CHAPTER XXXIII
They say when you're in pain, truly broken… your heart cries out for just one thing — your mother.
And in that moment, when I was lying in the mud, drenched in blood and rain, unable to move, unable to breathe properly…
All I wanted was her.
"Maa…"
That was the only word echoing inside me.
I felt helpless. Defeated. Abandoned by strength, betrayed by people I once trusted, and surrounded by faces I didn't even recognize.
I couldn't get up. My limbs trembled, my bones ached, and my head spun with every breath.
And yet… I knew I couldn't give up.
Because if I gave up — they would win.
I forced my broken body to rise, even if barely. Every inch I moved felt like fire ripping through my veins. My legs wobbled like a newborn calf, but I stood.
My breath was ragged, my voice shaken — but I spoke.
> "Who are you all? What do you want from me?"
My eyes scanned the group, blurry and bleeding, trying to understand the reason behind this hatred.
I could guess why Joya and Ranav were involved — that betrayal had a face. A reason. A wound.
But these others? These strangers?
> "Why?" I asked, as rain poured down my cheeks, mixing with blood and tears.
"Why are you doing this to me? I don't even know you."
And then… one of them stepped forward.
A tall guy in a black hoodie, his voice sharp and bitter.
> "My name is Aswin. I study at the boys' college nearby. And I'm Mon's boyfriend."
His words hit me like a slap.
> "Ever since she started hanging around you — she stopped talking to me. She ignores me. She doesn't reply to my messages, she doesn't even meet me anymore."
My lips parted slightly in disbelief.
Mon… has a boyfriend?
> Another guy added, "He's telling the truth. I'm Suryansh, his friend. We didn't come here to hurt you, Sam. We just came to… teach you a lesson. To put you in your place."
He smirked.
> "But when we saw you fighting with Ranav… Somil bhai got furious."
That name froze the blood in my veins.
Somil.
Ranav's brother. Another name. Another enemy.
Another man who believed that pain and violence were the only way to prove power.
> "He told us to show you that no matter how tough you think you are… girls can never be stronger than guys."
Their words stung harder than any blow.
So that was it.
This wasn't just revenge. This was a message.
A punishment… for being brave.
I was still processing the shock of Aswin's confession — of Mon, the girl I trusted most, being possibly tied to this — when I felt it.
The ambush.
A group of girls appeared suddenly, like a silent army summoned from the shadows. Their faces were unfamiliar, but their eyes gleamed with cruelty.
I realized too late — this was planned. This wasn't rage anymore… this was execution.
They didn't say a word.
They just started hitting me.
Wooden sticks. Iron rods. Bamboo poles. Anything they could get their hands on.
Their blows landed on my back, my arms, my legs — again and again.
And I couldn't even scream anymore.
All I could do was fall.
And when I hit the ground — they didn't stop.
They kicked me.
In the ribs. The stomach. The head.
> "Get up now, Sam!"
"What happened to your strength, huh?"
"Not so powerful anymore, are you?"
Their voices blurred into echoes.
Their laughter twisted into thunder.
And then…
Darkness.
Not sleep. Not unconsciousness.
Just… complete nothing.
My eyes closed.
My breathing slowed.
And for the first time…
I felt the world slipping away from me.
And I didn't know… if I would ever open my eyes again.
But somewhere deep inside — beyond the bruises, beyond the pain, beyond even the fear —
One last thought clung to my soul.
"This isn't the end."
My eyes were shut… but their voices still echoed in my ears.
Cruel. Cold. Distant.
I couldn't see them anymore, but I could hear every hateful word… like whispers floating in the darkness.
I had no strength left to move. No power to scream. No air to even cry.
And maybe that's why they chose this.
"If she can't talk… she can't expose us."
That must've been their thought.
And so… they decided to end it.
They dragged my nearly unconscious body to the swimming pool — its water dark, deep, and untouched by light.
And without hesitation…
They threw me in.
The cold hit me first. A sharp, biting chill that pierced my skin like a thousand needles.
Then came the silence — the water swallowing every sound, muffling even my own heartbeat.
As I sank, water rushed into my nose, my mouth… my lungs.
I wanted to scream, to fight, to survive — but my body betrayed me.
I was too weak.
Too broken.
The deeper I went, the more distant the world became.
Above me, the surface shimmered like glass — so close, yet impossibly far.
Inside, I was screaming:
> "Please… someone help me! I don't want to die!"
But no one could hear me.
> "Mumma…"
"Please… come save me. I don't want this to be my last day…"
My limbs refused to move. My eyes wouldn't open. My lips wouldn't part.
I was suspended between life and death — floating in icy water, sinking deeper into the unknown.
And that's when the memories came.
Mon.
Her laughter. Her warmth. Her loyalty.
What had she said?
What had they said she did?
> "Was it all true?
Did she really betray me too?
No… no, that can't be.
They're lying. They have to be.
She wouldn't…"
But doubt is poison. And in moments like this, it spreads fast.
And still, through all that confusion and fear, one prayer rose from my soul — silent, desperate, pure:
> "Lord Krishna… if You are listening… please… send someone. Please don't let this be the end. Not like this."
> "Aarvi… Mahi… someone… anyone… please come."
Tears blended into the water. My heartbeat slowed. My lungs ached with the need for breath.
But I couldn't rise.
> "Please," my soul whispered,
"Please… I'm not ready to die."
But my body was giving up.
I was barely below the surface — just a little higher and I'd be able to breathe.
Just one more push.
But I couldn't push.
> "I don't want to die… not yet.
Not like this.
Not in silence."
My thoughts faded like ripples in the water.
And just before the final darkness could pull me in…
A shimmer of light flickered in the distance.
A sound.
A splash.
A presence.
But was it real?
Or was it… my last dream?
The present feels like another universe compared to the past.
Whenever my mind dares to wander back to that day, I remember how close I came to death — how I felt its cold breath on my neck, how my heart almost stopped beneath the water's surface. That memory doesn't fade. It's carved deep inside me.
And now, here I am — alive… yet changed.
I looked around inside the car. Evelyn was sleeping beside me, curled up in the passenger seat, her breathing soft and steady. Outside, Mon, Mahi, Aarvi, Blue, Aliyana, Elisa, and Looka had gone out to search for food and other supplies. Alex had gone with them too.
But no matter how many times I told myself they'd be back soon — safe and sound — my heart wouldn't rest. Worry gnawed at me like sharp teeth.
I wanted to go out and look for them, to make sure nothing had happened. I wanted to run through the streets and call out their names until I found them all safe.
But I wasn't stupid.
Not anymore.
The world we once knew was gone — torn apart by chaos, loss, and the shadows we now lived in. I knew that stepping outside in this unstable world could make me a threat, not just to myself… but to the very people I wanted to protect.
So I stayed inside the car.
Watching. Waiting. Hoping.
My thoughts were spiraling, pulling me deeper into memories and fears…
When suddenly, I heard the crunch of footsteps — many of them.
My eyes snapped to the window.
There they were.
All of them — safe.
Relief washed over me like warm rain after a storm. I could finally breathe again.
They weren't alone.
Behind them… was a bus.
Not just any bus — but a strong, sturdy-looking vehicle that could carry us forward on this journey. It was worn, scratched, and clearly had a history… but in that moment, it looked like hope on wheels.
Alex approached the car, knocking gently on the window. The sound woke Evelyn.
She blinked slowly, adjusting to the light, as Alex leaned in and said through the slightly lowered window,
> "We found a bus. It's running fine. From now on, we'll travel together in it. Everyone's already on board. Sam, Evelyn — come on."
His voice held urgency, but also safety — like a big brother promising he wouldn't let anything happen to us.
Evelyn nodded and turned to help me. My body still ached from everything that had happened, but I let her support me as I stepped out of the car and onto the cracked road.
Together, we climbed into the bus.
It smelled of old leather and dust. The windows were foggy from the cold, and the seats had seen better days — but this bus felt like a new chapter.
Evelyn slid into the seat beside me, her hand resting lightly on my shoulder. It was comforting.
But… not for everyone.
I saw it immediately.
Mon.
She was sitting a few seats ahead, turned just enough to glance back at us. Her eyes flicked between me and Evelyn — and even though her face didn't say much, her eyes spoke loud and clear.
She didn't like it.
Not one bit.
I didn't blame her. Mon and I… we'd always been close — in ways that were difficult to define, impossible to ignore. And now, Evelyn's closeness — her quiet comfort — must have felt like a wall between us.
I looked away, not wanting to deepen the silent tension that had started brewing again between hearts that once beat in sync.
As the bus engine roared to life and we drove forward into an uncertain tomorrow, I couldn't help but feel the weight of all that had changed.
Not just the world outside us…
But the world within us.
And I knew…
That the real journey wasn't just the miles ahead.
It was the one we were all carrying in our hearts.
To be continue....