Freedom has a Price to Pay

                                   I

Nilanjana was trying hard to focus on her studies but couldn't. She was still in shock because of the events that took place a few hours ago.

Rohit shouldn't have done that. Why the person you trust the most, hurts you the most? But, Did I react violently? I could have handled it in a better way. Should I call him? I think I should apologize for my behavior. At least, he had the courage to confess. She was staring at the ceiling with a book in her hand and thinking vigorously. 

Soon, her eyes met the exam schedule taped on the wall. O god! My exams are scheduled next week and here I am, thinking nonsense and wasting my time. Rohit is my best friend. He knows me better than anyone. He will understand my situation. I have aspirations in life and I can't make any commitment at the moment. Fighting through the endless chatter of her mind, she opened the book and tried to concentrate, again.

You can study tomorrow too! You still have a week's time. Sunita, her roommate, who was tossing and turning on the bed, cried. Can you switch off the lights? I am also appearing in the same exam as you but look at me, I am relaxed. Why do you worry so much? What is the point of being first in the class or waking up like a bat when you know that once your degree is over, you will be married off to a random person?

I have an ambition in life and till I won't achieve that I won't get married. Nilanjana smiled and said.

Sunita frowned.

That's what every girl says but ends up having at least two kids by the time they turn thirty. Do whatever you want to, i am going to sleep in Jenifer's Room and I will also see what you "achieve" in life. Sunita mocked and left the room.

Ignoring her, Nilanjana tried to concentrate, again.

Still, the traces of the "events" were strolling around inside her head. The image of her mother came into her mind. She was the one who fought with every obstacle, mostly, her husband so that Nilanjana could go to a "city" for higher studies. My friend's daughter also went to a city and when she returned, she was pregnant. It brought an enormous amount of shame to his family. They had to leave the society and settle in the outskirts, he would often say. Don't you have faith in your daughter, she will not do such a thing, she would retort.

Suddenly, there was a notification on her phone. 

She picked up her phone from the table.

"I love you", the message read. The message was from Rohit. 

Soon, there was a flood of messages. "Why you did this to me?", "I don't know what I will do without you". "I am going to kill myself". Before she could gather herself, her phone started ringing. 

She didn't pick it up.

"Why are you not receiving my calls? A message popped up from the same number.

 "You call me at 2 am in the night and I still receive your calls, you are such a mean person", another message read.

Again there was a call and she didn't pick it up this time too. In the meantime, he kept sending messages.

He has gone mad, maybe the rejection has not gone down well him, she thought. 

Within few minutes, there were 15 missed calls and 28 messages on her phone. She was in a dilemma whether to pick up the call or to call someone for help. she took a deep breath, ignored the missed calls and messages, and switched off the phone. The only person she called whenever she was in a problem was now creating one for her.

I will talk to him in the morning, she thought. Maybe, he is drunk at the moment. No matter what I will say to him, he will try to create a scene and that may cost us our friendship. He is a grown-up and I am sure he will understand my situation. She put her phone aside and tried to concentrate on the book, again.

                                      II

I won't allow "goons" to enter, Mr.Ramakant Verma, the senior guard of Galaxy girl's hostel said. I have been given the responsibility of protecting the girls which I will obey till my last breath. They all are like my daughter.

Hearing this, Kunal, Rohit's Friend pulled out a gun.

Grandpa, don't make me commit a sin today. It's my birthday and I don't want to ruin it, Kunal said while pointing the gun at him. 

Sonu Kumar, Ramakanat's nephew and second in command came running. Uncle! Don't mess with these guys! They are very dangerous. They will kill you. 

I don't fear death. You may be a coward, not me. I have been given the responsibility of protecting the girls… shut up! Shouted Rohit and interrupted Ramakant. 

Grandpa, I have got nothing against you and your nephew, step aside or I swear your family won't be able to see in the upcoming Diwali. 

The voice of Rohit echoed to every corner of the hostel. One by one, the lights in the room were switched on.

Tie up both of these idiots! Kunal shouted at his friends.

Meanwhile, Sonu was constantly receiving phone calls from girls at the hostel. Give me your phone, Kunal said and snatched the phone from him. 

Please! Can we know what do you want? Sonu said with folded hands.

Kunal didn't like the constant nagging. He slapped Sonu so hard that he was knocked to the ground and went unconscious.

Son! Are you all right? Cried Ramakant.

Grandpa, the same thing will happen to you if you say one more word. 

Give me the key to the front gate, shouted Kunal. 

Meanwhile, there was a commotion inside the hostel. Most of the girls ran to the terrace to see what was happening.

 It's Rohit, Nilanjana's boyfriend, a girl shouted.

 Look! His friends are tying up Ramakant ji. Another girl said.

 But why has he come here at this hour, another girl said?

There arose all kinds of speculations.

Maybe she was not receiving his calls or maybe she dumped him, another girl said.

I heard she is seeing Sameer, the MBBS guy, maybe Rohit got to know about this, another girl whispered. 

Why don't I get to date a doctor? Sunita cried.

I don't know how a guy like Rohit fell for a worthless, middle-class, bookworm girl. Have you all seen the way she dresses, it's so pathetic. The dresses are also so cheap. I don't understand how such a "classless" girl got admission to our college, another girl said.

 I always liked Rohit but he loves that "bitch", Sunita murmured.

There was a moment of silence. Everyone turned towards Sunita.

Do you like Rohit? Seriously! A girl said. All the time I heard was you ridiculing him.

 I ridiculed him because he chose that "bitch" over me.

But where is our "Queen Elizabeth" for whom all this drama is happening? Another girl said.

"Queen Elizabeth" must be snoring.

What if these guys hurt us too? A girl said.

There is less probability for that. He is obsessed with that "bitch". He won't hurt anyone but do keep your door closed. Sunita said and ordered everyone to go to their room, lock them up and pretend as if nothing is happening outside.

I think we should call the cops, a girl murmured.

Shut up! If cops will come then our parents will be informed and our "orthodox" parents will either take us back home and marry us off or shift us to some hostel that has strict rules and regulations. Do you all want your freedom to be snatched from you? Sunita shouted. No! Everyone replied at once. No one will utter a word about this incident to their family members or friends.

                                   III

Nilanjana was sleeping when she heard a bang at the door. She ignored it at first but when the banging didn't stop, she opened it.

Sunita was standing in front of her, agitated. 

What has happened between you and your boyfriend? She said angrily.

With her drowsy eyes, Nilanjana was unable to connect with the words.

Your boyfriend along with his entourage is creating ruckus downstairs. They have beaten Sonu and tied up Ramakant uncle. They were asking for the key to the front door. I think they are coming after you.

Who? I don't have a boyfriend? Nilanjana said while rubbing her eyes.

 Don't lie you "bitch".

Shut up! Mind your language! 

Your boyfriend "Rohit" is downstairs, Sunita said in a mocking tone. 

Downstairs? Nilanjana was shocked.

He has come with his gang and one of them has a gun too. 

Nilanjana turned pale. 

What happened between you and Rohit? 

Nothing has happened between us. 

Why is he downstairs with his friends? Something must have happened.

He proposed to me yesterday night but I rejected his proposal. 

You both weren't a couple? Sunita was both shocked and happy.

Can't a boy and a girl be just friends? 

Not in my book.

Please help me! I have done nothing, Nilanjana's loud cry echoed in the empty corridor.

I can't help you. I am going to hide in my friend's room. Everyone else is doing the same.

I am going to call the cops; Nilanjana cried and turned to fetch her phone.

Don't even think of doing that, Sunita shouted. Why should we pay for your mistakes?

My Mistake? What are you saying?

Yes! It's between you and your lousy boyfriend. Do not drag us with you. We don't want to give up our "freedom" because of you.

Give up your freedom? What the hell are you saying?

If the police come then we all will be doomed. That's what I mean.

What should I do then?

"Do not open the door", no matter what happens. I don't think they will break the door and "do something" with you. They are here just to frighten you. 

What do you mean by "do something"?

You know what I mean, she said and ran away.

Nilanjana had no clue what to do. She was crying. She went inside her room. What will he do to me? She thought. Should I call my father? No! I can't do that. In spite of the warning from Sunita, she called the cops. 

                                       IV

"Sister in law", open the door, shouted Kunal, and banged the door.

Nilanjana locked herself inside. She was trembling with fear. Please! Leave me, she cried.

I will "leave you" once I get what I want, shouted Rohit.

I always considered you my best friend. Why are you doing this to me? She shouted.

Darling! Open the door! We won't hurt you. Said Abhishek, Kunal's Friend, and fell on the floor. He soon went unconscious. The bottle of alcohol slipped from his hand and rolled.

Every girl in the hostel was aware of the things happening outside but they didn't bother to give it their ear. 

The door is a bit strong, it won't break easily, Kunal said. I told you to bring an ax too, Rohit shouted at him.

You have broken our friend's heart, now you have to pay for it; Kunal shouted 

Nilanjana picked up her phone and called her father. The phone kept ringing but he didn't pick it. 

They kept banging at the door. Each bang met with the loud cry of Nilanjana.

Finally, the door broke. The achievement was met with a loud cheer and abuse.

You won't enter the room till I say, said Rohit to Kunal and went inside. Give me the bottle of Vodka; he snatched the bottle and drank the whole remaining.

Nilanjana was sitting on the bed covering her face with her hands, crying.

Why didn't you accept my proposal? 

Nilanjana was unmoved.

Do you know how hurt I am? Why didn't you reply to my messages? I have heard that you are meeting Sameer, an MBBS, 3rd-year guy, these days a lot. My friends saw you both at a café a few days ago. How many more guys are you fooling around with?

Nilanjana didn't say anything.

Have you slept with him? I bet you have. You roam around with me and sleep with him. How cunning you are? Does he pay you? If that's so then you should have told me, I would have paid much more.

What are you waiting for brother? Don't waste your time on such useless talks. Shouted Kunal. You won't get a better chance. Teach her a lesson.

Remember the time when you were sick, it was me not that loser doctor guy who took you to the hospital. It was me who woke up all night and completed your assignments. He shouted.

Idiot! Stop wasting your time.

Nilanjana stood up. Her eyes were red. The hairs were all around her face. 

Rohit was standing in front of her.

You want to rape me. Come and fulfill your lust. This is the gift you are giving me for all these years of friendship, she shouted and started undressing. I am reducing your effort. I think you must have imagined me naked too. Today, I will show you how I really look when I am naked.

The turn of events took Rohit off guard. He wasn't prepared for this. The smile from his face vanished.

No! Please! Don't do that. I can't see you like that. He said and closed his eyes.

Idiot! You won't get a better chance than this, Kunal shouted.

Why did you stop? Come and fulfill your lust. This will be a lesson for every woman who befriends and trust a man blindly and makes the mistake of sharing her life with him.

"I love you and I won't ever hurt you" he cried. 

If you won't ever hurt me then why did you came to my hostel at this hour, beat up the guard, and broke my door? You never loved me. Love is a selfless act. She shouted

Please! I love you! Rohit was down on the floor, crying.

This guy is a joke. He cannot do anything, said Kunal and entered the room. 

I will fulfill your desire. He said and started walking towards her meanwhile kicking Rohit on the way.

Kunal grabbed her by the hair. She tried to retaliate but his hold was too strong. Rohit saw this and attacked him. Don't you dare touch her, he shouted.

Kunal collided with the wall. Agitated, he punched Rohit so hard that blood started coming out from his mouth.

Now, who will stop me from touching her? He shouted and tried to grab her again.

Lest he knew that she had a knife hidden beneath her pillow. She pulled it out and swung as hard as she could. 

A few moments later, Ramakant came running accompanied by cops.

Nilanjana was standing there, naked with a knife in her hand and blood all over the room.

  

                                   V

This is an astonishing case. There are around 25 girls in your hostel. 3 men at midnight barge inside your hostel, beat up the guard, break your door, tries to harm you, and yet none of the girls listened to anything. Everyone was sleeping peacefully. The inspector said,

No one wants to give up their freedom. Nilanjana murmured.

Miss Nilanjana, my subordinate informed me that you don't want to file a report. Why is that?

Sir! I don't want to.

But a report has to be filed given the degree of the crime. It's an attempted rape. A report has to be filed. 

If I file a report, then my parents will get to know about this.

I think they have a right to know about this incident. If the police would not have reached at the right time, god knows what those "animals" would have done with you?

Sir! The police took around 40 minutes to reach the hostel that too at midnight when there is no traffic. It's not more than 2 kilometers. Given the degree of crime, they should have reached there within fifteen minutes.

This is a protocol and we have to follow it. A report has to be filed.

Do you know what will happen to me if I tell my parents about this?

What?

My father will take me back to his "jail" and put all restrictions on me. He will force me to quit my studies. Everyone in my locality will get to know about this. I will become a piece of mockery. Then, One day, I will get to know that my marriage has been fixed. Till then, they will poke me every day. My life will become hell.

We cannot help you with this. We have to file a report. He said.

No one will send their daughters to a city to pursue higher education because of me. "Look at Nilanjana; she went to a city and what did she achieve? She got involved with a guy. She may have slept with him too. She might be pregnant too". Comments like these would become part and parcel of my life. I am the only girl in my locality who dared to come to a city. If I surrender then a lot of wings that are ready to fly would be cut off. I won't let that happen. She said.

The inspector paused for a moment. Sarwan, bring a cup of tea, he shouted. Sarwan, his subordinate arrived with two cups of steaming tea.

Please! Have one, he said and passed the cup to her. We take an oath when we join the force, we make promises to abide by the law but promises are made to be broken, he said and smirked.

He yawned, took a sip of hot tea, and called another subordinate. They murmured with one another for few minutes. The subordinate left and the inspector turned towards Nilanjana and said, if you want to keep your freedom then you will have to pay a price for it. In this case… he paused for a moment, your freedom amount would be "fifty thousand".

There was no reaction from Nilanjana as she knew exactly what the inspector would say.

You don't have to pay the whole amount at once. We also have an installment option too. The amount must be paid within the next six months. It's up to you as to how much money you want to spend every month. I will provide you an account number. You make sure to credit the amount in it every month and if you fail to do so then policemen will reach your house the next day. Is it clear? Fifty thousand is the price of your freedom. 

If you won't file a report then we will have to leave the three boys. Will you be able to live peacefully knowing that the three guys who wanted to harm you are roaming free?

Sir! I have already paid the price for my freedom. When I left my city, my mother came to drop me at the station. I have fought with the whole world to send you to a city, now it's your turn to show them that you are right and they aren't, she said and cried. My father didn't come. He wants to see me defeated. He is desperately waiting for the day when I call him and tell him to take me home. That day won't come. I will only return when I achieve something.

                                VI

A Police car came to drop Nilanjana at her hostel. 

Rohit was standing outside at exactly the same place where he was when he proposed to her.

Hey! You are still following her? I too am a father of a girl and I swear on her if a report had been filed against you then I would have ripped out your skin with my own bare hands. The policemen said. You should be ashamed of yourself for what you have done. 

It's all right Sir! Said Nilanjana and got of the vehicle.

I am sorry! Please! Forgive me. I won't do any such thing again. I can explain the whole thing.

You have explanations for such a heinous crime too, Nilanjana looked at him and said.

When you rejected my proposal, I was hurt. All this time, I thought that you liked me, that we were a "couple". I couldn't digest the fact that you rejected me. I took a blade and was about to cut my wrist when I received a phone call. It was from Sunita, your roommate. She told me that she saw me proposing to you and it was rude of you to reject me. She said that I made a mistake by choosing you and I deserve someone better. Then she went on reminding me of all the things which I have done for you, all the gifts which I have given you, etc. while you have done literally nothing for me. She also told me that you are seeing a guy, who is a Doctor and your relation with him is not platonic. This angered me. If you are not mine then you will be of none, I thought. The words of Sunita triggered rage in me. I wanted to take revenge on you. I called my friend Kunal who was celebrating his birthday and told him the whole thing. It was his idea to barge into your hostel and…. He bowed down his head without completing the sentence.

And rape me…. she said.

I was angry and wanted to take revenge. It was purely out of rage. I loved you since the day I saw you. You were precious to me. How could I hurt you? I love you! He murmured.

She paused for a moment and said. When I was in school, I have followed a herd of boys regularly while returning home. They passed lewd comments at me. I feared that someone might throw acid on me or "do something" to me. I always thought of telling my father about it. Still, I continued to go to school. I didn't have the courage to tell my parents or siblings about it. I knew that if I tell them, they might pull me out of school and put all the blame on me. One day, Anand, a classmate of mine whom I never talked to cut his nerves because he loved me. He was hospitalized. His family came to my house with policemen. My father didn't talk to me for months; He thought that I was having an affair with him. "There is no need of sending a girl to school when all she needs to do is cooking and handling kids", he said and pulled me out of school. He told me that I have brought shame in the house. I sat at home for two years and completed my senior secondary from open schooling. My mother has fought with the whole world just so that I can come to this city and study. In this whole world, she is the only one who has never given up on me. Of all people I met in college, only you were the ones who didn't judge me for my looks, my clothes, or anything. You have helped me a lot and for that, I will forever be grateful to you and I didn't want our relationship to end like this but……

I know there is no atonement for what I did. Rohit said.

Nilanjana took few steps towards the gate but soon turned around and said, "Sameer is my cousin. He has got admission to a medical college in this city. He arrived from Ranchi a few weeks ago. I was just showing him around and he is a fresher and not a "3rd-year guy".

Drops of tears were rolling down Rohit's cheeks.

Best of luck for your future and May you make your parents proud. She said and went inside her hostel.

What happened at the Police Station? Did you tell them everything? Sunita cried and said.

Nilanjana was staring at her.

Don't look at me? Tell me what happened at the police station? Did you tell the cops about the incident? I don't want to give up my freedom. I saw Rohit was standing outside our hostel. Did he talk to you? What did he say? The police have left the blood-soaked knife over here. I cannot stand it. I was trembling the whole time. Then I called Ujjawal, our College Cricket Team Captain. I think you know him. He is such a nice guy. All these years I thought of him as a narcissist and egoistic guy. He always ignored me. He may come across as a rude person but deep down he is a sweetheart. I didn't tell him the truth about the incident instead made up some story. He comforted me. I am going out with him on the weekend. Imagine me going out with a cricketer. I am sure he is going to play for the Indian national team within few years. Maybe, there will be some paparazzi too. I will be in the newspapers. I cannot believe it.

Sunita was going on blabbering.

Meanwhile, Nilanjana was looking at the blood-stricken knife which was placed at the table. "What if I slit her throat right now", she thought. Not just that I will stab her too and will kick her in the face a few times.