29 September 2024

Time: 22:09

Mridula dropped on her knees, her heart a drumbeat to her ears. Her eyes glued to the crib in front of her as she mindlessly held her six-month old baby in her arms. She sat with a thud, frozen to even blink her eyes.

The usual warmth of the nursery had turned cold. Drenched in eerie quietness broken only by the desperate wail of the baby in her arms. Her daughter.

She cradled her baby close to her chest, her tiny body trembling in distress—wailing. But she barely heard the baby, her gaze was fixated on the crib in front of her. It was empty.

Where her son was supposed to be sleeping. And it's empty.

Her daughter's twin was missing.

Mridula slumped against the wall, a lump throbbing in her throat tight. Where was he? She had searched the entire apartment, combed through every nook and corner but not a glimpse nor a sound of her baby. Her mind raced, running through the fragments of the last few hours of the day in blurry fractured memories.

Had she checked on her baby in the morning? Yes.

Had she fed her baby? Yes.

Had she put the baby to sleep? Yes. She had.

Kalyan hasn't got home yet. He had been working late shifts for the past week, the growing silence between them was another crack in the fragile marriage.

The crying of her daughter grew louder. She shifted her weight, the numbness in her legs a reminder of how long she had been sitting here, frozen. Too shaken to react. Her trembling hand wiped the damped forehead of her daughter and rocked her mindlessly.

In the silent of the apartment, there was a persistent knock at the door but Mridula was too unnerved to answer the door. She simply stayed up staring at the crib. Where did he go? How?

29 September 2024

Time: 23:24

As questions sprawled in her mind on her missing son, keys jiggled at the door. A similar fashioned knock from earlier sounded at the door before it creaked open. Soft and hesitant footstep moved around.

"Mridula?" The voice called.

A voice Mridula had come to a sort of an attachment. One who took care of her like her mother, a sister she had never wished during times in need. Poornima, her neighbour, a pillar of support whom gave her courage when she had lost hope.

Poornima rushed over, her arms reached out instinctively, "Oh my god, Mridula, give her to me," she urged, her voice soft yet firm, as she gently pried the baby girl from Mridula's stiff arms.

The baby's cries grew louder as Poornima cradled her against her chest, her own heart racing. "Shh, shh," she murmured, rocking the infant slightly, though her attention remained locked on Mridula, who sat frozen, her eyes wide and empty.

Crouched at Mridula's side, Poornima reached for the frozen—ashen Mridula and scanned the room, the second empty crib caught her attention. Her breath hitched at the sight.

Calmly Poornima shook her, "what happened?"

Mridula replied, her lips quivering, her breath shaky and uneven. "The baby is missing, akka. I searched the entire house, he is missing." Tears slowly gathered in her eyes.

"What do you mean missing, Mridu? How could a 6-month-old baby go missing just like that?" Poornima exclaimed, the gravity of the situation slowly gnawing her.

Cradling the baby in her arms, Poornima fished out her phone from her pant pocket. Instinctively call for the first person who came in her mind; her husband, Gautham,a police officer.

"Pickup, pickup...," she muttered under her breath, her pulse thudding in her ears.

"Gautham!" Poornima's voice sharp, the panic clear. "You need to get over here right now. It's Vihaan. He is missing."

There was a pause on the other end of the line, then Gautham's voice came through, low and urgent. "What do you mean missing?"

"He's missing!" Poornima practically shouted, glancing at Mridula, who had slumped back against the wall, her face pale, almost lifeless. "I don't know the details, but we need you here now. Call Kalyan."

"I'll be there with Kalyan." Gautham said, his tone serious and commanding now. "Stay with Mridula and keep her calm."

The line clicked dead, and Poornima lowered the phone, her heart still pounding wildly in her chest.

She turned back to Mridula, the baby girl now calmed down slightly in her arms, sensing the tension in the air.

"Kalyan's going to be here soon," Poornima said gently, kneeling down beside Mridula. "Gautham's on his way. We're going to find him, Mridula. I promise you."

Mridula's lip quivered, her gaze still locked on the empty crib, as if waiting for her missing son to miraculous appear. Slowly, all hell broke loose as she cried her heart out for her missing baby in Poornima's arms.

"Please find my baby," bawled Mridula, her heart squeezing with every passing minute.

~ With tears she wrote a plea ~