"I spy you!" - 63

“Hello, Elder sister! Waiting for me?” asked Durjaya. He was on a scooter and alone. She just smiled at him and sat behind him. She did not trust herself to speak civilly because Pushpahaasa ignored her!

They reached office in silence. She went to her seat and checked for any specific mails. Surprise of surprises! There was a postal mail from Amruta!

Vasurpradha felt guilty that she was not able to tell Amruta about what she actually did. So, the letters were routed in a painful way!! A post box number in a post office which was far from the office; from there a staff’s job was to collect the letters and dump it in another post office which was half way to the office. From there to a third post box address. From there it was reaching her. So, the date of the letter was quite old.

Amruta had written about the renovations she had to carry out in both her house and Vasupradha’s! The rains created havoc by seeping into the houses. Once the rains subsided, she had carried out the repairs and she happily had closed her letter saying that, ‘next time you come, it won’t have any water seepage and I will ask the routine question – when am I seeing you next?’

Vasupradha did not have any reply for Amruta’s last question. What can she say? The projects were getting heavier and heavier.

As she had heard and read in some books, the persons who work well would get more and more assignments. By her luck or by her sheer hard work, she was getting good name every time she was assigned a covert job. As she was coming out every time with flying colors, she was given tougher jobs.

Of course, this time she did not know yet whether she had done a good job. She felt that her recent trip was a fiasco. She was lucky to come out of it alive.

She went to meet her boss Mr. Padmanabha. Strangely he was very detached. He greeted her as if she was in the office every day and not gone out at all. There was no mention of what happened to her etc.,

She started to say, “Sir, I came back from the trip....” and she was rudely interrupted by a lift of his left hand. “I am sure I can read your report” he said and looked at her hand and continued, “Ah, I can see that you have put your report in a file. Please leave it and carry on”

Vasupradha felt as if she was being pushed away. She swallowed two times and started to leave the room. Generally, her next assignment would be decided when she comes back.

May be there are no assignments immediately she thought and moved to open the door.

It was at that moment Mr. Padmanabha said, “I almost forgot, you have to leave tonight by bus to an interior city in the middle of the country. You would be briefed about your role when you reach there. Check your mail and note down the address where you have to go” and got immersed in a file.

Durjaya filled in some details. “Elder sister! You have to go out of station” he said and she nodded as she knew about it. “This time it is quite special. You will do as the other colleague says. That colleague will meet with you when you reach the destination”

Oh God! Must be very dreary job, she thought, not knowing that she was very far from the truth!

"I spy you!" - 62

She stopped probing him and rested her head on her seat and went to sleep. Her mind was in turmoil. Has she done any mistake? She did not think so. She was sent by the office with their eyes open. Probably they did not expect her to stay alive. But someone must have rescued me, she thought. Otherwise, she would have been still under the vigilance of the grey eyed woman!

Who rescued her? Is it Pushpahaasa? Nowadays Pushpahaasa had entered her blood as a virus and she was shivering from his presence. Why would he rescue her? He probably did not even know that she was here, in another corner of the world. Police must have got the wind of the gang of the grey eyed woman and apprehended all of them. They must have found me losing blood and took me to the hospital.

The flight reached its destination. Durjaya broke his stony silence and asked, “Elder Sister! Do you want to drop home or you can take care of yourself?”

Vasupradha smiled. “You found your tongue at last! Ok, you can drop me, even though I can take care of myself” she said.

They reached her home and she did not invite him inside. She could see the disappointment in his eyes. But then, he was the one who was ready to see her off from the airport itself. He should not feel bad, she thought stubbornly and went inside her house and closed the door immediately.

Home at last! She thought happily and spread herself on her bed. The moment she was alone, her thoughts started towards Pushpahaasa! What would he think when he comes to know that she had a close call with death!

‘Hey Vasupradha! What are you trying to prove? Are you thinking that the compassion your experience generates would result in love?’ Her conscience teased her.

Vasupradha suddenly became red in the face and stopped thinking about Pushpahaasa. Sleep eluded her.

Next day morning she left for office at the usual time. The traffic was very heavy and she could not get an auto for quite some time.

At that moment she espied someone just by looking at whom her heartbeat used to become topsy-turvy.

Pushpahaasa!

She could see him on a swanky bike coming at a sedate speed towards her. She was sure that she can get a drop to the office since the bike was traveling on the road which was leading to the office.

But she was in for a surprise when Pushpahaasa suddenly zipped past her without even looking at her. She was disappointed and then angry since she was sure that he had seen her and knowingly avoided her!

But without actually knowing about what could be the reason for his ignoring of her appearance so nearby, she was trying to think of the explicit words she would hurl at him in case she meets with him again.

There was another surprise stored in for her. She was hailed by a person whom she knew so well!

"I spy you!" - 61

A small sound made her wake her up suddenly. She could not move immediately. Was she being held captive? It was the first thought which came into the head of Vasupradha.

She remembered the grey eyed lady and a shiver ran through her. Generally bold Vasupradha was shaken completely by the cruelty of that woman.

Why am I not on the metal chair in the cellar? Looks like a hospital. Am I in a hospital? She started the series of questions in her mind. After few minutes there was a movement nearby and she saw a green dressed lady coming in. Is this a hospital? She tried to see the surroundings and decided that it was a hospital.

But how did she come to the hospital? Many of the scenes went like a movie in front of her mind’s eye. She shuddered when she thought of the grey eyed lady. She remembered that the grey eyed lady stabbing her in the stomach. The incidents after that were very vague. Was she free? Or was she being treated by the same villains because she was losing her consciousness?

When the woman in the green dress neared her, she feebly smiled at her. She broadly smiled back. She took the intercom phone and called someone in a strange language. The next moment a white coated woman walked in. A doctor! She was all smiles. She could speak in English and told Vasupradha that she was happy that Vasupradha is awake.

She got the details of her stay in the hospital when she probed a little more.

She was brought in by a stranger at the nick of the moment. Vasupradha should be thankful to that man for bringing her at the proper time, the lady doctor said. She searched around for the man. The doctor understood her gaze and smiled.

She said, “He is gone. You told two things in your delirious condition. One is a name – something which sounded like Push...pa....” Vasupradha blushed with embarrassment. The doctor did not seem to observe that. She continued, “The second was a telephone number of your country. We called the number and gave your description. Someone is coming to pick you up. You are quite fine now. Must be 4 weeks since you are here” she smiled, patted Vasupradha’s arm and left the room.

She did not wait for a long time. The door of her hospital room opened and in walked Durjaya. The last person she expected, she thought.

Anyway, she was deliriously happy to see him. She shook his hand and held it for quite some time. Durjaya was all smiles, though Vasupradha could see the look of anxiety in his eyes.

“Hey, come on! I am fine” she said, as if to cheer him up.

They left the hospital in the afternoon under the local police escort and reached the airport. Surprisingly there was not much of a talk from Durjaya. The talking parrot had become dumb!

She tried to cajole him to speak during their long flight back to their country. But Durjaya was totally silent. Vasupradha tried all tricks and failed.

She became exasperated and asked, “Are you under some oath that you will not talk to me?” and found him nodding his head giving a positive sign!

"I spy you!" - 60

But what she did not anticipate was the stabbing pain in her stomach. Overcome by some spurt of anger, the grey eyed lady stabbed the dagger into Vasupradha’s stomach.

Vasupradha fought to be awake, but the blood loss was quite high. She was only half aware of what was happening. She heard the grey eyed lady shouting for the two men to come in. Vasupradha heard the running footsteps.

Did she hear three sets of footsteps? She opened her eyes and tried to see who came in. she could not see properly. Surely there was a third man?

She heard a shout of rage from the grey eyed lady. Almost like a trapped animal’s noise.

Vasupradha wanted to open her eyes and see what is happening. She was slowly losing consciousness since quite a good amount of blood had gone out of her body.

She felt someone coming to her and removing the chains. She felt she is being freed. Who is doing it and how? She was unable to fathom.

A pair of steel gripped arms lifted her bodily and carried her in a hurry.

She felt she was being placed in a vehicle. She regained some consciousness when she heard a wailing siren. Is she being carried in an ambulance?

If it is so, is it because she was dying? Or has she been rescued? She was not able to understand.

She saw an arm coming near her face and placing a mask on her face. Must be Oxygen mask?

They can’t think of killing her. She is a valuable asset. She could give them a lot of information. Is that why she has been carried and placed in an ambulance?

But the arms... were they not familiar? The ones which carried her from her captivity? Even at this situation, her discrimination chided her. You are crazy about that man Pushpahaasa. That is why you feel that you were carried by him. Don’t be silly Vasupradha! You are in some foreign city with enemies. You can’t think that he is coming to rescue you. Oh poor Vasupradha! Please come to your senses!

She became vaguely aware of being lifted from the ambulance and put on a stretcher.

She was able to see some moving lights, heard some hazy voices, and some movement. Somebody was saying to her, “Stay with me! Hello,. Don’t go to sleep, stay with me!!”

She struggled to see who was talking and trying to keep her awake. But she could not keep her eyes open. But the voice was good enough for her to fight the unconsciousness.

She was little more awake when she was pushed through the operation theater door. She could remember the red light on the door.

She was shifted to the operating table. Oh, there are heavy flood lights, ooh, they are hurting my eyes. Is there heat also being transmitted by the lights? She could not properly tell.

Another 2 minutes, she was aware that she was surrounded by masked people.

That was the last thing she remembered vaguely before she fell into unconsciousness.

"I spy you!" - 59

“So, did this lady utter any secrets to you?” she asked and laughed in a shrieking manner. The noise reverberated in the small cellar room.

Vasupradha now started feeling little uncomfortable. The men, she thought, she could handle. This lady looks very cruel and she could harm me!

Her words were true. Without any warning, the lady moved her whip in the air and Vasupradha felt pain searing through her arm. She smothered her cry of pain just in time. But the effect of pain was collection of a little amount of tears in her eyes. This was seen by the grey eyed lady.

“Ahha, this doll moves and cries. That mean it can talk. Let me make it talk. Give me some room” she said harshly. The two men, obviously reporting to this lady, left the room without a word. “Close the door! And I am warning you. There should not be any reaction from you people if you hear any screams coming out of this room. Of course, not from me... this lovely doll, I mean” she said and moved her hand caressingly on Vasupradha’s cheek.

Vasupradha remembered the cat and mouse game she had witnessed one day. The cat waited patiently in a corner and suddenly had pounced on a small mouse.

It did not kill the mouse immediately. The cat brought the mouse and put it on the ground and pushed it here and there using its front paws. The mouse, by fear or by design, looked dead. The cat was happily looking at the mouse. After some time the mouse moved a little; the cat hit the mouse on its head using its paw but without the claws. The mouse again played dead. This went on for some time. The mouse got emboldened and tried to escape. May be by that time, the cat was bored to play; it suddenly hit the mouse on its head using its claw. The next moment it carried the mouse in its mouth and vanished to a corner and ate the mouse.

Now the grey eyed woman is the cat, so I should play the mouse. I should play dead. But I should not make the mistake of escaping. Probably I should be able to borrow some time. Then I should think of escaping.

More importantly I should find out, why are they holding me here? I am a small fry. How come they were aware that I was here? Many questions started bothering Vasupradha that she forgot for a moment that she is being questioned by the grey eyed lady.

She suddenly opened her eyes with horror when she found cold metal touching her left cheek. The grey eyed lady was holding a 4 inch wide, 1 foot long dagger. The cruelty in her eyes was noted by the lightness of her eyes. My God! What do I tell her? She is bound to hurt me now!

The grey eyed woman looked like an expert in doing such tortures. She now moved the dagger’s sharp edge to Vasupradha’s neck and pressed a little. The pain was very much. Vasupradha saw a drop of blood on the edge of the dagger when her attacker removed the dagger from her neck.

Now my time is over. But now I have to say whatever she knew. She felt a sort of tightness in her chest. Oh God! How any of the spies caught by enemies must have felt! It is a nightmare, I hope it ends soon.

“What girl? Thinking of how to die fast? Without saying anything?” guffawed the grey eyed lady. Oh God, this lady even reads minds! Thought Vasupradha.

She thought of all her associates till now.  And of course, finally she thought of Pushpahaasa! He will never come to know that I love him! I would be dead and gone. But I won’t reveal anything!

"I spy you!" - 58

Vasupradha’s first reaction was to struggle to escape. But she was held with hands which had an iron grip. She fought for the first few minutes and then stopped. Her head had been covered with a black hood which stopped her from seeing her kidnappers. After about 2 minutes a sweet smell engulfed her nose. She fell unconscious and her body became inert.

When she woke up she found herself sitting in a metal chair which was quite rusty. Her hands were tied to a chain which hung from the low level ceiling. She looked at herself to check whether she has been molested physically. Her captors did not seem to have interest in her body or taking any carnal pleasures from her.

‘This is at least a small mercy’ thought Vasupradha and surveyed the place. It was lighted very dimly. It took her some time to get adjusted to the light. Then she earnestly looked around to see whether she can escape from this dratted place.

‘Who are these men? And what do they want from me?’ was the next thinking which crossed her groggy mind. It took her some more time to come out of the grogginess of the sweet smelling thing which she had inhaled. ‘Ah! I must have been given the chloroform’ she thought.

The room was small. The low ceiling gave her an idea that she might be in a cellar. The only solid material was the metal chair she was held captive. Otherwise the room was bare. At about 8 feet away she could see a door, which was obviously locked from outside. Her wrists were paining due to the tightness of the chain. She tried to move in her chair and her movement was restricted to a minimum.

She looked at the floor on which the chair was tied. She was horrified to when she saw that the ‘floor’ was made of sheet metal. That too rusted. Her horror suddenly gave way to some hope. Wait a minute! Can this be used for my escape? She started thinking furiously.

As if to cut her train of thoughts and to put a spanner in her thinking works, the door at the other end opened suddenly and two people walked in.

She keenly observed them. One was about 40, swarthy and dark and the other was about 25, tall, lean and surprisingly soft face. She wondered whether she could use him as a tool to escape this trap. But she was keener to know why she has been captured.

Both came near her and as per the order of the senior, the junior removed her chain and she thankfully rotated her wrists to allow circulation of blood. She had been back on the chair. After a few minutes of movement of hands she sat quietly and looked at both of them.

“Don’t you ever try to escape. You will be immediately killed using this!” and waved a revolver at her face which suddenly seemed to have appeared in the senior’s hand.

She had no intention of escaping especially when the two captors were with her. But she was not ready to divulge any information, if she can help it.

She kept quiet and continued watching them. They seemed to be waiting for someone to come. Her guess turned into reality when she heard the door open again and in walked a woman.

She was very stylish in her dressing and when she came near Vasupradha could see a very light greyish pair of eyes. It was almost as if her eyesight was blank. She had a whip in her hand. 

"I spy you!" - 57

“Oh, it is job pressure! I have a colleague who is a close friend of mine; she went out with one of our colleagues and ...” she lowered her voice and said, “She did not take any precaution. She is too close to me and I have been told by her how it feels like”

Amruta just opened her mouth and closed two – three times, as if her theft has been discovered!

It was now Vasu’s turn to probe. “Hey, I remember now! You exclaimed ‘are you also pregnant?’ Now tell me who is the man?” she asked putting her hands on Amruta’s shoulder now.

Amruta just put her head down as if by shame and kept quiet.

That means she doesn’t want to tell who sired her child! ‘I have to keep an eye on her’ thought Vasu even though even now she did not know why she felt that she should keep an eye on Amruta. Is the feeling that she saved her from a horrible fall so strong that it is masking her judgment about Amruta?

When the date of arrival of baby was discussed with Amruta, she mentioned a date. Vasu immediately exclaimed, “It can’t be true! My friend’s is actually almost the same day, may be one day earlier or later” She was hell bent on being on the side of Amruta when her baby’s delivery takes place.

Amruta expressed her satisfaction for visiting Vasu. “But how come you were here today?” asked Vasu.

Amruta just smiled and said, “I shall tell you in the due course of time”. She went off happily to her hometown.

Why did she come here? Was it so secretive that she dodged the question? Were the two questions revolving round Vasu when she left for the airport the next day evening.

She had now donned the role of Suparna who has to roam around in a Western country as a tourist.

She landed without any problem. She had made slight changes in her appearance.

Someone who was close to her could have recognized her as Vasupradha. Otherwise, she was quite a non-entity, actually a tourist visiting the famous historical capital city of a nation. She had worn dark glasses. A vanity bag was hanging from her left shoulder. In her right hand she had some brochures having details of the buildings. She was moving in a group of tourists feeling quite safe. In her mind she was thinking ‘why I have been asked to come here? What are they checking? Suppose I get into some problem, is there anyone to even know my existence?’

She suddenly became aware that a pair of eyes is piercing her back. This knack she had developed ever since she came on board of Intelligence office.

She still felt comfortable moving with the group of tourists. After a few minutes the lady tourist who was all this time with her and chatting continuously said, “I feel queasy. Can you call my husband who is standing at the other end of the road please?” and pointed out to a man there.

Vasupradha nodded and left to the corner of the road where a man was standing. What she did not see was the two men approaching her. They came suddenly and dragged her into a van which came there out of the blue. She was pushed inside the van and it sped from that place.