"I talked with the commissioner. He said that without any leads, the police also cannot do much. We have to, unfortunately, wait for a call..." Bhavya helplessly told everyone.
"It's been more than two days dammit!" Annika shrieked hysterically. She had shouted herself hoarse. But it was of no help. Frustratedly, she pushed the lampshade from the sidetable and it shattered on the ground. "We cannot afford to wait anymore. What if no one ever calls? Why can't the Police do anything?"
Om sighed and put a calming hand on her shoulder. "Bhabhi, Bhavya has searched almost every corner of Panjim. Ruda is always there with her. We have road barricading on all exit points. The police are working hard. But the thing is, Shivaay can be anywhere. So it..."
"I don't care Om!" Annika screamed her lungs out. "I just want Shivaay in front of me. That's it!"
Om flinched. At that point, he honestly didn't know if it was Annika or Shivaay in front of him. It was hard to tell. Even he was just as anxious as his sister-in-law. But he just couldn't afford to take a break and grieve.
Shivaay's shoes were huge and hard to fill in but Om had to try. He couldn't disappoint his brother like that. Om's heart twisted painfully in his chest. Only if there was a way to assure everyone and himself to remain calm.
"Beta..." Pinky hugged Annika. "Calm down."
Annika first went quiet in her arms and then started to cry her eyes out. Her wails were deafening. Om and Gauri had to avert their gazes from her face to remain sane.
Annika cried. "I can't Ma. How can I stay calm when Shivaay can very well be dead for all we know?"
Pinky closed her eyes. It was tough for her too. But she felt numb. She didn't know to react. The fact that Shivaay had just vanished had not yet registered in Pinky's head. She was still feeling like she had come home for a while and would eventually see him in the Hospital. Maybe she was in denial. Maybe she was just crazy. She didn't know.
"Well. Till then, we have to stay alive. Isn't it?" asked Pinky.
Gauri grimaced when she understood the meaning of those words but stopped herself from saying anything aloud. She silently went to the kitchen under the pretext of preparing tea for the family. As she watched the concoction boil on the gas, she couldn't contain herself and called Jhanvi.
"Any news about Shivaay?" Jhanvi asked without any greeting. She sounded exhausted too.
"No..." Gauri mumbled. She couldn't speak more than that.
Jhanvi exhaled noisily. "I am trying to get through Tej too. But he isn't ready to talk with me."
"Mom..." Gauri whispered. "Come here. Everyone needs you right now. Especially Pinky Ma. Please. I will deal with Om. Don't worry about him."
"Are you sure?" asked Jhanvi.
Gauri sighed. "Yes. Please come. Ma just talked about her own death if something happens to Bhaiya. And Bhabhi also nodded. I am scared Mom. These guys are not thinking right. Not even me. I don't know what to do. Please...I need you here."
There was silence on the other end for a few fleeting seconds. Then Jhanvi replied, "I will be there in half an hour."
****************
Fog. Cold. Hard. Pain. Those were a few words running in Shivaay's brain. He knew that he wasn't in the hospital now. He wasn't at their home either. But he didn't know where he was. It felt like the middle of nowhere.
