Part 12

“Bijoy...!” Grumpy called and Bijoy got up with a jerk.  He left Dhaatri at the fountain and ran towards Grumpy.  They had a long conversation with Bijoy shaking his head dejected.

“No!” he said.  Grumpy placed his hand on Bijoy’s shoulder and said, “I need some time...!” he barged inside again to have a word with the head.  Bijoy couldn’t stop his tears.  He came and lifted dhaatri hugging her tightly.  “Why?” Dhaatri wiped off his eyes.  “Baghiraa!” she giggled.  “You are as black as my baghiraa! I love Baghiraa.” She started singing.  “Jungle jungle baat chali hain, pata chala hain....!” The lady sitting in the lounge smiled.  Bijoy didn’t understand the reference but knew she called him black.  He was black; as black as a charcoal.  He gave her a broad smile, showing his pink gums and bright white teeth.  She smiled back. 

“Let us go!” Grumpy came out and ordered.  “Let us go!” came a child’s voice with the same arrogant tone.  Grumpy didn’t bother.  He marched out of the building and others followed.  They were heading back to the hotel.  Grumpy and Bijoy were having a heated discussion when Bijoy wiped off his eyes often.  Dhatri was confused.  She looked at the lady who was very serious and was holding Dhatri tightly. 

“Shout! Ok?” Grumpy for the first time talked to Dhatri kneeling down.  Dhatri looked scared when Grumpy held her and stopped her from going to Bijoy.  He held her back, sat on the floor and putting his hands on her shoulder said, “Go inside...and Shout, ok?” she didn’t understand but looked at him opening one eye.  He got up immediately and signalled Bijoy.

“Baby,  Aawaj do.  Agar ...!” he swallowed hard looking away.  Grumpy pushed Dhatri inside and closed the door.  They both pressed their ears to the door trying to hear something... The room was soundproof.

Dhatri went inside and turned into a statue.  She locked her fingers behind her head taking a look around.  The air conditioned room had a huge table and several chairs.  A narrow eyed, snubbed nosed, red cheeked person was looking at her from his half closed eyes.  She paid no attention to him and occupied a swivel chair, turning it to revolve around.  “hi hi..!” she grinned and sat on the chair comfortably revolving. 

“Kid..!” the person called.  She looked at his red face.  She looked back at the closed door and got down from the chair to run away.  “No use! It is locked!” said the man gesturing her to come nearer.  She clutched the chair.  “No!” she shook her head taking steps backward.  The man got up and approached her.  She was scared to the core.  The man bent over.  She opened her mouth and “Awnaw......!” she started crying loudly.  The man placed his hand on her mouth and she chocked.  He held her hand and placed it on his shoulder.  She suddenly stopped crying. She closed her eyes.  “You are not well....!” she said going into some kind of trance.  Her hands twitched.  He held her hand and walked towards his chair.  She was dragged, her eyes closed. 

The door banged open and Grumpy was at the door.  “What are you doing Kiddy?” he yelled leaping forward and grabbed her.  Her eyes were closed.  Her body temperature was rising, her fingers were moving on the snub nosed red man.  Grumpy lifted her up and she opened her eyes.

“He is not well...!” she spoke hypnotized.  “So are you!” grumpy shook her.  “You have fever...!” he said touching her forehead.  “She can’t even cure herself.. how can you..?” he threw a disgust at the red faced person and marched out lifting her.  Bijoy was waiting.  He took her and dashed out of the office, into the lift, down in the lawns outside the building.

“You have to either kill her or I will recruit her!” the red faced man said sternly to the Grumpy man.  “She is just a Kid” said Grumpy weakly.  He knew his defence was weak.  Her time was over! He looked up after a while and said, “I will send her to the camp...!”

“Good!” came a reply and Grumpy came out. 

Bijoy, the lady and Grumpy returned to the hotel and had a very long serious meeting.  Dhatri didn’t understand anything.  The language was alien to her.  She only kept looking at their faces.  Bijoy was frequently wiping off his eyes and the grumpy looked grumpier.  Dhatri sat on Bijoy’s laps and wiped off his eyes.

“Don’t cry, good boy!” she kept saying patting on his back.  Their journey back to camp started.  At night fall they were in the dense forest of bastar and Grumpy stopped the car.  Bijoy nodded and picked up his sack with Dhatri’s clothes in it and lifted sleeping Dhatri.  The lady got down from the car and packed Dhatri on the back of Bijoy with the sheet.  Bijoy disappeared in the jungle and Grumpy sighted heavily.  “I won’t let a kid to be killed like that!” he looked at the lady starting the car engine.

Bijoy knew every cattle route in the jungle.  He walked through the tall lush green trees in the moonlight for a long time.  He was deep into the dense forest.  He had to spend the night in the tribal village. 

He was walking into kengar valley to reach Goriyapal, a tribal village for shelter.  He ran through the jungle carrying drugged Dhatri on his back. 

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Dr. Salil stopped dead before entering the morgue in Chandrapur District Civil Hospital.  A police kept his hand on his shoulder and he came back to senses.  Dayal chacha had no courage to go in the refrigerated room.  He sat outside losing all his energy.  Dr. Salil entered the moratorium holding his breath.  The wardboy drew the drawer and a body of a small child appeared covered with shabby sheet.   Dr. Salil took a step back not wanting to look at the face of the dead body.  “No!” he turned his face.  “Please..!” the police officer pleaded.  He gathered his courage and looked at the face.  He couldn’t react.  He kept gaping.  “No...! It is not her!” he took a sigh of relief and the next moment his face shadowed with grief thinking about the condition of the real parents of the dead child. 

“Are you sure?” asked the police officer signalling the constable to bring in Dayal Chacha too. 

“Yes..!” Salil looked at the mutilated face again.  “It is not her!” he again said stepping back to allow Dayal Chacha to have a look. 

“No.. She is not our Dhaa!” Dayal chacha broke down in relief.  The police brought both of them out.  This was the third time since Dhatri’s kidnapping, they both had faced his ordeal.   They were offered water.  Dr. Salil sat in front of the police office dumb folded hiding his face in his palms.  Dayal Chacha was sitting on the floor hanging his head. 

“We are doing everything possible..!” The police officer tried to justify.  “I know!” Dr. Salil said curtly raising his head and getting up to leave. 

“Let me know if you find anything...!” he said gesturing at Dayal Chacha to get up.  He was totally frustrated with the approach.  Being a very mild and gentle person himself he couldn’t shout and yell at the police though he wanted to.  His youngest daughter was kidnapped and Police had done literally nothing in the month.  Dr. Salil had lost hopes.

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Dr. Salil and Dayal Chacha were on their journey back, both lost in their own thoughts. Dr. Salil went back to his peaceful days in IIT Delhi where he loved teaching and staying in that peaceful environment with his wife and two daughters.  When they decided to take a third chance, Nilima was sceptical and scared.  She was already thirty three at that time.  “Will I be able to manage the third child?” she kept asking Dr. Salil.  But Salil was optimistic.  Though family planning propaganda was on its peak, Dr. Salil didn’t mind having the third child.  He hoped for a boy, this time.  His aunty Maasi Maa had promised to come for the help during that time.  Everything went on well.

To Dr. Salil’s disappointment, Nilima delivered a girl child for the third time, despite all the vrats and pooja’s for a boy child.  Maasi maa was so out of her mind hearing the girl’s arrival, that she left for Chandrapur the next day without even bothering about the small kids, her nephew and daughter in law, who had just delivered a baby.  Disha grew up by ten years within one day.  She took care of her younger sister Dharini and Dr. Salil managed somehow. 

Nilima developed a small blister on her right breast and within a span of four days it grew into abscess.  Doctors advised her to avoid breast feed with her right breast.  She was in pain.  The baby was crying.  She didn’t know what to do.  The baby was frantically sucking her left breast in vain.  The worries and tension affected her milk secretion. 

Dhatri was sucking the breast trying to suck in the milk in vain.  There was no milk.  Nilima was trying to stop her tears from rolling down her cheeks.  Suddenly Dhatri stopped crying holding Nilima’s other breast with her hand.  Nilima felt warmth in her right breast.  Dhatri’s tiny hand had rested on her abscess.  The hand moved as Dhatri’s temperature grew.  Nilima looked on speechless.  She forgot to scream or take out Dhatri’s hand from the abscess.  She felt warmth entering her body and her abscess became a hot boil.  Dhatri jerked and started crying loudly.  Disha and Salil came in running.  Nilima was shocked.

“Salil...She has fever!” she somehow managed to utter.  She had kept Dhatri on the bed clutching her breast.  Her abscess which had turned into a hot boil had burst and the puss was oozing out.  Dr. Salil ran to call the doctor.

“Oh! It is clearing without a medicine!” Doctor seemed to be happy.  “The abscess is clearing out.  This is great! We couldn’t give strong medicines as she was breast feeding...!” Her abscess had cleared miraculously and Nilima was feeling much better.

Dhatri was kept in an incubator for her recovery.  She had a fever and was recovering.  Doctors just wanted to keep her under observation. 

That was the first time Nilima had a hint of Dhatri’s power.  “Dhatri cleared the abscess... “ she kept saying.  No one paid any attention to it.

But that was not the only time Dhatri displayed her ability.  Dharini had found out about it soon, as she was the closest to the baby.  She always used to be around the baby. When Dhatri was around six months, she had cured a wound of Dharini.  

“Mamma,  why are you putting that cream? Go to Dhaa, she will cure it!” said Dharini once, when boiling splashed on Nilima’s hand. 

“What?” exclaimed Nilima in disbelief. “Yeah! She does that!” said Dharini showing her healed wound on her elbow.  “See?” 

 

 

Part 11

“Ho Ho Ho.. Ha  Ha  Ha... I will eat you... with Jam....!” Dhatri raised her hands scaring everyone, daubed with white and green paste.  Bijoy grinned.  He had managed to make a fine paste of Rice and Bermuda grass.  That made the right effect.  She felt better and her boils too were cooled down.  He had painted her body with that bright white and green paste. She was in a playful mood making everyone students and was playing teacher-teacher game giving them dictation.  The grumpy man walked in after talking to the head through a portable satellite communication system.  They were deep into the jungles of Panna heading back to Chandrapur.  Dhatri’s fate was to be decided.  

“Shut up!” the grumpy man shouted.  “Shut up!” his tone echoed in a child’s voice.  “Bijoy..!” he shouted.  “Bijoy!” came a shout back.  “Agrrrr.... !” he growled.  “Agrrrr...!” she imitated. Others tried to hide the smile but grumpy man looked around.  Dhatri was looking at him innocently; her face covered with white and greed stripes. 

“I want this kid out, right now!”  Grumpy man said again with echo “I want this kid out, right now!” Bijoy hurriedly lifted Dhatri and dashed out.  They laughed their heart out teasing the grumpy man. 

“How can you do that?” Bijoy asked wondering at Dhatri’s ventriloquism.  Dhatri raised her head. “I can do it!” she said proudly.  Bijoy lifted her to plant a kiss on her dimples.  “No!” she pushed him away and she laughed kissing the kid forcefully.  She slapped him sulkily.  “No, kissi... I don’t like it!” she said trying to get down.

“Ok! Sorry!” Bijoy surrendered not letting her down.  “Good boy!” she patted on his back.

“Bijoy....!” someone yelled from inside and he ran towards their shelter.

“Good girl, ok?” he asked.  She promised. So far for a month or so he had managed to save her from wrath of the leader the grumpy man.  “Chocolate?” she asked in his ear and he nodded. 

They came inside and he put her down.  Another woman took charge of her making her sit on her laps.  The men talked to Bijoy in some unknown language.  Dhatri looked on.  “Why is he shaking his head?” She didn’t understand.  But something was wrong.  The grumpy man looked grumpier. 

“Time to move!” he said and everyone started packing up.  Bijoy came to her and picked her up.  The woman too looked serious.  They had to move and reach next destination before dusk.  Dhatri had learned to keep quiet when they moved through villages.  She was beaten up badly for shouting and screaming when she saw other human beings in the villages.  Bijoy had hidden her and tried to explain to her in some unknown language that she should not attract the attention of people.  She didn’t understand but learned to keep quiet to save herself from the slaps.  Her boils were subsiding, but the itching was not stopped.  The rice paste had made some difference.  She was happy to get her body painted with white and green and giggled in excitement. 

But this meeting was different.  Everyone walked briskly with Bijoy leading the path and Dhatri on his back with painted face.  They had reached the next cave before nightfall.  Dhatri had fallen asleep.  Bijoy woke her up and fed her.  She gulped it with water and went back to deep sleep.  She was on drugs, to prevent her from creating nuisance.  Sixteen hours in a day she used to sleep like a cat feeling dull and dizzy.

They had reached  jungles of Gondia where a vehicle was waiting for them.  They  were heading down south to Andhra Pradesh.  Search and combing  operations were carried out in Chattisghar and Maharashtra.  Andhra, their headquarters was the safest place for them.  Dhatri was sleeping on the back on Bijoy, her only ally; that’s what she thought.  There was another ally in disguise for her who would do anything for her safety... No one knew about it.

At every toll booth, on highway, she was hidden under the car seat and the grumpy man showed the VIP pass to escape from the free route.  They were again in dense forest of Pottangi.  They were frequently crossing borders of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and back to Chattisghar.... Communicating with the headquarters. 

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Fifteen days, they were moving relentlessly in the forest, on highway, in the villages sometimes staying in the small hotels, sometimes in caves, sometimes just under the tree in some clearing in the dense forest with the help of campfire and patrolling by turns with their fully loaded M16 rifles and M1 carbines...  They had well built support system and often used old methods of communication with the help of tribal deep into the forest.  Dhatri now had acclimatized with the movement and forest area had come to terms with the kidnappers.  She didn’t know she was kidnapped.  She thought she was being carried to take her home safely by the group.   She listened to what they asked her to do and made them bow before her tantrums...! She used to order Bijoy to stop, who was leading and the group used to stop.  Even the grumpy man stopped yelling and scolding.  The two ladies, Bijoy and Grumpy  were constand the other men kept changing at every destination.

“What is this?” she asked half astonished, half scared.  “We have reached the city!” for the first time Grumpy answered her in  what can be called as milder tone.  They stopped at the hotel on the outskirts of Hyderabad early morning. 

“Time to change!” Grumpy ordered hiring a double room for all of them.  The woman took Dhatri to the bathroom to get her ready.  In half an hour they all have changed themselves into a casual attire doing away with their military uniforms.  They looked like a family of six people with one servant and one kid.  Another SUV with Andhra registration was waiting for them. 

They entered a tall business condominium.  Others waited at the lounge on the 12^th floor while the grumpy went inside to report.  Bijoy looked nervous but Dhatri was trying to splash water for the nearby fountain.  He held her tightly.  “Will you remember me? Yaad Karogi?” he asked in a hoarse voice.  She looked confused.

“Haan! I remember tables and poems ... and also all the answers.... and the song you taught... and the boat you made.... and you!” she tightened her grip around his neck.  He patted on her head. 

“Kill her!” Kesanji said and the grumpy man got up with a jerk.  He was not to ask questions, he was to obey the orders...!  This was the conclusion of a closed door meeting with the chief for three hours...! No one had the faintest idea of what was going to happen with the kid.  

“Bring her tomorrow morning!” Kesanji, the leader of maoist People War Group gestured Grumpy to go out!

part 10

Part 10

 

He didn’t know how to face his wife.  He had promised her that Vidisha was the safest place for their youngest daughter.  She was not sure but had accepted his decision and now…!

Doctor kept his hand on Dr. Salil’s shoulder encouraging him to go and meet his wife Nilima.  He had no courage.  Nilima had come out of unconsciousness and was waiting for her husband when she was told that he had recovered from the bullet shot. 

The bullets from her stomach and arm were removed and after four days she had opened her eyes to see her eldest daughter Disha sitting next to her.  She looked around after the doctors paid the visit and examined her.  She was out of danger.

“Your Papa…!” she could blurt with efforts.  Disha dashed out to call her papa.  Dr. Salil walked in the ICU ward to face his wife.  He came in avoiding to look at her.

“Salil…” she raised her hand.  He could only hold on to her. 

“Dhaa…?” He couldn’t face the question.

“Everyone is alright, Mamma!” Disha had come to his rescue.  He just nodded hiding his tears.

“Thank God!” she closed her eyes again feeling relieved.  Salil looked at Disha miserably.  She gave a squeeze holding his hand and said.

“Papa, you need to take rest.  Nurse is waiting for you to administer the dose… Please… you can talk to mamma later….!” Dr. Salil got up and went out.  Nilima opened her eyes and saw Disha sitting next to her.

“Where is Dharini?” she asked.

“Laxmi bai is taking care of everyone.  They are not allowed in here!” Disha spoke gravely.  Nilima looked away.

“Is everyone ok?” Nilima asked and Disha nodded confidently hiding everything from her mother.  “You take rest, Mamma!” she said holding her hand. 

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“Awanwaaaaaa…….” Dhatri had opened her mouth in the middle of the night wetting the bed.  Biloy sat up next to her.  “Baby…!” he tried to pacify her.  She was not to be stopped.  Everyone got up.  She was crying loudly.  The lady crawled nearer to see.

“Oh! She has wet the sheet!” she said removing the sheet.

“Shit…!” the grumpy man got up.  Dhatri cried loudly feeling frightened in the darkness.  The lantern was put out.  Her body was itching and burning…! She cried loudly scratching everywhere.  The lady lit the lantern and brought it nearer. 

“Oh! God! Look at her…!” Dhatri’s body was swollen with rashes and  blisters.   She looked like a blistering balloon.   She was crying.  Bijoy knew the insect bite would bring such blisters on the body. 

“Shit.. shit..!” the grumpy man’s hands twitched to slap her again but she was surrounded by everyone else. 

Bijoy gave her a chocolate.  She refused throwing it away.  “I don’t have anti histamine… !” the lady said rummaging in the bag.  Everyone looked at each other.

“Do we have rice with us?” asked bijoy.  He knew rice paste would reduce the burning sensation.  The twilight signalled that there would soon be sunrise.  Dhatri had never stopped crying.  Her blisters were burning.  She was scratching all over. 

“Pottiii… !” she cried out and the lady lept forward to remove her clothes.  Dhatri refused asking everyone to go out.  The lady helped her.  Bijoy stayed on.  Dhatri didn’t object.  She felt a little better after her pottiii. 

“Look..!” she said pointing her finger outside.  Sunrise had brought in rays of orange and gold direct into the cave…

“No…. Ghost…..!” Dhatri screamed running in opposite direction.  The grumpy man with long hair was obstructing the sunrays standing at the entrance of the cave and his shadow fell on the opposite wall of the cave presenting a very spooky scene.  Dhatri yelled and screamed in fright.  Bijoy lifted her. She screamed in pain as her boils burned. 

“Its ok! Not ghost!” he pacified her.  “Humgry…..!” she started crying again.  The grumpy man brought in a slice of bread.  Her eyes twinkled.   She looked at it.  “Jam…?” she asked.  Everyone looked at each other.  “Jam? No Jam!” said the grumpy man angrily.  She threw the slice and started off again whizzing and gasping in a fit of crying…

“No… wait….! No Jam…. But sweet!” Bijoy had come back with sugar.  He spread it on the bread slice and gave it to her.

“Hihi… huh…!” smile spread over her face so did on Bijoy’s face! “Humm .. have it!” the lady was standing with water bottle and a anti histamine tablet.  She helped Dhatri to swallow the tablet and eat the bread slice. 

“Milk…!” Dhatri demanded.  “No milk, now.. baby… later…!” Bijoy said stroking her head.  She screamed in pain…. She had blisters on the skull too.  Her crying never stopped.  Slowly she felt exhausted and sleepy.  The tablet had its effect and she went into deep sleep.  Bijoy wrapped her in the sheet.  The lady helped him tie her onto his back and he carried Sleeping Dhatri on his back. 

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It was eight days since she was kidnapped and still there was no trace.  They knew who had done it but had no clue, why?  Why on earth did they kidnap a five year old kid from a small peaceful town Vidisha.  The media tried to probe in, but Everyone around Dr. Salil remained silent.  Dharini was never allowed out on her own. 

“I do not know, why?” Dr. Salil kept saying so did everyone else.  The local news papers had given up concluding that she might be dead by now citing the incidence that a reporter was abducted in similar fashion and his body parts were sent back to his family in smaller packets by post.  “Do we have to wait for similar post?” asked the local daily concluding that Dhatri might be dead. 

Dr. Salil had stopped reading the news papers or news on television.  It was First July 2000 when a police officer marched to his house. 

“We have a body found in Chandrapur District of a small girl…!” he had said to Dr. Salil’s dismay.  He glanced inside.  Only Dayal Chacha had heart it and was clutching his hand on his mouth in shock. 

Dr. Salil sat on the chair with a thud.  “You need to come with us.  The body has decomposed considerably.  You need to identify..!” the police officer said and Dr. salil nodded.  It was a month since Dhatri was kidnapped.  Her mother Nilimaa was still recovering.

Dr. Salil went with the police officer accompanied by Dayal Chacha, clutching his chest with apprehension, lying to everyone that they had an interrogation in Chandrapur Police Station about the kidnapping case, since Chandrapur was the strong hold of naxals.

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