1 | Birthday Surprise

"Happy b' day Ana" one of my friends greeted me. 

"Thankyou" 

"Happy b' day cutie" 

"Thankyou" 

My sweeties gave me a surprise birthday party. For the first time in my life, I am celebrating my birthday and I am genuinely happy. They have done a lot for me. Although it is not a very big party but for me, it means a lot because no one has ever done anything for me. 

After cutting the cake and receiving sweet wishes from my friends I collected all my gifts and put them on a table. 

"Cheers" everyone clicked their wine glasses together. 

"What happened Ana? Why are you not taking your drink?" One of my friends from the company in which I work asked. 

"Umm...I don't drink" 

"Oh really? Please say that you are joking" she laughed. 

"No, I am serious"

"Girl you are 25 and you have never tasted wine?" She asked me in disbelief. 

"She is our cult, shy and religious girl" Suhana my roommate told her and giggled. 

I smiled

"But today you have to drink" she added

"NO!" 

"Only one sip" she was about to make me drink forcefully when my phone rang. 

"Excuse me" 

"I will not leave you today like this. Come back after the call" 

I moved away from them and took a corner. I looked at my phone's screen and the call was from .....aunty? 

Why is she calling me? 

Maybe she wants to wish you. My subconscious mocked. 

Oh really Ana, how could you even think that. Has she ever wished you before even when you were in her house that she would wish you today and that too especially on call. 

I pushed all my thoughts aside and picked up her call to listen to why she called me. 

"Hello"

"Hello Ana, come home right now" she ordered me. 

"And why would I?" 

"Don't argue with me, Ananya Kapoor. I could be only this sweet to you. Come home as soon as possible" 

"I won't" 

"Ananya, I want you here in half an hour," my uncle said from the other side of the phone before disconnecting. 

"What happened Ana? Is everything fine?" Suhana asked me. 

"Yes, but I have to leave" 

"Where?" 

"There is some emergency at home" 

"Home means you are going to your uncle's house?" 

"Yes, and I am sorry Suhana. You arranged so much for me and I am leaving everything in middle" 

"It's ok dear. Call me if you need me" 

"Ok, love you" 

"Love you too" 

I kissed her cheeks and took a taxi to the uncle's house. I reached there in half an hour and found a car outside the house. I am sure it is not my uncle's car. Do we have guests? Let's see without making any assumptions. 

I entered the house and to my surprise, it was unlocked. When I reached the hall I found two men sitting on the sofa that were exhaling not so good vibes. I tried to recognize them but failed. Their attire and attitude were telling me that they are not good men and they are not our relatives.  

One of them stood and moved towards me checking me from head to toe with his dirty eyes. I stood there silently without moving an inch. He approached me, licked his lips, and started taking round around me, analyzing my body. When he was at my back I can feel his eyes reading my body. After taking a round he came in front of me. 

"What is your name, barbie?" 

I sealed my lips. 

"Where are your manners Ananya. He is asking you something," Uncle said to me. 

"Ana...Ananya Kapoor"

"Hmm....beautiful name for a beautiful girl" he kissed the back of my hand. I was feeling disgusting at area where his lips touched my skin. So I whipped back of my palm immediately. He gave me one last approving look and turned to face my uncle. 

"Ok, we are ready to accept your offer," Uncle and aunty instantly became happy.

Offer? Which offer they are talking about? 

"Let's go girl" he grabbed me by my arm. 

"Excuse me? Why would I go with you?" I pulled my arm back from his grip. 

"Because you are now our possession," he said coming close to my face. I instantly pulled my head back creating space. 

"What?" I was shocked beyond words. 

"Can I have few words with my niece?" my uncle asked

"Yes, of course" he took me to a room, Aunty soon followed us. 

"What is this uncle?" 

"It is just this that you have to go with them and do whatever they want you to do," Aunty said interrupting uncle. 

"One minute Sudha" uncle silenced Aunty. 

"Look Ana, you know that I have nurtured you as my daughter and that was me who saved your life in that accident in which you lost your parents"

I gulped and nodded. Why is he repeating that incident when he knows that it hurts me the most. 

"I have nurtured you as my daughter without asking anything in return. For the first time I am going to ask for something from you and I hope you won't disappoint me"

I was looking at him dunbfoundedly.

"Do you consider me as your father?" He asked suddenly.  

"Of course uncle. What is the point of even asking it?" 

"Then it is the right time to fulfill your duty of daughter" he added

"What do you mean?"

I was looking at his face trying to read his expressions. He came to me and took my hands in his rubbing the back of my hands with his thumbs. 

"Actually Ana, your uncle is under a huge debt. I have sold everything even this house, soon we will shift to a rented room yet there is a very big amount to be paid. I tried everything, reached out to every possible source but nothing worked."

He paused for a second and took a deep breath like he was preparing himself to say the further line.

"Don't beat around the bush and come to the point" Aunty said to uncle. 

"I am sorry I am left with no other option so now...."

"So now you are selling me" I completed his sentence. 

He looked down clearing my doubt. 

"How could you do this uncle? How could you?" I screamed

"Look girl, there is no need of throwing tantrums just do as we are saying. We have already finalized the deal" aunty said

"Without even asking me?" 

"What was the point of asking you? Don't forget that you are under our beneficence" 

"So you would do this with me? Why did you save me from that accident? Why didn't you let me die? You made my life hell in this house and now you are killing my soul. I am a human being, not a commodity or property that you can sell to repay your debt. I too have some rights and I won't do this at any cost" I said this in one breath. I don't know from where I got this courage to say all this to her. 

"Just shut up. You can't escape from it now. We are too helpless" the woman standing in front of me said.

"Then why you chose me? Why don't you sell Ruhi, your daughter" I screamed not able to control my emotions. 

"ANANYA!" Uncle screamed and at the same time, I received a tight slap across my face from Aunty. I fall on the floor from its impact. 

"Don't forget your status. This is exactly where you belong, on the floor. They were us who accepted you. We provided you shelter to stay, clothes to cover your body, and food to fill your stomach. We can atleast expect this from you. I don't think this is equal to what we have done for you" 

I wanted to cry very hard. I was living between these monsters for so many years. A human gets attached to animals when they live with them but these people are so inhuman that they didn't have even a little bit of attachment with me. 

"Now, don't waste more time, get up and go with them without pulling any drama" 

"I would not go with them," I said while standing

"You heard me? I would not go with them" I screamed over my lungs and ran towards the exit. 

"Catch her" uncle shouted

I ran around the couch to save myself and bolted towards the main door. I opened it and I was about to step outside when one of the men encircled his arm around my waist and raised me high from the ground. 

"Leave me, leave me you bastard, just leave me!"

I thrashed in his hold and punched his wrist but everything was going in vain. He made his grip even tighter. I started crying not able to control my pools of tears. 

"Uncle please, please don't do this to me. Please!"

I begged him. His eyes softened a little. I got a hope of ray that maybe he would stop him now and hug me and soothe me like he used to do whenever I cried when I was a little girl. 

"PLEASE" I sobbed hard. 

But all my hope shattered into pieces when he turned his face lowering his gaze. 

"Don't worry barbie, we will take good care of you" the second man came in front of me with a devilish and lusty smile on his face. He is disgusting,  his smile is disgusting, even every person standing here is disgusting. 

"Take her," Aunty ordered

"NO!"

I thrashed around and was successful in getting out of his grip but in a second I was again in his embrace. 

"Don't struggle. We don't want any scratch on your beautiful body barbie, do we?"

I looked down at my wrist and found that he has pierced my skin and I can see the blood coming out of it. But this pain is nothing in front of what I am going through emotionally. The people whom I used to call my family have pierced my soul into two. 

"We don't have time to waste. Let's go" he dragged me towards the exit. 

"I will not go anywhere with you," I said gluing my feet to the ground.

"Then we are left with no other choice, our way or hard way you are going with us" another man said and put a handkerchief on my nose. 

I hold my breath as long as I can. 

"Breathe barbie, you can't hold it forever. Don't hurt yourself, preserve your energy for the future" 

I tried very hard to not to breath but my body gave up and I inhaled the chloroform for the sake of my lungs. I was feeling dizzy and weak. He put me on his shoulder likeI weight nothing after muttering 'sweet dreams' in my ear. 

'Mumma Daddy help me!' 

This was the last thing that I wished before completely losing my senses and engulfing myself in darkness.