“So! Why do you believe that your friends will stick to the plan? What if they’re somewhere searching for you?”, he asked stopping near the gate of his house.
‘Cause we agreed to that!’, saying I looked drop-dead into his eyes.
“My soul doesn’t speak with you. Stop staring like that”
Whoa boy! He is a mind reader too? Gosh! Opening the door and walking me in,
“Have you heard about Aura? Some American-Indian girl who claims she has powers. She was on the all-over the news last week”, he asked.
‘That’s a good conversation starter! But I wish I had been somewhere with a least communication access like a public telephone’. Biting his tongue and hitting himself on his head, that was indeed a cute gesture.
(ONE RESTLESS NIGHT LATER)
Packing everything before he woke up, I rushed myself out of the house. Because he did not look like he’s going to help me but flex his muscles only.
Reaching the end of street, I looked back at the house. His room lights went on.
‘Oh boy!’, someone attacked me from behind and I fell unconscious, AGAIN!
Regaining my vision, I knew it was in a van being transported somewhere. ‘My bag?’, saying I searched everywhere around me. My dress had picked up more sand by now. It was all dirty. Picked up my scarf underneath the seat and tied it around my neck. Not bothering about the dirty dress, I tried to look towards the front row. Another hard blow to my head by someone with something and here we go again. May God save me.
With uncontrollable pain all along my body, I heard muffled noise around me. Ofcourse, the people who were just looking at me lying between hot sand surface under scorching sun. With a frailest voice, “Bachaooo!”. I am feeling everything happening around me yet nothing was responding. Not even my hands or legs.
Suddenly 2 or 3 people’s voice were heard loudly and seems to be clearing the crowd away from me. Two people picked me up and dropped inside a vehicle again. With their embrace, they felt like policemen. A silhouette came close and said,
“Don’t worry. You’re going to be alright. Can you hear me?”, with a loud voice he continued, “CAN YOU HEAR ME? Mr. Varma. You may accompany her to the hospital and give me a call if you face any issues at the hospital. She’s probably been tortured or forced for physical desire. Ask the doctor to provide the report as soon as possible”.
My eyes hurt so much and were too bright as I laid for a long time under the sun. Mouthed, ‘Thank you!’ and closed my eyes. I heard everything on the way to hospital where they put me under.
Woke up to a bright light inside the hospital room. The nurse rushed towards me and held my hand. “You’re alright. Except the drowsiness, you’re going to be fine. Take it slow”.
‘Where am I?’, then realized that my voice was bold again and everything seems to be clearly visible. I begged to discharge me from hospital and let me out without the knowledge of policemen who accompanied me.
“It’s against the rules. One slight miss in detail and I’ll end up in prison along with you”, doctor insisted.
‘Doctor! I know everything. Just take this freaking needle off my hand and get out. Just pretend I’ve escaped’, my voice went fierce. Ran towards the entrance where a vehicle key was lying on the carpet. Examined it a bit and rushed towards the parking space. Looked around and saw no one searching for it. Tried to fit the key in all the 10 bikes that stood there and finally found a match.
Made up my mind and decided to go back to Jaipur which is our final place in the list. I still had my shoes, which was the secret hiding place of my money. It had a makeshift pocket inside the sole where I stuffed 5000Rs before we left Delhi.
‘Fuel and Food Expenses covered’
Fortunately, it was a pretty decent bike and I cruised a long way. By the end of 2nd day, I almost reached Jaipur. The path was too tough, I had not thought of anything but to reach Jaipur before my friends go back.
Here’s an interesting theory about my life I found at the end of first day.
I stayed in Kishangarh on a platform outside a home. They gave me food and water. Looked at the stars and finally realized the flaw of my life.
‘What a flamboyant flaw! Yet without any distortions, I’m persisting. So! it was me who saw myself being taken to the hospital near the Luni river bridge. This means only one thing’, closed my eyes hoping for a peaceful sleep.
This is my first brightest night
