The Flight To Freedom
The door opened and she stepped out – barely recognizable in her new avatar. Checking that there was no one around, she eagerly stepped in front of the mirror.
Her hair now sported a boy-cut. Gone were the simple kurta and leggings that she had been wearing. A trendy jacket draped itself over a tank-top and palazzos accentuated her long legs. Her old handbag went into the garbage bag and a duplicate Gucci came in its place. She took out a suitcase cover from her handbag and draped it over her suitcase. The tresses of her hair and her clothes joined her old handbag in the garbage bag. She knotted it up and dumped it into the recycle bin inside the toilet.
There goes the last piece of my old identity. I hope I am able to pull this stunt off. She thought about her odds if she got caught. She chuckled mirthlessly and shrugged. If I don’t try, it will be my greatest regret.
She thought about her parents who had relocated to a safe place. That was one less thing to worry about. They were now at a city with which no one could connect them.
She inspected herself one last time in the mirror and wore the new spectacles. Feeling jittery, she left the washroom of the airport and walked towards the boarding counter.
Without trying to be conspicuous, she glanced around and noticed him. His glance skimmed over her but did not linger. He kept looking towards the washroom impatiently. Slightly shuddering at his presence, she kept on walking till she joined the line at the boarding counter. The line seemed to move at its own sweet pace. Her heart kept thudding painfully and every second, she expected the firm and painful grasp of his hand over her arm.
When her chance finally came to collect her boarding pass, she felt confident, even though this was the toughest part to get through. Her forged identity card made it through the system easily. She collected her pass with shaking hands and walked towards the security check-in. When she was far enough, she turned back to look at him. He was visibly angry now, looking at the washroom as if he wanted to attack it. She smiled slightly and made her way towards the plane that would take her away from him.
As the flight took off, she exhaled a sigh of relief. What countless beatings could not do to her, one agonizing night of marital rape had finally did it – it had set her free. With the help of trusted friends, she had made this daring plan to escape during one of the trips her abusive husband had planned for them.
The fight was far from over. She would be fighting against the most influential person in the city. It would be a long legal battle.
One step at a time… she reminded herself. As she saw the clouds outside, she smiled, her broken spirit free at last.
Penmancy gets a small share of every purchase you make through these links, and every little helps us continue bringing you the reads you love!