"Please Daddy, don't hurt me..."
"SHUT UP you little bitch, I must teach you some manners today"
"Not the belt Daddy please it hurts.."
"Stop fucking screaming! It is supposed to hurt, only them you'll learn not to fucking interfere when I am talking to your mother"
"But you were hurting her...It's not right"
"You piece of shit! You are going to tell me what I am supposed to do?....I think the belt isn't good enough for you. I need to lock you up on some place dark."
"NO! Not there...please..I beg you..no..."
******************
The helpless scream of her former self echoed in her memory as they jolted her out of the flashback. Pankhudi found herself sitting on a chair next to her sick mother in the hospital. It had been 3 days since she arrived here. Her mother had been better. She had been shifted out of ICU today. Pankhudi held her ageing mother's hand and wiped off the tears of painful memories.
Her mother opened her eyes and smiled at her. "I am so proud of you Pankhudi. You handle so much on your own. You are a brave girl. God bless you my child!" she said.
"I love you mom" she said as she kissed her mother's hand.
Her mother's health improved over a next few days. She was discharged; Pankhudi and Palak took her home. With the money, the mysterious man had given her, Pankhudi was able to set everything right. When she was sure everything at home was alright, he made arrangements for her to fly back to Mumbai. When her flight landed at Mumbai airport, she walked out cautiously looking for him. It didn't take long for her to find him and she hugged him as soon as she saw him. He wasn't expecting that, but he hugged her back anyway.
"How's your mother's health now?" he asked.
"She's better now, thank you so much for your help" she said with a genuine emotion of gratitude in her eyes.
"Good. Let's get you home sunshine" he said as he put his arm around her shoulder and led her to his car. They got inside and drove off.
It was night already. They reached her house. Pankhudi was lost in deep thought. He was sitting on the couch looking at her, but she wasn't feeling scared of him anymore. It seemed the thoughts that were racing though her mind were troubling her more than his presence.
He lit a cigarette and smoked quietly. "Come here Pankhudi" he called her closer.
She smiled and walked towards him and sat on his lap. He embraced her and rested his back against the couch and pulled her even closer and place her head on his shoulder. He began running his fingers through her hair and showering her with kisses. "I missed you Pankh" he said.
"I missed you too" she said. He wasn't really expecting that answer. He looked at her. Her eyes were sad.
"Are you ok, cupcake?" he asked.
"I have only bad memories about my father..." she spoke as she couldn't hide her grief, "All those things you did for me are what my father would have done if he hadn't been such a disappointment. If he would have been a loving man, he would have taken care of me, taken care of me, he would have never let anything happen to me...I wouldn't have to face the world alone like this...I wouldn't need to suffer so much..." She began to cry as she spoke. She paused for a while because she was choking and continued, "You may have hurt me, but you also care for me...I feel safe around you, I feel that I can trust you." she hugged him tightly and continued, "You said you want me don't you?"
"Yes I do" he said as he continued playing with her hair.
"I will give myself to you" she said, "I'll be your slave, I'll do anything you say, but I want you to make a promise"
"And what would that be?" he asked taking another puff from the cigarette.
She looked straight into his eyes and said, "Promise me that if anything happened to me or if I die, you will take care of my family"
"Why would anything happen to you?" he said staring back into her eyes, "I'll make sure you are ok, I won't let anything wrong happen Pankh"
"I know" she said, "But just in case, something bad happens to me, promise me that you will take care of my family. They mean everything to me. They are all I care about, I don't care even about myself."
"I promise, I will take care of your family if anything happens to you 'and' even otherwise, for as long as I live." he assured her. "But know this Pankhudi, I am going to be very rough with you. The only limits you would have are the ones I choose. I will use you as I see fit, abuse you as and when I please. You will take it all without question, if you don't, I will punish you."
"Yes..just take me, I am all yours." she replied.