Broken but beloved

Escape!

Puja's POV:

I cried the whole night, unable to believe that my own mother would do this to me. She sold me to an old man to be his mistress. How can she be so brutal and hate me so much for something I never did? The feeling of betrayal is crawling all over my body, leaving me in shock.

Then, suddenly, I thought of a way out: escape. Yes, you heard it right, an escape. I will run away from this place and start fresh somewhere far, far away. I cannot be my mother's plaything any longer. I cannot endure this abuse anymore. I have saved the only valuable thing I have, my virginity, for the love of my life. I cannot let some random old man take it away from me. I have endured all these years of abuse thinking that despite everything, my mother loved me. But now I realize that all she cares about is money. My mother never actually loved me; she took care of me all these years just to sell me for money.

So, I stood up, wiped my tears, and started packing all my clothes and toiletries into an old duffle bag that had been lying in the corner of my room for years. I had saved some money from doing part-time jobs at a café near my college. I jumped out of my window and landed on the ground, thankful that we live on the ground floor. If not, I would've broken my bones, lol.

Then suddenly, I remembered that I had forgotten the locket I had hidden away from my mother. So, I crawled back into my room, being as quiet as I could so as not to wake up the devil herself. I retrieved the locket from under my mattress. I don't remember who gave me this locket, but when I was seven, my mother snatched it off my neck, threw it in the bin, and told me she didn't want to see anything that reminded her of my father. This made me think that it must've been given to me by him. After my mother left to drink that night, I picked the locket out of the bin and kept it hidden ever since. No matter what kind of man my father was, this locket is the only thing I have of him.

The locket is a heart-shaped photo locket made of gold that requires a key to open. I've spent the last twelve years searching my mother's room for the key but in vain. Knowing my mother, I highly doubt she has kept anything linked to my father. I wonder what's inside the locket and who has the key. I shrugged off my thoughts, kissed the locket, and put it around my neck before jumping out of the window again.

I knew my mother must be in a deep drunken sleep, so she wouldn't know I had escaped. I ran towards the railway station, my heart pounding in my chest. I booked the earliest ticket I could get. The first train was arriving at 6 AM. It was still 5 AM, so I had to wait for another hour. I sat on a bench, worried that my mother might wake up and come looking for me. Time was passing so slowly. One hour felt like forever. I just wanted the time to pass quickly so I could escape this place.

Finally, it was 6 AM, and the train arrived. It was going from Mumbai to Jaipur. So you could say that my final destination was Jaipur. Let's see where my fate takes me and let's hope for a good start there. It was an 18-hour ride to Jaipur. I finally reached around midnight, completely exhausted and desperate for somewhere to rest my head.

As the train chugged along, the rhythmic clattering of the tracks offered a strange sense of comfort. I stared out of the window, watching the landscape change from bustling city to quiet countryside and back to urban chaos. My mind wandered to the friends I had left behind, wondering if any of them would notice my absence. Would Anand care? Would he even feel a twinge of guilt for what he had done? Tina? The betrayal from both of them stung like a fresh wound.

Arriving in Jaipur felt like stepping into another world. The air was cooler, and the city buzzed with a different kind of energy compared to Mumbai. But the reality hit me like a cold splash of water: I was completely alone in this strange place. I had lived in Mumbai all my life. Suddenly, I felt like bursting into tears. It was dark, and I was walking aimlessly on the road with no idea where to go. The streets were unfamiliar, and every shadow seemed to hide a potential threat.

Then, suddenly, I saw a car approaching me at full speed. Panic surged through me. It felt as if the driver intended to hit and kill me. My heart raced, and sweat trickled down my back. Tears gushed down my cheeks as I braced myself for the impact. But instead of hitting me, the car swerved violently and crashed into a nearby tree. The loud crash echoed through the quiet night, and I stood frozen, trembling with fear.

The scene before me was horrifying. The car's front was crumpled against the tree, smoke billowing from the engine. I could barely see through the shattered windshield, but I knew the people inside must be hurt—or worse. Fear gripped me; I didn't want to be arrested for a crime I hadn't committed. So I did the only thing that any sane person would do. I ran away. Yes, I ran away!

My legs carried me through the dark streets of Jaipur, away from the accident. I didn't stop until I found myself in a small alleyway, hidden from view. My breath came in ragged gasps, and my heart pounded in my ears. I leaned against the cool brick wall, trying to calm down. I couldn't believe what had just happened. I was alone, in a strange city, with no one to turn to.