Abhinav

Part 23 - Eight Hours

Akshara sat, numb, unable to come to terms with the new reality while the artist was concentrating on completing the sketches of the two men.
Abhinav is searching for Abhir, empty stomach, Kanha ji alone knows in how many places, in how many ways. Abhir, what if the kidnappers make him... NO! NO! What are you thinking, Akshara? Abhinav won't let anything happen to Abhir. Kanha ji won't be so cruel to me again. Abhir is a miracle baby. Miracles don't happen for them to get snatched away.
Akshara felt herself at the brink of a panic attack but controlled herself from falling over the edge.
Abhir needs both his Papa and Mumma. I cannot let anything happen to me or Abhinav.

Akshara heard a sudden commotion but was too overwhelmed to pay any attention to it.
Abhimanyu sat next to Akshara. 'Akshara, everything will be okay. Our Abhir will be fine'. Akshara ignored him.
'Where's that driver?'. Akshara ignored Manjari too.
'Abhimanyu, where's that driver? Oh.. This is a PLAN!', she shreiked.
'Maa, what are you doing?'.
'Abhimanyu, beta, you are too innocent and blind in love. Don't you see? This murderer and her husband took away Abhir and hid him somewhere so that their Court appeal becomes stronger. This girl is keeping tabs on the police and passing information to that driver so that they can hide our Abhir. Abhimanyu, you let it be!'.
'Inspector Sir, I came to know from Miss Jain that Akshara was in contact with her. She knew that Miss Jain was unwell and would not be at school. She has filed a Court appeal for Abhir's sole custody and this is an elaborate plan of Akshara and Abhinav Sharma. Lodge my complaint against them and take action immediately'.

The Inspector made to remove a form for taking action when Akshara said, her voice calm on the surface but with a storm brewing underneath, 'Inspector Sir, before lodging Mrs. Manjiri's complaint, I would like to have a few of my relatives tell you a little about what sort of a person me and my husband are and what Mrs. Manjari is. Please give me 10 mins. I will get Mrs. Vaishnavi Singhania, the honourable MP selected from our state, my mom's niece and Mr. Aditya Maheshwari, the CEO and Director of Maheshwari Textiles, my nani's grandson, i.e, my cousin on a video conference with you along with Mrs. Suhasini Goenka'.
The Inspector did a double take. 'Mrs. Vaishnavi, the philanthropist? Mr. Aditya,who was felicitated by the African government? Maheshwaris, Singhanias and Goenkas together in a call? Please forgive me, Mrs. Akshara'.
Akshara shook her head,' You are only doing your duty, Inspector Sir. No need to apologize. However, I assure you that this complaint is baseless. Please concentrate on finding my son, Abhir'.
'Inspector!..'.
'Maa, please hush! It's enough! No, I don't want to listen to anything. Sharma ji is not like that. I have full trust on Akshara'.
'Akshara, can't you get the Maheshwaris and Singhanias to search for Abhir as well?'.
Akshara answered, tiredly,' Abhimanyu, they will tell the Police Commisioner to get involved which Bade Papa already did. If the Commissioner fails, I will involve them. Besides, Vaishnavi and Aditya are out of country right now'.

The artist completed his sketches, just as Abhinav called Akshara.
'Hello? Abhinav?',pressing her finger against an ear to hear better.
'Great news, Akshara! The drivers helped a lot and we have found the car. I will send you the location. Come with the police!'. Abhinav kept the phone.
Akshara informed the police and armed with the artist's sketch, everyone drove to the location sent by Abhinav.
The police noted down the build of the car and other details along with the forged number plate and few of the staff got down to finding further details based on the info.

Akshara held on to Abhinav, watching the whole scene.
'Inspector Sahab, now we will reach Abhir, right? The car has been found, so Abhir must be somewhere here only'.
'Unfortunately, not so soon, Mr. Sharma. Matches to the sketches have been found in the database. The news isn't good, Mr. Sharma. They are professional kidnappers - Mr. X and Mr. Y, working for ABC gang. They are caught often but released often too because of the high influence of the ABC gang. They specialise in kidnapping rich children..'
Akshara felt the World spinning around her.
'Not to worry, Mrs. Sharma. The kids are always unharmed. They only want money. That's what surprising us this time. The ABC gang would have made a ransom call so far. Why haven't they, I wonder'.
'What can we do next, Inspector Sahab?'.
'My team is on the lookout for Mr. X. He was driving the car as per the footage. We will get information from him. He must be nearby. We must be patient and think things through properly as there is a kid involved'.

Nearly an hour passed before the next breakthrough happened. Mr. X was nabbed in a nearby gambling den by the police team and he was brought to the Inspector. Mr. X smirked as the Inspector asked him questions and the police staff man handled him.
'Lets take him back to the station in the interrogation room. We will call our experienced interrogators from Delhi and gain information'.
Akshara and Abhinav paled. That would take a lot of time.
'Please, Inspector Sir, let me talk'.
'Akshara Madam..'
'Please!'.
The Inspector nodded.

Akshara moved towards Mr. X along with Abhinav. She realised that Abhinav was worried for her safety as well. Mr. X looked amused on being approached.
'Mr. X, our son Abhir is just six years old. In this little six years of his life, he had faced severe heart trouble, has lived without his Mumma and Papa. You know very well that I can afford all your monetary demands. Please, with joined hands, I beg you, please take your money and give us back our son'.
Something flickered in Mr. X's face. 'That Double Battery has heart trouble?'
'Had. Now, he is recovered'.
Mr. X muttered,'We didn't know that. Y and I. Listen, Gold Mine, we don't harm children. We want back the wealth you rich *** exploited out of us. Your Double Battery was a brat, created a nuisance and ran away. We thought he was a sad, little soul, our usual target, but God knows that chicken turned out to be a tiger. Y gave him chase too but that brat disappeared. Had we found him we would have beaten him up such that he wouldn't be able to walk for a year'.
Akshara swallowed down her anger and watched Abhinav do the same.

Abhimanyu however sprang out of nowhere and caught his collar.
'You ***! How dare you talk about my son like that?!'.
Mr. X laughed in Abhimanyu face and Abhinav pulled Abhimanyu back by the collar, fury in his tone.
'HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND? STAY QUIET!'.
'Mr. X, where did you last see my son?'.
Mr. X stayed quiet, smarting at Abhimanyu's behaviour.
'Who is this piece of work?'.
'Mr. X, please, we will give you whatever amount of money you ask for. Please, I am requesting you, begging you, please tell me, where is my child?'.
Mr. X looked Akshara straight in the face as he spoke. 'That brat was fiesty. So we gave him double dosage of medicine to make him less active. We didn't know he was a heart patient. Now, go to hell'.
Akshara looked around in confusion.
'Double dose of medicine? I can't understand!'.
Abhimanyu spoke, fear in every word.
'Abhir is a former heart patient. Yes, he has fully recovered but his heart isn't that of a person born without illness. There is a weakness. The medicine used to make him dull affects him more than others and a double dosage..! His life is in danger! We need to give him counter medicine NOW!'.

Akshara, Abhinav, Abhimanyu and even Manjari fell at Mr. X's feet but he didn't budge from his stand. He refused to give whereabouts about Abhir's last known location. The Inspector seemed at a complete loss as well.
'Dr. Birla, how much time does Abhir have?'.
Akshara wanted to close her ears, to somehow stop these cruel words from ever existing.
'Eight hours', said Abhimanyu, his voice weak.

Akshara looked at Abhinav, dread filling her, a terrible scream on its way out. Abhinav was serene, confident.
'We will be with our miracle baby before eight hours are over, Akshara. We will reunite with our Abhir'.
Akshara felt some of Abhinav's confidence seep inside her as well.
'Yes, Abhinav! You are right. Abhir, our love, Mumma and Papa are coming'.