https://www.abhirajgupta.in/missing.html
I knocked on the door but my wife did not open the door. I
said, “Sorry, I will not flirt with any girl in future.” But she did not open
the door. May be she knew that I would promise not to flirt but would find
opportunity to do this again.
The toy car suddenly came and stopped near my feet. I smiled
and reversed the direction of the car towards my six year old daughter. She had
the remote in her hands. She loved playing with cars.
I always wanted to go to an island resort to have fun and enjoy
life. Finally God listened to me.
Next day in the morning I had to go to Maldives for office meeting.
No one was taking family along.
But I had to take Kavya along with her two year old daughter
Ramya.
I reached at the
hotel lobby located in the centre of beautiful Maldives and enquired at the
reception if the single room could be upgraded into double room as I had to
bring my family. The beautiful lady at the reception said, “Sir this is peak
season and all double rooms are booked since most of the tourists are couples.”
I looked at her shirt pocket to check the name. I smiled and
thought of doing some flirt. I said, “Malvika it will be very great if you
could make some arrangement as the weather is very pleasant and I don’t feel
like spending the day alone or with discomfort in a single room.”
I knew this would start working.
Malvika looked at Kavya and Ramya who were sitting in the
lounge. Kavya was telling Ramya that she would be fine in some time. Malvika
asked, “Sir, What happened to your daughter.” I said,” nothing much. My
daughter is having high fever.”
I gave a cunning smile to her. The room was upgraded and I
paid the differential amount.
Kavya was very stressed and kept on insisting, “It’s entire my
fault that I wanted to come with you in this hotel. Our daughter is also not
well.” I said, “It’s Ok. At least we are together.”
The time flew and it was late night. I ordered dinner but it
had been finished. I enquired if there was anything to eat outside and also if
milk was available. Yes, it was available.
I went out to search for this.
Kavya was not hungry. In next half an hour she kept the
empty bottle on the table and waited for me to return.
I was walking through the green belt. The hotel was in a
farm house with lush green jungles all over that seemed to be never ending.
After walking for about 20 minutes I saw a couple in the room on the left side
making love. I could not control. I opened mobile and searched for Naina’s
number. I chatted for about 15 minutes and then suddenly heard a noise as if
some snake was rattling. I was scared. I kept the phone and reached a small
shop that sold milk and some grocery items all night.
I returned and found Kavya waiting for me. She was crying as
there was no improvement in Ramya’s fever. I gave the milk bottle that became empty in 10
minutes as Ramya was badly waiting for this.
Next morning we woke up late. It was a very sound sleep for
all of us.
I went for a shower.
Five minutes later Kavya came rushing to me and asked if I
had seen Ramya. I casually said, “Where can she go? She must be playing around and must have gone
nearby or may be hidden somewhere.” She said, “Abhinav, don’t take this lightly.
I searched everywhere but could not find her.”
Now I became worried and came out of the shower. In next
five minutes we were about to go out to search her when suddenly my phone rang.
I said, “You go out, I am joining in a minute.”
My manager asked when I could join them for lunch. I told
them that I would be joining in an hour. I had no choice. Family was not
allowed and I had not informed my company about this.
I went out with Kavya and started searching everywhere
calling her name but there was not reply and no trace of her. Kavya was very
worried. She kept her head on my chest and started crying.
We came back to the hotel and informed the security and the
officer in charge of the hotel. Manmohan Dev, the hotel manager confirmed that
he would take care of this issue and was
starting the chase to search the missing girl.
No news came in next 2 hours. Kavya was tensed. She told me
that if the girl is not found in next one hour she would call the police. I was
terrified now.
The company had booked ship for me so that I could enjoy
while working in Maldives. Kavya was running in the corridor of the ship with a
baby in her hands wrapped in a towel. I asked if she needed help. She said,
“No, thanks.”
We both entered the same cabin as there were 2 compartments
in each cabin. She was trying to pacify the baby but I could not see face of
the baby. We started chatting and enjoyed one another company. She told me that
she had run from her home as her husband was very cruel and was after her life.
I told her that I live with my wife Naina and a six year old
daughter. I asked, “Can you live without your husband as girl is Papa’s child
and son is Mom’s child.”
“Yes. I will have to
as I have no choice.”
“Ok. But for me it is difficult as I believe child needs mom
also. Later on I informed her that I was going to hotel for official work and was
alone. “If you feel comfortable you can come with me and stay with me otherwise
it may cost your life. The hotel is a safe place and no one will enter there.”
She agreed. We became intimate on the ship itself and came
to the hotel in a happy mood. I knew my flirtatious nature and I could do this.
The hotel manager knocked on the door and asked why we had
called the police. “Our hotel’s
reputation will be at stake as police never came earlier.”
I shouted at Kavya. “Why you have called the cop. You very
well know that we are not married couple and my wife will come to know about
this once investigation starts.”
Kavya retorted, “Why you are shouting at me. Did you make
any sincere efforts to search for the missing girl? You are always on the call
either with your manager or with your wife. It seems you are not interested in
the child. You were only interested in me.
Do you remember the missing girl’s face?”
I was shocked. My head became numb. I had never seen the
child’s face nor made any efforts to go close to her. It was my lust that
brought them here in my hotel room.
The investigating police officer, Mr. George Bosh came into
my room. He was a bald man of about 45 years wearing a dark blue crisp shirt
with a beige trouser and a black coat.
The investigation started.
He asked, “Where each one of you was sleeping and how you
were sleeping. I am asking this because this is very crucial to know how the
girl could go missing.”
Kavya said, “I was sleeping with my daughter here and
Abhinav was sleeping in the room outside.
George raised his eyebrows.
Kavya informed that I was sleeping outside as I had to go office next
day and could not afford to disturb me in the night. I hesitated for about a
minute. George could feel this. He asked me to show the tickets of the ship.
The tickets of both of us were generated and issued on different dates and the
seat numbers were far from one another. George did not say anything and left
the room.
I told Kavya that we would have to behave and live like
husband and wife till the time investigation is over. She agreed.
The entire hotel and the farm house had become military camp
where 20 security personnel along with the shepherd dogs were looking every
corner of the farm house.
Next day the inspector called me and told me to give description
of the child to the sketch artist. I was speechless. I had not seen the
face. I was quiet for some time. But
then I mustered courage and started giving description what I could think about
the child based on the stories told by Kavya.
Mr. George came in about half an hour and checked the
sketch. He was surprised. He asked me, “Are you sure that this is Ramya’s
sketch.”
“Yes, Mr. George.” He produced another sketch and kept it on
the table. I asked, “Who is this?”
Your wife Kavya also gave description of the child and this
is the sketch. I looked at him. He was smiling. He would have known about this
by now.
I was now in a closed room with the officer and his two
assistants. The officer started, “So you do not know your own daughter. This is
very strange. I was suspicious from the beginning when you slept outside and
the tickets were issued on different dates. Now please tell me the truth
gentleman. Who is Kavya?”
I was blank. I had to act soon.
The officer looked surprised and asked me what had happened.
I started weeping. I
drank a glass of water and started. There was no Ramya.
There was silence in the room and everyone was looking at
me. The inspector was furious and told me not to joke. “I am not joking. Kavya
is mentally imbalanced and creates illusion when she sees any doll. Infact she
had doll in her arms and kept on telling stories about Ramya assuming the doll
is her daughter.”
George’s head was spinning and could feel swollen nerves on
his forehead and on top of his ears.
“Are you serious?” said the inspector.
“Yes. Why I would make stories?”
After some time I was in my room. We looked at one another but could not find
any solution.
I was in the lobby of the hotel when the officer and Malvika
appeared and sat facing me on the sofa.
Officer asked Malvika what she had seen when Abhinav came at
the reception and requested for room upgrade. She immediately replied, “I saw
Abhinav sir and then looked at his wife and the child in her arms. Sir did not look
concerned but his wife was very concerned for the child and was talking to her
who was wearing pink skirt.”
I retorted. “How you can see the child when she was not
there.”
“Sir, I am sure because I confirmed this on the night when
you had gone out to find dinner and milk. I was on a regular visit that night. I
heard cry of the child and knocked your room. Your wife opened the door and
told me that her daughter had high fever and that’s why she was crying.”
The officer confirmed if Malvika had seen the face of the
missing child when she was at the reception and when she visited the room in
the night. Malvika hesitated and told that she had not clearly seen the face.
I felt relieved. As soon as this was over I went out to take
some fresh air and then headed for my room.
George was not convinced with all these stories as this
mystery was getting more enigmatic.
He had earlier ordered his assistants to get the couple’s
background checked. Next day the officer confirmed if my wife was from Delhi
and lived in Paschim Vihar. He was telling me, “Her name is Naina and has six
years old daughter.” I was shocked to hear this and could not think what to do
now.
I had to narrate the whole story and informed that I am a
middle class service man who works for a private company. Sometimes I become
flirty and this episode is the result of that trait.
The inspector slapped me and asked if I was telling a lie
earlier or I am lying now. I realized that the inspector has taken earlier
story as the truth and now the truth seems to be a lie. I could feel that the
inspector was confused now even though he had traces of my family in Delhi.
Next day in the morning there was chaos in the hotel as few
other people had claimed that their daughter with the name Ramya had gone
missing and was believed to be in this farm house.
I had to act fast. I decided to leave this hotel to escape
from this mess. I thought of leaving Kavya here as she would not go without
Ramya. I packed my suitcase and was about to secretly step out of the room. I saw
Kavya ready with her suitcase packed. She said, “I also want to escape from
here. I will go even if Ramya is not there. My mind was not working. I agreed. After reaching
the lobby I managed to remain there for some time as my mobile was ringing.
There was disturbance and the call dropped.
I saw an aged man talking to the receptionist and was
showing a picture of his daughter. He mentioned the name as Ramya. I wanted to
hear this conversation. I managed to hear the short conversation as there was
pin drop silence. The aged man was inquiring for Ramya who had run away few
days back. The receptionist nodded and returned the picture to the aged man
made. The picture I saw made me shocked.
Kavya whistled secretly and asked me to run. I started
walking with her and once out of the hotel we started running through the
jungle to find a way to the road and go back to India. After some time we both
were sweating. I could not run anymore and wanted to take rest for some time. I
stopped. After about a minute I wanted to know if Kavya had strength to run
further.
But she was not there. I looked all around and after few
seconds could see her running disappearing into the jungle.
I felt relived as I did not want to go with her. The whole
episode starting from the ship till now was a cooked story.
The photo returned by the receptionist to the aged man
continued to haunt me.
The missing girl in the photo was Kavya.
