I sat there, looking at him punishing my fingers, twisting
it, turning it ruthlessly in fear. I did not know what he was going to do next
as he went away into the kitchen and started pouring milk into the glass. It
relieved me; I thought that he had finally calmed down. But he came right back,
walking like an unearthing storm towards me. He held my chin, made me look into
his eyes and force fed me the entire glass of milk. I almost began to puke
before he reached out to my collar and threw me back to the ground. It was
going to begin again. The belt had lost its form, bought just yesterday, torn
today. I settled down, shut my eyes and began to picture the pretty face of
Amma. I could never stop picturing her, moving her hands on my head, untangling
my long, unruly hair while humming a hauntingly calming tune. Thrash! Came the
belt right on my back, my body had become resilient to the pain, it didn’t hurt
much anymore. Thrash! I hid my face with my palms, trying to embrace all of it,
like every day ritual. Thrash! This one hurt bad and I screamed out loud.
Thrash! And the tears rolled out. Amazing how tears come out right when it gets
the sound alert of scream. The stream of tears poured out and I went into the
stage of numb. Thrash, thrash and thrash! It went on and on until I passed out
in pain. I stopped reacting, my body stopped reacting but he didn’t stop.
Thrash! Thrash! Thrash! He went on till the point he was filled with the
feeling of satisfaction. Panting vigorously, he sat on the sofa with a slight
smile on his face, the smile meant redemption which he felt every time he
finished this activity. I in my subconscious state of mind still had the pretty
face of Amma. Thrash! It rattled me but this time the belt was not on me.
Thrash! He started screaming in pain, the pain was fresh, his scream even
fresher. Thrash! He lost balance and fell on the floor. Thrash! Thrash! Thrash!
And I saw Amma right in front of my eyes, taking his skin apart. With my eyes
filled with tears and numbness, I saw him stop reacting, his body had stopped
reacting but Amma didn’t stop. Thrash! Thrash! Thrash! Thrash! She went on till
the point she was filled with the feeling of satisfaction. Panting vigorously,
she came and sat just beside me, took my head, put it on her lap and started
moving her hand on my head, untangling my long, unruly hair while humming the
hauntingly calming tune. Thrash! He was back again.
