Quickly following the voice, I soon hear another familiar voice.

"What is it?"

Is it him? But here ?

"I swear I don't know!"

"How the hell did she end up here?"

"Man, I don't know. Maybe it was the other guys plan!"

"Keep her away. I don't want her to find out about me!" he yells angrily, followed by a door banging.

"Fuckkkkk" he yells, his thick voice echoing in the empty hallways.

I slowly peep from the corner , to see a man clutching his hair. I could hardly see his face but his voice, I know that voice!

Before I could make a move, my phone rings.

Shit, shit! Shit!

I run, hoping that I can somehow find my way back. Fidgeting, I manage to turn off my phone.

"Who is it!?" comes the same voice.

I soon spot a restroom sign and quickly duck in. Turning on my phone, I see a call from Naina and call her.

"Naina, we messed up!"

"How did you know?"

"What do you know?" I ask

"Where are you?" she questions.

"In the restroom, hiding!"

"Stay there, I'm coming" she says hanging up the call.

After a few forever minutes, I hear the door opening. I whistle out a tune to my favorite song, and I hear the next tune continued.

"Naina" I say with a sigh, opening the stall door.

"Nessie," she says hugging me. "What happened?"

"Guess who I saw?"

"I really don't want to say!"

"Derek!"

"Oh," she says as if I didn't just drop a big bomb on her.

"What is it?" I ask. Something just doesn't seem right.

"Come with me!" she says leading me back to the ring area.

If it was loud before, the sound now could make a deaf man also hear.

"Look," she says pointing to the ring.

I look closely but could hardly make out the blood covered people fighting in the ring.

Derek?

"Is that Derek?"

"Your brother? Derek Ryder? I was distracted by the other person fighting him,"

I turn around to see their faces on the giant screen, I see the camera zooming on of their faces, but I get distracted by the tattoo on one of the fighters shoulders.

Caleb?

"Ca-Caleb?"

"This was what I wanted to show you. So sorry. I just saw his face when you left"

"I - I--What he fuck!"

 "IYeaaahh," 

"What's he doing up there? Does he know it's my brother?" I ask, walking closer to the stage to confirm if it's actually him. 

"No idea !"

"What is even going on. This is crazzyy!"  I yell and the arena suddenly echoed with cheers.

Turning around, I see Caleb punching Derek on his face. His eyes look so cold that a shiver runs through me.

"Do you want to leave?" she asks, coming close. 

I don't realize when my mouth opens wide or when the tears slide down on my cheeks. The match had me transfixed. I couldn't move, with every punch Caleb threw at my brother, a gnawing question grew inside me.

Why did he do this?

My brother finally recovers just in time as the gong resonates.

"Is this real?" I ask, transfixed at the screen in front of me.

"I know it's hard to believe, Nessie. I actually went up close to the stage when I saw Caleb's face on that screen, and almost got kicked out,"

Without thinking, I run back to the restrooms and just in time, see my brother going into a room.

"Nessie, No," "Wait!" yells Naina as she follows me.

"Where do you think Caleb's room would be?" I ask scanning the area.

"I don't know. I don't think this is a good idea," she says, tension laced in her voice.

I take out my phone and call Caleb, only for it to go to voicemail.

"Wait. Did Caleb see you?"

"I don't think so," she says

"I don't think I can take anymore of this," I say, wiping my still wet cheeks.

"I don't think we can even find his room . Plus what will you say to him once you find him?" she asks and I pause for a minute.

What would I say? What would I do? Why did he do this?

"I just want to know why did he do this?"

"Vanessa," comes a rough voice from around the corner.

Turning around I see --

"Hitesh? What are you doing here?" Naina asks before I could even process what was going on.

"I was right," is all I could say.

"Derek knows you are here. He saw you. He just wants to talk to you," Hitesh says coming close.

"How do you know my brother?" I ask, defensively. Willing myself to not yell at him .

"I think it's better if Derek talks to you. Please , he is waiting for you," he says now just a few feet away .

"I don't think I'm ready to meet him yet,"

"He already lost this match because he was distracted, I don't think he can afford another lose. Please just once,"

"Tell him to met me at our spot," I say and walk away.

Confusion, Betrayal, anger, pain all strike me at once. I didn't even know where I was headed to or how long has it been since I left.

Derek: Vanessa, I know you won't be back to meet me at our spot till next week. Please meet me now.

Before I could reply, I get a call.

"Yes, naina. "

"Do you think you can share your location, so we can come pick you up? Pleaseeeee"

"Umm.. okay. I'll drop my pin," I say, hanging up.

I see a car approaching me after ten minutes. Guess, I didn't stray too far.

"Hey guys," I say approaching the car.

A pair of hands grab me before I get in. I try to back up, before the car completely halts in front of me. 

I watch as two men wearing wifebeaters and torn jeans, get down. 

"Let's not do this the hard way," one guy , holding a baseball bat says. 

I turn around trying to figure where I am, when I feel a smack on my head. 

"The kerchief, now!" yells someone and before I realize what's happening, I feel my eyes turning droopy.

"Urrghhh, not again!" I murmur as the anesthetic gas sets in.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Falling into a darkness, I try to hold on to the little bit of light in me. I hear voices all a little jumbled, all too confusing for me to make sense.  

I look around trying to make sense in the darkness and see a series of images float by one after the other like they are played in a loop, from an old videotape.

I see my mom, Naina , Caleb, Derek, Dad all passing by, talking to me. 

"You never listen to me,"  my mom chides me as a younger me stands in front of her, drenched in rain. 

"Here, come on," Naina says handing me a helmet, as I hesitate. It was our first ride together. 

"It's your fault!" Derek yells at a younger me in the hospital. I watch as tears roll down my cheeks. 

"I'm a master twirler," comes another voice, morphing into Caleb. I watch him twirling me around on the beach. 

I cry a little , smile sometimes and even scream a little as more images play around. It all stops suddenly, turning dark. 

A small stone bridge comes to life a little further away. Trees on both ends of it,  a small stream flowing below, the smell of petrichor filling the air, a light fog hung around. 

A younger me is playing on one end of the bridge, collecting flowers. I walk closer as I recollect this day. This was a deserted bridge in the woods, only used by those trekking.  I collected flowers and made a bouquet out of those and gave it to my mom. I remember, how we put them in a vase and later planted those in our garden. 

"Come my dear. It's time," says an ethereal voice. 

"Mom?" I ask looking around trying to locate the voice.

"It's been so long since I saw you. I miss you sweetie," my mom says, standing on the other end of the bridge, her arms extending towards me. 

"I miss you too so much maaa," I say walking closer. A sudden throbbing pain in my head causes me to wince. 

"It's time for us to go home dear. You won't be in pain anymore," she says as the lilies I so often see in my dreams form around her feet. 

"Where will we go mom?" I ask, suddenly aware of how the surroundings were changing. The bridge suddenly seems distant, the fog around turns heavy. 

"A place where we won't be in pain," she says, smiling at me.

I take a step forward, smiling as another sharp pain in  my head, causes me to stumble. 

"What's happening mom?" I ask, as I try to regain my balance.

"It's time for you to come with me sweetie. Let's go home,"

Images of Caleb and Derek fighting flash by. 

"But what about ..."

"Who dear? Do you have someone you love here?" my mom asks, her arms no longer raised towards me. 

"I think I have friends,"

"You think?" she asks almost mocking me. 

Another image of when Naina and I sneaking out from our class flashes by.  The time when Caleb said he loved me, but soon they were replaced by Derek and Caleb fighting and lying to me. 

"Maybe,"

"Are you sure Vanessa," she asks again. 

"Nessie, Nessie, Nessie," another image of Caleb teasing me endlessly pops up.  I never liked that name in the beginning, but it still was better than Ursula.  

"Yes mom, I think I have friends,"

"But don't you miss me?"

"Mom, I think they might miss me too"

"And would you miss them?"

I remember the first date I had with Caleb, the games I played with Derek as a kid, the sweet moments when dad actually cared for me when I was younger, the trip to Nainital with Naina, the friendship we shared,  the fun Caleb taught me to have in my life. It hurt me when I knew he lied to me, because I cared for him. 

"Yes mom, I would,"

"Oh dear, I'm so happy to see you finally happy and with people you love.  I had to force the truth out of you," she says, as the fog slowly lifts. 

"So what does that mean mom." I panic as I see the bridge now fading away. 

"Maa, what's going on?"

"You made your choice sweetie and I'm happy that you get to stay. Remember I never was angry at you, you deserve to be happy,"

"Maa, where are you going?"

"Home dear. Always waiting for you!" she says with a smile as she starts fading away with the surroundings. 

"Mooooommm!" I yell running to get closer to her.

"I love you, sweetie!" mom's voice comes out as a sweet lullaby drawing tears from  my eyes.  

Loosing consciousness, I feel the world around spinning and the darkness slowly fading away.

The pain in my head suddenly spikes. The light crashes around flooding me. Groaning, I try to move my hands to soothe the pain, only to realize I couldn't move them. 

"Oh God!" I look down to see my hands tied behind me and my legs immovable.  

"Boss , she is awake!" someone yells as their footsteps fade away.

A/N

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