01: The Story Begins

YEAR 2001:

A woman is walking on the lonely wet road in the cold night. Her condition indicates that she went through something bad. Her stumbling footsteps, ruined makeup, torn and wet clothes, trembling lips and uncontrollably falling tears all tell the story of what has happened.

FLASHBACK:

“Oh My God! James…wake up…James…James…we are already late…No! I’m late…wake up!” Mrs. Maria Thompson said jerking husband James to wake up and then pulling the duvet when he doesn’t wakes up.

Mrs. Maria Thompson or should I say the most beautiful woman in the whole universe as her husband puts it. She is 30 years old and despite her age her beauty can still bewitch man men and give complex to many women around her. Maria is 5’8 with fair complexion, long waist length hair, green eyes and world’s most beautiful smile – again her husband’s words not mine.

Maria was twenty-five when she got married to her childhood sweetheart James. They have loved each other a lot. They stood beside each other through all the ups and downs of the life.

When they got married James promised Maria’s father to love her, protect her and give her all the happiness she deserves. Now after five years of marriage James is still faithfully keeping her promise.

In these five years; they had two sons – one is four and other is two. Maria has been a good mother and a perfect wife.

Before marrying James, Maria used to work as an architect. She was great in her field. But she quit her job to care for her family. So after five years and a lot of convincing James she is going back to work

She got a job in one of the famous and leading construction company in the city. She is hopeful that she’ll once again excel in her field. Although James is still not sure about this as he always wanted his wife to stay at home, enjoy her life doing absolutely nothing and leave all the hard work for James to do. But Maria is stubborn to do this.

“Maria, are you sure you are ready for this?” James asked his wife who was sitting in front of the mirror making her hair.

“James, we talked about this right. I’m 100% sure and ready…” Maria replied politely walking towards her husband

“You don’t have to worry…” She further said assuring her husband and helping him with his tie.

“Relax…” She said looking lovingly in James’ eyes. He placed a peck on her lips.

“Samantha…Sam…” Maria called out her maid walking out of the room.

“Yes madam…” A young in her early twenties replied coming out of the kitchen.

“We are leaving for work. The kids are sleeping. When they’ll get up make them anything they want. You can find everything in the pantry or in the cabinet above the sink. Please take care of them.” Maria told Samantha.

“Yes madam.” The girl nodded politely

“Let’s go Maria. She knows what do to. It’s her daily routine.” James said pulling his wife by hand.

“Take care. See you in the evening.” Maria said to the maid and made her way out of the home to their car.

30 minutes later James pulled in front of Maria’s new office. He wished her to have a great day and placed a soft kiss on her lips. Maria blushed and got off the car. James drove away. Maria stood in front of the building admiring its beauty. It was a big building with silvery metal frame and hundred plus floors. She made her way inside the building eagerly.

After reaching the front desk a young receptionist took Maria to her work floor and introduced her to the other employees. After introduction, she was shown her workplace which was small white cubicle with desk like every other employee had. Maria was signed some tasks for the day and she got busy.

It was around lunchtime when Maria noticed that the atmosphere all around her has tensed up. People are panicking. Her team leader whose desk was beside Maria’s was tensed and collecting papers and files with shaking hands.

“Madam, what’s happening? Why everyone is tensed?” Maria asked in a confused tone.

“Big Boss is here.” These were the only that Team leader said when the doors of the elevator opened and a man or should I say a giant stepped into the office.

He was 7ft tall with dark brown eyes and black hair with stern face. A sharp jawline and pointy nose. The moment he stepped into the office there was a pin-drop-silence after that.

Maria’s team leader gathered all the files in her hands and quickly ran after the boss – Archie Hamilton.

Archie walked so fast that team leader had to almost run to make up with his pace and in doing so she tripped over her feet and fell. All the papers and files were scattered around. But nor Archie neither her secretary who was following him stopped and looked for the team leader and walked straight into his office.

Maria seeing their harsh and rude behavior rose from her place and went forward to help team leader.

“What kind of man is he? Can’t he slow down a bit or stop to help?” Maria said in an annoyed tone gathering the files on the floor.

“Ssshhh…Maria” Her team leader replied in a concerned tone.

“But why…” Maria frowned and spoke but stopped when the Archie’s office door opened and a voice came in.

“Ms. Lily you are still on the floor!” Archie said in a stern and rude tone. Maria raised head following the voice and meet with his dark brown eyes.

Maria felt awkward and then noticed that Archie’s eyes were looking all over her body. They turned darker when her beautiful eyes met with his dark orbs and suddenly changed back to their original color. Maria ignored it thinking it to be her imagination and quickly got up after collecting and handing the files to lily and went back to her desk.

Lily made her way into Archie’s office but Archie stood their looking in the direction Maria went. He turned and looked at his secretary.

“Robin…” Archie just said this on which his secretary nodded his head and left.

After that the whole day passed by without any more interactions with Archie. Maria completed her tasks for the day and now was ready to leave when her phone rang.

“Hi Honey…are you done for the day?” James asked lovingly on the other side of the phone.

“Yep…I’ll be just walking out now. Are you here?” Maria asked picking her bag from the desk and walking towards the elevator.

“I’m sorry honey…I’ll be late. The Chairman called an emergency staff meeting, so I won’t be able to pick you up.” James said in an apologizing tone.

“Don’t worry love, I’ll take bus.” Maria replied

“I’m sorry…” James said again in sad tone.

“It’s okay…I love you” Maria replied lovingly.

“I love you too…” James said making his wife blush on the other side of the phone.

“See you at the home.” James said cheerfully

“Yep” Maria replied and hung up the call.

By the time Maria hung up the call she was on her way out of the building. Coming out of the building cool night breeze hit her face softly. It has been raining so the road was wet. She carefully walked down the road to the nearest bus stop.

She wanted to reach home quickly to share all the happenings of the day with her husband and a beautiful smile made its way on her face.

But lesser she knew that her happiness was short-lived.

Maria was almost at the bus stop when a black SUV with black mirrors came up to her and in the blink of eye she was pulled harshly in the car. With that the car disappeared in the darkness.

Back at home; James reached home tired but happily to spend time with his wife and children. But as soon as he entered the house the young maid worriedly told him that Maria was still not home. Worried for his wife James called Maria but her phone was out of reach.

“Pick up…pick up…please…” James said aloud moving back and forth in the living in tension and panic. After getting no reply for seventh time, he decided to go look for her. He picked up the car keys and first made way to her office.

When he reached the office, he got off the car and ran towards the main entrance.

“Excuse me sir, you can’t go in there.” Came in the night guard’s voice stopping James in his steps.

“I’m here for my wife. She works here.” James told the guard in a hurried tone.

“There is no one inside. The office is closed.” The guard informed in a firm tone gesturing James to leave.

“Just let me check for once.” James pleaded the guard.

Seeing the guard persistent to make him leave an idea popped into his mind. He searched his pockets and pulled out his phone.

“Have you-you seen her?” James asked the guard showing him Maria’s picture.

“I think I saw her leaving the office premises two hours ago.” The guard replied. These words of the guard just increased James worries. He sat in the car and drove around the city, searched the roads for his wife. But Maria was nowhere to be found.

Meanwhile in the car; a man did something which he was not supposed to do. He humiliated and maltreated Maria. Archie became a monster and used Maria’s body for the satisfaction of the needs of his monster. After having his was with Maria, his car halted on an abandoned road. The car’s door opened and an unconscious Maria was thrown out of the car into the puddle of dirty rainwater. Then the car drove away, Maria lay there for another hour unconscious.

Soon it started to rain again. The raindrops falling on Maria’s face brought her back and she opened her eyes. She sat up very painfully. Maria gathered her broken self and soul and painfully made her way to home trembling and stumbling.

FLASHBACK ENDS

Maria couldn’t keep the record of the time for how long she has been walking and soon reached home. The pain and injuries were killing her. She raised her hand hissing in pain and pressed the doorbell. A worried James appeared on the door.

“Oh My God! Maria, where –” James said but couldn’t complete as Maria collapsed. James picked her up in bridal style and walked to their living room. Luckily the kids were sleeping and maid was gone so no one other than James was there to witness Maria’s terrible condition.

James put Maria on the couch and what caught his sight made his heart skip a beat. Maria’s torn and wet clothes, ruined make up, scratches on hands and neck with purple bruises. His heart sank.

But he controlled himself from collapsing and waited for Maria to wake up. He went to prepare clean water, bandages and fresh clothes for her. After cleaning and dressing her wounds, he dresses Maria into fresh clothes. Then Maria opened her eyes and slowly sat up. Her face showed the expressions of a dead person that she was now – dead from inside. She started crying. The painful memory of the past few hours came back to her.

“Maria, love…what happened?” James asked in a concerned tone

“James, I – I – I lost everything, my honor, my dignity…he humiliated me…” Maria replied sobbing hardly.

“Maria…darling…what happened…why are you saying this?” James again. Then Maria told him everything that happened today and in that few hours that ruined her for life. When Maria finished there was an ear deafening silence in the room. James was looking straight at Maria with the expressions of shock and hurt while Maria was crying.

“Don’t worry love, I’m gonna make that man pay for what he did to you.” James said wiping Maria’s tears.

“We can’t do anything James. He’s too powerful…” Maria said in scared and broken tone.

“Don’t worry love…just wait and see” James said with the fire of hatred and revenge burning in his eyes. He hugged his wife calming her down.

Half-n-hour later; Maria stopped crying. James was caressing her back to soothe her. She showed some will power to fight against the evil and promised her husband that she’ll stay strong.

“James, can you bring me something to eat?” Maria asked

“Sure love.” James said getting up. He placed a soft kiss on Maria’s head and made way to the kitchen to reheat the food.

Seeing James out of sight Maria got up from the couch and went upstairs to her children’s bedroom. Entering the room she saw her little boys sleeping peacefully unaware of the evils of the world. She wished for them to always stay safe and placed kisses on their foreheads. And went back to her room.

James set up dining table and went to call his wife from the living room. Seeing Maria not there he made his way to their bedroom assuming his wife to be up there. Once he entered room he found it empty. So he walked towards the bathroom door.

“Maria, love…are you in there?” James asked softly knocking the door but didn’t get any reply. So he asked again and again. When he didn’t get an answer for the third time he panicked and without the any seconds thoughts he pushed opened the bathroom door.

“Maria!” James screamed. The scene in front of him made his breathe hitched and heart stopped. Maria was lying on the cold bathroom floor with blood rushing out of her wrists and a bloodied scissors lying near her.

“Maria…No you can’t do this…wake up…please…” James cried out holding Maria in his arms. Without wasting any minute he picked up his wife in bridal style and rushed to the nearest hospital.

“I’m sorry sir, she is no more” These words of the doctor roamed in James ears. He couldn’t believe that his wife, his love, his Maria was gone.

One week after Maria’s funeral:

“Mr. Thompson we can’t do anything now…” The man in black tuxedo told James

“What do you mean you can’t do anything? You are a lawyer…you have to do something.” James said in annoyed tone

“Maria’s body was major evidence, which is gone now and for the witness, police couldn’t anything. There is nothing we can do now.” The lawyer said clearly making James realize that there was now hope for him to seek justice for Maria. James stood up from his place and walked out of the lawyer’s office angrily.

This past week James went to almost all the lawyers of the city to file for a case against Archie but no one accepted his plead for the same reasons – the lack of evidence and witness.

Coming back home, he found it dark and cold as all the light and warmth was now gone with Maria. James went to his room and lay down on the bed. The silence surrounded him. He realized that his house, his life, his room all went silent. The cries of their younger son missing mom broke James heart a million times. He sat up and rested his back with the headboard with eyes closed.

Suddenly his phone rang. He opened and move forward to pick the phone from bedside table but his eyes caught the sight of a piece of paper folded and tucked under the picture frame.

He forgot about his phone and picked up the paper. The moment he unfolded the paper his eyes grew bigger. It was Maria’s last note for him.

“Dear James”

I know what happened was not supposed to happen. I know that like every other promise you will try your best to fulfill this promise to fight against him and try your best to seek justice for me, for us. But the humiliation I have been through and the humiliation you will have to go through because of this, will always be a burden on me. I can’t go on like this. The Maria you loved and married is gone now. I have been humiliated and destroyed. And the people who did this are powerful enough to destroy our family. So for the sake this family, for our children and your protection I’m going. I’m sorry. Please forgive me.

I Love You – the note said.

James clutched the papers in his hands with tear filled eyes.

“I couldn’t protect her…I couldn’t protect her…” he said and kept on repeating these words. He was so devastated. That he opened the drawer and pulled out a gun.

“I love you too Maria –” He said placing the gun on his temple looking at Maria’s smiling picture and pulled the trigger. The very thought of not being to protect his love and to seek justice for her killed him. His lifeless body lay on the bed and a lone tear fell from his eye.