Amit and Namita had been married for almost thirty years, it was a love marriage and they continue to be a loving couple. Their only son is in college studying for his engineering degree. Amit works with a bank as a regional manager while Namita is a teacher in a private school.

It was a second Saturday, a bank holiday, when Namita realised something was not okay with Amit. They had an invitation for dinner at Amit’s cousin’s home across the city. She got dressed up and checked on her son Aarav who was playing on his phone in his room but dressed and ready to go. She looked for Amit and found him in the drawing room sofa, fully dressed but sleeping. He had been sleeping throughout the day. Amit was in his early fifties, not old enough to fall asleep like that on the sofa, especially when he was well rested. She woke him up. Amit felt dizzy, went to the washroom to splash water on his face to freshen up. As they came to the parking, he tossed the car keys to his son. Aarav was delighted for the opportunity to drive. Namita, however, was sceptical as her son has never drove for such a long distance.

Three months have passed since then, Namita’s concern for the health of her husband has grown considerably. The reason was the appetite of Amit which has reduced to a great extent. Sunday lunches were meant to be mutton curry with rice but of late, Amit has started avoiding that and instead have a small portion of rice with dal and sabji. They used to go out for family dinner once a fortnight which became once a month and now, she can’t even remember the last outing. Amit has started avoiding his friends as well; he would come up with some excuse of being busy with work whenever they called to have a get-together. Namita decided, enough is enough and confronted her husband.

“You need to consult the doctor urgently. Have you seen yourself in the mirror lately? You are becoming a skeleton day by day. The shirts are hanging from your shoulder like a cloth hanger”

“I am fine, you worry too much.” Amit replied.

“Mom, why are you after Dad, he looks fine to me. Most of my friend’s fathers are obese.” Aarav commented.

“You stay out of it, Aarav. Do you even know that your dad’s trousers will fall if he doesn’t lock the belt on the last loop. The shirts hung on him like on a hanger. I am really worried.”

“Okay, I will consult with Doctor Burman after the half-yearly closing, till then I am extremely busy.” Amit tried to pacify his wife. These days, he doesn’t like any kind of confrontations or arguments, his heartbeats go up significantly making him unwell.

“I will fix up the appointment with the doctor.” Namita announced putting an end to the discussions.

In the beginning of October, just a couple of weeks before the grand festival of Durga Puja, Namita called up Doctor Burman’s clinic. They had been consulting Doctor Burman for a long time, starting with the care of Amit’s mother and then Aarav. He was their family physician and close friend, even though he was much older than them. The phone was picked up on the first ring and Doctor Burman answered himself. Namita was surprised as usually, Shonali, his receptionist used to take the calls to fix the appointments with the doctor.

“Hello.”

“Hello, Namita. Next Saturday evening, say around 8pm, you bring Amit to my chamber. I am sure he will get well soon. Ah, yes, I will send you the address of my new clinic.”

Namita was spellbound as she closed the call. She wondered how the doctor knew that she had called for her husband and not somebody else.

“I have taken the appointment with Doctor Burman for Saturday evening.” She declared as soon as Amit came home in the evening.

“What time? The coming Saturday is not a holiday; hope you know that.” Amit sounded exhausted.

“He will send the address of his new clinic and it is 8pm, you will be home much before that.” Namita replied and then added, “You know, even before I could tell him anything, he knew, you are the patient. How could he figure out, I don’t know.”

“It’s easy, since you had called, he assumed it must be for me. The doctors know that people in their fifties are likely to be suffering from some ailments.” Amit dismissed her confusion.

However, Namita continued to have a nagging question in her head.

The week progressed as usual, Amit remained busy with his banking work while Namita prepared for the half-yearly exams for her class. Aarav had returned to his hostel to prepare for the second semester exams. Doctor Burman was yet to send the address of his new clinic. Namita thought of calling him again but decided to wait for few more days.

On the evening of Friday, Namita picked up her phone to call the doctor and it immediately started ringing. It was a call from Doctor Burman.

“I was about to call you doctor about the address of your new clinic.” Namita blurted.

“I am sorry, I was preoccupied with some personal issues so couldn’t send you the address. Please check your message, I have sent you the details now.”

Before Namita could ask him anything, the phone connection was cut. She called again but a metallic voice said, “The number you are trying to connect is either switched off or out of network range.” She was confused, how is it possible for a mobile to become unreachable in a few seconds. She thought, maybe the phone battery died and the doctor has put it to charge. She will call later to find out what personal matter kept him busy all through the week. A woman’s inquisitiveness.

She checked her message box, surely there was a message from the doctor giving her the address of his new clinic. Namita looked confused reading the message, she spoke out, “Why the hell has he moved to such a godforsaken place?” Then she checked the location on the G-map, it was over an hour drive from their home. The area is sparsely populated with large tracts of cultivated lands. She was skeptical about going there after the sundown but Doctor Burman being a renowned physician and close to the family, she put aside her reservations.

“You know, Doctor Burman sent me the address of his new clinic. He has opened it in New Pratap Nagar.” Namita informed Amit.

“New Pratap Nagar? Isn’t that place on the outskirts of the city? Why move to such a godforsaken place when he had a popular, running clinic in the heart of the city?” Amit sounded astonished.

“Even I thought so… maybe he wants to move away from the hectic and demanding practice. He’s getting old too, may not have the same energy to check on hundreds of patients every day.”

“Maybe, we will ask him tomorrow when we meet him.”

“Yes, but we will have to start at least by 6:30 pm, the G-Map indicated a clear one-hour drive from here. We don’t know the area and may have to search the exact location of the clinic in darkness.”

“Hasn’t he given you the location of the clinic?”

“No, just the address.”

“Oh, anyways that’s not an issue, we have G-map to take us anywhere even if it is the first time visit.”

On Saturday, Amit came home in the afternoon and after lunch slept for two hours and that did wonder to his health and mind. He felt energetic.

Amit and Namita sat in the car and Amit pressed the start button. Nothing happened. No sound came from the engine. He waited for a minute and then tried again. Still no sound from the engine, it was dead. Amit had no idea but realized his battery may have died. But how, it worked fine in the morning when he went to office and later in the afternoon as well. There was no time to call the mechanic, they decided to take the cab and booked one for a four-hour slot because he wasn’t sure if they will get one for return journey. Namita, though a bit perturbed by the car breakdown, felt relieved that Amit won’t be driving such a long distance in his current health situation.

The young Uber driver, Dinesh, was smart and well acquainted with the city roads, he drove through the inner roads avoiding the traffic heavy main roads and they were soon on the outer ring road of the city cruising towards New Pratap Nagar. He turned towards his passengers and asked, “You want to go the industrial sector or the residential area of New Pratap Nagar.”

Neither Amit nor Namita had any idea that there are two different areas within New Pratap Nagar, they have never been anywhere near that place. Namita showed him the address.

“Oh, you want to go to the Tejaswi Mall, it is actually in the middle of the two sections. The industrial area ends and the residential area begins just ahead of it. But by the time we reach, most of the shops will be closed.” Dinesh informed them.

“We are meeting our doctor who has a clinic there and he has given us appointment at 8 pm.” Namita spoke and again wondered why he had called them at such late hour.

The Uber driver, Dinesh cruised through the expressway and reached New Pratap Nagar industrial sector and from there took the inside sector roads to reach his destination, Tejaswi Mall at five minutes to Eight. He dropped his passengers at the entrance and said, “I will be just outside the mall, no point of paying for the exorbitant  parking charges inside.”

Amita and Namita entered the mall to find only a handful of shops still open, mostly restaurants but there were hardly any customers. They took the elevator to the 5^th floor and exited to a dimly lit corridor. Practically all the units had their shutter downed. They walked through the corridor and found the clinic of Doctor Burman at the end of it. Nobody was there at the reception counter, so they pushed open the door to the inner chamber. It was again dimly lit, a blue light bulb that’s commonly used as night lamp could barely remove the darkness that enveloped the room. Once their vision adjusted to the low light, they saw Doctor Burman sitting behind a large desk. He seemed to have shrunk since they last met at his son’s wedding ceremony.

“Good, you have come just on time. Hope, you did not have any difficulty in finding the place.” Doctor Burman spoke without getting up from his chair. His voice sounded distant.

“Not at all, the Uber driver knew the place quite well. But tell us why did you shift your clinic to… this faraway location? What happened to your regular patients, are they coming here for consultations?” Namita asked.

“I am done with practicing; Amit is my last patient and then I will go away.” The doctor replied mysteriously in complete bewilderment of Namita and Amit.

“Go Away? Where?” Namita couldn’t help asking.

“Haven’t decided yet, but let me check Amit first. Please unbutton your shirt and lie down on the bed.”

The doctor got up to check Amit. His steps were slightly wobbly but he quickly balanced himself. The doctor was attired in long white coat that felt more like a robe. He put the stethoscope on the bare chest of Amit and he cringed at the coldness of the metal. Next, the doctor pressed his hand on the stomach of Amit and held the position for couple of minutes. Amit experienced excruciating pain at the pressing but slowly relaxed as the pain subsided slowly.

Doctor Burman returned to his desk and looked at Namita sitting across him. Namita also looked at him and froze. Doctor Burman’s eyes were just holes and burned red. The flesh from the face started melting to expose the bones. Namita thought she’s going to faint when she felt a hand resting on her shoulder. She screamed. No sound came from her throat. She turned around to find Amit standing behind her. She looked at Doctor Burman, everything looked normal. “Was I hallucinating?” she thought. She wanted to finish the meeting as quickly as possible and leave.

“So, doctor, what do you think is wrong with Amit? He has lost his appetite and loosing weight every day. I am really worried.” She asked.

“Yes, he was unwell, but now he’s on way to complete recovery. Don’t worry, in a week’s time you will get back your original Amit. i promise you.”

“Thank you doctor. What medicines are to be taken?”

“He doesn’t need any medication. You go home and enjoy the life.”

Namita took out four currency notes of 500 denomination and placed them in front of Doctor Burman. “Your fees, doctor.”

Doctor Burman laughed and said, “Please take it back, I don’t need the money.” Then he looked beyond them at the door and said in a harsh tone, “Please leave now. I have to go, people are waiting for me.”

Namita and Amit, without waiting any longer left the clinic and rushed to their waiting cab.

“If you don’t mind, can you tell me which doctor you consulted?” Dinesh asked as he drove out from the sidewalk.

“Doctor Burman, why are you asking?”

“Madam, I was waiting at the tea stall just outside the mall, chatting with the tea seller. I casually mentioned that you guys have come to meet your doctor inside the mall. He said that he knows all the tenants in that mall as his brother is the property agent in that area, and there is not a single clinic in that mall. He further said that only two floors, ground and first floors are operational. Rest all floors are still work in progress.”

“But we went to the fifth floor using the elevator and met the doctor at unit 501. Yes, the corridors were dimly lit and his cabin too but we thought it was because of electrical problem.” Namita spoke.

Dinesh just shrugged and continued driving through the city and soon reached his destination. He gave them his business card requesting them to call him directly instead of the app so that he can save the commission amount.

Amit and Namita walked towards the elevator after paying off the cab and agreeing to call him directly next time. Namita pressed the button to call the elevator. Suddenly, Amit excused himself and went to the parking bay where his car was parked. He got inside the car and pressed the start button. Vrooom, the engine came to life immediately. His brows narrowed in confusion.

“Where did you go?” Namita asked when he joined her at the elevator.

“Just went to the parking, the car engine came to life the moment I pressed the start button.” Amit sounded confused.

“There must have been some dirt accumulation in the fuel pipe which has cleared up now. Call the mechanic in the morning to check.” Namita tried to calm him.

Three months have passed since their consultation with Doctor Burman; Amit has recovered completely. Practically, overnight his appetite had improved, his energy level was high and in fact he was contemplating adopting a dog from the shelter. Aarav has shown full support for dog adoption but Namita is a bit apprehensive. He had taken his car to the service center once he felt better and the diagnosis after a thorough check-up has been baffling. There was nothing wrong with the engine or fuel system. The service engineer confirmed the battery is good for at least another ten thousand kilometers. No need to change now. They had to accept it as a freak case.

It was a Sunday evening, Namita, Amit and Aarav were watching the television when the door bell rang. Aarav opened the door to find a stranger, well-dressed gentleman.

“Is this the residence of Amit and Namita?” the stranger asked.

“Yes, and may I know your good name Sir?” Aarav replied.

“My name is Siddhant Burman, son of Doctor Burman. Are your parents at home?”

“Yes, they are home. Please come in.”

Aarav ushered him to the living room and made the introduction.

“We have met at your wedding few years ago but I guess you can’t recall.” Amit said as a conversation beginner. Then asked, “We were having tea, can I offer you some or you would prefer something else?”

“Tea is fine. I came to check on you.” Siddhant replied.

“Check on me? Why?”

“Let me explain. My father, Doctor Basant Burman, popularly known as just Doctor Burman passed away about three months ago due to a massive cardiac arrest. He was taken to the hospital a week before his death. He was responding well but on the 11^th October evening he had his second attack and passed away.”

“You are saying that he passed away on 11^th October? How is that possible? We consulted him on that very evening around 8 pm at his new clinic at New Pratap Nagar.” Namita almost screamed.

“Yes, he passed away on 11^th October around 7:45pm and what new clinic and where’s this New Pratap Nagar? Never heard of this place. My father’s clinic is still at the same place where it started thirty years ago. In fact, I am practicing from there now having retired from the army.”

“He had messaged me the address of the new clinic.” Namita replied and then checked her mobile phone for the message. There were no messages from Doctor Burman’s contact number.”

“You are a physician too?” Amit asked.

“Yes, I am retired army doctor with a rank of Lt. Colonel. My specialization is oncology.”

“You said that you came to check on Amit but he never had the dreaded disease in the first place. Why would an oncologist check him?”

“Well, couple of weeks ago, going through the desk of my father, I came across his diary. He had the habit of writing down the medical history of his patients. I found out about Amit in one of the pages. The text was intriguing, more so, because, my father urged me to find out how Amit is doing.” He paused and took out leather-bound notebook…flipping through the pages, he stopped and extended the notebook towards Amit and Namita. They read the transcript written about fourteen weeks ago.

“I am expecting Amit to consult me any day now. His condition is deteriorating day by day and he’s oblivious to the fact that cancer is spreading in his body. In my current state, I can’t be of any help to him but may be in two weeks’ time if he comes to me, I will probably be able to cure his ailment.” At the bottom of the page addressed to his son, he had urged him, “Dear Siddu, once you read this diary, it will mean that I have left this mortal world. I urge you to go and meet Amit and Namita to see how they are doing. It will bring peace to my soul if they are happy and healthy.”

There was a complete silence in the room. None of them had any explanation about how Doctor Burman knew about Amit’s ailment and how he cured him of it.

After a while, Amit spoke, his voice filled with emotions, “I had suspected it to be cancer, when I started loosing weight drastically and couldn’t eat properly, as even the mildly tempered food would cause pain in my stomach. I thought of going to Doctor Burman but was afraid of the diagnosis. He truly, was  a god to me. Now, I can understand why his touch felt so chilly but relieving that day. He took away the cancer cells from my body.”   

Shuvro and Sanchita had been married for almost a year having courted for almost five years. It was a love cum arranged marriage. Actually, they met at a bakery on the mall road of Mussoorie, more precisely at the Little Llama Café. She was with her family enjoying a hot chocolate and pastries when Shuvro with his parents entered the café to avoid the sudden rain. Shuvro’s father, Tridip Roy looked around the café and his eyes settled on Gyanesh Ghosh, Sanchita’s father. Tridip walked to their table and called out, “Aren’t you Gyan, how are you?”

“Oh ho, Tridip, my dear friend. What a big surprise! Haven’t seen you for decades… how’s life?” Gyanesh responded getting up from his seat and hugging his friend.

It emerged that both families were living in Karol Bagh, New Delhi and the fathers often met at the Karol Bagh Bangiya Samsad Club in the evening to play the card game of bridge. Years ago, at different times they moved out from Karol Bagh, Gyanesh moved to Chittaranjan Park, building his modest house while Tridip bought a floor in the still developing Greater Kailash Part 2, geographically they were still neighbours, but without contact.

Gyanesh took the initiative to introduce his family, “My wife, Debarati, whom you would have met earlier in KB, my son, Saurav and my daughter Sanchita. Both my children are engineers working with multinational organisations. Saurav lives in Bangalore and is on holiday these days. Sanchita lives with us and commutes to her office in Gurgaon.”

“That’s lovely, you probably have met my wife Tuhina, and this is my only son, Shuvro, a chartered accountant working with a multinational company in Gurgaon.”

The seven of them adjusted around at the table meant for six and found their wavelength and interest matching which is rare these days. They spent about an hour chatting and enjoying the snacks n drinks and parted ways promising to catch up in Delhi. Nobody noticed that Shuvro and Sanchita had quietly exchanged their contact details.

Both, Shuvro and Sanchita had their offices in the Cyberhub complex of Gurgaon and soon started meeting up after office to have coffee together. These meetings deepened their bond and soon they realised they both wanted to live rest of their lives together. The families were elated by the news and planned the wedding on an auspicious day of November.

Shuvro and Sanchita, loved the mountains and had planned to visit Manali-Leh-Ladak for their honeymoon towards the end December coinciding with Christmas and New Year. Accordingly, travel plans and rooms were booked well in advance. They were excited to experience the snowfall.

However, the destiny had other plans, a week before their departure, on a Saturday afternoon, Tridip complained of uneasiness and chest pain. He was taken to the hospital and was admitted immediately. He was diagnosed with heart blockage and advised stem therapy to clear the blockage. The treatment process did not take much time but the recovery and precautions thereof were lengthy and tedious. In such a situation, going for honeymoon was out-of-question. Nobody spoke about it. In the next few months, Tridip recovered fully and returned to his normal life.

“Because of my health issues, your honeymoon got cancelled. I am really sorry.” Tridip spoke as the family gathered at dining table.

“Don’t say so, Dad.” Sanchita protested.

“We can have our holidays again but your health is the most important for all of us.” Shuvro added.

“I am fine now. Why don’t you guys take a break and go on a holiday?” Tridip asked.

“I can’t take leave at this time of the year, it is the tax returns filing season, I will probably be working on weekends too.” Shuvro replied.

“Dad, you don’t stress on this, Shuvro and I will plan our holidays towards the year end.” Sanchita reassured Tridip.

One of Shuvro’s client, a young entrepreneur named Sulay had become his good friend and while discussing holiday plans… quiet, calm places he wanted to visit with Sanchita, Sulay suggested they go and spend quality time at his ancestral property in the Panchmarhi hills. He said, “It’s a spacious bungalow with 6 bedrooms with large hall and seating deck amidst the jungle. There is a caretaker living at the premises to take care of you. I will tell him to expect you. Just let me know the dates you will be going.”

“The offer is very tempting; I will talk to Sanchita and revert.” Shuvro replied. 

A few days after Diwali, Shuvro and Sanchita took the Indigo flight to Bhopal from where they were to take the taxi to the Panchmarhi hills. As per the arrangement the taxi will remain with them for local sightseeing. Shuvro had booked the taxi through a neighbour who runs a transport service. He got a good deal compared to the local taxi services. He was happy with the savings he made.

What Shuvro and Sanchita had not expected was the unseasonal rain that lashed the region when they landed in Raja Bhoj International Airport, Bhopal. Though, it is the largest airport of the state but much smaller compared to the Delhi airport terminal one. Because it was afternoon and not many flights were operational, their luggage arrived quickly. They came out of the terminal looking for their taxi. They found the driver, a man, probably in his thirties, holding a placard at his chest with their name. He took their luggage and guided them to the parking area.

Sulay had advised Shuvro to take their lunch in Bhopal and also to pick-up few grocery items especially, non-veg like egg, chicken or mutton from Bhopal before proceeding to the country house. The caretaker will buy the fresh vegetables from the local vendors as per their choice.

As they started, Shuvro tried to befriend the driver, “What’s your name Driver JI?”

“Vijay.” He responded with just one word and continued driving.

“Vijay Ji, we would like to have our lunch here in the city and need to buy some items, can you please take us to a mall where we can eat as well do the shopping?” Shuvro requested.

Vijay did not respond but just nodded his head. He was not the talking kind.

“There’s a very odd smell in the car.” Sanchita whispered to Shuvro. In fact, Shuvro also felt so but dismissed it as dampness because of the moist weather.

Vijay heard Sanchita and turned to look at her with his piercing eyes, “Did you say something, Madam?” He asked.

Sanchita, otherwise a brave adventurous girl, got scared by his piercing gaze and just nodded “no”.

Shuvro pointed out the odd smell emanating in the car. Vijay did not reply but rolled down all the windows. The smell momentarily cleared.

Vijay, stopped the car in front a shopping mall. The ground floor had a series of big outlets of popular eateries. They went to the restaurant offering Mughlai cuisine and placed their order. Shuvro decided to check out if there are any stores selling raw meat and eggs. Sanchita sat alone at the table by the glass panel. She could see the road outside and the buildings on the other side. As she watched, her gaze caught their parked car on the front courtyard. Vijay was sitting at the wheel and was looking straight at Sanchita. She could see his piercing x-ray vision even from the distance. Shuvro had paid some money to Vijay to have his lunch. He had accepted the money but did not leave the car. Sanchita felt uneasy and tried to call Shuvro but realized her phone had no network. She turned back towards the steward’s station to call the steward for wi-fi connection but none could be found there.

As she turned back, her heart jumped out from her mouth. Standing next to their table was Vijay. He spoke harshly, “Saheb has gone out of the mall to buy meat and poultry from the bazaar behind the building.” Then without waiting for any response, quietly went out.

A waiter appeared and asked, “Do I get your order now or wait for the Sir to join?”

“Just get me a glass of chilled water now and serve the food when Sir joins.” Sanchita practically whispered her response, too scared now. She was at her wits end figuring out how Vijay knew who she was trying to call and how did he even know that she was using her phone from such a distance! Sanchita was looking through the window, lost in her thoughts when she saw Shuvro approaching their taxi with a large bag. He kept the bag on the front seat and spoke to Vijay and looked at the sky and his watch before making some animated gesture to Vijay.

As soon as Shuvro joined her at the table, Sanchita blurted out, “You have to arrange for another taxi, surely, I am not going in that one.”

“Why? What happened?”

“I don’t like the driver at all; he looks at me in a lecherous way. I am feeling very uncomfortable.”

“Are you uncomfortable because he saw you raising your phone up to get network and realized you were looking for me? He told me that he came here to reassure that I had gone to the market to buy the meat and poultry as there are no such shops inside the mall.”

“Still, I am not convinced of his innocence. Arrange for a replacement cab.”

Shuvro knew Sanchita to be quite adamant once she decides on something. He tried to reason with her, “Look, in this weather, it will be very difficult to find another taxi to take us to the hills. Not all taxis ply on the hilly roads. I promise you that once we reach the country house, we will release him and I will speak to the taxi operator for a replacement cab.”

Sanchita reluctantly agreed and they concentrated on the food placed on the table. The food was quite delectable and they enjoyed the kebabs and curry. Shuvro settled the bill and they were ready for the journey to the country house.

The rain hit them as the taxi got into the ghat section and intensified as they climbed the hills. Vijay was unperturbed by the lashing rain on the windshield and continued at a good speed, overtaking few slow-moving vehicles. Sanchita started feeling anxious and whispered to Shuvro, “Please ask him to slow down, we have the time and moreover not looking to end our life.”

Shuvro, too was a bit uncomfortable with Vijay’s driving and asked him to slow down. Vijay momentarily slowed down a notch but after negotiating a bend, again pressed on the gas. Shuvro started to admonish Vijay but Sanchita stopped him, “Don’t bother, he is not going to listen to you. Let’s pray to Madhav for our safe travel.” She held Shuvro’s hand tightly and started praying.

The weather had become bleak with dark clouds and setting sun, soon it would be completely dark with no street lights. Vijay kept driving in the twilight as if he knew the road like the back of his hand, negotiating the bends expertly. Soon they reached the country house in complete darkness and torrential rain lashing the landscape. The visibility was very low, the 3-storey building stood like a ghost in the darkness. There was feeble light coming from the outhouse at the back.

“Vijay ji, please honk the horn to alert the caretaker.” Shuvro urged.

There was no response from Vijay, it looked like he had fallen asleep, exhausted from the driving on the ghat roads. Shuvro, poked him as he repeated his request. This time he woke up and honked thrice and flashed the headlights as well. It worked, a middle-aged man under an umbrella came rushing and opened the gate allowing the taxi to enter. He guided the taxi under the covered front porch.

“Namaste, my name is Sundarlal. Sulay Saheb told me about your visit. Please come this way, The room is ready for you.”

“Thank you, Sundarlal ji. Tell me why is this place so dark, don’t you have outdoor lights?”

“Yes, we do have lights at the gate as well as on the lawn area but today, due to incessant rain since morning, there’s no electricity. We have inverters for specific areas, one at the outhouse and a couple inside the house.”

Sundarlal unlocked and pushed open the large door allowing them to enter. He used his torch to find the switches and the room lighted up immediately. It was a big hall with multiple seating arrangements. Sundarlal guided them to a room that was big enough to accommodate twenty people. There was a large 4-poster bed with mosquito net, a sofa set with coffee table in the centre. At one corner, a bookshelf with books of different genre stood elegantly.

“Thank you once again, Sundarlal ji, this is more extravagant than a 5-star hotel. I must compliment Sulay personally when I get back home.” Both Shuvro and Sanchita were awestruck by the elegance of the room and overall interior of the country house.

“Let’s check-out the upper floors, maybe we will get nice view of the surroundings.” Sanchita excitedly suggested.

Sundarlal looked at Shuvro with pleading eyes. Shuvro remembered the advice of Sulay to avoid going to the upper floors after sunset. He had asked him why but Sulay just gave a mysterious smile.

“I think it will be better if we see the upper floors in the morning. There’s no electricity and probably the inverters don’t support the electrical fittings on those floors.” Shuvro replied.

“Yes Sir, the upper floors are rarely used, so, the inverters are not connected to those floors.” Sundarlal spoke taking the cue from Shuvro. Then to close the discussions he said, “I will make arrangements for your dinner otherwise it will get late. I hope chicken curry, dal, sabji and rice will be okay for tonight. Tomorrow you can have mutton curry in the local style; hope you don’t mind a bit spicy prep.”

Sundarlal hurried away to prepare the dinner. Sanchita and Shuvro unpacked their bags and freshened up. Shuvro opened a bottle of Single Malt whiskey and poured for both of them.

“Did you tell the driver that we won’t be needing him anymore and he can go back?” Sanchita asked.

“It’s raining so hard, how will he go in such weather? I will tell him in the morning. I have asked Sundarlal ji to put him up in the annexe room for the night.” Shuvro replied.

Sundarlal showed up after an hour and announced that dinner is ready to serve in the dining room, across the hall. A steward served the food under supervision of Sundarlal. The aroma and taste were very inviting prompting the couple to eat with gusto.

“Sundarlal ji, did you find a place for the driver, Vijay?” Shuvro asked.

“I told him there’s a room next to ours for him to spend the night but he refused saying that he has to reach somewhere urgently before morning. He even refused the food. I find it very odd, Sir. Driving the hilly roads in this weather…” Sundarlal could not finish his sentence.

They heard the car engine revving up and the car zooming away. Sundarlal looked at Shuvro with a question mark writ on his face. Then he rushed out to check. He came back after a while and announced, “Sir, your taxi is gone but don’t worry, Sulay Sir keeps a car here, Mukesh will take you for the sightseeing in the morning. He is a good driver, taking care of Sulay Sir whenever he visits.”

Apparently, the steward named Mukesh doubled up as driver as well and he nodded in affirmation.

Sanchita and Shuvro were tired and the food acted as tranquilizer; they decided to retire for the day. They slept through the night like child in the comfort of the soft yet firm bed. They got up with the first light of the day. The clouds have moved to another destination and the day promised to be bright for the sightseeing. They planned to visit Jatashankar Temple, Bee Falls and Pandav Cave and if time permits, Reechgarh and Duchess Falls.

They were ready and left with Mukesh in the Jeep Compass for the first destination, Jatashankar Temple. As they reached the third bend of the road, there were commotion with a crowd of onlookers and police personnel. Mukesh slowed down and stopped at the side because the road was blocked by a crane which was trying to lift something from the ditch. Mukesh got out to enquire.

Shuvro could see him talking to few people in the crowd and the police man. He also saw the crane lifting up a car completely mangled from the fall and recognised it immediately. It was the taxi that had brought them here from Bhopal. His phone started ringing at once.

“Hello.” He answered.

“Hello, Rakesh Jain here, I am really sorry for the inconvenience caused to you. I hope, you could get another taxi locally.” The person on the other end spoke without preamble.

“What are you talking about?”

“The driver, Vijay, who was supposed to pick you up from Bhopal airport met with an accident, the night before and passed away last night in the hospital. He was returning home on his motorcycle and skidded of the road into a ditch. A truck driver rescued him and admitted him in the hospital. I have arranged for another car which will reach you by this afternoon. I am really sorry for all this.”

“I don’t believe you. Yesterday, Vijay picked us up from the airport, waited for us to have lunch in Bhopal and then drove us to the country house. He hurriedly left at night to reach somewhere before the morning. And now I can see the same taxi being lifted out from the ditch in mangled condition. If it was not him, then who drove us here?”

There was complete silence as both of them kept searching for an answer.      

It has been raining intermittently for the past two days, though it is not unusual for the month of August in Delhi. I invited my 4 friends, Gora, Topshe, Babua and Pulki with the motive of playing the card game of TwentyNine like we used to during our youthful days. Pulki called up to inform that he was in Purulia to meet some of his relatives and as such won’t be able to make it. Since it has been raining, the menu was simple, Khichudi and fries (papad, aloo bhaja, omlette and fish fries).

We played few rounds before lunch and afterwards as well till tea was served. As my friends were leaving, the sky opened up with torrential rain. It was impossible to step out. I suggested that they wait till the rain subsides. The weather had turned bleak with dark clouds engulfing the skies. It seemed like night but it was only few minutes past 5 O’clock. I spread out the cards once more.

“We have played a lot, let me tell you a real story appropriate for today’s climate.” Babua announced.

“We are all ears.” Gora spoke on behalf of others.

Babua began his story…

It happened long time ago, when I got promoted as Regional Manager for East Zone. I was touring the Bengal region and as per the itinerary, scheduled to visit Bolepur/ Shantiniketan with my medical representative, Sudhangshu. Let me tell you, the RM’s are not supposed to visit any doctor or clinic or hospital without their MR’s for pitching business. Sudhangshu was to meet me at the lodge, Aponghor, Bolepur in the morning around 9 am and take me along to meet few doctors in the area. I have worked with him earlier and knew him to be very punctual, so I was ready for him. But there was no sign of him as the clock ticked towards 10 am. I was restless and wondered what happened to him. I thought Sudhangshu probably has forgotten about our program and was visiting the doctors on his own. I knew the doctors we were to visit, so I called up the doctor, first on our list to check if he is there at his chamber. The answer was negative. I called up the other doctors and each of them said that Sudhangshu didn’t visit them as yet on that day. Now, I was worried, I had no idea how to contact him. I came down to the reception to check if they had received any telephone for me. It was negative.

I came out on the road, still hoping for Sudhangshu to appear. I was going to admonish him definitely. A rickshaw came and stopped inches from me. I was about to shout at the rickshaw puller when I saw Diptesh Guha, our District Manager of Burdwan alight from it, sweating profusely. He asked the rickshaw to wait and came to me.

“Sir, please come with me, Sudhangshu had met with an accident and admitted in the government hospital here.”

“When, what happened?”

“I don’t know the details; I got a call from Kolkata office in the morning. They said to contact you here and visit the hospital. I have spoken to his wife and she informed that tomorrow is their first marriage anniversary. Sudhangshu had planned to finish work here today and take the evening train to Kolkata. She’s in extreme distress and wanted to come but I told her to hold back for now.”

“Okay, let’s go and check on him.”

We reached the hospital and saw few people at the ward corridor discussing some issue very animatedly. I gathered a few fleeting words as we passed by them. One of them was asking, “How did he veered so much into the interior from the main road. He is not a villager but a city dweller.”

Sudhangshu was sleeping, the visible injuries looked minor, scratches on the face, on arms and on the forehead. Probably from the fall from the bike. Diptesh found the doctor and brought him along. I introduced myself and asked for the diagnosis.  

“It’s an accident, the bike must have skidded in the slush. He fell and was probably dragged by the bike’s momentum. The injuries are not serious but the shock is the reason for the fever. I have given the medication and will observe him today. Will release him tomorrow.”

We spent some time with Sudhangshu at the hospital. Diptesh suggested that since the doctor’s visit is not happening, he can take me to Shantiniketan to see the Vishwa Bharati University and Tagore’s Ashram. And in the evening we can experience the scenic sunset at Khoyai. We had a hearty meal at a local “Pice Hotel” before going to Shantiniketan.

Diptesh had stayed back and after breakfast we went to the hospital. Sudhangshu had recovered overnight, the fever had subsided but was feeling weak with body ache. The doctor checked on him and released him with advice to take ample rest. We brought him back to the guesthouse. As we were checking him to a room, a woman in her 20’s came rushing and hugged Sudhangshu. Though none of us knew of his family, it became quite apparent that the woman was his wife. Sudhangshu, grimaced in pain as his wife hugged him tightly while crying. He introduced her, “This is my wife, Diya.”

“I believe, today is your first marriage anniversary, congratulations. I suggest, you rest for now, we will celebrate in the evening with a grand feast.”

In the evening, we all gathered in my room, being the largest with separate sitting arrangements, Sudhangshu had recovered fully though still walking with a slight limp. Diptesh had gone out and brought a cake and biriyani from the local market. I had requested the guesthouse to make mutton curry and rice pudding, appropriate for Bong celebration.

Once, everyone settled down comfortably, I asked Sudhangshu, “How are you feeling? Would you like to tell us what happened? Where did you go and how you reached the accident site?”

Sudhangshu thought for a while, composing the narrative in his mind, then spoke…

Well, my visit to Dr. Ashim Roy, in village Shantipur, about 30km from here was long overdue. It’s a remote village and not on our list. As I left his chamber, it started to rain, delaying me by an hour. I had taken a bike on hire from here, I usually do, and driving steadily on the rain-soaked road. The sky was getting darker with cloud formation as well as the setting sun. In the twilight of the evening, I saw this village woman, alone on the road with a load on her head. She was walking on the middle of the road; I slowed down and honked. She stopped and turned towards me, the headlight of the bike fell on her and I could see her clearly. She must have been in her early thirties with dark expressive eyes and mysterious smile on her lips, a lithesome figure that could envy the ramp models. I was mesmerized.

She spoke softly in the local dialect but I couldn’t understand. Realizing my confusion, she gestured if I can drop her to the village ahead. Normally, I don’t give a lift to strangers but I don’t know what spirit possessed me, I agreed. She hopped on the pillion and we started off. I asked her name, she replied, “My parents called me Roopmati, but my fiancé used to call me Rupashi.” I thought both the names are quite appropriate.

After driving a distance, she directed me to take a left turn on the makeshift village road. A voice in my head told me drop her there and continue to Bolepur while another voice spoke loudly, “How can you leave the woman in this lonely place? Go drop her to her village.” The louder voice won and I followed her direction. The road patchy with potholes and uneven levels, I kept the balance often putting my foot on the muddy surface. At one point, I felt very light and dizzy, almost dozing. I called out to her, “Are you okay?” The response came from few feet ahead instead of the rear, it shook me up. She said, “You are dozing off and driving so slow, I can reach home faster if I walk.”

“No, no, I will drop you to home, come back.” I was on drugs; I could smell an intoxicating fragrance of some wild flower when she was sitting on the pillion. I wanted to be with that woman as long as was possible. She sat again and we continued as she directed through the narrow passes of the villages and abandoned farms. I lost track of the turns we made when we reached a deserted village. She asked me to stop in front of a house that once stood firm but now looked haunted and abandoned with the thatched roof at most places gone creating a blackhole. The woman called Roopmati or Rupashi dropped the load on the porch and called out, “Saheb, you must be thirsty, let me offer you something nice that will ease your tiredness.”

She went inside the dark room and after some time came out with bowl, “Drink this, you will feel nice.” The liquid in the bowl was not clear but wheatish colour with bubbles forming around the wall of the bowl. It smelled a bit pungent and tasted as well. I drank the whole potion in one shot. I felt very light headed and happy.

Rupashi looked at me with intent and laughed loudly. The sound of her laughter echoed through the surrounding and hit me hard. My head started spinning and the temples throbbed with pain. She suddenly stopped laughing and said, “I am so happy, let’s dance” and without waiting for my response, she clapped thrice while making a weird sound from her mouth. It perhaps was a call to her friends because out of thin air five or six females in bright attires and two males carrying drums and some kind of flute materialized. They started singing and dancing to the beat of drum and sound of flute. I could not understand even one word of what they were singing but the rhythm made me wanting to dance with them. Rupashi came towards me and jerked me to stand… we started dancing going round and round on the porch. I forgot about the time and place, the wild flower fragrance had become very strong and I was breathing it in with every breath. It was euphoric.

Rupashi increased the speed in her movement, spinning us violently with rising beats of drums and clapping by her friends. I wanted her to stop as I struggled to keep up with her and my heart started pounding ready to explode. Suddenly, she let go of my hands and I flew out of the porch on to the muddy outfield. Just before I could get up, I saw Rupashi standing over me with a cleaver in her hand, raised high, ready to strike. She was saying…   

“You, city dwellers are all the same, you come to the village to exploit the young girls. You take away their honours with a promise of marriage and good life. Once your lusts and desires are met, you forget about us. You throw us out like garbage.”

She stopped to breathe and the continued…

“Look at me, few years ago, I was a happy-go-lucky beautiful young girl of this village. There were suitors lining up every other day for my hand in marriage but I fell for an urban guy. He would visit the village every weekend to photograph the villagers and especially me. He took some very compromising pictures of mine professing love for me and wanting to marry me. I, like a fool, believed him and surrendered to his lusts. After that evening, he never came back. What did I get? An unborn child in my belly. I went to the city searching for him and found him too. He was happily married with a child. I confronted him. he coward under my threat of exposure and promised to come back to the village.”

She paused. Her temper somewhat in control now…

“He came one evening, took me to the hillside temple, there were two other persons, he said they are witnesses for our marriage. Again, I believed him not knowing that the bastard was going to snuff out two lives in one go. As I bent down to pay obeisance to the Goddess Kali, he put a rope around my neck while the other two guys incapacitate me by holding my hands and feet tightly. It was over in matter of minutes. They carried my body to the crematorium behind the temple and burned the body leaving no trace of my existence.”

She stopped, the fire in her eyes was back, her breathing was quick, she lifted the cleaver high and brought it down. With the last drop of strength, I rolled to the left and went down to the ditch. After that I don’t know what happened, I woke up in the hospital.

“I know how you reached the hospital.” Diptesh spoke.

I looked at Diptesh and asked, “How do you know?”

“You remember those guys at the hospital corridor when we visited Sudhangshu? They are the ones who brought him to the hospital. I spoke to them. They are resident of the neighbouring village and were passing by when they noticed the motorcycle lying on the mud. They looked for the rider realising the person must have met with an accident. They found him in the ditch, unconscious but breathing. They brought him to the hospital on a flatbed rickshaw while another person drove the bike.”

“So, was it an accident or what Sudhangshu says is true?” I asked.

“I don’t know but tell me why would Sudhangshu drive so deep into the village from the main road?” countered Diptesh.

I had no answer and nobody in the room could offer any logical reason.

Few days later, as I was packing up for my return to Delhi, Diptesh called, “Sir, as per your advice, I had met the villagers and offered our gratitude and money but they refused to take the money as they felt it was their duty to help another human being in distress. Interestingly, when I asked, the villagers said they knew of the woman named Roopmati aka Rupashi and she simply vanished one day leaving her grieving parents and two siblings.”    

Gora went out to the balcony to check the weather. He came inside and said, “Rain has stopped but there’s a very strong fragrance of some wild flower in your balcony.”   

The month of August in Delhi has been acting peculiarly, it’s nice and breezy when it is raining but the moment the rain stops it is unbearably humid prompting Sravani to switch on the air conditioner. Rudro has come home after almost 3 months training at a undisclosed location. He is looking fitter than when he was transferred back from Kolkata to the Special Task Force of National Security Agency. They were sitting in their new 3-bedroom apartment on the 10^th floor, a govt accommodation in Netaji Nagar, heart of New Delhi.

“Since you are here for 2-weeks furlough, let’s go somewhere to chill out. I have heard, Goa is particularly beautiful after the monsoon.” Sravani spoke while snuggling up to Rudro.

“Good idea, let’s get Aniket and Sunanda along as well. But I will have to get the clearance from my office for leaving the station.”  Rudro responded gently combing the hair of Sravani with his finger.

“Can’t we go on our own?” Sravani sounded a bit annoyed.

“We can but going out with friends will be more joyous.” Rudro replied.

Before Sravani could say anything, Rudro’s phone rang and he got up answering the call.

“Hello, Rudro speaking.”

As he listened to the caller on the other side, Rudro’s jaws tightened. Finally, he told the caller, “I will see in 30 minutes.” Then he called up someone and asked the person to meet him at the Safdarjung Tomb and quickly changed into a pair of jeans and t-shirt. He kissed Sravani and told her, “I will be late, don’t wait for me, have your dinner.” He drove off in his XUV 700 and reached the Safdarjung Tomb stopping on the service lane while waiting for his contact to show up. The weather of New Delhi hung heavy with the promise of rain, but for DCP Rudro, it felt like the suffocating silence before a thunderstorm.

ACP Ananya Singh, knocked on the window of Rudro. She had reached completely unnoticed by Rudro and he liked it. Rudro unlocked the car and she climbed in; to outsiders, it may have looked like a man meeting his girlfriend as they talked animatedly inside the car. Rudro took out a small chit and handed over to Ananya who looked at it in confusion, the chit had only three words written on it, “Mustafa, Tiger, 72 hours”.

“What does this mean?” Ananya asked.

“Mustafa is the code name for the terror outfit across the border, Tiger is likely the Home Minister and 72 hours is obviously the ticking clock. But I don’t know when this message was intercepted and how much time has already elapsed.”

Rudro started the engine and said, “We are going to find out soon.”  

It took him twenty minutes of fast driving to reach the dingy hotel in Paharganj. He asked Ananya to wait in the car while he went inside. He knew the room he wanted to visit and went straight to the second floor and knocked on the door. The door opened about 6 inches and was stopped by the chain. He looked at Rudro and smiled opening the door fully for him to enter.

“I am glad I could reach out to you.”

“Well, in our trade luck do play a role, you were lucky that I was home otherwise my phone would have switched off. But tell me how did you come across this news.”

“Sir, with due respect, a good agent never reveals his source. But I can tell you that it came from deep inside the organization. The person risked his life to pass on this to me. If he is caught he will face a torturous death. We have now 70 hours left to stop the incident.”

Rudro’s gut, honed by years of sniffing out trouble in the capital’s underbelly, screamed at him. This wasn’t a routine threat. “Mustafa” was a known terror outfit, infamous for its meticulous planning and brutal efficiency. “Tiger” was an internal codename for a major target—something big, something public. The “72 hours” was a ticking clock.

He thanked the man and asked him to dig further to find out the target and the place.

“The information is confirmed. We have to find out the engagement details of the top brasses in the govt for next three days immediately.” He told Ananya.

“I will get on the job now.” Ananya assured him and went to her car which had followed them earlier and waiting at a distance.

Rudro called up Col. Diwakar Pandey and informed him of the situation. After about 15 minutes discussion Rudro was able to convince Col that the matter is serious enough for the STF to get involved rather than leaving it to the local police to handle. Colonel asked him assemble his team but instructed him to be in the background and let the senior member of the team to front the operation. ACP Ananya Singh, a sharp analyst with a photographic memory, and Sub-Inspector Akash Verma, a tech-savvy whiz, were his right and left hands. They worked through the night, cross-referencing intel, monitoring digital chatter, and analyzing the cryptic message.

Ananya’s breakthrough came at 3 AM. “Sir, there’s a G-20 summit day after tomorrow with many state heads attending. The keynote address will be delivered by the Prime Minister of Italy, a known voice against the terror organization. Both our PM and HM will be attending the session.”

“Where?” Rudro asked, his voice low and intense.

“She’s scheduled to address a public gathering at the Bharat Mandapam.”

The pieces started to fit together. A large public gathering, a high-profile target, and a terror group that specialized in spectacular, high-impact attacks. The attack would be brazened, designed to cause maximum chaos and destabilize international relations.

Akash, meanwhile, had found a digital ghost. A single, encrypted photo uploaded to a dead-end server. It was a picture of a crowded market, unremarkable at first glance, but his software detected anomalies. A small, seemingly random collection of people in the background, all wearing similar hats, their faces obscured. Their movements were synchronized, their gazes fixed.

“That’s not Bharat Mandapam, sir,” Akash said, zooming in on a street sign. “This is a photo from Sarojini Nagar market. It was taken this morning.”

A cold dread washed over Rudro. The G-20 summit was a feint. The actual target was a soft one, a place where people felt safe. Sarojini Nagar, a bustling hub of life and commerce, was a perfect place for mass casualties. The terror group was planning a secondary, more devastating attack to cause panic while the authorities were focused elsewhere.

With the clock ticking down, Rudro split the team. One unit headed to Sarojini Nagar, the other to secure the Bharat Mandapam area. Rudro himself led the charge into the crowded market. Navigating the labyrinth of stalls and shoppers, he used the image as a guide. They spotted them—three men, their eyes darting, their hands clutched around backpacks that looked unusually rigid.

“Alpha team, proceed with extreme caution,” Rudro’s voice crackled over the radio. “Suspects sighted near Gate 1. Move to intercept. No shots fired unless absolutely necessary.”

The operation was a whirlwind of controlled chaos. Rudro’s team, disguised in plain clothes, moved in with practiced precision. They closed in on the three men, who realized they were cornered. The older man of the group dropped his backpack on the ground and pulled out a gun and pointed it towards the policeman near to him. Rudro tried to aim his gun on the man but the policeman came between them. Taking advantage of the situation, one of the other two made a break for it, but Rudro grounded him with a single shot on his leg and then sprinted across to the fallen man finding the hidden detonator in the man’s palm before he could detonate the bomb. Meanwhile, the older man shot the policeman before quick bursts from Ananya Singh’s gun killed both terrorists. There was a flash of red light pulsed ominously from the fallen backpack of the third terrorist. Rudro’s heart stopped for a moment and jaws hardened. Ananya Singh went over to the fallen man and relieved him of the detonator. The bomb squad, which has been waiting at a distance, came in and defused all three bombs. The bombs had more than enough fire power to bring down half the market.

“Don’t. Move,” Rudro hissed, his knee on the man’s chest as the downed man tried to sneak away.

A tense silence descended, broken only by the distant cries of street vendors and the blaring siren of the ambulance. The three bodies were transferred to the hospital while the forensic team came and cordoned off the area to collect valuable clue. Unknown to Rudro, Colonel Diwakar Pandey had a chat with Ananya Singh and given her a two-word instruction, “No prisoners.”

Ananya Singh gestured Rudro to come and look at the other two dead terrorists. Rudro, put the handcuffs on the man before going to the fallen men. As soon as Rudro reached the spot, the man got up and tried to run but Ananya took an aim shot him on the head, killing him on the spot. A wave of confusion turning into a collective sigh of relief as the truth slowly dawned on the public.

“Why did you do that? The guy was injured and couldn’t have gone far. We could easily have captured him.” Rudro was angry and demanded an answer from Ananya.

“What was the point of arresting such scums? He was a low order operative only, would have been of no use to us. I am sure he wouldn’t have any information beyond this op. Whereas, we have ensured the safety of the city.” Ananya Singh defended not revealing the instructions of Colonel Diwakar Pandey.

Yes, the city was safe. The G-20 summit went off without a hitch. The news hailed the ATS team of Delhi Police lead by ACP Ananya Singh and SI Akash Verma as heroes, their faces plastered on the front pages. But Rudro knew the real victory wasn’t in the headlines. It was in the silence of a market that didn’t explode, in the laughter of people who were still alive, and in the quiet satisfaction of a job well done. He looked out at the city from his 10^th floor balcony, a sprawling, chaotic, and beautiful beast. A single tear of relief rolled down his cheek, a testament to the price of peace. The storm had passed, but he knew another one was always on the horizon. He’d be ready.