The Gospel Truth

VI. THE CHILD GOES MISSING

Luxmi, in her mid-thirties, seemed to be much older was carrying the wrinkles on her face and the forehead. The sun rays had gifted her tanning on already dark face. Skinny, she was rushing to the brickworks in the village, perturbed. Raman, her husband was a laborer there.

Sitting on a height Raman saw her and asked loudly, "What happened now?"

Raman was a man of average height, wheatish complexion, slightly balded on the crown with curly hairs.

"Sheena didn't return from the school till now."

Not returned! But it's too late.

Raman at once felt drained. Scores of thoughts of mishaps hurled around in his mind.

He shouted from the height, "Don't worry. She might have missed the bus. She would be on the way." And climbed down.

"This is six in the evening. The buses run every hour. Had she missed the bus at one, she would have taken the next one at two. I am afraid we might lose her too."

Raman turned pale; he was afraid of the same, "You fool; anything rubbish you murmur."

Raman and Luxmi, living in the village Sompura, approximately 60 km from Lucknow, with their two daughters were a happy family even after the destitution. But their fate turned dark one year ago, when their elder daughter, Reena, went missing while returning from the school. She was studying in 10th standard then. The couple thought she would have eloped with her rumored boyfriend who lived in Lucknow; hence dared not to report to the police. And just after a year, the younger one, Sheena was lost too. She was studying in the eighth standard and 'she would have not repeated her elder sister's mistake.' Raman thought.

There was something amiss.

They ran home first. Sheena hadn't appeared till then; looked around everywhere, asked every neighbor if any of them had seen their child but all the information they got was a big zero.

"Raman......?" Arun, Raman's neighbor, and his fast friend shot a questioned glance putting his bike on side stands. He had just arrived.

"Sheena....." the only word Raman could pronounce was his daughter's name and his voice choked with an unknown fear.

Arun hugged him tightly, "Have patience dear, we all will search for her everywhere. And we must report her missing complaint to the police."

He then looked at Luxmi. She was soundless.

"Come on. Let's go."

"We have looked for her..., everywhere...knocked every known... but got no success..." Raman was broken and so were his words.

Arun patted him lightly, "I can understand. We should move now."

Raman, Luxmi, and Arun followed by many villagers moved to the Police station to lodge the complaint.

After that, they searched every possible route from their village to the school.

They didn't get a trace of Sheena. Disappointed, all returned back.

At 11 p.m. Arun said, "Raman, my boss is going out of station for some days for an urgent job. He has asked me to come with him."

"Arun, we need your support."

"I am always here with you in every possible way. But how can I refuse him?"

Distraught Raman just nodded.

"It is a matter of few days only. Moreover, the ASI is known to my boss. I'll ask him to request the ASI to make his best efforts for Sheena."

"That will be so nice of you, Arun." Raman folded both hands before him thanking by his heart.

The whole village was suspecting about anyone known behind the missing and the doubt landed on Neeraj, a drug addict of the locality.

He was known to all.