A Sew Through Time [Banbudh And Budbak]

7: A missing child

The huge white vehicles gathered outside the marvellous villa, which stood like a fragment of sophist architecture, illuminated by soft yellow lights around the corners and gardens. People of wealth and snobbish rank exchanged namastes and went inside the villa. A few journalists were waiting patiently with their cylindrical mics. The cameras raised in the sky, attempting to catch any prestigious person inside the building, readying to pounce and challenge certain ideologies.

The netas noticed Vijaywada standing at the door. He greeted them. Going inside, he took his seat in the big velvety couch in the middle of the room.

The others sat across him, bickering and exchanging looks.

Running his hand over his grey hair, Vijaywada ordered the servers to serve tea and snacks. The servants ran up and down the stairs, served them on the shiny table.

He signalled them to leave the room.

They looked on with imperturbable faces.

The IAS officer stood silently near the door and studied their faces.

"What is it this time?" One of them spoke, his teeth red due to paan pigment.

Vijaywada massaged his wrinkled temples and declared, "I have received a call from the Plati. They want the machine back"

The room grew quite, making the officer discreetly uncomfortable. He peeped into his watch covered by his sleeves. It was fifteen minutes to seven.

"Take it back, as in completely?" A man in a white kurta inquired.

"Yes" He leaned back on his sofa, "They might actually seek the military this time. Even a raid is possible"

"And that machine?"

"Deactivate without my permission, despite the contract"

The IAS officer looked at him with disgust. Vijaywada wanted machine fully under his control. Once he had overheard him talking on the phone on how he had tried offering mighty ranks and crores of rupees to the scientists who created the peculiar machine, ending with luxurious apartments, personal vehicles and even security for lifetime. None of them had accepted it. Though he himself had very little knowledge about the Indian Plati, he had heard from the politician that it was an organisation consisting the most intelligent scientists of the country. Their supreme purpose is to shape the future with marvellous discoveries and inventions.

One of the guests lit a cigar, a King of Denmark. Puffing, he spoke sententiously,

"You were much careful about them in your days as councillor. Even the court is after you"

"How long" The old politician pulled out a brown briefcase from the rear end of the sofa and opened it. It was stocked with money upto the brim, in bundles of five hundred. He handed two of them to his lawyers, seated next to his sofa.

They accepted it with a smile.

"Those days are gone" Vijaywada chuckled, "Mr. Sircar, we have to take care of the pending cases and sweep them under the rug"

The man tilted his cigar with pretentiousness.

"Do not worry sir!" the old lawyer adjusted his thick framed glasses. He kept the suitcases near his sofa and took out a file of papers, "Rest assured that those who have accused you will meet the consequences. The Plati can wait for a few more days, besides we have the-"

"No, no more waiting" he interrupted him, keeping his tea on the table in front, "Handle the court. I could never trust the Plati. Besides, I have to get that dimension open at any cost"

"Point to be noted" The lawyer agreed.

Vijaywada turned the television on. As it came to life, the flash news of the missing child appeared on screen. Harish Tripathi, still leaning on the door, glanced at the picture of the child, her eyes covered with a black rectangle. Reporters had surrounded the premises, waiting for him to come outside and speak of the unfathomable raids and, maybe the missing child.

His arms tightened. He wished that the contemptible greedy politician met his end.

But that was a distant reality.

"And the police?" The man in the white kurta spoke, resting his arm on the armchair, "Why did you select a child for your purpose? Bringing trouble on your own head for no reason!"

Vijaywada opened his steel glasses, "Mr. Tripathi?"

The officer gulped. He took out his hands from his pockets and presented himself,

"About the raids, the media is pressuring us to speak to their journalists. The child case has not yet reached the national channels. Everything... is kept under the control"

"Good" Vijaywada quickly drank the last portion of his black tea and smiled slyly,
"Don't bother about the child, things will get resolved on its own"

"And that grand racket of yours?" The cigar man spoke.

"Let it linger. Once it happens, we'll get to it soon"

"The oppostion parties will dance on our heads if they find out about all that!" scoffed the man, who chewed his paan, "The public will spit on our image if they find out!"

"The media is a tool" he got up, " And it's with us. Tripathi, make sure the child case is handled properly"

"Yes...sir " Harish mumbled a reply.

"Also, tell someone to take those rodents out of premises"

"Sure, sir..."

"Very well. That's it for today. Do not leave the room right now" He turned the man in the kurta, "Tell the commissioner that the local police has taken charge of the child case"

The other grunted at his instructions. He got up, reaching for the deeper ends of his pockets and pulled out his phone. Vijaywada watched him going towards the other room while dialling.

Harish descended down the stairs. He tried to face away from the blinding lights and the mics. The reporters bantered and started throwing hundreds of questions at him. He managed to block his eyes with the back of his hand. Men dressed in black uniforms guided him out of the premises, keeping away the reporters and camera men.

A white ambassador with a red siren waited near the big gate. He seated inside and asked the driver to drive off immediately.

The vehicle raced away till the grand villa was out of his sight.

His phone began to buzz. It was his sister,

"Hello?"

"Busy?" The voice cooed.

"No, meeting just got over"

"Achha, I had called you several times!"

"I'm sorry I replied late" He tried to sound cheerful, "Are the boys home?"

"Haanji, they're having nashta" A concoction of voices was heard from the other side, teenage boys yelling and laughing at each other.

"Good" Harish tried not to think about the meeting.

"Call me when you're home okay?"

"Sure"

The call ended. He stared at the glowing screen, feeling low about himself. What had he done to get tangled in such a mess? His head leaned back on the seat as he exhaled loudly.

The live stopped abruptly and changed into other news reports. A woman sat quietly on the faded pink sofa. Grey and black strands of hair were loosely tied to one end, falling over her shoulders. The LED screen made her eyes water; she had been watching the news since morning.

Switching off the TV, she looked at the tiny Ganesh idol near the rack, smiling back at her. Clasping her hands, her head bent low as she muttered a silent prayer, repeating her daughters name and hoping she would return home soon.