Braveheart: A Story by Sheela Iyer

Diya was only nineteen, but her courage was commendable. She inherited this quality from her mother, who bravely faced challenges countless times.

In the past, Diya had rescued two children. In one instance, she prevented a drowning, and in the other, she foiled the kidnapping of a fifth-grade student.

Despite good work, Diya and her mother had made enemies but did not care or fear the consequences.

One day, as Diya was on her way home, two women approached her under the pretence of asking for directions and then forcibly kidnapped her. The chloroform did the rest.

When Diya did not reach home till late in the evening, her mom ran hither thither in search of her. She reached out to the police, who advised her to wait for twenty-four hours. However, with the ticking of the clock, her restlessness grew, and she anxiously stood by the door, watching for any sign of Diya.

Upon regaining consciousness, Diya found herself confined within a small room with dim lighting and scattered, damaged furniture. Her hands and legs were tied with thick ropes, making it difficult for her to move.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps approaching and someone unlocking the door. She shut her eyes and pretended to be unconscious.

“Ah! This girl is still asleep. Excellent. The party will arrive late at night, and we’ll be relieved once we hand over her to them.” One of the women said.

“Indeed! They will take her out of this country, and no one will ever come to know about her whereabouts. We will get a hefty amount, too. This girl and her mother wrapped our plans earlier, and it’s time they learned a lesson.” The other women said and guffawed.

They surveyed the room one last time. Seemingly satisfied that things were okay, they closed the room door behind them.

“Oh God, these women are planning to sell me? I have to do something, but what?” She pondered and trembled.

Diya quickly stretched and twisted her wrist, grabbed one of the strands with her teeth and pulled it over her hand. She did this a couple of times and freed her hands. Diya then managed to untie her legs and hid behind the door before tossing a piece of wood on the glass window.

The glass broke and scattered on the floor. Hearing the noise, one of the women rushed in. Diya cautiously hit the woman on her head, making her fall to the ground unconscious.

The other women noticed, and violent scuffles broke out between her and Diya. Blood began to trickle from Diya’s temples. She felt giddy. Despite this, she fought like a Braveheart and overpowered the women. She locked the door from outside and called the cops, who soon reached and took charge.

Diya returned home, and narrated everything to her mom and said, “I am your daughter, mom. How can I give up without fighting?”

Diya’s mother hugged her tightly and breathed a sigh of relief.