Glimpses of darkness

The reception was smooth and Tara almost collapsed on the bed once she was released from the formalities. She wanted to sleep off her tiredness. It was not only her shoulder but her mind hurt too. The prospect of facing Saxena alone made her unsettled.

She was removing her jewelleries when she heard the soft knock on the door. Definitely not Saxena. That asshole ain't gonna knock for entering his own room.

" Please come in", she shouted as she refocused on removing the make up and the jewellery.

She saw Nina's reflection entering as she looked up. She could feel her own smile building up as her warm natured sister in law intruded her privacy. Tara had actually grown fond of Nina in the past three weeks. She came all the way from USA to attend her brother's marriage but got held up due to the turn of events.

She was scheduled to leave at 4 in the following morning as she had already stayed beyond her schedule and stretching her leaves was not exactly something a budding physicist like her could afford at this point of her career.

Nina slowly made her way to Tara and silently started helping her get rid of the traditional bridal makeup and hair she was wearing.

" Bhabi, since we are going to see each other more on Facetime and less in reality, I believe I should let you know a few things before you start your life with my big bro."

Nina paused.

She looked nervous.

Tara frowned. Not once had she seen this bubbly girl hesitate while speaking. She was naturally bubbly and was a glib talker.

" Its okay hon. You can speak to me freely. Your Bhabi wont judge you for whatever you say next. This hesitation doesn't suit you", she tried to make Nina relax and gave her an assuring smile.

The girl bit her lips nervously again and then she began,

" I know, the relationship between you and Bhai is not what you people are flashing to the world. Actually I was quite surprised six years back when I came to know Bhai is suddenly engaged to some Politician's daughter . Something just didnt fit you know, my Bhai is capable of many things but agreeing to marry someone so suddenly is just not possible for him, you know. He has disturbed past in that female related department "

Tara raised an eyebrow.

" What does that mean? Yes, I read in pieces about his life that he had been a loner following his mother's and then father's death and he took to writing as a solace from the two big shocks he faced in life as a teenager. My sister mentioned later that he somewhat developed Thanataphobia, ie, fear of death and had been under medical treatment for that condition. Infact, he decided to write Romantic novels to break from the mental darkness he felt post his losses. And since romance is a medicine to him, not a necessity, he is kinda uncomfortable with the matters of heart. Are you pointing to that?"

Nina shook her head.

" There's more to it Bhabi. And I wanna fill you up before Bhai comes in. He wont be too happy if he knows I talked to you about what I am going to say now. Actually I never planned to disclose these things to you. It's not my secret to tell. But, the past three weeks brought us close and I have actually started liking you. You can consider this truth as your special wedding gift from me. You deserve to understand the situations and the darkness that surrounds the man you have married. From my viewpoint, I can see a rough patch in your personal life, but I believe, if u see things holistically, you wont make any rash decision in adverse situations. "

Nina paused and grabbed the water bottle from the table. Tara could see sweat beads forming on her forehead. She glanced at the AC, the temperature read 20. This girl surely had something worth sharing, else, who sweats so profusely in this temperature?

Nina started helping Tara change her saree as she started narrating her story--

" I cant remember our mom. I have heard she lost her life in childbirth. Birth of our 4th sibling who himself breathed his last 15 hours after our mother's death. I was just four, so I barely remember her. Dad was a waste after her death... it was bhai who would tell us stories , help us eat, braid my hair... Bhabi you have no clue how much affection lays burried in his heart. But for me and Nishant, bhai became much more of a father than out birth father who would go out for work, come home drunk and lock himself in his studies hiding from the harsh reality of life. Bhai was 14 and Nishant was 11 but both of them aged early and I never lacked that adult attention that I needed.

It was almost after a year of our mother's death that Lalita started to come to our house. She was dad's secretary who wanted to become our new mother and take control of us, dad, our money... everything. She is one conniving bitch who planned everything perfectly. But she slightly miscalculated and ended up being smitten with badde bhai and ended up blackmailing him , pressuring him to attend to her physical demands while she kept playing the miss goody two shoes with my dad."

Tara frowned. She never expected that Sushant Saxena was sexually abused as a child.

" So that's why he is so much against women as a whole?", Tara asked nonchalantly as she adjusted her night dress and started combing her hair.

" I guess that's it Bhabi. But Bhai not only has issues with women, he hates men and women alike. Unless it is someone who has passed his test of trust, I guess he wont mind closing a door on anyone's face."

"And why would it be so Nina? What that Lalita woman did was a standalone incidence. Sushant cant judge the world by one woman?"

" No Bhabi, bhai ain't the freak you are thinking him to be. But Lalita was just the beginning, not the end . After a year of torture from this woman, Bhai reported everything to Dad with the hope that he can help us. But by then our old man was so much taken by Lalita that he not only mis judged bhai, but he decided to send him away to boarding school in Shimla."

" But I never heard about your father's second marriage?"

" You won't. Because he died in an accident before that marriage could happen. Call it our good luck, call it her bad luck. In a way we were saved from the She Devil, but bhai never got past that trauma. He was young and the way Dad

unheard him for a freak of a woman, kind of broke his faith"

" Perhaps I too would have felt the same. What happened to that woman? " Tara asked as she completed changing and leaned on the bed.

Nina looked at her and whispered, " I guess we have run out of time.I better go, I hear voices and footsteps. Bhai must be coming. Whatever you face, dont act rashly. Take your time before you act."

Nina kissed on her cheeks and left leaving Tara deep in her thoughts.

" Something is not adding up, I need to find what she didn't tell me".

Just then she heard footsteps outside the door.

Hastily Tara closed her eyes and pulled up her cover. She never knew how to face Sushant. But after what Nina said, she needed to be cautious, much more cautious.