New Medical Centre

Dhaula Kuan

11AM

DJ's men had their hands full checking and letting through more residents of Dhaula Kuan who were eager to greet him personally and thank him for opening the medical centre.

As Loki watched on impatiently, DJ greeted his loyal locals with a smile and directed them towards the refreshments at the Food Stall and urged them to check out the facilities at the Medical Centre.

Where is Zoya? Loki knew that DJ was too busy at the food stall to notice his absence, and hurried towards the hospital wing to check on Zoya. He checked a few rooms but Zoya was nowhere to be seen. Then out of the corner of his eyes, he saw a nurse carrying a medical kit walking into a store room at the end of the corridor and recognised her as the one talking to Zoya earlier.

With a few quick strides he entered the tiny room filled with metal shelves full of medical supplies, with a window at the back facing the physiotherapy ward, which was still under construction.

The nurse turned around and recognised him, but instead of the warm and grateful smile that he got so accustomed to, she greeted him nervously.

He pretended not to notice the momentary flicker of her fear in her eyes and asked her casually " Hi! Sorry to disturb you, but where is Zoya?"

"Zoya? Who is Zoya Loki Sir?" She questioned him back, as she smoothed her crisply ironed uniform shirt.

It is true that very few people in the neighbourhood knew Zoya, but DJ announced proudly that Zoya was a doctor and she would be joining the medical team during his short speech during inauguration.

Perhaps his face reflected his thoughts, the nurse instantly exclaimed, "Oh Dr Zoya, your... Yes she was here before but I don't know where she is now Sir. I mean... she might have gone home Sir." She became more and more flustered.

Loki knew she was lying. He groaned inwardly and checked the nurse with hooded eyes as he stepped towards her. He could see that he was not the nervy type, her mannerisms and dress sense reflected a confident and smart personality.

Still, he could feel the tiny room fill with tension.

She stepped back and a slight perspiration was beginning to form on her forehead and her eyes kept darting to the corridor behind him.

Just then her pager beeped and she quickly pulled it out of the belt with a mix of relief and anxiety.

But before she could read the message, Loki moved with a swiftness that no one knew he had.

He pushed the door close with a kick of his leg and moved closer, and she had no choice but fall back on one of the shelves as his tall and muscular body hovered over her tiny frame.

As much as he was tempted to slap her and compel her to tell the truth, he knew he had to tread carefully just for the sake of his Bhai DJ and his reputation in the neighbourhood.

"What is your name Nurse?" He asked with a sweet smile even as his eyes reflected all his anger.

"Ayesha Sir. Ayesha Bedi" She tried to sound confident as she tucked the huge bunch of keys in her skirt pocket.

Loki appraised her once more. Why was this girl looking so terrified? What did Zoya tell her or ask her that could cause her so much anxiety? Or was it something else?

Living in a neighbourhood like theirs, she might be immune to usual threats.

He decided that there was only one way to get to the absolute truth, in the quickest way possible.

"Ayesha, I think you very well know where Zoya is right now. I saw you two together some time ago. So, why don't we stop playing this pretend game and waste each other's time? You probably don't know anything about me but I absolutely hate people who lie to me."

He slowly moved closer to her as he reached out for his gun tucked at the back of his jeans.

Ayesha's eyes filled with terror as she watched Loki slowly release the lock of his automatic and slide it back in his Jeans,

Her pager beeped again. Her eyes quickly read the message.

"Sir, I really don't know anything. Madam was not feeling well and she said she is going home. She just asked me to tell everyone that she is lying down in a bed here, that's all! She thought you would be upset if you knew she went home on her own. And I have to go. An ambulance has just arrived, waiting for a patient to be admitted. I need to..."

She showed him the pager message.

Zoya hated crowds and it was only logical that she escaped to her solitude while she could and persuaded the nurse to lie for her. But Ayesha didn't have to feel so nervous for telling such a white lie.

Loki instinctively knew Ayesha was still withholding something and he pulled the gun out and pointed it straight under her chin.

She half gulped, her eyes filled with terror as sweat trickled down her forehead. She briefly closed her eyes but when she opened them again, her face looked grim rather than terrified.

"Sir, I am telling the truth. Madam asked me to lie to anyone who asked for her. She headed towards the car park and I came back here. Later, as I was stacking first aid supplies on the shelves here,I noticed her walking towards an old car parked right outside this window. I thought it was so peculiar as to why she parked her car here, as no one else does. And then to my utter surprise, she opened the boot and got inside it and closed it shut. Before I could understand what was going on, I saw Suraj Chacha get into that car and drive off. That's all Sir, I swear on God and my parents. I know nothing else!"

Loki noticed how Ayesha's eyes began to brim with tears but his mind was busy dissecting what she innocently revealed.

So Suraj Chacha and Zoya were planning something in secret.

He knew Zoya hated playing second fiddle to anyone, especially DJ, but if her ego and impatience made her take desperate steps, then they would all be in danger. She wasnt stupid though! If she decided to take such a risk right under DJ's nose, then it could have been something she knew she had the upper hand.

But he was more surprised that Suraj Chacha had betrayed his brother's trust. Suraj Chacha was definitely going to the temple to distribute Prashad. And from the snippets he heard before, his Maa visits that temple as a ruse to meet her true love, her daughter! His blood boiled again as he recalled Arunya's dark yet lovely face and the way his real mother caressed that face with affection!

He closed his eyes in agony! If Suraj Chacha had convinced Zoya to go along with him, it only meant one thing! But how could he verify his suspicions without letting DJ know?

He snapped his eyes open to find Ayesha still staring mutely at his face and his fun.

Loki slowly withdrew the gun and tucked it back inside his jeans.

A plan began to form in mind but he knew what he had to do first.

"See, it wasn't so hard, was it? And being truthful always makes you feel lighter and free, you know." He smiled with benevolence.

She nodded her head rapidly.

"What are all those keys for?" He asked her.

She looked taken back at his question but answered him anyway.

"Sir, we are still recruiting staff here. I am currently looking after the stores and supply vehicles, checking ambulance equipment ...."

Loki wanted to keep her talking and buy some time as he casually glanced at the construction site through the window.

He listened patiently as she explained.

Once she finished, she pleaded, "Sir, can I go now? This is our first day and I don't want to get into trouble with our manager. Please Sir, I won't talk about this with anyone. I know how to keep my mouth shut."

"Of course you are free to go and help the patient in the ambulance, but there is just one more small thing I need you to do for me."

As he began to explain with a breezy tone, he could see Ayesha's face changing colours. She was perhaps cursing herself as to why she helped Zoya in the first place.

*****

12 noon

Lakshmi Narayan Temple

South Delhi

Arunya climbed the steps of her favourite Lakshmi Narayan temple slowly, along with her mother Nirmala. Although Arunya was chatting to her mother with a smile and showing her all the favourite spots in the temple, she did not feel the usual calm and serenity that filled her whenever she visited the temple.

Perhaps her mind and heart were too disturbed to find solace in the holy place. Wasn't it just a few months ago that she visited the temple on her birthday? How simple her life was back then!

It was as if she was living another life... She didn't visit the temple ever since she knew Suman came here to see her.

After her sighting of DJ, and the security concerns, she hardly stepped out of her home except for essential work. She somehow managed to hang on to her job, courtesy of her exceptional administrative and IT skills where she could manage most of the workload even while working from home.

The last few days, they were busy packing their essentials to move to the safehouse and she was tired and irritated.

Still, Nirmala insisted that they visit this temple today and seek God's blessings as they would never be able to go anywhere once they move into the safehouse.

Arunya knew her mother was right and didn't protest further and to her surprise, even Chotu endorsed her mother.

Every Thursday, the temple gets extra devotees due to the special Puja performed there, but Arunya remembered with a shame how it was the delicious Prasad that tempted her visit often. The Prasad that she now knew her mother made....

She stilled abruptly and her eyes became unfocused, as if the surroundings around her melted away and the tired yet eager face of Suman filled her mind, barely managing to hide her large frame behind the temple pillar, all those months ago.

When did she begin to think of Suman as her mother? No way! Her cheeks turned warm and a wet sheen covered her eyes.

Nirmala turned around with a smiling face, which faltered as she saw her daughter's troubled face.

"What is the matter Aru? Are you not feeling well? Do you want to sit down?"

"No Maa, nothing." She smiled back and climbed the last few steps to reach her.

Nirmala reached out and touched her face gently. Arunya closed her eyes, as the warmth and the love in her mother's touch finally calmed her tremulous heart.

****

Watching the mother and daughter duo from afar, Zoya felt a mix of irritation and boredom . They had been waiting for quite a while, but the fat girl and her mother took a long time to climb the steps and reach the main temple. She kept observing all the other devotees at the temple just to pass the time, and was relieved to find no one behaving in a suspicious way.

Even though Suraj Chacha claimed that Nirmala and Arunya wouldn't visit a holy place with security guards, she had her doubts.

So, Victor underestimated his enemies once again and was overconfident that no one will touch his family. Well, she is going to burst his bubble soon.

Suraj Singh whispered again, "Remember Zoya, we have to wait till their Puja finishes and they climb down the stairs. I have managed to place some sign boards near the usual steps that there is repair work going on. So they will be forced to take the side steps which will take them to the side road where our car is parked. That area is quite deserted and we can quickly threaten them and force them to follow us."

"Yes, Chacha, I understood. You have told me this ten times already!"

Zoya pulled out her mobile again to watch some videos.

"Zoya beti,, please turn off your mobile! Remember what I said..." Suraj Singh's panic-filled tone made Zoya chuckle.

"Relax Chacha, I have turned on the Airplane mode which means there is no signal. I am just watching some saved videos on my phone."

She suddenly looked up as she had a disturbed sense that someone was watching her.

But as she checked around, there was no one other than the usual crowd who were too busy bowing down to the idols or praying. There were few men in bright orange coloured Turbans too, queuing up to get a glimpse of the almighty. Didn't they belong to a different religion though? Zoya shook her head. This was no time to understand the mind boggling traditions and cultures in India.

" I am getting bored! Why people come to temples is still a mystery to me! As if God exists only in a temple!" She scoffed, as she began playing another video.

"What you said is so right Beti. We don't have to come to a temple to see the almighty, because he is always there in our heart, guiding us, if only we are willing to follow. But like our homes, our minds are also cluttered most of the time, and coming to a holy place like this gives us a feeling of space, on both physical and emotional level..."

Zoya switched off as Suraj Singh droned on...

Suddenly the temple premises were filled with the sounds of bells, indicating the completion of Puja, as the Priest stepped out of the Sanctum Sanctorum to offer Aarti and Prasad to all the devotees.

Zoya became alert and pushed her phone back into the jeans pocket.

"Do you have the gun ready Chacha?" she asked, her eyes still fixed on Nirmala.

"Yes of course, Please leave all the shooting to me Zoya Beti." Suraj Chacha showed her the gun he was carrying, which he made sure was filled with dummy bullets.

Zoya smiled to herself. DJ and his men are such misogynists! As if she would come on such an important mission, unarmed.

Her arm gently caressed the small .22 calibre pistol tucked inside the inner pocket of her jacket.

As Zoya watched, Nirmala and Arunya took the Prashad and the Priest's blessings. Just then, a girl clad in torn jeans and a loose jacket approached them and greeted them loudly.

"Now what the hell is that loud mouth doing here?" Zoya blurted out in annoyance.

"Who are you talking about?" Suraj Singh asked innocently, even though he perfectly knew who Zoya was referring to.

"That dumb girl from the apartments where Victor used to live. Mira... no, no Misha is her name. I haven't seen such an airhead in a long time. She had a huge crush on Victor and used to fawn all over Loki thinking it was Victor. Idiot! She and her other blubber head friend from apartments, used to make my life miserable, offering this help or other. Why can't people leave others alone here? They always want to pry. I was so glad when I got out of that place!!"

"I agree we are a interfering lot, always eager to help our neighbours. But of course it is different in your country, isn't it? I can understand your point of view too. But we can discuss that later. I hope this girl, whoever she is, leaves soon. Otherwise our plan will go haywire!" Suraj exclaimed.

"I will not let that silly girl ruin my plan, no way! But what is she doing there? How come she knows Victor's family?" Zoya muttered to herself.

"This temple is quite near to the apartments. Maybe she is a god loving child, who comes here regularly. Although it is becoming quite rare to see girls of her age coming to the temple. I was equally surprised to know that Arunya comes here often. But it turned out lucky for us in the end, right? Otherwise the security around their home was incredible. We haven't got much time left. We have to do something! "

Zoya groaned inwardly, as she half listened to Suraj Chacha's bleeding obvious analysis of the situation.

Much to her relief, Misha spoke for a few more moments and went away, leaving her targets well alone.

Nirmala ji kept looking around, as if waiting for someone.

Suraj Singh gave a brief nod to Zoya and looked around, as if to make sure he was not drawing anyone's attention and slowly approached Nirmala Verma.

Nirmala's face broke into a hesitant smile as she recognized Suraj Singh.

Zoya could not hear what Suraj Chacha said to the two women, but all three began to walk towards the side steps just as they planned.

She looked at her phone again. It was 12:30 pm.

She waited exactly for a minute as they had decided earlier and hurried down the steps.

Half way through the steps, there was a small resting area constructed around an old tree and the rest of the steps continued to its side till they reached the side road.

Most of the resting area to the left of the tree remained hidden from view from both ends of the steps and that's where Suraj Chacha had planned to threaten the two women and force them to get into their Car, which was parked right next to the temple.

She could clearly see the tree lined road, with cars parked on one side. An Ambulance seemed to be stuck in the traffic and its blaring siren ruined the serene atmosphere around the temple.

Even in that tense situation, Zoya scoffed at the lack of civic sense among Indians. Why can't they make way for an emergency vehicle?

She will be so glad to leave this hell hole soon, once all her plans fall in place.

As she reached the small secluded landing, her heart was thudding with anxiety.

But there was no sign of Nirmala and her daughter nor Suraj Chacha.

What happened? She walked slowly around the tree to reach the other end where the second set of steps began to reach the side road.

She heard loud footsteps behind her and without a second thought, she pulled the .22 pistol out of her jacket and turned around.

But there was no one.

The sound of footsteps stopped as suddenly as they began.

She turned around slowly, her eyes observing every corner for any slight movement. All she could see was the deserted steps on one side and the big trunk of a tree on another.

What happened to Suraj Chacha? As she reached for her phone in the back pocket,

there was a loud bark and she whipped her pistol around in that direction.

But it was only a couple of stray dogs a few steps below, fighting over a food packet left carelessly by someone under an old and rusty wheelchair.

She let out her breath slowly in relief.

Apart from fear, some other sensation hit her.

A pungent stench overwhelmed her and it seemed to be very near and getting stronger by the minute.

She hesitated for a moment but the stench made her desperate. She glanced down fleetingly to check if there was any dog poop around the corner.

At that moment something small and dirty fell on her shoulders from the tree, and she shrieked in horror. It was a dead rat, but almost to the size of a raccoon and its dirty tail and feet were half rotten and she fought hard not to puke then and there.

As her body gave an involuntary shudder in disgust she closed her eyes and threw it off her shoulders. By the time she realized that her gun too fell off her hand, it was too late.

Victor and Monty, their heads covered in bright orange turbans, surrounded her.

Victor picked up the gun swiftly and Monty came from behind and held her tight, twisting her arms behind her back.

As she watched the man who was a spitting image of her boyfriend yet instilled so much hatred inside her, Zoya felt ashamed.

She too fell for Victor's trap and made a fool of herself. Was Suraj Chacha part of this elaborate trap?

As if he read her mind, Monty mocked "I thought we would have it easy with that frail old man. But he gave a better fight than this chick."

"We just have to know what triggers people. Didn't I tell you she will fall for that?" Victor winked at Monty as he gingerly wrapped the dead animal in a paper bag with gloved hands and threw it into a bin. As he pulled out a wet white cloth from his trouser pocket. Zoya tried to kick him in the shins, but he was too quick for her as he smothered her face with the chloroform filled cloth.

Within a few seconds, Zoya stopped struggling and they carried her limp body over to the wheel chair and made her sit.

Victor pulled a long scarf he tucked inside his shirt and wrapped it around Zoya's head and shoulders. For onlookers she looked nothing more than a tired girl.

A young family with kids began climbing the steps. Victor sat next to Zoya's wheelchair as he began to chit chat and pulled out his phone to show a video to Monty. They waited patiently, till the family turned the corner past the tree, and then carried the wheelchair down the last few steps to a waiting car on the road, where a nervous Anosha was holding the steering so tightly that her knuckles looked almost white.

Victor hired two old cars from a rental agency booked under a false ID as he did not want anything they did today to trace back to him or his colleagues in IB.

Victor quickly looked around, but the few passers-by paid no attention to their old car and its passengers. He quickly opened the back door and placed Zoya gently in the back seat and buckled her up. He tied her hands and legs, even though he knew that the effect of chloroform would not wear off till they reached their destination. A slightly bruised and tied up Suraj Chacha was in the back seat, playing his part of another abducted victim to perfection.

As Monty sat in the front passenger seat, Anosha smiled at him.

"Victor, We will drive these two straight to the warehouse. Why don't you check with Jishu." Monty asked.

Victor looked for the car that Jishu was driving on the other side of the road.

"Jishu just drove off with Aunty and Di." Anosha said nervously.

"Why? Didn't I specifically ask him to wait for me?" Victor demanded, as he tried his best to keep his tone devoid of anger and frustration.

Anosha tried to open the door to get out, but Victor bent down and rested his arm on the car window, and looked at his childhood bestie with a forced calmness.

"Everything went off smoothly Victor. Jishu and I were waiting at the resting area. Di was surprised to see us, but we explained that you sent us here as escorts as it was not good for them to be out and about. Suraj Singh apologised that Suman Ji couldn't be here today and Di seemed upset that Aunty kept her in the dark about the whole thing. Anyway, Suraj Singh excused himself and went away and we hurried Aunty and Di towards Jishu's car. But Di sprained her ankle while getting down the steps. Jishu was forced to get his car out of the parking space so that Di didn't need to walk all the way.The traffic was crazy here a minute ago. Everyone was yelling and honking their horns at Jishu as his car was blocking the road and he was forced to drive off. Don't worry! Sharmila is following them on her bike." Anosha explained with a reassuring smile.

"Victor Beta!"

The soft tone of his saviour and silent partner Suraj Singh calmed Victor.

"I called one of DJ's Men just before your friend tied me up. I was careful enough not to raise any suspicion but found out what I wanted to know. Loki is not at the hospital anymore and no one seems to know where he is. Our plan has succeeded. Loki might be on his way looking for Zoya and we don't have much time."

"I understand Suraj Ji." Victor nodded and looked at his friends.

"It is 1:15 now now,, let's make sure we will be at the warehouse by 2 O'clock, okay"

Just then his mobile beeped with a text message from Jishu.

"We are on our way to the safe house. All good."

Just as he cursed his reckless friend inwardly as to why he was texting while driving, Victor felt relieved that his family was safe.

"Okay guys let's go. I will check with Jishu once we get to the warehouse with our precious passenger."

Victor went around the car towards his motorbike while Anosha veered their car onto the traffic ridden road.

****

^=========^

Author note:

I know any excuse that I give for not updating for so long is good enough so I am not going to give any. I apologise to everyone who is still reading the story and can't tell you how grateful I am, even if there are only ten of you.

I am still very rusty and my usual flow of writing is not back yet, and as such I am not really happy with the way I wrote this chapter and the next. But this is the best I could, right now. So please bear with me.
The next chapter is almost ready too and I will publish that in two days as I wrote both of them together to describe this important sequence/ twist in the story.

So what did you think of Victor's clever plan to trap Zoya and beat her at her own game?
What is Loki planning to do ? Any thoughts, theories?
As always, I look forward to your comments and feedback.