Love is not for me By Nithya K

 Julia was very unhappy in her marriage. She had married Foster Gates when they were both 20 years of age. Although Foster loved her, but was of the old school of thought. This stopped him from being more affectionate to his wife. But Julia had always adjusted to his behavior and had hoped he would come around. Even after they had their first child, a son, nothing had changed. Foster had become more remote. All this was driving her crazy. 

She wanted to have a career of her own and wanted economic independence. But not once during their 5-year marriage had Foster given in to her pleas for letting her work. They had comfortably settled in a large colonial style house, near the Campbell River. They were a great couple and Julia was a wonderful hostess. 

Their house near the Campbell River was very comfortable and stylish. Foster was of the opinion that she was demanding too much. He worked for a top consumer goods brand and had to travel a lot. Foster earned more than enough for both of them and was very adamant about his wife being a housewife. They both were from rich families so money was never an issue between them.

 Julia had become withdrawn and moody due to their frequent fights. She saw no way out from her situation. She simply wanted to run away from her life. But she had this small nagging fear of how she would survive in the world without Foster. Who would take care of her baby, Sam who was only 2-years old?

 The only respite in Julia’s life was her Internet chat friend Charles Moon. She had met Charles Moon, one year back, in a chat room. They had become friends almost immediately. Everyday she would wait for Charles to come online, and chat with him for hours. Their sessions would end only in the evening when Foster returned from work. They usually chatted about music and life. 

Charles Moon told Julia that he was a guitarist by profession and gave lessons to kids. One day he had mentioned that he lived in Italy. He also told that he was 43 years of age and loved walking on the beach wearing his favorite black hat. It had seemed very queer to her but she had remained silent. Initially she had made fun of his chat id but later found it very nice. Even she had an equally innocuous chat id, Jupiter.

 One fine day Julia signed in as Jupiter, and waited, as Charles Moon was offline. Julia considered Charles Moon a Godsend, as he was able to understand her need for independence. He often talked about how women should never be taken for granted. And sympathized with Julia. Julia found all this very endearing. 

A beep on the monitor made her look up from the magazine she had been reading, while she waited for Charles. He had come online.

 ‘Hi Charles’ Julia said. He was late today. Probably he was busy.

 ‘Hello baby, missing me?’

 ‘Charles, don’t call me baby, okay, I hate that,’ she said. Julia sensed a difference in her friend’s tone.

 As she was wondering about him, her mail client announced a new message in her inbox. 

‘I want to see you Julia, I love you’ Charles had written. The font was big and the letters were written in red. The mail put off Julia. She had thought Charles was different from other guys. But obviously he was worse.

 Another beep. Charles had sent a message. Slightly shaking she opened the window. It was the same message again.

 Immediately she typed back, ‘How did you know my name?’ she asked, panicking. Oh my god, what have I got into? She racked her brain to think, whether she had told him her details any time. But she drew a blank.  

‘I am coming to meet you’ he said. And logged out.

 Julia sat dumbstruck in front of her laptop, shocked by what she had just read. I won’t chat with him anymore. She decided.

A tall man wearing a black hat parted his room’s blinds and saw a pretty woman in her thirties, sitting before her computer. He was Foster and Julia Gates’ new neighbor. He smiled to himself, went to his kitchen and took a small disposable injection syringe from its case. He had work to do.  

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The doorbell rang shrilly at that time and Julia jumped hearing it. ‘That must be Sam coming back from school,’ thought Julia calming herself. Sam, her three-year old, was very sensitive and would get scared if she looked so terrified. Pulling herself together, she ran a comb through her hair and rushed to let her son in. As she opened the door she swallowed a big lump of saliva as she saw a tall, handsome man standing with a large bouquet of crimson roses. A bit taken aback, she asked, ‘Yes, who are you and what do you want?’

 He smiled, gave a small bow; and handed over the crimson roses to her. He was particular about roses; Red roses, the color of blood.

‘Charles Moon’ said the man, leering. Julia felt the air being sucked out of her lungs. The roses just dropped to the ground. ‘And I want you’ he said. Julia couldn’t find anything to say, her mouth had suddenly gone dry and her heart threatened to stop any moment. Feeling dizzy from the shock, she tried to close the door, but he pushed her and walked in. Julia started to scream for help. The man clamped a small syringe into her hand and she felt numb instantaneously. She couldn’t stand on her feet and she gently fell in a heap on the wooden floor. She remembered Charles telling her, ‘Baby I want you to enjoy me so I don’t want you to pass out. I promise you it wont hurt at all.’  

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 Foster leaned over his sleeping wife and shook her gently. She had fainted near their front door. That was what their new neighbor had said. Foster left after making sure she was comfortable, closing the door gently. He had come home from London at 7:30 in the evening, to find the house open and Julia nowhere in sight. He had immediately called the cops. Even as the car with the screeching siren entered their driveway, a tall man with a slightly Irish look walked in. He introduced himself as Charles Juniper. To friends he was Charles Moon, he said. Foster came to know that Charles was their new neighbor and had bought the cottage next to theirs.

 Julia woke with a start and sat up in bed looking totally dazed. Julia’s head reeled as she tried to hold herself up. Why was she in bed at this hour? She mused. The bedside clock said 19:30 pm. But even the effort of turning back the covers and sitting up made her cringe, as a sharp pain shot up from her groin. ‘Have I hurt myself?’ she thought.  

‘God, that hurts like hell.’ A small scream left her lips as she tried to stand up. She called out for Foster.

Hearing his wife’s call, Foster excused himself after promising Charles that he would visit his house. He rushed into their bedroom and found Julia standing near the toilet looking wan and green. She had huge dark circles under her eyes as if she had not eaten for days. His heart went out to his pretty wife. He rushed to support her and gathered her in his arms. He was such a wretch to have ignored her. Foster held her as she puked into the basin. She felt better later and Foster made her drink some water. Her groin still hurt and she asked him about it. Foster kept quiet and made her lie down. After giving her a sedative, he sat down next to her and held her hand.

 ‘What’s wrong with me?’ she asked again. Her husband gently kissed her and said, ‘you had an accident and fainted. Our new neighbor, Charles, found you and took to the doctor. The doctor had asked me to give you a sedative when you wake up, so my darling you sleep now.’ Satisfied with the reply, Julia allowed the drug to take its effect. She dozed off immediately.

Foster changed and slept in the guest room, so as not to disturb his wife. A thought, which had been nagging him, surfaced. How on earth had Julia managed to hurt herself in the groin? The doctor had said, Charles had told him, that the cut seemed as if Julia had been raped and had been cut up like a vegetable. But on further examination, the doctor didn’t find any evidence of forcible entry. So probably this was the work of some madman.

 Julia slept like a baby, and when she got up next morning, a Sunday, she heard laughter from the hall. She got up; feeling slightly dizzy, parted the curtains and looked into the hall. Foster was chatting and having coffee with Charles Moon!

The events of the terrible evening came rushing back to her. Charles had carried her to the bedroom and flung her down on the bed. He mercilessly tore her clothes and raped her. It had gone on for hours, but she had not been able to react to anything. She could feel him pounding away and but she could not react or scream for help. Her face seemed to be made of cement and he had bound her feet and hands with the window railings behind their four-poster bed. She just lay there under his heavy body, praying for Foster to return early. Charles decided he had enough after an hour and thought of giving her a small parting gift.

He went into the kitchen to fetch a carving knife and made a lovely heart on her lower abdomen, after removing all the flesh in the area. Julia hoped she would die before Foster reached home. The memory threatened to kill her with shame. She was filled with anguish and hurt. She would expose Charles, she decided.  

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 After seeing off Charles and commenting about his queer looking black hat, Foster made his way to the master bedroom. It was time for Julia’s medicine. Foster walked in to find her looking green, so he made her sit on the bed and asked her, ‘are you okay?’ She burst into tears and told him whatever she could remember of the attack. Foster looked very calm as she finished. He simply said, ‘I know’

 Looking shocked she looked at him, he turned to her and said, ‘you need rest, and you will be fine in a month, the doctor said you would hallucinate like this, because of the drugs, but don’t worry sweetheart, I will take care of you.’ Foster hugged his wife and promised himself, I will take care of her. I will love her lavishly from now. 

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 Outside, Charles Moon, put on his black hat and went for a stroll along the river. He very much wanted to walk on a beach but he had to make do with the available resources. As he had adjusted himself to Julia’s ugly legs. How could she be so ugly? She had to be punished for not having taken care of herself. He had work to do, his new friend, Maria, had started telling him about her kids and how she loved them very much.

Charles hated women who chatted online with strange men and it was his mission to put an end to it. He would.

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