SOMETHING SWEET IN DELHI

Living as a politician's daughter was a whole drama on it own. From fake friends who only smiled when cameras were on, to people who blamed their hard lives on her parents, Natasha had seen it all. She never really understood why people hated her for something she didn’t cause. She took it as the price to pay for being the daughter of a politician.

But, Natasha never knew that her parent's political life would one day threaten her life.

It was a bright morning in Abuja. The sun was out, and the sky was clear. Natasha stood in front of her house, ready to go to school. She was wearing her neat school uniform and holding her small bag. Her parents had told her to wait for the driver, but he had called in sick. She didn’t want to be late, so she told her mum she would walk. The school wasn’t far, just a few streets away.

She had no idea that this short walk would change her life forever.

As she walked along the quiet road, a black van suddenly stopped in front of her. The door opened, and before she could scream or run, two men jumped out and dragged her inside. Her bag dropped to the floor. She kicked, shouted, and cried, but they didn’t care. One of them tied her hands, and another covered her mouth with a dirty cloth.

“Please let me go!” she cried, her voice muffled. “I’m just a student!”

But the men only laughed.

“Blame your parents,” one of them said. “They want to win the election by bringing down our boss. Now let’s see how it feels to lose something.”

Tears ran down Natasha’s cheeks. She didn’t understand. What had her parents done? Why did these men want to hurt her?

They kept driving for a long time. Natasha didn’t know where they were going. She was scared, cold, and shaking all over. She thought she was going to die. She was only sixteen, and this wasn’t how her life was supposed to end.

Just when she started to give up, she heard sirens. Loud ones. Then shouting. Then gunshots. The van came to a sudden stop. She heard doors opening and people running. In a flash, the back doors flew open and the police came in.

“It’s okay! You’re safe now!” one of the officers said as he carried her out.

Natasha didn’t even have the strength to reply. She cried and held on tight to the officer. The nightmare was over but the fear stayed.

After the kidnapping, Natasha could no longer go out like before. Every little sound made her jump. She didn’t want to go to school anymore. Her parents understood and brought teachers to the house. They turned her room into a small classroom, hoping it would help.

But Natasha was not the same. She didn’t laugh much. She didn’t sleep well. Every night, she would dream of the van, the men, and the fear. Her parents tried everything, but nothing seemed to fix it.

Then, something worse happened.

One afternoon, while eating lunch, Natasha suddenly felt dizzy. Her hands were shaking. Her head spun. She tried to stand up, but she couldn’t. She fell to the floor, gasping. Her mother screamed, and they rushed her to the hospital.

The doctors did some tests and gave her medicine. After a few hours, she felt a little better, but they soon told her parents the truth: she had been poisoned.

The poison wasn’t strong it was just a little bit, maybe a drop. It was meant to scare, not kill. But Natasha had a weak stomach. That tiny drop almost ended her life.

The worst part? The person who poisoned her was someone in their house. One of the maids someone they trusted was actually a spy. She had been sent by the same enemies who kidnapped Natasha. She had been living under their roof, watching them every day.

That night, Natasha’s parents stayed by her hospital bed, holding her hands. Her mother cried, and her father looked tired and broken.

“We can’t keep her here,” he said. “Not in Nigeria. We’ve tried. We’ve protected her the best we can. But it’s not enough. They’ll keep coming.”

“Then where do we send her?” her mother asked.

“India,” he replied. “Far away. Somewhere safe.”

They knew it wouldn’t be easy. Natasha would be leaving behind her home, her friends, her life. But it was the only way to protect her.

And so, the decision was made.

In just a few weeks, Natasha packed her bags and said goodbye to everything she had known. She didn’t want to leave, but she understood. She was tired of being afraid. Maybe, just maybe, life in India would give her peace.

Five years later.. Natasha stood at the small window of her new room, staring at the busy street below. She still couldn’t believe she was in India.

years ago, she was in her parents’ big house. Now, she was here, alone, ready to chase her dreams.

She loved the food, the colors, the people even if she didn’t understand much Hindi yet. Her mother always said, “Don’t trust people too much, Natasha. You’re far away now.” But Natasha wanted to trust, to love, to live fully.

Life in India didn’t start out easy for Natasha. Everything felt different. The people, the food, even the way the sky looked nothing felt like home. But as the days passed, she slowly began to adjust.

She got into Amberfield University to study Business Management. The campus was big and beautiful, filled with students who came from different parts of India and other countries too. Natasha liked it there. It became her new safe place. At first, she didn’t talk much to anyone. She was always careful, always quiet. But that changed when she met Priya.

Priya was her roommate, and from the first day, it was clear she wasn’t like anyone Natasha had ever met. She was loud, funny, and fearless. She had strong opinions and didn’t care who disagreed. She could fight anyone boy or girl if they messed with her friends. And somehow, she and Natasha became best friends.

People in school noticed Natasha. Some liked her, some didn’t. From time to time, a few students would tease