The footprints of the past always come back to haunt ...
Tara wanted to let herself go. The pain that she felt was almost ripping her apart. She could almost feel the labor pains tearing her apart . Maybe that was the price of letting Roohi go. All these years, she never allowed herself the pleasure of repentance. Maybe that would have been cathartic. Until one mourns the past ,it is difficult to find a way out.
What hurt more was that she had always loved Roohi . After all she was her own daughter ,so what if she could never express her love. But all that seemed inconsequential, ever since she realised her little girl was missing. Even worse ,Shekhar was also missing.
What if? What if he was the one who had taken Roohi away from her?
Why couldn't she remember which driver had she sent to pick Roohi up from school?
Jenny and Cyrus were getting frantic. Cyrus was talking to someone on the phone ,It seemed as though he was trying to explain something to Jenny. She was writing something down.
One call ,two calls , they were arguing about something .
Tara heard the word police somewhere, but she also knew this was too dangerous to involve the police and
Jenny turned towards Tara and asked her "Why did you fraternise with Aryan? Did you not know he was so so dangerous?"
"Aryan? What does Aryan have to do with Roohi and my driver?Oh God. No!! I never thought of Aryan as a danger to Roohi."
"What do you mean that you never thought about Aryan as dangerous? You were so friendly with him. "
Suddenly Cyrus started, his phone began to vibrate. " Are you sure? We're going."
He looked at Jenny and almost shouted, "Run. I think we can catch him."
They dragged Tara out , stumbling on tje steps to the waiting car. Jenny threw her imto tje back of the car and slammed the door shut and rushed to the passenger side while Cyrus started the dilapidated car. With a groan the car sprung forward. Cyrus didn't lift his foot off the accelerator and drove with intense concentration.
He indicated to Jenny to place a call grom his mobile phone, "Police. Dial the number for Kanitkar and tell him we are headed for Shakti mills Complex. He'll need back up.Dial . NOW. "
With trembling hands Jenny dis his bidding while Tara watched, tears streaming down her face. In all her worst nightmares, she had never imagined that she , the muse of many, boss and strong woman would break down like so.
*****
The drive had been long and arduous, trying to hide from people as he had brought a scared and sobbing Roohi to this dingy and eerie building. The walls smelled of disuse and neglect and were smeared with paan and urine. There was no place to sit.
This was no place for a little girl. Not one who had never seen her father in this mood. He had always smiled at her and teased her. When he met her at the school gates, he looked as though he was ill. Mad maybe. Just like the Chowkidaars uncle ,who came to sit near their block sometimes, Roohi waa scared to look at him alao. She hif behind her daddy, and now her daddy only looked like that....
Roohi was tired and hungry and wanted her dolly...
And daddy was talking to someone. ..
Someone she couldn't see...
Was he hitting someone , or something...
But there was no body there.
Roohi was petrified, her tongue was frozen, and she wanted to pee...
"Daddy " , Roohi said softly, Shekhar looked menacingly at her. ..Roohi screamed as loudly as she could..
*****
Tara felt as though her insides were being gouged out when she heard that scream of terror.
"Roohi...No!!!"
She ran as fast as her legs allowed her ,but Cyrus was already shaking the living daylights out of Shekhar
