By your side

Taken

Aadya rushed out of the hotel in the early hours of the morning. Her steps were deliberate and measured, her heart thumping in time with the impending departure. She had already requested a cab, which appeared like a silent sentinel, ready to whisk her away from the wild events of the previous night.

A sense of unease clung to her like a shroud as she slipped into the waiting vehicle. Her decision to leave was impulsive and motivated by an unexplainable urgency. She couldn't pinpoint a single reason for her escape; it was as though an invisible force was propelling her forward, urging her to put distance between herself and Ishaan.

The taxi pulled away from the hotel with a subdued hum, the only sound breaking the stillness of the early morning. As they descended the mountain, the road became a serpentine ribbon that wound its way through the mist-shrouded forest. Ghostly trees loomed like spectres in the early morning fog, their branches reaching out like skeletal fingers, reaching for something just out of reach. It was a scene of eerie beauty, but it mirrored the melancholy that had settled deep within Aadya's soul.

The winding journey seemed to stretch on endlessly, a surreal passage through a world untouched by time. Aadya wiped off an involuntary tear drop. She didn't want to hurt Ishaan. But the weight of her decision weighed heavily on her, knowing that her actions would inevitably cause pain to Ishaan, the one she loved most. She hoped he would understand and find comfort in the memories they had together as they went their separate ways.

The repetitive buzz of the engine and the swaying of the car lulled her into a trance as she glanced out the taxi window. Her thoughts wandered, weighed down by unresolved questions.

Unbeknownst to her, the taxi had taken a wrong turn during the journey. The driver, navigating the twisting mountain roads, had strayed from the intended path. It was taking her to a place she didn't know, deeper into the misty forest.

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Aadya woke up with a headache that wouldn't go away and felt like it was vibrating through her head. Even though the sun tried weakly to break through the room's shades, most of it stayed dark. She tried to get up at first but failed when she realised her hand was stuck to the bedpost, trapping her in a state of disorientation. She didn't know what time it was, but her stomach kept growling, which meant that several hours had gone by.

As Aadya lay there, a flood of memories came back to her, putting her horrible situation in context. A tearful argument with Ishaan was the start of it all. That argument broke her mentally. She booked a cab to Bangalore quickly to get away from the chaos and left the hotel early in the morning, determined to put some space between herself and Ishaan.

As her memories became more clear. She remembered getting into the taxi, but she couldn't tell if she had fallen asleep on purpose or because of something more evil. With a heart pounding like a trapped bird, she strained against the unyielding restraints that bound her hand to the headboard. Her parched throat barely allowed her to form words as she surveyed the bleak room, which offered nothing more than a solitary bed and a solitary chair.

Suddenly, the haunting sound of approaching footsteps sliced through the stifling silence. Her pulse quickened as the door creaked open, and a man entered the room, casting a flickering shadow. "Good morning, sweetie," he said with an eerie calmness.

The dim light only partially illuminated the man's face, which Aadya squinted at. A jagged scar that snaked from his left eyebrow and disappeared into the rough bristles framed his rough features beneath a beard. Something vaguely familiar made her feel uneasy, adding to the tension in her already tense situation. He was her cab driver!

"I am going to untie you. You can freshen up, use the bathroom, and then eat something. If you act smart, I will kill you. Ok?"

A chill went through her. She nodded. He put a knife at her throat while he loosened the ropes. She sat up and rubbed her chaffed wrists. As she stood up, her eyes darted around the room, searching for any means of escape. The realisation that she was completely at his mercy sank in, intensifying her fear and desperation.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

"Aadya, you don't even recognise me now!" He smirked.

Suddenly, she remembered him. Her eyes grew wide in terror.

"Omar!"

"Yes, Sweetie. That same Omar whom you people discarded so easily."

Aadya's heart raced as memories flooded back.

"It's you. You are my stalker!" She blurted out.

Omar's smirk widened as he revelled in Aadya's realisation. "That's right, my dear. I've been watching you for a long time now." Aadya's fear and desperation deepened as she realized the true extent of the danger she was in.

"Why are you doing this?"

She pleaded, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and confusion.

"Because you deserve it." He said simply.

Aadya realised there was no point in arguing with him. If he was loony enough to stalk and kidnap her, He wouldn't be convinced by her reasons. She knew she had to escape and survive, but the odds seemed stacked against her. Aadya's mind raced, searching for any solution that could help her outsmart her captor and regain her freedom. She played along and make a bid to escape when he was off guard.

"What do you want, Omar?" Aadya asked, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and curiosity. She hoped that by engaging in conversation, she could gain some insight into his motives and possibly manipulate him into letting her go.

"I want you to understand the consequences of ruining my life." Omar replied, his voice laced with a chilling menace.

"Omar, I never intended to ruin your life," Aadya pleaded, her eyes welling up with tears. "Please, there must be another way to resolve whatever issues you have with me. We can talk about it."

He grinned.

"Talking won't change anything," Omar sneered, his eyes gleaming with malice. "You've already caused enough damage, and now it's time for you to face the consequences."

"But Omar..."

"Shhhh." He put a finger on his lips. "Just do as I say. Eat."

Aadya's heart sank as she realised that reasoning with him might not be as easy as she had hoped. She knew she had to tread carefully and find another way to outsmart him.

She didn't make any moves to escape and followed his instructions carefully. She needed the energy to escape. He tied her back to the bed again and left without saying a word.