The bus entered the bus terminus of Eluru. From here, she had to take another bus to her village, though she was sure someone might have sent a car to pick her up. She had declined to accompany her aunt and uncle to her home, preferring to travel by bus, so that it would give her the much needed time to come to terms with the tragedy. She knew she could never be the same nor could the void left by her loved ones be filled by anyone else. So, her uncle had booked her a seat in the Amaravathi A/C Coach of APSRTC, which was one of the most luxurious buses in the fleet of the State Public Transport Department. As she came out of the arrival block, she found Raju, one of her father's most trusted farm hands, waiting for her beside a Mahindra Jeep, her favourite vehicle. His face was grim and clouded with a sadness that seemed to go deep into his soul. He and his family had been serving them for generations and had a deeper bond with them than the other workers employed by the family. For the first time in the 16 years of her life, both of them were tongue-tied. He opened the door of the car silently while she sat without saying anything. Sometimes silence conveyed what a thousand words couldn't. The journey to the village was equally wordless as each of the two persons was lost in their own thoughts.
Her cousin was there to greet her. "How was the journey?"
"Fine."
"Come, you must be tired." She didn't say anything as he led her to her room as if she were a guest rather than a member of the house. It felt strange to be in the house empty of the people who loved her the most. She felt like a stranger in a place she had known all her life - a place where had played, danced, sang, grown up amid some of the purest form divine love a child could ever get. Yet, when she was on the verge of adulthood, she was staring at a house that had no real people. Everyone there had something to gain but nothing to give back. It was all surreal. He led her to a room that was a bit away from the other rooms; this room was usually given to guests who wanted more privacy. She didn't say anything since this room fitted her mood perfectly. She didn't feel like talking to anyone. He placed her bag near the bed and went into the bathroom and came back after a few minutes. "The water is luke warm, just as you like it to be." he said. "Freshen up and we will talk later." He left the room closing the door. She looked around the room and noticed that some changes had been made. The curtains had been removed from the windows and it made the room transparent to anyone who cared to look.
She walked to the windows and noticed her cousin standing near the window of his own room. She realised that something was off, so she went to the bathroom and peered closely at each corner of the bathroom searching for possible hiding places for hidden cams. When she couldn't find any, she came out and looked in the window. He was gone. Feeling uneasy, she decided to lock her room, but the handle bar was missing - on both sides of the door. A chill ran down her spine - were they plotting to get her killed? What did they mean by removing the locks and the handle bars of the door? She looked for soemthing heavy to place by the door; there was none. with a thumping heart she went to the bath room and examined the door; it was in a similar state. It was obvious someone had deliberately ensured that she couldn't lock herself in. She stood near the door unable to decide what to do; had her father been alive, she would never have been in this situation at all. Her eyes blurred with tears as she slid down the door in grief and helplessness. She kept her head between her hands and sobbed.
"Sahi, are you alright?" Sahithi shot a red hot glare at her cousin who was standing too close for comfort. He appeared to be concerned but something about him felt odd. She simply glared at him for a few moments before shew found her voice.
"What do you mean by removing the bolts and handles from the doors?" he looked taken aback by her sharp tone.
"Well, we were trying to protect you."
"By removing the bolts and making the room vulnerable?"
"We didn't want you do anything silly after.....after....well....um.....we wanted to make sure you were alright by checking on you from time to time."
"Well, I am not brave enough to kill myself. Don't worry. You can't get rid of me that quickly."
"You misunderstand me, Sahi. I....."
"What are you doing here?" he seemed angry at her cold demeanour but managed to control himself.
"I was checking if you needed anything."
"Send Rangamma and leave me alone."
"I cannot do that."
"What!!"
"It is my duty to protect you and I will do that even if I have to be with you always."
"I am not a child."
"But your safety is my first priority."
"Fine. But get out, I need to freshen up."
"Ok. But call me if you need help." She glared at him till he left the room and then banged the door close in anger.
"How dare he?" she muttered to herself as she checked the water in the bucket before stripping off her clothes. She really need that bath since she always felt dirty after a long journey. The luke warm water soothed her jangled nerves as she poured the water over her head. Though she had all the modern facilities, she preferred the Indian way of bathing as it felt more natural and kept her busy and alert. When she was done, she wiped herself dry and wrapped herself with the towel, stepping out of the bathroom. It was a habit she couldn't change since she always had her own room with an attached bathroom wherever she went. Whe she came out, her cousin was sitting one the bed waiting for her. He was holding a set of half saree for her to wear.
"I told you to go out!" he smiled shamelessly."I brought your clothes." She gave him a scorching look. "I don't want you to expose to everyone." she was confused by his words till he pulled her towel off. "Only to me." he said staring at her. She screamed and ran into the bathroom closing the door behind her. Her heart was thudding loudly at what had just happened. Why did he do that? Didn't he know she was the heir to the whole property earned by her parents? How could he do this to her? She felt the door being pushed and she almost fell on her face. She found two strong hands hold her steady while someone stared at her back. She felt very uncomfortable as it was something no one had ever done to her before. She felt a hand roam all over her back before she felt herself being turned round. Her cousin was staring at her assets making her squirm in embarrasment, shame and anger. "You need a little more time to bloom fully." he remarked as if he was reviewing a piece of art. "
Sahithi was pensive as they returned home. She realised she was in deep trouble with no one to call her own. She couldn't trust anyone nor could she fight aginst her legal gaurdians no matter how much she hated them. Her only hope to avoid her cousin was to go back to her school and finish her education. Would she be allowed to do that? Because her aunt and uncle would lose everything if they allowed her to complete her studies. She knew her cousin would take advantage of the situation to take her virtue sooner than later and she wouldn't be able to stop him. It would be nearly impossible for Raju to protect her since she had no powers till she got her property back. The future appeared grim. The true impact of the loss of her parents and grand parents hit her fully at that moment.As she entered the house, she was greeted with a deafening silence broken by the icy tone of her aunt. "Ah! So you have learned about the will." she remarked. "It will make things far easier.
Sahithi was gazing at the photo frame that depicted her full family taken in happier days. She had been in 9th class (9th grade) then. The family had gathered in the garden for a group photograph. While her grandparents looked as ancient as ever, her parents seemed to be aging for the first time. Everyone seemed to be happy, though she could detect the lack of deep happiness in the eyes of her aunt. There was something that her aunt was unhappy about though she didn't know what it was. Nevertheless, she ignored the feeling of unease and finished her packing making sure she had everything that she loved the most. When she came out, her uncle was waiting for her. He appeared calm as ever but what struck her as strange was the absence of her cousin and her aunt."Shall we go?" she nodded, unwilling to speak. She was surprised to see her uncle's car waiting for them."What happened to our car?""It is engaged on another task.""What task?""Taking your
The Shanthi Girls High School was more of a college than a high school since most of the students were at least 18 years old. This school catered to all those girls who were weak in studies due to laziness, low grasping and retention power, missing school due to unexpected circumstances etc. Now, Sahithi belonged to the last category as she had lost two precious years due to the death of her family, having been kept away from school by her scheming relatives. She was brought here to continue her education since it couldn’t be avoided any more.As Sahithi walked along the corridors, she felt fear pervade her bones. There was something grotesque about the place; the chilly corridors, the bare walls devoid of any paintings one would see in a school it was uninviting for a prospective student. Each turn in the corridor was marked by an arch held together by two stone sentries that looked like gods with their well-sculpted bodies and scanty clothes.The Sign boa
“Um...where is my uncle?” Sahithi asked tentatively. She was still nervous in this institution. “Oh, he left.” The warden replied nonchalantly. He turned towards the 18 year old male standing at the door. “Take her to room 14.” He busied himself with some paperwork that was pending. “Um...sir? What about the key to the room?” “There’s no key. There is no door to lock. Now go. I have work to do.” Sahithi was flabbergasted. “No door to the girls’ rooms?” she blurted out in shock. “How can that be possible?” “We need to check the girls are following the rules. So, no doors.” His tone was careless as if it was the most natural thing to remove doors to girls’ rooms. Now, go. Don’t waste my time.” there was a hint of irritation in his voice. “But sir, girls need some privacy.” He still didn’t look up. “For what?” she stared at him incredibly, unable to believe her ears. “What do you mean by that?” he looked at her slowly, as
“You are what?”“I will explain on the way. Now wash your face quickly.” Sahithi stared at the man for a while before realising she was indeed hungry.“Where is the washroom?”“Come with me.” He turned and walked out of the room and despite her misgivings, Sahithi followed him. She was slowly coming round to the fact that everything here was drastically different from what she had seen till then.“Just like those evil gits to join me here!” she ground her teeth in frustration. “Just wait till I make you pay back with interest.” The man stopped and turned towards her.“Pardon?” she realised she had spoken her thoughts aloud.“Nothing. I wasn’t talking to you.” He gave a weird look at her.“This is the wash basin.” He pointed to her. “The bathrooms and toilets are over there.” He ch
The day was bright and Sahithi was in great spirits as she took in the benefits of the morning sun. Since childhood she had been rising up early in the day to watch the sun rise and as a result she received plenty of Vitamin D that those orange rays of the sun. She was ready to face a new day with renewed vigour. She went on a tour of the washrooms, finding no one there. However, what struck her odd was the lack of separate bathrooms. It was obvious they had to bathe in the hall like area. She took a deep sigh and got ready before anyone else woke up. “Hey, when did you get up?” Betsy asked as Sahithi came in. “An hour ago.” “Ah, I see. As you fall into the routine you will not be able to get up so early.” Sahithi smiled and started reading the Bhagavadgita. It was her habit to start the day with at least a few slokas from the Gita that gave her enough mental strength, vigour and energy to face the day. Betsy stared at her for a long time before getting ready. “Why? Is the schedul
This time Sahithi was better prepared as she knew the only way to escape was to bite down her pain and do what they told her to. Her best chance lay in following their words to the letter. She prepared herself mentally for the stroke that was about to come but despite steeling her mind she still could not help crying out in pain at the sting on her bottom that brought tears in her eyes. "One." she said gritting her teeth to shut out the pain. "Thank you sir." "See? It was not so difficult after all!" she ground her teeth at those words but what could she do? The second stroke was even harder than the first one and she wiggled her ass before managing "Two. Thank you sir." The teacher came near her and placed his hand on her ass cheeks and she jerked involuntarily. "Enough!" he said. "Leave her." she got up grateful for the reprieve. "Tell us about yourself." She had by then lowered her skirt and restored her dignity. with a face red as a beetroot she started introducing herself. “I