Dark room

I slowly opened my eyes, my head throbbing as if someone had struck it over and over again. My vision was blurred, heavy, refusing to focus, and all I could do was blink—once, twice—trying to understand where I was and why my body felt so weak. A sharp ache pulsed at the back of my head, and my throat felt dry, like I had been screaming without sound for hours.

  Then, like a cruel storm, the memories crashed into me.

  The school gate.

  The road.

  The black car.

  My breath hitched as the scene replayed itself in terrifying flashes—the sudden stop, the rough hands, the cold grip that stole my freedom in seconds. I remembered being dragged, remembered the darkness swallowing me whole. I was kidnapped. The realization struck harder than the pain in my body, sending a wave of panic through my chest.

  My heart started racing violently, each beat screaming fear into my veins. I tried to move, but my limbs felt heavy, unresponsive, as if they no longer belonged to me. A tight knot formed in my stomach, twisting with confusion and terror. Why? Why would someone do this to me? I was no one—just a student, invisible to the world.

  Questions screamed inside my head with no answers to hold onto. Who were they? What did they want from me? Had this been planned?

  Fear wrapped around me like a suffocating shadow as reality settled in. This wasn’t a nightmare. I hadn’t woken up in my bed. I was trapped—alone, helpless, and surrounded by unknown danger. My eyes burned with unshed tears as my mind spiraled, the weight of what had been taken from me pressing down until breathing felt difficult.

  " why me" I whispered silently into the darkness, my heart pounding with dread, knowing that whatever waited ahead would change my life forever.

  Then suddenly, a sound cut through the silence—a slow, deliberate click.

  The door opened.

  My breath caught in my throat as light spilled into the room, harsh and blinding after the darkness. A tall figure stood there, unmoving, his presence heavy enough to crush the air out of my lungs. My heart slammed violently against my ribs as my eyes adjusted, and that’s when I saw him.



  He was dangerous—there was no other word for it. His sharp gaze locked onto me with chilling intensity, dark eyes empty of warmth, as if he were looking at something he owned, not a person. His face was calm, unreadable, but it carried a cold authority that made my skin prickle with fear. Every instinct inside me screamed to run, yet my body remained frozen, trembling, helpless.

  The room felt smaller with him in it. The silence between us was suffocating, thick with unspoken threats. I could hear my own heartbeat, loud and frantic, echoing in my ears. My hands curled into fists beside me, nails digging into my palms as I struggled to steady my breathing.

  Fear burned in my chest, but confusion burned even deeper. Why am I here? Who is he?

  Gathering every ounce of courage I had left, I forced my dry lips to part. My voice came out barely louder than a breath, fragile and shaking.

  "W..who are you?" I whispered.

  He didn’t answer right away. He just stared, as if weighing me, studying me, deciding something that could alter my fate in seconds. That silence terrified me more than any scream ever could.

  In that moment, with his eyes fixed on me and the door closing slowly behind him, I knew one thing with terrifying certainty—whatever this man wanted, my life was no longer in my control.

  The silence shattered when he finally moved. He bent down to my level, invading my space, his presence cold and suffocating. His dark eyes locked onto mine, making my heart race and my breath falter. In a low, steady voice that sent a chill through me, he asked, "What’s your name?"

  I stayed silent, my lips pressed together as fear tightened my chest. His eyes hardened, the air growing heavier as he leaned in slightly and repeated, slower this time,"What is your name?"

  " Ad..Advika" I whispered, my voice trembling as the word left my lips, carrying all my fear and uncertainty with it.

  He didn’t respond, not a single word, and that silence broke something inside me. Fear spilled over as I looked at him, my voice shaking despite my effort to be brave. "Who are you?" I whispered desperately. "Why did you kidnap me? Please… please leave me." My words trembled, soaked in panic and a fragile hope that felt like it was slipping away.

  He said nothing, not even a glance of reassurance. Instead, he held out a glass of water, his hand steady, unreadable. “Drink,” he said calmly, and the single word sent a fresh wave of fear through me.

  I shook my head weakly, fear tightening my chest. "No"

  I whispered, my voice barely holding steady as I pushed the glass away.

  His voice hardened instantly, cold and threatening, stripping away any illusion of choice. "Don’t make me repeat myself," he said quietly. "You don’t know me." The words sent a shiver through my spine, fear settling deep in my bones.

  I lifted my chin, forcing my fear to stay hidden, even though my heart was pounding wildly. In a steady voice that didn't match the chaos inside me, "I said no. Let me go."

  A faint, dangerous smile touched his lips as his voice dropped, soft yet terrifying. "Sweetheart," he said calmly, "you won't be able to bear my anger so drink it." The threat behind his gentle tone made my blood run cold.

  My hands trembled as I slowly lifted the glass and drank, every sip burning with fear and surrender. When I finished, I looked up at him, my voice quiet but firm, my heart aching for answers. "Now answer me,"I said, swallowing hard. "Why did you kidnap me?".

  He ignored my question completely, as if my fear didn’t matter. His eyes stayed fixed on me, cold and demanding, and he repeated slowly, "So tell me, what’s your full name?".

  I swallowed hard, my throat dry, and whispered, "Advika Rathod." My voice wavered, but I tried to keep it steady, fighting the panic rising inside me.

  A cruel calm settled on his face as he spoke. "Good girl,"he said coldly. Then his words shattered me. "Advika Rathod, your father is no more. And because of that, I kidnapped you."My heart stopped. He continued, merciless, "If he were alive, I wouldn’t punish you. But now you’re his daughter,so I will take my revenge on you."

  I shook my head in disbelief, pain and anger crashing together as tears burned my eyes. "Don’t lie to me," I said, my voice trembling but defiant. "Just let me go."

  A slow, unsettling smirk curved his lips as he looked at me, his eyes glinting with cruel certainty. “Why would I lie to you?” he said calmly, as if my world hadn’t just shattered, as if my pain was nothing more than a quiet amusement to him.

  And then he slowly got up, his smirk lingering, and started walking toward the door. The sound of his footsteps echoed ominously in the room, making my chest tighten with anxiety.

  As the door clicked shut behind him, a heavy silence filled the space. I sank onto the edge of the bed, my mind spinning with a whirlwind of emotions.

  What if he’s not lying? The thought sent shivers down my spine. But how could I trust him? Who was he, really? My heart screamed that he was dangerous, that every word could be a trap, yet a tiny part of me couldn’t help but wonder if there was a shred of truth in his claim.

  Confusion, fear, and anger tangled together inside me, making it hard to think clearly. I hugged my knees to my chest, trying to steady my racing thoughts, but the exhaustion of the ordeal pulled at me relentlessly.

  Slowly, my eyelids grew heavy, my body surrendering to the weariness, and before I even realized it, sleep wrapped me in its uncertain embrace, blurring reality and fear into a restless, uneasy darkness.