Zakham

3.

Vikram's POV

A loud scream jerked me wake and I started scanning the room for the source of danger before my eyes fell on my wife's shaking form huddled on the other side of the room. Before I could ask her to calm down she suddenly spoke, her voice unsteady yet somehow strong. "Kon—kon hain aap au—aur hum yahan kya kar rahein hain."

I took in her form: she was standing in a blue hospital gown, her eyes wild with fear as she looked for an escape. But the thing that drew my attention was her bleeding hand. In hurry to get away from me she had ripped the IV straight out and the wound was bleeding profusely with blood dripping down her hand to the floor.

I took a step towards her and on seeing that she picked up a lamp from the nearby side table "Humare paas nahi aayein....jayein yahan se." She raised it in front of her body trying to threaten me with it.

If her hand wouldn't have been bleeding, the whole situation would have been funny with her threatening not only her husband but the King of Rajasthan. Moreover I didn't think she could do much damage with her small frame when I was more than a whole foot taller than her and double her size.

I raised my hands in surrender speaking slowly trying to calm her down "Shaant ho jayein Rani sa, aap ko humse koi khatra nahi hai. Aap ke hath se khoon beh raha hai, humein dekh lene dein please."

I took another small step in her direction but instead of calming her down my words had an opposite effect. Instead of lowering the lamp, she held it more firmly her stance becoming more guarded. "Hum aap ko nahi jaante aur hum koi Rani nahi. Aap bahar jayein yahan se." She spoke again her voice wavering.

When I didn't make a move to leave she lost it and screamed "Get out—I said GET OUT." Tears were streaming down her face and that sight caused an uneasy feeling in my chest. I was bewildered and amazed at the same time at the emotions this little woman stirred in me. Usually I was the one causing others to bleed and here a small amount of blood on her skin was driving me crazy.

Hearing the commotion the rest of my family entered the room and stood shocked by the scene unfolding in front of them. The men immediately turned their backs after seeing her standing in nothing more than a hospital gown.

Seeing their reactions she quickly looked down her eyes widening at her state of undress before she quickly rushed towards the curtains and hid herself behind them with only her face and arm poking through.

"Beta aap ko humse darne ki koi jarurat nahi hai. Hum aapki saas hain aur Vikram aapke pati." Maa sa spoke with a gentle smile on her face as if talking to a scared little child. Albeit the situation wasn't much different at that point: with her clear face and big innocent eyes she looked exactly like one.

When she didn't speak Maa sa again spoke "Hum jaante hain ye shaadi kin halaton mein hui hai par ab se hum aap ka parivaar hein. Dekhein sabko aap ki bohot fikar hai isliye ab aap jaldi se bahar aajayein."

When she didn't move or speak maa sa gestured me to help her out but as soon as she see me stepping in her direction she again raised the wretched lamp and said "Humari koi shaadi nhi hui hai. Hum aap logon ko nahi jaante isliye aap se request karte hain humein akela chod dijiye aur jaiye yahan se please. Aap ko jarur koi galatfemi hui hai."

When she uttered those words I could see how hard she was trying to hold it all together but despite the strong front she was trying put I could see how broken she actually was. I so desperately wanted to wrap her in my arms and hide her away from everyone and everything.

"Hum jhoot nahi keh rahe beta. Aap ki maang ka sindoor aur gale ka mangalsutra bhi jhoot nahi keh raha." This time it was dadi sa who spoke.

On hearing those words she flinched so hard as if someone had slapped her. She looked down at her neck to see what dadi sa was referring to and I took advantage of her lapse in attention to swiftly cross the room. She didn't see me approaching her and it was too late for het to retaliate because I had snatched the offending item right out of her hand caging her in my arms. She started to struggle, trying to dislodge my arms from around her while I held her close to my chest, her protests muffled by the fabric of my sherwani and only then I could breath. I didn't know what was happening to me but right there with her wrapped in my arms I knew that I never wanted her to stray away from my hold. Her small fists kept hitting me so I gathered them in one hand because they were probably causing more damage to her than me. Eventually her struggles subsided and it was then I realized that she had passed out again.