Only His for all New Years

The Pause

From the side of his eyes Czar noted , Stuti running. He hated runners. His brother was one and his entire childhood was built around , "Don't do anything to make Marc run. " Yet one fine day he ran away to join the army. When he came back decorated, he looked a new man. Yet a runner will be a runner always.

Today in his eyes, the pressure of the eight year old twins, the conduct of the woman he had eagerly married, his in-laws having a public meltdown, was too much..He will run again. In a different direction from Stuti of course. Also Stuti will never run again. His phone gave the location of Stuti. He could just leave and fetch her , but he won't. She needed to learn a lesson and she would learn it today.

He stood unmoving looking at the drama in front of him. He noted Marc took a few steps away, his forehead covered with sweat. Czar deliberately caught his eye and visibly shrugged, indicating he could not care less about what was happening at the front door of his apartment. If people asked, yes, he did have crazy relatives. He missed having his parents here though as that would have formed the full cast of the theatre that his life had become last year.

Suddenly Stuti's Mummy Jessica noticed Stuti was not there. She stopped everyone and pointed out. Julia looked at him with accusing eyes.

" She never went against me , she wanted to transfer the shares, she wanted to spend tome with you ? "

She walked up and pushed him. "Never once in these many years that she stayed with us, had she opposed me. You have managed to turn her against me. Even when I was moving her stuff and acting up, she was patient, brilliant. That is her spark.. her brilliance as she is not a woman in the truest sense. She has much to achieve in her life, with you she would have nothing. Once you realise she is nothing but a body of a woman only outside, you would discard her ."

She started hitting him ..slowly and then violently.

Czar did not stop her just spoke in a very soft voice,

"You are getting very comfortable Mrs Marc, in coming near my house and insulting me. I reminded you last time that I was quiet for the sake of the twins. Now that they are not mine, proven with medical records and only some loose threads to cut regarding my debits to them from my account, don't expect any such patience from me."

He looked at her parents .. her father had come out and her mother stood quiet beside them, "In the name of love, she does a lot. Everyone tolerates too. Not me..This is the last time you would do this. "

As the Police van pulled in, responding to his complaint that he had made in anticipation to the visit, he stepped back from her clutch. Surprised she looked back at the uniformed officer.

Her mummy was trying to drag her away, "Just domestic matters officer. We apologise.." She said quickly.

He spoke to them at length of the insults hurled at him and his friend by his ex wife. As his ex wife had a melt down at the word friend , shouting that he was targetting her sister, he shook his head and clarified , " Yes her sister, one she called as not a woman. Triggered her of an old childhood abuse to trigger her go run away. Even her so called.. father, sat in the car .. making absurd claims. "

The Police listened with a stone face, shook his hands and took his request for a restraint order against his ex-wife. He assured them of follow ups with formal application.His ex father in law Julien looked on with a frown, " You orchestrated this. You are the criminal , not my daughter. You are the criminal and I will come back to you." He said in a furious one liner, before getting into his car and driving away alone. His wife stood quietly alone away from everyone looking at her daughter where she was speaking with the officers , desperately moving her arms.

The police were listening to her and Czar knew she could be convincing and play people to her side. He would have loved to stay in reducing her to tears as she loved to do with all. But he had Stuti.

Or he did not have her yet and he was instrumental to the plan of revenge and destruction in his mind. Hence he turned back, went to the garage and took out his car. He had to save his Target and he cared for not one inch if she was not a woman by Juliana.

She was a woman enough to be attracted to him, to be bothered by her sister's words about her femininity, sensitive enough to be hurt and shocked enough to react.. She would do. Infact only she would do for his agenda. Yes, she may get hurt but he had no intension of letting her run away as cold rain fell on her sensitive skin. If anything she would learn to stand her ground by the time their aquantance ended. A tiny someone whispered on continued. He nodded to that voice, non committal.

His confidence however soon started to question himself as the gps showed she was moving too fast. She was moving in a high speed. He pushed on his gears and chased after the dot.

The dark turned lighter, the dawn broke and Czar refueled and chased the GPS. Just around 8AM after traveling for a few hours he spotted her hiking a ride on an oil tanker. She was not happy to meet him. He was furious . He shook her by her shoulders even as the drivers of the group of tankers surrounded him.

He spoke to them, "Don't mind her.. if you are wise, " all the while staring at her. "She is running away as someone called not a woman."

The drivers did not move for the longest while, the clash of wills continued as she stared away and he stared at her. Then she gave up and charged up at him. He thought she will hit him using her female card like her sister, but she did not.

She simply raised herself to her toes and looked into his eyes. "I am a woman, who was abused as a child. I survived. I had a candle, a burning candle inserted and that memory and pain both came back to me ..."

He engulfed her in his arms as another driver wrapped a strong pair of hands around them both.

They travelled back together, he and Stuti.The truckers gave a reluctant bye to Stuti asking her to contact the police helpline and promising to be in touch next time they were in her city. She looked almost reluctant to leave them. Czar had planned to say a lot but all he said was ,"Any issue should be spoken and sorted. Do not be a runner. Ever again. Promise yourself that now and never break it. Unless there is a life risk never run..Stand and face the world. " Then he breathed out and thought he did miss the twins and heay have just sounded as Stuti's father more than a man planning to do much more.

He cursed himself. He won't be soft tomorrow. Today he would let her recover.