It was dark…. dark ... deep, black and silent

She felt she was thirsty

          W here was she? She tried to get up. Ooch! There wasa piercing pain in every cell of her body. What had happened?

She tried to remember.

Yes she had gone to the market and was coming home.

While walking towards the parking lot she was whisked inside a car. There were four people inside. All of them looking at her with lusty eyes.

Suddenly she screamed. She felt they were lurking somewhere

‘Doctor nurse….

This was Ajay her husband

‘Mona what happened.’

He sounded tensed.

Through his voice she could feel the love, the worry, the concern for her

‘Ajay Ajay ………’

She screamed

Yes dear I am here .Holding his hand tightly she looked at him

Both of them understood the silent language. She said everything without uttering a word

She started crying silently than there were whimpers which turned into howls.

The nurse came in with Dr Reena

Reena went to Mona’s bed

‘Let her cry Ajay .’ Reena said

‘The police are here Reena told them

‘Mona do you feel you can give a statement.’

‘Statement .What statement?She asked

‘Ajay what are the police here for?’

Ajay went out of the room

Reena sat near Mona .’You have to tell them Mona the culprits should get punished.’

Mona was crying silently

‘Water’ she said. ‘I am thirsty ‘.

The police officer came inside

'Madam if you can just answer some questions it will be easy to catch them.'

She answered the questions. She was totally drained out when they left. ‘

Reena didi ‘Mona called

‘Yes Mona you want something’

‘ I want to sleep’

 I will give you a sedative

‘No I want to sleep for ever ‘Mona said

‘Mona’ this was Ajay’s voice

‘Let her sleep Ajay she will be fine.’

Slumber, sleep, sleep sleep………… she thought it was heaven. Suddenly she woke up she saw that face near her tried to scream but her voice was not responding.

The four of them were laughing. They had ripped her body

The feelings of insult, torment, ridicule were ripping her soul apart.

Finally they had dropped her at a place. Dazedly she took a cab and came home. The driver looked at her suspiciously but she was walking in a trance

She did not remember what happened after that.

Suddenly she remembered Chavi her daughter

Where is Chavi?

‘Ajay’ she called

‘Chavi?

‘Yes Mona Chavi is fine. We will go home today.’

They reached home. Her home -she looked at it with strange eyes .Everything seemed changed. Chavi came to her and hugged her

‘Mama,  how are you’ she asked

With her small hands she tried to wipe her tears away.

‘Chavi beta Mama wants to lie down’

‘Yes papa ‘she said

‘Chalo Mama I will take you to the bedroom.’

The small child was unable to understand what had happened

Inside the bedroom she felt like a stranger.

With blank eyes she stared at the walls.

Ajay came with a tray

‘Mona have something to eat I have made some soup and some sandwiches.’

She sat on the bed. She tried to sip the soup.

Tasteless, metallic Ajay had made it so lovingly.

He was a good cook He used to make good soups. She looked at him

She saw the sadness, the love, the concern for her .

The love was so obvious but it almost pained her. Love could hurt.

She burst into tears.

‘Why’ why was her peaceful world ripped off so cruely.  What had she done

What had Ajay and Chavi done?

Those four demons What sort of humans were they? No ,they were demons.

Ajay coaxed her to eat the sandwich.

Chavi was looking at her with fear in her eyes

Poor child, she touched her hair ,chavi smiled.

 Mona had a fresh burst of tears.

It was time to go to bed

The doctor had given a sedative

Sleep heavenly sleep

Suddenly she got up with a start.

Yes she will end all this she has to

She will go away for ever.

Why should Ajay suffer with her. She decided. She got up,.looked at Ajay her husband of ten years. She and Ajay had been happy in their world. Chavi had made them happier. There was nothing more she could have asked for from God. Life was very fulfilling. She worked as a painter from home. Her small apartment was lovingly decorated by her .Her friends admired her house. She went to the room which was her studio.

A big painting of Daffodils was standing there. It was a bunch of  blooms which she had finished colouring that afternoon. She stood in front of it. No she has to leave all this. Silently she looked at her paints her, unfinished paintings for the last time.

She stopped outside Chavi’s room. She went inside. Chavi was sleeping with her teddy bear.

She looked at her face. Tommorow when Chavi gets she will not have her mother. Mona looked at her daughter. Said a silent goodbye. She will not be there when chavi grows up. She stifled a cry. Softly she touched Chavi’s hair lovingly, she  stroked her head.

No it was now or never. She had to leave.

Hastily she got up. Tried to walk away from her daughter’s bed. Something tugged her gown. She looked back .Chavi was holding the belt of her gown tightly. For a second she thought Chavi was awake. No she was not awake. Unconciously she had got hold of her gown and was holding it tightly .Mona remembered that as a baby, Chavi would often do this.

Mona sat on the bed. She looked at her daughter.

This was a big moment and her mind which was firm till this moment became shaky.

How can she go away like this leaving her family/What  had Chavi and Ajay done to deserve this fate?

She will not go. She will mend her life. She will gather the pieces of her soul and try to live again. Her body will soon heal. The soul will take longer. But she will not give up- for Ajay for Chavi.

Ajay entered the room with a worried look.

‘What are you doing here?’ he asked

‘Nothing, finding the broken pieces of my life and putting them together’. she said

Ajay looked at her with infinite tenderness

Yes Mona we will start our life all over again. We will leave this city and find a new life.

Together, they weeped in silence

.

‘You know something’ said Ajay

‘Your unfinished painting is alredy sold

‘What”? Mona asked

One of my client was here yesterday and he bought it for himself. He has asked for more such paintings

Both of them smiled at each other.

The Daffodils were happy