Revenge is divine

CHAPTER 16 : KIDNAPPED

The Hero Honda Splendor was a simple bike and not too noisy. It belonged to the 100cc family and was unarguably the best selling bike from the Indo Japanese collaboration. The collaboration though split ways in 2010 thus ending the most successful joint ventures in Indian automobile industry.

The ninety nine model motor cycle slowly revved through North Parur usually called as North Paravoor municipality. The man on the bike was in no rush. He was only twenty seven years old. He turned towards right at the town hall junction and tread forward to Kodungallur. He crossed the bridge but instead of going forward he slowly turned right and went to the small road and turned left again. After going half a kilometer he stopped the bike and left it on the stand.

His face was covered by an old worn out helmet. He wore a black jacket and gloves. His eyes scanned the entire area and after ensuring that no one is noticing him, he jumped the wall of an old house and disappeared into the thick vegetation inside the compound. He walked around the house and reached the front door facing the river. Stealthily he went inside the house. He made sure no one has seen him.

There, at one corner of the dusty hall, Thomas Panampilly was bound and gagged.

"Hello minister." He greeted the bound man.

Thomas was too tired to respond. He was both hungry and thirsty. He hadn't had any food or water in the last seventeen hours. He just groaned. His mouth was dry. He could feel his stomach rumbling. His breaths were irregular and shallow.

Thomas looked through the darkness and saw a ghostly apparition of a man crouched in front of him. He had no idea where he was or how he got there. The last thing he remembered was traveling with a beautiful young girl. He recalled she said she was twenty two. His head was paining with the high dose of sedatives they had given him mixed in alchohol. Where is she? Did she bring me here? Or someone kidnapped both of us?

His throat was parched as he was unable to gulp even his saliva as a piece of cloth was stuffed tightly in his mouth. The movement of his tongue was prohibited. The rag tasted dust and salt. He controlled his urge to vomit. The air inside the room felt ancient and dirty. Ants, bugs and many other insects crawled on the floor and the broken walls, some even on him. His hands were tied backwards along with his legs. His movements were limited.

Who are you? Thomas tried to ask but nothing other than groans came out.

"You must be thinking that who am I and what do I want from you?" The killer teased Thomas. He slid his hands from Thomas' face towards the neck. "What do you think, how should I kill you? By choking you or by cutting your throat. Which one would you prefer?"

Thomas grunted. No no, there is nothing to kill me for now. What do you want? I can give you whatever you want. Just don't kill me. His eyes widened with fear. He tried to move backwards and succeeded a bit in his attempt. He was able to free his throat from the grasp of the killer.

"Oh, you didn't like that, what about strangling you? Would that be better? I have the rope with me."

Thomas shook his head but the killer wouldn't have seen that in the dark. He moved further back until was stuck with the wall.

"Well, before that we should have a proper introduction. I am Shivdas." The man said. "I believe that the victim has a right to know what he is being hunted for. You know I have my own ethics." He laughed maniacally.

Thomas didn't know anyone by that name. He waited for the man in front of him say why they both are in this dark room. He wanted to know why he was being hunted. But the man kept silence, long and boring.

I am kidnapped. Is this a terrorist attack or someone from the opposition? How much ransom do they want? Is Ouseph the chief conspirator? Is he trying to take everything for himself? Does he know what happened to me? A lot of questions wandered inside his head.