Saturday, October 21, 2006

Great Mission

Greetings!

This is a short story on Sindhu’s Brave Marriage…Please avoid reading the last paragraphs first.

I completed my Final Year Graduation exams and was returning back home when a Black SUV whizzed past me and stopped to a screeching noise. Within a flash I was dragged into the SUV by four well built dark guys and much before I could realize what was happening my mouth was stuffed with a hanky and lost conscious. When I regained conscious I didn’t know where I was and what the time was. It was pitch dark. My mouth was stuffed-shut, my hands tied to the pole and my legs strapped together with a heavy chain. I felt the surface beneath my foot was wet and I realized that I was wet in my underpants too. I was shit scared and trembled in fear, butterflies fluttering in my empty stomach, tears rolled past my cheek. Every minute seemed a zillion years.

After a few minutes, I heard a small screeching noise of a wild insect. When I was just calling out my GOD “ganesa ganesa ganesa…I will break 101 coconuts, please save me. Get me to my dad, please, please, please…” a warm hand landed on my shoulder. I shuddered for a moment. The person turned-on the torch light and focused it on my face. I did not know who he was. I was shivering with fright and could not utter a single word. I thought he was the person who had brought me here. He then focused the light onto his face…“Hello, this is Ganesh” “You?” “I am Sindhu. Who are you? Why have you brought me here?” “Just shut up and keep quiet” he whispered. He then un-shackled me and released me. He carried me on his shoulder. “Did you have any food?” he asked. “I don’t know when I last ate” I whispered. “Why are you wet?” I couldn’t answer this question. We came to the corner of the hall, and he told me to climb onto his shoulders and open a window up there. I agreed. He whispered me to slowly open up the window and move out. I thought I would just run out. I opened the window only to see pouring rain in the darkest of nights. He then came behind me and lifted me once again. We got drenched. He tied a rope to my hip and helped me to slide the drainage pipe. I could feel cockroaches and lizards getting crushed when I slid. In fact I used to run a mile on seeing a lizard at home. He too came down and took me to a bike parked at a distance. He moved the bike slowly for a distance without starting and then kick started the bike and told me to sit. I did. We drove for about 3 hours on a highway and halted at a teashop.

I saw my watch…it was about 4:10 AM. Ganesh ordered tea. After a cup of tea, Ganesh had a smoke. While he was puffing away, I could see a policeman at a distance and Ganesh too noticed. He immediately started the bike and pulled me to sit behind and we drove for another 2 hours and reached city limits. Here I saw a shop’s board and was stunned. It was Delhi. I was shit scared and didn’t know what to do. Which means I had been un-conscious for so many hours…was I taken to Delhi from Chennai on Flight or Train? I didn’t know.

He took me to a room in first floor. Things were all scattered and I could make out that this was a bachelor’s accommodation. He told me to lie down on the floor and sleep for a while. But I just sat down. He locked the house and kept the key with himself. It was sort of a colony…infested with lower middle class families, I guessed. He went to the bathroom; and I looked for a telephone or a mobile to call up dad. But in vain. I didn’t know who took my handbag and mobile. I just had my clothes on my person and nothing else. I looked around for some cash. But again in vain. I wanted to make out his identity through some cards or some letters. But in vain. He came out of the bathroom after a few minutes; fresh after a bath. “Do you want to freshen up?” he asked. I just nodded to say no. “OK. Let me go out and get a pair of dresses for you…it’s just 8:00 AM, but let me try in small roadside shops” he said and went out locking me up inside. He came back with a pair of dresses and told me to freshen up.

I had a bath and he took me to a restaurant. We spent about an hour there. I narrated the entire sequence of events that I remembered just before getting unconscious in the SUV. He was very appreciative – on the fact that I opened up fully to him. He told me that he was working for a private organization and told me that he could get a job for me there. I told him that, my first priority was to speak to my father and requested him for his mobile. He declined to provide the mobile. He then took me to a crowded roadside payphone booth and told me to call up dad. He instructed me to tell that I was safe and that I was in Delhi for an urgent visit and that I was with one of my best friends in Delhi. I called up dad and he was very happy and relieved that I was alive. He told me that I had been kidnapped and that police are with him recording the speech. He told me that I need not worry and told me to co-operate with my kidnapper and that I would be rescued shortly.

Life went on like this for couple of weeks and we never stayed in a single place for more than 2 nights. Ganesh was always there behind me all the time, except in toilet. While sleeping in the nights, he used to chain one of my legs with his legs and kept the key secured on his person. There was no way I could escape. During the days we used to go to his office and come back at odd times. But to be true, he took care of me really well.

After about 6 weeks, Ganesh put me in a flight to Chennai and sent me back. When I landed in Chennai, I saw dad with an open arm with some of his colleagues. Dad whispered to me that few in casual dress were high ranking police officials. I broke down when I saw dad. He offered me water and sweets. He then told me that we are not going home, but taking another flight to Covai. I told him that as long as I was with him that is fine.

On landing in Covai, we drove straight to the Collectorate Office – dad told me that he was transferred to Covai and we needed to settle down here. After signing a few papers, dad told that he was ready and some of his new colleagues took us to our new home. The house was fully decked up with all latest furniture and ready to occupy and live. I thought of mom and missed her very much. She was shot down by a naxalite when I was doing my 9th grade.

After a few weeks, I enrolled in a nearby college for an Under-Graduate course. There I met Jai. He was a nice person by all accounts and our friendship grew thick and fast. Later I came to know that he was the son of a local gangster, Mayee. Dad informed me that Mayee was a notorious criminal in this part of the country and only a few had seen him in person. Covai being a small village, I was the only girl who looked modern. But I loved this place after living most of my life in Cities and Towns.

One evening I went to Jai’s home to meet him. But he was not there. Mayee was there and asked me to come over. I started to shiver and tried to escape. He told me that I looked gorgeous and nodded his head as if he was inviting me to bed. I shuddered. He asked me who I was and I told him that I was daughter of the Tahsildar Ramaswamy and I was classmate of Jai. He told me to sit beside him and told me not to be afraid. I felt comfortable for a few moments; but thereafter Mayee put his arms around my shoulder and purposefully slid his palms down – I understood his intentions, but was shit scared. I told him that I needed to go home; he replied saying he too wanted to go. “Don’t you ask me where I want to go?” he retorted in a low harsh tone. Nervously I nodded at him…“I need to reach heaven. I will help you too reach heaven, for a few minutes. But I need your co-operation…only then we both can be in heaven for a few minutes. Will you?” he asked in a further reduced tone. I said no and escaped from his clutches and ran back home.

Fear filled life again started. I didn’t tell dad about Mayee or about my interest in Jai. Neither did I tell Jai about Mayee’s sexual advances. I was confusion-personified. To get over this I thought I would meet Mayee. I met Mayee the next day, skipping college. Generally no one can enter Mayee’s residence that easily. He usually stays in the jungles and visits this house rarely. When I landed at the gate of the palatial house, the security guard got instructions to allow me inside. Luckily Mayee was present. I trembled in fear, but mustered enough courage to tell whisper in his ears…“Sir, Will you marry me?” And I ran out like a small girl. Few weeks, life went on like this. Though life was fear-filled, and I had to watch every step of mine, I was somewhat confident that nothing would happen to me – because I had enticed Mayee; and I thought Mayee was on my side and protect me.

One evening, on a Monday, when I was coming out of college few fellows approached me and told me that Mayee wanted to marry me the coming Thursday. They warned me that I should not tell this to any soul on this earth including dad and Jai. I agreed and started to walk back home. I called up Ganesh’s mobile number and told him that I was in trouble and requested him to help me again. He agreed but told me that he would not be able to take the call from this moment and that I could leave the message to him. I agreed, but was scared too. I told Ganesh that I was deeply in love with Jai and wanted to marry him at any cost.

On Tuesday I informed Jai that I would visit him on Thursday at his residence. He agreed and asked me what was special about Thursday. I told him that would be a surprise and requested him to be in good dress to go to college. Jai was a person who was not even as courageous as me. He never used to stand erect in front of his father, Mayee. I liked this girlishness in him, but at this moment, I wanted him to come back and be a brave man – to tackle his father and tie the knot on my neck. Jai was just anatomically a male, but at heart was a typical girl – what a paradox, being a criminal’s son, I used to wonder.

On Thursday morning, without even telling dad, I skipped college and went straight to Mayee’s home. I didn’t see Jai there and was surprised at that. One person instructed me to adorn myself with the bride’s dress in the room. In the room alone, I tried calling Ganesh from my mobile, but there was no response on his mobile and even the voice mail never got activated for me to leave a message. The central hall was decked up with a festive look and there were about 20 people. I was surprised – because Mayee is not a person to show up to people and he never was in the public eye for decades. I asked one of them if they were all guests. He just blinked his eyes to tell me that they were all associates of Mayee. I was shit scared again. I asked the same fellow where Jai was. He told that Jai was sent to fetch something from a nearby village. He also told me that they were all seeing Mayee for the first time in their lifetime, though Mayee was their Boss for decades. When I thought I would call dad, I saw Mayee approaching me with a poojari [pastor] walking besides him.

Then entered a person clad in Safari suit and Ray Ban goggles, escorted by one of Mayee’s bodyguards, and met Mayee. “Hello Sir, I am Richard from Singapore” said the person who looked like half Chinese and half Indian. “Oh Welcome. I was expecting you yesterday. But anyway I am happy that you have come at the right moment. Please grace the occasion Mr. Richard” laughed Mayee. Then Mayee held my hand and took me along to the podium with the poojari walking behind me.

The wedding ceremonies started in right earnest at sharp 10:30 AM and there arrived Jai with four well-built men behind him. I was relieved that Jai arrived. I was a bit distraught that Ganesh was not there on the scene to help me get out of this mess. Mayee’s bodyguard had strategically positioned himself near the podium and had a rifle in hand. This was the first time that Mayee was participating in a function or ceremony since he became the lord of the jungle. I was nervous to the core and was sweating profusely. But I was confident that everything would pass off smoothly.

When Mayee was about to tie the sacred yellow-thread [Thali] around my neck, I heard pistol shots…Tshoom…Tshoom…Tshoom…I ducked behind Mayee’s back and when I saw Jai trying to pull his trigger and shoot Richard, with my pistol hidden secretly I shot Jai…Tshoom,Tshoom,Tshoom. At the same time, Mayee’s bodyguard tried to shoot me, when I heard Tshoom, Tshoom, Tshoom. I thought I was dead. But it was Richard who had shot the bodyguard dead. All this happened in a matter 2-3 seconds and Mayee, Jai and the Bodygurad were all lying dead in a pool of blood. When I looked around I saw six other Mayee’s men were all on the floor and held by many of the safari clad men. These men were all from CBI police force – which even I was not aware. My heartbeat was racing and I was sweating profusely not knowing what to do. I was almost fainting – when I felt a comforting hand on my shoulder. When I turned back, I saw Richard. I stepped aside trying to pull out of Richard’s clutch. Then Richard, told me that he was Ganesh and not Richard. He removed his goggles and winked at me. I instantly realized that it was indeed Ganesh. I just hugged him.

I made an SOS call to Dad. Richard, in the mean time removed his mask. When Dad arrived in his jeep in about 5 minutes, Richard was there as Ganesh. I whispered to dad that I had planned to marry Ganesh when I was in Delhi; he was awed for a moment; but was all smiles and grinning to glory in moments thereafter.

In the same muhurtham, Ganesh tied the Thali around my neck and my wedding was over in a flash. In about an hour we were there in the airport to fly back to Delhi.

Ganesh thanked me for my support and that he was really surprised that I had mustered so much of courage to accomplish the mission. Ganesh was working for Central Bureau of Investigation, Delhi, in close co-ordination with Research and Analysis Wing - RAW Delhi. When I was kidnapped, Ganesh rescued me – based on intelligence from RAW. He trained me to handle pistol, and it was CBI that transferred dad from Chennai to Covai. It was all planned to get Mayee – dead or alive and I was trained to help CBI and RAW in the mission. Mayee was the lord of the jungles and had killed many wild animals and many State Police personnel. RAW had information that one of Mayee’s close associates in Singapore was Richard and that Richard was visiting Mayee for an important “deal”. Based on this information, Richard was nabbed in the airport and Ganesh landed in Mayee’s place as Richard. Even I was not aware of this. It was precisely for this reason that Ganesh never attended to the mobile calls – suspecting tapping/leakage of information. Jai was getting trained to take over the mantle from Mayee and hence the Central Government wanted to nip this in the bud. The State Police made many attempts to capture Mayee and Jai, but failed. But Ganesh had told me secretly that it was better to kill Mayee and Jai than to capture them alive – that was the secret strategy of CBI.

No one including dad knew about this mission. Even I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to pull off so smoothly starting from admission to the College – though I had graduated earlier I enrolled for an Under-Graduate Course, falling in “love” with Jai and bravely “handling” Mayee and enticing Mayee to marry me – actually he was only interested in keeping me as his “mistress”.

On landing at Delhi Airport, I received a call from Dad informing me that he too was flying to Delhi. CBI and RAW arranged to move his resignation papers and move dad to Delhi – apparently fearing threat to his life.

Sindhu

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