Chapter 1

"Get me a beer..." Paul ordered, his breath reeked of alcohol and vomit.

 

"No," Nisha said meekly. She was trying her level best to sound confident and stern, yet she knew that her attempts were all going in vain when she saw Paul frown.

 

"What do you mean?" he hissed as he slowly inched closer to him.

 

"We have run out of stock and I don't want to go out now. It's too dark and I scared...and I don't have enough money too," Nisha retorted defensively. She took utmost care not to sound too angry or harsh, lest her tone infuriated him any further.

 

Out of nowhere, her head hit the floor with a sickening thud and she tasted her own blood in her mouth. For a moment, everything went blank. Nisha's body curled up and she held her head in order to soothe the blinding pain that shot up in her head.

 

She felt someone pulling her hair and she was lifted from the ground.

 

"Don't ever say no to me again. Do you hear?" Paul threatened her, as she lifted her gaze to look into his eyes. His gaze was untamed, wild and sickening. He shook her like a rag doll and licked her ear.

 

"Never say no to me..." he mumbled and without thinking much, threw her on the floor.

 

"Now get your a*s out of here and get me a bottle now..." he glared as he threw her bag at her.

 

He was standing over her, an empty beer bottle in hand and as Nisha looked up, she couldn't even remember why she had fallen in love with him in the first place. They had met in university and she had dropped out to be with him. Her parents had disowned her but she was convinced that love would overcome all barriers; she had been as wrong as the numerous bruises on her face showed. Covered with make up, she would go to work as a salesgirl but would return to the sight of Paul outstretched on the sofa stinking of alcohol and cigarette smoke. How she hated him but the thought of a young woman living alone was so daunting that she carried on.

 

"OUT!" Paul screamed and flung the beer bottle at her. The bottle crashed against the wall, missing her by mere inches and Nisha raced out of the door.

 

The streets of LA were lit up at this time but were infested with addicts and prostitutes. Nisha violently pulled her jacket in an attempt to cover herself, so that no one saw her body. Still, some street jerks managed to pass unpleasant and indecent remarks on her as she practically jogged. She often glanced over her shoulder to see any unfamiliar shadows lurking behind the corner. Though, all she heard was their laughter. Perhaps, they all were laughing on her, laughing on her life and how big a failure it was.

 

Nisha took a breath of relief when the ATM center arrived finally. She quickened her steps and went in. She fumbled in her bag for her purse and looked around. She thought she saw a figure in the shadows and waited for a few seconds. Nisha had learned to stay alert. Probably it was because of the reason that she was scared or perhaps it was because of Paul. Whatever, it was, it worked for her.

 

She waited for some time before proceeding any further. All was still so she turned around and put the card in the slot.

 

Just then she heard the door open behind her and before she could even react, she felt a sharp jab on her back.

 

"Withdraw 500 bucks right now!" the voice commanded.

 

Startled she looked up and in the glass; she could see a face covered in a beard with two green eyes staring at her.

 

"Now!" he ordered and moved ahead.

 

Neha tried to remain calm but could feel the sweat on her brow and said, "I don't have 500 in here..."

 

"Give me as much as you have and you better hurry..." the man answered back in a hurried but hushed tone.

 

Neha looked at the keypad and momentarily forgot her number. As her mind raced amongst all the possibilities, she was aware of the stranger digging the sharp object into her back.

 

"God damn it, hurry or I will slit you right now!" he said voice rising now with every word that he spoke.

 

Eyes blinded by tears and her heart thumping in her chest, she punched in a number and to her terror saw the message on the screen that the pin was incorrect. The stranger saw this too and pushed from behind.

 

"Get it right next time or I'll............" he threatened her.

 

She nodded her head and as she tried again, he caught her hand.

 

"Get it right or you will be dead meat the next moment..." he snarled.

 

As if on cue, she heard the sound of police sirens and felt relief surge in her heart. The stranger now got alarmed, he looked outside and saw a few cars racing towards the ATM center. And to her horror, he turned around, pressed the return card button, took the card and pulled her out from the ATM center.

 

"You're coming with me..." he said as he threw her into his car.

 

Everything happened so quickly, that her mind couldn't register anything. She couldn't understand anything that was happening to her. Nisha's eyes were sending visuals to her brain but the seriousness of the situation was not getting routed to her senses.

 

"Please just let me go!!" was all that she could scream as he slammed the door shut. Perhaps, it was all she could say. Such plea is usually the last resort of the ill-fated and doomed and she was one such victim right now.

 

She tried to open it as he came and sat in the driver's seat.

 

"Sit still!!" he ordered as he pulled her straight and slapped her hard.

 

Her sobs could be heard as he pulled away; she knew that her new ordeal was just beginning.