Oh Calcutta!

The Warning

Six long months have passed, Kolkata had witnessed its Monsoon and people have already taken out wollen clothes from the wardrobe. The days have now become short and nights long. Coffee and Petroleum jelly had already become a common thing in each Bengali's shopping list.

This time gap is important. A lot of things have changed. Praveen had gained a huge sum of money from Emraan. Emraan had gained new life from Praveen. Saritaa had gained a freedom from her hellish life.

These six months Emraan and Saritaa had become more close. Emraan managed his time after his office hours and used to take Saritaa to someplace atleast twice a week. Weekends were accomodated to movie theatres where they spent  several hours watching cinema. Saritaa's wardrobe has been totally updated by Emraan. Saritaa now longer wore any torn dresses or attire which made her look like a sex worker. She wore dresses which made her look elegant. Emraan not only changed the life of Saritaa but changed the life of all other women in the brothel. He often brings sweets, Sarees and all other womanly goods for them. Emraan once came to know that Praveen did not care about these women's health and sanitation. He even did not bother to spend money on sanitary napkins. Emraan took the responsiblity and he buys a bulk of sanitary napkins for the menstruating women in the brothel each month. Emraan became the man of the brothel.

Praveen was now richer than before.  He now spends his money on alcohol, horse races and night pubs, destroying lives of young teens. Praveen always found young girls attractive. He had a wild fantasy to 'de-flower' young virgins.

Emraan now had a reputation of being a pervert in his locality of Boubaazar. He was marked as a paedophile and recluse. Nobody knew that this man had not  touched a woman in his life except his wife.

On New Year, Emraan came to the brothel with a large cake and gave it to Praveen to distribute it among the women and paid him and asked whether he could take Saritaa for a week.  Praveen, hesitated at first,  but thinking about the huge sum of money, he accepted. Saritaa was very happy to hear that Emraan will take her for a week.

They sat in the car.  Saritaa asked Emraan joyously,  " Where are we going Emraan?"

Emraan said, " You will see child. "

Saritaa smiled.  She insisted Emraan to play the radio. Emraan did as she told. She sang along the entire lenght of their journey. Emraan was pleased to see Saritaa this happy. His mind was filled with great pompous happiness.

Emraan stopped the car in front of an apartment. Saritaa was bit hazed. Emraan never took her to an apartment. Emraan took Saritaa to the elevator. Saritaa was now habituated with elevators. Emraan taught her the digits of English numerics when they were in the elevator of multiplexes. Emraan had also taught her to recognize English Alphabets and how to read and write. Just basics of English. They reached the fifth floor. Emraan lead Saritaa through a passage of apartments and finally stopped in front of the door of one. He rang the bell. Saritaa noticed that the nameplate bore the name of Emraan Ehsaan and Latifaa Ehsaan.

Saritaa was always confused about Emraan. She never understood what Emraan wanted and why he was being so kind to a girl like her but now her confusion went to a massive level.  She was never so puzzled in her entire life. She could not make out why would a man bring a prostitute when his wife is at home.

A middle aged woman opened the door. The woman had a fair complexion with short bobbed hair, She was no taller than Saritaa and had a deceny in her looks and gentleness in her smile.

Emraan and Saritaa entered. They sat on the sofa. Emraan took the newspaper and started reading  it and the woman was nowhere to be seen. Saritaa was awestruck. She sat on the sofa like a clay doll. The bobbed hair brought coffee for three and sat there, she glared at the face of Saritaa with affection. Emraan smiled and jokingly said to Saritaa,"Meet my Begum, Saritaa. The only woman of my life."

Latifaa said in form of a harmless joke, " Only Woman?  How many more women you need."

All three broke out in laughter, innocent fun. Latifaa aaked her husband "When are we leaving?"

Emraan replied, "Within a hour Sweet."

Everything around Saritaa had stopped making sense. Emraan and  Latifaa understood her confusion and they both smiled in unison.

Within an hour and a half, three of them were having their dinner in same restaurant where Emraan and Saritaa first visited. Latifaa has already befriended Saritaa. Saritaa and Latifaa were now on good terms.Emraan felt great releif to see this. Saritaa has now mastered in the art of using spoon and knife. It was the same place where Emraan was marked as a filthy paedophile and Saritaa as a call girl. Now,  no one cared, everyone around them thought them to be a family. Perspectives change so easily.

They went home. Latifaa slept with Saritaa and Emraan slept alone. The next six days were more or less the same. All day Latifaa taught Saritaa the basics of all subjects and watched television together. Saritaa had grown fond of Latifaa. She loved her personality and her warm gestures. After work Emraan would come and three of them would chat among themselves or play Chinese Checkers or Ludo. Saritaa was no longer a prostitute. She was again a child.  A child of only fifteen. A child whose dreams were shattered into thousand pieces.

A week had passed.  Saritaa felt sad that she had to return to the brothel, but, Emraan was not at all bothered to take her back to the brothel. One more week had passed. She came to Emraan and asked in a feeble voice,  " Will you not take me home?"

Emraan said,  "You want to go to the brothel? "

Saritaa replied "No. "

Emraan replied, "That brothel is not your home child. This place is. "

Tears had wet Emraan's eyes as he spoke. He tried very hard to resist his tears but failed. Saritaa sat on his lap and said,  " This is my home."

One month has passed.  Everything was going fine as it was supposed to.

One night,  while having their meal,  Emraan got a phone call. He received the his phone and pur it on loudspeaker.

A voice roared through the speakers of the mobile phone. It was Praveen. His voice inhuman.

"When are you going to bring back that whore here, you Muslim junk"

Emraan kept calm. 

He replied, " Never."

Saritaa and Latifaa had stopped eating and was listening to this conversation.

Praveen laughed maniacally, " Very funny Old Man. Look if you do not bring Saritaa back within two days, I am going to make your life a living hell."

After saying these,  Praveen hung up the phone.