Her protector

24. Care?

Shreya was in her room looking at herself in the mirror. The bruise, wounds everything was reminding her of her helplessness. She wanted to get out of there and just hide in her Abhi's arms. She even tried to ask for a phone from Ramya, only to know that everyone's phone in this house are tapped and kept in check with Viren.

The door of her room opened abruptly and she saw Viren standing there. He smiled at her and Shreya's feet moved back unknowingly.

He walked towards her and held her hand dragging her to the couch. She wanted to shout at him and free herself but she was scared that he would get angry like yesterday and hurt her even more.

He made her sit on the couch and spoke "I am sorry doll." He said as he brought out a tube from his pocket "I was so harsh yesterday." He said as he took her hand and spread some ointment on her wounds.

Her hands went cold due to his touch, and she shivered trying to take her hand back but he tightened his hold and gave her a small smile "Don't try to go away from me, it hurts me. And if I am hurt then you'll be hurt too." He said spreading the ointment with his hand and putting a little pressure on her wound making her hiss.

He smirked at her "Sit here like a good obedient lady." He said applying ointment to any visible words "Learn to live here because you have to spend your whole life here now. Learn every corner of this house because you are never going out of this house. You can talk to anyone here except for the male servants or any male guests." He finished standing up "I'll send someone to apply ointment on your leg." He said bending down to her level "Can't touch your feet, I am a man and a man never touches a woman's feet." He said taking her lips in for a kiss while her hand tightly held the couch end to stop herself from hissing.

He walked out of the room making Shreya run towards the bathroom and gargle her mouth to remove any traces of his. She looked at herself in the mirror and sat there with a thud crying out loud. She cried calling for Abhi as if he could feel her pain from miles away.

"Please Abhi .... Take me away, please. Where are you, Abhi? I am scared, your butterfly is scared. You don't even let others look at me with bad intentions and here you butterfly is being assaulted, where are you? Please Abhi please." She said crying out loud pulling her knees to her chest.

She was startled to feel a touch on her shoulder and abruptly looked up to find Ramya standing there with remorse on her face.

Shreya looked at her scared but didn't say anything and soon found herself in a hug "I am sorry Shreya. I am sorry for acting so rude to you. I didn't know the whole truth. I was being told that you and my husband are in a relationship out of wedlock which made me insecure and jealous of you. I am sorry I should have never talked to you like this." She said hugging her but Shreya pulled back from the hug and moved back.

Ramya understood her changed behavior but she knew she couldn't do anything "I promise you Shreya, I'll get you out of this place when I get the chance. I will free you from this demon's clutches" She said determined.

Shreya found hope in the chaos and her eyes lit up "When? How? Will you get me out of here?" She asked with a glint in her eyes.

Her words made her trust a little more and she slowly dragged herself towards her.

Ramya nodded "It will take some time but I will help you out." She said and Shreya hugged her

"Please help me. My .... My .. Abhi must be waiting for me. Can you please call him?" Shreya asked her in the hope of contacting Abhi and asking him to take her away from this hell.

"I am sorry, all my actions are always tailed. Sorry, I can't call anyone." Ramya said looking down feeling helpless and shamed for denying her request.

"But you will get me out of here?" She asked hoping for a yes.

Ramya nodded "Now come let me put ointment on your wounds."

The hope of getting out of here made Shreya trust Ramya instantly and she didn't waste a second before going near her. She was ready to do anything she asked for as long as she got to leave this home.

Later Ramya puts ointment on all Shreya's wounds while telling her to not defy Viren's order as it will make everything hard for her.

"Why did you agree to your husband's 2nd marriage?" Shreya asked the question which was eating her mind.

Ramya chuckled bitterly "We have been married for 5 years. I belong to a very influential family, My father is a big businessman and Viren's father has a great political career. Both these fathers looked to their advantage and got us married.  He misunderstood his obsession for love. Although he never raised his hand to me maybe because of my family. My mother told me during the marriage that if my relationship with Viren ever ended then I have nowhere to go as my father wouldn't accept me too. We are a husband and wife without love. I tried to make this relationship work but he wanted only one thing from this relationship and he came to me only for that while I kept mum to have a family." Ramya said with sadness and then looked at Shreya "Then some time ago we got to know that I could never conceive and then his family manipulated my father for Viren's second marriage and never asked for my permission. I got to know about your marriage 2 days before as my father wanted to know about my views on his 2nd marriage. I wanted to deny but Viren came to me saying that you both are in love ." She said as tears fell from her eyes " He told me that he loved you for a year and you both wanted to get married." She finished.

Shreya was shocked to hear her "Why didn't you oppose?"

Ramya chuckled "Even if I had opposed, no one would listen to me. If your own family doesn't respect you then you are also not respected by your in-laws too. I don't knowmy father even asked when he doesn't care about me?"

"Why would your father do this to you?" Questions slipped off Shreya's tongue thinking about her father who was ready to die for his daughter.

Ramya looked at her with red eyes "I was an unwanted child which he got rid of by marrying her off while on the other hand, he got political support to boost his business."

"You never tried to talk for your rights?"

"I did. And maybe that's why I was never physically assaulted. Even though I was caged but I never gave them the enough satisfaction to step over me. I just wanted to make sure that even if I live here, I live with pride. And that fake pride also got crushed once he married you. But don't worry history won't repeat itself."

"Didn't he oppose for this wedding against his wish?"

Ramya chuckled "I'll tell you some other time."
And Shreya didn't force her

"Would I be able to get out of here?" Shreya asked unsure.

"I never had anyone for whom I could put my life at stake and run but you have. And I will try every possible thing to make sure you get the love you deserve." Ramya said caressing her hair as she made her lie on her lap.

They both talked for hours and they didn't realize how they become so close in just talks of few minutes.

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