The Cactus Blooms.....Part 2

A quick review of the situation and Appasamy decided that there was no way Raaj was going to make it to her place and perhaps the rendezvous could happen only at Guwahati.This meant Aish had to reach Guwahati airport on her own and Raaj to reach and wait for her there.For obvious reasons ,Appasamy had advised her tickets be booked on a different name and so even downloading the E ticket would not have helped as she would have failed the identity test at ticket counter. So Raaj was asked to call her and convey the revised schedule.Despite advising Raaj several times to have the mutual conversation from PCO,both ignored it.

Aish was very worried now since she had never travelled overnight on her own,and she was wondering if she should confide to someone and at least escort her to Guwahati.She resisted the temptation. But despite her calm exterior she felt the turbulance inside.

D -4, she couriered her letter to her parents and took off by a bus to her destiny ...

Raaj meanwhile had left Chennai and reached Guwahati.His return was booked by Guwahati Chennai,but for some strange reason ,Appasamy tore off that made him book another ticket, for both of them via Kolkatta, but this time he ensured it was not a E ticket and both their tickets were in different names.

D -3 morning Aish reached the airport and literaaly melted into waiting arms of Raaj.With just hand baggages,both entered the airport and for a quick wash.It was already late for the flight ,and both rushed past the security and dropped into their seats.Announcement ..SWITCH OFF MOBILES..was met with a crestfallen Aish..She had left it behind in the washroom..they were soon airborne to KOL..

Courier reached Aishs parents and they were dumbstruck. The whole of previous night they were frantic ,for their area was infested with terrorists and kidnapping was order of the day.Aishs father was politically well connected and had pulled strings at right places to locate her..

Venue ; Inspector General of Polices office

Meeting of ATS..Anti Terrorists Squad Head, Yam Rajkumar Deka,with IG police

IG : Yama,one of of top business mans daughter is missing and her parents feel she must have been kidnapped by terrorists.I want you to personally handle this case and find the girl immediately since this may have political ramifications

Yama realised this was no normal case since IG himself was personally involved.But he was not bothered about it ,since all that mattered to him was terrorists and he just hated them.

Meanwhile ,Aishs parents didnt know what to do since this was elopement .Their repeated calls to her mobile was ringing away.How could they know their daughter had left behind the phone in the airport rest room and in a silent mode !!They also chose to remain silent on the letter !!

Yama called on them and went thru the details of their daughter in a most professional way.He took her photograph and wanted to know if she possesssed a mobile.They gave the number to her and he immediately got his office put a tracer on the mobile thru the service provider.He wanted to know where the mobile was now and also the printout of last couple of months.

The mobile was located by the watch and ward staff in the airport and after taking necessary precautions that it was not a Explosive Device ,handed it over to the police control room,who in turn flashed the details to Yama.Several hours had passed with just no clue of the girl.But with this breakthru Yama was confident that he had caught hold of the trail !!

A quick download and he realised countless calls had been to a mobile number in Chennai.Meanwhile ,the mobile handset also reached him and he found photo of a boy as screen saver on the Phone.He was slightly confused.

He immediately wanted the flight manifest of all the flights which left Guwahati and scanned for Aishs name.It was not there...Appasamy was one step ahead !!

The reports from service provider reached Yama about the Chennai phone..he got all the info he needed,address,his call lists etc etc ..Something bothered him..From Chennai number of calls had been made to Chattisgarh too,a land infested with mafia and naxalites...Did that mean the boy was connected with Northeast terrorists,Mafia and Naxalites..did that mean the boy had trapped this girl for some reason or did it mean she had voluntarily joined the group..

With time slipping away,he found that one flight had left for Chennai in the morning on scanning through realised Raaj had booked his ticket along with a girl..but unfortunately both had not travelled in the flight..So the jig saw puzzle continued.He was itching to solve it.

His immediate reaction was to seek the help of Chennai police and do a background check on Raaj.

He called up his long time friend and Buddy ,Anthony Kaalavendan. Both had undergone Anti terrorism training and were with the elite force for over 5 years.They always used to hunt in pairs.Anthony Kaalavendan,nicknamed,KAAL, always used to plan well and laid the trap for the terrorists and Yama was simply trigger happy and executed them.The pair of Kaal and Yama sent shivers even to the most cold blooded terrorists.Both of them were extremely quick and dare devils ..

Now reverted to their respective states both were in touch only occasionally wishing each other for new year etc.Their bonhomie in tact !!

Yama:: Kaal, how are you man

Kaal:: What a surprise Yama,whats the occasion !

Yama;; I need your help,Kaal,I want to locate a terrorist and possibly he has kidnapped a girl and come to chennai

Kaal::I tell you Yama,you are still the same and I think you are chasing a wrong horse.My place has no terrorists.Come and spend your holidays here without of course your revolver

Yama(impatient now )Kaal are you going to help me or not ,I dont want that guy to escape.If confirmed I want to come down there and hunt him down.

Kaal :: You have not changed a bit Yama,trigger happy to the core.Ok mail me the details I will have that checked.How soon you need it

Yama:: I need it yestertday ,Kaal

Once he got a positive response from Kaal ,Yama breathed easy,since he knew once Anthony Kaal set his mind on something,it was as good as done.In the next few seconds all the details were flashed by Yama to Kaal

D-2...Raaj and Aish were picked up by Appasamy and co from airport late in the night.Raaj was expecting his parents to be at airpoirt and receive their would be daughter in law. But that was not to be.Appasamy didnt want any chances and already had them shifted to safe houses.He was not going to have the anticipated problems rule over.From the airport he took both of them to outskirts and despite protests from Raaj,convinced him that it was a wise decision to stay away from home.

D-2 Anthony Kaal sent his team member SI Manikkavel to do a routine check with the boys photograph,mobile printout and get clarified on calls to Chattisgarh,his visit to North east and his calls to the girl.

Manikkavel..Sir the house is locked and neighbours say that the boys parents left home two days back saying they were going out of station.Its confirmed that the boy lives here and he is doing granite business from Chattisgarh and Andhra.The family I understand is pretty decent ,sir.

Kaal had a chuckle,Yama and his conclusions on naxalites,terrorists etc.

He called up Yama,but he was insistant on his plot. Kaal convinced him that he would trace them out in next 24 hours and call him.Yama wanted to come down personally and take the boy out.Kaal knew what that meant....At the same time ,a thought flashed across his mind..Could it be ...?


(to be concluded )

TC
CU