Chapter 49

Madhavi knew what she had to do, and she knew she had to do it. But that didn't make it any easier.

In fact, every time she came face to face with the decision she had made, it terrified her out of her wits. She wished she had never started thinking along these lines, never allowed herself to realise how miserable she was, or that she could not go on any longer.

She wished she had continued accepting the status quo. The fact that her husband was a rapist and woman-abuser. And that she couldn't bear the sight or sound of him any more.

But the decision was made now.

She had to go through with it.

She had to get away from him.

Because she knew that if she didn't, she might become his next victim.

She knew this because for the first time in the seven years they had been married, Birju had begun to raise his hand. Until now, it was just a couple of slaps, thrown in the heat of an argument, and he had looked ashamed and angry at himself for having done it.

But she knew that was how it always began. With an accidental loss of control.

Madhavi, like most Indian women from a lower economic class, knew all there was to be known about abusive husbands.

And she knew that sooner or later, the same sick urges that led Birju to attack, rape and batter those other women, would lead him to do the same to her as well.

And that scared her even more than the idea of leaving him.

So she was caught between two terrors: Staying and being abused for the rest of her life. Or leaving and facing Birju's wrath.

She knew he would come after her, would try to track her down like a wolf seeking a rabbit, and if he found her, he would probably kill her.

If nothing else, she knew too much about him. Enough to put him behind bars for years.

Which was why she was planning the escape very carefully.

And was going to wait for exactly the right moment to put her plan into action.

Because, if she could pull it off, then Madhavi didn't just intend to run away from Birju. She intended to expose him at the same time.

She smiled as she took the large bundle of cash from the bank teller and put it into her handbag.

The money part of the plan was almost done now. She needed to make two more withdrawals over the next month or so, and she would then have enough cash to go ahead with the escape.

She could probably have gone without taking the money too. But Madhavi felt that she owed it to herself to get something out of this wretched marriage at least. Something tangible. And nothing was as tangible as hard, cold cash.

She left the bank, slipping on her sunglasses as she stepped out into the bright noon sunshine.