Thursday 24 September 2014
Aakash Ganga Society
10.00 am

Ishita looked at her watch in exasperation as she hurriedly pulled a brush through her hair.

She had three appointments this morning and she was running late. Blame it on that husband of hers, she thought, her lips softening into a smile.

He had called at midnight and had stayed on the phone for over an hour, telling her about his day, asking her about hers, about Ruhi, and then whispering sweet nothings to her, telling her how much he was yearning for her, how much he longed to be in her arms, longed to kiss her, to touch her. She had responded in the same way, no longer embarrassed to admit her need for him.

If longing was an object you could reach out and touch, she had thought, then their yearning for each other would have surrounded and crushed them both, the depth of their passion was so deep, so unfathomable.

Even after he had finally hung up, Ishita had been unable to sleep, his call reminding her of his distance from her, his voice evoking memories of being held in his arms, of being touched and caressed by him, of their wild impassioned lovemaking. She had tossed and turned as she recollected his gentleness, his desperation, and the possessive authority with which he had made her his.

Well, the end result of her sleepless pining for Raman was that she was going to be very late today. Mihika had already left, and amma and appa had both gone shopping, so the house was empty as Ishita grabbed her handbag and car keys and pulled the door shut behind her.

She flew down the stairs, mumbling to herself, not looking around, focused on getting away, wondering about the traffic. And so she had not noticed Ruhi running about nearby, had almost reached her car when Ruhi's voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Ishima"

"Ruhi?" Ishita turned around in surprise. Ruhi ran towards her, dressed in the pretty pink and white shorts and t shirt set they had bought in the weekend.

"Ru beta, aap school kyun nahi gaye? ( Ru baby, why haven't you gone to school?)" Ishita dropped to her knees, gathering Ruhi to herself and quickly touching her forehead to check her temperature. "You don't have a fever. Kya hua Ruhi? Why are you still at home."

"Ishima, aaj special trip hai. School se call aaya tha. Kaha ki mujhe ghar se pick karenge." Ruhi grinned at her mother, happy to be getting a day away from school.
(Ishima, there's a special trip today. They called from the school. They said they'll pick me from home)

"Trip? Kaisa trip Ruhi? Mein ne toh kal hi aap ki teacher se baat ki thi. She didn't say anything about a trip. Aur aap ne bhi kuch nahi kaha tha beta. Jab hum shaam ko miley the"
(Trip? What sort of trip Ruhi? I spoke to your teacher yesterday. She didn't say anything about a trip. And you didn't say anything either baby, when I met you yesterday)

Ishita looked at Ruhi in surprise, and the little girl twirled around in front of her, finally stopping as a ishita grabbed her shoulders and pulled her to herself, giving her a calming hug.

"I don't know kaisa trip hai Ishima. Mujhe bhi nahi pata tha. Kal shaam ko call kiya tha, daadi ne kaha."
(I don't know what kind of trip it is Ishima. I didn't know either. They called yesterday afternoon. Daadi said so)

"There's something not right" Ishita mumbled to herself.

She had been at Ruhi's school the previous day to talk to Ruhi's teacher about how she had been doing at school. Both she and Raman were concerned that the custody case and their complicated equation might be affecting Ruhi, and Ishita had made an appointment with Mrs Khan to talk things over with her. And she remembered clearly Mrs Khan mentioning that Ruhi would be practising an item for the upcoming Navratri celebrations the next day. Today. So what was this trip about?

"Ru beta, lekin aap yahan bahar akele kyun ho?" (Ruhi baby, but why are you alone here, outside the house ?) Ishita questioned as she fished her phone out of her bag, her appointments forgotten as an unknown anxiety started to take hold within her.

"Daadu hai na Ishima, woh wahan security guard uncle se baat kar rahe hai. Hum school ki transport ki wait kar rahen hai."
(Daadu is here Ishima. He's talking to the security guard uncle. We are waiting for the school transport to pick me up)

Ruhi pointed yonder, and Ishita noticed Mr Bhalla for the first time, chatting with the security guard.

"Mein call karloon, phir aapke daadu se baat karti hoon"
(I'll just call and then I'll go and talk to your daadu)

Ishita had just started to dial Ruhi's school number when a mini bus with Blossom School's emblem drew up at the gates. She shut the phone and grabbed Ruhi's hand as a man and a woman got out of the bus and approached Mr Bhalla.

The security guard had moved away to speak to a motorist who had stopped nearby. In the distance Ishita could also see the familiar figure of Romi approaching on his motorbike.

"Ruhi puttar aaja. Teri bus aageyi." Mr Bhalla called out.
(Ruhi, come dear. Your bus is here)

Ruhi smiled up at Ishita, delighted anticipation sparkling in her big brown eyes. "Mein jaon Ishima?"
(Shall I go Ishima?)

"Ruhi, just wait, mein school call karti hoon."
(Ruhi, just wait, I'm calling your school)

Ishita let go off Ruhi's hand to dial the number for the school, and just at that moment, Mr Bhalla called out again.

"Ruhi aaja puttar"
(Ruhi, come dear)

"Ishima, I'm going" And with a final wide smile, Ruhi ran off towards her grandfather and the waiting mini bus.

*************************************************************************************************************

Khanna Mansion
10.00 am

"Everything going as planned Gupta?"

Ashok Khanna thrust aside the accounts he had been checking and turned a stern eye on the shady lawyer he employed.

"Yes Mr Khanna. We got a woman to call the Bhallas last night posing as Ruhi's teacher. She will be picked up from her house today for what they think is a school trip. Kisi ko koi shaq nahi hua." (Nobody was suspicious)

"Good. Good. And they will take her outside the city straight away?"

"Yes Sir. We have arranged all that. She will be taken good care of. And we will call Raman Bhalla tonight and warn him not to call the police. Then one of my men will leak the news to the media tomorrow. We have a few reporters in our pocket, they will write what we want."

"And then I can enter the picture and rescue her." Ashok got up from his desk and drew himself up to his full height, smirking in anticipation of his upcoming role. " Make sure we have good media coverage for that, Gupta. Raman Bhalla will look like an irresponsible fool and I will be the hero. Woh kidnappers ko kuch pata toh nahi hai na mere baare mein?" (Those kidnappers don't know about me do they?)

"Not at all sir. Nobody can trace this back to you."

"No, but they can trace it back to you, so you had better keep your mouth shut Gupta. I'm off to the Chief Ministers lunch now. Keep me posted."

And he sauntered off, as Gupta pulled out his phone, ready to check progress.
************************************************************************************************************
Aakash Ganga Society

"Ruhi. Ruhi...."

Ishita ran swiftly after Ruhi, the irrational fear that had arisen in her heart gathering pace. She caught up with her little daughter just outside the bus, where her dada was waiting for her.

"Ruhi wait, just wait" she said firmly, grabbing hold of Ruhi.

"Ishita" Mr Bhalla looked at her in surprise. "Kya hua?" (Ishita, what's wrong?)

Ishita realised how her interference might seem to Mr Bhalla. He had no idea of her relationship to Ruhi, she had not been able to reach the school yet, and she had no logical explanation for what her heart was telling her - that something was very wrong.

"Woh Bhalla uncle, I'm sorry sir, lekin yeh trip Ruhi ki. Woh..." She thought wildly for an excuse. "Woh Shravu, my nephew, woh bhi toh yahi school jaata hai, Ruhi ke saath class mein hai, lekin usko trip ke baare mein pata nahi."
(Bhalla uncle, I'm sorry sir, but this trip of Ruhi's. My nephew Shravu, he is in the same class as Ruhi but he doesn't know anything about this trip)

The woman standing outside the mini bus had been listening and she spoke up now, before Mr Bhalla could respond.

She was young and smartly dressed, but Ishita had never seen her at Ruhi's school. The tall solidly built thuggish looking man with her, a smile fixed on his face, was dressed casually and cheaply, which only increased Ishita's suspicions.

"This trip is only for selected students ma'am " she said pleasantly. "Hum ne explain kiya tha phone par." (We explained on the phone)

"Aap kaun hai?" (Who are you?) Ishita asked quietly, maintaining a firm grip on Ruhi's hand. She could see that Mr Bhalla was looking at her in surprise, but a nagging fear drove her to continue her questions, her interrogation.

"I..I'm a teachers aide at Blossoms" the young woman replied. "Mein ne abhi bataya Mr Bhalla ko. Ab hum chale Ruhi? We have to pick up the other children too."
(I'm a teachers aide at Blossoms. I just told Mr Bhalla. Shall we go Ruhi? We have to pick up the other children too)

Ishita tried to peer into the bus but the windows were all heavily glazed.

"Aur baache hain kya?" she asked.
("Are there other children in here?)

The young woman shook her head in the negative, a trace of impatience creeping into her voice. "Mein ne bataya na Mr Bhalla ko. Ruhi is our first pick up. Chale Ruhi?"
(I told Mr Bhalla. Ruhi is our first pick up. Let's go Ruhi)

The woman extended a hand to Ruhi, smiling at her, and ignoring Ishita.

"No wait" Ishita took a deep breath. "I was at Ruhi's school yesterday to see Shravu. I spoke to their teacher. Ruhi ko toh aaj diwali dance practice karna hai. Mrs Khan ne kuch nahi kaha kisi trip ke baare mein. Aur mein ne aap ko kabhi school mein nahi dekha. I'm sorry, but I need to call Mrs Khan first"
(No wait, I was at Ruhi's school yesterday to see Shravu. I spoke to their teacher. Ruhi was supposed to be doing her Diwali dance practice today and Mrs Khan didn't say anything about a trip. I'm sorry, but I need to call Mrs Khan first)

"Theek hai Ishita. Humme pata hai aap Ruhi ki kitni achi dost ho. Apni tasalli kar lo" Mr Bhalla was saying as Ishita flipped open her phone again.
(Okay, Ishita. I know you are a very good friend to Ruhi. You make your call if you feel uneasy)

Suddenly there was a scream from Ruhi.  The thuggish man had made a grab at the little girl and had her firmly in his grip, swiftly dragging her towards the waiting mini bus.

"Time waste kar rahi ho Mona " he shouted at his accomplice, who jumped onto the bus. "Utha lete hai bachi ko." (You're wasting time Mona. Let's just take the kid)

"Nooo " Ishita screamed launching herself at the man, trying to wrestle Ruhi away.

Her instinct had been right she realised. Her child was in danger. She grabbed frantically at the man, as Mr Bhalla also rushed at them.

But the thug was too strong. He shoved Ishita away, holding the screaming Ruhi firmly with his other hand.

To her horror Ishita felt herself falling, her grip on Ruhi weakening.

"Ruhi" she screamed, as she landed heavily on the ground, her head striking a jagged stone. She felt a searing pain. The next moment there was darkness. And then oblivion.

Meri nazaar dhundhe tujhe
Sochu yahi
Tu aa ke thaamegi Ma

Unse mein yeh kehta nahi
Par mein seham jaata hoon Ma
Chehre pe aane deta nahi
Dil hi dil mein ghabrata hoon Ma
Tujhe sab hai pata hai na Ma
Tujhe sab hai pata meri Ma