As time went on... Exams dates were fixed. I was preparing for my exams... In Chennai, he was dealing with other things... Studies, submission, and internship...

One evening ...I called Sagen...
He just got on the bus... I can hear the crowd talking...
"Swath I can't hear you, will call you, as soon as I get down!" he said being disturbed in the crowd.
"Ok."

After 15 minutes. He called me back...
" Swath, why are you crying... What happened? " his breath almost went high.
"It's... ". I tried not to tell... But... I uttered finally as I could not control my tears.
"I fought with Dad... He beat me .... " I was uttering words as my breath was not normal.
"What .... Why... "
"Sagen... It's... "Again I tried not to tell him. I felt disgusting.
"Just tell me what happened..." his concerned and worried voice I heard.
"I am on my period... One of the temple pandits visited our home to see Dad in the evening... With his granddaughter of age 4... and I held that baby's hand as she was sitting on her grandfathers lap. Later while leaving home she tried to jump from uncles shoulder and kissed me... I took her in my hand by uncles shoulder" .
"Whaaaaattt...." He screamed almost in anger and in puzzled!
"Yeah... Dad went mad for this...according to him... I'm not pure during periods...and touching a kid, getting minggled, especially when I held baby from uncles shoulder..... He said so much in anger... He beat me...countless times... I am so fearful... Don't call or msg me until I call or msg you... He may take over my mobile...
On top of that... I kneeled atta for roti during dinner... I forgot that... Atta powder he cannot able to reuse as I touched it... It cannot be washed by him again... For that, he ... threw whole wheat powder on the floor... Just now, I cleaned that mess...!
I said as my heart kept saying ... I was in pain!
"Sag...He went out...I don't know in which mind he will back, so don't call or text me until I do. Plz... Sagen... It's a request. Don't do any mistakes! " I was weeping and crying continuously in pain and heatness.
"Ok... Ask him... While beating you, hasn't he touched you... If he has so many restrictions on your periods... About your impurity....its ridiculous... " His raising anger I felt in breath...
"He is lucky right now that I'm here!" Sagen said. His anger I can feel it in his voice!
I jumped up from my bed to run ...as I heard calling bell.
"Ok...ok...bell rang... I'm cutting call and deleting your number... Plz..." I said in a hurry to go and open the door.
"Relax... Swath... Take care!" I heard him say... before I cut his call.

I couldn't sleep... My mobile was switched off and kept with Hitler.
During exams, he used to drop me to college and pick me up as soon after the exam gets over. No contact with by friends, zero contact with Sagen.
I was lost. I was depressed. I was unhappy. I had no joy. I cursed to be a woman!
© Saranya Anish Nair