“I was kidnapped eight years ago, and it changed me forever.”
Few things are scarier than the idea of you or one of your loved ones being kidnapped.
“The worst part of being kidnapped?
The complete helplessness that way too.”
“It happened in Delhi, India.
I was new to the place, just 45 days into my first job.
A Maruti Eco van came, which looked exactly like a shared taxi, which is common in Delhi.
I got in after asking if they could take me where I needed to go.
Three people were in it, two in the front and one in the back.
They all looked like villagers and were 20-25 years old.
By then, I was sitting quietly because there was no point in making noise and getting beaten up.
Fighting back was also out of the question when the road was empty because three people were around me.
I did it and they took me to AIIMS trauma care Delhi for medical check-up.
Luckily I only had minor injuries and returned home by 4 a.m. with my friend.
I was lucky they did not have any weapons with them.
The van had safety glass on the side, and somehow, I could see those two policemen outside!
I went there, saw the van, and saw that two of them were in the lock-up.
I wish I could get my phone and bag back, though!
Take care when roaming around alone.
Arun M., Quora
3.
“When I was in my early 20s in St. Louis, I lived with my boyfriend.
We had a large group of friends who would all party together.
At one party, there were a lot more guys than women.
The guys were all playing foosball, air hockey, and some other games while drinking excessively.
I’ve never been a huge drinker, so I wasn’t drinking.
He said, ‘Your boyfriend seems to be ignoring you.’
I told him my boyfriend was really into competition and loved playing in the foosball competitions.
Then he walked over to me and unexpectedly grabbed me.
He picked me up and started walking out the back door.
I was kicking and punching him while struggling to get away.”
“There are no winners when it comes to parental abduction.
Everyone loses, especially the children.
I was abducted by my father when I was four years old and was missing for 14 years.
I lived those years on the run, in hiding and in fear.
It was a life of fear and homelessness.”
Since I was so young, I quickly began to forget her face, her voice, everything.
She soon became a faceless stranger who wanted to take me away from all that had become familiar.
I helped my father hide me and saw him as my hero.
Only as I grew older did I begin to see things differently.
This really touched me.
(My mother was his second wife, and she didn’t know that he had abducted the boys.
As a teenager, I nearly destroyed myself, both emotionally and physically.
I felt betrayed by those who were supposed to love and protect me, and my world fell apart.
I managed to find my mother when I was nearly 18.
It was almost too painful to believe otherwise.
But I wanted the truth.
I called my mother before my 18th birthday, and we met shortly after.
The pain didn’t end with my meeting my mom, a wonderful person.
She’s wonderful.)
I had to figure out who I was, where I came from, and where I was going.
Terra M., Quora
5.
“I was kidnapped eight years ago, and it changed me forever.
It’s an experience you wouldn’t want to wish on your worst enemy.
I was running some errands with my mom, and we returned home around 9 p.m.
The gate was opened by a stranger wearing a guard’s uniform.
“I was held in a room by a guy and wasn’t allowed to leave.
He threatened to kill me or at least inflict a lot of pain on me.
He started yelling at me, ‘You don’t look fucking humble.’
It was a very intense experience.
Eleven years later, it still haunts me.
I was only held captive for about 30 minutes.”
Anonymous, Quora
7.
“I was kidnapped and raped when I was 8, and fortunately, set free the same day.
It’s rare these days it seems that children who are kidnapped return home.
I suppose I suffer some form of PTSD, but it has never been diagnosed.
I can’t imagine anyone could go through what I did without long-lasting effects.
With that said, people are more resilient than they think.
Most who know me today would never guess that is my story.
I’m successful and appear very confident to others.
Almost instantly, I felt someone pulling me out with extreme might and throwing me inside a minivan.
It felt like a dream, and it took me minutes to realize what the hell was happening.
I tried to scream but was too in shock to have sound come out of my throat.
I realized I was in deep shit.
They immediately blindfolded me and tied my mouth shut.
Then one of them said, ‘If you move, you’re dead.’
Long story short, they asked for a political favor from my dad in exchange for my life.
I was eventually found and taken home.”
They drove her to a remote location about 150 miles away, where they had lots of survival equipment.
They raped and beat her for four days and told her they were going to kill her.
They made her dig her own grave.
They radioed for an ambulance and backup, and the men were apprehended, tried, and convicted.”
“I was in Nairobi visiting family when I went out for a drink.
“While all this was happening, I remembered something a woman had told me many years ago.
In 1994, she was in Kigali, Rwanda, during the Rwandan genocide.
She told me, ‘If a mountain gorilla charges you, you don’t run.
You get down on your knees, bow your head, and show deference to him.
It’s the same thing when you’re in a conflict situation.
Do not show soldiers or militia any hint of anger, defiance, or contempt.
Avoid eye contact at all costs, keep your head bowed, and your mouth shut.
So that’s what I did.
I showed deference, kept my head low, and avoided eye contact as much as possible.
I didn’t want them to see me as a threat.
As long as they felt they had subdued me, they didn’t beat me up.
So here’s my advice if you ever get yourself kidnapped:
Cooperate with them.
Give them what they want.
If it’s money, give it to them.
As long as you’re alive, you will make more money.
Money means nothing to you when you’re dead.
Don’t fight back until you have an opportunity to do so.
You’ll get yourself beaten up or killed.
Find a way to connect to your kidnappers.
I think I’m probably alive because of him, but who knows?”
James M., Quora
11.
He effectively fought my boyfriend, got rid of him, and moved in on me.
I believed him.”
