I have questions, many questions.

How did that land get so green in a matter of months, I know it was not natural.

Why was that animal, who is supposed to be so rare nowadays, roaming so freely in a not-cared-for land.

Who shot the animal and why did he/she leave so quick?

Why is this girl pranking me, saying I am in Mehrangarh when it doesn't even exist now?

Why was she talking in Sanskrit?

And if she was kidding, she should have atleast have a break of character.

Atleast for a moment?

But no, she didn't have that.

Infact, she seemed confused of me speaking Hindi.

Who so ever is pranking me has appointed a good actress she was wonderful.

But who did?

I plopped down on the soft bed and looked at the ceiling.

What the-?

Why heck is this mud plaster?

Okay, how far are they going to go with this Mehrangarh thing, I want to see.

I sit up, look at the surroundings and for the first time in my life, I am actually impressed by a prank.

But wait what if-

What if this isn't actually a prank?

I mean, I probably know people who have enough reason to you know, kidnap me or something.

What if they actually did?

What if she is a kidnapper, and doing this Mehrangarh thing to convince me that this is just a prank.

Like, that was what I had been thinking.

Till now.

Mud plastered ceilings, Wattle and daub walls, flooring of mud, earthen utensils, wood screens for windows, and simple wooden door.

That was what surrounded me.

What would you feel if you came here, heavily wounded?

Don't know about you, but I feel fear.

What if they're talking about how to kill me and take over my company after that in the next room. If there is one.

What do I do?

My eyes landed on the arrow lying on the simple bamboo ledge across the bed.

That arrow, the one which shot the animal. What's it doing here?

Then I remembered, after I had taken out the arrow and thrown it beside the river, I thought I had heard some other voice, much like this animal made.

So I took the arrow, it was already cleaned by the gentle river water.

I had walked with this in hand, and probably fainted after reaching the where she found me.

Should I run off with it?

I mean, I did that before to protect myself, I can do it again.

So, should I?

It looks dangerous, and if it made that kind of wild animal so wounded that it left its' victim, it is dangerous too.

I probably should. Better not take my chances.

I slowly stood up, feeling blood rish to my head and then get normal again.

I go to the opposite side, get it in my hands and almost tiptoe my way out.

But uh-oh.

Slowly making way out, even though I don't know which way is out or in, I did try to make no noise as I go, and I was successful.

But maybe, me walking out and then standing stunned in the middle of the road wasn't a very good running or hiding place, I guess.

But why wouldn't I be stunned?

(Me - Things shown here weren't exactly there but it is like, relating

(Me - Things shown here weren't exactly there but it is like, relating.)

Tell me, you wouldn't be shocked if you came here.

Fabric tents, no yelling people, beautiful and neat houses - and the tents too - and small earrings, beautiful cloths, some wooden things that I don't know what to call, earthen pots and utensils and doormats and carpets and all types of different things.

Yes, some things which are common in markets were not there but things which were beautiful.

But, let me tell you why I was so shocked.

I travel a lot, so it is common sense that I would have roamed the whole of Indore, plus the small ignored nooks and corners too.

But never have I ever, seen this type of market in Indore.

So that would mean they have actually took me out of town into some other city or state.

Which means me running away is a lot more difficult now.

"Aree, you are the girl Dhritika found unconscious na? What are you doing here?" One lady, a little old, walked up to me and said.

Who Dhritika?

That girl who talked in Sanskrit?

She is also talking in Sanskrit, meaning she is also part of my kidnapping.

Yahi mauka hai bacchu, chauka mar le. Warna pakda gyi toh pata nhi kya karenge tere sath yeh log.

Bhaag Saanu, bhag!

On instinct, my legs took away, distancing myself from that lady while I heard her shouts and for a little while, her following me.

I was fast, but still not recovered enough to run very fast and keep the running - probably, by their very old style clothes - villagers at a decent distance.

So, I took a sharp turn and went out their beeline.

Hiding behind a wall, I watched as they wandered away in search of me.

Waiting for some time, I crouched down with the support of the wall.

"Why is this all so, so different?" I stammered, feeling a burn in the biggest wound on my leg.

Nevertheless, I stood up, and waited for a to calm down the adrenaline and started going the other way.

"Fellow people, see, there she is. She is wounded." A man yelled, although his tone seemed worried for me, I ran again.

Going round and round a corner, I didn't notice when I went to a secluded alley.

It was dark, and there was no way someone could come here, so I slouched down on the ground, resting.

But then I heard something, more like someone.

Can I seriously not get one moment of silence? Just one?

I stood up and started to jog-run, because I was exhausted enough today.

All I needed was a good sleep in a comfortable bed with squishy pillows.

As I advanced, turning towards an intersection, someone bumped with me.

Tu toh gyi beta, ab ja wapis se unn kidnappero ke paas.

Nooooo.

I looked behind me, as I felt something tugging at my dupatta. It was his arrow.

Out of all things I could have worn, I decided to wear traditional and drape a dupatta.

But if you wear traditional, you will have to drape a dupatta.

That voice in my head said.

Shut up, this is not the time to think all these.

I couldn't look at his face, nor could he look at mine.

Because he was wearing a long handkerchief as a mask, and I, the same piece of dupatta his arrow got stuck on.

I was holding on to the other end of the dupatta.