by MV Kasi
She sighed softly in relief that she wasn’t dead, and the maggots hadn’t gotten her flesh.
It was another dream. No, not a dream. She was having another nightmare. At least it wasn’t the other nightmare. This particular one was rarer, and it was most likely triggered by hunger and near starvation.
She hadn’t been given anything to eat since the previous day. And before she could get to the food, she was attacked and choked.
Suddenly, the hair on her neck stood up as she felt a presence in the room. She whipped her head around, and her heart which had been pounding hard due to the nightmare, picked up even more, threatening to beat out of her chest.
A masked man was standing at a distance from the bed, watching her.
How long has he been watching me?
She lay completely still as she stared back at him. A part of her questioned whether her current reality was better than her nightmare.
She took in the details of the man.
He was dressed entirely in black. The fabric of his t-shirt stretched tight across his broad shoulders and biceps as he stood with folded hands.
She hadn’t seen him before. The only people she had seen in the last one week were the old man and the man named Vikram.
She then recalled that while Vikram was strangling her, a commanding voice had ordered him to stop. The voice must have belonged to this man.
Nina’s breath hitched when the man began to walk towards her. She kept her eyes riveted on his masked face while she continued to stay completely still.
As he neared, a faint smell of a subtle cologne or soap filled her nostrils. A small frown formed on her forehead as a memory crossed her mind.
“It was you,” she said. “You were the one who took me.” The tall and broad shape looked familiar.
At her statement, the man’s pace remained unchanged.
“Even though I wasn’t able to see your face completely, I know it was you who was near the building while I distributed the food packages.”
At that time, the upper part of his face had been covered in a hood. But she knew that if she were to rip off his mask now, she would see a strong chin covered by heavy stubble.
“I know you kidnapped me for a ransom? How much do you want?” she asked.
He didn’t answer her. He kept watching her.
He let the suffocating silence stretch for some time, until his lips firmed. “Shower. Next room. Fifteen minutes.” He said those words curtly before turning and walking out of the room.
Nina sat still for a few seconds, trying to process what he meant. Then, immediately she got up and followed behind him. He went up the stairs, leaving the door of her room open.
Cautiously, she stepped out, and instead of following him up the stairs, she went towards the next room as he instructed. The door to that room was open as well. She saw another smaller door inside and knew it was a bathroom. Crossing her fingers, she went towards it and opened it.
Her heart jumped in relief when she saw a tap with a bucket and a mug under it.
She probably had very little time before someone comes looking for her. Quickly locking the door to the bathroom, she looked around.
She searched every nook and corner. She flung open the only drawer, desperate to find something. But there was nothing substantial. No shaving blades or razors or even a nail file to be used as a weapon. Everything was empty.
Didn’t these men use the bathroom?
Her eyes fell on the mirror. She could break the mirror and use the pieces as a weapon, but it would be too obvious.
Sighing in disappointment, she picked up an unused soap and shampoo bottle placed on the counter. It was the generic commercial brand, unlike the hand-made organic ones she had been used to over the last ten years since she shared the bathroom with Suraj. As long as her body didn’t smell of vomit, she didn’t care if the harshest of chemicals were used to make the soap.
She turned on the tap. The water was room temperature and had a strange smell to it. The water was slightly brown in color as well. She washed her hair twice and scrubbed her body, until all the grime and smell of the stale vomit was completely gone.
And when she was done, she searched for a cloth to dry herself. Her eyes fell on a fluffy pink towel with red embroidery work. It looked so completely out of place that she stared at it for a few moments.
There were three people in the house apart from her. And she didn’t think any of the three men she had met so far would select that particular towel.
Slowly, she took in the rest of the tiny bathroom. She had been in too much of a hurry to find a weapon and then clean herself up to have observed it in detail. But now, she took in small details like the carved soap holder, and the pattern of the mirror on the sink gave her the insight that a woman must have been involved in selecting or setting up the bathroom.
But who? Were any of her captors married? Or may be a female relative or girlfriend visited the place often.
Nina’s heart beat faster in the hope of getting help from someone. She knew there wasn’t any guarantee that just because another woman visited the cabin, the woman would be willing to help. But still, Nina clung to that small hope.
Drying her body with the towel, she stared at her discarded clothes. A thin cotton slip with underwear and a bra. There was no way she could wear them back right then. She took them to the small sink and washed them thoroughly before hanging them on the towel stand to dry.
Was it stupid on her part to step out of the bathroom in just a towel? But if any of the men had intentions of molesting her, they would have already done so by now, especially when she was unconscious.
With that thought in mind, she cautiously opened the door. When she pushed it wider, her eyes fell on the open shelves which had several shirts and pants that were neatly folded and placed inside.
She went there quickly and grabbed a shirt and a pair of pants.
They were too large, but she couldn’t afford to be picky, and so she hurriedly donned the clothes. She rolled the sleeves and folded the bottom of the pants.
Once she was properly dressed, she looked around the room. It was as bare and devoid of anything to be used as a weapon like the one she was held captive in. This room wasn’t that much bigger than hers either. The difference was that it had a bathroom with a shower.
But the bathroom floor had been completely dry, and there was no used soap. Maybe there was another bathroom, too.
Less than a minute later, she found her answer when she looked out of the window on the side wall.
There was a breathtaking view of a lake at a distance, and it was surrounded by the tall trees of the forest. She could see a few clothes hanging near the bushes next to it.
Nina’s fingers trembled as she placed her palm against the window pane. She was making sure it was real and not a picture or a mirage her mind imagined.
Where exactly was she? She had been trying to guess it for the last one week, but all she saw from the room she was held in were the endless trees.
This picturesque lake looked unique. She tucked the image away in her mind to be able to provide to the police at some point.
Reluctantly, she turned away from the view and looked at the room she stood in.
She stood uncertainly, wondering whether or not she should get back to her room or go out. And if she went out, whether or not it was even advisable to do so.
No. I cannot be passive, waiting like a sitting duck for whatever fate had in store for me.
Her stomach growled, deciding it further. She hadn’t eaten well in the past week because they hadn’t given her a big enough portion. In order to stay alert and clear-minded, she needed every bit of strength and nutrition to face whatever came her way.
With that thought, she opened the door.
She hoped that the older man would see her first. She walked through a short, narrow hallway and saw stairs at the end. As soon as she reached the top of the stairs, she saw the old man in the kitchen. Be
fore relief could hit her, her heart jumped when her eyes met with the other man in the room.
Her captor.
He was seated in one of the chairs in a small dining nook attached to the kitchen. And watching her.
The look in his eyes as he swept them over her body almost had her running back to the basement. But bracing herself, she slowly walked to the dining table and sat in a chair opposite to him.
“Where are your clothes?” he asked quietly.
“Drying.”
He was silent.
“Have you reached out to my husband?” she asked.
She thought he wouldn’t answer, but he did. “Not yet,” he said in a curt tone.
She wanted to ask him why, but self-preservation demanded that she not question him right then. “How long will I be kept here?” she asked instead.
“As long as it takes.”
CHAPTER 9
Gaurav watched his captive’s face while he broke the news to her. He had expected her to either break into tears or beg him to let her go or at least throw a huge tantrum for not getting the answers she expected.
But she remained quiet. He also noticed how, without making it very obvious, her eyes were systematically absorbing every aspect of her surroundings.
She definitely wasn’t behaving like a kidnap victim either. She had way too much of presence of a mind and awareness of her surroundings.
And seeing her in his clothes agitated him further even though he knew she had no other option.
Shopping for his captive’s clothes wasn’t on top of his priority while he eliminated his enemies.
“Sir, madam.” Khan placed two steaming bowls of food on the table.
Gaurav picked up a spoon and began eating right away. He was half-way through it when he noticed that his captive had only taken a couple of bites and was grimacing while staring into the bowl.
“Is the cooking not up to your standards, Mrs. Bhupati?” he asked. Although his voice was toneless, it held an underlying mocking infliction.
Her eyes flew up and met his. “This is delicious,” she replied quietly. “And I’m hungry. And even if it wasn’t good, I would still eat it. I’ve had half-rotten and sometimes fully-rotten food to survive.”
He felt an unwanted sliver of intrigue at her statement. Was she trying to garner sympathy for herself? Or maybe make him and Khan think that she was one among the masses, and not a rich, pampered woman used to gourmet food.
He didn’t fall for her lies or manipulation. “Then what seems to be the problem? Why are you not eaing your food?”
She raised her chin slightly. “My throat hurts when I swallow,” she answered quietly.
His eyes fell on the bruises around her neck. They had darkened considerably.
He refused to feel anything for her.
THIRTY MINUTES LATER, he got up from his chair. “Let’s go,” he said.
She nodded calmly and got up to follow him to her room. They had barely taken a few steps when she swept in front of him. Before he could register and grab her, she kneed him hard in his groin. Pain exploded within him, and he collapsed on his knees.
Meantime, she flew towards the main door which was left unlocked after Vikram had left that morning. Khan was also not around. He must have gone back to his room.
With rage churning inside his stomach, Gaurav staggered up and chased after her.
She was fast. Ignoring his pain, he tried to catch up with her.
She ran in a zig-zag manner within the forest. But he knew every inch of the place and could easily gauge which direction she would take.
Still, it took him well over ten minutes to get near her. And only because she tripped on the slope. And instead of trying to stop, she curled her body, increasing the momentum while rolling down the slope further.
He increased the length of his strides, chasing after her.
Eventually, she ended up on a side of the lake with nowhere to run. She stopped and looked back at him briefly. When she saw him nearing, she jumped into the lake.
He jumped in after her.
She was swimming away clumsily, and it took him less than a minute to catch her.
She didn’t give up her fight. Her nails dug deep into his hands where he held her by the shirt to drag her towards the shore. She kept trying to twist away and also kick him again in his groin. But because of the water, her movements were sluggish.
She ripped his mask away and tried to claw his face. “Let me go!” she shouted.
She almost slipped out of his hold and went under, taking several mouthfuls of the lake water. He held her hair and dragged her up. She coughed while choking on the water. Even then, she kept struggling to get out of his hold.
He dragged her face close to his. “Give up the bloody fight and come with me,” he ordered. They were only a few feet away from the shore.
She looked at his face which was now fully visible to her and stopped her struggles. She even remained quiet when he dragged her to the shore. He was just about to stand up when her head slammed into his nose.
His grip loosened once again, and she tried to roll away from him.
Breathing through his mouth, he caught her shirt and dragged her down on the ground before rolling on top of her. Their eyes met, and she glared at him murderously.
The next instant, a stone banged into the side of his head. A blinding pain burst inside his head.
Enraged, he imprisoned both her hands with one of his.
She kept struggling until he reached into his pocket and pulled out a gun. He pointed it at her forehead. “Stop,” he ordered.
Her eyes were defiant as she stared into his eyes. Water droplets mixed with the blood from his head injury fell on her cheek. She didn’t flinch. “You won’t kill me,” she said. “My husband won’t pay you any ransom for a dead body. He’ll demand proof.”
He watched her in quiet menace. “Do you want me to prove you wrong?” he stated.
Instead of giving in, “Fuck you!” she spat, struggling once again.
“I could,” he said quietly. “Although, you might want to reconsider your offer because it won’t be a pleasurable act for you.”
Her struggles died, and she froze under him. Her breathing became faster at his threat.
He knew that she had just realized her precarious position as she lay under him. Only two thin and wet layers of cloth separated their bare bodies. He could clearly feel her panicked heartbeats against his chest.
She stared at him as though she wanted to oppose, but slowly her body became limp in defeat.
He still didn’t trust her. “If you try anything again, it won’t end well for you. Understand?”
Her nostrils flared at his threat, but she jerked her head once in a nod.
CHAPTER 10
By the time they reached the cabin, Nina was almost falling with exhaustion. The escape and the fight had taken a toll on her. She was hugely disappointed that her attempt had failed.
For some reason, she thought her plan would work. As soon as she had seen the unlocked main door, hope took root in her mind. Freedom had beckoned her. Even though she knew she had a very small chance—nevertheless a chance—she had put together a hasty plan to run out of the cabin and get far enough to hit a road where she would have stopped a vehicle to rescue her.
She knew she was a fast runner. She had fled many dangerous situations on foot before, too. She had almost made it. But the man, who was currently holding her arm and dragging her behind him, ruined her escape.
She could feel his body vibrating with anger. And even though she had pulled off his mask, she hadn’t seen his face properly. The setting sun was behind him, keeping most of his face in the shadows. It made him seem unearthly and dangerous. And that, combined with his softly uttered threat to force her into submission, had killed the fight from her.
She hated that she was terrified of that threat. And she couldn’t read him enough to know whether or not he would follow through. But she knew tha
t keeping herself alive until they received a ransom, didn’t necessarily mean not touching or harming her in other ways.
“Are you both, okay?” a worried voice asked. The old man was waiting outside the cabin door.
Nina watched as understanding dawned in the old man’s eyes as soon as he saw their wet and bloodied clothes. Most of the blood was from her captor’s head injury. Apart from some scrapes and bruises she got during her escape, she was mostly fine.
“Lock the door,” her captor instructed before stepping into the house.
Dragging her down the stairs, her captor shoved her inside the room. She stared at him, her eyes taking in everything.
He didn’t do anything to either cover his face or blindfold her. He stared back as though daring her to memorize his features. He kept his expression blank, and she couldn’t make out whether he was angry or agitated in any way.
A few moments later, without saying a word, he turned away. He stepped out of the room and shut the door. She heard the click of the lock.
Nina stared at the door for a while. She turned away and slowly went towards the bed, only to realize she couldn’t lie on it with her wet clothes. So instead, she walked towards a wall and sat on the floor and leaned against the wall.
Her hair and clothes dripped and formed a small puddle around her. She wasn’t cold due to the weather, but the adrenaline pumping through her bloodstream made her shiver. The weather outside and on the inside of the forest cabin was warm and humid.
She closed her eyes. She now knew how her kidnapper looked. He had dark, deep-set eyes. They looked cold even though he had obvious laugh lines around them. And the short buzz-cut hairstyle added to the intensity of his eyes. The rest of his features were sharp and striking. She would easily be able to identify him in a line-up or describe him to an artist.
Even while the thoughts of how she would identify him for the police went through her mind, her eyes drooped with exhaustion.
Just before she gave in to the sleep, one thought ran through her mind—she was tired, but not defeated.
