Petrichor to his Heart

2.5

He wanted to curse everyone on road for this massive jam but Farhad was right it was the peak time for school buses to return from schools and youngsters leaving for their sports or coaching.

They had been stuck here for some 20 minutes and there was still no clue when the vehicles ahead of them were clearing the road.

Focusing on Pallavi he closed his eyes and tried one more time to remember someone who had this kind of grudge on him and who would go to this extent to hurt him and his phone ringed.

"Haan, Swami... kuchh pata chala?" he didn't open his eyes and put the phone to his ears.

"Raghav Bhau, mai hu Nikhil... where is Di? You two had to come today for Aai and Baba's anniversary." He asked him.

"Cālā man̄cidi." he muttered to himself. (Very good, only this one was needed.)

"actually, Nikhil... just today we had to sign a deal for our showroom in Kochi so right now we are leaving for Kochi but please convey my wishes to Uncle and Aunti... we will come to meet them the soonest."

"But Bhau..Di.." Nikhil was a bit surprised but stopped himself.

"Nikhil... you know she could not miss something this important but right now we are checking in and it was a last-moment decision... she was about to inform you guys but I guess she forgot." He lied again.

"What happened Anna?" Farhad asked him as he saw him pressing his temples.

"aaj kuchh function hai Pallavi ke Ghar, they wanted to know why Pallavi's phone is unreachable." he was frustrated by now.

"aur Farhad , jake dekh ye kya mamla hai?" cursing the traffic he opened his phone to type a few texts.

_________________*_______________

It was already 6 in the evening and a few hours have already been passed since her disappearance.

As soon as the girl from the boutique opened her main door they hid behind the bushes to not give the impression of someone was there.

They were listening to everything with the ongoing call between Farhad and her phone.

"Amma, Abba... aap log Kaha ho?" she entered inside and so far it seemed there was nothing amiss but they were too early to make an assumption cause next came the shout and a sharp shrill

"Amma, what happened to you?"

Without wasting a moment their men hidden around the house entered along with them and as they made their way to the small dining area a woman was sitting like a statue and was staring out of the window.

"suno... tumhara jo bhi nam hai, lagta hai tumhara Amma shock me hai. Apna Amma ko pani pilao aur mera Admi dekhta hai kya gadbad hai." Raghav's patience was crumbling seeing the loops only getting tighter.

"alright, Abba kamre me honge... unhe puchho shayd unhe kuchh pata ho." she told them as she tried to lift her mother from the chair.

"Farhad kamre me dekh aur ye wheel chair idhar la shayd ye Amma ko iska jaroorat hai..." he ordered Farhad and moved to another room.

"No, my Abba uses the wheelchair sometimes...and my name is Aiza." the girl responded as she helped her mother to the nearby room.

"what do you mean?" Raghav asked her.

"Anna, her father is not here...I have searched all three rooms here.

"My Abba got handicapped a few years ago while he was saving someone."