Part 9

“You also go out!” she yelled and the lady went out closing her door.  Dhatri looked around.  There were no windows.  She sat on the cot.  Her Rini didi would have helped her wear the new dress.  She started crying again.  The lady came back in. 

“What happened?” she asked.

“Shuuuuu.....!” Dhatri cried.  “What?” the lady asked.  “Number 1” Dhatri said lifting her frock up.  

“Ok...! Come!” she opened the door and Dhatri dashed out like an arrow.  Someone ran after her.  She had already reached downstairs.  Before anyone could catch her, she had reached the main door.  Bijoy caught her from behind and lifted her.

“Don’t you every try to do that.  There are gun men out there.  They will shoot you!” he told her. 

“Shoot me?” she looked confused.

“Like they did to your mother!” he threatened her.  Hearing ‘mother’ she broke into tears.

“I... want to go back.  I want my mother... she is hurt!” she said crying her heart out.

“She must be dead by now!” the same grumpy man who slapped her said with a glint.

“Dead? What is dead?” she asked.  Bijoy felt a knot in his heart.  Poor soul, doesn’t even know what is death...! he thought gravely grabbing her.  

I want to go back....! she cried out.  The grumpy man raised his hand to beat her up again.  She fell silent looking frightened.  Bijoy took her away.  The lady had reached.  She took Dhatri from him.

“I will take care of her!” she said and Bijoy went out to arrange for the vehicle.  Their stay was over.  They needed to move....!

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“No.....! I am not going in..... Awnaaaaaa....!” she was crying stomping, kicking and bashing in the air.  The grumpy man had lifted her above his head and was walking in.  She was scared to the core and she peed out. “No..!” both of them screamed and he put her down immediately.  She grabbed the opportunity and ran in opposite direction only to be caught by another ghostly person.  He slapped her so hard that she fainted with everything going black in front of her eyes.

“Stop it!” the man yelled lifting her again and entering the darkness.  They had reached their next destination.  They were to lie low for some days till the dust settled down.  She was not ready to go in.  The person had no other option.  He had to slap her hard.

Bijoy came out running.  “Give her to me!” he said sternly.

“Shut up!” the man said carrying her in.  A sole lantern was burning in that dark cave.  People were moving around easily with flickering long shadows.  “Its good that she is unconscious.  She would be scared here..!” Bijoy thought sitting by her side on the floor.  The ice like cold floor made him shiver.  He looked at her innocent sleeping face.  He couldn’t stop himself.

“I think we made a big mistake bringing her here!” he said loudly in Bengali.  “Shut up!” the grumpy man yelled.  “No, I will not, until I get the reason!” Bijoy yelled back. 

“You are not to ask Questions, Comrade!”   Gurmpy man stood before him authoritatively.  Bijoy took a step forward.  “No!” he said with determination.  “I want the answers... This is not our style.  We are against the government agencies... not against a small kid...!” he was yelling losing his temper.  The grumpy man came on to him  aggressively and hit him with the butt of his gun.  Bijoy fell down unconscious with blood oozing out profusely from his forehead.  The grumpy man dragged Bijoy and brought him where she was laid down.  

It was almost midnight and Dhatri opened her eyes in that unknown cave.  She sat up.  The sole lantern was burning dimly.  She looked at Bijoy sleeping next to her with.  There were people at the mouth of the cave around a camp fire and were talking in some unknown language.  Dhatri didn’t understand anything.  She was hungry.  She put her hand in her pocket and found a few chocolates.  She stuffed one in her mouth.  Her frock was wet.  She opened her mouth to cry out loudly but stopped suddenly as the lantern flickered and she saw a ghostly shadow.  She closed her eyes trying to find something to hide herself.  She found Bijoy’s warm body and crept near him.  She put her arm around his neck trying to hide herself in his arms and felt the wetness of blood on his shirt.   Her eyes closed.  She fell silent moving her hand on his face, she sensed something was terribly wrong with him.

“You are not well....!” she murmured.  She touched his wound with both her hands and they started moving in circle around his would involuntarily.   She closed her eyes going into trance and he was gaining consciousness.

“Hufff..... hum...huh...!” he moaned but no one heard.  Her fingers were moving faster, with her body temperature rising rapidly.  He felt the warmth around his would and opened his eyes with great effort.  She was sitting at his head and was moving her fingers rhythmically.  He felt a surge of warmth entering his body and no pain in his head.   The pain had vanished.  The bleeding had stopped.  The warmth from her fingers was entering his body through the wound, he was feeling better.  The fingers were moving faster and faster and he heard a faint groan of pain from her.  She had collapsed on the floor lifeless.  He sat up and touched her.  Her body was burning hot.  He yelled.  A woman came running in.

“What?” she asked.  “The kid is ..... dead..!” Bijoy lifted the kids lifeless body.  She bent down and touched the neck of Dhatri.  She sensed the pulse from the burning hot body.

“Oh! She has fever...!” she lifted her up and brought her out in the breeze.   The grumpy man looked more grumpy.  Bijoy walked out ignoring everyone.  He was feeling much better as if nothing had happened and no one had hit him. “Unbelievable!” he thought wondering about the miracle.  He touched his forehead.  There were traces of the wound but the pain had gone.  He hurriedly went inside taking a water bottle from his sack.

Dhatri was on the flood almost unconscious groaning with high fever.  The lady was trying to wipe her body with wet cloth.  He poured water on her head.  “More..!” she murmured turning on the floor.  The lady hurriedly went to get her bag for analgesic antipyretic medicine.  

Bijoy bent down to have a closer look at her.  She had opened her red eyes.  Her fingers and hands were red and swollen.  He touched her forehead and took his hand back with a jerk.  “She has fever...!” he looked at her kindly.  She turned shivering with her teeth clattering.  He picked her up in his arms. 

“Hurry up!” he said looking at the lady.  She came up with an injection.  Dhatri was pricked four times in these seventy two hours with practically nothing in her stomach expect for a few chocolates.  Bijoy wrapped her in a sheet and lifted her in his arms.  She seemed to be in deep sleep resting her head on his shoulder.  He stroked her head kindly.  He felt a bond towards her.

“Baby.... You will be alright!” he said wrapping his arm around her.  She had an admirer in the group of aliens.  He was determined to save her, to send her back.  

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Reporters were lurking around the hospital.  Media was prohibited.  Nilima was gaining consciousness and was responding to the treatment after almost seventy two hours.  Salil took a sigh of relief sitting on his bed.  The bullet was removed and his arm was tied with immobilizer.  He was allowed to move but not visit his wife yet.  She was still in trauma and was unable to comprehend the situation.  Laxmi bai was managing the house and trying hard to control the ever crying Dharini.  Doctor had to be called in to control her.  He gave him tranquilizers to quiet her most of the time.  The moment she used to get up, she used to run out of the house to search her Dhaa.  She had refused to eat.  “Dhaa must be hungry... she needs milk, we have to give her food...!” she blurted out incoherently.  Unable to bear her anguish Laxmi bai took her to the hospital and she cried her heart out looking at her father and hugging her Didi.  Disha pulled her in her arms and pacified her telling her not to cry and Dhaa would be back soon.  Dr. Salil talked to Dharini for a very long time.

“You know, Rini... Dhaa is a smart girl.  Whoever has taken her will repent soon... they will bring her back... I am sure!” he faked looking away dejected.  He had no ray of hope that Dhaa would come back.  They would have killed her by now.  He thought in anguish.  The things he had tried to avoid so far had come back to him like a ghost....!

“Dhaa...!” he broke down....!

“I want mamma....!” Dhaa was crying.  “Stop crying, baby... I will make sure you go back to your mamma.... baby....!” Bijoy whispered in her ears and she garlanded him with her tender arms happily.  She had an confederate in the group of enemy.   “Stop crying... “ he patted her.  “Uncle...!” she closed her eyes feeling exhausted on his shoulder.  He had made up his mind...to send her back safe.