5 The Queen of the Hearth Part 5

Jassi opened her eyes slowly and took in her surroundings. She tried to get up but couldn't. All her nerves were screaming with pain. She was feeling very thirsty but she could hardly speak. In the last two years, she had lost the ability to ask for anything…to let anyone know how she was suffering.

A grunt escaped her mouth. Immediately, a kindly matron in the traditional Sikh attire appeared.

"So, you finally woke up. You've been sleeping for three days. We were worried about your safety. Our doctor who sits in our charitable dispensary came to look at you and said that you need rest and you need food. I will bring you some water first."

Jassi just stared at her. She did not know whether to trust her not. But she was not in a position to resist. She looked at herself and was mightily relieved to see that she was still dressed fully. She was half-expecting this woman to be another member of the gang she had been running from who would again disrobe her to keep in line.

The teardrops escaped her eyes. What has she come to?

She gratefully accepted the matron's help to sit up and sip the water she had brought for her.

"What is your name?"

"Jassi." Her voice sounded hoarse.

"Don't worry. You will be alright. The doctor said that you will be sore for a few days and then, you will be alright. You want food?"

Jassi nodded. The matron brought her a plate of food.

"This is Prasad from our langar. It is touched by the divine. Have it with faith. It will heal you."

For a moment, Jassi thought she saw a halo behind the matron's head as she said this. Her eyes had definitely started playing tricks on her.

As she tried to eat the food, it seemed difficult to swallow. The matron drew nearer to her and rubbed her back. Somehow, Jassi managed to finish her food and lied down once again.

As her eyes closed, she saw one nightmare after another. In some, she saw Renny and Rajeshwar dangling her head-first in a drum of scalding oil. In another one, she saw herself on the bus that fateful night when she her status of being 'good girl' was changed forever. In yet another dream, Renny's face changed to a demon who said, "I am anyone's man who pays" in a long drawling voice.

When she woke up again, the matron was putting a piece of cold wet cloth on her forehead.

"You seem to have undergone much trauma. Don't worry, you are safe here. I am like your mother. I will take care of you."

Jassi again thought she saw a halo of light around the matron's face which instantly disappeared when she tried to focus on it.

"Where is Shera? Was there a dog with me?"

The matron saw quizzically at her. "No, there was no dog with you when you came a week ago. But today, a big guard dog has been trying to enter the quarters. Is it your dog? How does your dog look like?"

"Shera is brown and shaggy. It is a strong dog. But why he arrives today? Who brought him here?", Jassi whispered in her hoarse voice. Had she outrun Shera?

"He is alone. Wait, I'll bring him here."

The matron disappeared and called out, "Shera!"

Shera came running, passed her into the room, and stood beside Jassi's bed and started nuzzling her.

Jassi patted his head. "Good boy, good boy! Did you lose me? Did you track me by my scent?"

The matron asked Jassi, "Where do you come from Jassi? Whom were you running from?"

Jassi thought for a second. She didn't know how to answer the question. Then, she decided to tell the truth.

"I am an orphan. My uncle brought me up mostly in boarding schools and college hostels. I guess he was tired of taking care of me, so he hired someone to seduce me and sell me off to an old man in a village of Haryana. It was called Khewda. I served as his wife for two years and then, ran away when I could."

Jassi did not want to share more any more details.

The matron looked at her face in awe. She did not want to pry the girl anymore. But she couldn't resist commenting, "How long had you been running?"

"I guess for about 24 hours."

"Wow! You covered about 280 kms in 24 hours! You are chosen, my child. You are truly blessed by Wahe Guru. He is Your Protector." The matron's face started glowing once again as she placed her hand on Jassi's head to bless her.

Jassi closed her eyes. She could not believe it. She had been running for about 11.5 km/hour for about 24 hours! At the Berlin Marathon, Dennis Kimetto set a world record by maintaining a running pace of about 13 miles per hour (or about 20 km per hour) for two hours on an average. She was much slower than him but she had sustained a good average for 24 hours! It had to be a world record of some kind.

Jassi shrugged her head. Her brain was certainly toying with her. With all that she had endured in the recent past and with all the uncertainty that still hangs in the air, all she was thinking about was her running average! Her world record!

She knew what she was subconsciously doing. Like always, her brain was trying to shut down all the unpleasant memories and find slim excuses to protect her from the onslaught of depression. She had done this several times before.

In fact, she had become so good at it that she really didn't know what all she had covered up in her brain's memory. She did not remember her parents at all though she was about 5-6 years old when her uncle had found her. She did not even remember the faces of her uncle's wife and kids as they were unkind to her, even though she had lived with them for two months.

She remembered her uncle's face. He had been kind to her. He was the only father figure in her life she had. But with what Renny told her, she knew she would soon forget his face too.

She was an emotional mess with no one to offer the slightest support.

She had also locked away memories of all the bullies she had met in school and college life. Those episodes mean nothing to her. She had not forgiven them. She had forgotten them.

At Rajeshwar's place, she used to take comfort in the hearth which burnt itself to cook food, make tea and warm water for everyone and then, lay neglected – covered in ashes. Just like her. Many times, she had imagined herself to be the Queen of the Hearth. It was only her imagination that had helped her survive such trying times – one after the other – with no one to talk to.

Jassi was afraid of what would happen when she lowered down her guards and let the flood of memories out. She was sure that she would be so devastated that she would either turn mad or commit suicide. So, she safely kept all unpleasant memories locked away – deep down her memory shaft.

All during this time, the matron was observing Jassi's face closely but she did not ask any more questions.