chapter 2: Camellia

After a hectic routine of back to back classes, I wrapped my hand around Syra's arm and led her out of the university.

"May I have your honor my grace that where are we going?" Syra blabbered in her sarcastic manner as I shoved her inside the car.

"Shut up you better know you are treating me to ice cream!" I stated firmly.

"Ofcourse but do I owe you this favor in any case?" She continued to play with me, teasing my nerves.

"If you don't treat me to an ice cream then I'm going tell everyone that you have a crush on Many Rios!" I blackmailed her shamelessly.

"What's wrong with him? And okay I'll treat you but don't you dare tell anyone" she tried to shush me by placing a hand over my mouth.

"You really have double standards, you know what's wrong with him yet you want to crush on him and living in constant fear that if someone will know, they will laugh!" I laughed at her protective behavior, I loved to tease her but crushing on a gay man? That should be out of league for girls.

"He's not gay! I know that and even if he is, it doesn't matter because he is cute and handsome" she made that shy pout as if she was his bride and he will be seeing her secretly from afar.

"Fuck him! I only want to remember ice cream right now! Queers and gays are the people I loathe" I drove the car towards the most famous ice cream parlor "Baskin n robins".

"Stop being a bitch or I won't treat you!" She declared.

I threw my hands up in defense.

"Fine man! I want ice cream and you want to keep your secret crush! No more argues. Let's hope in, my taste buds can't wait anymore" I practically begged her and she smiled in satisfaction.

We both got out and I locked the car after parking it in a safe place. We went in and gave our order at the counter. The man who stood by the other side asked us to sit and wait on the table while he prepared our special flavours.

It took only five minutes before the waiter placed a ice cream tub in the middle of the table and we didn't took second to pick up the spoons and dig in together.

We didn't prefer different flavors. We both liked vanilla with lots of pistachios and chocolate chips and syrup. Weird, isn't it? But that's what we like. One may call weird combinations but in reality we weren't normal at all.

We ate ice cream, cracking useless jokes along and laughing like maniacs. That's what my life revolve around, giving me all the happiness in the world. Simple yet peaceful.

We got out as she paid the bill on counter and I checked my phone for missed calls and text messages which I always tend to ignore while I'm in my happy zone.

We sat in car and I motioned the car towards her home as the plan was to drop her first to her home and then I'll get back to mine. I turned up the music loud as we both vibed along. Nothing was better than a day spending with your bestie when you both share same brain cells (except that I don't crush on gay men).

I stopped the car in front of her home, giving a her a goodbye kiss on her cheek. Everything was beautiful and smooth in my life, I knew as soon as I'd graduate I'll be either running abroad for a master's or dressing up as a bride in case my parents win.

But I had no intention of letting my parents have the key to my future so I made up my mind to start improving my grades before I graduate and find a scholarship to study abroad.

I was driving on that lonely road which had forest on it's both sides. The trees were dark and bushy almost very tall in height. I wonder whoever will be crossing at night would freak out.

Just then I eyed my side view mirror to check if the road was empty or there was vehicle behind me. Finding that black man on bike almost made me lost control of my own car. The bastard was following me all along and I had no fucking idea!

My suspicions turned into reality when he sped up and moved closer to my car, almost beside the car window. Thick sweats started to form on my forehead as I tried to dodge him. But he was some professional as he put brakes on his bike after coming in front of my car. And even though I didn't want to I had to apply brakes too to avoid the deadly accident.

As soon my car stopped with tires screaming a screeching sound against the road, another van stopped beside my car, a group of men coming out if it. They surrounded my car from all sides as one of them forced me into opening the door.

I locked my car but they didn't wait and break the window with hammer. I started screaming and looking around at all sides in case someone passes and helps me. But everything was in vain when a hand reached me and injected the needles into my arm although I tried my best push them away. But resistance was nothing in front of five men.

It was a matter of time when I lost consciousness, leaving myself at their mercy. I never put myself in any sort of illegal activity and never even had a bad company. But that doesn't mean innocent people are not treated brutally, instead only innocent people are treated with such brutality which they don't deserve in any way.

I was completely unconscious as if falling into a pit hole where only darkness consumed me and I wanted to move but every inch of my physique was paralyzed. I didn't know when they unlocked the car and got me out. Making me lie in the van, they successfully kidnapped me and god knows why.

I knew my parents would be worried as hell, as if walking on red coal. Although they didn't show much but they loved me more than I can imagine. I was their first daughter, the one who made them feel the incredible emotions of being a parent for the very first time. They experienced being a parent through me so no matter how much they'd deny, I knew they had a special place for me. No one can beat the happiness of being a parent for the first time, it's almost ethereal.

And I loved them too, more than I could ever admit.

I had many quarrels with my mother almost everyday but that never made me hate her. Neither my father who had been upset with me for a very long time for not choosing medical as profession. He had different paths for me but I simply choose to walk on one I wanted. I could have moulded my life according to his plans but I was just not that obedient type who can sacrifice.

I guess I never mentioned but I had a heartbreak at the age of eighteen. That damn heartbreak left me so vulnerable that I was ready to become pathetic for him, ready to beg him to stay and what not. I did everything in my reach to make him come back but some people are never meant to be yours. The most shittiest thing about that relationship was that I drained my all energy and feelings into it, and I only received betrayal in return. But love was pathetic so I never left him for it and continued until he left on his own, blaming the latter on my face when I was the one who should be victimized.

He didn't suffer a bit until now but I hope he does in future and he remembers every fucking single second for what he did to me. I may have move on from my terrible past but I don't have intention of ever forgiving him. An year passed and I've become stronger. I don't drool over male guys anymore and since that I promised myself not to ever fall in love again although my therapist told me that this could not be true. Because it's human nature that people always fall in love for the second or third time until they meet their right partners.

As far as I'm concerned thus theory doesn't imply on me. I will try to love my husband only if he showed me respect and love I deserve, that's what I planned for marriage.

But this sudden kidnapping shook every inch of bravery inside me and I'm at the verge of dying. I don't know what's gonna happen but something just not felt right. It should be more than killing, they obviously can't just kidnap me for no reason and just kill me?

It didn't make sense but whatever it was it's going to ruin my life upside down and I can't even resist because I have lost control over my own life.