The Nightmare

The train slipped slowly away from the dimly lit station. Eventually it vanished. The lone figure on the platform stared after it, his body leaning forward as if willing it to stop. Then, looking quickly around he noticed the clock striking three. He turned all around but couldn't find anyone. The 15 year old was almost breaking to tears. Suddenly he heard someone giggle, his ears became sharp and he turned to his right he found two men walking in dark on the opposite platform. He jumped down on the track and got to the next platform becoming breathless. The two men had already gone far enough. The boy shouted on top of his voice "Help!" The two men turned and the boy ran to them.
"Sir, please help me" the boy said.
"Yes...yes! Relax! What's the matter?" asked the first man.
"I...I...I missed my train"
"Were you alone?" The second man asked with a shine in his eyes.
"No...my friends were there...but...but they were all asleep and I...I came to take some water but there's nothing here its so isolated and I...I had no idea that the train would leave so fast and now I'm in a big...big trouble......please help me" his voice softened.
"Boy you should know that you are not suppose to get down on a deserted station like this or for that matter any station at this time of the hour" the first man said smiling.
"It was just a mistake".
"And now it is landing you in trouble" the second man said removing a hand kerchief from his pocket.
The boy bent his head "I know..." he said with a tear in his eye.
Meanwhile, the first man had removed a spray from his bag on the shoulder and the second one sprayed it on the hand kerchief. The boy stood still with his head down.
"Now, let me tell you I was talking about the trouble you are soon going to land in!" the second man smirked and as the boy tried to lift his head he soon covered his face tight with the hand kerchief and held it till the boy felt unconcious.
"We should have asked his name first". The first man told to the second.
"Don't worry...we will soon get out of him once he is back to nerves. Now let's take him to the godown".
And the two men carried the boy to their secret hide out.

In the morning, sun rays fell on the boy's eyes from the ventilator. He opened his eyes and tried to get up but he couldn't. He examined himself. He was tied to a pillar from his waist and his hands were tied behind and his mouth was sealed with a tape.

The boy tried hard and put all his strength to untie himself but failed. He tried for every five minutes but couldn't succeed. He closed his eyes and he could see his parents' faces who he remembered would be waiting at the station for him to be back from his camp. As he tried again he observed the place. He saw that if he would untie himself there would still be no way to escape, with his realisation he stopped.

A little later the two men entered opening the front door and locked it from inside. They knew that the boy would not have seen them properly on the dark station so this time they both covered their faces.

At first they tried to be good but became rude as the boy refused to tell his name. The second man full of bad temper lashed the boy with his belt. The first man tried to stop and control him. Atlast, the boy opened his mouth and faintly uttered his name "Rishi". The two became quite satisfied as the boy started giving all his details one by one. The two men then left locking the door from out. After they left the boy tried a last time and of the ropes loosened and he soon untied himself and was free but not in real sense. He cried and cried till he fell asleep.

He woke up when he started feeling hungry. He got up and walked across the room suddenly, one of his leg slipped down on hitting a floor tile and he discovered an underground passage. He slowly removed the tile and got down and covered back the tile properly. He felt relieved and smiled he found a small door at the end which he pushed with a log lying around and broke through. He ran along the way he didn't dare to see behind. He ran and ran till he could no more. He reached a bus stand. He saw an old woman and went for help. The old woman was quite generous and took him along as they both had to go to the same destination and also for she was alone and wanted some company.

In the bus he noticed his photo on a newspaper. He borrowed it and read the date it was two days after he missed the train that night. He couldn't believe to himself. The old lady rang up to his parents called them to the bus depot and handed him to them safely.

When he saw his parents standing before him he ran and gave them a hug and in his mother's arms he felt the safest place. The incident remained like a nightmare for him somewhere in the corner of his mind.