HALF ESCAPED

“You don’t have more options to choose among”, the key fell down as he revealed upon me. His voice was not alien to my ears anymore, neither his presence. I squirmed my legs as his footsteps approached closer.

“Eat it or starve to death”, his dark hairy arm with a food tray further intensified the darkness of the room.

“You are not a princess and it’s not your palace where your orders will be taken and obeyed. This is your last meal in case you reject it”, he blurted it out with narrowed eyes and creased forehead. He caught my glance and slid the food tray on the spotted tile floor. The witching hour was at full blow when moonlight hit his face and gave his features away.

Dark tan skin, a wide forehead, long thick lashes casting their shadow on his wedged nose making cheeks smooth as silk could attract anyone’s attention. A curved moustache covered his upper lip. Fluffy beard canopied his neck. He took himself out after few minutes unaware that I have seen him so vividly.

Some ants were having the feast on my food tray. I started to eat bread from one corner sparing the other one for ants.

I had lost the track of time. My memory seemed to be washed altogether. I wished my bladder could know that too. I gathered myself from the floor and managed to stand upright, holding the iron bar or pipe or whatever it was. The direction of the door was revealed to me one day out of the blue.

“What the hell are you doing here?” a strongly built man growled.

“I…I…did not…know it was a door…”. I replied swallowing the lump in my throat.

“Let me verify your statement”, he rasped, grabbing me from my hair.

His fair hands checking every nook and corner of me to find an object through which I was going to open that damn door. When he failed to find one, he punched me on my nose and there went my epistaxis. He banged the door and left, my nose bled profusely with the drops pooling on the floor. Those blackened blood drops lead me to the door every time now.

“Anybody there?”. I slowly tapped the door. No one responded. My bladder was completely unaware of the situation. I was on the verge of losing control. I hurriedly threw the water on the floor from the bowl and eased myself into it.

Crackling sound from the keyhole startled me. I had been a heavy sleeper but now my sleep had become so light and fragile that even a soft chirp of a bird can break it.

“He never comes so early”, I whispered to myself, keeping one eye on the crenel and the other on the door. As soon as the door opened I fell into complete darkness. After a few moments of struggle, I managed to remove the heavy stack of pitch black cloth from my face.

“Wear it”, and the door banged again. I was looking in astonishment at that black cloth while the faint voice of his departing footsteps was ringing in my ears.

“It is very difficult to estimate time without having a watch or clock”, I thought while passing my arm through the arm orifice.
Meanwhile, keys rattled again and he fetched me from my covered arm and started to walk out.

“Don’t you see I am in the middle of wearing it”, I managed to utter a few words as I caught my breath. He was smelling tangy, a deep refreshing smell. I had no idea whether it was his soap, shampoo or perfume.

“You are hurting me”, as I looked at my arm which was bruised from his hand pressure. He paused for a while. I immediately relaxed my arm and settled my black gown, rubbing my eyes. His face was covered completely except for the eyes. A black and white boxed handkerchief was veiling his facial features.

Before I could grasp my surroundings and him, he again started to grab me. Sunlight was feeling like an energy shot. His shadow was also dark and powerful as him. The road was paved with stones. I urged to get slow but he was not even listening.

Soon the voice of flowing water touched my ears. I was stunned to see such a beautiful picturesque. Crystal clear water was flowing in a lake and its both sides were adorned with roses. He released my grip on reaching the corner of the lake. I felt like as if he had pushed me to the lake upon sudden stop. I could not understand his purpose for taking me here.

After many minutes of brainstorming, it descended upon me that maybe he wanted me to get fresh and use water. He was standing far away, facing another side akimbo. I quickly did all the chores for which I needed water.

“Cannot we stay a few more minutes?”, I plead.

“You know well it’s been ages that I have used water. So please”, tried to convince him but failed.

He released me once I was in the darkroom again. He locked the room and went away. I thudded on the door loudly, weeping and screaming.

“You will scream more if anyone heard you screaming like this”, he thudded the door with such a force that it dislocated from its rim a little. My voice was caged in my throat and I sat down on the rug again.

I longed for my family, my parents, my home, my room and most of all my bed. Memories of them hit me hard. My head started to spin and I feel nauseated. That night another black gown was sent to me along with a food tray. I did not move that tray an inch and threw that gown away in the corner.

The more you cry, the more is the urge to pee. I again eased myself into that bowl and wiped myself with that new gown. My hatred for that new gown evaporated once I cleaned myself with it.

I was so exhausted by crying continuously for hours that I slept at once without taking dinner. At the midnight when I woke up something was different. Food tray was there, the bowl was there, the gown was there…..wait…gown…?… There were two gowns but now only one was sitting there.

A voice ordered me behind the doors to get ready which brought me back from my reverie.

“To get ready with the pee-d gown? What the heck?” I facepalmed myself. As I was struggling to wear that loathsome gown, I accidentally passed my arm through the wrong orifice.

“Now what is this?”, I mumbled in agitation. A paper touched my fingers along with some metal object. I was about to bring the contents of the pocket out when the key fell down on the floor with a loud noise. I gasped, my mouth wide open. Adrenaline started to rush in my veins. Heart started to thump in my throat. I took heavy careful steps to the door.

My hands were trembling like never before. I inserted the key into the hole. It fell down. I mustered up the courage and let the key do its job. As soon as the door opened, blackness welcomed me. I started to run as fast as my legs could take me. During the run, I was feeling that I knew this place. Suddenly the familiar voice of running water hit my ears. I stopped there to catch my breath. I put my hands on the knees and looked backward to catch a glimpse of any follower.

All of a sudden I recalled about the paper. I brought it out. Damn. It was dark and I could not see or read it. I fetched two stones and rubbed them until a spark was produced. I picked some leaves and dried grass husks from the lakeside. It was a perfect fuel. Soon a decent small fire was flaring there. I smoothed the crumbled paper and started to read.

“Salam Bibi,

I do not know where to start. When your father fired me from the job I was very disheartened. I was fifteen then and you were only seven. In those days, someone made me meet Baba Sahib. Baba Sahib loved me and gave me money. Moreover, he also told me the way to easily earn it.
I was not aware of the house which we were going to rob that day. I startled to look at the house of your father but by then my gang had finished doing for what they were trained and ordered to do. I somehow managed to isolate you from others. I put the chloroform soak to your nose and placed you in the back of my car safely. After my gang settled, I fetched you out and brought you here. I cannot repay the blood of your family but I can set you free…

Apka Khadim”

I was all wet in tears. Now I knew why that fair-skinned man never visited again. Why he brought me here in the daylight. Everything was clear.

I started to run. I ran more swiftly than before. Finally, I reached my destination and took a sigh of relief. I undressed my gown and eased myself into the bowl again.

 

About the author – Dr. Maria Khan is from Faisalabad, Pakistan. She is a medical graduate, an avid reader, and an ardent writer. She has printed her maiden book comprising of quotes, poems, and short stories with the name, “I and Me”. Apart from medicine, books are the places where she finds her solace.