It's Just A Game

Untitled Part 1

The summer heat was astounding in the dark, dusty streets of Mumbai as Anaika ran, sweat dripping down her slick brown skin. She could hear the commotion behind her, the group of large, heavyset men following her sending strong, painful shivers down the woman's spine, but she did not relent. Fear, pain, anger; it all drove her forwards, a certain strength hiding behind the fear filling her dark brown eyes. She let it drive her towards the large mosque at the end of the street and across the courtyard, the immense, etched doorway almost like a door to salvation in the poor woman's mind.

"Stop her!"

The shout came from behind, and Anaika felt her head snap around. It was closer than she thought it would be. Too close for comfort. She knew she was fast; if she wasn't, Sahib Das wouldn't have given her the job she had been assigned with, but something about these men didn't feel right. She'd originally felt like they were from a rival gang running drugs, but these men were too familiar for her liking. They seemed to know exactly who she was and where she was going, following her tracks even when she'd thought she'd escaped their clutches.

The large brown satchels at Anaika's waist weighed her down substantially. She'd been so close to the drop point when she'd been spotted, the man she was meant to deliver her packages to in plain view, but for some reason, things did not go according to plan. Anaika didn't know why. Ever since she'd crossed the Pakistani border she'd been like a fox; hesitant at every turn, careful at every corner. There was no reason why they would've found her now. She was a shadow.

What could have possibly gone wrong?

Anaika resisted the urge to fling off the satchels. If she did, she'd not only be removing the single thing protecting her from the men following her, but also the only thing of value she had on her. It was difficult, because Anaika knew that it would lessen the weight on her and make her able to move faster, but the thought of being gunned down scared her more than she'd care to admit.

Anaika's heavy leather shoes padded against the dusty floor, her white hijab stained with dirt and mud from all of the falls she'd taken since she'd begun running. Her body was beginning to fail; she'd been running for almost three hours, and even though she was built like an Olympian, she'd never had to put her skills into practice until now. Besides; the adrenaline in her veins that had essentially been the gas powering her was beginning to dry up, and it was only a matter of time before she ran out of power completely. Anaika was already running on fumes.

There were probably close to twenty steps in front of the large mosque before her; the building was known as Jama Masjid, and it was one of the largest mosques in Mumbai. Anaika couldn't help the relief that filled her at the sight of it, but before she felt herself fully infused with it, a sense of worry also filled her. Tonight was her last trip. The last time Sahib Das was making her run the drugs across the border. It had to be perfect because then she was going to be free. Free to run around the cities of India, travel the world, perhaps get married and eventually have children. Anaika couldn't help the way fear pulled at her clothing; if she messed up, would he still let her go?

The mosque had been labeled a fall-back point. If she ever felt she was being followed, or if anyone ever tried to steal her goods, she was ordered to go to the mosque; there, she would be protected and granted safe passage back into Pakistan by Sahib Das and his associates. She'd never, in her seven-year career of running drugs across the border as a pack-mule, had to use it.

She was simply that good.

What had changed?

Anaika began to run across the square, glancing occasionally behind her as the shouts continued to echo across the packed stone area. She could feel heavier droplets of sweat roll down her face as she ran as fast as her body would carry her, the goods at her hips smacking against her leaden thighs. Every few minutes she'd turn, gauging the distance between herself and the group of four men following her. It was narrowing with every passing second and, for the first time since she'd been sent out on a transport journey, Anaika suddenly felt despair.