Chapter 1

February 2005,


Mumbai,


Late evening,


It had been four says since Krishna had gone for the school trip. Arjun stood in front of a shelf in his house, thinking aloud, “Aai! We need a larger shelf to keep our shields, medals and trophies.”



“Why dear?” Durga asked from kitchen, she was busy preparing the dinner.



“This shelf is too small, as now there will be loads of trophies coming in our house!” Arjun said coming in the kitchen, with an envelope.



“Stop making riddles and state clearly, what’s the news?”



“Well, our Krish is selected to play for the state, she’s been selected in the 25 meters air-pistol shooting team! That means, she’ll play for the state, then the nationals and then go for the internationals!” Arjun’s voice beamed with pride.



“One more day and my headache will be back!” Durga said dreamily.



“Aai? When is Baba returning from his trip?”



“In one or two days. Why?”



“We have to order a larger shelf, so.”



“Oh Arjun! Let her go to play first, then win, then we’ll bring in the ‘large shelf’!” Durga said taking the dinner and placing it on the table. “Come, sit for the dinner.”



“The house seems so silent without my Kishu!” Arjun said sadly, picking the plate, but he had no appetite for the delicacies served.



“It is the silence before the storm, Kishu will be back soon.” Durga said, placing rotis in Arjun’s plate.



“Aai, just one roti please, I’m not hungry.”



“I know, Kishu isn’t here so you can’t put in your half extra roti in her plate, and that’s why you’re ‘not hungry’, come on now, eat this up.”



They’d just finished the dinner when the doorbell rang. And a constant knocking was heard.



“I’ll open.” Arjun said and almost ran to open the door. “Baba?” He said as he opened the door, to find an elderly man, in his fifties, standing at the door, deeply worried. Both of them came in. Durga brought a glass of water.



“Durga, pack up some clothes and few essentials in a bag, quick. Arjun, you and Krishna too. Be quick, we don’t have time to waste.” Shiva said as he walked towards his room, while Arjun and Durga stood shocked.



Durga asked, “Shiva? What is the matter? And where are we going?”



Shiva said in a tensed voice, “Leave it to me, just do as I say, and where’s Kishu?”



“You’ve been too forgetful lately Shiva! Kishu has gone for her school trip to Mahabaleshwar.”



“Why did you let her go? You should’ve at least asked me before sending her!” Shiva blasted at Durga.



Durga was shocked at the sudden outburst, “Shiva! What happened? Why are you so tensed, please tell me.”



“Pack your things, quick!” Shiva said and picked his phone.



Within a few minutes, Durga and Arjun had packed some essentials and clothes and came with their bags. Shiva had finished the call by now but seemed far more disturbed than before. He turned to Durga, gently kissed her forehead. “Take care of yourself and don’t worry.”



Durga had tears in her eyes; she knew something was terribly wrong. “Shiva? Please tell me what...” Shiva placed his finger on her lips, “Leave it to me. Trust me, everything will be fine.” Though he himself wasn’t sure of it but he reassured Durga.



“Arjun, you’re a grown up boy now. Take good care of your mother and always do what you feel is right. I know that my son would never do anything wrong.” Shiva ruffled Arjun hair and pecked his forehead lovingly. “I’m going to bring Krishna back. Take care.” He turned and left his house.



Before Durga and Arjun could understand what was really happening, some security guards come to their house and escorted them to a safe-house.

~

Shiva tried hard to contact Krishna but her cell was unreachable every time. After a few minutes, he gets a call. He picks up at the first ring and breathes deeply hearing, “Baba!” Krishna spoke from the other end, her voice was shaky.



“Krishna? Beta how are you? I’ve been calling you since long, where are you?” Shiva rained all the questions in one breathe.



“Baba, I was at the school camp in Mahabaleshwar...” and the line went off.



Shiva called the same number again but it was switched off. He was on his way to Mahabaleshwar. After five and half hours he reached the camp area. He had got its details from the school authorities.



The camp was already awake, they were preparing for the day’s adventure when they had realized that Krishna was missing. They were just going to search for her when Shiva arrived there.



“It’s good that you’re here, Mr. Rawte.” said one of the teachers. “Krishna has been missing and we were going to start searching her.”



“When and where did you see her at last?” questioned Shiva.



“At night after the dinner we went to our tents to sleep, and in the morning, she wasn’t there in the tent.” said one of her friend.



Shiva’s cell rang; he heard a rough, manly voice over the cell, “Shiva! Your daughter is with us! Want to see her safe? Then do as I say or else...” There was a thundering laughter and the line went off. Shiva’s fears had come true. “They‘ve kidnapped her.” He almost whispered.



Soon he received another call, “Shiva, you have two options, either see your daughter safe or dead. Come on the highway. There’s a black van, get in it.” Shiva did as he was asked to. He got in the black van, one man blindfolded him and other tied his hands and the van zoomed off.



After a few minutes, which seemed life ages, the van stopped. One man dialed a number and Shiva heard the same voice again, “Shiva, give us the sensitive information, and see your daughter alive.”



“NO! You won’t get that information ever!” Shiva almost yelled.



“We’ll kill your daughter then.”



“NO!” Shiva’s voice trembled.



The van started and stopped again after about half an hour. He was dragged out of the van and taken somewhere. He was dropped on ground. He felt being pulled up by someone, holding his hair. That person pulled off the cloth from his eyes.



“Hello Shiva!” It was the same voice. The man looked a perfect villain, long grown beard, messy hair, cold, menacing eyes would send a chill down any normal person’s spine, but not Shiva Rawte, he looked straight into his eyes, fearlessly.



“Shiva, tell us about the nuclear missiles, Maithili. I know that you have all the information regarding it. Share it with us.” That man said in a cold voice.



“I won’t tell you.” Shiva stated in a crystal clear way. He saw Krishna, lying unconscious in one corner. “Krishna!” He called her.



“She’s unconscious, but if you don’t give us what we want, she’ll be dead.” That man threatened Shiva.



“No!” Shiva said again. That man punched Shiva hard in his stomach and caught him by hair again. “Won’t tell us?” He slapped him and blood spurted out from Shiva’s mouth.



A gun shot was heard and everyone’s eyes turned in that direction, one man fell down, dead before they could understand who killed him, there were five other men, dead. All of them were shot right in the middle of their head.

~ 

Krishna had gained consciousness when Shiva was brought in the warehouse, but she posed being unconscious. She saw her father being tortured and she felt broken. She saw a gun lying beside her. Taking the chance, she held it and shot the man who was nearest to her. Then she hid behind few boxes and started shooting the men, right in their heads. She had killed six of them, when she realized that her pistol was empty now.



Shiva was shocked to see his daughter holding a gun and shooting. She had learnt pistol shooting in her school as a game, but shooting dartboards and real targets has a lot of difference. He knew that soon enough these men would drain her with bullets. He got up and ran to save her life. He shielded her and took all bullets on his body.



“BABA!!” Krishna let out a heart wrenching cry for the last time.

~

Few hours later, the Mahabaleshwar police found two dead bodies, a middle-aged man and a young girl. The man’s body was ridden with bullets; almost fifteen bullets had pierced various parts of his body, killing him instantly. The girl’s body was badly burnt and also had some bullets in her body.



The bodies were identified as that of Shiva Rawte and his daughter Krishna Rawte. The hell broke loose when Durga and Arjun got this news. The bodies were brought to Mumbai and cremated.



Durga was distraught after seeing the dead bodies of her husband and daughter. Her happy little family was broken, her little world, her family was shattered into pieces. She cried out loudly, her tears were unstoppable.



Arjun tried hard to console his mother, but he knew he couldn’t do it. He let his mother cry on his shoulder for long, till her tears had almost dried and she felt too tired. He somehow made her fall asleep and went to his room.



He took one of the pictures of Krishna and held it tight. He had been posing strong in front of his mother, but he couldn’t do it any more.



He gently moved his fingers across the frame, “Krishna, from when did you start taking my talks seriously?” He talked to the frame, as if it was really Krishna, “I never really meant that you should not come back, I was just joking dear, why you took it so seriously?” He asked her and tears made their way down his eyes, “I haven’t been happy, not even for a single minute since I dropped you at the school for the trip, not happy to play the games alone, not satisfied to have food without sharing half a roti with you, I’m not happy to see the room all neat and tidy, it always looks good when you mess it.” He smiled lightly as he remembered the messed room, “Come back to mess my room again, come back to play our game, come back to take up your share of roti room my plate, come back to play all the mischief’s, come back to hear the scolding, come back, your Dau is calling you!” He yelled amidst his tears, “Come back for your Dau, come for your Aai, please come back Kishu, please!” Arjun broke down, crying his heart out, “Krish… please...you can’t leave us...no...” He kept mumbling and wailing, holding the frame tight in his hands.

~ ~ ~