Amrita's POV:

I was walking back from the well, the heavy jugs of water in my hands, my mind still swirling with the chaos of my engagement. The village was peaceful, and for a moment, I allowed myself to forget the weight of everything that had been decided for me. My thoughts drifted to the future I didn’t want, to the life I didn’t ask for.

But as I neared the small path that led to my home, something felt off. A rustling noise from the trees caught my attention, and I froze. It was probably just a wild animal or the wind... But I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling creeping up my spine.

I glanced around, trying to shake the nervous feeling that was slowly creeping in, but before I could even react, I was grabbed from behind. A hand clamped over my mouth, and a sharp, overpowering force pulled me backward. I struggled, my heart racing, but the grip was too strong.

I kicked and fought, but the man’s hold on me only tightened. I heard muffled voices, but the panic was too much for me to focus. I screamed, or at least tried to, but nothing came out. My heart was pounding in my chest, and my thoughts were a blur. I kicked harder, but my legs only tangled with the other figures now surrounding me.

They were pulling me away, dragging me toward the dark forest that loomed ahead. My mind screamed for help, but the air felt thick, and my cries were swallowed by the vastness of the woods.

One of them hissed in my ear, "Don’t make a sound. We’ll hurt you if you do."

I stopped fighting for a moment, fear flooding through me like cold water. What was happening? Why were they doing this?

Terror gripped me as they continued to drag me through the dense forest. I glanced back one last time, but the village felt like it was miles away, the sounds of everyday life now distant and muffled.

I tried to push against the man holding me, but his grip was unyielding. Another man pulled something cold and sharp against my side, and I froze, a sharp breath escaping me.

The cart. They pushed me into it, roughly, and my body hit the hard wooden floor. Pain shot through me, but I gritted my teeth and refused to make a sound.

"Don’t fight," one of them growled. "We don’t want to hurt you."

I was thrown into the cart like a sack of potatoes, my hands tied behind my back before I could even react. I tried to catch my breath, but the panic was rising inside me again. I didn’t know what they wanted, why they had taken me, or where they were taking me. All I knew was that I needed to escape.

I couldn’t just sit here and wait for them to do whatever they planned.

I glanced around, trying to find a way to slip free, but the ropes were tight, my wrists already beginning to ache. My mind raced, but the only thing I could focus on was the thickening silence of the forest around us.

Tears threatened to spill, but I quickly blinked them away. I wouldn’t let them see me cry. I wasn’t weak.

Where were the people who could help me? My family, my friends? Was anyone looking for me?

I was pulled deeper into the forest, the cart creaking as it rolled over rough terrain. The weight of everything felt like it was suffocating me. The unknown stretched ahead, dark and endless, and the only thing I could do was hold on to the hope that somehow, someone would come for me.

The cart lurched forward, the wheels turning, and I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath.

I had to find a way out of this.