unavailable, ”
Sai heard the voice of the stern lady every time he tried calling
Laksha. Panic bubbled in him; gradually, the news was given to her
family and other relatives and friends. A massive search, beginning
at hospitals and reports of accidents was conducted. The television
at their house was tuned into some news channel or another to check
if any major incidents had been reported, with fervent prayers
going on at the other end and a hope that they did not hear
anything awful.
As time passed, the panic increased
manifold, and the painful task to approach the police was the next
step made by the distraught family. The extended family from all
over India was alerted. Pallavi, who felt that this had happened
because of her invitation to Laksha, was completely shaken.
Laksha’s mom was strong enough to talk to all the relatives and
friends who tried to help in the search for the lost girl, but her
father, the man of few words, sat in a corner looking like a
crumpled sheet of paper.
At every ring of the phone the whole
family pricked their ears. They were filled with fear, and the
emotion in every prayer, shook some relative each time. “Aunty, can
I have a picture of Laksha?” asked one of the cousins. “Why? You
are going to lodge a complaint, is it?” her mom questioned. “I
understand the risk, but we can still request the police not to
reveal it, they will understand that it’s a girl’s life. Also, my
friend’s uncle knows an official high up in the department, I’m
moving through him,” he answered.
“ My daughter calls me sharp
at 9 P.M every day, shall we wait till then?” her mom’s voice broke
and she was on the verge of tears, but she managed not to cry in
front her husband, knowing it would weaken him further. “Aunty,
it’s been more than a day, please understand, there is no news from
any of the hospitals. I checked with a high-end official in this
regard, there have not been too many accidents in the last 24
hours,” he whispered in a convincing yet sensitive tone.
Just then, Laksha’s father’s mobile
rang, an old song playing as his ringtone. while her mom went
searching for her recent picture in the Almira, with thoughts about
Laksha. Her mom came rushing back to the room. “It must be Laksha,
It must be Laksha!” “Some old guy,” her husband said and proceeded
to talk to the person at the other end. “Yeah, Laksha, my daughter
only, she is with you–” before he could complete the sentence, her
mom grabbed the phone.
“ Give the phone to Laksha,
if she is in a state to talk,” her mom said to the man, who handed
over the phone without a word.
“ Hi Mom, I’m fine, I will
reach tomorrow morning with this uncle,” Laksha said in a feeble
voice.
“ Laksha! Are you ok? Can you
manage? Shall I come over?”
“ I can manage
Amma,”
“ Take care, see you
soon!”
“ What happened?” “Why did
you cut the call?”“Why didn’t you ask her where she is?”“Call that
number again!” shouted different voices across the hall.
“ That was not required,
Laksha sounded confident, and she will manage and be back tomorrow
morning, so stop arguing. Wait for some twenty minutes, I will get
dinner for all of you,” with this, Laksha’s mom walked off to the
kitchen, bundling her hair into a knot.
After she left, a cousin asked Laksha’s
dad to pass on the man’s number, but he refused and escaped to the
bathroom. After a simple dinner, the relatives left; Laksha’s mom
thanked them heartily for their help. It was almost 11 o’clock as
she set the bedroom for her and her husband to sleep. As she was
adjusting the pillows, he came in and asked her to sit
down.
“ What's going on? My
daughter is a courageous woman like me, not a weak person like you,
so smile,” she said, looking at him..
“ Why don’t you cry? Let it
out, enough of this,” he replied.
“ You think I want to cry? I
didn't cry the day I married you or even when I gave birth to
Laksha
Sai heard the voice of the stern lady every time he tried calling
Laksha. Panic bubbled in him; gradually, the news was given to her
family and other relatives and friends. A massive search, beginning
at hospitals and reports of accidents was conducted. The television
at their house was tuned into some news channel or another to check
if any major incidents had been reported, with fervent prayers
going on at the other end and a hope that they did not hear
anything awful.
As time passed, the panic increased
manifold, and the painful task to approach the police was the next
step made by the distraught family. The extended family from all
over India was alerted. Pallavi, who felt that this had happened
because of her invitation to Laksha, was completely shaken.
Laksha’s mom was strong enough to talk to all the relatives and
friends who tried to help in the search for the lost girl, but her
father, the man of few words, sat in a corner looking like a
crumpled sheet of paper.
At every ring of the phone the whole
family pricked their ears. They were filled with fear, and the
emotion in every prayer, shook some relative each time. “Aunty, can
I have a picture of Laksha?” asked one of the cousins. “Why? You
are going to lodge a complaint, is it?” her mom questioned. “I
understand the risk, but we can still request the police not to
reveal it, they will understand that it’s a girl’s life. Also, my
friend’s uncle knows an official high up in the department, I’m
moving through him,” he answered.
“ My daughter calls me sharp
at 9 P.M every day, shall we wait till then?” her mom’s voice broke
and she was on the verge of tears, but she managed not to cry in
front her husband, knowing it would weaken him further. “Aunty,
it’s been more than a day, please understand, there is no news from
any of the hospitals. I checked with a high-end official in this
regard, there have not been too many accidents in the last 24
hours,” he whispered in a convincing yet sensitive tone.
Just then, Laksha’s father’s mobile
rang, an old song playing as his ringtone. while her mom went
searching for her recent picture in the Almira, with thoughts about
Laksha. Her mom came rushing back to the room. “It must be Laksha,
It must be Laksha!” “Some old guy,” her husband said and proceeded
to talk to the person at the other end. “Yeah, Laksha, my daughter
only, she is with you–” before he could complete the sentence, her
mom grabbed the phone.
“ Give the phone to Laksha,
if she is in a state to talk,” her mom said to the man, who handed
over the phone without a word.
“ Hi Mom, I’m fine, I will
reach tomorrow morning with this uncle,” Laksha said in a feeble
voice.
“ Laksha! Are you ok? Can you
manage? Shall I come over?”
“ I can manage
Amma,”
“ Take care, see you
soon!”
“ What happened?” “Why did
you cut the call?”“Why didn’t you ask her where she is?”“Call that
number again!” shouted different voices across the hall.
“ That was not required,
Laksha sounded confident, and she will manage and be back tomorrow
morning, so stop arguing. Wait for some twenty minutes, I will get
dinner for all of you,” with this, Laksha’s mom walked off to the
kitchen, bundling her hair into a knot.
After she left, a cousin asked Laksha’s
dad to pass on the man’s number, but he refused and escaped to the
bathroom. After a simple dinner, the relatives left; Laksha’s mom
thanked them heartily for their help. It was almost 11 o’clock as
she set the bedroom for her and her husband to sleep. As she was
adjusting the pillows, he came in and asked her to sit
down.
“ What's going on? My
daughter is a courageous woman like me, not a weak person like you,
so smile,” she said, looking at him..
“ Why don’t you cry? Let it
out, enough of this,” he replied.
“ You think I want to cry? I
didn't cry the day I married you or even when I gave birth to
Laksha
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