Yadav's PoV
Rithanya, my legal advisor, called me at noon when I was in my office.
"Yadav, This is Rithanya. Are you free now? I have something important to tell you."
She sounded very anxious. I felt it was something important.
"Yeah Rithanya. Tell me." I made time for her.
"Yadav, the orphanage we took over recently is very bad in state. I suspect some illegal activities are going on there. The medical camps and the photo shoot for grown up girls are very disturbing. The father who is taking care of the orphanage is quite stubborn in cooperating with us. Since you have adopted that orphanage now, the media is all over that place. If anyone finds anything before us, then your reputation will become a question mark."
"Then complain about the father to the police, Rithanya. What's stopping you?" I have many other things to tend to than worrying about this.
"No Yadav, I told you to look deep before adopting this orphanage. Now, you will be held responsible. You know about the media. They will flash your name every second."
"Pch! What are you suggesting?" I am getting impatient with her.
"Handle it unofficially. I suspect they are doing something to the girls there. Once we get a hold of what's going on, we shall go to the police openly. That way, it will be seen like you stopped something bad."
"Rithanya, I don’t do this for heroic images. You know that."
"Listen to me Yadav, Aravind sir is very much worried for your reputation in public. We don’t want another mark." she said, I just want to kill every damn reporter that clings behind me.
"Alright, I will look into it."
"The sooner the better. Bye, Yadav."
It's an extra headache in my already busy schedule. I don’t know why people are so desperate to make money in the wrong ways. If what Rithanya says is true, then it must involve some mafia. The safety of girls is becoming a very big issue in our country. Child trafficking is illegal and cruel.. I called up my friend in the police department. Ashok! ASP in the crime branch. I told him an abstract of what Rithanya told me. He said he will look into it straight-away.
My day went as usual. When I was about to go home, I got a call from an unknown number.
"Hello, who is this?"
"Mr.Yadav, I have proof that you are involved in organ trafficking. I will expose you to the media if you don’t comply with what I say now." I heard a man on the other end of the phone.
"Listen, I'm not someone from whom you can claim ransom from. Do whatever you can." I was about to cut the call.
"I know where you have your organ repository. I know the orphanage you get kids from. I even know who is next to lose life. You have very less time to comply with me, Yadav." I listened to him. It was a coincidence that Rithanya talked about it today and I got a call from a stranger about it.
"Then go tell the police. Why waste time?" I held up my end indicating to him that I am not afraid of his threats.
"Yadav, you can stop this. I have many proofs. I'm not threatening you. I will give you all the data I have collected so far. My life is also in danger. Please." Once mentioning the word ‘police’, his tone completely changed from threatening to pleasing. I don't trust this man. But if he has a little of what he says, then it's worth giving it a shot.
"Alright! What do you want?" I asked him.
"I want to meet you in person. Alone, Tonight." looked like he has regained his modulation or even better.
"Where?"
He told me to come to a park at 8.30. I agreed.
As said, I went there exactly at 8.30 and waited for that man. The park was almost deserted with just 2 or 3 people scattered here and there. I hate waiting. When my patience flew away, I decided to go.
That is when I heard some muffled screams. I saw a man cupping a girl's mouth and she
was calling for help. I immediately went to her rescue. As I neared her, I saw those twinkling eyes! WHAT? AGAIN? I thought I stopped seeing her everywhere weeks ago. I punched that rogue on his face and he stumbled back and fell.
That's her! I felt rage burning inside me once again. She is so careless.
"Hey, that's acid! " she shouted at me when another rogue came behind me. I turned in a swift-motion but that man threw the bottle away and helped the other guy and sped away from the scene.
She left a long sigh of relief and was about to ask me something. But my anger took over
me.
"Are you insane? What the hell are you doing here at this hour? Why do you always attract danger to yourself? Idiot. Can't you stay back in your pg? What would have happened if I'm not here to rescue you? Do you think rescuing you is my only job?" I started shouting at her.
She was taken aback with my sudden outburst. Before she could gather herself to talk, people who witnessed the scene came to us.
"Girls these days are very careless. Are you ok ma? Who is he? Is he stalking you?"
"She must have said no to his love. That is why he came with acid."
"We should call the police. Where is your home, ma?"
"I saw her walking all alone here. She must be waiting for him. Poor girl is still in shock. I appreciate you Mister. You helped her at the right time."
Everyone started talking about their assumptions on the situation. But she just looks at everyone like they are lunatics.
"Can you talk? Aiyo pavam (oh pity) she is dumb I think." an aunty said. That triggered her. I almost laughed at that remark but restrained myself.
"I can talk. I'm not dumb. Wow, You all talk like you have been with me all my life. All your assumptions were very true. I don’t want any of your help. This man here rescued me, right? He will take care of me. Now leave us alone." She almost shrieked.
Everyone went away cursing her and scolding her. She took my hand and dragged me out to the entrance of the park. She peeped on either side and pulled me down to see her. I really like her being this close to me.
"Come, We should go to the police station." She told me.
"What? Now? Are you out of your mind? Come now, I will walk you safely to your pg. You can go to the police station with your friend in the morning and complain on your road-side Romeo! For god's sake be more careful and responsible." I told her.
She left my hand and stood on her tracks with her hands on her hips. "Yov! Loosa ya ni? Un mela tha acid ootha vanthanga. En mela illa. (Hey! Are you mad? The attack was planned on you. Not on me.) For your kind information, I saved you this time!" She said.
I was taken completely by surprise. I didn’t expect this. No one has ever talked to me like this. She is outrageous. But what she said was a serious thing. I want to get her to safety before I do something about it. I took her to my car.
"Get in. I will drop you in your pg." I told her.
"Pch, My life is not at stake. Yours is. I can go by myself to my pg. You go to the police station." She insisted.
"Shut up and get in." I growled at her. I'm not used to ordering on what I should do! I'm getting impatient with her. With that she jumped in the car. I drove to the front of her pg. She got down and looked at me through the window.
"You will go home safe right?" she asked me. She is something. I couldn't stop the smile that erupted because of her question.
"You go in and don't roam around all alone at these unusual hours anymore." I told her. I
sounded so soft which I didn’t intend to.
"Pch ok ok! Don't always talk like you are my mom. um...can you take off your cap?I think we are more than strangers now. Why are you hiding away?" she asked me. But then she turned her gaze away for a second and she got all tense.
"Huh, Go go go. Be safe! Go home. Complaint on this incident to the police. Now go."
She urged me to go. I didn’t understand. But still I moved the car and halted it a little away from her pg. I saw her through my rear-view mirror. Her friend came in with that same scooty. I smiled at her reactions. She is definitely afraid of her friend and a drama queen!