The Coming of Kalki by Poulomi Sanyal

Author:Poulomi Sanyal [Sanyal, Poulomi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781775395010
Published: 2019-02-10T08:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER twenty-one

When Nirmala regained her senses, she was lying face-down on a rough floor, her body contorted, hands tied tightly and a gag stuffed into her mouth. It was pitch-black and stuffy. She was feeling dizzy and struggling to breathe. When she tried to lift her head slightly, she banged it hard against the metal roof. The floor beneath her was hot and trembling.

I am inside the trunk of a car! she panicked, as realization set-in. Soon the vehicle started to move over what seemed to be a bumpy road, tumbling her around like a washing machine. Nirmala was sweating profusely. The cords around her hands, painfully chafed her wrists. But surprisingly enough, her legs did not appear to be bound. Little consolation, since there was no way for her to escape from the closed trunk of a car. The car was screeching along and then; it braked suddenly and came to a halt.

Someone has come to my rescue! thought Nirmala, as her heart lifted. Alejandro perhaps, or even the police, though preferably Alejandro. Who knew which side the police were on.

A few seconds later, she heard a soft beep near her ear and the door to the trunk opened. She immediately closed her eyes, pretending to be still unconscious. Someone shuffled around near her feet and shoved her legs aside, as if searching for something. In the distance, she heard a man’s gruff voice.

“Hurry up, you son of a bitch! I am bleeding to death here,” he screamed.

“Oh, shut up, you rascal. No need to raise a ruckus,” responded the man who was fumbling around inside the trunk. In a minute or two, he closed the trunk with a thud and moments later, the car started to move again.

Nirmala wondered what that beep she heard earlier might have been. It was a soft sound that seemed to originate from behind her ear.

Oh, it must be the sensor Alejandro gave me to wear in my hair like a clip! she remembered, after a bit of thought. Why did it beep? Could it mean an electronic signal was nearby? Could it be…could it be...yes it must be. It must be a key fob. There is keyless entry on this car, she reasoned in her head as understanding dawned.

Only if Alejandro were here, she thought, becoming wistful. He would have surely unlocked the boot with his mind and let us out.

Sighing to herself, she started to weep silently. Her tears getting mixed with the oil and grime of the floor beneath her head. She wished she had never been involved with this forsaken research in the first place. Her mother didn’t want it for her. She wished to have her marriage arranged with a suitable, rich young fellow who would take care of her for the rest of her life. Then she would no longer have to worry about chasing a career or making a living by herself. She could stay at home and manage the house and the children and prepare the meals and watch television like every decent woman of her community.

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