At last, the group arrived in Bandung. It was still daylight when they set foot in the land of Parahyangan. They went straight to the hotel to check in. Robertino and Diego didn’t waste the opportunity to capture the evening atmosphere of the city nicknamed Paris van Java from the tenth floor of the hotel building.
Katrin chose to take a shower as soon as she reached her hotel room so she would feel refreshed. After getting dressed, she headed out to the lobby, ready to carry out her role as a tour guide. That evening, after dinner, they were scheduled to watch a wayang golek performance at an arts center. Over the next five days, they would visit several tourist attractions around Bandung.
Katrin had visited Bandung several times, but she never got tired of it. The atmosphere in Bandung wasn’t all that different from Yogya. Although it was considered a modern city close to the capital, Bandung was quite welcoming to tourists. All kinds of entertainment, both modern and traditional, could be found there.
Bandung was also known for producing many contemporary and classical artists. Dance, music, painting, film, and various other creative art performances were often held in the city, especially those with a Sundanese flavor. Bandung could also be called an educational city, much like Yogya, because several prestigious schools and universities stood there. One of them was ITB.
Several beautiful tourist attractions were scattered around Bandung. There was Mount Tangkuban Perahu, Kawah Upas, Kawah Domas, Gedung Sate, Gedung Asia Afrika, Taman Ganesha, the hot springs in Ciater, and many more. Bandung was also famous for its factory outlets and cafés. They said the best fashion shopping district in Southeast Asia was in Bandung. Not only were the prices relatively low, but the quality was guaranteed too.
Several centers specializing in jeans manufacturing were scattered throughout the city. Local Bandung cuisine lined the streets in the downtown area. Cafés, restaurants, and roadside food stalls stayed open until midnight. Every pub and café was alive with musical performances in all kinds of genres. Bandung had transformed into a city bursting with color!
As a tour guide, Katrin was obligated to take her tourists wherever they wanted to go. Of course, it had to fit within the schedule or itinerary they had agreed on. If a tourist asked to be accompanied somewhere outside the schedule, an additional fee would be paid to the guide. Even then, it had to be with the guide’s approval. The guide could refuse if they were tired or if the timing wasn’t feasible. The tourist was free to hire an outside guide. Usually, though, guides were happy to go along on unscheduled outings. It meant extra tips for them, and they didn’t have to hand those over to the travel agency.
Katrin often accepted extra outings from the tourists she escorted. Adding to the itinerary meant extra income for both the office and the guide. So everyone benefited. Usually, tourists requested extra activities because they had something specific to do, such as covering an event, conducting research, or because they hadn’t had their fill of the tourist attractions they’d visited.
Of all the activities involved in escorting tourists, Katrin most enjoyed accompanying those conducting research. They usually took her to cultural and historical sites that were the focus of their studies, such as temple ruins, kraton palaces, archaeological sites, inscriptions, and the like. It gave her a different kind of experience and broadened her horizons!
But this time, Katrin had an unpleasant experience. Robertino and Diego asked to add something to their agreed-upon itinerary. They wanted her to accompany them clubbing. They were willing to give her extra tip money. Katrin refused—not only because she was already exhausted, but also because she didn’t like going to nightclubs. Besides, they had to check out early the next morning and return to Yogya. But the two arrogant men kept pressuring her. They even half-threatened to report her to her boss. They promised they wouldn’t stay out late. In the end, Katrin agreed, reluctantly!
The nightclub was deafening, filled with blaring hip-hop music. Colorful spotlights flickered throughout the room. Katrin chose to sit in a corner, distancing herself from the crowd. Meanwhile, those two lousy Western tourists were happily dancing on the floor. They had picked up sexy-dressed girls they’d only just met. The smell of cigarette smoke and alcohol hung everywhere, making her nose sting. Katrin’s stomach churned, and she felt like throwing up. If she hadn’t been waiting for those two idiots, she would much rather have buried herself in bed and rested!
“Hey, here all by yourself?” a thug-faced guy called out to her. Katrin turned her face away.
“What’s with the silent treatment? Got a toothache? Don’t play hard to get!” The man started getting obnoxious.
This was exactly what Katrin hated about going to nightclubs. People assumed she was an easy woman—easy to ask out, easy to get onto the dance floor, and easy to take to bed. Wasn’t that how it was? Just look at those two Italian tourists. Without even knowing each other beforehand, they’d already found partners. The two girls dancing with the foreign duo had been so easy to talk into dancing. They were probably regulars at this club. So any woman who entered this nightclub would be regarded just like those two sexy girls. Katrin refused to turn herself into a cheap woman who traded her self-respect and honor for nothing more than a glass of liquor!
Annoyed by the thick-skinned man’s chatter, Katrin decided to leave. She didn’t care about Robertino and Diego, who were still busy with their “new girlfriends.” Besides, she had already given them more than enough extra time. Katrin was sure those two lousy Western tourists knew how to get back to the hotel. Hurrying half at a run, Katrin left the nightclub. She didn’t realize someone was following behind her. Katrin reached the nightclub’s grounds and felt relieved. She immediately headed toward the main road to find a taxi. She stood on the sidewalk, waiting for one to pass.
Suddenly, three muscular men appeared beside her out of nowhere. They chuckled among themselves.
“Where are you headed, miss? Come with us. We’ll take you home!” said one of them, a man with a menacing face.
“Don’t worry! We’re good people!” said the man who had bothered Katrin inside the nightclub, grinning.
Katrin’s face went pale with shock. She could read the bad intentions of these three thugs. Without thinking twice, she immediately tried to leave. But the three men wouldn’t let her. One of them grabbed her arm. Katrin cried out in pain as the strong, muscular hand tightened around her.
“Let go! I’ll scream if you try anything!” Katrin threatened, her face blazing with anger.
“Oh, this pretty little thing can talk? I thought you were mute! Go ahead and scream if you want. Nobody’s going to help you!” retorted the man with a tattoo on his arm, snickering.
Katrin was terrified. She refused to become easy prey for these three rotten thugs. She had read news reports about women being raped on the street. Katrin didn’t want to suffer such a horrible fate. She didn’t want to become a rape victim. She prepared to scream for help. But before she could even open her mouth, one of them suddenly clamped a hand over it from behind. Katrin couldn’t make a sound. She tried to break free, but the other two thugs held both her arms tightly. All Katrin could do was thrash around like a catfish trapped in a fish basket.
“Bring the car over here, Jon!” one of them ordered his companion.
The Jeep, which seemed to have been prepared in advance, soon appeared. Katrin kept struggling and fighting back, but she wasn’t strong enough to break free from the two thugs’ grip. The main road in front of her was actually fairly busy with passing vehicles, but not a single one stopped to help. Meanwhile, the young woman could only whimper and cry. The terrifying prospect of losing her honor loomed before her eyes. In her heart, Katrin could only pray to Allah for help!
“Oh Allah! Oh Lord! Please help this weak servant of Yours! Keep me from a disaster that could destroy my future! Please, Allah! Send someone to save me and free me from these three evil demons. If that person is a woman, I’ll take her as a close sister. If it’s a man, I’ll marry him even if he’s ugly!” That was the substance of Katrin’s prayer. It sounded overly dramatic, like the terms of a royal-era contest from long ago. But Katrin prayed with complete sincerity and a pure heart.