ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This story was inspired by true events in the life of an individual who wants to remain anonymous. We would like to thank him for inspiring us by sharing his story. We would also like to thank Nitesh Mohanty and Sonal Choudhury for giving us the opportunity and guiding us through the process.
DISCLAIMER Reader’s discretion advised. This book contains text and images that may be disturbing to some readers. The content has been fictionalised. Resemblance to any characters, names, places, events etc. in real life is purely coincidental.
For an audio - visual experience
A full moon night. A dingy and shattered house, tucked away in a slum.
Inside, a little boy, cowers beneath his bed.
Even the monsters beneath the bed are scared of the one above.
He Kneels in the darKness.
“If I maKe myself invisible, it will go away.”
Absence of sound is better than that sound. Darkness is better than the sight of it. He feels its presence.
SLOW
MANIPULATIVE
HAWK LIKE
A WEREWOLF
He knew its movements, how it smelled, it stank like tangible fear.
Only ten steps away, his feet resounded on the floor. ANGRY STEPS
And then, it came.
Deep, demonic growling that originates from the core of a beast’s throat.
SILENCE PERSISTS
GL ASS
SHATTERS
The
boy contracts his body, making himself small
“Maybe tonight he’ll come for me.”
Benath the bed, the boy prays for magic to avert the impending danger. Beneath Beneath the the bed,bed, the the boy boy praysprays forfor magic magic to to avert avert the the danger. danger.
Above the bed, his mother shudders under the wrath of his alcoholic father.
TOLL FREE NUMBER -14433
Domestic abuse is a reality in our nation, it affects women and children in all corners of India. Thomson Reuters Foundation ranked India as the most dangerous country in the world for women and children. Domestic abuse leaves the victims scarred, both physically and mentally. Some of these scars may never really heal. There are 32.5 million married women in the country that have suffered abuse in their lifetime, every fifteen minutes another child in our country suffers either sexual or physical abuse. These estimates much like our society are conservative. Yet a lot of people choose to remain silent. Silence propagates the growth of these monsters. It is our human duty to SPEAK UP! We at the NHRC provide you a safe space to bring these monsters into the light, while remaining completely anonymous. Contact us to report any instances of abuse you may be able to stop. Toll free number -14433 Phone numbers 91-11-24651330, 91-11-24663333 Email ID - cr.nhrc@nic.in
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