By V L Priyamvada

It was raining outside. It had been almost a month since her friend went missing. She felt empty. She was feeling like a kingdom without its king, desperate and dejected. Riya lost her mom in her childhood itself. Her father brought up her with a lot of love and care. They were childhood friends and so close, so, inseparable. They both shared a room and now it lost its brightness. Laya has investigated a lot,but in vain. Suddenly the door bell rang and broke her reveries. She opened the door. Nobody was outside. She looked down, there was an envelope. She opened it, it was an invitation from Nick. She tried a lot to get over the incident; but she couldn’t.

Suddenly her phone rang ,it was Nick.

Laya answered, “Hi, I’m sorry I can’t come to the party. I’m busy today”. Nick persistently said,

“You have to come to the party.Its my birthday”.

Laya and Nick are friends from their college days,so she couldn’t say no to him. She got ready in half an hour. Nick’s car arrived. They were racing on a deserted road. She arrived at Nick’s guest house. Everything was like chandeliers. The brightness of a different world filled the surroundings. He had spent alot to decorate the whole house. All this couldn’t entice her, just got past the world of chief attraction, she went inside, stood in a corner,Nick started flirting with girls. He always does that. The love they shared in the past ,the intimate time she spent with Riya kept on hunting her. Wherever she went, whatever she did couldn’t assuage her mind, she became restless to get over the incident. But, Nick never took anything seriously that made her vexed.

All her friends were dancing, frolicking, enjoing. It was a different time, a time that collided with them, that led them to harvest contentment to its fullest. Nick noticed her.

He said, “so you have come”.

Laya said, “yes, it was your birthday, how could I miss it.”

“Wish you happy birthday”.

He said, “thanks”.

Laya said “but I need to go, Nick. I have some work to do”. At last, Laya convinced Nick. When they were driving home, she got angry that nobody remembered Riya. She opened the door and sat on the sofa and started crying. She was reminiscing the days how Riya and she were engaging, converting every bit of moment unforgettable. Her eyes closed involuntarily.

She opened her eyes. The door bell rang. She opened the door. A mysterious guy was standing out side. His dresses were tattered. He was wearing grey pants and a white shirt with a coat. He looked like a beggar. She invited him inside.

He burst out and said,”I know about Riya”.

She was quite shocked. She asked, “how do you know about Riya?”

He continued, “I was on the same place when she was kidnapped by a man. When Police had come for the investigation. I was terrorised to keep mum. If not, the consequences will be terrific. So I couldn’t stand as a witness, I shied away. Two more dark-skined, healthy and tall and young accomplices were with him. This man hurled abuses on your friend, said, you know, how hellish I’m! How dare you decline my proposal, am I an antisocial? And then they slang her into a car without any number plate”.

Laya asked, “do you remember his face?”.

He said, “yes”.

It made Laya flabbergasted. She spoke to herself, Riya never mentioned about her relation; though, she was disturbed for quite sometime.

Laya called Joseph without wasting a minute. He was a terrific artist. He could draw portraits of any kind.

Joseph answred the second call.

Joseph asked, “Hey Laya, you good?”.

Laya replied in a devastated voice, “Hi Joseph, I need your help. Can you come to my house for a while?”.

Joseph replied, “yes of course”.

Joseph reached Laya’s house in 15 minutes.

Joseph asked Laya, “why are you so desperate?”

Laya answered, “This man knows  about Riya. He remembers the face of the person who kidnapped”.

Joseph started portraying the picture of the man. It was completed in an hour. Both Joseph and Laya looked at the picture and were quite shocked.

She rushed to Nick’s house. “Is this the reward of my trust?”

She whined  terribly, bloody scoundrel, Nick.

“I won’t let you live peacefully, you brood kidnapper. I wil finish you up. You can never be my friend. How many girls have you abused… Let me just chop up your body into pieces.” And then the police van reached.

 About the Author: V L Priyamvada is 14 and in Class X. She studies in Narayana High School at Punjagutta in Hyderabad in India. She is a voracious reader and writes short stories in English. She can be reached at [email protected]