She didn’t know when she fell asleep.