Chronicle 2

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Subhadra lay on the couch. Her phone went on giving missed call notifications but she didn't budge. The pain was disturbing her once again. The pain that rose from the back of her neck and spread throughout her head, and she felt nauseous.
The pain that had been hurting her since she was sixteen.

Since the day her cousin brother had caught her by the neck in a firm grip and took pleasure seeing her aching. And then had thrown her on the bed.

Subhadra had been hearing the giggles again throughout the house today. She came home around four after her half night duty. And had been hearing those since then everywhere. Kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms, gardens...
She knew the giggles very well, and she herself giggled along at times. And then the pain shot and she almost fell on the couch. Inviting slumbers that didn't come.

Subhadra had to drop school for a month when she was sixteen. She was particularly not sick, but her body ached a lot. Like a lot. When she was admitted to the hospital, she had heard and known, going back to the same world she belonged to would be difficult. She had asked the nurse she liked, to kill her on mercy. The nurse had only cried holding her head.

Subhadra's uncle fell on her father's feet to forgive his son. And she had seen from behind the curtains, the man had offered a huge sum of money to her middle class father to keep the matter within their family. And her father had agreed after a huge fight with his inner self.

Subhadra returned to school after a month. Her body didn't ache anymore. And she had almost given up on the thoughts of the incident that evening. She was recovering. But her friends had something else in hold for her. Her family had tried a lot in brushing things under the carpet, making false certificates of chicken pox for her and everything else they could. But from somewhere everyone knew. And that day she finally realised, no one hated whoever raped her. Everyone hated her.... 

Subhadra picked up the phone. Kunal coughed.

" I miss you Subhi. "

" I don't. You are the world's worst kisser. "

" Let's meet soon on bed. I'll make you crave for more of me. "

Subhadra cut the call and ran to the washroom to puke. The giggles vibrated throughout the walls of the washroom. Subhadra pressed her head against a wall and slowly whispered, " Myra.... "

The giggles grew louder.

Subhadra knew her monster cousin was off to Secunderabad, studying. Subhadra knew a lot, but registered only that much needed.

One day when she was sixteen she woke up from a deep sleep in the morning to her mother's howl.

Her rapist cousin was brutally murdered on a deserted road in Secunderabad, the previous night. His face terribly bruised. And he had lost his asset, castrated.

Subhadra entered the hospital. Nurse Clara got a register signed by her. She asked, " Everything alright? Everyone good? "

Clara nodded a yes. And then as if suddenly remembered something.

" Oh, that recovering lung cancer patient, Rishabh Nayerr in wing eleven, he expired around five this morning. Kunal sir was on round then."

" Expired? Suddenly? How even?? " , Subhadra almost shrieked out, and then tried to control.

" Cardiac arrest ma'am. His body has been discharged as well. "

" Why did no one even care to inform me??? "

Clara was startled.

" You weren't on duty ma'am, and deaths of cancer patients aren't drastic...

Though he was recovering.. "

Clara bit her lips and went away.

Dr Subhadra Hegde wiped the single drop of tear that built unexpectedly at the corner of her right eye.

The Chronicles Of Subhadra Hegde √Where stories live. Discover now