“Ma’am, sir is calling. It’s been more than ten minutes since we were waiting for Miss Priya,” the driver spoke, glancing at his phone as it rang, displaying Priyank’s name on the screen.
Of course, they weren’t late, but Priyank was calling to check on their whereabouts, as is common.
Daisy frowned, acknowledging that it had indeed been quite some time. However, the car was parked right in front of the gas station, offering a full view, so there shouldn’t be anything to worry about, right? Or should there?
At first, she thought it might take some time because Priya was wearing a heavy dress, but more than ten minutes was too long, especially with the dress.
The heavy feeling in her heart only added to her unease, leaving her feeling scattered.
On top of it all, Priyank’s call wasn’t reassuring either. He would likely be angry if the car stopped, but what else could she do when Priya seemed on the verge of peeing in her own dress? Daisy didn’t want to restrict her freedom, especially not with Priyank’s already controlling nature. She wanted a bond of freedom with Priya, without forcing her to hold her pee. It was natural, but now it sounded fishy too.
Reflecting on it, the suddenness of Priya’s request in the middle of the conversation didn’t seem natural. Was she just too anxious, or was there something else going on? Daisy reasoned with herself.
“Ma’am, I need to pick up the call. What should I say?” the driver asked again as his phone rang for the second time.
It was already risking trouble by not answering it the first time, and now it was ringing again. He knew missing it would invite trouble.
Daisy took a deep breath, trying to gather her thoughts amidst the mounting tension. She glanced at the driver, his face showing signs of nervousness.
“Just tell him we’re on our way, but we had to make a quick stop. It won’t take long,” Daisy instructed, trying to sound as calm as possible.
The driver nodded and answered the call. Daisy could sense the tension in his voice as he relayed the message to Priyank.
As she waited anxiously, Daisy’s mind raced with worry. What if Priyank suspected something was wrong? What if he decided to come looking for them?
She shook her head, trying to push away the negative thoughts. Right now, they need to focus on getting Priya to safety. Everything else could wait.
After what felt like an eternity, the driver ended the call and looked at Daisy.
“He said he’ll wait, but he wants us to hurry,” the driver said, his voice tinged with apprehension.
“Let me go and check; it’s been too much,” Daisy said, stepping out of the car.
She felt somewhat relieved that Priyank wasn’t boiling with anger upon learning they had to stop the car for something.
Maybe he was just too happy today. And why wouldn’t he be? He was getting married to the girl he loved, even though he was forcing her. But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t be happy.
As a mother, she didn’t want to dampen her son’s happiness. That’s why she had told Priya to give it a chance.
It might sound wrong, but Priyank was in love with Priya, and even though his methods were harsh, he wouldn’t harm her unless she provoked him.
Thinking about it was lame, she realised. It was just too lame to believe someone needed to act a certain way because that’s what her son wanted.
Daisy walked towards the gas station’s convenience store, her mind swirling with conflicting thoughts. She couldn’t shake off the unease that gnawed at her, despite trying to convince herself otherwise.
Entering the gas station, she knocked on the restroom door. “Priya, are you in there?”
She didn’t know what she was expecting, but her voice trembled with anxiety with every passing second.
“Dammit,” she cursed as there was no response.
“Priya, if you’re in there, please open the door. You’re scaring me, and I feel like I’m going to have a heart attack,” she pleaded.
All she got in return was silence. Nothing more, just pure silence.
“What’s wrong, ma’am?” The driver came running, seeing Daisy anxiously knocking on the restroom door.
“Get the keys to this restroom now,” Daisy commanded, all politeness and calmness leaving her body.
If this was exactly what she was thinking, then it wouldn’t end well.
Priyank would destroy everything if Priya escaped, and this time she wouldn’t even be able to protect herself from getting caught in the flames, let alone help Priya.
The driver quickly fetched the keys and handed them to Daisy. She wasted no time in unlocking the restroom door, her heart pounding with fear.
As she pushed the door open, her worst fears were confirmed. The restroom was empty, with no sign of Priya anywhere. Broken glass littered the floor, evidence of the shattered window.
Daisy’s hands trembled as she realised the gravity of the situation. Priya had disappeared, and she had no idea where she could be.
“Priya!” Daisy called out, her voice filled with desperation. But there was no response, only the echoes of her own voice bouncing off the walls.
The driver looked at Daisy with concern, sensing the panic rising within her. “What do we do, ma’am?”
Daisy took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. “We have to find her. Now.”
With determination, Daisy and the driver rushed out of the gas station, scanning the surroundings for any sign of Priya. But the streets were empty, and there was no trace of her.
As they searched, Daisy’s mind raced with worry. She knew they were running out of time.
‘Why, my child? Why do you have to do this? Do you want to die so badly? What you’re doing, it’s not going to end well,’ Daisy thought, considering Priyank’s likely reaction and actions when he found out about the situation.
Priya knew, maybe not entirely, but she had seen enough of Priyank’s craziness. He had even killed her dog.
Yet, she thought running away would help, when in reality, she was just digging her own grave.
‘He would turn the whole country upside down to find her. This is the youngest billionaire we’re talking about, not just an ordinary person.’ Daisy mumbled.
“Call Priyank.”