Freedom was only inches away from her. As she ran, Satya stretched out her hand, exhilarated at the possibility of escaping this place. She would run to the hamlet, find her uncle and bring him back here to rescue the other girls. It seemed like nothing could stop her until two sets of arms grabbed her from behind and pulled her back into that accursed basement. Screaming at the top of her voice, she found herself facing the unscrupulous leader again. Two men held her arms tightly. She tried to kick them away but they were too strong for her. 

The leader looked exasperated. “You never learn, do you?”

Satya glared back at him. “Why are you keeping us here? What do you want?”

The next thing that happened was the most humiliating experience Satya had ever faced in her eighteen years of life. In less than a second, the leader grabbed her uttariya and tore it away, revealing her white bodice to open view. The impact forced the two men to release their grip. Covering her pink cleavage with her freed arms, tears of anguish clouding her sight, she crumpled to the floor. Fragments of her uttariya had fallen to the floor. Howls of horror were heard from the girls still huddling in the corner. The men were laughing at her once again. She blinked her tears back, unwilling to give them the satisfaction of watching her cry. 

“See,” the leader said. “She’s not all that feisty anymore.” He glanced at the two men still sitting on the floor. They seemed to have recovered their senses enough to take care of themselves. “Now, I’ll tell you what I want,” he turned back to Satya. “I want you to behave yourself. You will do exactly what you are told to do. No more kicking my men or I’ll have you whipped - never mind what Adipati says - I’m being very generous with all of you girls. Remember that!” He turned to his men. “Take her upstairs. Let Adipati decide what to do with her. First, blindfold her.”

Satya felt like she was in a nightmare. Dazed with embarrassment, she didn’t try to struggle anymore. Her arms stayed crossed tightly over her bodice. The men obeyed their leader without question. They tied one of the fragments of her own uttariya over her eyes. Then, they pulled her to her feet. Just as they were about to walk her out of the basement, Satya heard the leader’s voice again. “And don’t you dare even think of touching her before Adipati sees her or I’ll skin you both alive.”

The trip upstairs felt longer than anything Satya had imagined. She didn’t know when she left the basement. She was pushed and shoved between the two men. The absence of wind suggested that she was still inside some house. Possibly, she was being dragged through a long corridor. After a while, her feet hit the bottom of a staircase. Feeling her way with her toes, she climbed up slowly. The men were strangely silent. True to their leader’s commands, they treated her better than she had expected. At the top of the stairs, she faltered, slipped and fell to the ground. One of the men tried to pull her back to her feet again. But Satya was exhausted. She had no strength to walk anymore. Annoyed, the man slapped her across her face. The sting of the slap undid her. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She felt completely useless. She had failed to escape, failed to help the girls and failed to protect her dignity. Perhaps, dying tonight would be a blessing. 

“What’s happened?” a voice was heard from a distance. Footsteps drew closer.

"Adipati," one of the men spoke. “We brought one of the girls like you asked.”

“Where’s her uttariya?” The newcomer sounded closer this time. 

That voice! Satya knew she had heard it before. 

The men cleared their throats, unable to give an explanation. Adipati sighed audibly. “Is she from the village? At least she needs to be dressed properly if she's going to be presented to our guest. Never mind! It's too late now. Maybe he'll prefer her like this - half-naked. I hope you have explained to her what she needs to do.” 

“I will, Adipati.”

“Good! Take her to the guest wing. Wait a minute!” Satya felt someone breathing on her face. “Have I seen her before?” 

“She's Madhava's niece.”

“Oh dear! Such a shame to lose such a good student. Can't be helped now.” 

Footsteps retreated. Satya gaped in disbelief. Yes! She knew that voice. She knew the man they were calling 'Adipati'. It was Brahmadatta, the Mayor of Satvikshila. He had bestowed the scholarship upon her two and half years ago. He met her at school from time to time, praising her performance. The nightmare was getting worse by the minute. Anger started to resurface in her mind. The mayor who acted good and kind to everyone was in reality a devil, who kidnapped young girls. 

The men pulled her to her feet again and led her up another flight of stairs. She walked with leaden steps. When they reached the top, she was propped with her back against a flat surface. Satya could smell the scent of wood and polish. It was a door, undoubtedly. The man, who had slapped her, spoke in a low voice. “Look here! No more tricks now. Listen carefully. You're going into this bedroom. Stay quiet and don't try to run. There's a guest coming to meet you soon. You're going to stay with him in this room as long as he wants - all night, if he wants. Do you understand?”

“Why?” Satya was surprised at her own courage. 

“Don't ask questions. Don't struggle too much and you won't get hurt. If the guest is happy, then Adipati will reward you in the morning. Now get inside!”