Chapter 48 - Part 1

***Trigger Warning***

Scene below contains mild description of kidnap and molestation/assault. Please skip to next chapter (Part 2), if this triggers you.

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It's all a blur.

Everything around me seems to slow down. My steps stagger as I move ahead. It is best if I stay in place. The safest place to be is in the crowd, but I have no idea how long I have before I lose control of myself. I need to get help fast before I lose consciousness. I pull out my phone, dialling Purvi, but it only keeps ringing.

HELP!!! I message her with trembling hands, sending my live location, just as a large man's hand grabs me by the arm and pulls me away, into a dark, narrow alleyway nearby, conveniently hidden behind huge dumpsters. Simultaneously his hand clamps on my mouth, stifling my cries. Before I can take a look at him, the man twists my hand behind me and pushes me ahead of him. Terror and nausea threaten to overtake my senses, causing my mind to freeze.

He keeps pushing me forcibly ahead towards the end of the narrow path, my weak resistance hardly any match for his strength, further twisting my arm making me wince in pain. The place reeks of urine, rotting garbage and sewage. I am gagging at the putrid odours but the man's hand over my mouth remains steadfast, cutting of any screams or cries for help. I feel my body getting weaker as a wave of drowsiness hits me.

It is almost pitch black at the end of the alleyway, the street light not reaching this far. The man pushes me to the ground, and I scramble to get up, but my movements are slowed by the injected substance, so I crawl away instead, propping myself against the wall. This far in the alley, away from the road, it is pointless screaming for help.

Think, Tarana think.. I have to keep my wits about me, if I need to get out of this situation unharmed. My mind is working furiously, my eyes darting around to see if I can use anything to defend myself.

"I have been waiting so long for this," a wheezy, raspy voice blurts.

Deepak Ashay!

Oh my god!

I hear the whoosh of his belt being pulled out from around his waist, before he drops it next to me.

"Leave now before I start screaming," I tell him. I can hear the dread and desperation in my voice. "Walk away Deepak, and we will pretend this never happened. You won't get in more trouble."

"Don't worry sweetheart," his words are slurred as he bends his face to level with mine. His breath smells strongly of alcohol and I twist my face away, "in a while you won't remember a thing anyway."

One of Deepak's hands moves slowly up my leg, while he holds the other one over my mouth. He climbs on top of me, pinning down my body with his much heavier one. I buck wildly, trying to throw him off, but he is too heavy for me.

"Shh! a few minutes more, then you will not be able to fight me," he snarls in my ear, "I have fantasized about this for so long." He takes a long sniff of my hair, while I try to turn my face away from him. "Relax baby, I promise to be gentle.. the second time." The degenerate laughs maniacally at his own sick joke. Disgust and fear, crawl like ants all over me.

I only have few more minutes of remaining sentient! In desperation I flail my hands around frantically on the ground, trying to grab at anything I can use as a weapon. I feel my handbag. The pepper spray!

"Please Deepak, get off me. There are police behind you. You don't have to get yourself in more trouble." I cry out, when he removes his hand from my face to unbutton his pant.

"By the time you come to your senses, I will be long gone from this city," he sneers menacingly, his other hand on my thigh moving repugnantly higher, towards the waistband of my pant.

While I distract Deepak with my talk, my hands move inside my bag, feeling the contents till my fingers grasp the canister of pepper spray. With a burst of energy, I whip the can out of my bag and spray the liquid with all my might, into his eyes.

"You bloody bitch!!" he screams in pain as he rolls off me, holding his hands to his eyes. A surge of adrenaline helps me push myself to a standing position, grabbing his belt as I do so.

Deepak stands up as well, twisting around wildly, rubbing his eyes, yelling curses. Seeing him in pain, boosts my confidence a bit more. I muster all the strength I have left, swinging my right leg as hard as I can, smashing my knee into his groin.

"Aaaahoooh..." Deepak howls holding his crotch, falling on his knees to the ground. With fear now giving way to fury, my brain jump starts to recall the moves I learnt at self-defense class. I bend my elbow and slam it with full force against his jaw. I hear a painful crunch as it makes contact with his face.

Deepak falls to the ground screaming in pain, blood oozing from his shattered mouth.

I can faintly hear my phone ringing and people calling out my name. Police sirens are getting louder, and the alleyway lights up with yellow-orange police lights, but I ignore it as I proceed to whip the cowering man with his own belt, his pitiful cries fuelling my rage further.

"Tarana! Tarana!" Purvi tugs me away, grabbing the belt from my hand. Her voice pulls me out of my stupor. I blink as I see my colleagues surrounding me, their looks of distress turning to relief. Their presence brings me back to reality, and the horror of the situation hits me in a blinding rush. I let out a guttural cry as I fall into their arms, tears of relief replacing the terror. I vaguely notice policemen rushing in, talking on walkie-talkies, taking Deepak away, as the drug takes it full effect, and everything fades to black.

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