Bollywood Nightmare (9 page)

“I need that letter.”

“We need to get out, Johnny, our kidnappers could be back at any minute,” I gasped.

“But this is the love of my life, she needs me, Kiya.”

“All right, all right. Aseem, take Johnny and find the letter. I’ll wait by the door. Hurry up.”

Johnny and Aseem ran across the warehouse and I watched them go. Love was a weird phenomenon.

I waited anxiously for them to return. I jumped at every noise. I imagined the door knob twisting so many times, imagined Josh and Joe discovering us a thousand times before the boys barrelled up the corridor towards me.

“Let’s get out now,” Aseem yelled and I slammed the key into the door and watched it swing out. We ran at about a million miles an hour up that alleyway but I just don’t remember it. We must have looked a sight—a dishevelled man in a torn suit and bleeding hands, a young girl in her pyjamas and a guy with long, ragged hair and dirty, old clothes were not people you saw jumping into a limousine every day.

“To the airport,” I said to Curtis, “and don’t stop for anything on the way.”

Chapter Nine

Johnny

That Kiya has told you she rescued me, I’m sure, but she didn’t at all. I’d have got out of there on my own soon enough, she just happened to arrive before I could set my escape plan in motion. I was kind of glad she brought her new boyfriend along with her though. He had some info that would prove useful to me.

She probably told you I was a mess when she found me. Well, okay, I’ll give her that. I was not at my best or my most mentally stable. My mind had been blown. The woman, the love of my life who I’d imagined was safe at home in Jennistan pining for me, was actually missing, had been missing for many years, centuries even and no one had told me. I felt as if the one thread holding me to my sanity had been snipped.

The only thing that had been keeping me going for so long was the knowledge that the love of my life was safe. That once I got wished free I’d be able to go back to her and hopefully make amends. I dreamt of her every night and she kept me going. To know she was gone broke my heart. I no longer had that connection and I didn’t even have a clue as to where to start to look and find her. I was utterly lost.

Then Aseem led me to a letter, a letter with one word and my lover’s initials on it, a clue. And suddenly hope renewed inside me and determination set in. I’d find her, I’d rescue her and claim her back as mine. I had to. I couldn’t imagine my future without her.

* * * *

The first thing I did when we reached the airport was to get us all some new clothes. Actually, no, the first thing I did was get rid of Curtis.

“They’re going to kill me, man, I can’t go back there, they’ll kill me, fuck! They’ll kill Ralph. You have to help us, I can’t live without him.”

Kiya gave me the look, the ‘I’m pulling rank and ordering you’ look she gets, but it was unnecessary really. I wasn’t a heartless bastard and I knew true love when I saw it.

“Fine.” I conjured a huge amount of money out of the air. “Take this money, get your Ralph and go far, far away.”

“Wow, there’s, wow, so much money there, dude, I can’t ever thank—”

“Yeah, yeah. Can it, pretty boy, and just go.”

I might not be heartless but I did not tolerate that kind of simpering, it just wasn’t any fun.

“Sorry for kidnapping you, Kiya, I didn’t want to, you know.”

“It’s okay, Curtis, I forgive you. Say goodbye to Ralph from me, okay?”

The humans embraced. Even Mother shook hands with Curtis. Oh, I’ve not mentioned Mother yet, have I? She wasn’t my mother, she was Aseem’s mother. We had to pick her up before we came to the airport. I didn’t mention it because she was loud and annoying and I was trying to block the car ride out of my mind. She didn’t stop complaining for a moment. But I suppose you need to know she was there. I don’t remember her name, why would I do that? So she’s Mother. Okay? Okay, good.

So next we got the new clothes and I created the passports and we bought the air tickets. I would have zapped us all there but the copper had drained me and there were so many humans to make sure arrived with all their limbs in the right place. You wouldn’t believe how worked up they get about that. Oh, and I rang Rahul.

“Why the fuck did my princess get kidnapped?” he snapped at me. “You’re meant to be there stopping that kind of thing from happening.”

“I know, I know, I’m sorry. There was some kind of knock-out Djinn thing going on at the hotel, I was totally unaware of her kidnapping.”

“That does not make it any better, Johnny.”

“I know, I know, but I rescued her in the end.”

“No, you didn’t, she rescued herself.”

“Well, technically that’s true, but she only managed it because of my training, you know.”

“No, it was my amulet that got her out, Johnny. Then she went back to rescue you.”

“Not rescue exactly, I’d have got out of there on my own eventually.”

“Whatever, Johnny. Just tell me you’re on the way home. Laura is out of her mind with worry.”

“So what’s new?” I heard his growl and continued quickly, “Flight leaves in an hour. We’ll be home soon.”

“Good.”

“But it’s not just Kiya and myself.”

“No, there’s the kid and his mum, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“You can find them a house when you get back.”

“Oh joy,” I groaned. “Actually, I wanted to ask for a bit of time off when I get home. Not like forever, maybe just a—”

“You get yourself knocked out, my daughter gets kidnapped, rescues herself and then goes back to rescue you and you’re trying to ask me for time off? I don’t think so, mate.”

“But Rahul, it’s really important.”

“I don’t care. I’m mad at you, I’m not going to give you treats for neglecting your orders.”

“But I—”

“No buts, Johnny. No buts.”

That was the end of the conversation. Bastard. All humans were the same. You thought you had found just a sliver of decency in them and bam! They did something selfish and silly that ended up imprisoning you for a millennia or more.

I didn’t know where to start to look for my true love but a little time and I’d get it. Time to ponder the letter Aseem had led me to, time to work out who in all of Jennistan would want to kidnap my girl, and then just a few days to rescue her and take her home. It was all I wanted, but no. Bloody human wouldn’t play nice.

The plane journey home was boring. I stayed in human form as I didn’t want to draw attention to the amulet. Kiya hadn’t asked how I’d followed her to America, she was too caught up in Aseem.

“Johnny, what about Leaf? He’ll be worried about me.”

“Who the fuck’s this tree fella?” I snapped.

“Well, I’m his star, I was going to be in his movie and he’s bound to have missed me.”

“Hmm, true, hang on, let me see if I can still get him.”

I closed my eyes and concentrated. I didn’t like to do long-distance mind manipulation because it gave me a headache but if Kiya went home complaining about another thing gone wrong I’d never get time off to hunt for my sweetheart.

It was just like searching for something in the back of a drawer without properly looking, you kept thinking you’d got the right thing but when you peeked it wasn’t. Eventually though I got the director’s mind and pierced it.

“Okay, done. He’s decided he sent you back to Mumbai as the picture would be better shot there. He’ll be over in a few days’ time.”

“Thanks, Johnny.” She smiled. “I’m glad I managed to rescue you.”

“I didn’t need rescuing, but thank you anyway.”

“Gosh, Johnny, are you being nice?”

“Yeah, don’t get used to it. I think those evil things around my wrists constricted the blood flow to my brain.”

“Oh, Johnny, that’s too easy, I’m not saying anything to that.”

“Well, that makes a change,” I snapped. It was all just playful banter though. She was a thorn in my side, that girl, but I would miss her if she wasn’t around.

Old Mother fell asleep after a while and the two lovers were engrossed in conversation and snogging. I took out the paper I’d got from the office. It had one word on it. Just one word.

HELP
.

It was her handwriting, I’d recognise it anywhere. It was weird though, obviously it was a plea for aid but there was nothing else on the page, just the one word. It just didn’t seem like my girl to leave something so useless. As I stared at it I remembered her.

I remembered her perfect skin, her silky hair, her soft lips and her abundant curves. I remembered holding her to me, I remembered the way she’d say she loved me. My heart throbbed painfully. I hadn’t known she’d been kidnapped. I hadn’t had a clue and I mourned the centuries that had gone by where I didn’t know.

I wondered if she’d still be alive. Kidnappers were generally not very nice people but I couldn’t even bear to contemplate her death. She had to be alive. I wasn’t sentimental but I swore if she was dead I would have known and I would be dead myself. I’d not be able to live without her. So she was alive, she was somewhere and I was going to find her whether Rahul wanted me to or not.

Yes, I was quite aware, thank you, that I couldn’t actually go anywhere without his explicit permission, but I had to have hope. I needed to go and rescue her and I would. I was determined I would. Her brothers hadn’t found her but that was because they were thick as two short planks with woodworm. My darling was way too clever to not have left some kind of clue as to her whereabouts. I would just have to work out what the clue was and where it would be.

I folded up the piece of paper and slipped it in my shirt pocket over my heart. I was going to rescue her. I had to rescue her. She needed me.

Chapter Ten

Kiya

I know Johnny would miss out all the important stuff. Like meeting Aseem’s mother for the first time.

“My mom hasn’t seen me in years. I don’t know how she’ll react to seeing me.” Aseem sighed.

“It’ll be okay,” I smiled. “I’m sure.”

I couldn’t have been less wrong.

“Where have you been?” she screamed upon opening the door. “Was a word too much to ask for?”

“Mom, I’m sorry.”

“Sorry? Sorry? I’ve been mourning you these past five years and you’re sorry?” She was a pretty lady, at least I was sure she was when she wasn’t scrunching her face up and screaming. Her skin tone was similar to mine, her eyes dark brown. Her hair was hidden under a head dress.

“I wanted to come back, I really did, but I couldn’t.”

“Yeah, well, you can just go back, just go. You’ve broken my heart, Aseem. I can’t cope with this.” The poor lady broke down there on her doorstep.

“Mom, I’ll explain it all to you I promise but we need to leave now, it’s urgent.”

“What? You come back to my home and tell me I have to leave? What do you mean?”

“It’s a long story,” I butted in, “but you must believe us, if you stay here your life is in danger.”

“Who’s she?” The poor lady shook her head and scowled at me.

“She’s Kiya Khan, international Bollywood star. She’s taking us home to Mumbai with her.”

“What now?”

“Let us in and we’ll explain, Mom.”

“Okay, okay, come in.”

It was not the easiest of conversations. Imagine explaining to your mother that you’d been whisked away against your will, locked up in a massive, inescapable warehouse and hadn’t been able to call for the five years you’ve been missing. Exactly, that would be hard enough.

“What’s she got to do with this then?”

“She’s offering to help us out, Mom. If we stay here the guys who’ve had me locked up for all those years will kill you and will throw me back into that hole I’ve come from. Kiya is offering to take us back to Mumbai with her. You’ve always wanted to go to India.”

“Yes, for a holiday. Not as a fucking refugee.”

“I know this isn’t ideal, Ma’am, but believe me, it’s the only way.” I butted in, eager to help.

“Why should I believe you? I don’t even know you.”

“No, but your son does and your son trusts me. He’s trying to do the best he can for you. He’s protecting you. We need to go and we need to go now.”

“But how will I survive over there? I barely understand a word of Hindi or Urdu or any of those other languages and I don’t know where to start looking for a job.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll get you a job at the studio, everyone speaks English there.”

“Please, Mom?” Aseem pleaded. “Please?”

“Fine, fine. Let me just pack a few things and I’ll be ready. I thought you were dead, son.”

“I know, Mom. I’m sorry.”

“Well, we’ll start afresh now.” She hugged him tightly and I sighed in relief.

“Thank you.” He smiled at me. His mum rushed off to the bedroom to pack. He sniffled and wiped at his eyes.

“You’re welcome.” I leaned in and kissed him. A gentle, comforting action that he pressed back against me eagerly.

“I hardly know you, Kiya, but I want to know you more.”

“I know, Aseem, I feel the same.”

“Do you?”

“Yes.” I grinned, eyes lowered. “I’ve never felt this way before.”

“You feel divine.” He waggled his eyebrows and squeezed me tightly.

I giggled and kissed him again. Even amongst all this turmoil, all the pain and the unknown and the urgency, his touch brought desire to the fore.

“Ah, now I realise why Princess Bollywood here is so eager to help out.”

We jumped apart, I blushed and Aseem cleared his throat.

“She’s a pretty girl, don’t ruin it, okay? Right, I’ve got the essentials, I just need a few things from here and we can go.”

“Thank you…oh, I don’t know your name.”

“Shelly. I know, very American, isn’t it?”

“Thank you, Shelly.”

“Well, it’s not like I have any choice and I love my son dearly. He’s come back from the dead and I’d follow him to the damn North Pole if I had to. I’m not going to lose him again.”

We were a strange straggle of strangers who arrived at the airport. I was glad when Johnny gave all the money to Curtis. I liked Curtis and Ralph and I was glad they’d be able to get away. I hoped they’d find a friendly state to go and get married in. They were so obviously in love. It was like the first part of the jigsaw just fell into place, the beginning of the happy ending.