— CHAPTER TEN —

Between Life and Death

 

Nikki woke up early the next morning. She picked up her handbag and came out of the room. Downstairs at the reception, Prasad was fast asleep on the counter with his head between his forearms. Nikki tiptoed out. The bus station was completely deserted and not a single rickshaw or any other mode of transportation was in sight. She was walking towards the main road when suddenly a car came from behind and screeched to a halt near her. All at once, the front and the back doors of the car were flung open and before Nikki could comprehend what was happening, two persons got out of the car, muffled her face with a cloth and pushed her into the back seat. The car started almost immediately. Nikki struggled to remove the cloth from her face. Someone put a tape on her mouth and in a matter of moments her hands and feet were tied. A man on the back seat forced her to lie on the seat face down. Her back was covered with a blanket. Her face was left free for breathing. The only thing she could see was the mat on the floor of the car.

The car was moving at breakneck speed. Thoroughly shaken, Nikki noticed that the men hardly talked to each other. She was sure that they were linked with the murders. But how did they know that she was going out of the lodge so early in the morning? It must be Prasad, she thought. Last evening she had told him in a huff that she was getting out of the place first thing in the morning. Is Prasad also mixed up in this affair? she wondered.

After some time, Nikki could no longer hear the honking of traffic or bustle of pedestrians. The car was obviously outside the city limits. The man in the front seat said, ‘Abdul, you can free her now.’

The man called Abdul who was sitting beside her in the back seat untied the ropes and removed the tape from her mouth. Nikki shouted at him, ‘Who are you and where are you taking me?’ The man in the front said almost apologetically, ‘Miss, we are very sorry to treat you like this. But we had no alternative.’

‘What do you mean?’ asked Nikki in a belligerent tone.

The man replied, ‘My name is Mohan Lal. I am the brother of that unfortunate woman Asha Sayal. Abdul and Saleem are my friends. We mean no harm to you. We have brought you with us to help a dying person.’

Nikki was surprised. This was not what she had expected, she asked, ‘What do you mean to help a dying person?’

‘Our mother suffered a strange affliction when she heard that Asha was dead. She has lost both her power of speech and hearing faculties. She is bedridden and hovering between life and death. She does not know that her granddaughter is also dead. We did not give this news to her because the shock would have certainly killed her,’ Mohan Lal said.

‘But what can I do in the matter?’ Nikki asked.

Mohan Lal looked apologetic. ‘We are sorry but last evening Abdul searched your belongings. Among other things we found the letter which Asha had written to her daughter Jyoti. You are also studying in Sangalina Hills where Jyoti was studying. We will show this letter to her and when she looks at you she will think you are Jyoti, Asha’s daughter and this might save her life,’ he said.

‘No! I can’t do this,’ said Nikki. ‘I won’t impersonate a dead person. And why didn’t you just ask me instead of forcing me into the car?’

Mohan Lal was now imploring, ‘Please, don’t be so harsh. This is a humanitarian cause. Ma has already suffered a lot. We told her that we will bring her granddaughter to meet her. You would never have come if three strange men approached you just like that!’

‘You have no right to tell your mother lies. I cannot do this.’

‘Please see her condition yourself and then decide.’

‘Where are you taking me?’

‘We are going to Shyamabad where Ma lives. We will reach there by the evening.’

Nikki couldn’t believe this weird turn of events.

They reached the outskirts of a town at sunset. Instead of going into the town the car turned into a small lonely road. After driving for some time, the car entered a gate. Nikki saw an old and dilapidated house. They all got out of the car. A somewhat elderly man came out of the house and greeted them. Mohan Lal said to Nikki, ‘He is the attendant here. Please go upstairs with him to your room. After you freshen up, come down and see the old lady.’

The attendant said politely, ‘This way, Miss,’ and escorted her to the first floor through rickety wooden stairs. Nikki saw a door at the other end of the landing. The attendant opened the door and said, ‘You must be tired. I will bring you a cup of tea.’

He went out closing the door from outside. Nikki looked around. There was nothing in the room except a bed and a small stool on which a glass of water had been kept. The ceiling of the room was very high. There were no windows but only two ventilators. Another door opened into the room. Nikki went in. It was a bathroom with a dilapidated bathtub and a wash basin with rusted taps. Apparently this place had not been inhabited for quite some time. The attendant soon returned with a cup of tea.

After half an hour, Mohan Lal came to Nikki’s room. He said, ‘Please come down with me, Ma is anxious to see you.’

Nikki said, ‘I will come but I am not going to tell her that I am her granddaughter.’

Mohan Lal begged, ‘Please come in just for five minutes.’

Nikki went with him. Mohan Lal took her to a corner room on the ground floor. The room was poorly lit. An old lady with dishevelled grey hair was lying on a bed. A chair was placed near the bed. Mohan Lal gestured towards the chair and said, ‘Please sit.’ He himself remained standing nearby. Nikki looked at the woman. Her face was haggard and sickly. She appeared to be in great agony. The woman turned towards Nikki. Her eyes were full of tears. She extended her arms towards Nikki. There was a strange pathos in her eyes. Nikki involuntarily extended her own arms towards her. The woman grabbed her and hugged her. She did not release her for a long time. Nikki’s face was getting drenched with her tears. After sometime Nikki released herself from the arms of the old lady and sat back on the chair. She was strangely moved by the affection of the woman who was now intently gazing at Nikki. After a while, the woman looked towards Mohan Lal and made a gesture asking who this girl was. Mohan Lal took out the letter of Asha Sayal which she had written to Jyoti asking her to meet her at Crescent Point and held it in front of the woman so that she could read it. She read it and again made a questioning gesture towards Nikki.

Mohan Lal said, ‘She wants to know whether you are Asha’s daughter.’

Nikki looked at the woman. Her eyes were watching her with great expectation. She was now making repeated gestures and looking more and more miserable. Mohan Lal gave a piece of paper and a pen to Nikki and said, ‘Please just write on it that you are Asha’s daughter.’

Nikki hesitated. Mohan Lal implored, ‘Please do this. It is a matter of life and death for her.’ Nikki looked at the woman then picked up the pen and wrote, ‘I am the daughter of Asha Sayal.’ The woman looked very happy. She again looked questioningly at Nikki. Mohan Lal said, ‘She wants to know your name. Please write down “Jyoti” here.’ He showed a place at the bottom of the paper on which she had written. Nikki again hesitated but looking at the mounting anxiety of the old woman, wrote down “Jyoti” and held the paper before her. The expression of the old woman suddenly changed. She became calm. Happiness oozed out of her eyes. Mohan Lal said, ‘Let us allow her to rest now. Please go back to your room.’

Nikki got up and the attendant took her to her room. She was completely shaken by this extraordinary experience. As soon as Nikki entered the room the man closed the door behind her. Nikki was bewildered but exhausted and almost immediately fell into a deep but troubled sleep.