Choice......

With trembling hands she started to apply make up to the scars that marked her face – a gift her husband had given for their 5^th anniversary. She looked at herself in the mirror and saw empty grey eyes looking back at her with a lost look.  Her hair was a mess, cut roughly – yet another gift by her husband.

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As she applied make up absent mindedly, she drifted back into time when things were all rosy and nice.

Nisha and Kabir were the most in love couple in college. They were always seen together whether in class or outside. There were many who came and tried to grab Kabir’s attention but he had eyes only for Nisha. They graduated and Kabir joined a Radio broadcasting company as a junior RJ. Nisha moved on to do a course in professional makeup & styling and later worked under a very well known photographer who did portfolios for models.  They got married and life just seemed perfect. Although she started off with her job later than Kabir, she became an instant hit and got recognized and became famous very soon.  Soon she was seen with famous models and celebrities.

Being one of the sought after makeup and styling artist she was frequently called to all the major events in the town and she had to double up and do night shifts. That’s when the trouble started brewing.  Kabir started having problems with her profession and wanted her to quit doing night shifts.  

She obliged because she was crazily in love with Kabir and wanted to see him happy. She was frequently called for after work parties but she used to decline and never attended them because she wanted to get back home soon and spend as much as time possible with Kabir.

But when one of her major assignment became a hit, she couldn’t decline the invite to the party and was forced to attend it. The only solace was that she could bring Kabir along. She was appreciated for her work all through the party by both known and unknown people which made Kabir very jealous. The ride home was filled with tension and with anticipation of what the night might hold.

On reaching home Kabir was furious and started smashing things. Things just got wild when she tried to stop him and he hit her. That was the first time he had raised his hand on her. He did apologize in the morning and Nisha dismissed it as a thing done in the moment of heat.

Later when her work became hectic he wanted her to quit working altogether. Having been in the profession for a very long time, she was almost considered as a veteran and it was very difficult to quit at that point of time. When she told him that giving up on her profession was not possible he became livid with her. That’s when things started getting worse. His anger, his shouting’s was almost unbearable. His violence became a regular phenomenon.

Yesterday was their fifth wedding anniversary. He had gifted her an earrings and pendant set. She had matched it with her white dress as they had stepped out for dinner to celebrate their anniversary. They were in the middle of their dinner when an old colleague had stopped at their table to talk to her. After their brief conversation Kabir’s anger was evident and it was a downward spiral from there. On reaching home he had dragged her to their room by her hair and repeatedly hit and kicked her. When she tried to stop him and raise her voice, he became furious and covered her mouth. He tied her up and cut her hair.

As she looked below seeing her hair in tatters beneath her feet, she felt determined to get out of this and teach Kabir a lesson. She picked up the phone and called Kabir’s radio station. It was almost time for his show. She disguised her voice and spoke to Kabir who was on air – telling him about the episodes of violence and describing his anger. She had already called up the police station and informed them about Kabir’s domestic violence towards her.

Kabir, as an RJ was very sympathetic towards her and pushed her to seek help for her domestic violence. She was surprised towards his almost godly like behavior whereas at home he was a beast. When he said that men who thought violence as their right were not being manly, she decided that enough was enough. She spoke to him in her own voice and told him that he was a coward, what she had narrated was their own story and police were on the way to the studio to arrest him.

As she put the phone down, she felt like she was breathing for the first time. The constant thought of what Kabir would think had clouded her mind, she was able to think freely now. She was free…………. a free woman!!!