The Tenants Of Shanti Villa

Chapter 8: Pandemonium

The police jeep flew through the bustling roads of Chirkoot colony.

"My son, officer! Please find him" Mrs. Gupta fidgeted uneasily in her seat at the back . Her rapid, moist eyes did not leave any stone unturned in telling the condition of her mind.

The Officer in the seat beside the driver at the front remained silent for a few seconds. He was nibbling his lower lip.

Trying to find the boy, and the man who took him along, in such a large area was the same as trying to find a pin in a haystack.

But Mr. Shinde knew he did not have much time.

"This apartment...something about this apartment was fishy from the very start.
The Shepherd must have had a hunch."

He seemed to direct the words to himself.

The very next moment he blasted out towards the local Officer In Charge and constables at the back.

"This man...uh...Mittal...I want every single detail of him possible to attain within an hour...fast!!"

"But what shall be our strategy now Sir? Where could he have taken the boy?" The OC asked, somewhat concerned.

Officer Shinde did not reply. Puffing a cloud of smoke from his mouth out into the passing roadside, he focussed his gaze on the windscreen.

.

.

.

Sridhar laid sprawling on the floor. His mouth gagged with a tight handkerchief of sorts, and hands tied behind him with a thick rope.

By the time he had realized, everytime about the expedition with Mr.Mittal was too fishy to keep being a part of, he was already in the Lion's den.

He could offer little resistance though. Even his last ditch attempts at escape were foiled due to the sudden arrival of so many goons .

The friend of Mr.Mittal, had let out a soft whistle, leading to the sudden accumulation of many, of their henchmen.

These people clearly seemed to be some well organized gang.

The biggest shock to Sridhar had been Mr.Mittal. How could he possibly be involved in such a gang?

Was it someone among these people then, who had shot Mrs. Darshan that day?

While the goons rounded him up, he had tried to shout towards Mr.Mittal for help, but the man simply turned his face away from Sridhar.

Teary eyed, his hands nearly numb from being tied behind for so long, Sridhar was unable to get a grasp at the turn of events that had unfolded.

They had kept him inside a dark room, which seemed to be full of wooden crates. With his legs tied in the same manner as his wrists, he tried to drag his back across, over the crate-edges.

He was just beggining to fidget a bit, when someone opened the door and paced straight inside the room.

The back of the man was to the lights outside the room, making it difficult for Sridhar to identify him.
However, from the build, it did not seem anyone he was familiar with or had seen before.

"Is the boy here?" he questioned someone present outside.

"Yes, must be somewhere towards the back in between the crates" came the answer, somewhat faint.

The main inside the room seemed to straighten himself, he strided across the room, nearly stumbling over Sridhar.

"Why isnt there a light switch here for god's sake!!"

He looked down. Sridhar had absolutely no idea who this man even was. He kept is gaze pointed to the floor, trying to show he was not creating any troubles.

The man bent down on one of his knees, resting his hand on the other.
For a few seconds, he observed Sridhar, if the boy was awake and in his senses.

When he realized Sridhar was well awake, and simply looking down, he gave him a sporadic jerk on his shoulders.

"Eh- boy!" He jerked Sridhar's shoulder with force again.

"Did you recognize the man who was in the bike that day?"

Sridhar kept looking down. How did these people come to know about the biker?

Were his suspicions true then? These people had only carried out the murder, but why?

Suddenly the man, with a sttong grip over Sridhar's shoulders nearly flunged him out in air and and then pinned him over the wall with foce.