Natasha

WARNING- Some triggering scenes ahead. This chapter is in third person point of view.

***

Six years ago...

“Are you coming, Natasha?”

The girl in question stared into space. Her classmates were planning to watch a movie the following weekend. It was a movie starring her favourite actor, John Abraham. She was about to open her mouth when she remembered her spat with mother last time. She wanted to watch a movie with a bunch of girls. Girls, not boys. Just what was wrong with that? It was something she would never understand in a thousand years.

“I... can't.” Natasha replied, hugging herself. She instantly shuddered, recalling the hot, burning lashes slapping her sides last time. Her classmates asked if they could convince her parents on phone. Instead, she forced a smile, despite the growing lump in her throat. “It's okay. Maybe next time. Thanks.”

“Okay, if you say so...” They said, shrugging. She watched as her classmates walked out, carrying excited grins as they discussed their plans.

She walked home with a heavy heart.

* * *

Natasha had been a studious child as long as she remembered. Studies were a means of escape for her into the world that made sense. Not like the nonsensical reality before her. It was one thing her parents never complained about.

It was the perfect place to hide.

As a child, Natasha had always been rebellious. In her eyes, she was playful, wild and free— she wanted to do what she wanted. In her parents eyes, however, she was disobedient, ill- mannered and uncontrollable— she would never listen to them. As a result, they beat her. For them, it as a means of control and discipline. But deep down, it was a way to vent their anger. Even if their anger wasn't always directed at her. She only realised it later on, when too many shits were spat upon. Hands, chappals, combs, belt, utensils, broom, you name it— she had been beaten up by everything her mother put her hands on. Her father didn't hit her as much as her mother but when he did, she was sure to remember it for days. His hands  were nothing less than a wooden stick. That was the shattering impact he had on her. ‘It's normal. I probably deserve it,’ she told herself. Some of her friends got smacked, too. Hell, even Sahil (her brother) couldn't escape the painful clutches of their mother. He used to laugh when Natasha got hit while she did the same when the situations were reversed. Both of them would cry and laugh about it afterwards. In a way, they were each other's solace.

'Don't worry, if worst comes to the worst, we'll run away and live in an apartment, all by ourselves. We will be there for each other.' Were Sahil's words when she cried for a long time. She knew he was making it up but it was comforting. They actually had a real sibling bonding back then. Atleast until Mitali grew up.

Eventually Sahil stopped getting beaten by the age of twelve. Not Natasha though. She was still getting abused at the age of fifteen.

But things weren't the same as before. Her mother's slaps didn't feel normal as back then. They hurt, physically and emotionally. They hurt more when the objects hit her boobs and ass which were on their stage of puberty. It was traumatizing when she felt her father's wrath on her. She wouldn't dare come out of her room on those days. She was a big girl now. She insisted them to stop, but they didn't. To make matters worse, her beloved brother started distancing away from her. He was becoming less like the Sahil she loved, and more like her mother Natasha despised.

It was embarrassing. Embarrassing when she got slapped in front of everyone in her parent- teacher meetings, just because she got lesser marks in hi온라인카지노게임 as compared to science. She got embarrassed when she was asked about the red marks on her hands and legs by her classmates. She was embarrassed to come to school. If only they didn't have skirts as their uniform.

She also noticed the double standards from her parents when it came to her and Sahil. While she was cooped up doing household chores during the weekends, her brother rode the city with his dudes. While she was abused for the smallest of things, her brother would get away with something as big as breaking a vase. While she was brushed away for bringing ninety percent marks in her exams, his brother was allowed to party for bringing sixty percent marks in school. The crap list was endless.

'You are a girl. It's unsafe for you to roam around without a trusted elder.' Her father would explain when she reasoned. Having no one to confine to, she often conveyed her jealousy to Sahil, resulting in bitter fights. Their distance only grew further.

Other students craved holidays, to spend time and play at home.  Natasha dreaded it more than anything. Home was a place of nightmare for her. In order to avoid being beaten, she would resign to her room all day long. No one would interfere. No one would bark. She was safe. Atleast for the meanwhile.

She was fifteen years old with no friends and no capable elder to rely on.

* * *

Life was more or less the same when Natasha reached the eleventh grade. Meaningless. Although it became a little more bearable with an annoying friend she made a few months back. She would often crack at Abhishek's jokes while he would laugh at hers. They had lunch together to secretly diss at their classmates and teachers. It was easier being with him than with others, who always judged her. He was fun to be around.

Studies became harder during this time. With the pressure of exams riding along her shoulders, she needed tuitions to pass through it. She was recommended a physics tutor through a classmate who attended the same tuition. The tutor was Tejas Wadiya— a fourty- four year old married man, who used to teach physics in their school. He quit last year, since he wanted to focus on his side business. He had been doing home tuition since then, earning enough to run his home.

Tejas managed to impress Natasha since day one. The man possessed profound knowledge in his field. Natasha saw a genius in Tejas while he saw a bright student in her. They ended up chatting, hours after her class was over. She left home with a content smile, knowing she wouldn't have problems dealing with physics now.

And, indeed Natasha was right. She managed to score the highest in her upcoming tests. Everyone was proud of her, including her parents. She brought a box of sweets, just to thank Tejas and promised to perform the same way in her final exams.

Since she had chemistry and mathematics, she had to readjust her timings with her physics classes. Often she would end up attending his classes on Saturdays. Although Tejas was adamant on teaching anyone on that day, he made an exception for Natasha. 'Special exceptions for my special students,' He would say, smiling.

It was after a few Saturdays, Natasha noticed something strange. A woman, and a beautiful one at that. He called her Geeta. She would visit Tejas on Saturdays while his wife and sister were gone. Whenever she visited, Tejas would follow her to his room and give Natasha a written test to solve in the meantime.

'Geeta and I are going to discuss something important about business.' Tejas once said when Natasha asked. She believed it. They would usually come out after half an hour. Either that, or Natasha would leave the house after completing her test as per his instructions. Whatever Tejas talked or did with Geeta was of no concern for her. She was only here to learn from him. That's all it mattered.

There was one Saturday Natasha remembered it vividly. She was almost done with her weekly test. Tejas and Geeta exited the room, looking somewhat disheveled. She couldn't help but notice Tejas as he hurried Geeta out of the door. Natasha couldn't quite understand the situation that time, even though it was blatantly obvious. She simply lowered her head to write down her last answer.

She sensed Mister Tejas, sitting down on the chair next to her. The house was quiet, except for the faint sounds of paper, ruffling against the air from the fan. The comfortable silence stretched on until Tejas asked Natasha to put down her pen, thus breaking her concentration. Her brows furrowed slightly as she raised her head to him.

She honestly didn't see what was coming next.

“Tell me...” He asked, softly as one of his palms placed cold on her cheek, making all of her hair at the back of her neck stand. Her body went stiff, her heartbeat escalated. Tejas didn't care. “What did you see today? Did anyone visit this house besides you?”

“Yes, that Geeta lady you mentioned you have business—”

She was abruptly interrupted by the sound of a slap, ringing against her ear. It took a second to realize it was Tejas who slapped her cheek hard, forcing her face to turn sideways. Her teeth clenched as his nails dug to her skin. Though that was nothing compared to the steely look in his eyes, that made her want to run over the hills. What's more, he was still smiling. “I'll repeat my question. Answer it very carefully. Did. Anyone. Else. Visit. My. Home?”

Each word felt like a cold threat from his mouth. Her body was shaking internally. Despite her nerves cackling, she thought over again. It wasn't the answer he sought but something he wanted to hear. She took the risk by answering the opposite. “No. No one visited your house besides me.”

“Good girl. See, that's why you're my favourite student,” He smiled, pulling her cheek nicely before dropping his hand to his lap. She breathed a sigh of relief, dropping her shoulders. Her fingers wouldn't stop trembling though. “Now finish your test and go home.”

It barely took her a minute to finish her test. She could care less about the incomplete answer. She just wanted to get the hell out of there. An eery feeling settled at the pit of her stomach. Something about Tejas and his weird question didn't sit well.

“Remember what you said. It's what you're supposed to say. Always.” He reminded her, just as she turned to the door. On the way to the exit of the building, she came across Tejas's wife and sister who were back from shopping. Thankfully they didn't stop her. She simply acknowledged their greeting with a nod and left the place.

It was then it dawned to her that perhaps the business Tejas had with Geeta wasn't monetary after all.

* * *

Natasha tried avoiding going on Saturdays from then point on. Especially alone. She almost believed that slip in behaviour didn't happen, just by looking at his composed face. Tejas was as normal as he came. He never popped that question again. Maybe he was simply in a bad mood that time.

Half yearly exams were round the corner. Her tutor still had to teach her two more chapters. Extra classes on Saturdays became unavoidable that time. And so did Geeta's visit.

Then came another Saturday. It was the usual. Geeta religious visit to his apartment; them disappearing in his room together; their suspicious return after forty minutes. Natasha was already frustrated that she was forbidden to disturb him, but then, she just had to witness them sharing a last minute kiss by the door. Disgusting, but she didn't care.

Until Tejas's wife came home.

Five minutes were left for Natasha's class. Tejas was explaining to her the derivation of third law of motion. That's when it happened. His plump wife marched to their table and flew her hand against his cheek. The sound reverberated through the whole room. Everything went still. Natasha quivered in her seat while Tejas stood up, his eyes flashing red.

Thus, began the long awaited interrogation between the cheating husband and a heartbroken wife. It was no less than a Big Boss live show. Back then, the sixteen year old Natasha couldn't fully grasp how Mrs Wadiya found out. All she could grasp from their unorganised conversation was the discovery of a rubber like band Mrs Wadiya kept holding like a dead insect. It couldn't be his wife, because he didn't have sex with her for the past three months— as Mrs Wadiya stated. Did people fuck that often, the somewhat innocent Natasha wondered? She was itching to go home but Mrs Wadiya was blocking the door and she felt too scared to disturb a demon right now.

Just like in any other couple fight about an extra marital affair, there was a question of who. Who was the home wrecker their beloved was cheating with? Mrs Wadiya asked multiple times but Tejas refused to speak in that matter.

Suddenly, the entire situation turned one eighty around when a sharp finger was pointed towards a student. Towards Natasha. She turned white as a sheet.

“She's the one, isn't she?”

To her utmost horror, Tejas remained silent, proving guilty. Except, he was lying.

And Mrs Wadiya was believing.

The next few minutes were a blur. Mrs Wadiya slapped her husband, disgusted over cheating on a minor. ‘He fucking had it coming,’ Natasha thought as Mrs Wadiya lashed on him verbally. His wife seemed like a sensible person.

“This person's lying, Mrs Wadiya!” Natasha defended herself when she got the chance. “I'm not the girl he cheated with. It's actually a wom—”

Just then, a hand clamped her mouth tightly and she lost the right to say the rest. 

“Don't fucking lie!” Tejas bellowed, shooting daggers for an entirely different reason that only Natasha understood. He turned to his wife, coming up with the best victim face he could muster. “I know I'm at fault, Ishu, but it takes two hands to clap. Tell me, have you ever seen me flirting with any one of my students? Of course not. I've always been a teacher, first and foremost. But this girl—” He roughly pushed her away from his grasp. “This girl took advantage of her good looks. She was the one who seduced me. Why do you think she stayed so late while other students left? I thought she wanted to study but her motives were entirely else all along and I got right into it. Shameless whore.”

It was like those dreams where everything was painted in sunshine and rainbows, only to be turned into a nightmare with a flip of a coin. Not that Natasha's life had been sunshines and rainbows anyway. She had been addressed with some bad words in the past, but never like this. It made her sick to her stomach. She wanted to speak but her senses failed her. Her brain was yet to recover from the shock. She shockingly stared at the man who she used to claim as the best physics teacher.

Natasha was about to defend herself when she was grabbed by the collar by none other than Mrs Wadiya. She snapped on how she destroyed her family's honor when she should be studying. On how they could all be arrested for her deeds. This time Natasha tried. She tried to spill out the truth but whenever she did, she was stopped by that bastard. 

Mrs Wadiya was already too lost to listen anyway.

“Dekhti hu. Tum sabki khabar lungi!” she yelled, her eyes bloodshot as she pointed fingers to both Natasha and Tejas. Then she said something that would doom Natasha for life. She turned to her sister- in- law.

“Diksha, call her parents!”

Natasha could imagine her life crumbling into pieces. No, she didn't even want to imagine. She fell down to her knees when she lost the energy to hold herself. From the corner of her leaking eye, Diksha was picking up the residence phone to dial her parents number.

That's when she lost it.

“STOOOPPP!” Natasha screamed at the top of her lungs. Fear gripped her neck, like claws she couldn't escape from. She caught hold of Diksha's leg, then Mrs Wadiya's, begging them to not call her parents. “Please don't call them. I beg of you... They wouldn't believe my innocence. They would kill me... please... please...”

She begged, cried, shouted. Stated that she was ready to do anything to repent for a sin she never committed. Anything, but call her parents. She folded her hands before an ignorant Tejas, begging him to claim her innocence. Never did she felt so hopeless beyond her measure. Never did she imagine a chance where she had to beg to anyone. Yet she was holding on to someone's leg. Her body was already draining from all that shouting and sobbing but she didn't give up. After taking a few successive breaths, when she felt okay enough to speak, she begged again. And again.

Her pleas carried on to the wind with zero response from the other side. The women did their thing by calling Natasha's parents, telling them to fetch their slut of a daughter. It was inescapable now.

Natasha had her hands around her arms, by the time her parents arrived. As if it could shield from their wrath that she could sense from a mile away. Imagine how it would feel like to actually look them in the eye. She didn't dare to.

Bitter words were exchanged, angry threats were thrown and in between that, lay Natasha. Even through the whirlpool of hopelessness, she carried a small glimmer of hope as she tried to prove her innocence. They were her real parents. They have been with her for the past seventeen years. Even if she hadn't been an obedient kid in their eyes, they would believe her. They knew how studious their daughter was, of course they would believe her! Who in their right mind believed an outsider over their own daughter, right?

She held her palms, sending a silent prayer.

Initially her parents refused to buy their bizzare 온라인카지노게임. They defended their daughter but Mrs Wadiya wasn't the one to give up. She explained them with clues, brainwashed them in a way that bore a seed of suspicion in their heads. Add to that, their constant distrust in their daughter eventually led them to believe the illusion created before them. Natasha was guilty.

Mrs Patil didn't even wait. She slapped Natasha, saying how a whore like her couldn't be their daughter. That she deserved to die. A part of Natasha died right there and then. After being humiliated some more, she was dragged to the door by her father. The humiliation increased tenfold when she felt several eyes watching them. They were all neighbours who were standing outside their homes as a result of the continuous shouts they heard a while ago. They didn't move. They didn't question. They were an audience, simply meant to watch the drama and gossip about it later on. 

There was no going back once Natasha reached in the confinement of her home. She was beaten black and blue, called every name under the sun, blamed for shaming her family. Her cries of protest were muffled by another cry of pain. She felt her father's arm swinging across her side hard enough to knock her off the ground. Unlike her mother, her father arms talked enough. He kicked her, knocking the air out of her lungs until he pulled her hair to get her up. Even through her blurred vision, Natasha was able to recognise the fury behind his eyes. She was staring at a stranger who looked like her father. His eyes shook her to the core, knowing what would arrive next. Yet another shriek filled the hollow room. She could taste iron dripping down her face. Blood. Her blood.

Midway, she heard her little sister calling out to her. Mitali tried to intervene but was easily pushed away and locked into another room. As for her heartless brother, he was cooped up in his room as an excuse to stay away from the drama.

Natasha thought she had enough but apparently, the world was against her that day. Obviously the show wouldn't end without a special treat from the bitch of her mother. Eventually she was dragged into her room.

That day was unforgettable. Not a single thing was spared by her mother's hands, including her hands. The chappal strap broke, the wooden log broke into two but her mother didn't. Natasha dragged her ass to the corner of her room. It had been fifteen minutes since she came home. ‘It will be over soon,’ she thought closing her eyes until she felt a hot sting across her back jolting her awake. She let out another yelp. It was a metal wedge.

Five minutes passed. Mrs Patil had gotten a broom. Natasha paled more if possible and yelled at her mother to stop for the thousandth time.

Ten minutes passed. The pain increased tenfold. Mrs Patil continued to lash on Natasha until she lost the voice to whimper. She wanted to defend but was too tired to lift her swollen red palms. There wasn't a single part of her exposed skin that wasn't marked with a crescent. She could feel cold blood falling from the corner of her lips. Her body was on fire and she felt no less than a iron rod falling heavily on earth. She hoped the pain was worse enough to die. Atleast she wouldn't be hurt anymore.

Twenty minutes passed.

Natasha's body was growing numb now. She was already at her limit. Her head was reeling. She was finding hard to keep her eyes open. Her ears were ringing from the amount of slaps she heard. She was too weak to understand the curses her mother threw. She didn't care. She just wanted to sleep forever. Her heartless mother dragged Natasha out of the bed, muttering something about not deserving to sleep after what she did. Mrs Patil made sure she remembered every beat, every sound marked on her burnt skin.

Just then, Natasha noticed Mrs Patil panting but she was panting harder. It was exactly then when Mrs Patil stopped. Not because she was satisfied but was too tired to hit anymore.

That's all Natasha remembered before she fell heavily onto the mattress. Darkness enveloped her, bringing some peace for the first time in the day. She fell asleep.

Natasha didn't dare step out of her room that day. Her body wasn't upto the task anyway. She didn't eat, didn't drink, except when she requested Mitali to bring water for her at night. Mitali screamed at the sight of her big sister. Natasha recalled how she laughed at her own reflection in the bathroom mirror. With her busted lips, swollen eyes, cuts on her cheeks, hands, legs and back she was barely recognisable. No wonder Mitali seemed horrified. She was only nine after all.

Natasha could barely sleep a wink that night. She tossed and turned, writhing in agony. As if her skin had been scraped off. It hurt like a motherfucker. Her pillow was soaked in her tears as she left wondering what she did wrong. She simply hoped that the worst of storms ceased to pass and that things would be slightly more forgiving from now on. Perhaps her parents would believe her tomorrow.

Little did she know, her nightmare had just begun.

* * * * * *

Having a back온라인카지노게임 is pretty common for a character but having this kind of a traumatizing one is rare, atleast in my stories. It was my first time writing scenes like this and honestly, it was one of the toughest things to write. So I'd be really grateful if you VOTE AND COMMENT your thoughts. Please!

Overall thoughts. What do you think about Natasha's past? Her parents and her situation with her physics teacher. It's not over yet. There will be a Part 2 of this chapter. Comment and keep reading.

To be continued in the next chapter. Vote and comment.