"I spy you!" - 77

But she was sure that Amruta was definitely been mistaken. Any day, Purshpahaasa was a gentleman and he would definitely not hurt Amruta.

Another doubt crept into her mind. If she is saying that Pushpahaasa attacked her, then where is SahishNu? She was sure that she saw him driving towards Amruta’s house. Is she getting confused between Pushpahaasa and SahishNu? It can’t be. Though both have the same build and handsome features, how could Amruta not recognize the father of her child? This one thing Vasu could not fathom.

Or was it her subconscious mind which is giving a wrong description? She does not want to believe that the man who sired her child could be bad? She must have had some hallucinations to give the wrong description.

Deciding on that she heaved a sigh of relief. The next moment another doubt haunted her. Had he come by any chance? May be he was following SahishNu. Why should he follow SahishNu?

All questions and no answers.

Most of her questions were answered by Durjaya’s next visit. He came as a breeze on a day when Vasupradha was hot and bothered. She did not know what to do. Amruta had become moody. She even pushed Vaasu when he went near her.

“Ammu! He is only a kid. If you are not feeling well, please tell me. I will take care of him” said Vasu and picked the crying child.

Amruta was as usual was somewhere else mentally. Vasu wondered whether she needed some psychiatric treatment when Vaasu was born. She had heard that there were many women who had a weak mind during delivery would behave very strangely and could be even dangerous.

She was contemplating whether to take Amruta to the State capital and get her see a psychiatrist.

She coaxed Amruta to start. But Amruta was strangely being rude. Vasu was thinking – Oh God, what a situation! Looks like Ammu needs a visit to the psychiatrist. But she is not budging.

When she was so down and out that she did not see Durjaya entering the house. He had come and silently sat next to her on the Deevan.

After watching Vasupradha for two minutes, he touched her shoulder.

Vasupradha almost jumped out of her skin. She moved her hand to hit out the attacker. Durjaya deftly caught her hand, faced her and smiled at her.

Vasupradha forced a smile on her face. After two minutes it dawned to her that the person who came was Durjaya. She had no right to treat him like that. She suddenly got up and rushed to the kitchen and prepared coffee and brought two cups along with kODu baLe in a plate. “Oh elder sister! I had forgotten the taste of this!” he exclaimed after eating one kODu baLe in one go.

Vasupradha smiled and asked him how he was. “I am fine. I have two news for you...” he said and then said, “No three! First the official news. There is this guy SahishNu.... he has been arrested and I am sure he would go be in jail for the rest of his life!” 

"I spy you" - 76

Vasupradha’s mind was in turmoil. What to do now? She felt that Amruta would be in trouble and needs her to be present.

She took some more minutes to think and looked out. As luck would have it, there was no one to mind the class during her absence.

She was very worried about Amruta. But she could not do anything. Added to this, a kid was little home sick and she had to give extra time to take care of the kid.

When the time came to close the school for the day, she was thankful and rushed home. Vaasu seemed to know her tension and kept silent.

She reached home and called Amruta. She was not seen anywhere.

She suspected that Amruta must have been taken a prisoner by SahishNu. Vasu was at a loss not knowing what to do.

Vaasu started making small noises which made Vasu to forget other things. She went to the kitchen and found that the food was prepared. Vasu frowned. The food was quite hot.

Does that mean Amruta was here all this time? Does that mean SahishNu did not come here immediately? Or did he come just before Vasu entered the house and took away Amruta? What would have done with Amruta? Suppose something had happened to her, what would happen to Vaasu?

The questions started swirling in Vasu’s head. But she removed her thoughts and fed Vaasu and after playing with him for a few moments, she put him to sleep.

She was not able to eat anything though she was hungry. She sat on a chair next to the bed of Vaasu and kept a hand on his chest so as to make him sleep well.

At that silent moment she heard a faint sound. Or was it loud enough for her to hear? She could not know. She got up quietly and went to the back of the house from where she was getting the sound.

When she saw the body lying in the bushes, she gasped for air. There, in the bushes, was lying Amruta’s body.

Body? She rushed nearby and found with a sigh of relief that Amruta was alive. She rushed back to the kitchen and brought a utensil full of water and sprinkled the water on Amruta’s face.

She whimpered and tried to get up. She was feeling the back of her head. Vasu touched the back of Amruta’s head and she found some blood stuck to her hand.

She forced Amruta to get up and slowly took her inside and made her to sit on the chair. With the help of an antiseptic lotion, she washed the back of Amruta’s head. The blow was bad. But not very bad to make her get admitted to the hospital.

Amruta opened her eyes and smiled feebly at Vasu. She tried to tell something. But Vasu tried to shush her. Amruta was eager to say something. “It is the same person. He attacked me again!”

Vasu could not believe her ears. What did she mean? Pushpahaasa? Was he the attacker? She was perplexed to even think further. The name hidden in her heart’s depth had surfaced again!!