The Decision

Preeti woke up with a start.

Her husband of two months, Mukesh, was lying beside her, snoring.

Preeti had been very happy when her father had been approached by Mukesh for her hand in marriage. He was a personable young man having a good job.

His parents lived at their ancestral home in the village. So he stayed alone at his flat in Delhi. It was a new society having all the conveniences at their disposal.

After a simple wedding ceremony, they had stayed at the in laws house for a fortnight.

Preeti was pampered by all their relatives

and had a wonderful time there. She knew that with a little bit of effort on her part she would be able to strike a balance between her own home and her in-law's place.

She soon settled down to domesticity, taking care of her house, cooking, and cleaning, etc. There was not much to do as they were just the two of them. Every day she would try out some new delicacy. In the evening, she would freshen up and wait for Mukesh to come home, delighting in his appreciation of her handiwork.

Mukesh, too, seemed very happy with his bride.

Preeti looked around. The room was in a mess. The chairs were overturned. Clothes were strewn about. A glass vase was shattered on the floor.

Suddenly, the events of last night came rushing back to her. Her hands flew up to her throat in fear.

In the evening, after having their dinner they were talking in general when Preeti had noticed small puncture marks on Mukesh's arm. When she asked about them, he did not answer. They looked like injections so she asked him again and again. All of a sudden, he had turned upon her with a snarl and slapped her across the face. The last thing she remembered was Mukesh catching her by the throat and pressing hard. She must have passed out.

Horrified ,Preeti gathered her senses.

She looked at Mukesh. Nothing had prepared her for the fact that he might be a drug addict. She now had two options. One was to stay and try to work things out. The other was to gather her things and move out. She opted for the latter as there was no knowing what this new Mukesh would do

Luckily the cupboard keys were with her. Keeping one eye on her sleeping husband, she quickly collected her jewelry and other important documents and left the house.

As she left, she thought to herself, 'Tomorrow is another day. I'll face whatever comes'