SERENDIPITY

9. THE PETRIFIED LIFE SHE HAS FORGOTTEN

RYAN'S POINT OF VIEW:-

Mishti... don't even ask me what that means. A name filled with love and wisdom. A young girl filled with so much spirit in her eyes and somewhere there is longing.

Everyone avoids her during the school day, because she's every teacher's favorite kid and not because she's poor.

I like her because she's super cute. She even helps me with my homework during the break time. We have candies together.

"Tomorrow is Annual day, Mish. I hate being a monkey." I don't like the role my teacher gave me.

"Oh! It's not like that... you don't think monkeys are bad. They are good. I like them." She says, but with no smile.

"What happened, Mishti?"

"That Ved hurt me. Tomorrow every kid's parent from the second grade B section will come unlike my parents."

"What about your new parents? You told me you got a new mommy and daddy just a week back."

"I don't like them. They are... Oh! She arrived to pick me up. Bye."

That was a goodbye...

Mishti didn't come for that annual day nor did she come to school.

Third grade... fifth grade.... Eighth grade... eleventh grade... every year passes by.

I changed schools with a hope to find her. Then my parents also moved to a different place due to my dad's work issues.

One dreadful night, I find my friend again in a condition I have never dreamt of. In my dad's secret gauge.

"Mishti..." I hear her crying while they inject her with something I can't assume to be other than drugs.

"Who cares if she's major or not? An orphan, man. Put her on strong drugs and be done."

My friend... I need to be there for her.

Constant tears fall down from her eyes.

"Don't cry Mishti. Please." I whisper to myself more. "I'm getting you out of there."

But that day I failed... The next ten days I failed.

Everyday, in the night I visit that place and helplessly return back.

"Sir..Can I please have more? I really need it." Mishti asked, through sobs.

My father looked at another man and smiled. "Of course. I'll prepare it for you now. I thought you might come around, Princess."

My father was keeping her on drugs. Those were her only food and I am helplessly seeing all that. Stupid me. On the next day, I prepared to make her escape. It's enough of staying helpless. Your friend needs you.

"Can I have more?" I hear Mishti.

He rolled his eyes. "I just gave you some. Don't tell me you don't even feel it?"

God! Mishti, how are you going to recover out of this?

He gestured to the phone. "I promise if you just say hello to him, I will give you more. Can you do that for me?"

She does and I got everything straight. My friend is going to get under human trafficking. Mishti is going to be used by those leeches for their own pleasure while she's still not even of her legal age.

"I have some visitors coming to see you. They've paid quite a lot of money to be able to spend some time with you. Now, the two gentlemen will have a special treat for you before and after...only if you cooperate. Do you understand?"