Ubiquitous Effect of dark age (Fiction)

 

As usual, Adil, Ruhi, and Rati were enjoying their brief daily walks post dinner, around nine thirty, humming songs, when a white ford-fiesta halted. Some guys jump stood exactly before Adil obstructing his path. The car left. Adil held the two arms tightly, his wife’s and sister’s, and tried to pass from beside them but one of them didn’t let him.

“What’s the matter guys ? let me go,” Adil spoke to them with a mix of politeness and rudeness.

“Oh really! you think so ? but I think you’ve two spicy pieces with you,” one of them uttered twitching Rati’s cheeks, “So! leave them and go”.

By the time Adil react furiously to this, two of them grabbed both his hands and clothed his mouth. The other one trapped and wrapped Ruhi’s mouth by his arm; remaining two, ready to rape Rati. Adil vociferating badly, Ruhi screeching and screaming blatantly. Striding Rati was flat on the ground and the goon threw her dupatta away, scratched her waist, dragged down her lower when they heard a boisterous command.

Ruhi and Adil were renowned and lovable couple in their small, compact locality, consisting approximately seventy residents in a small province of Kanpur. Altruistic, cooperative, and full of acceptance. Ruhi lived with her in-laws and respected them like her own parents. She had an intense compassion for her younger unmarried sister-in-law, who was studying to become a lawyer. Rati, Adil’s only sister was gradually crossing marriage age, as unfortunately, she had some gynae problems; therefore, several families rejected her intimidating that she won’t be able to conceive. Ruhi’s in-laws’ were upset, but not disheartened. The family was extremely educated, loving and liberal.

They, especially Ruhi, were the first to give acceptance boldly to the issues, which are unapproved by everyone else, because of orthodox-ism. For instance, once Farhan, their forty years old married neighbor, was found involved in an extramarital affair, for which his father got aggressive and kicked him from his house. Rest of the folks accepted his decision except Ruhi. She justified the father and brainwashed Farhan so gracefully and peacefully, that everyone not only forgave him, but his wife also accepted her to give a second chance.

“Wait! leave her…let her go, I say,” shrilled Ruhi intrepidly, by chance her lips got freed from the trapper’s arm.

The man, who grabbed, released her by chance hearing her tenor voice, while the rapist got distracted and turned.

“Please! I beg you, leave her,” she attained a persuading tone now.

“Unless? what will you do ?” the rapist chuckled devilish.

“Please leave her and take me as your prey,” Ruhi continued, “She’s unmarried; her life would be ruined; please let her and my husband go. Nobody’s honor will be tarnished me being your victim.”

Silence fulfilled the tragic situation for few fraction of seconds when Ruhi warned again.

“Listen, this is a residential area; my locality. Everyone will be out here at one call.  I am anyways giving you an option; but you’ve to let my husband and this girl go.”  She was perspiring with fear.

The man kept staring at her for a while and snatched her from her necklace, releasing the other one, “As you say, darling.”

“Rati, go with bhai (brother), please leave. Adil, go from here,” Ruhi shouted.

Adil was already held by the two so he couldn’t. The rapists dragged all Ruhi’s clothes; making her nude. Ruhi’s eyes were fiercely red and down, while two of them were holding her. The boss was in the process to victimize, when Rati propelled a wooden log, which got hit somewhere over the man’s delicate part, and he went giddy through chronic pain, hurting one of his henchmen and the rest puzzled. Within milliseconds, as the main one became wilder, Rati held the log as her protection, and shouted out loud like a beast, or as if some UFO has fallen on her.

People entered their balconies, some sensed the situation, while the others couldn’t as it was dark . The best part was majority of the males came down within a few seconds. All five men, watching the team arriving, bewildered, released Ruhi and tried to escape. But Adil didn’t let them. After covering Ruhi with his shirt, he kept whacking the main one as brutally as he could. Others were hitting the rest vigorously, finding a wooden/iron logs. Ruhi managed to go inside with a woman’s help.

By this time, women of the locality and Adil’s family entered the scene and started sledging spontaneously. Everybody was so engrossed in thrashing, that calling the cop didn’t knocked their mind, until a young girl’s alert mind helped and the cops arrived in a while.

Few weeks passed, but this facade was still traumatic and indigestible for Adil’s family, especially for Ruhi. Kept thinking, always in trance and consternation, sudden random burst of tears, frequent sobs, not having meals properly since three weeks, perpetually attentive on the bell-ring: this was her condition, leaving everyone else tensed about her. She had sleepless nights, sitting on the rocking chair, literally no expressions on her eyes, when Adil took her to bed, as if paralyzed. Nights passed cuddling, embracing her, loving her. The moment he thought of something more, she turned her back to him. She intimidated any sexual touch. Then he teased or conversed with her unnecessarily, trying to be funny: in short, applying all possible tactics to normalize her.

Although, Adil tried his best to pacify her, but he was dying daily to see her beloved in this state. Almost shattered and detrimental, may be because all this was taking time to resolve, and he was losing patience. Realizing no improvement through the passing time, Adil decided to consult a psychiatrist. Ruhi denied, “no! I won’t”. These were the first set of words she uttered after the incident. She expressed, “I’ve been molested badly, that’s why you don’t love me; I am not durable for you anymore. That’s true…I’m ruined, I should be dropped to a….”

“Stop it! What are you saying, Darling ? I mean, I don’t believe…. you’re my love, my life,” Adil was startled on how to react, “well, you know that’s not true,” he hugged her tightly.

“You’re my princess and will always be…I can never think of me doing what you did at that point of time. What a bravery and presence of mind you’d shown, and what I did I do to rescue you two? nothing. I’m proud of you, dear…and ashamed of me.” convinced Adil for a long time.

The good news was, by now, Adil was aware of her mental conflict and headed towards optimism. He was determined to bring back Ruhi’s confidence and the same dauntlessness. No psychiatrist is needed now. He maneuvered Ruhi towards positivity smilingly and patiently. Family helped her in every step. They took it as a now or never project with an ambiguous inspiration, which has no deadline. All five of them had various jaunts and finally moved to the main city and joined several classes. Yoga retreat, martial arts, and self-defense training school, to empower Ruhi; to bring her back to the days when she empowered others; to ensure her that they loved her unconditionally.

It took them around six months to revive Ruhi from her trauma, but  eventually, they did see and feel the sun crystals clearly. It was a God-gifted day for the family, when Ruhi suggested her Dad-in-law with a gentle smile,

“Dad, isn’t it a good idea to go back to our town and open a yoga centre for our own mates? they indeed need it”. Dad burst out with delectation.

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