Sophia's Freedom

Chapter 85: Closure Part 1

*** Dad and I crossed the road and went back to our vehicle. As I was crossing the road, I saw a green-colored Gipsy parked by the side of the road at a distance from our car. By the looks of it, it was one of the Armed Forces Gipsies that I saw back in the camp. I guess it was Sagar sir who promised that he will be keeping a watch over us. 

The journey started again. I kept thinking about what Jessica Didi told me. I wonder how much Abhinu is suffering and how would he feel when he learns that he cannot recall most of the things from his past and all this is because of the man who abducted and raised the girl who is sitting next to me. God, I really hate her now. But I promised them I wouldn’t react, and I need to stay that way. ***

Aamaya di suddenly asked me "Who did you meet Monika...?"

"Aaa… it’s no one... it was Koushik dada... he wanted to meet me once before we leave from Purulia"

"I hope you remember Koushik dada..." I asked.

Looking at Aamaya di's confused face I could understand she doesn't remember who Koushik dada is.

"Remember the basketball match you played with my brother..."

"Yes..."

" And the guy who brought the video camera to shoot the match..."

"Yes... was that Koushik..." she asked excitedly.

"yes... didi, that was Kaushik dada. He wanted to see me because he has not seen me since the kidnapping..."

The mere mention of the word k********g made Aamaya di appear tense and shocked. She softly touched my right arm. "Which k********g you are talking about... How did it happen?"

*** I began to narrate the sequence of events that took place in the house and how they rescued me, how they tied me up to a peg with a chain, how I hurt in my leg, and the daring entry of my dad in the process and finally how Rahat was handed over to Shabnam Mausi.

The very mention of the word Rahat made me feel that Aamaya di was probably scared of him. ***

She looked at dad and replied, "Uncle you should have killed Rahat when you had the chance... he is a predatory pedophile... he likes to take advantage of kids who are younger than him... especially to younger boys and girls..."

Dad replied in a shocked tone, "What do you mean dear...?" I was unable to see his face as he was on the driving seat concentrating at the road.

"He is one of the few men responsible for my Allen's death. He has taken advantage of Allen and Abhinu innumerable times." Aamaya di started to weep again and then she said "He even liked to touch me inappropriately" and then she began to cry like a baby...

*** What is she talking about? Did such a thing really happen? OMG... looking at her face and the way she was crying, she might be telling the truth. 

I knew dad wanted to pacify Aamaya di, but it was not possible for him to do so, I hugged her instead. She hugged me in return but she was still crying.

My doubts were proved wrong and about 2 minutes later, dad actually parked the vehicle by the side of the road. ***

Mom and Dad got off the car and then Mom opened the door next to where Aamaya di was seated and forwarded her hands as if she wants to give Aamaya di a hug.

I saw the surprised look on Aamaya di's face as she stepped towards Mom and gave a hug.

"Honey... you don't have to be afraid of Rahat anymore, you are in safe hands now..."

 "I... I don't understand..."

I saw dad placing his hands over her head and said "Kiddo we have made sure that Rahat can never hurt another child again..." 

Aamaya di let go of mom and asked "Aunty... I might be telling a lie... What makes you think I was telling the truth?"

"Were you...?" asked dad and then he continued "Kid... I have a degree in psychology and it kinda like my job to know when someone is lying..." he paused and then continued "well actually your Sophia told me about it..."

at that moment, the green gypsy that was following us suddenly stopped next to us and said "Is everything alright sir... you stopped suddenly..."

I stooped down a little to check who it was and found that it was Capt. J. P who asked that question. Sagar sir had mounted the machine g*n and was wearing all black with his head wrapped around in a scarf.

"It's nothing J.P. we just stopped to have a quick chat... we are leaving now..."

"ok, sir..." and then they left and stopped a few meters away.

Dad got back into the driving seat again and started the vehicle. He turned to look back and said… "Don't cry, dear... Rahat is with some very special people... they will not kill him, but he will definitely wish that death would be a better proposition..."

"I don't understand..."

“He was handed over to Shabnam Mausi. We came to know from one of Abhinu’s journals that he was manhandled by Rahat a lot many times and Shabnam Mausi owns Abhinu a big favor."

The very mention of Abhinu’s journal made Aamaya di lift her head off my soldier and enquire “Journal… What Journal are you talking about…”

“Well, Abhinu maintained a journal where he wrote everything that happened to him on a daily basis.”

Stop bluffing di... I know you very well knew Abhinu maintained a journal... stop pretending..."

Aamaya di was embarrassed and then said "Well I never expected that someone could find her journals... I made her promise to hide it in such a place where no one will be able to locate the journals... But I guess you guys might have finally found it..."

She paused for a while and began to look outside and then looked at me and asked “Oh my god… that means…” 

“Of course, di… everyone starting from my mom to Capt. Sagar, Nishi sir, Shahi sir and we all know everything about Abhinu’s life” I replied

*** Aamaya di covered her face with her hands as if ashamed of herself or probably to allay her fear that her misdeeds, over the year, are exposed factually to all the well-wishers and protectors of Abhinu. ***

I continued “you know di… when I saw Abhinu learning dancing, stitching and tailoring instead of his studies, I took it on myself to keep forcing him to write the journal everyday so that his habit of reading and writing continues… He kept telling me that you would occasionally ask him to come to your room and make him write the journal because you believed that the journal would help him remember his past...”

“I knew, your sisters bullied him to the extent that they would not allow him to even touch a notebook… they have betrayed his trust in-numerable times… but I was happy that as his sister you always tried your best to at least make him write the journal... but what I don't understand was why did you change all of a sudden after aunty lost her child... It was as if you were a different person when I am around...”

Suddenly mom shouted at me from the front seat “MONIKA STOP IT… IT'S ENOUGH…”

“Sorry Maa…” I replied…

“Not to me… you should say sorry to Aamaya… have we raised you this way to be disrespectful to your elders… say sorry to her…”

“I am sorry Di… I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings…”

Aamaya di touched me by the shoulder and replied “Don’t worry sweetie… I don’t hold any grudge… I knew this would have happened sooner…”

"Oh no... dear... she doesn't know the truth... so she has got no rights to blame you for something which you had to do against your will..."

"I don't understand mom..." I replied.

"It's ok aunty... it doesn't matter... the truth will always be that I was a tyrant... and that's something no amount of justification can prove that otherwise..." Aamaya di paused and then continued “Please forgive Monika... she will know about it when the time is right... "

I was confused, what was she talking about. Aamaya di suddenly tried to change the topic "By the way… you mentioned Shabnam Mausi… who is she…”

“Shabnam Mausi… well Abhinu had saved her life once… She had been taking care of him for the past 6 years whenever you and your family went to Kolkata leaving Abhinu all alone, locked in the house.”

“Wow… I can’t imagine someone with such a great heart… No matter how much dad tried to break his soul he never takes a step back when it comes to helping others…” Aamaya di took a deep breath and continued “You knew his mom was also like that… there were lots of people whom his mom helped ignoring her differences…”

“You won’t believe… the day she was laid to rest… more than half of Purulia came to offer their condolences” replied Aamaya di…

“Abhinu is truly a great soul.”

Suddenly Dad interrupted our discussion… “Aamaya… sorry for the intrusion but there is something I felt like telling you since morning…”

“What is it Uncle…?” asked Aamaya di.

“Do you remember, in the camp you mentioned about a Mr. Jairus Christopher…” dad asked.

I saw Aamaya di’s face twinkle at the sheer mention of the word Jairus Christopher… “Do you know him, uncle… If I could meet him once… I will personally request him to help Abhinu and take him as far away from my dad as possible. I will never reveal anything to my dad, where Abhinu is, even if he tortures me for it…”

“Wow… you have so much faith in this Jairus Christopher fellow? Do you really think he can protect your sister…” dad asked.

“Abhinu is not my sister… he is my own brother… even though my family has wronged him, he is and will still remain my brother… I just hope one day I could complete my education and research about the reversal of gender reassignment and help him get well again...”

I guess dad did that on purpose, referring to Abhinu as her sister. I couldn’t help but laugh at dad for trying to make fun of Aamaya di however I controlled my laughter by keeping a serious face.

“What if I tell you… the Jairus Christopher you are referring to is none other than me…” 

“Come on Uncle… stop teasing me… I know you are making fun of me... I can still understand jokes…”

*** I knew this was bound to happen. Suddenly I saw dad taking something out from his left shirt pocket and handed it over to Aamaya. It was a small rectangular plastic card that looked like the credit cards dad normally uses and had a seal of the Ashoka Stambha on top of it. ***

Printed in the card, was Jairus Christopher, Indian Navy… Rank : Commander. 

“Oh my God…you have been our neighbour for so long…” she suddenly touched her forehead with her right hand and continued “How can I be so stupid…” she looked at me and said “I am so sorry to be an inconsiderate self-centred girl. I was so preoccupied with my focus on hurting Abhinu in order to protect myself... that I never bothered to know about the nice people, who cared about him…” it felt like she was groping for words to express her feelings and continued anyway “I hope you forgive me Monika.”

                                    TO BE CONTINUED...

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