SURVIVE

1. The Beginning

Pain. Everywhere she touched or didn't touch. Pain was all she felt. She knew her end had come. She didn't want to go, not this soon. She had so much to accomplish. So much more to do. She was so young and she was dying but nobody knew.

Nobody except her husband. Why wouldn't he know? He was the one who had brought this on her. He was the one who had left her to die. He was probably in some bar drinking away his night.

She closed her eyes and remembered the old days. The days she had no worries. The carefree days. She was thankful for that atleast.

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She had everything one could ask for. Parents that loved her, an amazing little sister who loved her, a respectable job, friends who were there to listen to and solve every of her problems, a loving and encouraging boyfriend. She had had a wonderful childhood. She had a chance to study in a reputed school. She was not the orthodox minded person. All in all it was a wonderful life. A life she had always wanted.

She remembers the day her boyfriend, Niraj took her on a date on her 22nd birthday. They enjoyed a movie, a wonderful dinner later on and I think its irrelevant to say what went afterwards.

They knew they would marry. They had a planned future. They were going to be that happy couple who were friends since childhood and sweethearts since college. His parents knew on their relationship. They didn't approve all that dating though they seemed quite supportive. Her parents were the ones who had no idea about their relationship. To them Niraj was just a close friend and a colleague of Sahara.

Like every parent in Nepal, Sahara's parents had a dream for their child. They had already planned each and every event of her life. Infact everything for Sahara was fixed from her birth. And she had done everything accordingly. She was what her father considered a support for their life hence the name 'Sahara' meaning support in Nepali language. She just would have to break one thing though. Her marriage. She didn't want to marry any businessman or reputed army officer or anyone who her parents had sights on. She wanted to marry Niraj, the love of her life.

Her parents though would always have suitors for her. But it wasn't until she was 26 that she got married. She didn't want to marry that soon. She wanted to marry around 29 and lead a happy life there on but everything changed one fateful day.

That day was crystal clear on her mind. How would it not be? That day Niraj had gone to the U.S. to visit his parents for a month and they had decided that when he returned he would come to her home and ask for her hand. Everything was supposed to go out perfectly. The only thing she had to do was wait and also tell her parents about her love for Niraj.

That day her parents had happily called her and asked her to come home as soon as possible. She had happily drove her car to her home hoping for good news. The prospect of finally admitting her love for Niraj to her parents made her so happy that she didn't notice the shiny black Range Rover on their parking space. Nor did she notice the hype around her house.

Her parents were not super rich. More than half of their property was inheritant but her father was a businessman with a sharp mind for money. Hence, he had been able to maintain his level in the society. However, he was one hell of an orthodox. Everything would have to be religious for him. Everything related to god. Purity was the ultimate sacrifice for god. Or so he would believe. He woke up everyday and took a shower chanting religious mantras that could be heard throughout their house. Then he involved in puja. He was a devout follower of Lord Shiva. Only after an hour of his chantings was anyone allowed to eat.

That day she entered her house grinning from ear to ear. She looked in and only then did she feel the excitement.

"Shh," she felt a hand gripping hers and leading her to the darkened hallway. Her sister, Nayarra asked her to keep shut.