Trapped...

Champagne was flowing as the guests arrived. She looked beautiful. She was busy attending the guests. He glanced at her. She shivered. He was playing the perfect host to all. ‘He is a perfect devil too’ she thought. It was a happening party but she was afraid of what was in store for her later that night. She feared she would be bruised again.

                Ria was a wannabe model when she met Ishan. He fell for her instantly. They met often. Ishan promised Ria that he would make her a superstar and he did. He was powerful and that helped her career immensely. Ria fell for him. Ishan played the perfect gentleman around her. She was smitten. Love is blind. He proposed to her and they got married.

                Life was beautiful for the first few months but things changed soon. Ishan’s love for Ria turned into obsession. He did not allow her to keep in touch with the world. Her career came to a stand-still. She was in a house-arrest. She could not venture out without his body-guards. He had become too possessive about her. Soon, he became violent. She was abused for no reason. She was caged by her own love. She was now afraid of his presence. Ria wanted to live her life. She wanted to feel free again. She wanted to fly away. Her bruises were hidden by her sari and she wore a fake smile. But even make-up could not hide the scars she had on her mind. Ria wanted to live a safe life now. She loved him but she did not want him anymore.

                                                            

                Every once a while Ishan would resort to violence to prove his manhood and dominance. Ria was helpless. She could not run away. She could not defend herself. She was too afraid to go to the police. She knew that would make headlines. Every time Ria tried to escape Ishan made sure she learnt her lesson. She had to be treated in the hospital a couple of times for those lessons. She had no family. She thought of him as her life. But now she knew her life was in danger. The only way she had was to walk with him.

                Today was their 1^st Wedding Anniversary. Ishan’s father had got his date to the party. In his arms was a woman less than half his age. Ishan’s mother had passed away few years ago in mysterious circumstances. ‘Like father like son’ she thought. Ria did not want to end up like her mother-in-law. She knew she had to be strong. She knew she had to drift away from Ishan. She knew he loved her in his own evil ways. But his ways were too evil.

                It was a little past mid-night and the party was in full swing. Everyone was getting drunk. Ishan was drunk too. Ria was afraid that Ishan would create a scene again. He was infamous for that. She kept an eye on him. And the doorbell rang. It was the police. Someone from the neighborhood had complained about the noise. Ishan decided to take the matter in his own hands and went ahead to talk to the police. Ria feared he would mess things up with his aggressiveness. She followed.

                In a few minutes time the matter went out of hands. Ishan became aggressive. Abusing the police past mid-night, when drunk, cannot be good and well-received. Ishan became violent. He had gotten into a lot of fights recently. She apologized to the police on his behalf and tried to talk to Ishan.  But Ishan slapped Ria and pushed her. She fell on the ground with a thud. All this was in the middle of the road, in the presence of the police and guests peeping through the window. Her bruises were now exposed. Ria feared that her bedroom drama would now become public. She was made fun of by her own husband and the whole world witnessed. Tears rolled down her cheeks. She was rendered helpless again.

                Ishan lost his balance. He tried to get up. It was drizzling. Just a moment later a branch from the nearby tree fell on Ishan. He was trapped. They tried to rescue him but in vain. The injuries were too grave. Everyone was in a rude state of shock. The party came to a standstill. Ria could not help weeping. Ishan was no more.

                Ria wanted to move away from him but not this way. Ria wanted to see life with a new hope but not like this, not without Ishan. She loved him too much. Nevertheless, Ria had a faint smile on her face, a smile of no more bruises, a smile of no fear.