To know how Roohi was kidnapped, read the previous part HERE

“Where was he taking her ?”

Roohi was at her wit’s end. Her little head had almost stopped working. The quick sequence of events made her flummoxed. All she could think that she wanted to go home…. although the atmosphere at home was clustered and asphyxiating, yet it exuded the much needed safety. She was trying to think about her mom and dad, the two most important persons of a child’s life. She tilted her head and asked the man about their destination and wanted to know who he was. The man remained silent and she could only spot a faint smile through his full-mask helmet. She also noticed that he had a goatee.

“I’m not liking him…Oh God..please take me back home” 

And  while she was trying to stop the tears, slowly but surely, she succumbed to tiredness. She closed her eyes and everything went blank.

________

Shekhar and Tara were still engaged in their verbal onslaught without paying any heed to their dear daughter. It was Shekhar who first noticed and gasped.

“Where is Roohi ?”

Startled, Tara looked back and then began to walk hastily towards the nearby bus-stand. Shekhar was already feeling the panic. He was about to take out his mobile while Tara motioned at him to stop and gestured that she was about to call. A few seconds …and her face went white.

“What?? What happened ? What did she say ?” Shekhar was almost shouting.
“She is not picking up…”
“Try again..you idiot”
“Stop  shouting ..she has rejected my call.”
“WHAT !!!!”

Shekhar, for a couple of minutes, didn’t get it. Where could Roohi go within just a few minutes! She was a naive little girl and not at all accustomed to go outside on her own. She didn’t even dare to do so in her entire life of nine years , and most importantly, why was she not taking the call ?

Tara, in the meantime, was dialing again and started talking rapidly with someone.She was standing at a distance and Shekhar failed to make out what was she saying. All he could comprehend that she was trying to give some instructions to someone.

To hell with her. I must inform the police. I might even end up finding some source there.

He took out his mobile while Tara interrupted. She was fuming.

“What are you doing?” She hissed
“I’m calling the police” Shekhar’s voice was trembling. He was thinking of nothing but Roohi.
“Stop  behaving like a dimwit and think rationally. Do you know what will happen if the police even gets the scent that Roohi Datta, grand-daughter of industrialist Rameshwar Gupta is missing? Do you have any idea that media will cover it with every possible angle ? And all these  shall make the situation worse. I’m her mother Shekhar,  I’ve to think about her safety and reputation  and I can’t let you act whimsically.”

For the first time in his life, Shekhar was feeling a strange bitterness for this woman, his wife, Tara. Those days had gone when they were madly in love with each other. When a single smile from Tara was able to make his day. The financial conundrum had changed everything…even the relationship. Still there was something, a bond between them. Shekhar felt as if the bond was wafting out.

The shrill ringtone of  Tara’s mobile jolted him back to reality. Tara walked away while pressing the “Accept” button. She was talking, furiously , fervently.
Shekhar started to walk towards her. Tara was about to finish the call. Shekhar could only catch up the last few words.” You must get her, by any means.”

Before he  could ask anything Tara smothered her previous rage and said, “Believe me Shekhar, I’m trying to mobilize my every single resource. I’ve some connections in the police force too, they have promised me to keep it a secret. One of them even said that may be we are getting worried for nothing. Feeling exasperated with us, Roohi must have gone to some of her friend’s house or she might have reached home all alone. He told me to call up her close friends and to reach home immediately.”

As Tara was speaking, large drops of tears smudged her kohl lines and Shekhar couldn’t help but hold her. He just said ” I want to speak to your connections…I personally want to request them. Roohi is my heart Tara and if , God forbid, something happens to her I’ll never be able to forgive myself. It’s all because of me, it’s my fault , it’s my misdemeanor…”

Shekhar and Tara, both after a long,long time, were holding each other’s hand. For the sake of their daughter, Roohi.
But Where was Roohi? What her luck had in store for her ?

 To know what happened next, click HERE

“Me and my team are participating in Game of Blogs at BlogAdda.com. #Celebrate blogging with us.”

The posts of my team members starting from the first

Part 1 : By Radhika
Part 2 : By Jigish
Part 3 : By Dr. Sweety
Part 4 : By Anu Lal
Part 5 : By Maniparna ( me)
Part 6 : By Keyur
Part 7 : By Manisha
Part 8 : By Prasanna
Part 9 : By Lakshmi
Part 10 : By Keyur

Level 1 Completed

 

More Coming up…..stay tuned