The vehicle dropped Sajjan at the end of the bridge where it had picked him up initially. He crossed the bridge over and started walking along the track toward the Rajapuri halt. He burst out in an uncontrolled happy laughter. He was happy that everything was falling in its place – Everything was going the way he wanted it to go. He knew that he had invested five long years trying to get close to this project which was what he lived for… His mind started to run over the Final Plan of Action. He had to achieve what he had desperately wanted to achieve. There was no other option for all the sacrifice he had done. He walked on till he reached the area filled with wild shrubs and trees between the Rajapuri halt and the main road. He checked for his equipment he had hidden there and then walked on to the main road. He waived to a bus going to Dheemapur.
He saw a gathering of a large crowd at the main entrance of Amar’s house. The crowd was silent but the hate on their faces showed on them. He cautiously entered the main entrance and walked toward Amar’s house. Amar was sitting in the veranda – absolutely livid with anger. He didn’t notice Sajjan walk toward him – his gaze was fixed at the floor trying to control his anger and his emotions. Neither Lajjo nor Leela was around.
‘What now?’ Sajjan thought as he approached Amar. People around Amar made way for him silently. Amar looked at him shifting his fixed gaze from the floor but said nothing, his eyes showed a variety of emotions from anger to hatred to sadness and concern.
There was a sudden murmur of hate in the crowd as they made way. Few people from Kalamatti had entered – they looked sad and scared as well. Their hands were folded in a gesture of peace and truce. The crowd seemed to be ready to pounce on them but stopped as Amar raised his hand and allowed them to enter.
“Amarbhai” one of them said in a melancholic tone, “what happened is really bad. We came here despite knowing that we are walking into danger and could be attacked by the crowd. We came here to let you know that we have kept our word given to you and Sajjanbhai. None of us is involved in the incident. Someone wants to break this trust we now have put amongst ourselves. We swear with all our heart that we are with you, no matter what happens. We will punish whoever did it. Please believe us.”
Sajjan and Amar looked at the group from Kalamatti and knew that they spoke truth.
“I believe you.” Amar said, his voice still full of anger he held within, he looked at the crowd, “I believe what these people say because I was at Kalamatti with them, the whole day. The time has now come for us not to dwell on our past hatred but stay united. What happened here could happen tomorrow at Kalamatti. We have to find out who is behind this. We will punish them publicly and in such a dangerous manner that nobody else will dare to create any rift or do such kind of act again. Are you with me to stay united and fight these enemies of people?”
The crowd roared in unison confirming that they would keep the solidarity and the trust they had in each other. “What we got to do now”, Amar continued addressing the crowd, “is to keep a 24 X 7 vigil and stop any further act or incidence. Spread the word to every nook and corner and keep a vigil to stop anyone who wants to do such a thing as well find out who the people are behind this deed. This has to be right from the edge of the jungle to the end of Bhama. Be on lookout for any suspicious person or activity. Do not try to act alone – alert others – we will see to it that justice prevails.”
He then turned to the group of people from Kalamatti, “Especially, you have to be on extreme alert. Their next target could be from your area to incite trouble amongst people and cause rioting. Let’s meet up tomorrow afternoon and devise a plan for vigilance.”
The crowd left murmuring amongst themselves even as Sajjan and Amar stood in the veranda. Once the crowd left, Amar hugged Sajjan in concern.
“Thank God. You are safe.”
“Please tell me what happened.”
“Later.” Amar said in a tone of urgency and grabbed Sajjan’s hand pulling him toward the outhouse, “Leela is hurt. First we have to check her out.”
He and Sajjan almost ran over to the outhouse. Sajjan saw Leela sitting on the armchair, Lajjo applying a heated brick to her back and arms. Her hands had patches of black and blue. One look at her, Sajjan understood that she had taken a bad beating by lathis. She was breathing heavily and her look was fixed in anger and hatred. She wasn’t even feeling any pain as Lajjo applied the heated brick to her affected parts. Little Leela sat next to her, holding her hand tight, scared, tears silently flowing over her cheeks.
“She seems to be in a state of shock.” Lajjo said in a concerned voice as soon as she saw them enter.
“What happened? Can someone tell me?”
Amar waived his hand for Sajjan to sit, “Today afternoon, the school principal and Reshma’s parents came here looking for their missing daughter. Reshma is little Leela’s best friend. I was working at Kalamatti with those people when I received a call from Lajjo about this missing girl, Reshma. I asked her to go along with Reshma’s mother looking for her at their other friends’ homes. I told the people of Kalamatti about the missing Reshma. After some time, Lajjo called me and informed me that little Leela was kidnapped from our backyard by an unknown person right in front of her eyes. She told me that even as she screamed out for help, Leela, picked up the lathi she was using to dry the clothes and ran behind the kidnapper. They both disappeared into the fields. Lajjo then with help of others around went in search for both of them.”
Sajjan was sitting quietly, trying to digest what he was being related.
“I started from Kalamatti to join the search party and the people there joined me. We started combing the fields from that side. They wanted to help me but then I realized, everyone around was going to be tense which could spur up violence and hatred again. So I asked them to keep a vigil at Kalamatti for anything suspicious.”
“I think she is still in the state of shock and may take a day or so to come out of it.” Lajjo said with concern, “I’ll prepare a meal for everyone till then, please take care of her.” She picked up Little Leela and left for her kitchen.
Sajjan nodded in concern even as Amar continued, “I reached here crossing all the fields. I saw nothing. I saw Lajjo and others returning from the field – empty handed. They seemed to have given up their search. My concern grew for both the little girls. I decided to launch a fresh search in an organized manner into the fields. Even as we started toward the fields at the backyard, we saw both, Leela and the little Leela walk out of the field, their hands held tight. I saw how bad the beating was taken by her and little Leela was crying silently as she has been doing so since then. Both haven’t spoken a word. The crowd had started gathering as the news spread. I was concerned about your safety. I understand how valiantly Leela must have fought to save the child. I didn’t want everyone to know what Leela did because then those people who tried to kidnap little Leela would then target you both. In the meantime, I received a call from Kalamatti that their search party had found Reshma, brutally murdered in one of their farms. This seems a bid to disrupt the unity you have been creating here. People of Kalamatti have been branded dangerous and others easily would have believed that they did it.”
Sajjan looked at Leela in concern and moved his hand over her head, “Brave girl. I am proud of you.”
Leela’s gaze was still fixed and showed no reaction. Lajjo returned with meal for everyone and watched Sajjan feed Leela with love and care who ate it without any taste or emotion.
“How is little Leela now?” Sajjan asked in concern.
“She is still in a shock. I managed to feed her and put her to sleep.”
“You better not leave her alone at house.” Sajjan said in a concern, “I will take care of Leela here. I hope the morning would see both of them normal, else we will have to get them checked medically.”
Amar and Lajjo agreed to Sajjan’s concern and they hurriedly left the outhouse.
Sajjan tried starting few conversations with Leela to help her get out of the shocked state but in vain. He carefully lifted her from the armchair and gently put her on the bed. He quietly heated up the brick and his anguish could be seen as he applied the heated brick on Leela’s wounds.
He was concerned that such incidences could ruin up his mission.
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- Prasad Deshpandehttps://storiesandme.com/author/prasad/
- Prasad Deshpandehttps://storiesandme.com/author/prasad/