Page 154 - Till the Last Breath . . .

‘No, junk it. It’s personal,’ she sneered.

‘I was just trying to help.’
‘I know. It’s just that I haven’t really shared it with anyone. I don’t think
it makes sense sharing it with you. I don’t even know you,’ she said, her

eyes now glassy and distant. Dushyant knew she was vulnerable and she
would spill it out and tell him everything; he just needed to push her over

the edge.
‘You can. I was reading a book on war soldiers. Experiencing the horrors

of war over and over again makes it easier to tolerate the pain. Sharing with
me might help,’ he pestered.

‘I don’t know—’
‘You know you want to,’ he interrupted.
Zarah hesitated and looked away from Dushyant’s inquisitive and

piercing gaze. Dushyant wondered what she was hiding behind her glassy
eyes and guarded exterior.

‘I was raped,’ she squeaked and a lone tear streaked down her cheek.
Dushyant stood there, doubting what he had just heard. It reverberated in

the space near him and he couldn’t bring himself to believe what he thought
she had said. She has got to be kidding … The silence confirmed the

matter’s seriousness. His throat dried up and he struggled to say something.
What? Why? Who? When? What did you do? Nothing but a silent sigh
escaped his lips as he stared at her, as if he had seen a ghost.

Zarah said, ‘My father works in the army. During one of the many army
parties, two of his drunken seniors raped me near the washroom. I was

fourteen.’ All of a sudden, the tears in Zarah’s eyes vanished and the glum
expression on her face was replaced by a calm, practised, nonchalant look.

‘Then what happened?’ Dushyant inquired as soon as he got his voice
back.

‘Then, nothing happened,’ Zarah said with an air of finality to end the
discussion.
‘What nothing? Didn’t you tell anyone? Your parents? Your mom? Dad?’

he questioned.