“Yahan koi nahi hain!” Shruti was the first one to react. Obviously. Half in tears, half panicking, she searched the small room in all its futility. Also the attached toilet. Her foot encountered something and there she saw it. Sai’s Mangalsutra.
“Yahin to thi. Blanket odh kar so gayi, mujhse boli dus minute main wapis aaja…mera ID leja. Koi shaq nahi karega…Aur yeh dekhiye…”Shruti’s hand held the mangalsutra. Virat effectively silenced her, his eyes scanning the room with a trained eye. There was no evidence of a struggle. So had Sai walked off on her own or…He shook his head. Not likely. A soft creak, as the main ward door opened, alerted them. Someone was coming. Virat turned to Shruti as he ran to the curtains.
“Go, sleep on the bed…”
Dr Naresh peeped in the room and withdrew immediately. All OK and doing fine. Virat waited for a few minutes and then crept out of the room. He had to search for Sai. Had she been kidnapped? Maybe threatened, or even drugged? Seemed logical. There were no signs of a struggle. A part of his brain functioned on autopilot as he walked through the corridor. If they had drugged her, how did they smuggle her out of the hospital? What was the ward security doing? Unless…
Virat shook his head to clear his thoughts. Maybe he was jumping ahead of everything. Sai was safe and around somewhere. Maybe with Dr Naresh? Not likely, She had agreed to sleep on the bed with the pretence of being Shruti. And Sai would have definitely kept her end of promise.
He reached the revolving door and felt a presence behind him. The reflection in the glass door was hazy. He squinted, trying to turn around when he felt a prick on his neck. “What the hell…why are you doing this…”was all that he could manage before his world went blank.
A few kilometers away, another event was unfolding.
It was darkness all around. Then water. Swishing, swirling cold water that came in waves that broke over her face. A force that shook her in a no-nonsense manner. And then there was light around. Suddenly, a large searchlight switched on somewhere near. Sai opened her eyes wearily, squinted at the source and then closed them shut. The glare was too much. Where was she? And what happened? She was sleeping on the bed pretending to be Shruti. The last thing that she remembered was the door opening. The nurse? Or Shruti had come back? Should she get up? Still debating to herself, that sharp prick on her hand…and everything had blacked out.
“Yeh Shruti nahi hain! Yeh to Sai hain, medical college ki student..” The unknown voice declared and Sai opened her eyes again. Squinted till the face swam into focus. Who is he? And how does he know her? He must be the top boss. When he spoke, all else fell silent. Like now. Maine bola tha Shruti ko lane ko. Yeh tum log kisko utha laye? Dekh nahi sakte the kya? Ek kaam theek se nahi hota hain. Ab pata karo yeh kaun hain aur Shruti ke bed par kyuon so rahi thi. Aur Shruti kahan hain..
Another voice spoke in the background. A subordinate perhaps.“Sada Bhau, Hum Vahini ke chehre ko dekhne ki himmat nahi kar sakte. Hume sirf room no pata tha, aur hospital se kahan aur kaise nikalna... Waisa hi kiya. Ab yeh kaun hain, wahan kyoun so rahi thi..Hume nahi pata..”
So she was a victim of mistaken identity. But why? And was it Sada? Virat Sir’s friend? But he was dead, killed in an encounter. Then…? Her brain was being bombarded with data which she was in no position to analyse right away. And he was planning to kidnap Shruti. But how was she involved? It suddenly started making sense. Was that the reason why there was security around her?
Water splashed over her face once again. Sada spoke with barely disguised impatience..
“Shruti kahan hain?”
“Shruti…hospital main..” Words mumbled out of her parched tongue. Head feeling heavy as lead, she tried to rub her eyes when she realized something shocking. Her hands were bound to a chair. Same with legs. She became alert suddenly.
“Mujhe yahan kyoun...Aap koun hain..?”
“Tumhe janane ki zaroorat nahi. Shruti Kahan hain?”
“Bola na, hospital main…”
The man seemed to run out of patience.
“Last time pooch raha houn. Agar nahi bataya to haath paav tod dunga. Shruti kahan hain?”
“Yahan hain…” A feminine voice spoke and the man whirled around. “Aur yeh uske saath ek free gift..” A woman marched in view, propelling a blindfolded handcuffed man in police uniform.
Sai gasped in surprise. Virat sir? She shook herself to clear her vision at the sight of the woman who was behind him.
Shruti.
What was she doing here? And what about her baby? Was she…?
Nothing seemed what it should have been. Shruti’s words, spoken to Sada, more or less confirmed it.
“Baby is in one of the safehouses. One of our comrades is there with him…” Sai couldn’t believe her ears. She always had a tender feeling about a mother as regards her child. The same woman was begging to be with her child when he was just one floor away. Now had abandoned him there at the mercy of some third person? And who was her comrade there? Sai gulped hard. This was deeper than her worst imagination.
Another man propelled Virat to a chair near her. He hadn’t reacted or shown any movement so far. Was he also drugged? Another man expertly patted him for weapons. Removed his police issue automatic, ID, mobile, wallet and all else he could. No resistance from Virat.
“Ok, secure the area…” The leader barked instructions and all men dispersed to the periphery. “We will have a light dinner first. Tomorrow we all move to our new hideout!
Shruti, who was working by a camping stove, looked up. “And what about them?”
“They come with us. They are our tickets to safety. Get a change of clothes for them. Their clothes might have a GPS tag on them. You too, do the same with your clothes. Can’t afford to take a risk!”
“And their dinner? Shall I untie them? At least the woman?”
“No. We cant take any risks. You feed her first. After that the officer. He is still down…” Sada shook Virat’s shoulder in a no-nonsense manner. Virat’s head lolled forward lifelessly. “Lets wait for sometime. He may come to. If need be, we’ll wake him up..” Sai looked at her husband sharply. Why was he not responding? Still under the influence of drugs?
“And their toileting needs?”
“You accompany her. I will accompany him. Tie the left hand of the person to your right hand. Once done, retie their hands. I need to be careful with the man at least. He is a combat trained officer!
Shruti nodded and started feeding Sai in a no-nonsense manner. “Chup chap kha le. Kal bahut chalna hain. Chal nahi payi to…” the gesture of swiping of hand across the throat was grotesque. Sai teared up in frustration, helplessness, remorse and some unnamed emotion. Past memories, when she had been kidnapped by Jagtap, flashed in front of her. Virat Sir had saved her then. And now? He was tied to a chair like her. How was he doing? Still drugged?
“Come, change of clothes..” Shruti, her face blank, stood with a pile in her hands. One of the men untied her and led her to a tent nearby. Sai surrendered meekly to a complete change of clothes, no point in trying anything foolish with Virat Sir still in their custody. But no harm in attempting some small talk.
“I will eat on my own. Please…” Sai gestured to her bound hands. Shruti refused point blank.
“Maine bola na, khol nahi sakti? Leader ka order hain. Chup chap kha le…”
Sai was numb by now. Her best friend, her idol…was a criminal, naxalite? The person who fed her was stark contrast to her once idol!
It was a night without end.
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