The whole building and the surrounded complex is filled with fun like a festival. Serial lights are glowing from nook and corner of every end. Decorations with colour papers and balloons hang at every side of the building.
All the girls are wandering around everywhere looking after their work of washing the used utensils, glasses, cleaning the place, serving the drinks and snacks to people etc. Everybody’s face is filled with happiness and joy, not to welcome their old leader like the brutes but about their own fate which is going to change very shortly. The previous day they got the plan to escape from the place and all are happy except Meena who is much worried about the consequence if trapped.
Rahini looks at her worried face and comes to her.
‘Meena, It is our last day of sorrow. You have to be happy’ says Rahini to her
Meena does not reciprocate her happiness.
‘You are really a stupid to think like this. You are thinking only about the escape but not about things after it. Where we are all going to go? Where we are going to live? Who will shelter us?’ asks Meena with worry.
‘Let us get out of here first. Then we shall think about that’ says Rahini.
‘You postponed to think about it many times. Now it is the time. Here, at least we are getting one meal a day. What if we don’t get even that meal outside?’
‘We will get three meals a day if we go out of here.’ says Rahini in a confident voice to instill courage to her and to herself.
‘You are too much confident. I am really scared and worried about thinking about going out of this place. Let me stay here itself. You just leave from here’ says Meena to her.
Rahini’s face turns sad on hearing her words.
‘Don’t say like that Meena. You are the only one who is left in this world for me. I cannot go anywhere leaving you here’ says Rahini and she starts to cry.
Meena looks at her sadly for a while. She then hugs her and says ‘Fine. I will also go with you. Don’t worry’ says Meena to her.
Rahini starts to smile with tears in her eyes
‘No one in this world can separate us. We shall be together forever’ says Rahini to her cheerfully.
Meena smiles at hearing her words. Group of girls come running towards Rahini and Meena.
‘Didhi has come’ says the girl in the group.
Rahini and Meena look at each other nervously. Crackers and rocket fireworks’ sound tears the whole area at one side and sounds of troops playing bands and trumpets are heard from other side. All the girls peep outside through a small window to get the glimpse of the devil who left this place an year ago.
A car stops in front of the gate and one of the gang member opens the car door at backside. Naina gets down from the car slowly with a grin in her lips and she waves her hands towards her gang men. The girls who were looking at Naina are dumbstruck by the appearance of the woman whom they have met a long time back. Naina is seen dressed in red designer saree, wearing diamond jewels and platinum jewels on her whole body, lots of makeup like a film star on her face. Her completely changed appearance confused many of the own gang members to identify her. She steps inside the decorated building with a pride and arrogance which was increased in last few months.
‘Shall we run away?’ asks a little girl from the group to everyone.
Rahini signs as ‘be silent’ to her and says ‘Not now. Let them start drinking.’
All of them look at the proceedings which is going on outside. Naina is cheerfully talking to the gang members and all of them are laughing along with her. The members respectfully take her inside and she follows them. The girls are gathered together in a small place and are waiting for the party to begin. It is since many hours the party has started but the sound of the gang members is not reduced. As the time pass by, the girls’ face turns worried about the plan. Time has reached midnight yet none of the gang members started their drinks party.
‘Rahini, I think our plan is going to be a failure. We cannot escape from this place’ says a girl with frustration in her voice.
Rahini signs her to keep quiet and looks outside. She keeps watching the gates and the doors for security guards. She observed that the number of security guards guarding the gate is keep on decreasing as time pass by. But the happiness did not last longer as the security guards left some time back returned to their places and another set of guards were seen going inside. Rahini’s face goes upset on seeing this arrangement. Meena observes the hopelessness increasing in her minds and she holds her gently. Rahini looks at her with disappointment.
Meena smiles at her.
‘Never lose hope. Never accept defeat. Never let others down. You will be always successful.’ says Meena to encourage her.
Rahini smiles at her and a small hope comes in her mind and in her face. She again looks at the security guards and observes something strange. The guards who returned to the places look drowsy and tired. Rahini keenly observes their action and finds out that they are drunk. Rahini’s face turns bright and she looks at everyone with a new hope.
‘Looks like the people started the drinking. Very soon everybody will become intoxicated.’ Says Rahini with cheer in her voice.
All the other girls reciprocate her happiness. She continues to observe the gate for the number of passersby. By midnight the number of people coming inside and going inside had almost stopped. The guards were completely drunk. Rahini runs away from the place and goes towards the main party hall. She looks at few people along with Naina who were all happily laughing together with alcohol glasses in their hands. Most of them were almost intoxicated and rest of them were lying unconscious and woozy on the ground. Rahini goes back to the place quickly.
She comes to the girls and says ‘Time is up. Let us go’
The girls look at each other happily and with some fear at each other. Rahini leaves the place and the girls follow her one by one. All the girls along with Rahini and Meena jump outside a small window on the top floor. A rop is found hanging from the parapet wall as per the plan of Rahini. She uses the rope to climb down the place. She then looks around if anyone is wandering around there. She then signs the other girls to climb down. The girls follow her and climb down the rope. One of the girl makes a noise while climbing bewildering others. However no one is attracted by the sound and girls breathe again. After all have climbed down, Rahini places a slow footsteps in the area where decoration lights are not miniml. All girls follow her footsteps slowly as per her instruction. Rahini targets to reach the main gate without being noticed by anyone.
‘You all wait here. I will come now’ says Rahini to other girls.
She steps slowly towards the gateway and looks at it. The gate is closed completely and locked. Rahini again gets disappointed and upset at looking at it. She angrily looks at the guards who managed to lock the gates despite being intoxicated. Not knowing what to do she turns around and is taken aback.
Her eyes become widened with terror of her life on seeing the figure standing in front of her. Her heart beat rate rises and she forgets to breathe further.
An elderly man who joined here as beggar few years back and now being one of the gang member is standing furiously in front of Rahini.
‘Sambu Kaka(uncle)’ utters Rahini without any sound from throat. Her lips glitches and whole body trembles and sweats on seeing him. Sambu stares at her angrily and goes near to her. Rahini backs off for his each and every step forward.
‘What are you doing here?’ yells Sambu at her.
Rahini still trembles looking at him and she does not say anything. The other girls who were looking at Rahini are equally shocked by Sambu Kaka’s entry. The girls too started to tremble on seeing him and thinking of what is going to happen after getting caught.
‘Idiot. You doing heroism as if you are a Jhansi Rani. How stupid you are to think of escaping this place from front gate. When you don’t know anything, you have to take elders help.’ Taunts Sambu at Rahini.
Rahini’s face turns in surprise on hearing Sambu Kaka’s words. Sambu Kaka changes his expression and a light smile is seen in his eyes and lips. Rahini and the girls breathe back normally and they too smile among themselves.
‘Sambu Kaka. Are you going to tell them that we are trying to get out of here?’ asks Rahini in a worried and scared voice.
Sambu goes to her and hugs her gently.
‘I am really very happy that you all have finally made your way from this ugly fate. For the past 10 years I have been very unfortunate to witness all the crimes and illegal things that happened here and not being able to stop any of the cruel things. For all the sins I have committed these many years, I have decided to repent now.’
Rahini and the girls look at Sambu with eagerness and hope.
‘I will help all of you to get out of here.’ says Sambu looking at the surroundings with caution.
Rahini looks at him happily with tears in her eyes. She hugs him affectionately and he also reciprocates his happiness to her. He looks at Meena who got disfigured some years back to make her earn more money by begging. Sambu recollects how he tried to convince them to not to do that unkind thing to little children and got threatened by them to be scarred. He feels bad for not letting them to damage him instead of the kids. He has nothing left in this world but the girl and many other children like her have totally lost their vital part of life. Sambu’s eyes shed tears on his thoughts.
‘God, please show these innocent kids a good way to their future. If possible, make them unite with the parents whom they have lost years ago’ prays Sambu in his mind.
Sambu goes to the window of the party hall and looks at the state of the thugs and Didhi. Almost all of the thugs are in muddled state while Naina alone is seated partially boozed. Sambu’s face glows on seeing them and he goes to the girls.
He then looks at everyone and says ‘Listen all of you. I will take you to a safe and dark place where you will not be noticed by anybody. Follow me’
The girls look at each other happily and start to follow him. Sambu carefully watches the surrounding to notice if any of the gang men is seen anywhere. He then brings them towards a place which is almost dark compared to other places. He looks a wall with a protruding iron rod at the top which shall be very tall for the girls to climb up and jump from there.
Rahini looks at him with worry and asks him ‘Kaka, what now?’
Sambu does not answer her for a minute. He looks at the wall and thinks something. Rahini and the girls are eagerly looking at him for the instruction.
‘You cannot climb up and jump down very easily from here. You will surely need a rope.’ says Sambu to her.
‘Kaka, we have a rope there. I shall bring it now’ says Rahini to Sambu
‘It is very risky, beta. You somehow managed to come out of that place. If you go there again, you might get caught’ says Sambu in a tensed tone.
Rahini becomes upset to hear that. Sambu thinks for a while and tells to her ‘I will find a rope for you. You all try to hide in dark places until I return’ says Sambu to her.
Rahini and the girls look at each other with fear. Sambu moves from the place and the girls hide themselves in some dark places.
Sambu creeps on the area slowly and he searches everywhere for the rope. He moves further and farther from the girls but no rope is found.
--- --- --- --- ---
Naina and her men happily enjoy the party for their long time meet. The men surround her completely and all of them laugh, dance, sing and are boozing together.
‘Didhi, still we are not able to believe that you are here. We missed you a lot’ says one thug
‘Didhi, you are sparkling like a star with those jewels you are wearing. You look like a statue made in gold, diamond, platinum etc etc’ Says another thug
‘Didhi, you have become beautiful now than before. No wonder that Deshpande had fallen for you and beautifying you like this’ says one another thug.
Naina looks at them happily and proudly.
‘Thank you boys for such a great celebration. I really owe a lot to you. It is because of you I am in this status. You will all have my blessings and support forever.’ says Naina happily at them.
‘Didhi, we are eagerly expecting the day when will become the MP and even more Minister and more than that Prime Minister of this country. When will it happen?’ asks a thug at her
Naina grins at everybody and says ‘Very soon. Very soon your sweet and lovely didhi shall be called as Prime Minister of this country. When that happens, you people shall be key ministers of my cabinet. I will give you Ministry of Children development to increase the kidnap of children so that they can be used for begging, And to you, I will give you Ministry of Women development to use girls for brothel and to you I will you the ministry of health and you will increase the sales of alcohol, heroin etc. How is it?’
Naina and the thugs happily laugh together and booze together. Naina looks at the bottle to refill her glass with the drink. All the bottles are empty without even a drop. The thugs were lying down on the floor with booze liquid and the food stuff surrounded their mouth. Some of them had vomited nearby due to high dose of alcohol. Naina looks at them disgustingly.
‘Oye! What is this? Party over huh? Only this much of booze is available for me to enjoy my day with you all?’ scream Naina at the men.
One of the men slowly stands in drunken state.
‘How can you think of like this didhi? Wait a minute. I will get someone to bring it for you’ says the thug to her. ‘Oye! Anybody bring the bottles from that upstairs room and serve it for our didhi.’ screams the goon in a high volume.
No one respond to his voice. He looks at the surrounding in surprise.
‘Oye! Anybody is alive there or not? Bring the Whisky bottle from upstairs’ shouts the guy again
Nobody answers his order again. The thug gets surprised and rises from his seat. He goes towards the place and sees people lying down unconsciously. He further moves and goes to the staircase.
‘Oye!’ screams the thug. ‘Do anybody hear me?’
No answer comes from anywhere. The thug steps upon the staircase with slow steps. He reaches the floor and looks around. Nobody is seen around. He then further moves and his turns in suspicion.
‘Oye! Why nobody is answering me?’ screams the guy.
An old beggar woman comes running towards him and stands beside him.
‘Ji sahib, tell me’ says the old woman.
The thug looks at her with irritation.
‘Why this place is so silent today? I ordered to bring drinks to downstairs’ screams the thug to her.
‘Excuse me sahib. I was inside the room and did not hear your voice. I will bring it right now. Please don’t get angry’ replies the old woman in scare
The thug gives an angry look at her and turns towards the staircase. He suddenly stops and turns back again towards the old woman.
‘Why this place is so silent? Where are the girls?’ asks the thug.
The old woman gives a guilty look at the thug and says ‘The girls have been taken backyard for cleaning work, sahib’
The thug gets astonished.
‘What type cleaning work?’ screams the thug
The old woman with stammering voice replies him ‘There are lot of cleaning work need to be done today. So Sambu bhayya took the girls with to finish those cleaning work.’
The thug’s face does not show any acceptance on hearing the old woman’s statement. He steps towards the window and peeps through it. Sambu slowly walks in that dark area with a long rope in his hand.
‘Oye!’ calls the thug loudly at Sambu.
Sambu stops walking and looks at the direction from where the voice is heard. His face turns pale on seeing the thug standing near to the window.
‘Ji’ replies Sambu to the thug.
‘Are the girls with you?’ asks the thug to him
Sambu gets shocked on hearing the question. His hands and legs start to tremble on looking at the thug. He manages to conceal his fear and replies the thug
‘Ji Sahib. They are with me only’
The thug looks satisfied on the answer. He gets surprised looking at the stuff in his hand.
‘Oye! What is that in your hand?’
Sambu once again gets scared on the notice of rope by the thug.
‘Ji. I am carrying this rope to tie some of sacks in the warehouse which got untied.’ replies the thug with tremble
The thug gives an annoying look and leaves from the place.
Sambu breathes heavily on the mere escape and rushes fast towards the girls.
The girls are waiting eagerly at their hiding places for Sambu Kaka to return. Sambu runs towards them even without brathing.
‘Girls come out your places. We are very short of time. You need leave from here soon’ screams Sambu in a low voice heard only by the girls.
The girls creep out of their places and gather at the place. Sambu gives the rope to Rahini and she gets it from them.
‘You climb up and tie the rope tightly to that hanger’ instructs Sambu to her.
The girls immediately make a vertical line standing one on another and Rahini finally climbs up and reaches to the hanger. She ties the rope on the hanger and signs with her thumbs up.
‘Girls, without making any noise, one by one climb the rope. Rahini once the girl reaches the top drop the rope to other side and let her climb down. Do this until all the girls finish climbing down on the other side. You have to be fast.’ Instructs Sambu to Rahini.
Rahini gestures like ‘ok’ and helps the girls to climb the rope. One girl begins to climb up the rope and other girls help her to progress upward. She reaches the top of the wall and Rahini pulls the rope and drops to the other side. The girl then uses the rope to climb down. Rahini again pulls the rope from the outside and drops it inside. Another proceeds to climb up the rope. Meena helps the girls to climb up when any of them struggle to climb. Rahini gestures her to climb next but she ignores and focuses on helping other girls.
Almost all the girls went to the other side with only Meena and one other girl left this side. The girl climbs upward but she falls down in the middle by a poor hold. The girl cries loudly with pain and the fear of falling from the height. All others are scared by the loud voice of the girl.
Sambu rushes to help her and holds her mouth to prevent her voice being heard by people inside. Rahini gets tensed on looking at the slip but Sambu gestures her to proceed further. The girl cries out of the pain due to the injury in her leg. Rahini, Sambu and Meena look at her nervously on her inability. Rahini gestures Meena to climb the rope but Meena does not do so.
‘Meena, come soon. By the time you finish climbing she will get better and would climb again. Don’t waste time’ says Rahini to her
‘Yes, she is correct. You climb the rope beta. We will do something to make her climb’ says Sambu to her.
Meena does not respond to Rahini. She goes to the girl who is groaning out of pain and presses the injured part of the leg. Sambu and Rahini look at her with tension in their faces.
‘Is your pain got minimized? Can you climb the rope now?’ asks Meena to that girl.
The girl sheds tears and nods her head ‘no’. The other three are shocked by the sudden inability of the girl and look at each other helplessly.
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