Anytime, anywhere, life can become a tragedy
I was walking with my family towards the main street; it was after midnight, to catch two taxis. I was admiring my long skirt, the way it flowed as I walked, and sometimes I remembered the events of the night at our relatives' home and smiled. I was afraid that something might go wrong at their home but everything went smooth. I was, looking down at the skirt, thinking that 'I truly love this skirt; I guess I shall my some more long skirts. They really are…' when someone ran past me, pushing me, I almost fell but I recovered. Soon enough I felt slightly pushed again, but instead of falling down this time the stranger held me, I could feel the stranger, who had his one arm across my neck, was a male. He didn't actually prevent me from falling but he was slightly strangling me while screaming at the other guy 'Ryan! Give me the chip back or else I'm gonna kill this girl.' Panic rose in me, I wondered what if that guy, Ryan, wouldn't give the chip to this other guy then I'd be dead in a second, if this guy was true on his words. I was facing Ryan, who had turned when he heard the guy shout, but I wanted to see my family, I strained my eyes to look over at my family who were horrified, scared, frightened at the little scene unfolding in front of them. I could see they wanted to do something to save me, but they had no idea what were these two men capable of, everything just happened all of a sudden which made everyone blank. Even the guy, Ryan, had looked blank for a second when he had turned but he had recovered in a blink of a second. I wouldn't mind dieing but I wouldn't want my family to be hurt or be devastated after I'm gone, that's the only reason I don't want to die. I was shocked to see a gun pointing at my neck, a second later.
The guy in front of me had his eyes wide open in shock, it was clear he hadn't been expecting whatever was happening at that moment. He slowly, step by step, went over to where my family was standing while he had his hands up, palms open. He shouted back 'Joe, you're not killing! You listened? You are not killing her. Or else you'll never get the chip!'
I noticed Ryan was stepping up closer to my father. The guy behind me, Joe, smirked, I could just feel him smirk and I was certain that he did. He pushed me weirdly and whispered in my ear furiously 'Walk!' He still had his arm across my neck but the gun was gone now, I took a small step forward as I had been ordered to. We walked ahead taking small steps while he kept looking back to see if anyone was following. One time, when turning back, he shouted 'I'm taking her. If you want the girl safe and sound, better give me the chip as soon as possible or else…you know it brother!' I felt Joe smirk again. He pushed me a little harder telling me to walk faster. We began taking big steps and took a left turn at some street and that was when I strained to look back at my family and saw Ryan talking to them seriously, it looked more like explaining to them since he was moving his hands around just like when people do when explaining stuff in a hurry. I couldn't see any more as my view was blocked. I only noticed then that I had been crying.
After some while, while crossing streets, Joe scolded me 'Girl! Walk fast! And behave like a good girl. If anyone gets doubts, I'll kill you, mark my words.' We crossed some streets and I was surprised that no body noticed us. There were a few people here and there and they didn't even notice that I was being kidnapped. No one holds a person like I was being held under normal circumstances. I was too scared to even start struggling to get free.
After a few minutes, we entered an old looking building. He sat me on the chair above a flight of staircase in front of the front door of the building and went up another flight of staircases and opened a door to an apartment but before leaving my company he had warned me not to move a single muscle or even try to escape or else the consequences wouldn't be good and that I could imagine what he could do. I was too stunned by everything happening that I didn't question him but nodded meaning I believed him.
I sat there alone in the dark for 10 long minutes recollecting the scenes since I was first pushed by Ryan. I was in doubt if I was safe with Joe or not? I had no idea if I was in trouble already or was I out of it. The very doubts scared me to death. I had never thought my life would ever show this day to me. I always used to think, and I was certain, that me-being-kidnapped-ever wasn't possible, since the kidnapping just didn't happen with people of my kind so I could never be kidnapped and so I need not fear about the thought of ever being kidnapped but here I was now, kidnapped. My confidence had broken down, I only knew then, kidnapping could happen anywhere with anyone. Anyone could be kidnapped, just anyone. I had no idea what people are suppose to do when kidnapped so I just sat there fearing about what would happen next. I looked down at my clothes and saw my shirt moving slightly in beats, I looked at it intensely, I could hear them too, my heart was beating fast. I was scared, more scared than I had thought I was. I felt my cheeks to feel the dried tears, I didn't know when I had stopped crying, but I had. I didn't feel like crying, besides it wouldn't make any difference to the reality, my life. I just hope my parents wouldn't be worrying much and they would spend the next day peacefully, even though I know they'd be worrying, so I think they could spend the next day peacefully with hope that I'd be fine.
I jerked when I heard something, I strained to hear something but I heard nothing else. I looked back down at the floor. I randomly looked here and there when I saw someone at the front door, panic rose within me, I wondered if that figure was one of Joe's people or someone who lives in the same building. The figure opened the door and entered the building carefully. I sat still, not daring to breathe even. The figure motioned me to come down. I was too frightened to move so I sat still. The person below whispered 'Come down.' I remembered Joe's warning, I shook my head. The person below calmly walked up a few stairs and said again 'Come down. You aren't safe here.' I looked up the stairs to see if Joe was around, he wasn't. I looked down, back at the shadowy figure and shook my head and pointed my right hand index figure upwards indicating Joe's up there. The figure shook his head, I got frightened. The figure started walking up the stairs while I stood and walked backwards till I fell on the next flight of staircase, the figure came up to me and from the little light on my left, I could see the figure was Ryan's. He held his hand out for me to take. I looked at his hand then up at his face for a moment and shook my head slowly. He looked up to check if anyone was there but no one was. Ryan spoke again 'Come with me. You aren't safe here.' I thought about the situation for a moment, even if I stayed there or went with this Ryan guy, either way I was going to be kidnapped. I could choose any way but at the end I was going to be still kidnapped and the only difference was my kidnapper would be different. I thought since it would make no difference to the ending, I'd just go with him. I was about to put my hand forward when a thought struck me 'He said if I go, the conesq…' he interrupted me 'Never mind him. I'll take care of that. The problem now is that you shouldn't be here, and I have to solve that.' I didn't understand what he said, I couldn't understand anything at the moment and I put my hand forward on top of his hand. He held my hand properly and helped me stand properly, we turned to go down but he turned back again to check if anyone was watching us, I turned to look too, no one was watching us. We walked down the stairs, making sure we produced no sound. Ryan opened the door carefully and motioned me to go out first.
We were both out then. Ryan looked around first and then said to me 'We have to run. They might know that you're not there anymore very soon.' He still held my hand and we both started running, I had to use all my energy to run since I was only a girl and he was super fast besides I wasn't wearing sports shoes. I felt he understood my situation and so he slowed down.
I looked behind once to see if anyone was following us, no one was, thank god. We turned corners and were very far away from that building. We had been running for more than 10 minutes. Ryan looked to his left and saw a black sedan turning a corner somewhere far away. 'S***!' he cursed and halted to a stop. He ran his other hand through his hair, and when I looked at him, I could see he was thinking something. I was confused, I had no idea what was happening. 'We need to get a cab. Fast. He knows you've escaped so he's sending his search party to find you.' he announced. We ran towards the main street and got a cab soon enough. Once we were both inside the taxi, he sighed a sigh of relief, looking at him do that I too breathed in deeply and then exhaled. He told the driver to go somewhere and then sat back. I looked at the carpet in the taxi. He dialed some number on his cell and said 'Safe now. The chip's with me.' He listened to the person at the other end and then said 'Bye.'
He looked over at me and gave a reassuring smile; I didn't know what to do and since so much was happening, so in reply I looked back down at the carpet. I looked up at him later and saw him looking out. After a while he turned to look at me and said 'I've spotted 7 cars only and I can bet that there are more cars out here.' After a moment's pause he continued 'The guys only have your description to match but Joe's very good at describing people's appearance besides I've heard from the department that one of our best sketchers had joined Joe a few years back, so it's not a good choice to take any chances.' I nodded understanding only some of it. He looked down and noticed that he still was holding my hand, he left my hand and I took it back. There was an awkward silence between us.
We reached some place minutes later, he paid the driver and we got out. We walked fast and got another taxi and we sat in. We reached some place, got out and then after a few minutes of walking we got in another taxi. I never questioned him. I was still scared, I had no idea if I was still in trouble or getting deep into trouble now or was I out of it. We reached some place, he paid the taxi and then we both got out. We walked to one elegant looking building, he typed in some code and the door opened. We both entered the building, then the lift and then later an apartment. It was a very big apartment. He told me to stay comfortable and not to worry. I sat awkwardly on the couch wondering if all this was true. I still couldn't believe it was happening with me. He came out of a room later in a different set of clothes. He asked 'What's your name? I'm Ryan.' while entering the kitchen. I replied softly 'Susannah.' I was surprised that he could hear me when he repeated my name.
He came out with a mug of coffee. 'You want coffee or anything?' he asked me I shook my head. He put the mug down on the table in front of me and walked back towards the kitchen he stopped abruptly when I asked softly 'When will I go back home?' he turned to look at me and saw me looking at him, after a few seconds, he said 'Hold on.' He looked down and then went back into the kitchen and got some biscuits. He sat himself down next to me 'Are you fine if I…' I interrupted him 'Yah, I'm okay.' He drank his coffee for sometime and I looked down thinking about what was happening he suddenly spoke again breaking my trance 'Okay so Susannah, right?' I nodded. He continued 'I'm not good at this stuff, like breaking this to you, so I'm sorry if my words don't come out right, the thing is that it'll be days before you get back home.' I drew in a deep breathe 'Why can't I go back…now?' He answered 'Things are complicated now, you know about the chip we are talking about here? Joe knows that I have it but actually……I don't.' He looked at my confused expressions 'Then who has it?' He took a sip from his coffee and told me that he'd tell me later. After a small pause I asked 'Why do they want me? I mean he took me as a hostage or something so that you'd give him the chip and then he'd release me but then since I've escaped now he can just get another hostage so that he can use the other one…I mean…yah so then he can use the other one to pose a threat…and plus why'd he take a hostage to give you a threat…I mean this chip of yours, if it's so important for you both and then why'd you care if he kills someone, a stranger…I mean…' I saw him smiling while taking a sip from his coffee, I felt embarrassed 'I'm sorry if I sound confusing…' he smiled at me 'I understand. And well yah, he'd take someone, even a stranger, as a hostage to pose a threat to me because he knows that I won't let an innocent being die even for a chip which's very important. Because a life's a life, be it one life or a billion lives, it's the same thing because it's a life. And he can't get another hostage, if he took you as his hostage and you escape, he'd still want you back, he can't get another hostage. There are two things why he can't, the first one is that you might go to the police station and the second one I'll tell you later.' We sat in silence for a while when he started talking again later 'I explained to your parents the situation and assured them you'd be safe. And also that I'd send you home but it'll take a few days.' 'But I don't understand, why a few days? Why can't I go now?' I asked. He told me calmly 'Things are complicated now. It's dangerous for you to go home now and also tomorrow.' Knowing he wasn't going to let it out now I blurted out 'How do I know if I'm safe with you or if I was safe with him? How do I know whom to trust, you or Joe? After all he had kidnapped me and it looked like a kidnap and now you've kidnapped me and it doesn't even look like one kidnapping case!' He looked at me calmly, but without a smile this time which also scared me a little, he looked into my eyes and spoke 'If you think I've kidnapped you then you are mistaken. I'm just trying to keep you out of danger. And about this trust business, I understand you've got no idea who's the good one here and who's the bad one. And I can't help you in that too, you've got to decide it on your own whom you want to trust. And you can sleep in the room I'll sleep here, are you hungry?' I didn't know what to say, I shook my head uncertainly. He got up and went into the kitchen and then came out after 15 minutes with two bowls of noodles. We ate in silence. After eating he showed me to his room where I'd be sleeping in. He said that I could change into any of his clothes if I couldn't sleep in the clothes I was in. So I changed and wore one of his long t-shirts and his night suit trousers. He slept on the couch outside the bedroom and I slept on his bed inside the bedroom.
It was morning and we were having breakfast, I had changed back into my clothes and he too had changed into some other clothes. While eating he suddenly started talking about yesterday 'Yesterday, you know, when I pushed you I pushed you on purpose. You remember I told you I don't have the chip? That's because when I pushed you, I used the silencer to embed the chip in you…' he stopped purposely to let the shock settle down in me first then he continued after I closed my mouth '…and when I pushed you, you mustn't have felt that you were pushed hard enough to almost fall down but still it looked as if I pushed you hard and that's because of the impact of the silencer I used on you to embed the chip.' I asked right away after he finished explaining that part of the whole drama yesterday 'So…does that mean…that…that I've got the chip now…in me?' He looked at me and said 'What do you think I was talking about now?' I was stunned, I stopped eating, I lost my appetite right away, now I had the chip which is of no importance to me but is for these two people. 'Just great, I'm way so happy with my life now, it couldn't be any kinder.' I told myself sarcastically in my head. 'Why me? Why it all happened with me?' I cried inside but I think I must have spoken aloud this time because he heard it. He simply mumbled 'Sorry. But it had to be someone and that someone, unfortunately for you, turned out to be you.' I pondered then said 'So was the other reason he was searching for me last night was that he thinks that you have embedded the chip in me.' He looked up again from his plate to look at me and clapped his hands 'Bingo. Have anyone told you that you're smart! I thought I'd have to explain to you that too.' She felt someone stab her, why did he have to be so mean now. He saw her expressions and said 'Sorry. Okay so now I'll tell you what we have to do…'
To be continued…
Ye Hai Mohabbatein
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