chapter 33

Jiva who is an orphan, had been living in a nightmare for as long as she could remember. Her adoptive family had been her only beacon of kindness, offering her love and care after a childhood of loneliness. But that glimmer of hope was extinguished when they died in a tragic accident, leaving her at the mercy of distant relatives. These people were strangers to her in every way that mattered, treating her not as a member of the family but as an unwelcome burden. The house that should have been her refuge became a prison.The abuse started small—snide remarks, petty punishments. But it quickly escalated. Physical beatings became routine, and the mental torture was relentless. Every mistake, no matter how trivial, was met with harsh reprimands and violence. She wasn’t allowed to speak unless spoken to, wasn’t allowed to eat until everyone else had finished, and was constantly reminded that she didn’t belong. They would lock her in a small, cold room for days without food if she dared to talk back. Her body bore the marks of their cruelty—bruises that never fully healed, scars that were hidden beneath her clothes. But the emotional wounds ran deeper. Her spirit, once bright with the love she had known, was now a flicker of what it had been.Her only solace came from the brief moments of quiet when she was left alone. In those moments, she would sit by the window, staring out at the world beyond, wondering if anyone would ever rescue her. But no one came. And so, Jiva learned to survive. She learned to suppress her tears, to endure the pain in silence. Every night, she would pray for the strength to make it through the next day.The final straw came one evening when she overheard a conversation that sent a chill down her spine. They were planning to sell her—to give her away to a man for money, treating her like an object to be traded. She realized then that if she didn’t leave, her fate would be sealed. Fear coursed through her, but so did something else—anger. This was her life, and she wouldn’t let them take it from her. That night, after a particularly brutal beating, she made up her mind. She would run.Gathering whatever little courage she had left, Jiva waited until the house was asleep. Her body ached, but she didn’t care. She grabbed a small bag, stuffing it with a few belongings, and slipped out into the cold night. The streets were dark, but they were her only chance. Her heart pounded in her chest as she ran, the pain in her legs forgotten as she stumbled through the alleys. She didn’t know where she was going—she just knew she had to get away. Tears blurred her vision, her breath came in sharp gasps, and her mind was consumed with the fear that they would come after her.She was crossing a road when it happened—a blinding flash of headlights, the screech of tires, and then nothing. The world went black.---Abhir had been driving aimlessly, lost in thought. His life, once so carefully planned, had fallen apart in a matter of weeks. His lover, Meera, had been his world for years. They had grown up together, their families close, their relationship built on the promise of a future together. But Meera had grown distant, frustrated with his constant absences, the endless business trips, the family obligations that kept him from her. Abhir had always thought she would understand—he was doing it for them, after all. But she didn’t. She had found someone else, someone who had time for her, and she left him just weeks before their wedding.The betrayal stung. His heart felt shattered, and the weight of the shame was unbearable. His family’s reputation was already fragile, and now, with the scandal of a broken engagement, he was under immense pressure to keep everything together. His parents expected him to move on, to find a solution that would save face, but he felt trapped. The heartbreak was still raw, and he hadn’t had the time or space to grieve.His thoughts were a blur when the accident happened. The sudden jolt of the car, the thud—it all snapped him back to reality. Panic surged through him as he realized he had hit someone. He slammed on the brakes, heart pounding in his chest, and jumped out of the car. There, lying on the ground, was a girl, motionless. She looked so fragile, her body covered in bruises that seemed far too numerous for just an accident.“Call an ambulance!” Abhir shouted, his voice shaking. He knelt beside her, his hands trembling as he checked for a pulse. It was faint but there. Relief washed over him, but it was quickly replaced by fear. Who was she? What had happened to her? This wasn’t just a car accident—she had clearly been hurt long before the car hit her.When the ambulance arrived, Abhir insisted on riding with her to the hospital. He couldn’t just leave her there. Something about her bruised face, the way she looked so broken, tugged at something deep inside him. She reminded him of his own feelings of helplessness, of being trapped in a life spiraling out of control.At the hospital, the doctors rushed her into emergency care. Abhir paced the waiting room, his mind racing. When the doctor finally came out, his face was grim. “She’s stable for now,” he said, “but she’s suffered extensive physical abuse. Whoever did this to her… it wasn’t just one time. She’s been living through hell.”Abhir’s stomach churned. The guilt of hitting her was bad enough, but knowing what she had endured before made it worse. He didn’t know who she was or where she came from, but he felt responsible for her now. He couldn’t just walk away from her, not after knowing the truth. Something inside him told him that helping her was the right thing to do, and maybe, just maybe, it would help him make sense of his own pain.As he sat down in the sterile hospital waiting room, Abhir realized that this girl, this stranger, had just changed his life.