She wept silently.

She knew she should leave the room. His voice is rising, and it would not take him long to raise his hands. She walked out quietly as she can, wary. Then, she heard the heavy footsteps behind her. He is following her. She quickened the pace. The door is near. She can make it. She can.

She thought she can.

The heavy footsteps got heavier, and she quickened her steps to make it a run, afraid to look back. She touched the doorknob, she unlocked it and pulled the door open with a gleam of hope. But then, she felt the hard tug in her hair. He was strong. She held on to the door until he pulled her hard, and she started falling.

She fell, hearing him close the door. In those moments, the time froze. She was dragged to the time when she was happy. She remembered the time she fell before a man. Another man, a kinder man.

Then she hit the cold hard floor. She realized that it is nothing like how she felt before. She curbed to a cocoon and the hopelessness covered her as a blanket. With her tears filled eyes, she remembered about the kinder soul she had met.

When she had fallen before him, she hit the softest bed giggling. Then, her knees did not ache like now. Then she did not have to pull her up to keep away from the man lurking over her now. Then, she had a smile and not the dread she has now. Then, she waited for him to join her in the bed… and not the panic she has now.

Then, came the slap shaking her off his memory. The man before her is angry. But, she is not afraid anymore. She knows what is going to happen next. Then came the other slap. She looked at him straight into the eyes now, unfaltered. When he raised his hands for the third time, she shot up like the Hellcat. She is not going to take it anymore. Let him kill her, but she is not going to surrender. She slapped him hard when he was preparing for the next hit. She pushed him hard with all her might, making him lose his ground.

This baffled him. He is surprised. He did not expect it from her. He stood still gauging her with a smirk. He knows that the woman before him is not getting away, not now, not ever. Looking at the man staring at her now - she remembered him again, her kinder soul. She had pushed him away too…maybe harder then. But, then she had a smile and it was a taunt to make him try harder to get her. She had felt warm and safe then. Now, she felt as an empty shell of rage.

She felt the last shred of sanity leaving her when the hopelessness seeped in. She screamed hoping her neighbors will hear it. She wanted to incinerate this demon before he can unleash himself on other women.

Alarmed by her scream, he choked her to stop. She squirmed under him to let free. She remembered her man again when her eyes clouded with tears. She had screamed before too. But, because of euphoria then. She had tears in her eyes too, but because of passion. Her screams were muffled then, but with a passionate kiss. But now, she heard only his thunderous voice commanding her to shut up. In those moments, she realized how far she is from happiness. In those moments she realized how far she is from him – the kinder soul.

She quietened. There is nothing more to cry. The shore is away and she is lost. No one is going to hear her cries now. She is far from him. Seeing her quieting down, he released his hold on her throat. She pulled herself close to the fetal position. She wept quietly.

She knew she is far. She knew she is alone. She knew He cannot hear her now.

And, she wept quietly in the darkness of the night.

In the next room, under the pillow her phone beeped with a message - "I miss you, I wish you were here with me" and then he turned around to sleep hugging the pillow. He knew something was not right. He knew something happened to his other part of his soul.