A Young Love Story...

Part 19 - Pain and Shame...

By 9 p.m, Ananya's mom grew very restless. She was waiting for her husband to come, so that she could update him about Ananya. She was not able to concentrate in kitchen too. In ten minutes, she saw her husband come. She immediately ran to him. 

"Ananya hasn't yet come home. She had gone out to meet her friends. She went by 5, she generally comes by 6.30-7. But she hasn't yet come. She hasn't even called. I am worried." She was sweating, and restless. 

"Calm down, Rekha. She would have forgotten to call. She has met her friends after a long time. Let us wait, she will be coming." He said this, and walked away to freshen up. 

He came out after few more minutes. "Ram, it is almost ten. She doesn't ever get this late. Please do something. A girl outside her house, is not safe at this hour. I am worried, where is she. Why she got late...?" 

Ram, Ananya's father, immediately asked, "Who all were meeting her today and where?"

"I don't know, she said friends. Must be she is with Sia and all. And where, I don't know, must be near college. They don't go anywhere else." her mother said. 

Her father, immediately left home. "I am going near her college. I will call you if I find out anything. Don't worry! She will be fine." He reassured her, but was himself worried now.

He reached near her college. He went and checked all nearby joints. He could not find anyone. Most joints were deserted. Then he went in again and asked if a group of girls had come over in evening, but almost everywhere he was met with bad luck. 

He called home. His wife immediately received the call. "Hello, Ram?"she asked frantically. "Rekha, did she come home?" he asked. Rekha started crying. "Oh my God...!!"

Ram hung up, and kept looking around her college. Then he thought, maybe he should ask her friends. He went home. "Rekha, give me Sia's number. Right now." She looked up in her diary, and gave the number to her husband. 

He dialed, Sia received. "Hello?" Ananya's father restlessly started off, "Sia, this is Ram, Ananya's father. Did you meet Ananya this evening? Any idea where she is right now?" Ananya had already told Sia everything, and asked her not to tell anything to her parents. Sia refused. "No uncle. I have not met her for many days now. And I am not sure where she is. Sorry." After hanging up, she whispered "Sorry", and she immediately walked up to Ananya and said, "This is not good Ananya, he was so worried." Ananya simply went close to her, and said, "I am helpless. I can't marry Rishi! They will soon agree to get me married, to Vishu, and then it will all be okay..." she was dreaming with eyes open. 

Ananya's parents were helplessly crying. They knew no one else. Immediately Ananya's mother said, "Ram, let us call Rishi... He may know her friends. They were in same class. Or even Vishesh. They were all best friends. We should ask them." Immediately Ram got up and dialed Rishi's number. "Rishi, Ram here. By any chance would you know any of Ananya's friends? Where they stay? Their numbers? Anything?" he was hoping Rishi would know. 

"Uncle, yes. Many of them. Why? Anything urgent?" Rishi was also worried listening to his worried voice. Ram spoke, "Rishi, I don't know how to say this. Ananya had gone out in the evening to see her friends, but hasn't yet returned and has not called either. We are worried. I know only Sia, and called her up too. But she does not where Ananya is. I am clueless what to do, and whom to ask. So we thought of asking you. Please, please help us." He was crying by now. 

Rishi immediately spoke, "Uncle, don't cry, I will call them and ask. You don't worry. I will call you in ten minutes." He knew Ananya's friends but he also knew she was not meeting any of them that evening. He dialed Vishesh's number. As soon as he received the call, Rishi said, "Vishesh..Rishi here. You were going to meet Ananya right? Did you meet?" Vishesh replied in affirmative. He thought Rishi had called casually as he usually did. He could not think that Ananya's parents would have called Rishi. Rishi asked, "Then where is Ananya now? You dropped her somewhere? She hasn't reached home yet, dude!" He was almost accusative in his tone. And Vishesh was not prepared for this. He had thought Ananya's father would call, and he would lie easily. But now that Rishi had called, Vishesh had no idea how to deal with it. Because Rishi knew Anu and he were meeting today. He immediately cleared his throat and said, "Oh, what? My God! Anu is not yet home? What? I ... " He was nervous, and spoke in broken sentences. Rishi asked him again, "Where did you drop her man?" Because he was sure Vishesh would have been responsible enough. "I, I, er, I did not drop her. Actually, we met at the juice parlor, and had a heated argument. So she left from there. Dude, I don't know where she is man! I am so sorry! My god!" He said this, and felt relieved.