‘You all right there?’ The man’s voice sounded strange, distant. I opened my mouth to reply. Darkness closed in on me.

It was quiet, other than the sound of a few footsteps. The sun was filling my room. I rolled over, not opening my eyes. Something wet touched my cheek and I sat straight up. My head pounded and my mouth felt like I hadn’t had water in weeks. I looked around. ‘Where the hell am I?’ I didn’t recognise my voice. This wasn’t my hotel room. Bright green awnings surrounded me. I was sitting in a sleeping bag. My clothes, full of vomit, were strewn next to me. I wiped my face and instantly gagged. Cold, sticky sick clung to my face. I grabbed a polystyrene cup and emptied what was left in my stomach. I couldn’t think. My head was too sore. Realising I was only in my underwear, I grabbed the sleeping bag and pulled it to my chest, half expecting that whoever put me there would return. I looked around hurriedly for my bag. It was under my soiled dress. Opening it, I discovered my cash taken, but my phone was still there.

I tapped the screen, praying that there was still enough battery power to message Kavya. The screen came to life, and notifications streamed in. What had I posted? I opened my contact list and typed in K. Kavya’s number popped up; I hesitated for a moment before pressing the dial button.

She answered immediately. ‘Jhanvi,’ she said. I sighed in relief before tears began to fall. ‘Jhanvi. What’s wrong?’

‘I’m in a tent. I don’t know where. And there is vomit on my clothes,’ I sobbed. ‘Kavya. I am naked, and I don’t know what happened.’

She cursed. ‘Listen to me. Put your dress on and stand outside the tent. Jhanvi? Jhanvi are you listening to me?’

I sobbed into my phone. ‘Yes,’ I said finally.

‘It’s early. Nobody will see you, okay? I will bring another dress you can put on for the walk back.’ She hung up the phone. I slid out of the sleeping bag and grabbed my dress, trying to rub off the putrid stench of last night’s sick. I crawled out of the tent. From behind me, a man shouted something about me always being on my hands and knees. My stomach lurched, and tears fell freely. I stood up. In the distance, I could see Kavya looking around frantically. I lifted my arm and waved. She came running.

‘Get back in there and put this on,’ she said. I obeyed. She poked her head into the tent. ‘Give me that dress; we will need it if the police want evidence.’

‘Police?’ I said, my head throbbing. ‘No, Kavya, please. I just want to get back to the room and have a shower. Please.’

She saw how upset I was and nodded. ‘Come, where are your shoes?’

I shrugged; I had no idea where they were. A fresh wave of tears began. Kavya put her arm around me. ‘Leave them; they weren’t that great anyway. You have your bag?’ I nodded, wiping away my tears. She walked me across the camping grounds to our hotel room. Switching on the shower, she helped me undress before turning and closing the bathroom door. Crouching down into a ball, I let the water run over me, washing last night off, trying to remember what happened. I began to sob again.