Love Circum-fended

𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲 𝐌𝐞

In a dark-blue rainy evening, when Naveen's friends Rajesh and Pranav get into their car with two cups of tea and one cup of coffee and see Naveen sleeping heavily.

Pranav: Shall we wake him up?

Rajesh: No, let him be. He hasn't slept properly for two weeks, let him sleep atleast now.

They drink their tea and listen to the radio in which the song 'Kaadhale Kaadhale' from 96 was playing.

Naveen laid his head partially on the window furrowing his eyebrows. He was internally going through a rush of torturous visuals in his mind. When the song started playing, it eased his mind and visualized her face. The moment she started moving apart from him in his dream, he gets teary which causes him to wake up.

Naveen wakes up feeling the wetness on his eyelashes with his hands and the coldness of the window pane. He turns to his friends.

Rajesh: What happened da? Oh... I'm sorry, did the song disturb your sleep?

Naveen: No da, its fine..

Pranav: Here, have this coffee.

Naveen: I'll have it later, my heart is beating faster, look my hands are also shivering.

Pranav: Is it the same nightmare?

Naveen (holding his hands together): Not a nightmare da, It's this running visual thing that happens when I am half asleep.

He takes a deep breath trying to lower his pulse rate.

Rajesh: Were you thinking about her?

Naveen nods his head and takes the coffee cup in his hand. Rajesh and Pranav look at him in worry.

Pranav: Don't worry da, nothing would have happened to her.

Rajesh: They said that they would leave her if you got 2 lakhs ransom ready right?

Naveen: Yeah, but what I don't understand is the pattern they are using to threaten. The first week they sent voice texts of her screaming for help and kept haunting me with some weird threats in the night. Now, in the second week they are asking me for ransom. If they just needs money, then why would they torture her ?

Pranav: Maybe, they might be petty thieves involved in a serious kidnap...

Rajesh: But she does not have any enemies as such. The only places she frequently visits is your house, her hostel, that charity trust and then her office. Then how will she go missing?

Naveen (in a guilty tone) : It is my fault as well, I should have been more careful in her case. After I got my job I rarely had time to talk with her, but she understood me. Why should this happen to her? She lost her parents at a very young age, from then she has taken care of herself very well, now when I am there for her I should have taken the lead.

It stops raining and Naveen lowers the window glass. His mother calls him. He picks the call.

Naveen: Ma?

Naveen's mother: Where are you? Did you have anything?

Naveen: Yes ma, I'm with Rajesh and Pranav.

Naveen's mother: Oh...ok. Then... did you get any other message from the kidnapper?

Naveen: I haven't received a message for almost two days now... I'm really worried about what they would be upto...

Naveen's mother: Don't panic... I feel we are nearing her.

Naveen: How do you say so ma?

Naveen's mother: I feel it.

As he speaks with his mother, a guy snatches his phone from outside the car and starts running. Naveen gets out of the car and chases him. His friends follow him. The thief runs through the street and halts when a food cart appears in front of him. He pushes the food cart and runs ahead.

The person in the cart falls down injuring his leg. Naveen lifts the cart and helps the person. Rajesh tells that he will take care of the person and asks Naveen and Pranav to catch him. The thief runs inside a small restaurant. Naveen and Pranav follow him. 

They passed across the tables and kitchen after which they bumped into the room where the utensils were being washed. Pranav gets hold of a ladle and hands over a wok to Naveen for safety. When the thief tries to attack them from behind, Pranav hits him on the arm with the ladle which causes the thief to fall on the huge mortar and pestle, hurting himself. 

While he lay there in pain, Naveen took the phone from him and warned him to not repeat the mistake.

As they were about to leave, Naveen heard an alarm sound from a small wooden shelf beside the door. He went close to the shelf and found the alarm coming from a half-broken smartphone. The alarm was named as 'Call MD'.

Naveen (shocked): Pranav ! This is Anjana's phone !

TO BE CONTINUED