FOURTY FOUR: NOT A GOOD PERSON

Jannet’s question brought back unpleasant memories of him. The tortures I had to go through—physical, mental, and even sexual. He had gone to the extent to rape me and I couldn’t have done a thing to save myself. All the nightmares he had given me when I was alone in my room, deciding on whether to jump down the roof of my house and end this misery for the final time.

A shudder ran up my shoulders and I breathed in deeply.

“He deserved it. All of it,” I said and wiped the tear that was threatening to fall down the brink of my eye.

Jannet gave my hand a soft squeeze, then pulled me in for a hug. Her embrace was warm and assuring. I was finally free from all the pain and torture—thanks to one person. No amount of gratitude could level to what I felt at the moment.

I had expressed my gratitude in words to him this morning, but was that enough? Definitely not.

The rest of the classes passed in a blur. It was either the stares I received from the others in the class or the boring lectures t