𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐊 𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐄 - 𝐀𝐧 𝐔𝐧𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐞

8. Nightmare

3000+ words
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'Preet'
- Jasleen Royal
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JAANVI'S POV

I stood in a long line with so many girls, my heart pounding in confusion. Everything around me felt strange, the place, the girls, the stern-looking guards.

Why am I here? I was just in my school van, wasn’t I? How did I end up in this place? Who are these people? Where are Dad, Maa, and Bhaiya? I want to go home.

My eyes wandered around the big room, noticing some girls crying. But why were they crying?

I walked over to one of them and gently wiped her tears with my palm. "Didi, don't cry," I whispered softly, hoping it would help. But instead, she cried even more. Dad always says if you see someone crying, you should try to comfort them, that's how you become a good kid.

The long line started decreasing which made me happy. I guess now I can go home to dad, maa and bhai.

I noticed an uncle standing nearby. I walked up to him and asked, “Uncle, where are all these girls going?” pointing to the only door in the room, where so many girls were walking out.

He smiled, patted my head, and said, “They’re going to receive a gift, and you will too.” His words made me excited. I love gifts, especially when they come in shiny pink wrapping paper. Pink is my favourite colour. Maybe I’ll get something wonderful, like a teddy bear or a Barbie!

Suddenly, I heard the girl in front of me start screaming, and it made me feel scared. I looked up at the uncle and asked, “Uncle, why is she screaming?” He chuckled and replied, “She’s just excited to receive her gift.” I frowned and said, “But she doesn't look excited.”

He didn’t say anything, instead he began pulling me out of the room harshly. Did I make him angry? But I didn't say anything wrong. “Uncle, you're hurting me,” I whispered, pointing to the spot on my arm where his grip was tight and painful.

We walked out of the room, and I felt my cheeks burning as tears spilled down, making them feel hot and sticky. "Uncle, leave me!" I shouted, trying to free myself. I hit his hands with all the strength I could gather, but it didn’t make a difference. His grip was tight, and he dragged me along the ground, pulling me away to a different place, far from that big room where the other girls were.

I didn’t give up, though. I’m Dad’s strong girl, he always says I’m very brave. When I go to the doctor, I take all my injections without crying, and I can even go all the way across the house to get water on my own. I’m a strong girl, and strong girls never give up, no matter how scared they feel.

“Uncle, you’re a bad man!” I screamed with everything I had, my little hands still trying to pry his fingers off me. “Leave me alone!” I kicked my feet against the ground, pushing back against him, trying to slow him down. He stopped walking suddenly and looked at me with a strange, cold stare that made my skin crawl.

“You talk too much,” he muttered under his breath.

I frowned, blinking away the tears. “God gave me this mouth!” I shot back, my voice trembling but determined. “You can’t make me stop talking! God is the strongest, and He’s my friend too!” I said it with all the courage I could muster, just like Dad would tell me to.

The man’s grip tightened, and I felt a sting in my arm where his fingers dug in. But I didn’t care. I wasn’t going to let him scare me. I thought of Dad and how proud he would be of me for standing up for myself. And I thought of Maa and Bhaiya, and how I needed to be brave for them too.