Chor Police (Letting Go: Part 8)

Chor Police.

Letting Go 8

A lone shadow slid across the landscape in the opposite direction of most incoming traffic, gliding out of the darkness as it sped towards the setting sun trying to catch it before it disappeared completely into the horizon ahead.

"Sometimes I wonder, what if we had been in the same bus?...we could have played chor police as kids..." the sound of her laughter had been like a soothing melody to his troubled mind, "You know its funny..." she had paused thoughtfully before an iridescent smile had lit up her eyes making them glow like the brightest stars in the night sky,"we played chor police even after growing up..." her eyes with all that fire had lit up his world but she was far from done, "I ran away ... but you brought me back every single time..." there was that laugher again, distracting him " And then, finally the chor came back to the police by herself!...why was I running away from you?"  she had questioned herself,"When I had to come to you... bhagya!" She had found the answer. 

" Then Why... Kyun Paro?" Rudra spoke into the winds, "What have you done?"He could not understand, it made no sense.

"I think you are cursed..." Mohini's words of earlier came back as the fitting answer, Rudra gritted his teeth and involuntarily his hands revved up the engine in reaction, "Rudra dev, why are you sulking in your room like a little girl, go after her like a man and bring her back" 

"Why should I?" Rudra pushed the punching bag away, "She left out of her own choice!"

"You must have said something..." his father had argued much to his annoyance,"That girl is crazy about you... why would she go?" how did she get him on his side so quickly! Rudra was annoyed that everyone was still siding with her and actually defending her after her stupid stunt! He had not asked her to leave.

"Abb kya faaiida ... by now she must have gone out of Chandangarh, all the busses leave before three" Mohini's unwelcome words from outside the window had triggered his first real panic, She was really gone, Paro was missing!!

"Bewakoof ladki" Rudra sped as fast as his bike could go, he needed to catch-up with that bus before it got to Birpur, his mind kept conjuring images of all sorts of horrific scenarios Paro would find herself in - no he had to find her before she got herself in another trouble - trouble was her middle name!

"Like father like son..." had been Mohini's last words before Danveer had literally dragged her away disgusted with the insensitivity of this woman who was his wife of thirty years and the mother of his children, "Go after her son, there has to be more - Paro would not leave otherwise" the wise uncle had pleaded with his eyes, urging Rudra to go out and find Paro instead of wasting precious time sitting at home, even as he had literally dragged Mohini away from Rudra and Dilsher.

The sun looked magnificent even as it dwindled into the horizon, partially hidden now behind the low hills as it led Rudra out of town.

"Any news Aman?" Rudra lodged his cell phone securely inside the helmet, his eyes focused on the road ahead, "Sir, the bus is running late because of a flat tyre so it has not made its way to Birpur yet"

Aman's voice was drowned out momentarily by the loud chime of a temple bell, forcing Rudra to slow down and turn his head towards the source of his distraction; a small temple at a far away distance, stood alone as if it had always been there, hidden in the shadows of the hills. Not now though, surrounded by this vast emptiness, the sound of the bells seemed to bounce off the surrounding hills magnifying greatly, "Keep me updated Aman and get a personnel stationed at the bus-stop"

When he finally turned back towards the road, Rudra saw a stooping figure as it ambled on the road, veering dangerously close to the center with each trembling step. Rudra's bike was still a good fifty meters away so he had time to slow down before it was late. But as he got closer, the man swayed more and stooped dangerously low, his feet adorning a simple sandal, looked far too inadequate to deal with the harsh climate as the dry skin on his feet indicated - his body was not accustomed to the heat of the land, Rudra pressed the bike horn but the old man refused to budge. Instead he stopped and slowly sank to the floor in a heap of a helpless mass, giving up entirely, as Rudra watched in horror.

"Perfect!" he cursed, he couldn't walk away now but time was not in his side, and there was so much to lose, Rudra was in a fix. 

"Paro...they are poisonous" Rudra had said his face not giving away anything,"They teach us all that in BSD" the following words had however raised a flag of suspicion in Paro's mind, "Woh...they teach about rats too?" she looked at him carefully noticing how he had avoided looking back at her directly. It wasn't too hard to come to a conclusion after that. 

That evasion was just as obvious as his lies, clearly her husband was a bad liar.Paro was elated though with the revelation that he wanted her next to him and was willing to lie so badly - so blatantly at that! So ignoring the voice inside her that warned her of the consequences, Paro had allowed herself that tiny allowance and had played along with Rudra's lies. Surely Bholenath wouldn't mind because nothing felt as right as it did when she slept in her husband's arms -something so right couldn't possibly be wrong?

Next: Distracted