Previous cut:-Without wasting a single second, Sarmishtha ran to the adjacent room and locked the door behind her.
Sarmistha closed the door and stood there in silence. But the danger had not yet passed. Suddenly, a violent thud-thud erupted against the door—as if someone were kicking it with full force. Her heart hammered inside her chest. Rupam… was it him?
Fear turned her hands and feet ice-cold. She thought of calling the police, but unfortunately she had left her phone in the next room. Without uttering a word, she pressed herself against the wall and stood motionless, crying silently. Over and over in her mind, the same thought repeated: *Her father had handed her over to some kind of monster.*
From outside came a furious roar: "Open the door… open it, I say! I'll kill you today!"
Sarmistha was too terrified to speak. She clamped her hands over her ears and sank onto the bed. The terrifying pounding continued for nearly thirty minutes before it suddenly stopped. She realised Rupam had gone. Yet she lacked the courage to step outside and check. Exhausted from crying, she eventually drifted into sleep.
When she opened her eyes, it was nine o'clock in the morning. Still afraid, she unlocked the door and peered out—no one was there. The door to the adjacent room remained shut. That meant Rupam was still asleep.
Without a word, she went to the bathroom. She had missed college the previous day. After her bath, she returned to the room. One small mercy: her college clothes were already here. She dressed quickly and headed to the kitchen. Today she had to prepare both breakfast and dinner. There would be no problem at lunchtime—neither of them would be home.
She ate alone, then left for college. Rupam still had not woken up. She paid it no attention. As she stepped out of the flat, she decided: on her way back this evening, she would go to Rupam's parents' house and tell them everything about their son's behaviour. Surely they would believe her.
Right outside the building was a small tea stall. As she passed it, a middle-aged man suddenly stopped her and asked, "Excuse me, are you Sarmistha?"
Sarmistha looked surprised. "Yes. What is it?"
The man lowered his voice. "Are you Rupam Das's wife?"
"Yes. Why?"
"Well… before the marriage, did you make any inquiries about him?"
Sarmistha replied irritably, "What do you want?"
The man hesitated. "Please don't mind me saying this, but there's a hidden truth about Rupam that has been kept from you."
"What truth?"
He was about to speak when a motorcycle suddenly pulled up beside them. The man fell silent at once. Sarmistha understood he would say nothing more. She quickly said goodbye and walked away.
All the way to college, one question kept circling in her mind—what could this secret be that had been concealed from her?
The moment she reached college, her friends surrounded her. "Hey, newly married and already too busy? You didn't come yesterday!"
Sarmistha forced a smile. "I wasn't feeling well."
"Newly married! Of course you'll feel unwell!" one of them teased.
Sarmistha said nothing and simply smiled.
That same day she had also visited Rupam's family home. The answer she received there was far beyond anything she could have imagined—strange, shocking, and utterly terrifying.
To be continued....