Sajjan first booked a first class ticket for her for the 4pm passenger going to Jalasagar, leaving next day. Then he proceeded to Rajapuri to check on his equipment. It was still there untouched and safe. He was cautiously making his way to the main road when he heard a sound of a twig crack under someone’s toe. With alert mind and flit footsteps, he circled his way in the direction where he had heard the sound. He found Birju tensely trying to make his way toward the ghostland. He stealthily approached him and gently tapped him on his back. Birju jumped up totally scared and turned around in horror. Sajjan put his finger to his lips signalling him to be silent. They moved back to the centre of the wild shrubs near the railway line away from the spot where Sajjan had hidden his equipment.
“What are you doing here?” Sajjan asked him in a cautious tone.
“I was going to meet Rana.”
“No use. I met him yesterday. He told me that he was leaving by 3am train to an unknown place.”
“I thought he was leaving tonight.”
“He already has left. He has asked me to give you a message.” Birju wasn’t looking at him. He was too scared that whoever had killed his brother and his friends would find him and kill him too. His eyes were wandering, constantly on the lookout for any possible sign of danger, “Rana has asked me to tell you that you should be going back to your tribe for at least a couple of months and hide there. That’s the safest place for you.”
“Ya. That’s what he told me too.”
“He has given me a packet for you.” Birju’s eyes gleamed in greed thinking that Rana must have given some money for him to be underground for these two months.
“Where is it?”
“It’s at Amar’s place. I didn’t know whether you are still here or gone back to your tribe. It is dangerous to carry all that money.” He looked at Birju’s desperation and said with some deliberation, “Why don’t you drop in at Amar’s place around 7pm and collect it?”
Birju looked at him in horror.
“Don’t worry. Nobody knows you work for Rana. Everyone thinks you work for Amar for the manure he prepares. Tell Amar that you are visiting your tribe and wanted to check if he needed any more of the leaves. That will seem perfect.”
Birju thought for a moment and nodded affirmative, “I will ask everyone of Rana’s men I know from various tribes to leave the town immediately and then collect the packet from you at 7pm and get out myself.”
He left in a hurry and Sajjan looked at him – a bit in thought. Was his guess about Birju correct? Was he the one? Only time will tell…
Leela was surprised to see Sajjan return by noon but didn’t say anything. There were lots of varied emotions running through her mind. She went back to cooking the meal thinking what the future now held for her. These days at Dheemapur were perfect. She seemed to have found her life here.
Sajjan asked Amar to call the heads of all the villages. He wanted to address them before he left Dheemapur. Amar made calls and confirmed that all of them would gather there around 5pm. Sajjan handed over the first class ticket to Amar.
“I will be travelling to a dangerous place for my next project. I don’t want to put Leela’s life into danger. So I’m sending her back to her parents.”
“She can stay here. We will take care of her. I owe her at least this much. She saved my little daughter.”
“In normal conditions, I would have agreed. But if someone comes to know that she was the one who fought the kidnappers and then they were found dead, she as well as you all will be in trouble. Those people may return for revenge. And I care for all of you like my family and I don’t want you all to be in any danger.”
Amar nodded as he understood what Sajjan was concerned about. Sajjan returned to the outhouse for his meal.
“Leela” he said startling her. She had thought that he would not speak again to her. “I want you to take little Leela with you to the machan before the village heads start gathering here in the afternoon, I don’t want her to get uncomfortable or scared.” she nodded, “be sure to bring her back around 7pm. They will have all left by then. Be sure to be here at 7pm.”
“I saw that you gave Amarbhai something in a packet. What was in it?”
“Oh! That was your travel ticket to Jalasagar so that you can return to your college campus to finish off your graduation.”
“So you have decided to leave me alone” she said sadly.
“Yes. I did tell you that The Mission, I’ve undertaken is supreme for me and I don’t allow anyone or anything to stop me from achieving it. My mission is going to make me travel to many dangerous places and I don’t want you to face any danger. I have given you The Mission of your life – teaching the tribal girls the Art of Self Defence. You don’t want any other tribal girl to face what your sister did – right?” she nodded even as he continued, “and who knows, there could be someone, like you – some other Leela who would be in need of my help. She may not even know the art of self-defence and in deeper trouble? Don’t you think I should help her as well?”
“Will I be able to see you – ever again?”
“I’d say it’s next to impossible. I may not be returning to these parts of the country for many years. By the time – I hope – You would have settled down. Happily married, having kids. You may be here, in your jungles or somewhere lost in this wide world.”
She started to cry at the thought of parting ways with him. He was the only Love she had felt. He was the only person she could think of as her husband. She could say nothing at the moment and threw herself on the bed and wept like a child. He looked at her, said nothing and left for the bazaar for his last minute purchases.
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- Prasad Deshpandehttps://storiesandme.com/author/prasad/
- Prasad Deshpandehttps://storiesandme.com/author/prasad/