“Before I could register anything, I am yanked inside a car. The car door closes with a thud and it speeds up towards a destination totally unknown to me. Two strong hands grab my arms and another hand tries to gag me with a kerchief. Though the inside of the car is dark I could feel the presence of at least 4 people. I am dumped in the back seat with two men. The sweet intoxicating smell of the kerchief makes me dizzy for a moment. No, you can’t surrender like this. My rebellious subconscious nudges me. I gather my all strength and kick the man trying to palm my mouth. Simultaneously, I try to free my hands by biting those hands. The scuffle increases when I fist his hair and pull it with all my vigour. But all of a sudden, my dupatta is getting tightened around my neck and one of the men starts garrotting me. The person near my lower body tries to clutch my defiant legs. I keep on trying to kick his face. The pressure on my neck is gradually making me weak, struggling for some air. Is this the end of my life…? For the last time I try to shove those hands on my neck but something hits my side head with a sickening thud dragging me into a never-ending dark tunnel. It is peaceful yet intimidating. The darkness is consuming me, making my eyes shut slowly; leaving my limbs numb….I am getting lost in the eternal darkness….”

“Turn on the light…she is not responding anymore.”

A hoarse voice commands. Within a second, the interior car light flickers to life. The man sitting near Nandana’s head places his two fingers under her nostrils.

“Still breathing but it’s very shallow. What’s the need to hit her on the head? Now, what are we going to tell Ayan Sir? Rajesh, call Ayan Sir and tell him that this Madam had an accident. Should we go straight to the farmhouse or to some doctor?”

The man orders the person sitting on the passenger seat and starts examining Nandana once again. He places her head on the seat and takes out his kerchief. Nandana is lying lifelessly. Her half face is covered with hair. The man removes the hair strand and the sight makes him lick his dry lips in shock. The half portion of her face is smeared with thick blood trailing to the neckline of the kurti. One of his eyes is also covered with blood. The sight is heart sinking. He ties the kerchief on Nandana’s head with inexpert hands and loosens the stole which is still around her neck.

“Who told you to hit? I was managing….right? Gradually she was giving up...”

He again scolds the man in a low voice who is sitting on the other side of the seat.

“So, what should I do? She was continuously kicking my face…my…”

He touches his lower portion where the sun doesn’t shine.

“I got the spanner lying under the seat and I just lost my control…”

He wipes his sweat beads forming on his forehead.

“Fine!...Explain this to Ayan Sir. Do you have any idea what would be the consequences if anything serious happens to her? Will he be able to save us from Aditya Sir’s wrath?”

The person who is now wiping Nandana’s blood from her face again lashes out on his partner.

“I am turning off the light as if anyone sees us with this girl in this condition…we will reach straight to the police station.”

The driver says and switches off the interior light. The man named Rajesh is trying to connect with Ayan and finally gets the line. After a brief conversation, he cuts the call and informs,

“Ayan Sir told to get her at the farmhouse only. He is calling the doctor. Guys, he was hell disturbed to hear this. I don’t know what are you going to face?”

He halts for a second seems some other thought clouds his mind. He again says,

“I have an idea. Let’s go to the farmhouse and dump her there without meeting or informing anybody and go underground for a couple of months. Guys, I don’t want to face Aditya Sir. He will shoot us then and there.”

The fear is evident in everybody’s face. After a brief argument all agrees and heads to the farmhouse. Nandana is still lying unconscious and oblivious about her fate.

.....................

“So, you both didn’t notice the number plate. Neither did you see or recognise any people sitting in the car? That means it’s like finding out a needle in a haystack.”

The police officer utters with a disappointing sigh. Both Vivek Basu and HM Prasad are sitting opposite him. Though HM whiffs the scenario and guesses the person who might be behind Nandana’s kidnap; he is too in a bit of shock. He guessed that Aditya is going to do something but he was not ready for this abrupt desperate step. On the other side, he is scared of his indirect involvement. He even tried to contact Ayan but he didn’t pick up. In order to shift the doubt from him, he initiates to file an F.I.R. Vivek is sitting on the chair with vacant eyes. The entire way to the police station, he was silent. He is doing exactly the same what HM Prasad is telling him to do. It seems that HM is the only help he can ask for right now. A drowning man catches at a straw. But what if that straw is actually a snake?

“The road was very dark…as you know, notorious boys often break the street lights…and PWD(Public Works Department) never try to replace them in time…He..He. But I requested Mr Oberoi to take it in his special concern….”

HM tries to be over pally with the police officer but abruptly halts when he realises that is not wise to mention Aditya’s name at this moment. But it is late.

“So, that means you both couldn’t see the number plate due to extreme darkness…Hmmmmm. By the way, who is Mr Oberoi?”

The officer doesn’t skip the topic.HM licks his lips in fear. His heart rate spikes.

“Mr A…Aditya Oberoi…Politician and famous businessman. He…came to our school for a survey and…and agreed to donate for the welfare of the school. That’s it…I only know him that much.”

He swallows his saliva in tension and forwards his hand to reach the glass of water.

“Did I ask you how much you know him? Answer only that much what you are asked for.”

The officer says in annoyance and minutely keeps on observing his expression.

“I didn’t see the number but I saw the car and its colour.”

Suddenly Vivek Basu opens his mouth.

“It was a white 5 seater car. There is a patch on its dicky…if the car got a scratch by any accident and the car paint got peeled off.”

He tries to describe clearly as much as he can.

“Good! Now, this gonna be a good lead to search the car. Otherwise, your friend was describing everything so vaguely. Don’t worry…We are sending our search team immediately. Please send the picture of your daughter to my mobile and sign this F.I.R paper. We will contact you whenever we get any clue. Now you both go and let us do our works.”

The police officer says in a compassionate tone. Tears pricks in Vivek's eyes. With a cracked voice, he only can utter,

“Officer, please get my daughter to me. She is an angel. She has never harmed anyone in her life. God knows…why this happened to her?”

He palms his face and at last bursts into tears.

.......................

Aditya is restlessly shuttling in his room waiting for Ayan’s further call.

“I will shoot those bustards if anything happened to her.”

He runs his twitchy fingers through his hair when his mobile again rings.

“Yes. Ayan, where are you? Why haven’t they come yet? Is she alright? She is not hurt much…right?”

Aditya’s tone is agitated as well as concerned.

“Sir, please come outside…there is something really serious.”

Ayan’s commiserative voice vibrates in the speaker. Aditya immediately opens the drawer and takes out the revolver. He thrusts it into his back pocket and rushes outside. This farmhouse is far away from the city. Very few people know about this place as they know very little about Aditya Oberoi too. Aditya bolts out from the farmhouse. The darkness temporarily obscures his sight. He switches on the mobile torch and raises his voice a bit,

“Ayan…where are you? What were you talking about?”

He moves the flashlight all around. Suddenly, the light gets fixed on a horrifying sight. Ayan is standing helplessly fixing his appalled eyes on a lifeless body lying on the cement pavement beside the entry of the farmhouse. The face is not clearly visible to Aditya yet his hand holding the flashlight shakes a bit. With a sinking heart, he approaches the direction. Gradually Ayan and the lying body become clear. Aditya comes near to them and Ayan looks at him with a vague expression.

“I came here to see if they already reached… and found her here. I think they left her without informing us because they are afraid of the consequences.”

Aditya bents and sits in a squat position, trying to get a better view. He places his two fingers under Nandana’s nostrils. His eyes are flickering fire and his jaws are grinding in wrath.

“She is breathing…it’s very shallow…but she is breathing. Ayan, when will the doctor come? It’s an emergency…we don’t have time…she can’t die like this…I won’t let this happen.”

Saying with an intense voice, Aditya lifts Nandana’s motionless body into his arms and storms inside. Ayan also follows him trying again the doctor’s number. Aditya straight comes to his bedroom and lays her down on the bed. He pulls the stole and covers her upper chest properly. Placing her head perfectly on the pillow he minutely observes her injury on the head. He carefully tries to remove the hair strands which are tangled with blood clots. With an unknown feeling, his heart wrenches for a second. He closes his eyes and clenches his jaws.

“Damn..How long this bloody doctor will take time to come?”

Gradually his patience is crossing its limit. Suddenly Ayan’s mobile rings and he exits the room hastily and within a minute, reenters along with the doctor. Aditya quickly gets up from her side and lets the doctor examine. After a thorough check-up, the doctor washes the wounds carefully and ties a bandage. He turns to Aditya and informs in a serious tone,

“I don’t know how did she get these wounds but her condition is very serious. She has a severe injury in her head…led to a lot of blood loss. Apart from this, she might be strangled for some time…because of this, her brain didn’t get oxygen supply for a while. It proves fatal for a patient who is already struggling with blood loss. It’s serious…very serious...”

He shakes his head in disappointment.

“Save her doctor…I can do anything and I can give you anything for saving her life.”

Aditya’s voice cracks. Doctor gets up and comes near to him.

“Now, she only needs two things.”

Aditya looks at him…perplexed.

“Blood and pray… Can you arrange this?”

Doctor’s tone is dark.