SHORT STORY
(Fiction)
“Vinod, Vinod. Come here, fast.” Lekha screamed at top of her voice which could wake up even a dead lion but me. Not that I am a sound sleeper but on Sunday mornings I turn deaf to absolutely anything that comes between me and my sleep. One day of the week which I feel I work hard enough to deserve my peace. Unfortunately, I had to wake up when ignoring wasn’t an option anymore.
“What is it, Lekha? Are you alright? What happened? It’s just 8:30 and I am entitled sleep till 9:00 on Sundays.” I was still rubbing my eyes and hoping this could wait another half an hour.
“Read this and you will know. There are more important things in the world than sleep, Vinod. I was in the garden when someone threw this note along with a box.” Lekha was irritated and sobbing, I could tell.
I was stunned and my sleep vanished.
“Mr. Sharma, your daughter is with us. Safe, until now. As long as you give in to our demands, she will be safe but if you act smart, then we will send her to the point of no return. If you don’t believe us, then open the box which has a small video of her along with the piece of her dress. If you reach out to the cops, then I assure you that you will never see her again. Meet my man, Prakash, tomorrow at 5 pm sharp, right next to Gateway of India. Bring along 5 lakhs in cash and give it to him. He will tell you where your daughter is and this all will end, I promise.”
I read and re read this note over and over again. I opened the box and found the piece of Nikita’s dress and the video. Lekha burst out crying after seeing the video.
“Lekha, don’t worry. Niki is going to be home tomorrow. Even if I have to give in to their demands, then so be it.” There were so many thoughts crossing my mind and couldn’t think of anyone who could play such a dirty joke on my family.
“Vinod, you don’t understand or what. There are no “ifs”. You have to do as they say. Just give them the money and get my daughter back. Please don’t get your mind strategizing to find cues. They will kill her, Vinod. Just give the money to that guy tomorrow.”
“Lekha, you think I don’t know the repercussions. She is my daughter too. I promise you that nothing will happen to Niki and for now let me be alone and think through this. Don’t worry; we will have her back tomorrow. Just go and take some rest and act normal with all the servants.”
I rushed out of the room, straight to Niki’s room. Rummaging through her stuff was in vain as I didn’t know what I was looking for but I still did. I spoke to all her friends of her last few activities. In desperation, I called my friend Ajay, who was a police commissioner, hoping he would be able to track something and sort it out discreetly.
******************************
Somewhere in some hotel, Prakash was getting worried.
“Anil, are you sure, you want to do this. What if he calls the cops?”
“Prakash, stop it. Why will he call the cops? We have made it very clear that we will kill her and am sure he loves his daughter. You just play your part. You have to get the money and that’s it. Don’t spoil it now, we have worked really hard on this. Just be cool when you meet him. Once he gives the money let him know where his daughter will meet him. Prakash, we will be rich in a few hours. All the best.”
*******************************
Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Anil was pleasantly surprised to think that Prakash came so early.
“Dad, what are you doing here?” I could have slapped Nikita who looked so flustered but didn’t want to create a scene in front of strangers. And I was looking for the right words to speak before I blew my mind off.
“Niki, you are just 18 and I have seen more life than you. I would have given in to the demands of these so called kidnappers, had I not found this diary in your room where you have been writing about your new found love for Anil which both your mom and I have been unaware of. I am disappointed with you, Niki. How could you? You didn’t even think once of your mom and me.” And my anger knew no bounds when I looked at the guy. One slap on his face threw him on the floor.
“You really thought you can pull this off. Ajay, you might want to do rest of the talking with him. I have nothing to say.”
“Ok, dad it was my plan. Leave him. He didn’t do anything.” It was all too much for Nikita to grasp. She was so blinded by this guy.
“Nikita, you still are oblivious to all the facts. This guy who says he loves you, isn’t saying the whole truth. This is not the first time he has loved a rich girl. He has been conning girls for a few years now. He lures a girl into loving him and then talks about his weak financial condition and how little help would improve his life. Hence, a ransom of only 5 lakhs which is nothing for someone like your father. The idea is that a petrified but affluent family for whom such amount is meager would simply do as told and get their daughter back. These guys would get money and fly to an unknown destination and become untraceable. If your father wouldn’t have doubted this and contacted me, he would have been successful even this time.”
I was glad Ajay could speak to Nikita because with my soaring temper, I wasn’t thinking much.
“Oh! Dad. I am so sorry. I didn’t know all this about him. I thought we both loved each other and he was genuinely in financial trouble. I am so sorry, dad.”
I wasn’t hearing anything and maybe just thinking of ways she would be grounded now and for how long.
