Pankaj, a middle-aged man, was reminiscent of today’s middle-class man. While once he had objective frame of mind, over the years he emerged as a staunch supporter of the current regime, and as a given, also became a blind hater of one community.
CHAPTER 1
10 AM
“Hey, today is Eid. Have you wished Iqbal Bhai?” asked Anita.
“No yaar, I stopped talking to him long back,” Pankaj replied.
“Why, did you guys have a fight? Both of you are so old pals, I still remember he used to visit us and even play with our Lucky when he was a kid…”
“Anita!!! (loud voice)…please change the topic. I’m not going to contact him. You never know which Muslim person ends up having a link to whom. There was a reason all of us (Hindu) friends left the previous WhatsApp group of school batch and made a separate one with ‘our’ people.”
“Pankaj, you really believe Iqbal bhai could have links to terrorists…are you forgetting that you guys used to play together as children…”
“How can I say what links he can or can’t have, but we have to be careful, right? OK…now, no further discussion on this, please bring the food, it’s already late”
A disappointed Anita brought the breakfast, and then slowly said, “you didn’t say no, Pankaj.”
Pankaj looked at her in a surprised fashion, and then quietly ate the food.
1 HOUR LATER
There was a knock at the door, as Anita opened the door, Pankaj stood beside her. There stood one poor-looking person with a bag on his side and an album.
”Sir, I’m coming from the ‘Panah’ foundation. We collect donation for small orphan children. We would be very grateful if you can…”
Anita decided to move towards her purse, but Pankaj interrupted saying “Show me your id card”
The man showed the card of his organisation. After searching for long, Pankaj’s eyes fell on what he was looking for, the organisation head, “Shoaib Ansari”.
Pankaj threw away the card outside the door. “We are not giving anything, get out!”. The door was shut right on his face.
”What happened Pankaj, he was taking donations for poor children…”
”Oh, you never know! The organisation is registered with a Muslim name. What’s the guarantee they are even legal. You know 2 Muslim bachelors came yetserday seeking for a room for rent..”
”Oh ya, we have that the 1RK room…”
”I clearly said NO. We only rent to ‘our’ people.” Pankaj strictly affirmed and went in.
CHAPTER 2
“Hello Pankaj Bhai, what’s up?” said Neeraj, as he passed from Pankaj’s cabin in the office.
Pankaj, who was reading through a file on his chair, responded, “Oh Namaste Neeraj ji! How are you doing?”
“It’s all good, what are your plans for the coming long weekend? Take madam to the serene Uttarakhand, you’ll enjoy”
“Oh yes yes, we will visit Uttarakhand, but not now. Currently, the place is undergoing ‘cleaning’!”
“What cleaning is happening there? I don’t know”
“Oh, you don’t know? Come here, let me show you,” an excited Pankaj said. “Yesterday, I saw all the details on my WhatsApp.”
“WhatsApp?”
“Oh yes, we have a very big group where we post information of national interest. See, how the Chami government in Uttarakhand is driving away Muslims from the holy land. It’s been too long these Miyas have infiltrated our lands and caused troubles for us. Now, it’s time for payback!”
“Wow, it’s such a good news. You made my day Pankaj ji. Chami ji is really working hard for this country”
“Absolutely, and the good thing is he is not alone. Even Karma ji in Assam is in top form. Look at how he is attacking the Muslims and also encouraging the common people to do so.”
“Oh yes, I remember, he even said that he doesn’t need the vote of the Muslims, so ferocious”
“Exactly, who need these people. It’s so great that other leaders are also following the ‘Tempo Model’ of Jogi Ji. Finally, the day will come when we attain our long due ‘Vishwaguru’ status.”
Suddenly, Neeraj’s eyes went over to his phone screen, and he said, “Oh it’s lunch time. Pankaj ji, please come to my desk, I have brought the special ‘Chath ka prasad’ from my native place. I will call Dhanraj Mishra and Rohit Singh also at my desk.”
“Oh wow, let’s enjoy…”
“Hey, someone ask Saif to bring fresh water for everyone…let’s open the packet till then,” Dhanraj said.
“No no…wait! Why are you asking him for water yaar…it’s prasad. Please understand. We might even have to offer him some. What’s the need? We will take water later”.
“Yes, Pankaj bhai is absolutely right. No need to call him here. Anyways ‘they’ don’t like mixing with our culture,” Rohit said.
Saif, who had prepared two bottles of water in anticipation, had just overheard his real worth in the office. He just kept the bottles in a side table and quietly went to the adjacent biryani joint to grab his food.
CHAPTER 3
“Anita, I’m getting late for the night shift, is the tiffin ready?” asked an anxious Pankaj.
“Here it is, why you get so impatient? Put it properly and finish it” Anita said as she rushed to him with the tiffin box.
“Ya, I will, bye…”
Just when Pankaj opened the door, he heard some loud noises from adjacent flats. Both he and Anita came outside and saw 3-4 people arguing loudly.
Annie Jacob, the school teacher who lived in the same floor, in an extremely tense manner said, “I’m a teacher in the St Mary’s School next neighbourhood. You guys can’t believe what happened today. We were having our annual event of Christmas decorations. Suddenly some goons from the right-wing Hindutva organisations barged into our campus and started intimidating us. They vandalised our decorations, heckled small students and warned of further attacks if an event like this held again.”
“OMG! How can this happen…it’s such a serious issue…did you guys complain to the police?” the society members asked.
“We did reach out to the police, but they have refused to file any complaint giving lame excuses. It’s very clear that they are doing this under political pressure,” Annie said. “My children were so traumatized, how will I even console them properly now.”
“Don’t worry madam, everything will be fine,” one of the neighbours said.
“The extremism and hooliganism these days has risen to unprecedented levels,” another neighbour said.
“Hey hey hey…what are you guys talking about,” impatient Pankaj intervened. “See, whatever these Hindu groups are doing is for our benefit…they are selfless people”
“What? Are you mad? What benefit were they serving while beating children and damaging school,” shocked and angry Annie asked.
“See, I will tell you the bitter truth…the Christian schools and colleges work for conversion in the name of spreading education. Because of this, the population of Hindus is decreasing, it’s important to put a stop on that. That’s why using iron hand is important sometimes.”
“What nonsense are you talking Mr Pankaj?” an infuriated Annie asked. “We are not running any conversion racket in the school. And similar incident also happened in the nearby mall, where the Hindutva goons destroyed the whole decoration. What will you say about that?”
“I mean…ahh… the police will take action…”
“What action uncle, see the news, the goons were arrested but released within hours, and they were welcomed like heroes with garlands and sweets,” Jacob, Annie’s teenage son intervened, showing the news on his phone.
“So so so…what happened? Huh? Don’t you know how many Hindus were killed when the Christian missionaries came to India. It’s not a big deal, if we are trying to assert back and keep ‘them’ under check!”
“My goodness, what kind of a total ‘Andhbhakt’ are you, what enmity you have against us…”
“Hey, you don’t call me that…and I’m getting late, I’ll talk to you guys later, I’m leaving now,” said Pankaj and hurriedly rushed towards the lift.
The group discussion continued for some time after which everyone dispersed to their respective flats. But, Pankaj’s responses had made its impact. While, in his cab to office, Pankaj further capitalized on it by asking the society members, in the WhatsApp group, to boycott the Christmas brunch party at Mrs Annie’s house the coming weekend.
Eventually, on the Sunday, Mrs Annie made all the arrangements expecting majority of the society members to turn up for her invitation. But, to her dismay, it was only 4-6 hands that went over the delicious plum cake and mutton rice. The ‘mission’ was accomplished.
CHAPTER 4
“Anita, what else remains to be purchased?” Pankaj asked in the middle of a Sunday Market.
“I am still looking for fresh bhindi (ladyfinger) and gobhi (cauliflower)…is the bag getting too heavy. Should I hold?”
“No no it’s fine…take those vegetables, and then we’ll go back”
After 15 minutes, as Pankaj and Anita came out of the market, they saw some loud voices of a group fighting.
A mob of 7 seven people had held an elderly person with his beard and smashing him with kicks and punches.
“Please leave me, I haven’t done anything!” cried the old man, visibly under severe pain and threat.
“You have killed our ‘gau mata’…you deserve a place in hell,” the angry mob shouted back.
“No no no…it’s just goat meat, believe me please!”
“Bloody liar, and why are you passing through our Hindu colony with mutton, where there are so many temples. Now, chant Jai Shri Ram, say it” the mob leader growled.
“Please please leave me,” the elderly man uttered.
“So, you won’t say it. What are you guys looking at? Beat him down!”
The mob started beating with rods, leaving the old man crying in pain. As subsequent blows left him unable to move, fearing the end of his life, he slowly uttered “Jai Shr…” Before the chant could’ve been completed, another strong blow struck his head from the back, leaving him totally unresponsive.
Shamshad died right there.
1 HOUR LATER
A worried Anita was continuously drinking water and toweling her sweat.
“Hey, stop thinking about it”
“What are you even talking about!” Anita said in shock. “You were enjoying the whole scene at the market. Really? Is this what we have come down to?”
“Oh, come on! Stop behaving like this. And what wrong happened with that person anyways. He did kill a cow, which is sacred for us Hindus, isn’t it? What should we do, worship that person?”
“He denied killing the cow, and anyways who are these wild mobs to provide instant justice to people like this. Is there no law and order in this country?”
“Ohho, we can’t keep everything on the government. They are doing their job. But, we Hindus also need to unite against these anti-national forces. Do you have any idea what all the Islamic rulers used to commit on our Hindu ancestors and do you even know about their plan to turn India into an Islamic nation before 1947”
“Pankaj please! What does all of this has to do with what happened today. He was just an old man…”
“Again Anita, you are not understanding! There are no ‘innocent’ people among them. All they care about is their Jihad. You seriously need to exit the WhatsApp groups of your Marxist friends”
“What? None of my friends are…Hey where are you going?”
An angry Pankaj just stormed out of the room and switched on the news, where his favourite anchor read a long and loud monologue on the importance of ‘cow protection’ in India.
NEXT DAY
In the morning, when Pankaj opened his newspaper, the headline of the city page read, “Man Lynched To Death Over Suspicion Of Cow Slaughter; 5 Arrested Later Granted Bail”
CHAPTER 5
Pankaj was rushing towards the metro station as he was running a bit late for the office. When he arrived near the metro station, he saw a huge crowd sloganeering in protest.
“Damn! This also had to happen today?” said an irritated Pankaj.
The protestors shouted “Free Funshuk Wangdu…Jail Shyamdev Baba” and surrounded the whole road towards metro entry.
“Yaar, what is this nonsense, obstructing people’s lives like these,” Pankaj shouted in exasperation.
“Absolutely man, I agree,” a bystander said.
“Yes, there are other ways to protest,” another man affirmed.
The protestors formed a circle with one of them getting into the middle with a speaker in his hand.
“Namaskar dosto! I know this protest might be disrupting you all, but as Bhagat Singh said, a blast is needed to reach the ears of a deaf. It’s very important for us to make our voices reach the people who continue to live as if nothing has happened.”
Suddenly, it sparked some interest in the ‘audience’ who had gathered there.
“Mr Funshuk Wangdu, one of the most pioneering Indian scientist and teacher. He has worked so for poor students, our Indian Army and the country’s depleting climate. Today, he has been jailed just because he was raising his voice against the unrestricted allowance of mining in sensitive hill areas. He has been clearly framed with edited and fake videos. It’s our duty to raise voice in his support. Today, it’s him, next can be you!” he said.
There was notable silence among the crowd, after the monologue. Pankaj looked tense.
“No guys, they are saying the right thing. Mr Wangdu is a good person. He has jailed unfairly. Is there no right to dissent in this country, anymore?” one of the bystander said, with many agreeing to his statement.
“What nonsense! Have you guys not seen the videos where that Wangdu was threatening the government that he will support the Chinese troops against India?”
“Arey uncle, that video is edited. You don’t even know that? Don’t believe everything you see on WhatsApp”
Amid this, a female protestor from the crowd came forward taking over the speaker. The attention of all the bystanders shifted there.
“Today, people like Shyamdev Baba are roaming free with full government support. The man has raped hundreds of women at his exotic island in the name of cult and spirituality. He enjoys close ties with high-ranking ministers, gets crores worth of contracts for his bullshit company and anyone who tries to probe anything about there, suddenly disappears. Today, all these unheard victims are demanding justice from all of us,” she said.
“She is absolutely right! These babas make fool out of people in the name of religion. All they do is give divisive speeches and exploit women,” a lady bystander muttered.
“What is the problem of your generation? Babaji is being framed by the anti-Hindu Poros-funded Marxists,” an uncomfortable Pankaj jumped in. “These women are doing drama. They want to defame our Hindu spiritual leaders. Have you ever heard them saying about the Hindu women raped by the Islamic rulers.”
“What? Uncle are you mad? If anything like that had happened with your daughter, would your reaction been the same?”
As they continued to argue, there was loud noise of siren. The police van had arrived. The officers came out and started lathi charge at the protestors. A couple of them were arrested, others were dispersed.
Pankaj cheered, “Yes, beat these Urban Naxals, bloody anti-nationals”
In just 15 minutes, the metro entry point was clear and people started moving. The whole patriotic environment had evaporated and everyone was back to life.
Pankaj moved on the stairs singing, “Jana Gana Pe Na Khada Hua To Dhishum…”
CHAPTER 6
2 AM
In the middle of night, as Anita and Pankaj were in tight sleep. Suddenly, Anita’s phone rang.
Both of them got out the sleep and rushed to the phone. It was an ‘unknown number’.
A tense Anita picked up the phone, with Pankaj standing beside her.
“Hello…
“Hello Mumma…” a panicked voice from the other side.
“Beta Arjun,” Anjali shouted.
“Mumma, please save me…where is Papa?”
“Beta…I’m also here only,” Pankaj brought the phone towards him. “Tell us, what happened? What is this noise, beta? Are you inside your hostel campus or somewhere outside?”
“Papa, I’m in Israel”
“WHAT?” a surprised Anita and Pankaj shouted. “What are you doing there, are you fine?”
“Mumma, Papa…I have been trapped here. We came here looking for a job under the government scheme, but some people have tricked us and are enrolled me in the Israeli Army and I will have to fight against Hamas. By much difficulty, I have been able to grab a phone to make this phone call. Please save me!”
“What? How is it even making sense? Who is saying that? What is happening? Beta, please tell us?” a panicked Pankaj shouted in broken voice, as Anita had already broken down in hysteria.
The voice from the other side had broken. The call was cut.
CHAPTER 7
“It will be safe, right?” a worried Arjun asked the agent.
“Oh, don’t worry at all. Your air travel, stay, food, everything is fully funded. Your job is just to translate some stuff the army gives you and help them. That’s it. You will be paid $1000 per month. Tell me, can any other job option of yours match this offer. And its’s part of the government scheme only, under which people are being sent to Israel for working. Now, they have also opened the work for translators,” the obese agent said, while chewing ‘paan’ and rolling his moustache at the chair.
1 HOUR LATER
“Do you really think we should take this offer, Arjun?” Shashwat asked.
“What other option do we have. Our NIT institute is so rubbish. Neither have they been able to provide us with adequate training for the market, nor are they able to carry out the placements. I don’t know about you all, but I can’t afford to stay unemployed after one-year drop and four-year course. My father took loan for my admission. I will join,” affirmed Arjun.
“I think Arjun is right. We have to take this offer. Otherwise, we will be left unemployed,” Sahil agreeingly said.
Eventually, the three friends decided to take this offer of working as ‘translators’ in the Israeli Army from Tel Aviv.
2 DAYS LATER
The three friends landed in Tel Aviv. They soon found the Indian agent managing stuff locally and went with him. They were offered pizzas and coke, which the three hungry boys finished in a whisker. In a while, they reached a lodge. Till now, everything seemed very smooth, at least that’s what the three boys thought.
A few minutes after reaching the lodge, the local agent brought some papers asking them to sign.
“These are your job contracts. Please sign it,” he said handing the paper to the three boys.
“But, it’s in some different language…Hebrew…we can’t even read it. How can we sign?” a tense Sahil asked.
“You guys don’t need to worry. Whatever job description was provided to you by the employer, it’s the same. Just the document form.”
“No no no…we can’t fill it like that,” warned Shashwat.
“OK fine then, we will cancel your appointments. And you have to go back and return the full price of flight round trip.”
“No please…we will fill it,” a scared Arjun intervened, persuading his friends to do the same.
Eventually, they signed the forms.
“Cool, you will be taken to the job location in the evening by jeep,” the agent said.
3 HOURS LATER
It was already more than an hour since the three departed in the jeep along with a different agent, who looked Israeli.
“Hello sir, how long it will take?” enquired Arjun.
“Not far,” the agent driving the jeep said.
After another hour passed, Shashwat’s eyes fell on a board which mentioned ‘Gaza’. He pointed this to Sahil and Arjun.
“Hey hey, have we entered Gaza? Sahil asked.
“Yes, it’s been 20 minutes already,” the agent said.
“But, we were told the working location will be Tel Aviv,” a scared Arjun said.
“Stop shouting, otherwise you guys will be thrown out of the vehicle. You guys signed for it,” the agent said in his loud voice.
The three friends sat in absolute despair. After half an hour, the jeep reached a small bunker. The three friends, who were asked to go inside, moved very slowly out of fear. Getting inside, their eyes fell as they saw a whole battalion of Israeli soldiers. They knew they were doomed.
The three friends started crying requesting them to allow them to go back to India. But, all they got was blunt ‘no’ and further warning of being killed.
Soon, the three were in the Israeli uniforms getting the training to use firearms in the ongoing war with Hamas.
CHAPTER 8
6 AM
“Pankaj! Pankaj!” panicked Anita shouted.
“What happened Anita?” a worried Pankaj asked.
“Preeti’s phone is not connecting”
“But, did you not talk to her yesterday?”
“She used to call in the night. Yesterday, she didn’t. I also forgot as it can happen once in a while. But, now in the morning as I tried calling her, her phone is switched off.”
“My goodness! What a bad day it is turning out to be? We need to do something, we can’t wait.”
2 HOURS LATER
Pankaj returned from the police station.
“What’s wrong with the ‘system’? I tried reaching out to police, contacted some government officials I know, even went to the Ministry of External Affairs with the complaint, but everyone is so relaxed and lazy, I mean…Anita…Anita?”
Pankaj’s eyes fell on his wife lying totally in state of shock in the room.
“Hey, what happened, why are you…”
Anita didn’t utter a word, just handed him over her phone. It had a voice message from Preeti.
“Mumma, Papa…some very big people have kept me on target. I was investigating the case of disappearance of 2 women from Shyamdev Baba’s ashram. I actually got some big stuff that will expose this pedophile monster. But I think they have suspected me and unleashed some people to kill me. I don’t know what will happen (in broken voice). Just keep this message safe in case something happens…I love you all (sobs)…”
Anita broke down badly in Pankaj’s arms, who was too numb to even react or say something. Both sat on the floor in panic and somehow tried to process what all has happened?
Pankaj recalled how he downplayed the youth protestors demanding victim for the rape survivors and shivers went through his spine thinking what worse can happen with his daughter.
CHAPTER 9
“Ha Ha Ha, what an exotic ashram you have made, Baba Ji,” said Mandeep Sethi, a senior minister in the government, while relaxing shirtless on the bed with two minor girls around his both arms.
“Oh, this is nothing, you have no idea how easy it is to sway people in the name of religion. Just act like a spiritual someone, abuse Muslims, sound like the saviour of the religion, and people will flock to you like bees to honey. By the way, you know about my massive stockpile of girls, right? It’s just that, I can’t keep everyone on display all the time…so I need a bigger place for my growing empire. You understand what I say?” said the Shyamlal Baba wrapping his hands over a 10-year-old girl’s thighs, laying on him.
“What’s the big deal in that. I have to allocate the huge Champali forest region to a few companies as part of an upcoming project. Why don’t you file for the auction with three of your subsidiaries. We will keep the auction process as opaque as possible and I’ll make sure the contract goes to you,” chuckled Sethi.
“Wow, that’s a great idea…Har Har Mahadev!” cheered Shyamlal. “And why is that girl in the basement shouting so much. Give her a proper dose of electrocution, she will understand.”
4 HOURS LATER
“Baba ji, there’s a call for you,” one of the minor girls brought the phone to Shyamlal Baba.
“Hello…” he said, as he put the phone on his ears.
“Mother****er, what the hell is this?” shouted an enraged Sethi from the other side.
“How dare you? Why are you shouting on me?”
“Who leaked our discussion in the media? It’s all over the news today. Switch on the bloody TV, idiot!”
As Shyamlal switched his TV on, the headlines ran “Baba-Minister nexus EXPOSED”, “Are there minor inmates in Bam Bhole Ashram?”, “Champali Forest Auction ‘FIXED?”.
“SHIT!!!” shouted Shyamlal as he threw the remote on the face of the girl, leaving her down on ground.
He went back to the call, and said, “Hey hey, who’s this journalist Preeti who’s reported this. She can’t be left free. Get her kidnapped and killed. Then we will plant the story that all the voice was AI-generated.”
“Yes yes, I know. My men are already on it”
9 PM
Preeti was entering the metro station, when she realized that two men are following her. She ran inside the entry point and tried reaching the stairs so the guards can see her, but to her surprise, a third person was waiting there and he jumped from the side to grasp her down. Before Preeti could’ve tried shouting for help, the other two men held her mouth and hands.
Somehow, Preeti managed to pull out her pepper spray and unleashed on all three. Making the most out of this chance, she ran from there, went outside the metro station and desperately started searching for any auto which she can board. Finally, after running for 5 minutes she got one and the auto started.
Just as she had recorded her voice message, a car came crashing into the auto sideways turning it upside down with both Preeti and the driver thrown out. The three men were back.
An injured Preeti was barely able to move, but somehow managed to press the ‘send’ button for her recorded voice message and switch off the phone to save its contents, but she was not in the position to run away from the three perverts moving towards her.
CHAPTER 10
A devastated Anita and Pankaj were sitting in their living room, after not receiving any help from the ‘system’. Neither any concrete action was being taken on MEA’s level to bring back Arjun despite the incident being reported two days back. The incident wasn’t even getting a proper space in the media as government was not willing to acknowledge that their scheme to send youth to work in Israel during wartime has opened a minefield and innocent people are being conned.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with this government. Who, in his/her sane mind, decides to send young boys to work in a war-hit nation,” cried an exasperated Pankaj.
On the other hand, despite doing multiple rounds to the police stations regarding Preeti’s disappearance, the officers weren’t even moving at a snail’s pace. There was clear pressure from some powerful people in the ‘system’ to not let the case move.
“She was going to expose that fraud monk, right?” Anita said sternly.
“Yes, just then she disappears…it can’t be a coincidence. Should I try raising the issue in PM App?”
“Are you mad, Pankaj?” shouted Anita. “The PM, government, officials are all the same. You haven’t realized it till now. Which world are you living in, please come down for god’s sake!”
Pankaj sat in silence.
“Hey Pankaj” said Anita. “Didn’t Iqbal Bhai worked as travel agent in middle east. Should we contact him once, maybe he knows someone…”
“No No No…it’s not possible. We don’t need anyone’s help…”
“Then what do you want? Huh? To see our children die? You go to hell. I’ve decided.”
She took his phone from the side-table and went inside the room. Pankaj kept shouting her to stop, but to no avail.
10 HOURS LATER
Just as Pankaj and Anita were waiting in disappointment for something to happen, his phone rang from an unknown number.
Scared as hell, Pankaj picked up the phone and put it on speaker.
“Hello, is this Mr Pankaj?” the voice said.
“Yes, who’s this?”
“I’m speaking from JLN Hospital. Actually, your daughter Preeti is admitted here.”
“WHAT???” shouted Pankaj, as Anita almost lost her consciousness.
“Hey don’t worry, she is out of any danger now. She only asked me to inform you.”
“But who are you and from where did you find our daughter?”
“Arey…I totally forgot. Actually, I found her near the old railway town. She had escaped and was running from some people, who had perhaps assaulted her and tried to rape her. She sought help from me and fortunately I was in my car, so I took her directly to my hospital. We treated her, but she was in dire need of blood.”
“OMG, her blood group (A-) is so rare. I don’t know what will happen,” a scared Anita whispered.
“Oh yes yes, they were not able to find any donor initially and even our blood banks lacked this blood group, but fortunately I was there only and I also happen to be (A-) so I donated the blood, and she is fine. If everything goes well, she will be discharged day after tomorrow, and you guys can take her.”
“Thank you thank you so much,” said Anita with folded hands as tears rolled down her cheeks.
“Sir, what is your name?” Pankaj asked in enthusiasm.
“Dr Ashfaq Ahmed…you guys take care and come tomorrow to take your daughter. Bye”
Silence prevailed long after the call was cut.
Even before they could’ve thanked them, another phone rang. This time it was Anita’s.
Nervous, she picked the phone keeping it on speaker.
”Mom, I am speaking from the Indian Embassy in Egypt. I just called to let both of you know that I am totally safe. I don’t know but some Iqbal uncle had called at the Egyptian Embassy and established contact with the Israeli mission. While we had all lost all hopes, suddenly in the bunker, some Israeli officers came searching for our names, enquired us and took us to the embassy and handed us to the Indian Embassy in Egypt. We will board on a flight to India in a few minutes. I am coming home, mom and dad…I love you”.
”It’s such a good news, beta…thank god, all of you are fine. Take the flight safely beta, bye,” Anita said as she hung the phone.
”I am making ‘gajar ka halwa’, which is favourite of both Arjun and Preeti,” she further told Pankaj, who was not able to control his tears.
Slowly, Pankaj burst into tears. Anita came and held his head by her shoulder and moved her eyes affirming him to do what he was thinking.
Pankaj picked his phone and dialled.
”Hello…” the voice from the other side came.
”Hello Iqbal…”
“Pankaj…oh hello bhai, how are you? Been so long…”
”Iqbal, thank you and sorry!”
”What? What are you even saying man?”
“Thank you so much for saving my son’s life…”
”Come on Pankaj…is he not like my son? It was duty. I just called my friend at Egyptian embassy, who helped in establishing contact and bringing the children back. I know if you had been in my position, you would’ve done the same!”
This left Pankaj absolutely broken.
“Why were you saying sorry man?” Iqbal asked.
Silence.
“Pankaj?” Iqbal again asked to check if the call is still connected.
”Actually…I had lost your contact because of some ‘virus’…and couldn’t stay in touch. I didn’t even wish you on Eid…”
EPILOGUE
“Bhakti in religion may be a road to the salvation of the soul. But in politics, Bhakti or hero-worship is a sure road to degradation and to eventual dictatorship”.
“The above are the quotes of Babasaheb Ambedkar. Today, I am able to understand its true meaning. I realise now that I was nothing but a blind follower of one party, which had blinded my logical thinking and consciousness. I was forced to believe that one community is a THREAT to our survival and I should boycott them from my life. Yet, when it came to the need of blood for Preeti, not for once did it came to my kind whether the donor is a Hindu, Muslim, or a Muslim. For years, I didn’t speak to Iqbal because my WhatsApp community made me doubt his integrity. But, it was he who came forward to help my son. Today, if my children are alive it’s only because of the community I hated my whole life. Also, now I understand how important it is to keep questioning the government whichever party is in power, otherwise we see rogue policies like sending unemployed youth to war zones and supporting rapist babas who fool people in the name of religion. It’s not as if I’ve turned into a staunch anti-government, but now I know that the country comes first, and its idea lies in pluralism and harmony.”
JAI HIND
