Fiction: The Revenge

Rochika Sharma

Rochika Sharma

As soon as I woke up in the morning, with my favourite cup of tea, I went to the balcony and opened the pages of newspaper. Enjoying morning tea with
newspaper was my daily routine for many years.

The green grassy garden and twittering of the birds in the morning was lovely. I could witness the gift of this nature from the balcony. I read The Bombay Times, all fashion people, their lifestyles and the happenings in the city. Then Page 3 about the hotels, parties, stars and their stardom full of gossips and entertainment.

Busy in reading heard my mom’s voice from the kitchen, “Riya how many hours for the newspaper, can’t you come in the kitchen and help me pack the tiffin box for your dad and brother?”

I didn’t reply thinking that it’s mom’s habit. She knows without reading the newspaper, I can’t even breathe, still she shouts from the kitchen every morning. So let it be, first I will go through the newspaper then only I will listen to her.

Ohhhh, what a news? I murmured. I felt so happy reading that accident news. Then only, my mom came to me and screamed like anything “How stubborn you are, dad is getting late for the office, can’t you come and help me?”

I went in the kitchen and helped her, after that I went to gym. During my workout, I went in flash back. It was a new year eve. I was in a disco with one of my friends, Rack. Both of us had consumed some liquor in the disco. I was feeling very drowsy.

Returning from the party, I noticed that we were going to some new route.

“Rack where are we going?”

“Just two minutes, I have to return a CD to my friend Jose” he replied.

After that he took me to his friend’s flat. Nobody was there but Rack had the keys. We went inside, he started hugging and kissing me all over. I tried to stop him, but he didn’t. I pushed him with my knee.

He pounced back on me like a wild beast and pulled my skirt down. He threw me on the bed and sat on me. I tried to escape, I pleaded him to leave me. But he didn’t.

He raped me. I screamed, and cried, but nobody came to help.

“Sorry Riya” he said and dropped me to my home.

I couldn’t make out, suddenly what happened to Rack. He was such a good friend of mine. I always trusted him, he was my childhood family friend. Even my parents liked him very much that’s why they sent me for the new year party with him.

More than rape, I was feeling cheated, as if I have had lost everything. That night I tried to sleep but couldn’t. Whole night I spent with bad dreams.
Many a time I thought of telling my mom about this rape incidence, the very next moment thought came into my mind that knowing the incident, mom would accuse me only. Because in our society, social stigma still exists. After any abuse, people start finding faults with the girls only. She would say “Now you are dirty, who will marry you? you have spoiled our name, why did you consume liquor and blaaa blaaaaa.”

I kept quiet and didn’t share this incident with anybody. But from dawn to dusk every thought in my mind was killing me from inside. I was feeling “I should not step out of home. What if Rack tells all other friends about this incidence, and god knows they already know about it and making fun of me behind my back.”

When I used to meet our common friends, it was being difficult for me to see my friends even smiling at me. Whenever anybody known to Rack would meet me with a broad smile, the thought process used to start in my mind “God knows, he knows about the incidence or is he just smiling normally?”

Day by day I was losing my confidence. I felt, as if I was going into depression. I stopped meeting people, I used to get scared in public places, thinking everybody is looking at me suspiciously. Life had become difficult for me.

I wanted to keep myself busy to come out from that worst mishap of my life. I indulged myself in reading books, joined the close by gym just to be away from the friends and pass my time. Every day I use to go to library and get the books, started reading novels. My childhood interest of reading suspense stories was back. I got some crime fiction books like “What She Left”, “The truth and other lies”, “I came to find a girl”, “The Big Sleep”, “The talented Mr. Ripley” and many more.

Now after joining the gym and indulging in my hobby of reading books I started feeling relieved from the incidence of rape. I started meeting my friends and Rack too, as I used to meet them earlier. All my friends were also missing me for a long time.

One day when one of my friends, Nisha asked “Hey dear, where were you? It seems as if we are meeting after ages.”

“Yeah” I replied, “I have joined a gym and reading lot of books, my mom also pushes me in the kitchen, so less time for friends, but I too missed you a lot, so joined you back” I replied with a big smile.

“Hey Rack how are you doing these days” I asked as if I had forgotten everything Rack had done with me.

Rack smiled and replied “Good, how about you Riya?”

“Good Rack, let’s be friendly again” I replied.

Now since I was maintaining my gym regime and having a balanced, nutritious diet, in few weeks I got a gorgeous figure. I became a favourite gym member for the instructor. He was helping me training strengthening exercises. I used to run on tread mill for half an hour every day to improve my body metabolism, alternate days I started cycling and sweating on elliptical machine. My body got toned. Anybody could get attracted to me.

One day after finishing my daily regime I asked the gym instructor “Rohit please help me in stretching exercises.”

“Why not” said Rohit.

Though it was difficult to turn the arms behind my own back and join my palms, but I told Rohit “I want to do this, I want to join my palms behind my back.”

“You try madam, I will help you, but don’t do without any help, your shoulder bones may break” said Rohit.

I tried that every day and finally one day I achieved what I wanted. My gym instructor appreciated me for the effort I put. I started going for the parties with my friends as before. Nobody could make out that I was a rape victim. In fact, my friends started calling me a bombshell. I got my confidence back.

I started dating with Rack again. “Hey Rack, there is a surprize for you” I said.

“What’s that?” asked Rack, "Is it a gift?"

Yeah, I replied, “It’s a surprize Rack, let’s plan a picnic, only you and me.”

“Oh! great, I am feeling so lucky Riya, such a gorgeous babe wants a picnic with me only. Let’s plan it immediately.”

“Tomorrow, near the valley” I asked.

“Why not” said Rack.

I smiled at him “bye Rack, see you tomorrow.”

“Bye!” replied Rack and started day dreaming.

Next morning, he woke up early and met me near the valley. Both of us were very happy meeting each other. Rack said “Riya, after that incidence, you stopped talking to me, I missed you a
lot. You can’t even imagine how much I love you, come close darling, whole night I couldn’t sleep thinking about meeting you, that too in a lonely place. With this thought itself, I was so thrilled.
I want to hug you, kiss you all over.”

“Yeah, me too felt all alone without you Rack. You won’t believe, I can feel your touch every night, can’t forget those moments Rack” I said hugging him.

Then both of us had drinks. I put some drugs in his drink. He fell unconscious. Now I started my well-planned act. I laid Rack on his stomach and turned both of his arms behind his back, which I learnt in gym from the instructor. I knew little pressure on the shoulder bone, when hand is behind the back, will break his bones. I pulled his hands back and twisted them giving pressure. “Kdak- Kdak” his bones sounded.

I kicked him and came back home by a cab. Nobody knew about the incidence. But today in the newspaper when I read the headlines “A young boy near the valley, met with an accident”, I felt so happy and read the whole news again and again, which said “His both the shoulder bones got fractured in the accident, it seems the boy had taken some drugs and riding his motorbike, so he lost his balance. Some villagers informed to the police station and now he is in so and so hospital.” Rack’s picture was there with the news.

I said to my mom “mom, see the news, it seems this is Rack, look at the picture in the newspaper”.

“Yeah this is Rack” said my mom.

“Ok mom, I am going to see him in the hospital” I said and left from home. In hospital all our friends were already there, I went there with a beautiful flower bouquet and a “get well soon” card.
“Oh Rack, what happened to you, how did you meet with accident” I asked sobbing.

Rack knew what game I had played with him, but couldn’t opened his mouth. As he knew I will tell the truth in front of everybody and he will lose his respect. Seeing my courage, he was more worried, what if I tell the truth to family and friends. He didn’t open his mouth. I smiled at him, wished him good luck and came home.

Now one month over after that incidence, I forgot the rape incidence forever and won the battle by taking my revenge on my own instead of taking help of the law. Because I knew, if I go to the court, it will take many years and all those years, I have to face the society as if I had done something wrong. I was walking on tread mill deep into thought, suddenly Rohit said smiling, “Madam it’s more than one hour, you are on the tread mill. I have to leave early today, let’s do stretching exercises.”

“I have learnt the art of joining the palms, behind my back, without breaking the bones Rohit” I replied with a broad smile and left the gym.

Setu, December 2017