Nature's Comeback

2C- 🌪Air Wants Freedom🌪

'Yet another illogical chit. Respect, kindness; what was the connection of them with fire and water? I wasted my time,' the team leader sighed.

He was about to close the machine and not bother with the other two chits, but then he thought, 'It won't even take a minute to go through them. Let's just check it out or else this won't leave my mind.'

Having decided, he removed the blue chit and inserted the white one.

"Air wants Freedom."

'Freedom? But the air isn't stuck. It is present everywhere. Why would it need freedom? Unless the chit is talking about the air trapped inside the wafer packets," team leader chuckled at his old joke.

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One bad decision. Only one bad decision was enough to ruin Sameera's life.

She was a sixteen year old orphan who was still stuck at an orphanage. What sucked more than being an orphan, was not getting adopted at a young age. She knew there wasn't any chance that anyone would adopt her before she turned eighteen and was on the streets with no money.

Hence, when a couple approached her for volunteer work in return for food, clothing and shelter; Sameera readily signed the contract and left the orphanage.

First month there was great. There were few more girls of her age that participated in this work. Awesome food, movies, a lot of games to enjoy and what not, in return of taking a few injections.

They were treated nicely and everything was going on smoothly until one girl died. This alarmed all the girls. The injections they were given had something that could take their lives. They all wanted out. And that's when everything changed.

The nice people suddenly turned cruel and the girls were now shackled in beds with chains. Except Sameera, each girl died because of the side-effects of the injections.

Sameera didn't know what was the experiment but she knew that they had failed. Although she was sad for the demise of her friends, a new hope surged inside her. She would be free now. But she was proven wrong again.

The couple were curious about the only girl who didn't die. And started more experiments to see what all her body could handle. From a volunteer, Sameera became their main subject of experiment.

And just like that, Sameera was trapped in their basement for more than twenty years.

The torture, the pain, the helplessness; she begged the God to take her life. Just like her friends, she too just wanted to die and end all of it. However, she was still breathing. Broken but alive.

Sameera tried so many times to escape but failed each time. She managed to get out of the basement many times, but was always caught before she could even manage to get to the main door of the house.

With every new attempt, the way to escape became more complicated. She could never use the same method, as the couple and their employees were already keeping a keen eye for those. And it got worse when the couple's children were joined to the mix. They were a lot stronger and more dangerous.

So Sameera stopped trying. She turned into the same sixteen year old who readily gave them the right to use her. It took two years for them to put their guard down completely. Even then, Sameera didn't try anything.

As she changed, slowly the circumstances changed too. She was now out of the shackles, allowed to roam around the house and garden. They again started treating her nicely.

"I am again having trouble sleeping. Looks like my body has lost its power to cope. These sleepless nights are a terror. Please bring me some medicines," Sameera requested.

And from then on, she started collecting the sleeping pills until she was sure that they were enough.

"Let me help," she said with a smile to the cook of the house.

"That's not needed," he politely refused.

"Please, I am getting bored. Come on, just today," she pleaded.

She had been trying to get friendly with him for a long time. In fact, she even learned cooking from him. Just so that he would allow her to cook for one day.

"Please," she tried again.

"Alright, but don't mess up anything," he said pointedly, finally giving in.

"You will never forget the taste of today's dish," Sameera said in a sing-song voice, before starting her work.

After cutting onions and tomatoes for the curry, she put them in the mixer. Along with them, she stealthily added the sleeping pills to the mix.

She cooked the gravy with extra care. After all, this was her last meal with them.

Sameera waited with crossed fingers while everyone enjoyed her food.

"Goodness, Sameera. This is so good. Come fast or else nothing would be left for you," one of them said with a laugh, while taking one more fill.

"I already ate so much in the name of tasting. My stomach is full. You all enjoy," she waved it off with an excuse and waited with bated breath.

Slowly, they all started murmuring like drunk people, before dozing off. This was her chance and she took it.

Not wasting time to gather anything, Sameera just ran out of the house. The house was built in an isolated place. There was nothing nearby where she could ask for help.

"Sameera," a shout came from behind as the couple's son ran behind her.

"I am doomed," she cursed before increasing her speed.

She didn't realize that he wasn't there while eating. How could she create such a huge blunder?

Sameera came to an abrupt stop when she realized that the road ended there. While running she had made a wrong turn, and ended towards the cliff.

She looked behind to see her capturer walking towards her with a smirk.

"All I wished for was freedom," she screamed in agony.

She couldn't go back. If she was captured then she wouldn't be able to ever leave from that place.

Sameera turned around, looking towards the ground below.

"It is okay to die rather than going back. At least I would be free," Sameera mumbled to herself.

She closed her eyes and jumped off the cliff.

"Hey!" The man shouted looking at her falling figure, but she was long gone.

He sighed at the loss but turned back again, after reporting to his parents that Sameera was dead.

But she wasn't. As soon as she jumped off, a huge gust of wind entrapped her body. It looked like Sameera was covered in a transparent bubble.

The bubble flew around the air, and popped only when it landed Sameera on the terrace of a tall building.

Sameera didn't understand what just happened. All she knew was- that she was free.

She received the Freedom she wanted.