𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞 | 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝟎𝟏

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟓𝟑

ARZO
[Present]

I wake up in a suffocated and dark place, laying on my side. A cloth wrapped around my mouth and my hands tied behind my back.

Panic starts to settle in my stomach. I force myself to breathe through my nose. The sound of the engine reaches my ear.

I’m in a car. The trunk of a car.

I force myself to stay calm and remember what happened.

I got kidnapped. That’s what happened.

But by who? The man who grabbed me didn’t sound familiar.

I try to move, to bring my feet up to kick the door of the trunk but the space is too small. I use my knee instead and kick the door. A thud sounds on the door and pain shoots in my leg but nothing else happens.

I try again.

Kick. thud.

And again.

Kick. thud.

Someone has to hear the thud. Maybe they’ll stop the car.

I keep trying, breathing through my nose, ignoring the pain in my leg.

While I try to get any attention that I'm in the trunk of this car. I can't help but let questions roam my head.

Would Shoaib call Faizan and tell him? Would Faizan believe him? Would they be able to find me?

I shake my head, fighting the tears and kick the door again with my knee.

Ya Allah, help.

The car comes to a stop, knocking my head. A muffled groan escapes through my lips.

I hear the car door open and close.

Footsteps start nearing the trunk. My heart pounds loudly in my chest.

Someone stops in front of the trunk.

Click.

The trunk opens. I see a muscular man dressed in a black shirt and pants. Then a tattooed hand reaches forward and grabs my arm in a tight grip, pulling me out of the trunk and onto my feet.

I try to fight him, kicking and pushing him. He jerks me hardly and pushes me forward, around the car till I see a cliff a few feet away.

Another car is parked in front of my kidnapper’s car.

We’re somewhere near the mountains, the long roads empty, faint howling noises reaching my ears, the cold breeze coming from the cliff sending shiver through my body.

I try to get out of the man’s grip but his grip only gets painfully tight to a point tears return in my eyes.

I won’t cry. I won’t cry. I won’t cry.

The door of the other car opens and the person steps out.

My eyes widen in fear as Hira Chachi’s emotionless eyes meet mine.

The man pushes me to land on my knees and the pain in my leg return.

Hira Chachi hands him a bag, “there you go. Your payment.”

The man opens the bag and grins. He zips up the bag and says, “Glad to do business with you, lady. She’s all yours.”

The man walks away, gets in his car and drives away from us.

Hira Chachi unties my hands and removes the cloth from my mouth. She drops a paper and pen on my lap. I frown on it.

Click.