Taboo: Part 2
Her phone rings. It was Alik. Her heart leapt, and then fell into the chasm it meant to cross, over to the other side, where the grass was greener, and she was in Alik’s arms, a changed man. Perhaps something really changed. Perhaps, Alik was ready to take responsibilities, give up being a whore, and maybe she will be happier. What Sushi (since I was her friend, I can call her so...can’t I?) didn’t know, was it would be her life that was about to take a turn…for the worse. But hey, things need to get worse to get better, right? I mean, how bad can it be?
She picked up the phone. His speech was slurred. Background noises weren’t too comforting. A clink of glasses. Pouring. He was drinking. Nothing creates a better ambience to drink than rain. “Hey Bitch!” (Oh, he is drunk, he isn’t thinking clearly), “Come ova at mah place, want ye to meet some of mah frands!” (Ok, he is definitely drunk). Beep. He had hung up. A flurry of thoughts.
He is drunk and dangerous – do not go over to his place, at least not alone.
But who else do I have to go with? Besides, I love him. He knows that! What could he possibly do?
I dunno. Assault you? Don’t give me that look, you know what I mean. You know how he uses his girls!
sigh Ok. I will take something to protect myself then. But I will be going. I haven’t seen him in a week. I can’t wait any longer.
I warned you girl.
Shut the f** up.
The rain precipitated with such fury, as if almost wanting his lovely Sushnita to not go over at his place. Her stomach was churning. Her hair drenched. Her clothes sticking to her curves. She never looked so sultry before. Perhaps it was because it was answering her master’s call that made her look so decked up? The kohl in her eyes became all the more seductive. “How could a girl like her be so irrational and rash? She should’ve known better!” Well, how am I supposed to know that? I am just a story-teller. Yes, I too doubted the mental state of her mind. But love makes you do things you would never have thought you can do. And this is what her love for that Alik did to her.
She knocked. The door opened. It wasn’t Alik. A hand pulled her in. She was pinned to the wall. Alik was watching her from his bed, the only bulb in the room flickering. The table was full of money-money Alik must have lost in a bet, and she…she was the collateral! How she wished she stayed back. Her clothes were being ripped. Her body touched. Conflicting hormones raged in her body- adrenaline to push away, sex hormones to go on. A hand went inside her. She was wet. How she wished consciousness left her that very moment. A soft but hard piece of meat went inside her. Her hands bound, helpless. Her mouth covered, helpless. Helpless, naked, penetrated. She could only feel the meat going in and out, and then changing. The thickness, the length, the vigour, the pain, the anguish. But she felt grateful to Alik. At least he didn’t…a smallish meat was being rubbed on her clit. Maybe she spoke too soon. Hot tears singed her face. She still couldn’t cry, but her body swelled, her pretty breasts rising with her silent cries, bare. Alik the merciful. He didn’t penetrate her after all. Not with all the semen vilifying her vagina. Her use was over.
She woke up. The room was empty. Her torn clothes lay around. Someone was kind enough to leave fresh clothes for her. (Must be Alik). She was surprised. At how she could. After all he did, how she could still vouch for that…that…I can’t find words to describe that animal. She got up, got dressed. She had an exam that day. She was already late. She couldn’t go back. She didn’t want to face anyone. She wanted to obliterate herself-obliviate her memories in anyone who knew her.
(“Wait a minute. How could you know such details about what happened to her? And is it morally correct to talk about it like this?” It was her decision. I too was taken aback when she wanted me to put it up for the world to see. But she had her reasons, and a viable one. We’ll come to that.)
Her phone rings. Chiru. Her BFF in college. Her mentor, saviour, whatever you want to call him. But why was Chiru calling now? Was he there too when she was…? She couldn’t see the faces of the animals.
She: “Hello”
Chiru: “Where are you?”
“Why?”
“The exam is about to start. The Dean delayed the exam for you. You know how much he dotes on you.”
“I can’t sit for the exam. I am… umm…sick??”
“How sick?”
“Just let me be Chiru”
“Alik told me what happened to you”
“*sobs*So?”
“So where are you now?”
(I just wanna die right now. You cannot see me like this!)
“Are you there?”
“*sobs*”
“Shit. You must still be at his place. That son of a gun. I am coming to get you. Stay there.”
Beep
Chiru was coming over. Chiru was coming over? Chiru was coming over! She couldn’t think anymore. Why couldn’t Chiru call her last night? Why couldn’t Chiru come to save her? After all that he did to help her in her studies, the least she expected now was for Chiru to come and save her dignity. Foolish girl. But maybe that’s what some other girl would have thought too. That someone could have saved them from this scar, this indignation that was a part of her life now. A cancer. A leech.