rakhee rajesh

Romance Others

4.7  

rakhee rajesh

Romance Others

Safe

Safe

14 mins
304


 Panting, I removed the explosive belt from my waist and threw it on the ground. Then increasing my speed, I started running away from the bomb. True Aleissa would be enraged but I didn’t care. No matter what happened, I had no intention to die right then. I was too young to die.

While running, I tripped over a stone and fell down. Already exhausted from all the running, I struggled to pull myself up. But slowly and excruciatingly in pain, I got up. Encouraging myself, I continued running as far away from the bomb as I could.

It seemed to take forever to reach somewhere safe but after running through the dense forest for about 45 minutes, I reached an orphanage. After being interrogated for some time, the lady in charge took pity on me gave me a bed and a blanket, in spite of me not answering any of her questions. The bed was hard and uncomfortable, but at that moment I couldn’t care less. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I fell asleep. I was really exhausted.

I woke up two hours later, my sleep plagued by nightmares to find my hand in someone's grasp. I looked up and found myself staring into icy, blue eyes. The owner of those eyes looked up as she heard me cough. She immediately noticed my eyes which were staring at our intertwined hands with confusion.

"Oh!", she hastened to explain," you were screaming in your sleep. I assume it was nightmares." I nodded. 


" Anyway, I came to comfort you and caught hold of your hand and somehow that seemed to stop your writhing.", she continued on about how she comforted me but I couldn't concentrate on anything she was saying. One word was echoing in my head - nightmare which bought back remembrance of the day's events.

* six hours earlier*

Bread.

Jam.

Cheese

Maggi.

One by one I dumped these food items in the cart as I strolled down aisle seven of the grocery store. Suddenly, as I was reaching for a chocolate bar, someone put a napkin in front of my nose and I started falling. 


I woke up to see Aleissa smirking at me, an evil glint in her cold eyes. I tried to get up but saw that I was restrained to the chair with rope. The rope entwined around my hands, legs and waist. Unbothered by my struggle, she pulled up a chair and sat in front of me. 

"It's been two weeks Meera. Why haven't you finished the job?"

I gulped. I should have known that trusting someone as conniving as Aleissa would come and bite me in the ass. Although she hadnt seemed like that when I first met her. My mother was suffering from a rare disease and we had exhausted our funds to help her. Overcome with grief and disappointment, my father killed himself. Aleissa came into my life around that time. Then, she seemed like my ray of hope. She offered to help with the payments without expecting anything in return, being filthy rich. My mother's sister warned me against trusting Aleissa, but I didn't listen. I was too blinded by the need to keep my mother alive. Unfortunately, the extra funding didn't help either. She passed a week into her treatment. Aleissa disappeared almost immediately after.


However, she returned a year ago demanding her money. I tried my best to obtain the money, but it was extremely difficult considering I was underage and no company wanted to hire a completely inexperienced high school student. Then she gave me a second option - I could work for her and pay my debt. I had no choice but to accept. 

Little did I know, her business comprised illegal activities including drug dealing and murder.

I spent two months training before she assigned me my first assignment. It was a simple one. I just had to retrieve money from someone who owed her. But it turned messy and soon led to bloodshed. I continued on like this for nine months before I had enough. the case she assigned to me involved killing. throughout my employment, I had never killed anyone and didn't plan on it. I used the money I had round up to pay her and fled to a different state. I changed my identity, look and started staying at a girl's PG. I managed to survive a month before she caught me. 


"I will overlook it this time, only because I have another assignment for you. One which will benefit both of us profusely.", she said dragging the blade from my neck to my heart. A silent warning as to what will happen if I don't complete this assignment.

And that's how I found myself covered in an explosive belt running straight into a forest. I couldn't do it. I couldn't let those innocent people die as a result of petty powerplay. I was not going to be a pawn in the rivalry between Aleissa and another gang. 

" Hello!", the pretty temptress said, snapping her fingers in front of my face to get my attention. 

"I've been talking for ten minutes. Did you hear anything I just said?", then she smiled," Thinking about some boy, eh?"

Ha! I thought to myself as if my heart had space for boys as well. but I simply smiled in response. 


We continued chatting for an hour before she had to go home. In the middle, I tried to sit up. she noticed me struggling and got up to help me. As she got up, I took notice of her beautiful hourglass figure and tall physique. she had a cute, button nose and thick soft lips. Her long, curls tickled me and I was surrounded by her floral perfume. She caged my small physique as she fluffed my pillow. My heartbeat increased and a pinkish hue developed on my cheeks.

After she left, I rested my head on the pillow and slept, her floral scent embracing me. That night I dreamt of a happy ending involving a certain woman. 

I woke up at six in the morning, having slept for nine hours. The only thing I could think of was the girl who had chatted with me yesterday. I wanted to ask about her, but I had no clue what her name was. Somehow I had ended up talking to a stranger for a little more than an hour. 


To my luck, she came to the orphanage at ten and smiled when she saw me. After exchanging pleasantries, she sat down on the chair next to me and casually made conversation.

Timidly, I said," I'm sorry, but I didn't catch your name."

" I'm insulted, I spent the whole of my shift taking care of you and you don't even remember my name."

I looked down, feeling guilty. 

Her face broke out in a smile. " I'm just kidding. we didn't really exchange personal information yesterday."

Feeling slightly relieved, I put out my hand," I'm Meera Rathore."

She took my hand, smiling teasingly but all I could concentrate on was the tingles I was feeling. " Kiara Kumar"


Hmm.... Kumar.....that name sounded familiar. I think I've heard it before. my eyes widened. Aleissa Kumar. and then I saw the semblance. the cold blue eyes, the curly hair and the way she spoke. I slowly moved away from her trying to put as much distance between us as I could without arousing suspicion. 

Without thinking, I blurted," why do you work here when you are so rich?"

Her smile instantly turned upside down and I mentally cursed myself. " I volunteer here to help out. but no one in my family knows. Heaven forbid my mom finds out. She would have a fit. She's very prim and proper."

I snorted at that. Aleissa is far from prim and proper. Unless you consider killing people and dealing as prim and proper. 

Seeing her disdain for her mother, relieved me slightly. Plus if she had come here to capture me, why would she tell me her actual name. I decided to change the topic to something lighter.

"So who is your favourite singer?", I asked.


She seemed surprised by the sudden change of topic but answered anyway," Hmmm... I would have to say girl in red."

" No way!", I exclaimed, " She is my favourite too."

And we continued chatting about light topics like our favourites, food, books and movies. We steered clear of topics like why I was in the orphanage or anything to do with her family. In fact, even she didnt know what her family did. She just knows her dad is a businessman abroad. Once or twice the lady in charge glanced at us disapprovingly but kept quiet. But that didnt hinder us. It was almost like we were in our own little bubble.

This time when she left, she bend down and pressed a kiss to my cheek, leaving me dazed a tingling sensation spreading throughout my face. I replayed that moment in my head on loop till lights out after which I concentrated on sleeping.

She came to the orphanage every day for four hours and spent the full time talking to me. And for some reason, I felt safe around her. I slept with a smile on my face forgetting about all my problems.


I was awoken by a bag being put over my head and my hands being tied. Shortly, I was thrown in the back of a van and taken somewhere. There was a small window through which rays of sunlight were pouring in. It's how I figured out that it was early morning. Soon the van stopped outside a large manor. The driveway was humongous and a fountain stood in the middle. It was the type of house that would have a crystal chandelier. 

I was slightly confused. This wasn't Aleissa's usual meeting spot. Are these people here to help me? But then I saw her standing at the door in a green cocktail dress smirking at me. I was in awe and petrified at the same time. I was roughly dragged by her men into the manor. Looking around as fast as I could, I tried to take in the exquisite decor and grandeur of the house. Soon the richly painted walls turned to jagged stone as we walked down towards the basement. 


I looked at the horrifying sight that awaited me. There was one rickety wooden chair in the dingy basement. There was a stack of chains and whips right next to it. I had an enormous urge to run away. But I knew it was impossible. The men who were holding me had muscles like bodybuilders and I knew I was no match for them. They immediately got to work and began tying me to the chair with the chains. I could feel it digging into my arms, legs and chest. I was finding it hard to breathe.

After they made sure it was secure and moved away. I came face to face with Aleissa who looked murderous with her kohl-lined eyes narrowed and lips curled downwards. She looked at me expectantly.

" I can explain...", I was cut off by a slap to the face. Then her sharp nails cupped my jaw and she spit," Who do you think you are? Did you really think we would not be able to find you? This is the second time you have left your mission incomplete. On top of that, I have lost money and equipment due to your blunders. There's only so much I can forgive."

Then she stepped back and nodded at one of her men who promptly picked up the whip and walked towards me. The man actually looked apologetic. He whispered a quick sorry as he passed me. I didnt blame them, they were in the same situation as me. It was Aleissa's go-to method to recruit people. 


Crack.

Crack.

Crack.

The whip slashed against my back leaving red marks in its wake. Soon my periwinkle shirt was covered in red. I tried my best to not make any sound and I partially succeeded apart from the occasional whimper. After what felt like forever, my thirty lashes got over. The man took a step back ready to walk away but was stopped by Aleissa. 

" No don't stop! She should pay for all the money she cost me.", she put her hand on her chin in thought. Instantaneously, her face lit up. 

" She should receive six thousand whips. Roughly the amount of money she caught me."

Everyone in the room seemed taken aback by the statement. One of them stepped towards her and voiced her concerns," Ma'am that will kill her."

"That's an added bonus.", she laughs.

And the whipping continued. This time I couldn't control my cries. My cut open skin was burning. 

" Mom, what is happening? I could hear screams." I distinctly saw Kiara pushing through Aleissa's team to reach the front. Her mother was trying to block her view but Kiara was much taller than her and we made eye contact.

 She was extremely shocked. Pushing her mother away, she ran to help me but was held back by Aleissa's right-hand man. Somehow she broke away from him and ran to protect me. On noticing that her daughter was in danger, Aleissa ordered her men to stop. I was placed on the bed which was also present in the room and everyone was ordered to leave. But Kiara stayed with me. The bed was hard but better than the one at the orphanage. 

Slowly, she removed my bloody shirt and stared at the wounded skin. I'm sure she also noticed the scars on my stomach also. But I was in too much pain to feel self-conscious about my scrawny figure. She dipped a cloth in water and softly began cleaning the wounds. My breath hitched as she made contact with my bare skin. Looking at her, I saw that she was silently crying. By the time she finished cleaning the water was dark red in colour. She then moved on to applying ointment to prevent infection. It stung a lot and I clutched onto her other hand for support. 

I figured I owed her an explanation and so I began my story. It took me half an hour to explain everything. She was silent for a minute before she started crying harder. " I'm sorry my mother was so horrible to you."

I weakly smiled in response. We resumed sitting in silence. She had finished cleaning me up and was slumped next to me. 

I broke the silence in ten minutes. " I know that we have only known each other for a week, but I am closer to you than anybody else in the world. Every day, I would wait for you to come to the orphanage so we could talk. I looked forward to meeting you. And in the span of one week, I have somehow fallen for you. It is almost impossible not to like you. I understand if you don't feel the same way, but I have to tell you. I like you a lot. I've never felt as safe as I do when I'm with you"

She responded by leaning in and pressing her soft lips against mine. I responded instantly moving my lips in the same rhythm. My hands were at her waist, moving along the curve of her hips. But her hands stayed at her sides, afraid to hurt me. I smiled into the kiss and placed her arms around my neck. Soon we broke apart due to lack of oxygen and smiled at each other. And then we were back in action. My hands slipped under her shirt as she deepened the kiss. Then her lips left mine and she left a trail of kisses down to my stomach. She kissed each one of my scars making sure to not touch my back at all. Unfortunately, we were interrupted by a maid who had come down to call Kiara. 

" Well if that wasn't enough of an indication, I like you too.", she said her eyes twinkling as she walked up the stairs. On the outside, I seemed fine but inside I was hyperventilating. One of the prettiest girls I've met just told me that she liked me and kissed me. Even though it was 11 in the night, sleep was the last thing on my mind. I lay down on my stomach and thought about the past week's events.

I must have fallen asleep because I was woken up by a jug of water being dumped on my face. " Great", I thought, " My second torture session has begun. But as I looked up I saw that it was just Kiara dressed in all black, a huge bag over her shoulders and another in her left hand. I got up.

" What....What are you.-", I was cut off by Kiara who clamped her hand on my mouth.

"Shhh! I can't live with her anymore after learning everything she did to you and the others. She is a vile woman and I want nothing to do with her. Both of us can escape. I've thought of a plan. I stole some money from her wallet and we have my money plus my jewellery which we can sell. I have already bought two train tickets to Delhi. We will stay there for two days to sell my jewellery and obtain more money. Then we can fly to Italy and start afresh. I have packed all the essentials - money, laptop, charger, clothes, food and deodorant. "

" What about your phone?", I interrupted. 

" Aleissa will probably use that to track us down."

I nodded, noticing how she referred to her mother by her first name. " Why Italy?

" Because the plane ticket is cheap and it's quite far away from here.", she shrugged and stretched her hand towards me, "So are you in?"

" Yes, I would go anywhere with you.", I breathed taking her outstretched hand.

And as the first rays of sunlight emerged, we ran towards our safety.



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