ISSABELLE

Issabelle regained consciousness to find herself in a hospital bed. Her body ached with pain. She had severe pain and tenderness between her legs. She found bruises all over her body. But they were not as bad as her bruised heart and soul. She started crying, more so because she had preserved her virginity, to be awarded like a prized trophy to the man she would love and get married to.

Her life began to unfold in those heart-wrenching minutes. She was born to Charles Irwing, a businessman who was more of a workaholic not devoting time to his wife and Issabelle's mother, Melanie. Melanie was a professor at the University prior to her love marriage with him. She was an ambitious woman, who was made to sit at home and be a full-time housewife. They lived in a very spacious sea-facing bungalow. They had all the luxuries of life. But Melanie wanted to be an independent woman. They daily fought with each other, with shouting and screaming reaching Issabelle's ear, as her room was next door to her parents. This fighting was unknowingly affecting Issabelle. Her parents were not understanding that.

She was fifteen, and finished her school, and was awaiting her results, to join the college. One fine day, early morning, the fighting and screaming of her parents were heard by her in her room. She heard her mother shouting "Why don't you divorce me so that this drama ends once and for all". Issabelle's father replied to it with, "Yes it's high time I did that, I'll ask my lawyer to file a divorce suit in court". Hearing all this Issabelle was full of fear. Once she heard her father's car driving away, she went to her mother. She confronted her with questioning eyes. Her mother replied, "This would be good riddance, to the daily fights, as I am very tired of all this. I have been mentally abused by your father for 16 yrs. I feel, I am not 36 yrs, but am 50 yrs".

Issabelle accompanied her parents to the lawyer, where she was asked her choice, whether she wanted to stay back with her father or would stay with her mother? She loved her parents equally, but loyalty made her to choose her mother ultimately. She was warned by her father that if she leaves him now, the doors of his house would be closed for her always. She need not ever come back to him.

After her parent's divorce, her mother received a marriage proposal from Mr. Mike Brason, a businessman, who accepted Melanie with her daughter Issabelle. But was it acceptance, or so she thought? Or there was more to it?

Issabelle's stepfather lusted for her from day one. He was an absolute womanizer, which her mother was probably unaware of. He used to arrive late in the night, fully drunk. He used to verbally abuse Issabelle's mother. There used to be the daily late-night fights between them. Issabelle had become used to it by now. It was a daily routine. He had now set his eye's upon Issabelle, and also tried to be close to her, and tried touching her on petty excuses. Issabelle tried to ignore his advances. She did complain about this to her mother, She avoided staying alone with him, in the absence of her mother. She finished her 12th standard at 17 yrs. She joined the Institute of fashion designing and completed her course by 19 yrs. She didn't let any problem come in the way of her studies, and her dreams of establishing her career. She kept on dreaming about the day when she would buy her own apartment and shift there with her mother.

Alas one fine morning, all her dreams shattered into very fine pieces. She heard the noise coming from the next room. Her mother had a fight with her stepfather. She heard the sound of glasses breaking. Her mother uttered "You are nothing more than a cheap womanizer, don't you know I have seen you giving those dirty glances at my daughter. I am repenting the day I married you. I will no more tolerate all this". Her stepfather hit her hard in response and banged her head with a glass vase. After which there was complete silence. Issabelle was very worried and rushed to their room. The door was wide open, and her mother lay on the floor with glass pieces strewn all around her. She lay there unconscious, with severe bleeding from her scalp. Issabelle stood frozen at the spot, her whole world had crumbled in front of her. She started abusing her stepfather and warned him of going to the police if anything happened to her mother. She called for the Cardiac ambulance and gave her address to them. Taking advantage of the situation, her stepfather escaped from the house. Within 10 minutes the ambulance was at her doorsteps. Issabelle was gripped with fear, on seeing her mother lying lifeless. She accompanied her mother to the ambulance. They reached the hospital quickly, and her mother was shifted to the Trauma Care Unit.

If she only knew what life had in store for her further.