Arylie FF: I'm Happy Here With You

Interlude II ~ rearview mirror

and though the nightmares should be over

some of the terrors are still intact

i'll hear the ugly coarse and violent voice

and then he grabs me from behind

and he pulls me back

... ... ...

(timeline ~ Aryan's kidnapping in Austria)

If Aryan had trusted his instinct, he could have avoided a lot of trauma.

He had seen dogs and men surrounding them, he realized their intention of taking Didi, and without thinking he'd attacked a dog, while setting the emergency flare signal. The other dogs all attacked him at once and dragged him away, down the slope. He could feel the men abandoning Didi and Mom Dad, and going after him. Good.

He knew that the dogs won't hurt him even though they attacked him. He was not sure how he knew, but it was obvious from their body language. Some of them did bite, but it was on top of his heavy winter jacket. He was not harmed. When they sniffed him, they were curious about him. One even wagged its tail. Unless he imagined it, one even licked his forehead in glee. They liked him.

He should have trusted his guts and instead of cowering, should have got up to run and hide. That would have saved himself and his family a lot of trouble. But by the time he realized the giant huskies won't tear him apart if he moved, it was too late. The men were there.

In his defense, he was nine years old. And a lot of wisdom came from hindsight.

When the men dragged him over the snow, shouting at each other in a foreign language, all he could think was at least it's not Didi.

Even as a nine year old, he knew that he'd face lesser horrors than his sister at the hands of a bunch of rowdy guys.

"Why did you get him, we were supposed to get the girl?"

"Boss wanted a Rathore heir to torture, this is a Rathore heir."

"Just admit it, Lorenzo, you'd rather we did not have fun with a teenage girl. You are such a prude."

Lorenzo grunted but did not deny it. He however showed no mercy in how he dragged Aryan. It hurt. The snow was cold, his body ached from the fall. He'd kicked out a few times but soon realized there was nothing he could do with so many men present. He chose to reserve his energy and lay limp.

The dogs came along, guarding the men from every side. Aryan realized that the deeper they went into the forest, the colder it got. He shivered.

He was surprised to see the big beautiful house in the middle of nowhere. It had an old school charm around it. However there was no smoke up the chimneys.

"Boss, we got one."

"The boy, Lorenzo? Really? I said bring the girl," it was obviously the leader of the pack. He was dressed in a winter coat, muffler, hat and gloves. Aryan was more surprised when he realized that the man was Indian.

"What do you want?" Aryan asked in Hindi. The man didn't reply. "Why him? Explain."

The men explained the whole scenario. Aryan could feel that they were all scared of the boss. "So, you are smart, Rathore spawn? No worries, we'll make do with you."

Aryan stayed quiet. The man threw his hood down to look at his face and took a step back. His face was contoured in fury, and grief. Aryan wondered what was there in his face that offended the goon so much. Turns out it was his age.