It was almost midnight when they entered the gate of the studio.
“You first, Chaits – and be quick” said Alisha as they gathered the bags & the baggage. As soon as they were inside Alisha peeked from the window & saw the police car parked outside the gate. She needed to shake them off
“Hello! Ms Alisha Fire! How the hell are you? Long-time no see!” a voice boomed from behind.
“Oh! Hi! Praveen Kumar… Am I glad to see you?” said Alisha turning back.
He looked at everyone & recognised and then he looked at Chaits & had an expression of wonder ‘Who is he?’
“Praveen… I need your help – let’s get into that cabin as I explain everything to you…” and they walked into the glass cabin & discussed for about 30 minutes.
Praveen Kumar stood up shaking his head in wonder & walked out with Alisha following him…
He walked up to Chaits & put a reassuring hand on his shoulder “Hey! Buddy! I’m sorry to hear your story. In normal circumstances, I’d have called in the police who’re standing out at the gate – but I understand that you’re someone special to Ms Alisha – and so I’m going to help you…” and he smiled widely at Chaits & others.
“Ok!” he boomed again, “Folks! Here’s a plan – hope it works… I’m going along with you in the news van instead of Alisha – we go southward toward Gujarat & then turn toward the border & then turn again to reach Bikaner. This journey would consume about 8 hours on a bumpy road & then we wind up after shooting few places & return to Jaipur by tomorrow night. Hope it’d be not as inconvenient… and I hope this decoy will work”
“Brilliant idea Praveen – but how’d we make our way to Gujarat?” asked Alisha…
“Here – take the keys to my car – give us about an hour’s headway & make sure the police car has followed us – and then you make your getaway… You can park this car at our Ahmedabad studio where our colleague Bharat Desai would help you travel further – anyone hungry – I am… so let’s go to the canteen & munch it out…”
They all were hungry & they followed him…
All of them were famished and ate heartily. It was almost an hour & a half since the van had entered Jaipur studio & the cops in the car relaxed. They were guessing the van would now leave next day morning after the crew rests. They took their turns to watch as others went out for dinner & brought packed meals for others. After a hearty meal, they felt lazy & relaxed. They didn’t notice the crew getting into the van and loading their luggage silently.
They woke with a jerk as they heard sound of engine & saw the van speeding away to their disbelief – they followed the van as per instructions and stopped at the petrol pump and refuelled along with the Van.
Praveen Kumar peeped out of the slit in the curtain & was satisfied that his ploy had worked & gave a cry of joy as they started with the police car following them…
Alisha saw her crew & Praveen Kumar off – her crew were concerned about her safety.
“Alisha! You’re a brave girl & I admire you for that we need a strong personality like you to voice our feelings out to people and the government – Please take care of yourself” Praveen Kumar pleaded as he headed toward the van & drove off…
She deftly moved to the window where Chaits was peeping out & watching the proceedings outside They both watched the police car follow the van with much relief….
“Thanks – Alisha” Chaits said in a grateful tone & Alisha looked at him – irate.
“Chaits… Am I not your best friend?” she asked and smiled as Chaits nodded, “then – no thanks & no sorry – I don’t want to hear those words from you” she came close to him & hugged him, “Chaits! Never feel alone – I’m always there – If you get stuck – I’ll pull you out of it, if you want help – I’ll help you without you asking for it, if you need to release any emotion – my arms will always be stretched out to hug & comfort you – if you need any advice – I’ll give plenty of it, if you need any information – I’ll use all my connections & fish it out for you, if you feel like crying – my shoulder would be ready to soak every tear that you cry… if you feel down – I’ll love you & get you up & kicking again… And if any bullet comes your way – be sure I’ll present me as a target & that bullet won’t reach you…”
Alisha’s speech overwhelmed Chaits who hugged her tight and found peace returning to his turbulent heart. Soon they were on their way.
They were passing through deserts of Rajasthan and it was cold. Chaits wound a muffler around his face while Alisha was comfortable covering her head & ears with a dupatta…
They got the tank full at the petrol pump & zoomed off onto the deserted road. Nobody would have recognised them… they wrapped around hid their faces enough to hide their identity.
They crossed the Rajasthan border into Gujarat without any further event & were soon seated in the lobby of the studio based in Ahmedabad…
They handed the keys of Praveen Kumar’s car to Bharat Desai who drove them to Baroda. They checked in at a hotel near the railway station as Bharat Desai returned with train tickets to Mumbai. The train was due to leave at 11:30 pm & they had more than 8 hours to kill…
They decided to rest & were soon off to sleep as soon as Bharat Desai left. They were tired & didn’t bother to get into comfortable clothes. At 11:30 pm, they looked out of the chugging train that will reach them to Mumbai…
They reached Mumbai Central early in the morning & crossed over to the main bus stand. It was pretty hot now & both were sweating like pigs.
They boarded the bus & soon slept off again as cool breeze oozed from the windows. They woke up with a jolt as the bus stopped. Chaits looked out of the window to see familiar surroundings on the outskirts of Sundernagar.
Alisha dug an elbow in his ribs as a cop entered with few photographs in his hand… He obviously was searching for someone they held each other’s hands in a tight grip as they waited, breathlessly counting each step the cop took toward them – Alisha wrapped her dupatta over her head to avoid easy recognition. The cop passed them looking at every face sitting in the bus & left much to their relief – he obviously was looking for somebody else…
The bus passed on & Alisha craned her neck almost out of the window trying to capture every glimpse of Sundernagar. They hired an auto from the bus stand to where Chaits had an apartment – he’d called up his landlady to know if it was still vacant… He was happy – It was still vacant & she was happy to know that he was returning…
Are you ready for a thrill ride like no other?
Look no further than Prasad Deshpande, the mastermind behind heart-stopping, spine-tingling thrillers
that will leave you breathless and begging for more!
"Unimaginable Plots, Unrelenting Suspense"
With a twisted imagination and a flair for the unexpected,
Prasad Deshpande weaves intricate tales that will keep you guessing until the very end.
From shocking twists to heart-pumping action, it is a wild ride that will push you to the edge of your seat.
Dive into a World of Thrills and Chills
Explore the dark corners of the human psyche, where the unimaginable becomes reality.
Prasad Deshpande's thrillers are not for the faint or weak of heart,
but for those who crave a story that will haunt them long after the final page is turned.
- Prasad Deshpande
- Prasad Deshpande
- Prasad Deshpande
- Prasad Deshpande