Broken Souls ✔️

Chapter 2

"It all started when I was 16, a young Alisha Hakeem moved from Karachi to Lahore with her parents, hoping this move would change her life. And change her life it did.....just not I the direction she expected."

I sighed looking down at my hands which were placed on my lap.

"You don't understand how much I regret convincing my parents to move from Karachi to Lahore. I thought I would have a better life here but it clearly went in a different way."

Tears were building up in my eyes as I remembered the dreadful days.

I pictured my 16 year old self. From dreaming, to applying, to getting accepted. Then from convincing my parents day in day out to finally moving.

A month had gone by and everything started slipping down hill.

I was being harassed at college. Sexually. I didn't know who would do it, even if I did I doubt I would report it.

It would always happen in crowded hallways, where there were multiple people.

I was afraid I didn't even want to go to college now.

To make matters worse, my parents got a call telling them that my dadi's health is deteriorating rapidly. So they had to go back.... back to Karachi.

I tried to talk to them, to take me with them. I begged them. They thought I was being selfless and told me that they would sort out a flat so I could live peacefully.

I knew.

"I knew something would go terribly wrong but no one listened to my pleas. I tried to stop it before it happened and now look. Look where I am and how I broken I am."

Traitorous tears slipped through my eyes. "No on listened Jawad sahib. Yet they all blamed me for the consequences even when I warned them. This is what it means to be a woman in this society." I laugh bitterly.

"You get blamed for everything, be it your fault or not, it will always be your own fault."

"They left and my life became hell. I finally found a face to my harrasments. He was good looking a face that the ladies would swoon over but not me. He scared me."

His face comes to mind instantly. I could remember every feature so clearly as if he hadn't left 5 years ago.

I remembered how it started from a mere touching of my ass, to groping my breast, to cornering me in an empty hallway.

Forget scared I was terrified.

After my parents left for Karachi, he stepped up his game and the most distressing thing was that I didn't even know who he was.

When I tried explaining his appearance to my friends, they would tell me that they had never seen anyone like him around college.

One day all students were called for an assembly.

The headteacher welcomed us and started to tell us the purpose of being here today. With a proud smile, she announces "I present to you your new vice principal, Adeel Jamal."

And there he was an arrogant smile gracing his lips and his eyes glued on me.

Adeel Jamal.

"The man who haunts me to this day. He left 5 years ago but he still reigns my mind, my body and my soul. Just like he had promised all those years ago." I smile sadly at the floor.

Knock knock!

"Come in," I order.

Hania comes in with the refreshments. "Baji refreshments for the guests."

"Oh yes. Thank you so much. Please place them on the table for me."

With a slight nod and smile, she does and leaves.

"Jawed sahib please take something. The food should be made in around an hour or so." I say smiling softly. This man surprised me, he's been sat there quietly listening to me spill my past out with every detail I could remember. Something was awfully strange about him.

"I'll take something but you sahiba please. Please, go ahead with your story. I want to know."

"I will. Of course I will. All in good time, Jawad sahib. But please answer me this, do you know how lucky you are to be a man?"

He slowly shakes his head.

"We'll, I'll tell you. You are in fact very lucky, extremely lucky, tremendously lucky. Should I tell you why?"

He nods his head.

"It's because society will never blame you. Even if you do the most heinous of crimes. They will never look down at you. They will never taunt you. They will never curse you not tell you that you are a disappointment to your parents. Of you went out and killed a random woman and lied saying that she tried to seduce you but you were a virtuous and religious married man. They would applaud you, they would tell you that you did a great deed. You stopped tagt woman from poisoning this society further. But if I killed a man on account of rape and even had evidence to back me up. They would still pin the blame on me, you seduced him, you were asking to get raped by going out in the night and wearing tight clothes. He never deserved to die, you did. This is the cruel face o four society and it's not one to change any time soon. So Jawad sahib, do you understand how easy you have it as a man?"

He nodded, like a student nodding at his teacher telling their teacher that they finally understand the maths equation that they have struggled with for years.

"Should I carry on?" He again nodded in affirmation.

"From that day on, the harassment increased intensely. He would touch me more, hurt me. He kissed and bit me. I protested but my cries would fall onto deaf ears."

Soon enough the holidays arrived, I called my parents and told them I was coming back. And when it was time for me to go back I would persuade them to let me stay with them. I prayed it would work. I had my suitcase packed, with all my essentials. I just needed to be back home with my parents in my mother's embrace.

But fate had other plans for me...

When I reached there, I purchased my ticket and was waiting for my train to arrive when my shoulder was grasped in a tight hold.

I turned slowly hoping it wasn't who I thought it was, but all my hopes vanished when I saw the familiar smirk plastered on his face.

Adeel Jamal.
He had caught me.
And he wasn't planning on letting me go any time soon.

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