"I spy you!" - 60

But what she did not anticipate was the stabbing pain in her stomach. Overcome by some spurt of anger, the grey eyed lady stabbed the dagger into Vasupradha’s stomach.

Vasupradha fought to be awake, but the blood loss was quite high. She was only half aware of what was happening. She heard the grey eyed lady shouting for the two men to come in. Vasupradha heard the running footsteps.

Did she hear three sets of footsteps? She opened her eyes and tried to see who came in. she could not see properly. Surely there was a third man?

She heard a shout of rage from the grey eyed lady. Almost like a trapped animal’s noise.

Vasupradha wanted to open her eyes and see what is happening. She was slowly losing consciousness since quite a good amount of blood had gone out of her body.

She felt someone coming to her and removing the chains. She felt she is being freed. Who is doing it and how? She was unable to fathom.

A pair of steel gripped arms lifted her bodily and carried her in a hurry.

She felt she was being placed in a vehicle. She regained some consciousness when she heard a wailing siren. Is she being carried in an ambulance?

If it is so, is it because she was dying? Or has she been rescued? She was not able to understand.

She saw an arm coming near her face and placing a mask on her face. Must be Oxygen mask?

They can’t think of killing her. She is a valuable asset. She could give them a lot of information. Is that why she has been carried and placed in an ambulance?

But the arms... were they not familiar? The ones which carried her from her captivity? Even at this situation, her discrimination chided her. You are crazy about that man Pushpahaasa. That is why you feel that you were carried by him. Don’t be silly Vasupradha! You are in some foreign city with enemies. You can’t think that he is coming to rescue you. Oh poor Vasupradha! Please come to your senses!

She became vaguely aware of being lifted from the ambulance and put on a stretcher.

She was able to see some moving lights, heard some hazy voices, and some movement. Somebody was saying to her, “Stay with me! Hello,. Don’t go to sleep, stay with me!!”

She struggled to see who was talking and trying to keep her awake. But she could not keep her eyes open. But the voice was good enough for her to fight the unconsciousness.

She was little more awake when she was pushed through the operation theater door. She could remember the red light on the door.

She was shifted to the operating table. Oh, there are heavy flood lights, ooh, they are hurting my eyes. Is there heat also being transmitted by the lights? She could not properly tell.

Another 2 minutes, she was aware that she was surrounded by masked people.

That was the last thing she remembered vaguely before she fell into unconsciousness.