With every passing day, it was getting difficult for Pankhudi to carry on all by herself. With every breath she took, she braced herself for another ruthless attack from her stalker. And she knew there was nothing she could do to stop him.

She missed Nisha a lot; her support had made life easier for Pankhudi. Pankhudi held a photo frame in her hand with had pictures of her and Nisha. The smiling faces of two beautiful girls reminded her of her happier days. Everything was alright in her life; she was working, earning, studying, and trying to secure a future for herself and her family. She had dreams; she had a life of her own. All was fine, till two months ago when she first began receiving her pictures and other signs the stalker was giving to make her realize that she was being watched. Perhaps he had been watching her since longer. It was a tragedy how this evil shadow of her stalker drowned her once cheerful and promising life in fear and gloom. Days and nights were now equally dark for her. She moved her fingers gently over the picture as a tear drop fell out of her eyes.

Suddenly her phone rang. She walked nervously towards it, anticipating an unpleasant conversation. She knew she could no longer afford missing his call.

But she calmed down when she saw the name of the caller. It was her mom.

“Hello, mom” she said in a nervous tone.

“Hello dear, how are you? It’s been a long time since you visited us.” Her mom said.

“Ya, actually mom, I am really busy these days. I am sorry I couldn’t come.”

“You sound nervous, is everything ok?”

“Ya..ya, I am fine mom. I am really fine. How are you? How is Palak? Everything alright over there?”

“We are fine dear. Pankh, is there something you are not telling me? I am your mother you know; I have a feeling that something is bothering you.”

“Nothing mom, its just the stress. Working, studying and all that you know.”

“I understand dear, you do so much for us. What would we do without you? I am so proud of you my dear.”

“I love you mom.”

“I love you too. Do come home if you find time.”

Pankhudi then hung up. She loved her family a lot. That little conversation with her mom soothed her tortured mind, at least for some time.

She continued to go about her work and college, constantly being under the shadow of fear. She was trying to be strong, well, what choice did she have?

It was one usual day when she returned home after college. It was late in the night. She put her purse on the couch casually and entered to the bedroom to find her clothes in the closet. As soon as she entered the bedroom, she heard the door being closed behind her. She turned around and to her horror, there was a man standing right next to the door blocking her exit. His gaze was piercing, yet his body language was so relaxed as he rested his back against the wall. He stood there with folded hands and was lustfully looking at her from head to toe with a confident smile on his lips.

His presence made her quiver. A man of such charming looks was standing before her. He was the same tall fair man she had encountered before. Today for the first time ever she saw his face. He had very attractive sharp features, with a charismatic personality.

“Who are you?” she asked.

“Honestly cupcake, do I need to introduce myself?” he said with a smile. She recognized his voice. Now she knew for sure that it was the man who had been stalking her.

“How did you enter my house?” she said with her voice almost breaking.

He said nothing. He just showed her the key he held in his hand. She recognised the keychain. It was a key which Nisha had when she lived with her. She panicked to see the key in his hand.

“Oh my God! Nisha! What did you do to her?” she shouted at him.

“She is fine!” he said with a smile, “You worry about yourself now pumpkin.”

Pankhudi trembled listening to him.

With his eyes fixed on her, he walked towards her. She shuddered with every step he took. She tried to retreat, but her retreat halted as her back touched the wall. He rested his palm on the wall as he leaned towards her and smiled. He touched her cheek lightly with the back of his other hand. She could see the tattoo of a scorpion on his hand that was stroking her cheek. She suddenly recalled the last incident when she had seen that hand with that tattoo. Pankhudi was frozen with fear. He lowered his gazed and fixed it on her full breasts that were rising and falling as she was breathing heavily.

She pushed his hand away. He only smiled at her rebellion. He brought his hand back to her cheek and began to stroke again. She didn’t dare to stop him again. He took another step and came close enough to feel her breath. Pankhudi tried to push him away, but her attempts were feeble and he was too strong.

She started crying.

“What do you want?” she said in a barely audible voice that came out of her throat as she was choking as she cried. Her legs couldn’t bear her weight anymore. She slowly fell to her knees.

“Please stop this, please...” she said, kneeling submissively before him. His eyes growled in pleasure to watch her surrender.

“Get up, Pankhudi.” He ordered in a cold voice.

She struggled with herself to get back up. She didn’t dare to disobey him since she knew that he had absolute power over her. His compelling presence made her all the more submissive.

He pressed his body against hers as soon as she was back on her feet. He held her face between his palms and ran his fingers through her hair. He leaned more over her and whispered in her ear, “Right now, I want you to stand right there, and be quiet”

She stood like a statue now, half frozen with fear, and half trying to obey his command. He grinned to watch her obey him without question.

He began to run his hand over her. He started with her hair, then down to her cheek. He then stroked her lips with his thumb, pressed her lower lip firmly against her canine hard enough to draw out blood. Pankhudi squirmed out of pain. He then moved his hand down brushing across her neck to her breasts. He boldly touched her full breasts feeling them through the fabric, and squeezed them alternately. Pankhudi could do nothing other than letting out faint moans of protest. Tears flowed out of her eyes continuously.

“Please....stop” she begged in a faint voice.

He said nothing. He didn’t even look at her; he continued playing with her breasts. She couldn’t take this violation anymore. She gathered strength and pushed his hand away.

He looked at her in anger and suddenly slapped her. He then grabbed her hair roughly and said, “Didn’t I ask you to shut up and stand straight?”

He then pulled her violently and turned her around and pushed her against the wall. He pressed his body against her while his hand slipped under her top from behind and began to grope her breasts again. Pankhudi was stunned to see this sudden violent change in his behaviour. She didn’t try to stop him anymore. She truly surrendered to her fate.

She could now feel his breath on her body. He was standing so close; she could smell his masculine scent.

“Unzip your jeans” he said in a stern voice, “Don’t make me say twice.”

She did as she was told. Immediately she felt his other hand crawl onto her ass. He began to feel it and then started groping it. She stood like an inanimate object. There was nothing she could do to defend herself. She felt so ashamed. His hands were on her most untouched body parts, and there was nothing she could do to stop him.

She was just hoping for it to get over soon. But it felt like an eternity because his touch made her skin burn in humiliation. She could only weakly struggle against the wall that she was facing. He suddenly withdrew both his hands and turned her. He had a wicked smile on his lips when he saw her tearful face with such a defenseless expression. She was soaked in her own sweat and tears, and her brown panty was showing through her unzipped jeans. It was such a degrading experience for her.

“Such a sad sad face” he said with a chuckle, “I am moved. I’ve had a change of heart. Maybe I should leave you alone...”

Pankhudi eyes brightened. She felt she was finally going to be free. She looked at him with hopeful eyes.

“...for now.” he continued, “But I will be back...and don’t try to stop me. I will enter and leave here as and when I feel like, do you understand?”

Her hopes were shattered. She just stood with her head bowed before him and eyes shut tight. He smirked to watch her beginning to submit. And then he was gone....leaving Pankhudi with a maddening anticipation of when he is going to come for her again.

It took her a while to recover from the disgust of being groped by a man intruding in her very own bedroom. She took of all her clothes and walked up to the bathroom and turned on the shower. She rubbed her body frantically trying to wash off his touch. She was weeping all along.

She calmed down after some time. She was worried how he managed to get the set of keys which Nisha had. She called her up.

The phone was ringing for a long time. Nisha wasn’t answering. Pankhudi was worried. The thought that the stalker might have harmed Nisha was too disturbing for her. She kept calling over and over again and finally Nisha answered.

“How are you Nisha? Is everything ok?”

“I am fine. Sorry I didn’t answer earlier. The phone was on silent so I didn't notice. I was worried about you Pankh. Are you ok? Is he still bothering you?”

“No..I..I am fine. I just called you up to know if you have an extra set of keys to this house. I actually needed them. It seems I have lost mine.”

“That’s strange, the other day I checked in my purse, it was supposed to be there, but I don’t know how it was gone. Maybe I carelessly put it somewhere, I don’t remember.