Calming The Storm🌌 (#wattys2019)√

14. Emancipation II✔

"Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict. "
-William Ellery Channing

______

Indrayan's pov:

The room seemed lifeless and still. It was almost hard to believe someone could be in the room but then I heard someone's flaccid breathing.
I stepped into the room gradually taking one step at a time. The windowpane was broken. Broken shards of glass adorning the floor.
And then I saw her!
She was sitting on the floor drawing her knees closer to her chest. She was not crying but her eyes seemed to be emotionless. They were fixed on something straight ahead. Her hands clutched a sharp piece of glass
I started moving towards her and it was like she was broken out of a trance by the sound of my footsteps.
She did not look at me.

She started speaking, "Don't you dare come near me or the consequences won't be good! Don't you dare try to do anything with me or I will either kill you or kill myself...."
Her quivering voice spoke out the threatening words with confidence.

She raised her voice, "You cannot harm me! You cannot take advantage of me! I am strong enough to protect myself... " she continued at a high volume muttering threats and then all of a sudden her volume came down and she shifted to Bengali, "Ami nijeke mere felbo (I will kill myself)! Ami amake touch korar odhikar kauke debo na(I will not give anyone the right to touch me)! "
She spoke in a voice that quivered but the intensity of her words would tell anyone to back off... Especially since she had the shard of glass in her hand.
I removed my wig and gradually went towards her. She backed off as she did not recognize me in that state.

I said as gently as I could, "Sampurnaa! It's me Indrayan. I came here to help you. I am not going to hurt you! "

But my words fell on deaf ears!
She backed away even more and held the shard of glass in front of her... Asking me to stop moving.
I stopped moving towards her immediately.
She looked at me with fiery eyes. Her dark chocolate orbs shimmered with unshed tears but her stare still held that confidence and strength one normally associated with her.

Before I could say anything further, someone knocked at the door.

Sampurnaa snapped out of her reverie and stared at me as if she disbelieved my presence. I indicated her to keep quiet.
There was a woman at the door who got up told me that she was a sex worker. She had got the water and pills as I had instructed. She was trying to peek into the room but I stood in the doorway blocking her view.
She went away.
I shut the door and locked it.

Sampurnaa seemed to be in her senses now.
She came near me and touched my arm as if she wanted to check if I was an illusion.
When she felt my hand under her fingers, she looked into my eyes this time... The unshed tears gradually making their way down her cheeks.

I touched her shoulder lightly and she broke down totally. Her sobs resounded in the locked room. I had never imagined in my worst nightmare that the same strong woman I had grown to admire would break down totally like this.

I put an arm around her shoulder awkwardly. I had never been close to any women other than my mother and Adrija. Moreover, I had never been moved by anything during my tenure as a lawyer.

I started comforting her while she embraced me and continued crying.
Sometime later, she wiped her tears and her breath returned to normal. I gave her some water to drink and she gladly sipped it.
I had never thought she would be in such a broken state!
Her eyes had always gleamed in a way that reflected her confident and strong self but today they had gleamed differently when she saw me... As if she found hope.