Ritika and I exchange a nervous look. In few minutes we have to execute the final stage of the plan Ajinkya narrated to us. But, we are nervous and scared too, and even a little guilty.

In the truck, through which we are being shifted to a new location, there are at least 30 more unconscious girls. All of them as hapless as us. And sadly, we can't help them either. Simply because Ajinkya has told us that either we can help our own selves and save the lives of these girls or trying helping them all run and see our lives getting ruined. And moreover, the success of our plan is still uncertain. We can't become the reason for so many girls' death.

The plan that he has narrated to us is a bit risky, but hopefully it'll work. According to his plan, halfway through the drive, he's going to pretend as if he's not feeling well and make the other four guys stop the truck. We, who he has made to sit near the back exit of the truck which isn't even locked, will run out.

There's an army unit some 3 km away from the area where he's going to stop the truck. He believes they will help us. Ajinkya has given us his contact number too, so that once we get help we can contact him and save the other girls from the monstrous traffickers.

"It'll work, right?" Ritika asks uncertainly.

Well, even I'm unsure how successful this plan will be. But it's a risk we can afford to take, if it'll save ours as well as all these innocent lives that are with us in this truck.

"Yes, it'll," I lie. In this situation, I don't think it'll be right to tell a mother, who's worried for her daughter's future, that I'm afraid that we might not be alive tomorrow.

"I'm going to do whatever I can to give Kiana a comfortable life, something that my husband would've done if he were alive," says Ritika, caressing Kiana's hair. I feel tears welling up in my eyes as my heart goes out to this strong woman.

Ritika had lost her parents last year in a road accident. Her husband was her only anchorage, but even he was snatched away from her. Now all she's left with is her daughter Kiana. I really hope they'll be fine in future.

The truck comes to a halt, and we feel our hearts skip a beat. She looks at me, I blink my eyes. The time has come and we now have to execute our plan. We only have ten minutes and we can't afford to waste it.

Slowly and as quietly as I can do, I close the truck door. We have gotten down from the truck without any glitch. We carefully walk towards a field and hide ourselves behind the remnant walls of a disembodied house, with several trees and their branches providing us a natural cover.

Few seconds later, the truck starts moving again and soon leaves the place. But we still continue to hide, just in case it returns. A little guilt comes over again, but soon vanishes because the selfishness of mine takes over. It's human tendency, we first care about ourselves then others. And that's what I'm doing.

It seems surreal now that we've escaped from the claws of these vultures, who have no humanity left in them. All because of Ajinkya, the guy who himself had lost his sister in this dirty trade because of his friend a couple years back. He couldn't save her. But that only made him swear to help out the girls by taking cover between these inhumane people and that's why he helped us.

Though, I doubt the authenticity of this story of his, the look on his face had said it all. He had genuineness in his eyes, and that made me believe him.

"We should start our journey now. They must've traveled quite a distance," suggests Ritika, peeping out from behind the wall.

"Yes, we should." I say, clutching the piece of paper on which Ajinkya has written his contact number.

She nods, and we start walking. The entire area is part of forest, with only trees everywhere. We heedfully walk, keeping an vigilant eye out for any danger. Since its a forest, chances of wildlife are high here apart from the traffickers.

"Anushi, can I confess something?" Ritika asks me, her voice quite hesitant.

I shake my head.

"While I was getting down from the truck, I feel one of the guys saw me. I wanted to tell you then and there only, but kept mum. I'm sure they're gonna send goons to catch us again," she cries. Ashamed, embarrassed? I don't know.

I gasp and stare at her. For until now I kept thinking we had a smooth escape from the truck, but she's telling me now that it isn't so. I don't know how to react to this piece of information now.

"You should've told me. Now I don't know what to do apart from walking. Because even if they send goons, there's little we can do apart from getting ourselves either caught or killed. So, let's just keep going." I suggest, honestly I feel this is only thing we can do now.

"I agree with you. And I'm sorry," she sighs.

"It's okay."

And we continue walking.

"Can you promise me something?" she asks suddenly.

We have been walking for almost three hours now and are deep in the forest. Hopefully, no one has come searching for us ... or I believe so.

"Yes?" I say, uncertain about my voice.

"Promise me if something happens to me, you'll take Kiana and run away. Please help her have a good future." she pleads, folding her hands in front of me.

A lump forms in my throat. The woman in front of me in her torn bloodstained salwar suit, looks like the most fragile human to me. Why do for some people, fate works in the most brutal manner?

"I-I w-will," I promise her, finding my voice back after few seconds. This is the least I can do for her and her Kiana. But I hope she survives to look after her daughter on her own.

She smiles a teary smile and we resume walking. Kiana is up from her sleep now, smiling to me every now and then. Since Ritika has injured her left foot with a sharp wooden splinter, I'm carrying Kiana. If not for myself, I'm happy for her that we took this risk.

Few minutes later, I feel something moving behind us. I turn back but there's no one. For past two hours, I've been feeling that someone's following us, but I can't see anyone.

"Anushi!"

All of sudden I hear Ritika shout and in a reflex move, I turn to find her staring at something to the right of us. I gasp on seeing at whom she's staring.

They are the goons who had abducted me from the parking lot, hiding behind trees, almost some 150 steps away from us. I was right then, they did come to know that we have escaped and now have sent these goons to catch us again.

"Anushi, run, we have to run." Ritika shakes me. I haven't realised but I'm frozen on my spot, unable to move. Somehow Ritika makes me move and we run, as fast as we can try.

The sound of the footsteps gets louder and louder, but we continue running, without looking back. We are even deeper in the forest and it's darker now. We can't make out anything in this darkness, but keep running.

"ANUSHI!" Ritika yells, some steps behind me.

I turn back and find her falling on the ground with blood dripping from her abdomen. She's been shot!

I take a step to move towards her, but she gestures me to stop and says, "Go, go away. Save yourself and Kiana. Please go!"

But I can't leave her like this. Whatever happens, we're in this together. I'm not going to leave her alone here in this condition. She'd die!

"Anushi, keep your words! Save my daughter's life, please! For our friendship, please run. Go away! Save yourself, you p-promised m-me!" Ritika pleads again.

The sound of the footsteps seems to be coming from somewhere closer now. I feel a hand on my cheek and find Kiana crying. She needs to be saved. I have to leave Ritika in this condition.

I glance once at Ritika, who passes me a smile and cries seeing her daughter for the last time. I turn my back to her and start running. I can't turn back, even if I want to.

I keep running, and few minutes later, I hear another sound of gunshot and Ritika's final scream. They killed her, I guess. They wouldn't have left her like that. And now it's my turn. But I won't give up without trying till my last breath, for Kiana.

A/N: Do vote and comment! :)