3:00 AM
Roli found herself in a deserted, unknown locality with no clue of how and when she got there. Confused, her eyes shot down. She was still in her night dress a pair of pajamas and a loose, half-sleeved tee-shirt. Worse - she was far away from the comfort of her cozy bed back home and the protection of her husband, Siddhant. Had she been sleep-walking?
She could remember bits and pieces of the eerily lit community, broken images that she had gathered in a trance for God knows how long. An hour? Or more?
A chilly gust swept past her, bringing with it distant voices and jeers. And now that the spine-tingling breeze had managed to awaken her fully, panic set in.
She swung around. Her eyes darted around the place hysterically. Her heart throbbed so hard in her throat that she feared blacking out any moment.
The jeers and cackles kept getting closer. Somehow, she had to find her way home. But how? She had no idea where she was.
The hooligans, four of them, were a stone's throw away. Yet, they reeked of cheap alcohol. Their clothes were soaked with a pungent layer of sweat and at several places, were coated with a generous dollop of dirt.
All the horrifying tales of the nerve wrecking, unforgivable atrocities committed against women came flooding to Roli, and that was enough for her to turn around and start walking as fast as her little legs could take her. She didn't know where it would lead her, but she was determined and hoped that it would get her back home.
"Hey, just check out that piece of meat!"
Roli picked up her pace as several hoots and howls followed. "God, save me," she chanted under her breath, praying that they would lose interest and go their way. She glanced over her shoulder to check their progress, which she soon realized was a mistake.
From the accelerated shuffle of the hooligan's feet, Roli could make out that they had closed in on the distance. They were right on her tail.
"Darling!"
Roli dared not look around. Her legs grew heavy and her lungs ran out of air. She didn't know how long she could keep going. Sooner or later, she would have to give up the flight and turn around to fight. Could she? Or... would she be the next victim?
"Oh darling. Where to? We'll come along!"
Roli gasped in shock when one of them popped up right beside her. "Just look at us, sweet heart," he teased with a vicious display of his mottled, brown teeth.
"Get off me!" She yapped and slapped his filthy hand away.
"Angry kitty!" Two more came from the other end. Roli realized with terror, that they had circled her like vultures. Very soon, they would make their move.
With horror, Roli realized that her exit was blocked. She stumbled a couple of steps back, only to fall straight into the open arms of her perpetrators.
She shrieked!
The darkness caved in on her from all directions and she labored for a breath of air.
Rough, filthy hands, groped her.
Chapped lips that stunk of liquor coursed its way to the bosom of her chest.
It was the end. Here she was, in an unknown desolate place, trapped and helpless, far away from home. Far away from Siddhant.
... And then, Roli mustered all her strength and struck out hard, straight at her assailant's throat.
TO BE CONT'D...
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