Enchanted

chapter three

The light seemed dull and so were her eyes. The spark inside of her was lost,
cried her insides.

When she had agreed to the marriage she didn't know what kind of a person Raghav was, on the day of the wedding her aunt taunted her about what kind of life she was going to live now.

Her aunt was right, "he's going to make you miserable"

She felt that when Raghav undraped her saree from her body when she begged to let go.

Her aunt was right when she said that "he'll trap you, you'll feel helpless"

Because when he tied her hands by her saree she exactly felt helpless when she wasn't able to push him away when again he forced himself on her.

"You'll regret the life you're given"

And she did being tortured and forced to give up her body when she didn't want to. She wanted to laugh at how right her aunt was.

Thrust, Thrust, Thrust, again and again.
She felt tired. She felt torn. She felt miserable.

"Oh don't cry baby it's just the start,"
he cooed to the girl under him.

Her eyes were blank she felt blank. The blankness you feel as if your heart is not inside you anymore.

When the mind feels ripped as if it's crushed like the autumn leaves on a road full of vehicles.

She felt the same when she was being tormented.

He kissed her strongly all while rubbing himself on her. Only if he realized that a real man isn't the one who's dominant in bed.

A real man is the one who respects
a woman who he claims as his even in the closure of four walls.

When he claims the woman his to spend the rest of his life with he should at least respect her opinions, wishes, and beliefs.

But in the case of Raghav, he was nothing of a man. He was an insecure person who built himself as someone whom everyone is scared of.
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The morning greeted and Ruchika went to visit her grandparents in the hospital.

Nowadays she feels more like a lifeless body she cries every night and has forgotten to smile.

She vividly recalls happy times sometimes to get just a little escape from reality. Where she came across a faint memory. "Rucha" is that familiar nickname she thinks about to put a finger on that faded memory.

"How are you beta (child)"
Her grandma smiled at her looking weak and grandpa sat beside her.

"I'm good," she tried to smile but it didn't just reach her eyes.

"How long are you going to be here, grandma? "

"Who are you?" her grandma scowled at her that's what she was suffering from Alzheimer's disease.
Which made her confused about her surroundings as she often forgets what's happening around her.

It hurt Ruchika as much as it hurt her grandpa when her grandma wasn't able to recall them.

She stood up eyes full of tears. She felt lonely her grandpa felt vulnerable. Where should she go when the only people in her life who have ever loved her cannot be with her.

She went outside if it was her fate to be lonely then she'll do just that.

"Beta" her grandpa called her standing beside her.

"Yes nanaji (maternal grandpa)" she tried to smile. She tried to look strong in front of her grandpa who always taught her to be strong. Who always wanted her to be strong. But how can she be strong when she was breaking each day with the flood of experiences that broke her like glass.

He held her shoulder and looked forward. "How have you been child? "

"Good." She replied smiling.

"How's Raghav is he treating you well?" her concerned grandpa asked.

She recollected how she went to inquire him that she was going to meet her grandparents and wanted him to come with her to show her grandparents a little act that they were happy together even if they were not. But he refused to come.

Should she tell him that his granddaughter's life is miserably the same as his daughter's was?

She looked at him his eyes had lost their shine he looked pale. He was growing old. She doesn't want him to be concerned because of her when he has been enduring enough.

"Grandpa, yes he's great I'm very happy with him." This lie slipped across her lips so well that it made her scared.

Her grandpa felt relieved at her words." I'm happy for you beta," he was smiling.

It is wrong to lie but how sometimes just a little lie can make someone smile then, is it wrong to lie at those times too?

"Beta me and your grandma are getting very old now-

"Nanaji." She cut his sentence in the middle and hugged him. It was sad enough that she cannot be with them but talking about these things will only make them sadder than they already are.

"It's the truth child," he patted her back with his hand. "Perhaps I'll die content seeing you happy, I'm happy
you're sharing your life with someone worth loving," he chuckled.

She wanted to cry, tears screamed to get out of her eyes, her eyes begged her to release those painful tears, and her throat ached to take out the sob that was stuck inside her. She took an inhale and tried to smile still hugging his form tightly like a kid.

"Mera baccha,"(my kid) he caressed her hair lovingly as he said " Would you do something for me?"

"What nanaji?"

"Take this key beta," he handed her a wide key, "this is the key to the home where I and your grandma have spent 50 years of our life happily, the house where you grew up to be a strong girl, my strong girl."

"The house where my memories are locked."
Her grandpa nodded.

The key gave her a sense of nostalgia. So many memories, bitter and sweet were locked inside that house they had abandoned.

"Why are you giving me this grandpa?"

"The house was made by our love child," his eyes blinked trying to get rid of the tears "it has given us a good life a good time,so-ome good time," he released a breath, "they want your grandma to stay here I have to be here with her, her treatment is important and I want you to take the responsibility of our house which is yours now," he smiled at her "will you promise to take care of it?"

"Yes nanaji, I will," she smiled at him
maybe there is a reason to live now there is a reason for her, she wanted to go there to that house that held so many memories of her childhood.

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