Too Late....

Rishika didn't go to dinner that day. Due to her panic attack, antidepressants with high dosage were prescribed.

Paul has to go out of the country due to work for two months. To keep an eye on her health he assigned Jack to look after her.

He installed cameras in every room so that he can see her.  It was a perfect time for Rishika to escape. Her mental health has improved Lil bit. But still, she needs proper attention. Talking with Jack relaxes her.

Whenever her subconscious put her in the tough spot she finds Jack and irritates him.

Jack has to endure her annoying attitude.

...

Jack was holding her hand tightly and dragging her in the mansion.

"Jack, stop it, it hurts."

"Oh really! Then stop f.u.c.k.i.n.g trying to escape from here. How many times I have caught you like this?"

Rishika freed her arm from his grip, "10 times. This is my 10th attempt. Happy now."

"You know you can not escape from here. Then why are you wasting your energy."

"So what do you want me to do sit and wait for your boss so that he comes and forces himself upon me" yelled Rishika.

She was panting hard, and continued, "you know, what he did to me. You know he is wrong. "

Taking his hand in her hand she desperately said, "Help me, Jack. Help me to escape. "

Jack looked at her, "next time if you try to escape, I myself will break your legs."

"No, you won't. I won't complain to anybody about him.  I know you care about him. Then help me."

Jack looked at her and huffed, "you are mad." saying this he went from there.

.....

She went downstairs and found a maid coming towards her. She handed her the phone and went from there.

With shaking voice she whispered, "He...hello.."

"Rishika, how are you?"

Rishika didn't answer. There was silence from both sides. 

Then Paul, again started a conversation,  " there is an orphanage, where I used to donate. I can not go there, this time. You have to be there. Jack will pick you up."

Rishika still didn't reply. "I know you tried to escape."

Rishika who was not saying anything to him, just said, "Are you going to hurt me again?"

"I never hurt you. I don't want to go there... Just be ready and go there" with this he hangs up the phone.

....

Before she gets down from the car,  "don't try to escape from here. You won't be successful"

Rishika rolled her eyes and gets down.  There she meets sister, Martha. She gave the cheque to her and about to leave when sister Martha stops her.

"Please sit here child"

Rishika reluctantly sat there. She saw sister holding try of cookies.

Rishika instantly stuffed her mouth with cookies, "Wow! These are amazing. "

Sister chuckled listening to her. "You know, Paul always loved you. I'm glad he realized that and married you."

Rishika was tensed listening to this. She again stuffed her mouth with cookies, to avoid any conversation.

Sister continued, "You are his idol. He always talks about you. He is a good man"

Rishika rolled her eyes and start making faces, but one statement caught her attention.

"I still remember when he used to come here with his grandfather. He was a very quiet child. He has only his grandfather. I remember when he gets panic attacks"

Rishika froze listening to her and whispered, "Paul was having panic attacks. I thought he was happy with his grandfather. His whole family was free. Then why?

Sister Martha can see the concern in her eyes. She smiled and said, "sometimes we are free from our tormentors. But we are not free, the way they made us feel. He was so scared of his father, that he tried to commit suicide, just because, he felt that he will come back and take away his happiness. He was free but was living in the fear. "

Rishika keeping her both hands on her mouth tried to muffle her sobs. She can imagine that he tried to kill himself. The thought of his death clenched her heart. Her love for him, which was subsided, was emerging out again.

"Please, don't cry. You know how he overcomes his fears" Martha asked.

Rishika shook her head in negative.

Martha continued, " by recalling you. Like how you stood in front of his father when he tried to kill him. Thank you, child, for helping him"

Rishika sobbed again thinking 'he didn't know how weak I'm from inside. '

"People around here love him not because he is donating. Because he helped people in need. He doesn't want anyone to suffer what he had suffered."

'Then, why he didn't come to help me when I was suffering. Why he didn't try to contact me'  thought Rishika.

Rishika composed herself and asked, "but what if he is doing something worse to other people. For some he may be hero, but what if for some people he is the villain."

Martha just smiled, "He is no hero or villain. He is a scared child who wants to stay hidden from his father forever. He is not perfect. But let me ask you the question if he is a villain, but what if those people deserved this Kind of villain. Sometimes you have to become evil, to fight the evilness of society. Paul is just like that,  if he is evil for someone, then maybe those people deserved that."

Rishika froze listening to her words. She felt suffocated. She gets up and leaves quickly from there.

Martha's positive words have affected her in the wrong way. She gets inside the car and starts sobbing.

Jack was confused looking at her, "What happened? "

Rishika shook head and was sobbing badly. She was trembling.

Jack was on the phone with Paul, but looking at her like this he forgets to disconnect the call.

He gets out of the car and sits beside her holding her hand, he again asks, "calm down. Now tell me, what happened?"

Rishika was hiccupping and said, "I never knew that Paul tried to kill himself. He used to have panic attacks." There was silence in the car.

"Do you think I'm evil? Sister Martha said, Paul is bad only for those, who themselves are bad. What does it take me?"

Jack huffed, "I don't know. For me, you are very annoying, who cries on stupid things. "

Soon he received a smack on his arm. Rishika frustratedly yelled, "No, you are not evil or bad. That what you supposed to say to me. But no..., you don't know how to comfort girls. No, wonder you are single."

"Well, I don't know how to lie?  Fine, you are wicked queen"

Again he received smack on his arm. Both chuckled whereas at the same time Paul was also laughing listening to their bickering. Listening to her concern towards him, he was glad. He loved this side of her.

....

Rishika was tossing in her bed. She was distressed knowing that Paul tried to kill himself.

She felt pity for him. She can imagine how he must have felt to live with his tormentor all his life.

She picked up his photo, from the bedside table. All the feeling which she has for him were emerging out. Hugging his photo, and crying her heart out she slept.

....

Rishika was looking outside the window recalling Sister Martha's words. But she knows before Paul comes back she needs to get out of this country.

She understands that Jack is never going to help him. She needs someone's help. And then it clicked there is one person who can help her in the escape, a person who herself was violated and abused.

She quickly gets dressed and went outside. Jack asked her where does she want to go.

She looked back Jack and smirked,  " It's time to meet my mother-in-law."

...

Rishika reached there with a lot of hope. Only She can understand her pain, even if her mother in law doesn't like her, but she is her last hope.

Rishika was waiting for June when her gaze falls on the portrait of Paul &Shreya. Tears were in her eyes.

"They look good. Aren't they?" Rishika turned towards June.

She wiped her tears. "Yes, they both look good. They should get married. "

"Unfortunately, you are his wife."

Rishika cuts her in between,  " it's still not too late. I'll give divorce to him"

June raised her one eyebrow,  " I thought you love him. What happened?"

" I still somewhere in my heart love him. I don't want to, but yeah, I still do." Saying this she showed her fractured fingers to her.

June gasped. "Who did this?... No... No...."

"Yeah, Paul did this to me not only this, he played violin on my body. And..... Ra..r.a.p.ed me."

June stumbled... And Rishika helps her to sit on the couch.

"Help me... Help me to get out of here. Only you can help me. I won't go to the police. Before he becomes just like his dad before we both loose him."

June was outraged listening to her comparing Paul with his father.

She held her hand tightly and took her to some room. She brought her in a room, made her face the room which was full of Shreya and Paul's picture.

She asked her, "look at them. Just look at them. They were so happy. My son was happy. He is the best son, who cares about everyone."

Rishika looked at all the photos and found him carefree. She can found her Paul in those pictures.

Then June showed her the wedding pictures and asked her to compare them.

"Look at the way he looks at Shreya and look at the way he looks at you."

Rishika with tears in her eyes was comparing them. Rishika realized he really loved Shreya. 'I was just a distraction. He never loved me'

Anyone can see, in those pictures, the way he looked at Rishika, was clearly showing that he is in love with Rishika.

But June can't accept this. She always adored Shreya. Whereas for Rishika, she was thinking like this because Paul never raised hand on Shreya. She was not comparing the pictures, she was comparing the situation.

She was heartbroken to know from the pictures, that, she was never in his heart.

June turned her towards her,  " what are you doing to make him behave like this. "

Rishika froze listening to her words. June's words were affecting her. Her words hit her hard.

June continued, "you know my son is not like this. People around here love him, respect him. You have met Sister Martha, she loves Paul. "

Rishika was silently listening and recalling how people adore him. He is perfect.  Rishika just nodded her head in affirmative.

Then June shouted,  " What do you do to provoke him like that? "

Rishika stumbled, something shattered in her. The hope of getting help. Or maybe now she is also blaming herself for Paul's behavior.

June continued, "My Paul is not like this. You must be doing something wrong that he is behaving like this with you. Yeah, he is not wrong. It's you who is wrong. Your father shot you, I heard about it. Why? You must have done something that you force him to shot you. They disown you. They get rid of you but throw the burden on my Paul. "

Rishika was sobbing listening to all the accusations. She falls on the floor with a thud and started crying.

  June was also crying. Both women love the same man, and both deep down doesn't want to blame that man for his actions. Both are looking for excuses to defend that man for his actions.

It was easy for June to blame her. And it was easy for Rishika to accept all the accusations. She herself is blaming her, for his actions.

June said,"  look at you. You literally made your father murderer and now you want my Paul to become a murderer. Why are you so f.u.c.k.e.d up? Wherever you go people suffer. You are a curse, why don't you just go and die. No one, no one wants you. You bring worse out of the people around you."

Rishika whispered, "Stop, please stop it."

She gets up and looked towards June and said, "I'm so sorry. Please forgive me."

Saying this she was about to leave from there but found June was breathing hard.

" June, are you all right"

June was not able to say anything. But she signaled her towards the purse. Rishika quickly understands and tries to look for her breathing puff. She was searching for it.

When she found it, she quickly went towards June and gave her the puff.

June tries to hold the puff but it fell down so does June. Rishika was about to pick the puff when saw Paul picking up the puff and glaring Rishika with furious eyes.

...

Hey guys,

Hope you like this chapter. It is very important.

This chapter is dedicated to all my new followers. Special thanks to  @KeertiChandana8  who was promoting my story since morning. And keerti tell your friends I can not mention their name here as they are a lot of them.  But I love them.

Next target -30 followers Or 300 votes. And I'll update the next chapter.

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