Chapter 13

Day 0....the night she disappeared

Navya

I reach the school earlier than usual. I head straight to the staff room. Thankfully it is empty and I have some me time before other teachers start arriving.

I sit at my desk, face in my palms, elbows resting on the table, eyes closed and try to breath deeply. I want to calm my nerves. I want my hands to stop trembling, my feet shaking, my heart thudding.

I had attended a course in Vipassana. There, they had taught us mindful meditation. We were told, meditation did not necessarily mean removing thoughts from one's mind, but rather becoming aware of the thoughts as they drifted in and out of our mind. We were asked to label each thought as it came and thus become aware, like a third person watching, of what all went through our minds, even when we wanted it to stay empty.

I try that now, but it doesn't work at all. My mind is a chaos. It is a mess. It is a cluster of so many thoughts, that before I can label one, hundreds more have made their entry.

"Navya, are you alright?"

Niyati's voice almost makes me jump.

I jerk around, slightly stunned. I didn't hear any footsteps, so it's like one moment I was alone in the room, and the next, Niyati is standing behind me, breathing down my shoulder.

"Yes, just, revising," I lie.

Niyati is a good friend. We have been together for just three years but there are some people in life, who come so close to you within a short span of time that you feel you have known them the entire life. For me, she's one of them.

"You seem upended," she says, sitting next to me.

I clear my throat. Should I tell her now?

"I went out for dinner yesterday night. With Chetan," she says, blushing, completely unaware of the turmoil in my mind.

She is so happy after such a long time that I don't want to puncture her small bubble of happiness. But this bubble of happiness is just an illusion, and if I don't tell her now, she's going to be hurt really bad.

I know what Mayank is doing. Chetan is doing his dirty work. And Niyati is completely unaware.

And the way I found it was by such a random chance! I overheard this guy talking on the phone as we waited in a queue at the shopping mart! He had no idea I was an acquaintance of Niyati and Mayank, so he was casually mentioning Niyati's name. Of course he discussed it subtly but it did not take me long to put two and two together.

So I realized in no time that Mayank was using Chetan to lead Niyati into the wrong waters so that he could get their daughter's custody! What a cheap mentality!

I confronted Mayank. I told him I knew what dirty tactics he was upto, and that Niyati was a good human being who deserved better than this. I still remember the chill that ran down my spine at the way Mayank fixed me with an icy cold stare. He threatened me not to interfere in their personal lives. Or else I would have to face dire consequences, he said. He doesn't know though, that I am not someone who can be subdued with empty threats.

So I have decided, I will now give him an ultimatum , and if he doesn't comply, however hard it may seem, I will have to tell Niyati.

"Where are you lost?" Niyati asks. She is still basking in her memories with Chetan. Should I tell her now?

"It's just...," I am about to tell her when we are interrupted by Nachiket, the sports teacher.

"Good morning," he says cheerfully and our moment is lost.

I decide to pursue the matter later on. I put on my happy face mask and chat with the two of them about non specific things.

Niyati leaves as she has the first lecture.

"Are you all right Navya?" Nachiket asks me, forehead creased in worry lines, as he observes me carefully. He seats across me and looks at me in a way that tells me I can't lie anymore.

I sigh.

"No. A lot of things on my plate right now," I say.

"You know you can share things with me," he says.

Nachiket has always been a good friend, looking out for me always. I feel comfortable around him, and we discuss many things that we cannot share with most other people. We got closer since his wife left him a year back. She has blamed that he has untreated psychotic disorder and he is still fighting in the court to prove that he is sane. I feel bad for him!

"Trouble with Sumedh?" He asks.

"Which household doesn't have troubles? I ask.

Somehow he always feels I have troubles in my marriage with Sumedh, and that I don't confide in him. He has asked me so many times, it really amuses me to no end. But I attribute that to his own bitter experience of marriage. After all we see the world in the same colour as the colour of glasses we use to look at it!

"So what's it then?" He asks, bringing me out of my reverie.

And then I tell him everything.

First, about the call I received from Maya all those weeks back, how she has been at the receiving end of Rahul, my ex's, abuse; how I have decided to help her get out of the house where he has confined her.

"Does he keep her locked?" Nachiket asks.

"No. But he keeps a watch on her. He has a tracker on her mobile. With strict instructions that she carry it with her always. He checks her call records and messages. That sort of thing," I say.

"Oh, really sounds unhinged, this guy. How is she communicating with you then?" He asks.

"She calls from a public booth near the grocery store she buys supplies from. She has hardly called me once or twice. Today I am supposed to call her. Which I will do from a telephone booth," I say. "And I have booked tickets for tonight. For Ahemdabad. I will go, rescue her and bring her here," I say.

Nachiket blows a small whistle through pursed lips.

"Do you need any help?" He asks.

"No. Thanks. We will manage I guess," I reply.

"What else?" He asks.

I smile. He really knows me so well.

I tell him what I have found about Niyati and Mayank.

"That is so mean of Mayank to do," he exclaims.

"Yes. Today I am going to give him an ultimatum," I say.

"What ultimatum?" Nachiket asks.

"That he should confess to what he has been doing, or I will tell Niyati," I say.

Nachiket sighs.

"That would be dangerous, won't it?" He asks, "you should be careful".

"Don't worry. Barking dogs don't bite," I say.

"Anyway, what time did you say you were going to Ahmedabad?" He asks.

"Tonight. My bus leaves at ten," I say.

"Okay. Have a safe journey," he tells me, as he proceeds for his lecture.

Today I have a lecture directly at 11. So I sneak out of the school at around 10 am and go to the public telephone booth in the square outside the school.

I dial Rahul's home number. Maya has told me that Rahul would leave early today. So it's safe to call her now.

Maya picks up the phone on second ring, as if she was sitting there, tapping her foot impatiently, waiting for my call.

"Maya? This is Navya," I say.

There is no sound at first. Then I hear sobs.

"Are you okay?" I ask her, clutching the hand piece even as I ask.

There are more sobs.

"Maya...please talk to me," I plead.

"He hit me again," she whispers.

"Oh my God!" I exclaim.

I have been with Rahul. I know exactly how it feels. But what Maya is facing seems to be the much more violent version of the Rahul I tolerated.

"What do you think I should do?" She sobs into the phone.

"I will tell you what to do. I will call you in the evening and tell you exactly what to do and we will get you out of this mess. Safely. I promise," I reassure her.

"Okay," she says, "okay".

"Okay. I will call you at 4 pm and tell you exactly what to do," and I disconnect.

I rush back inside the school. I have still half an hour for my lecture.

I sit in the staff room. I have a new message.

Who is sending me these messages?

Karma returns and all that bull shit?

I have stopped replying to them but they keep coming.

I think I should go to the police. And I will, once all this mess with Maya is done with. It has to wait till then, though. My priority now is Maya.

I ignore the messages for now.

I open my facebook messenger and find Mayank.

'Talk to Niyati and tell her what you are upto' I type.

I know he will respond immediately. He is constantly on Facebook. I think he has a new girlfriend too.

'Or else?' he types back.

'I am giving you a two days ultimatum. If u don't come clean till then,I will tell Niyati everything I know,' I type angrily.

'Mind your own f**king business,' he types.

This is the third time we are having this chat. He is not going to bow down I guess.

'This is now my business,' I type.

'You have no idea what I can do to you. Watch your back', he types.

I scoff. As if he has the guts to actually do what he says.

It's almost eleven, so I hurry for my lecture.

The day passes in a blur after that as I have back to back classes.

At around 3:50 pm, I am wondering whether I should go out to the booth again to call Maya when I see that Niyati has forgotten her mobile on the staff table. I grab it, look around and confirming that no one has seen me, rush to the ladies room.

I dial Maya's number which I know by heart now.

"Maya, listen to me. I am leaving tonight for Ahmedabad. I will reach in the morning by around 10. I will get you out of the house and we will go to the NGO first. I have spoken to people there. They will help us lodge the police complaint. We will stay in their shelter tomorrow night. 

We need to wait another day for their procedures, including your medical checkup and then I have booked us on a bus that brings us back here. I have booked a paying guest facility for single working women for you. It is hardly five minutes walk from my house. We will work out how to about from there, alright?" I say as quickly as I can.

"Okay," comes her voice filled with subdued sobs.

"Pack your bags. And don't forget to 

delete this number," I say and disconnect.

I delete the call record from Niyati's phone.

I come home early. Anyway I don't have any lectures in the evening. Sumedh is in the bank yet.

I don't know what exactly has happened between us. But we seem to have drifted apart. Neither he takes any interest in what is going on in my life, nor do I do the same. It's like we are room mates. Room mates who don't speak to each other. How did we go so far from each other? And when?

That's why probably I haven't told him anything. And to be frank, I don't know what's going on with him these days.

I take my mobile and send a message to Niyati that something urgent has come up and I won't be coming to school for a few days.

I will have to talk to Sumedh once he is back. Though I haven't shared anything with him, mainly because he is never available, still I can't just disappear without priming him.

My phone rings.

It's Aashay.

I pick it up.

"Hi Navya," he says.

"Hi Aashay. After a long time," I say, simultaneously packing bare essentials in my purse.

"Are you free now?" He asks.

The way he asks me this makes me stop in my tracks.

"What is it?" I ask.

He clears his throat.

"I don't know whether what I am doing is right or wrong. But..."

"Just tell me Aashay," I say.

"See, I have been a friend of both of you since long, and I wish you well always Navya".

"Of course. I know that, don't I?"

"So please don't take me wrong, but I need to...."

"Oh, enough of the preamble Aashay, just get to the point".

"Sumedh...I don't know how to say this...Sumedh is having an affair Navya, with the new cashier in our bank."