It was difficult to recall for me how long the beating had gone on for, only the final kick and the sound of the iron bar falling to the ground. Just a cut above my eyebrow, the scarlet blood flowing into my eyes and blood dripping down from the side of my lips, oozing out the scarlet fluid. The man placed his feet on my injured head, pressing my head to the ground even more, "ye chetavni tha, agli baar jan le lenge hum".

I lied on the ground breathing on a rusty floor. One man kicked me on my stomach as I spat out blood.

"Dharm virodhi ka yahi parinaam hota hain" they said and left.

I had no strength to even stand up but then suddenly I recalled Bondita who is alone in the house. I, with my all strength, stood up, groaning and roaring in pain but all I was thinking was of Bondita. I fell on the ground once, twice, thrice but stood up again.

Somehow I managed to go home because every time I gave up one thing stuck in my mind and that is I am already late, it is dark and Bondita is alone. I had locked her from outside and asked her to lock the door from inside as well but what my tired and injured eyes saw shook me to the core. The latch was broken.

"B..Bondita" I knocked once, trying my level best to stand properly although I was not in such condition. My shirt was soaked in blood and deep cuts on my back were evident.

"Bondita" I knocked twice.

Fear grasped me. I forgot that I am injured and wounded and tried to break the door open without wasting another minute. The old wooden door wasn't hard to break. When I broke open, I called her name, "Bondita....."

"Bon....."

The view inside horrified me.

"BONDITA!!!"