"Where am I?" Thought Shereen after regaining her consciousness.
She was still feeling dizzy. Her hands were tied behind her back. The gag so tightly secured behind her head that it hurt her mouth.
Panic and fear was getting the better of her.
Who brought her here? Why was she tied up like this? Was this a kidnapping? For what? Money? A cold sweat broke over her as she thought of the other possible motives…revenge or sex.
The wild beats of the heart were suffocating her.
She knew she had to calm down. Whatever the motive, she was at the mercy of her captors now. She had to think of a way out of here.
She looked around to find herself lying on a mattress that covered the entire room. The walls and ceiling appeared freshly painted. There were two doors and a window – all shut. The ceiling fan provided little relief from the hot and humid weather.
She tried to recollect what had happened.
Slowly her memory started recollecting…
She had dropped off her daughter in school and was returning home in a rickshaw when, suddenly, a car went passed and screeched to a halt in front of the rickshaw. She was still two blocks away from her home and the Salt Lake Township was usually deserted around noon. Before she could realise what was happening three people got down from the car. All three wore cloth masks. While one of them started grappling with the rickshaw-puller the other two came over and pulled her out of the rickshaw. While she was struggling to free herself from the tight embrace of her assailants, a piece of cloth was clasped on her nose and mouth. Then everything went black…
The calm was making her uneasy. She strained her ears, but there was nothing she could hear. It was as if her kidnappers had vanished into thin air.
"What time is it?" She wondered. "Is it time for Nupur to get back from school?"
Nupur always made a big fuss whenever Shereen was late after school.
"What will Rahul think when he would come to know that his wife is missing?"
It was only the monotonous hum of the ceiling fan that she could hear.
Again her mind went back to the possible motive of the kidnapping and identity of the kidnappers.
"Oh God! Let this be a case of mistaken identity." She prayed. She had never felt more scared in her thirty-five years. What if the motive was rape? She knew that men found her attractive. She was tall at five feet six, slim and fair. Of course, she did not consider herself a sex siren but her small shapely breasts, long legs and high hips still made her very desirable. She could easily make out the desire in the eyes of men when they looked at her…her thoughts came to an abrupt end. She could hear voices on the other side of the door.
Then the door flew open and one by one they trooped in. Two of them she recognised immediately. She didn't know their names…they were mechanics in the automobile garage where Rahul got his car repaired. Without their mechanic apparels and grease-smeared hands they looked different. The other two she didn't know. Three of them were in their middle twenties while the fourth one seemed to be in his late forties. It was apparent from the way he led the pack that he was the leader.
They walked up in a queue to where she lay on the mattress and stood with hands on their hips.
Lying on her side it was difficult to look up at them. The Leader untied her gag.
"Who are you? Why am I brought here and tied down like this?" She blurted, trying desperately to keep her voice steady.
They kept on looking down at her, not bothering to answer.
"You cowards, don't you have an answer?" She blurted. "You can't get away with this. I know the two of you and you better start feeling sorry for what will happen to you once I get out of here."
"Stop it." The leader bellowed. "Its useless trying to scare us."
He looked at his accomplices and then again back at her.
"Let me tell you something. No matter how much you rant, you will spend the next seven days in our company. Let me assure you that even at the top of your voice nobody can hear you because there's nothing other than paddy fields within a mile."
All she could feel was the wild thumps of her frightened heart. Fear was paralyzing her. Words refused to come out of her parched throat. It was with a great deal of effort that she managed to speak.
"You pervert, tomorrow morning when people start working in the fields my shouts will surely attract attention. That will put an end to your games." She tried her best to sound triumphant.
"Shit, I never thought of that." The leader hissed and turned to his accomplices. "What should we do with somebody who, attracted by her shouts, comes here to find a beautiful woman stark naked in the company of four men?" He broke out into a satanic laughter.
She knew their motive now. Tears sprang to her eyes. It was difficult to believe that this was happening to her.
"What have I done to you to deserve this?" Her voice was choking. "Please let me go and I promise that nobody will ever know."
"Do you believe that we have taken this risk just to let you go the moment you start crying?" He pulled the two mechanics she knew in her line of vision. "Look at them. Did you ever care to think of the effect you had on them whenever you went down to the garage mostly in the protected company of your husband and at times alone. Of course, they were insignificant in your scheme of things. Illiterate and poor lads, but that's not their fault."
"But that's not my fault either…" she interjected.
"Let me finish." He cut her off authoritatively. "They are not asking you to do anything that you haven't done before. It's only a question of accommodation. But sluts like you will not even care for that. Have pity on these two for the sleepless nights they had spent thinking of you." Dramatically, he fished out something from his trouser pocket. It was a small carton of prophylactic.
"We have even purchased these to safeguard you. Why do we need to care what happens to you? But we do. We want you to enjoy the whole thing too." He was talking as if they were doing her a favour.
"Please, please let me go." She started sobbing.
"Control yourself." He thundered. "Its no use crying."
Oh God! They wanted her to be an exhibitionist. Desperate she spoke out.
"I'll resist everything that you may try to do with me. You creeps! kidnapping a woman and then raping her? Forget the sick logic you made up to defend what you have done and release me if you don't want further trouble."
"We all know that this can land us in jail. But that cannot happen before a packed courtroom hears a minute-by-minute detail of the time you will spend with us. Your kid will come to know of it too. Did you ever think of that?" She could make out the smirk on his face. There will be a heavy price for sending them to jail.
The Leader suddenly reached down to her making her flinch. Deftly, he untied the knot and freed her hands. They hurt – the rope had left its impression on the skin. Freed, she sat up on the mattress and started messaging her hands gently to facilitate blood circulation.
The Leader broke the silence.
"I guess we have already argued over the matter at length. We expect your cooperation, but if you don't then we are prepared to use force. Besides there are certain rules you have to follow. So long as you are here you will only wear these." One of the mechanics came forward with a pair of
high heeled slippers. Finding her reluctant to accept it he put it down on the mattress beside her
and went back to his position behind the Leader.
"You have a bathroom over there." The Leader continued pointing towards the other door. "It will be locked and every time you need to use it you have to let us know. That's all for now. We will be back after half an hour. Remember, you will only wear these high-heeled slippers and nothing else." They strode out of the room leaving her bewildered.
