ch109-113pg93, Updt,a road to salvation june 18 - Page 55

Madhu was on her way to Balraj's room when she saw Deepali coming out of hers. Dips, Balraj and Kuku stayed in adjacent rooms. Dipali stumbled infront of Madhu, it was clear that she was having difficulty walking. She was wearing an ankle length maxi dress which was full sleeves. An unusual choice for Dipali who did not hesitate to show off her sin. So much of modesty that too in Vegas was uncalled for. Something was definitely wrong, Madhu went to the common restroom first and messaged RK about the situation from one of the prepaid phones from RK. RK asked her not to get into any more hassles and mess that she already was in. Dipali could be faking and Dipali was last of RK concerns to be honest he was not even concerned about her. She thought of overlooking Dipali but she was clearly in pain. Madhu could not shrug her from her mind so she finally thought she should rather go to Dipali's room snooping around rather than Balraj's.

When she broke into Dipali's room a weird smell greeted her and the entire room was in an ugly mess. The bedsheets were crumpled and they had a different bedcover on it. It was not the one provided by the Hotel. It had red spots here and there though concentrated in the center. It looked like dried blood. This personal bedcover was used to prevent their ruthless act from coming into notice. Had they not taken this precaution the hotel authorities would be warned and that would raise an unnecessary alarm. There was a video camera on the tripod standing in the corner. Madhu felt scared for a second what if the rooms were short circuited but then she looked at it and saw it was shut off. She pulled out a tissue paper from the table and wrapped it on her palm and switched the camera on to play what was recorded on it. It showed Dipali playing with a little boy 5 or six years of age and later showed that boy playing alone in a room somewhere. Madhu was alarmed, and what she saw next was good enough to send her in jolts of uncontrolled tremors. Madhu held her head and sat down on the floor. Her entire body was shaking. It was her father's hobby to record his sexual interactions. She had come across some really gross and aggressive recordings before but this was was downright inhuman. What on earth was Dipali's predicament that she bore this amount of torture. The number of welt marks on her body in the video was far more than any man could endure.

Madhu collected herself up and looked for more in the room. It was very clear that Dipali was high on drugs especially Meth to curb her pain. Madhu came across two photographs of the same boy under the pillows. A woman keeping the photo of a little boy under the pillow while she goes through such brutal physical interaction was weird and unheard off. Madhu came out of Dipali's room and went to the dinning hall. She did click the pictures of the video though they were hazy but were good enough to be decipehered. She messaged those pictures to RK. Madhu knew it in her heart that that child was Dipali's predicament but what relation did that child have with Dipali she was not sure of.

When Madhu came to the busy restraunt in the hotel she located her group and headed staraight to them. Madhu's face clearly showed what she had been through. Janice noticed her pale face and looked concerned. Andrew too noticed the evident change in Madhu's stance. Right infront of them was the trio sitting with an unknown man. Madhu looked questioningly at Andrew and said

"what have you ordered, I am not so familiar with westernized food."

Andrew understood she ment to enquire about the white ma sitting with the three.

"I think you would like the French bread and asparagus that I have ordered for you ofcourse without cheese. Unfortunately we don't get oriental food here." He smiled genuinely no sarcasm hidden.

"Ahhh atleast it does not have cheese." Said Madhu. So he is a French man or atleast French speaking man and they had not seen him before. This is what she gathered from Andrew's answer but she needed to confirm it.

"I am not so aware of French Cuisine does it go well with Cheese."

"I don't know even I am not aware of French cuisine."

Madhu nodded and looked straight towards Depali. Depali was the one who was facing Madhu bit she was not looking at her. This gave Madhu an opportunity to study her body language. Dipali clearly looked tired and Pale. Her eyes were mildly swollen either due to lack of sleep or due to crying. She was sitting next to the new comer. They were lucky because Janice could lip read and was a French so she could gather what they were talking about. Most of it was not of much use. Dipali kept on swearing in himdi of and on which Madhu could intercept. The crux was that the 150 minors that were going to be used as a cover by these people for their arms deal needed to be settled elsewhere. Abakumov was not interested in having to deal with it so this French man was one of the guys who would be getting a few girls for his business. Madhu's Phone beeped It was RK's Message and he asked her to come towards the pool for a few minutes. Madhu excused herself and went towards the swimming pool. RK was there already, he looked as if somebody drained blood out of him. He was no more dressed like a driver, he sat on one of the loungers with a nearly full bottle of bear. It was just February but it was hot so it wasnot unusual for people to be around pool. This being the dinner time it was pretty deserted.

She sat on one of the loungers far from him. He called her and asked

"What the hell is this? That video could be doctored."

"No it is not, I am sure it was real"

"Did you find anything else in the room"

"Prescribed overload of Meth under various Names. Another reason to belive that she is going through hell."

"Any clue as to who this boy could be?"

"Clearly associated with her but how I cannot say. He does not resemble her nor Sikki"

"they are not working atall on it?"

" No not on their priority list" said Madu

" What can we do?" He more or less resigned.

"I will think of something."

"there are three guys sitting on a table diagonally opposite to yours, they will be able to help us with any thing."

"Have you gone mad how could you involve some oneelse in this" before she could utter any more of her objections He had already started to walk of towards the exit. Madhu had no choice but to shut her mouth.

Madhu sat there for 5 more minutes and then came back to the restraunt. Janice looked at her questioningly and Madhu whispered

"restroom"

Madhu kept on looking at Dipali at regular intervals. In all this while Dipali never looked back to Madhu and this was frustrating her. Just when she was about to mutter something was when Dipali glanced at the table across and looked straight into Madhu's eyes. Madhu held her glance for a few seconds enough for dipali to be intrigued. Dipali felt that face to be familiar though she could not pin point where she had seen her or how she knew her. This Hint of familiarity made Dipali to glance again in Madhu's direction. This time Madhu again held her gaze. She wanted Dipali to identify Madhu, but dipali was not able to recognize her. She looked familiar but not that familiar. The big fat mole on Madhu's face and her thick rimmed glasses were simply not helping her. Those big teeth were too ugly to gaze at. Dipali could not avoid looking at her again, this time Madhu wrote RK on Napkin with sauce and wiped her face with the other side of the napkin so that RK was visible to Dipali. Dipali could barely make out K and that was enough for her to identify Madhu. Dipali wanted to jump with joy, but she managed to keep her face straight.

Madhu's table was finally served.

"This is beautiful I will take a picture Madhu said looking at the food." When she took the picture of the food she also photographed the French speaking man with it. She messaged Janice and RK the photo immediately. Janice looked at her phone and saw the pic but could not get why Madhu did so.

Madhu cut a piece of that bread and put in her mouth and said

"It is awesome if only they would share it's recipe"

Janice got the hint and immediately messaged the pic to her collegues in her office. They got the pic and needed to Identify it if possible by looking up their database.

Madhu again looked at Dipali but she was busy reading some paper. She later passed the paper onto Kuku Bhatia and said in English.

"This paper says that it is transferring the hotel in Paris in your name. I cannot tell if the papers are original. I can read and write French but cannot identify fake papers."

Janice told both of them what Dipali said to Kuku.

"What papers and what hotel are they talking about." Said Andrew. Madhu noticed from the corner of her eyes that Dipali was again looking at her. Madhu concentrated on her eating. Her mind was working very fast wondering what hotel they were talking about and could it have any connection with Dipali's issue.

Madhu looked at the table across her diagonally and saw thre younger looking men sitting at it. She immediately recognized Parmeet and was frustrated at RK for invoving him. RK had messaged her their numbers. Time was crucial here , The arms deal was going to take place tomorrow so there was very little time to contemplate things. She had to take her chances. When she saw Dipali passing the papers to BC infront of her. She messaged RK,

"Ask your recruits to some how get a picture of the papers being passed between BC, Kuku and someone else."

"Any info on Dipali" Came RK's message.

Madhu did not respond. After a little while she again got a message from RK asking about Dipali. This time around his message was more assertive

"Try to get in touch with her somehow."

The tone of the message hit Madhu rught in her heart. His concern was evident, and though she knew that RK was could help a rank unknown person with same concern as he would any one else. She also knew Dipali needed help but RK being concerned for her some how made the woman inside her roll around. She somehow managed to control her self and concentrated on Dipali's face. She drew strength from her agony, strength to help her genuinely, strength to look at her like any other person in need. At this moment Madhu was reminded of her mom and her relationship with Gafuran. Madhu took a deep breath to stabilize her self. In the course of all this she had almost forgotten that she could also come face to face with her dad. Till now he was sitting with his back towards them. She was spared the agony of confronting that loathsome excuse of a man. At this moment Madhu came across another trait of RK , he could not be vindictive. He could hurt but not hurt someone. Her train of thoughts was broken by another message.

A photo of the paper was in the message. It was taken when Kuku was reading it possibly when one of those guys across Madhu had crossed them. Though the image was not very clear but atleast she got something. Madhu pretended to go for the restroom and crossed Dipali's table. Her eyes met with Dipali's for sec and then she hurried to the restroom. She hoped that Dipali would some how manage to come to the restroom she waited for five mins and then took out a red sheet of paper that she had brought from home just for such situations. Years of training had kept her prepared. She wrote a small note to Dipali and put it next to trash can in the restroom face down hoping she would get the clue. While coming back to her seat she pretended to be speaking on the phone and said when she was in audible distance to Dipali,

"I want to play a few more round baby please. When are you going to come. I need money." She waited for a few seconds and then continuedwith a vibrant laughter. She kept her face bent down and pretended as if she was busy chatting away. Since she looked like a muslim BC did not notice her, even though she passed from right infront of him. Madhu did notice him and his dirty way of eating. Her hatred for him and his actions got a fresh breath of life. She promised herself

"I will not spare you even if it means death for me."

"I just went for a touch up my red lipcolor and am nearly done eating. We have just ordered our desert. I will see you in the casino." Dipali heard what Madhu was said, she understood Madhu wanted her to go to the washroom.

"Balraj I need to freshen up" Dipali said to Balraj as if seeking permission. It hut Madhu hard. What was Dipali reduced to.

Madhu did not look at Dipali directly but had seen from the corner of her eyes while sitting down on her seat that Dipali was going some where hopefully the restroom.

When Dipali came in she looked around for some clue but her mind could hardly work. She was heavily drugged and she felt every thing moving. When she was coming she had to leave her purse behind as BC has gestured to her so she did not have her phone with her right now. She could not call Madhu moreover she did not knew Madhu's number. She could not understand why Madhu was disguised and how she was here. She also could not understand why was she asked to come here. For a second she thought that may be Madhu never intended for her to come to the restroom. She was about to go back when she noticed a pen and the red paper on the floor next to the trash can. She jerked her head and turned to leave she was just about to exit the restroom when she recalled Madhu saying something like red lipcolor. Dipali rushed back to the washroom and saw that paper she reached to that paper even before her eye bliked and grabed it.

"I have been in your room and have seen the video. Write the details on this paper and trash it in this can. I will come and get it."

Dipali immediately wrote about her son Aryan being kept hostage in some room here it self with a french woman. She also wrote that there was another child kept hostage with her son. BC was planning to use this second hostage to get freeway to Mexico. The other child belonged to some Senator she could not find the name. Dipali crumpled the paper and left it in the trash. She rushed out of the restroom feeling lighter and much more hopeful. She tried to keep a morose face so that BC may not guess anything. When she came back to her seat she just blined twice at Madhu hoping Madhu would understand. Which Madhu did.

This was the last chapter for the day will be updating the index aswell as PMing asap...hope you guys will not be bored by reading these many chapters.