She woke up and found herself lying in a ragged bed with a bundle of old jeans for pillow. She had been semi-conscious when they had brought her there. Her chest was badly concussed. The pain was unbearable. Pankaj, the large man, came to her and offered water to drink. She threw the bottle away and kicked him. He walked away. He ordered his men to give her water and food to eat when she asked for it. But she swore to herself that she would rather die than to ask them. It was night when she woke up. So she assumed she had been knocked out for an entire day!
Fear consumed her. And the thought of her parents made her feel even weaker. Will she see them again? What was he going to do to her? Will he harm her? Will she be alright? Will she be saved? How could she protect herself now? She was unable to think anything more. She was too tired and felt sick. She wanted to return home.
The next day passed; she came to senses for brief periods of time. Tiredness made her sleep all day once again. When she opened her eyes first, the birds were chirping and the air was pleasant. When she woke up again, it was hot! A small fan placed on top of her head spewed hot air on her face. She slept again. When she woke up for the third time that day, the evening sun was setting into the concrete structures visible over the horizon. Its orange glow penetrated through the lids and hit her eyes to wake her up.
Orange! His favourite colour. Shiva’s thought came up in her mind. How had she not thought of him for so long? She didn’t know! She then remembered the day Shiva came to her home for the first time and that evening when time flew past before she could batter her eye.
However, the time had come to a grinding halt now. She cried softly. And slept again. When she woke up, it was searing hot and she found a screen surrounding her. It was wetted with water. Someone had put it around her to lessen the heat. She couldn’t sleep after that. She cried. That was all she could do. She knew trying to escape was madness. She was ravenously hungry and would swallow a raw elephant. But she didn’t want to ask them. She was thirsty too.
What had happened to Shiva? From where did Pankaj pop up in the middle of the night? How did he know they were going out that night? Where was Shiva now? Was he alive? This thought made her cry harder! Pankaj pushed aside the screen and entered. He sat near her and smiled at her. He stroked her hair. She pushed his hand away. He asked if she wanted to eat something and said it was more than two and half days since she ate. He gave her a pack of biscuits. She slapped him hard. But he didn’t flinch. He stared at her and smiled. She spat on his face. His smile receded and he walked away wiping it off his face.
She lay in pain, hunger and thirst. She thought of her past. That took her mind away from the present misery. But raised more questions…
The night set in and the moon shone bright. They were in a construction site with a partly constructed building was left unattended. They were in one of the middle level floor’s room. The room had no side walls. She could see the ground about fifty feet below.
Her captors were sitting in the far end of the room and were playing cards and smoking. She needed water. She was dying of thirst, her lips were beginning to crack and her stomach muscles were beginning to cramp due to lack of water. She crawled on her hands to the place where a few water bottles and biscuit packs were placed. One of the thug rose to help her. But Pankaj stopped him and asked him to continue the game. When she reached there, she found a few mobile phones amidst the water bottles! She found her phone too! It was switched off though. Its battery would have drained by now. She looked up at the men again. They were totally engrossed in their game. They were not watching her. Any hasty movement would catch their eye though.
She carefully took one of the mobile phones with her along with the water bottle and crawled back to her place.
Fear consumed her. And the thought of her parents made her feel even weaker. Will she see them again? What was he going to do to her? Will he harm her? Will she be alright? Will she be saved? How could she protect herself now? She was unable to think anything more. She was too tired and felt sick. She wanted to return home.
The next day passed; she came to senses for brief periods of time. Tiredness made her sleep all day once again. When she opened her eyes first, the birds were chirping and the air was pleasant. When she woke up again, it was hot! A small fan placed on top of her head spewed hot air on her face. She slept again. When she woke up for the third time that day, the evening sun was setting into the concrete structures visible over the horizon. Its orange glow penetrated through the lids and hit her eyes to wake her up.
Orange! His favourite colour. Shiva’s thought came up in her mind. How had she not thought of him for so long? She didn’t know! She then remembered the day Shiva came to her home for the first time and that evening when time flew past before she could batter her eye.
However, the time had come to a grinding halt now. She cried softly. And slept again. When she woke up, it was searing hot and she found a screen surrounding her. It was wetted with water. Someone had put it around her to lessen the heat. She couldn’t sleep after that. She cried. That was all she could do. She knew trying to escape was madness. She was ravenously hungry and would swallow a raw elephant. But she didn’t want to ask them. She was thirsty too.
What had happened to Shiva? From where did Pankaj pop up in the middle of the night? How did he know they were going out that night? Where was Shiva now? Was he alive? This thought made her cry harder! Pankaj pushed aside the screen and entered. He sat near her and smiled at her. He stroked her hair. She pushed his hand away. He asked if she wanted to eat something and said it was more than two and half days since she ate. He gave her a pack of biscuits. She slapped him hard. But he didn’t flinch. He stared at her and smiled. She spat on his face. His smile receded and he walked away wiping it off his face.
She lay in pain, hunger and thirst. She thought of her past. That took her mind away from the present misery. But raised more questions…
The night set in and the moon shone bright. They were in a construction site with a partly constructed building was left unattended. They were in one of the middle level floor’s room. The room had no side walls. She could see the ground about fifty feet below.
Her captors were sitting in the far end of the room and were playing cards and smoking. She needed water. She was dying of thirst, her lips were beginning to crack and her stomach muscles were beginning to cramp due to lack of water. She crawled on her hands to the place where a few water bottles and biscuit packs were placed. One of the thug rose to help her. But Pankaj stopped him and asked him to continue the game. When she reached there, she found a few mobile phones amidst the water bottles! She found her phone too! It was switched off though. Its battery would have drained by now. She looked up at the men again. They were totally engrossed in their game. They were not watching her. Any hasty movement would catch their eye though.
She carefully took one of the mobile phones with her along with the water bottle and crawled back to her place.
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