The Beginning or The End - Part 7

‘I am hallucinating’, this was the first thought that crossed Suja’s mind. In quick succession her brain was bombarded with lot of questions and an amazing urge to jump out of the window. The only door to escape was blocked, blocked by the person whom she was trying to escape from more than a year.

Blocking the door stood a man, clad in blue jeans and crisp white shirt, broad built, clean shaven and a breathtakingly handsome face. He stood there with his hands crossed over his chest and a mocking grin on his face, analyzing every expression that passed on Suja’s face.
“Oooh, so this was the freedom you always wanted. To live a life of a maid!!!. Wonderful Suja, just wonderful. You have done real well for yourself.”

It was the taunting words that got her back from her shocked state. ‘What the hell is Arjun doing here??’, was all she could manage to think. She tried speaking but suddenly her mind went blank. She stood there paralyzed. Her feet refused to move even when she could see Arjun crossing the room and coming near her. She wanted to run as Arjun kept decreasing the distance between them but she was just unable to move.

Arjun came close to her and put his arms around her waist. He then traced his fingers down her eyes, nose and lips and suddenly his grip became tight on her face.

“You haven’t changed a bit, still the same. Still you have that pride”, he said directly looking in her eyes, he forced her to look right into his face when she tried to turn her face.

“I have to go, please leave me”, she said in a shaking voice.

“Oh no you don’t. You are going nowhere”.

There was something about Arjun’s face that Suja could not understand. She always thought that no matter what Arjun will always like her, will always have a special place in his heart for her, will always be kind and caring towards her. But this new Arjun was different. He was demanding, looked angry and his eyes had no warmth but only mocking for her.

She just pushed past him and ran with all her might and before she could understand what she was doing, she opened the door and kept running till she reached her quarter. She was sweating when she entered her house. She went in and sat on the sofa, shaking and sweating. Her mind still numb. Suddenly, she started crying, her face buried deep in her hands and her body convulsing forward. She sat there and cried, the realization that there is no escape has hit her hard on the right spot.

Her phone started beeping and it was from the kitchen staff, she was needed there. She gathered herself and washed her face and returned back to the guesthouse.

The guests were already seated in the dining hall. It was a team of 5 men including Arjun. They all sat with Saheb, who was happily playing the host.
Suja, quietly directed the staff about how to serve the food and kept supervising the smooth transaction of food dishes in and out of the kitchen.
It was at the end of the dinner just before the desert was about to be served that she was called in the hall. She had no will or strength to go and stand in front of them but just forced herself to do so.

Saheb smiled at her, “This is Suja and she is the supervisor here. She is responsible for the smooth running of this place. She knows everything about this place and she is the most important person around here.”

Suja, said a polite hello to everyone and just kept looking at Saheb. She could feel all the guest staring at her and there was an uneasy quietness among them.

“Oh, really. That sounds good. So we do have one experienced person whom we can depend on. It would be great help if Ms. Suja can teach me the accounts.”, the very familiar voice drooled mockingly. Suja just refused to look in the direction of that voice.

“Why not. I trained her myself. Believe me Arjun, you won’t miss me here, Suja knows everything that I know. She is one of my most reliable and hard working staff”, strangely today Saheb was in a mood to boast and appreciate her staff which was quiet annoying to Suja.

“We follow a practice here from 8 pm to 10 pm me and Suja sit and close the books together.”

“That’s very interesting. I do not see any reason why we should discontinue the practice now. Probably Suja can help me with the accounts from tomorrow.”

Suja could see the ship sinking very fast but she was in such a tight spot that neither could she scream in anger nor could she run away. The torture was to stand there looking at Saheb and Arjun discussing about her and not able to do anything.

With a heavy heart Suja realized there is not much that she can do. Saheb and Arjun had decided that Suja is from now on responsible of updating Arjun on the running of the guest house on daily basis.

“Mrs. Chaudhary, the food was fantastic. Now, that we have settled the matters of the guest house I can enjoy my desert with peace”, Arjun said looking smiling from Saheb to Suja.

Saheb signaled Suja to get the desert and with a relief Suja quickly made her exit.

Suja returned to her room with a heavy sinking heart. Her life has come back to point zero and she has lost the strength to start all over again.
She felt very sad. Deep in her heart she was hoping that Arjun would say sorry, would beg her to come back but it did not happen. He came and just made fun of her. No matter how funning and amusing her life seemed to him, it was her life and he had no right to laugh on it.

She was so proud of this lowly job of hers, she felt proud to be a supervisor but today she realized that in his eyes she was a maid, just a maid. The sadness, the depression, the loneliness threatened to attack her with full force and she felt very weak to fight them today.

When she finally closed her eyes lying in the bed hungry, her tears paining her eyes, she decided to give in. She accepted defeat and refused to fight back anymore. She would go back to work tomorrow because it was work, because thats what pay her and because she has no place else to go.

The very circumstances that we try to escape run behind us with full force. They won’t rest till they catch us. They drag us back to the arena and make us face them with all our fears, the more we try to run, greater the speed with which they haunt.

To be continued

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