From
this moment on, there were a few crucial things that happened that I think is
the reason I'm alive today.
1. I managed to get into a position to escape.
When they got into the car, the Indian man had
tried to force my body down onto the floor. I knew that the moment I'm on the
floor, there would be no chance of escape. So I begged him to let me sit up. I
promised him I wouldn't scream or alert anyone's attention. Thankfully, he
trusted me, and let me sit up, gripping my arm tightly. Then I told him my arm
really hurt and to please not grip it so hard. He loosened his grip.
2. I did not fight for the sake of fighting.
I was in an enclosed space, with no clear escape
route. I would never win in a fight with these 2 guys, especially when they
have sharp weapons. Had I fought from the get go, I may not have been in a
position to escape. I might've even been knocked out cold, and God only knows
where I would be right now.
3. I was lucky and sneaky.
I knew that the only way to escape, was to jump
out of the car, even if it was moving. They had locked the car doors. So I
leaned back, pretended to scratch my hair, and shakily unlocked the door I was
leaning against. I'm so lucky they did not see or hear this!
4. I went 'crazy' at the right time.
And then I waited. I knew that the car would have
to slow down outside the parking lot, as it exits to merge with the main roads.
The moment it slowed down, I opened the car door and tried to make a run for
it. I failed. I kicked my legs out of the car, but the Indian man had managed
to pull my body back in. From this moment on, everything is a blur. I remember
the Malay driver temporarily stopping the car, leaning over from the driver's
seat and attempting to close the door and pull my legs in. At that point I
remember thinking, "Even if I don't get out now, I need to keep the door
open and my legs out the door. At the very least, it should cause a scene, and
someone would see me. Or, the door might hit another car and they'll be forced
to slow down." So I continued kicking. My right foot pushed against the
wide-open car door to keep it open. I recall elbowing, struggling, kicking, and
even biting. I lost my glasses, and was struggling blindly for my life. At some
point the Malay driver yelled, "BAGI DIA LEPAS! BAGI DIA LEPAS!" (Let
her go! Let her go!) and the Indian man loosened his grip. I made a jump out of
the still-moving car, and ran for my life.
5. I acted in spite of the fear.
My friends said I was brave. But I didn't feel
like it. I was quivering and shaking in fear. I was so afraid. I thought I was
going to die. I was weak with fear and deathly afraid. I truly thought
"this was it". But I knew I HAD to move. I had to run. Or there would
be a worser fate in store for me. While I was quaking in fear, I forced myself
to look around and see if there was any way I could escape, or even catch
someone's eye.
6. I remembered the people I love.
The only thing that matters when you're faced with
potentially horrendous fate, is the people in your life. When I felt the knife
to my neck, the first thing I thought was , "This cannot be happening. I
must be dreaming." The second? The people that truly matter to me flashed
across my mind. It sounds cliche, but it's true. I thought of my parents. My
brother. Khailee. Esther. More people. That's all I could think of for a few
moments, before I thought, "Shit. I need to get out of here."
.//
I ran towards the Maybank outlet at the Curve.
There were plenty of people milling around. I screamed for help over and over
again. I was hysterical. I grabbed an older Malay man by his shoulders and
begged for help before practically collapsing at his feet.
I will always remember the relief and liberation I
felt, running over Mutiara Damansara's manicured grass and into the crowd.
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