Part 7

Part  7

“Awnaaaa….!” She opened her mouth crying loudly, holding her breath and went blue.    The person carrying her winced.  

“Bijoy… She is not breathing…!” he said panic-struck and she gasped for breath.  Second round of holding the breath and crying loudly started and the group didn’t know what to do with the kid.  Someone slapped her and she fell silent for a moment.  The group took a sigh of relief moving in a car at the top speed and the next moment, they heard a scream and yelling from the kid.  

“Mamma…. Mamma…. Didi….!”she was screaming at the top of her voice.  A particularly stout person had held her tightly.  Her screams grew louder and louder and the person sitting next slapped her again forcefully.   She fell silent holding her cheek and then came a round of jerks and kicks and louder screams.   Someone pressed his hand on her mouth pinning her down on the person’s laps.  Other took out the syringe and the pricking went on well under her kicking and bashing the person.

She will sleep now…! Someone said and the person took out his hand from her mouth.  She had gone blue holding her breath again.  Another person thumped her back in panic and she exhaled at once.   

“Mamma…. She went on again crying loudly..!” The person on whose laps she was sitting tried to pacify her patting on her head.  He had never handled such a bad kid.  He waited with baited breath for her to fall asleep and she did in few minutes.  She went into a deep sleep and everyone took a sigh of relief.

Mission accomplished! They were successful in taking away the wanted child and were heading towards the headquarters, though they had lost two of their members in the encounter with CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force! ATS, anti terrorist Squad!)

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The small town of Vidisha stirred with the motorcade and police sirens.  The local news channels rushed to the spot.  The handbills were stuck on every nook and corner of the city proclaiming the kidnapping of the kid for the betterment of poor.  Revolutionary Communist Unity Centre (Maoist naxalites)

 

Lal Jhanda Dal  claimed the responsibility.  This was the first time in vidisha the naxals invaded.   The eastern belt of Madhya Pradesh was already hit by Naxals but the interior parts of MP were very peaceful.  No one knew what was happening around.

Ambulances and para medics too rushed in.  Bullet hit Mrs. Nilima Salil Dixit was taken to the hospital. So was Dr. Salil and Dhyal Chipra, the Gardner.   Laxmi bai was trying hard to console Dharini.  Disha accompanied her parents to the hospital.  They were admitted to Dr. Hari Shankar Memorial Hospital.  Police had surrounded the house completely not allowing anyone in.  

Dharini was in shock unable to speak.  She had never heard or seen gun shots and had never seen the blood shed.  When she saw her father collapsing on the blood soaked body of her unconscious mother she let out a haul and hid her face in Laxmi bai’s shoulder.  No one knew what was happening around.  The neighbours gathered in the night and then someone called police….

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They were moving faster on National hightway 86 and had already crossed two toll booths on National highway 86.  By the time the CRPF deduced who was behind, they were heading towards Bandhavghar, their first destination a seven hours journey.  They had to reach Pench the next day, their second hide out and then enter Andhra Pradesh towards their headquarters.   Five  people had done the job.  A job well done! They had the girl with them.  This was the first time they were kidnapping a kid.  They had never done that.  

Till now, they were fighting for their conviction, philosophy, for their rights for poor people.  They called themselves People War Group!  They had never touched common man.  They had their war against the Government, the capitalist Government.  MP was never on their plan.  They operated from Telangana, and the jungles of eastern India belt. 

Even Bukha, their leader was shocked to get the order to kidnap a kid.  That was against their norms.  But he had to execute the orders and had done it.  Why? He didn’t know.  His higher ups issued the orders and he obeyed.  

They had no idea what they were doing kidnapping a five years old girl.  They just wanted to finish off this task and take her to their headquarters in Andhra Pradesh.  

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“Disha…!” Bhanu stood before her in the hospital elbowing the crowd, dodging the security.  She looked up.  All her energy had drained out.  She didn’t know where she had left her spectacles, her hair pulled out from her hair band, she looked devastated.  Her mother was critical and her father had just gained consciousness.  Dayal chaha was already discharged with minor injury but was with Disha.  Lurking media was kept at bay.  Police surrounded the hospital too.  There was patrolling on the ICU entrance where Disha’s mother was admitted.

Disha looked up with blank expression.  The night before she was at the top of the world and now she was on the verge of losing her mother, her youngest sister was kidnapped and she had her future in dark.  Bhanu dashed near and held her hand.  She sat on the bench, not knowing what to do.  He didn’t want her to say anything.  He just wanted to be with her.  She trembled and he gripped her hand without a word.  Dayal chacha came limping and sat by her side.  They all were speechless not knowing what to do.  Bhanu had decided to be with her all the time.  He took out his phone to talk to his mother.