Antara's Diary....9th to 13th Nov

Dear Diary,

Sorry for not writing and telling you everything, but I had lost you. I could have sworn I had kept you on the bedside table. Maybe bhi did a naughty thing and put you somewhere?

Anyway today was such frightful day. I was playing on the floor in Vidya's room and Abhi had gone to play with his friends. Vidya finished her bath and came to sit on the bed. But she was groaning and saying, "Ahhhhh". I got a start. I stopped playing. She reached out for something, I think, it was the glass. Did she want water? But I had drunk the water in the glass so what she going to drink now? I looked at her. She was in a lot of pain. My heart started beating faster. I had to get someone to help her. I went out of the room. Papa was at the dining table drinking water. I said , "Vidya paani..........Vidya paani" Would Papa come into the room and take a look at Vidya? He turned and stared at me. A smile on his face told me he hadn't understood a thing. He offered me water. I pushed the glass away angrily. Oh Papa! Can't you understand that it's Vidya who wants water not me. I turned to the room. Earnestly I repated, "Vidya paani..........Vidya paani". Papa looked shocked. He seemed to understand. Thank God! What a relief! He rushed to the room and started to take care of Vidya. I followed him. I stood watching as Papa made Vidya comfortable. Soon Papa and she were holding hands and smiling. It looked so sweet and I felt so nice. Papa told her how I had called him. She looked at me and pulled me close to her. I was sitting in the crook of her arm. Both she and Papa were stroking my hair. I felt so happy sitting in her arms with Papa close by. I wish time would stop.

Abhi, Papa and I were walking on the streets when some bad men came from behind and attacked us. Both of us were roughed up. They just picked up Abhi and dumped him in the van. Because I was screaming they shut my mouth. I could hardly breathe. They pushed Papa off. But he was running after us. They took him into the van too. Who are these bad men?

In a dirty room, one man wanted to play cards. He wanted Papa to pull a bigger card. I was looking at the cards but they were face down. How can one understand which is the bigger card? What a stupid man he was. And poor Papa....he didn't know how to get out.

Oh Diary, I am so frightened..........can anybody help us? *sob*

Dear Diary,

We were in a dark dirty room with lots of boxes everywhere. The ugly man was seated in front of Papa and was laughing at him. Poor Papa looked worried. Papa pulled three cards and lost again and again. Oh I understood what the game was about. If he took out jack, Papa had to take out a Queen. Ok I understood. I looked into the horrid man's eye. My Papa is the best............why should he hit him and laugh at him? Horrible man!! Chhi.......

So the man shuffled the cards. I concentrated as hard as I could. A small glimpse of the cards was enough as they were mixed and gathered. My mind raced through all the combinations and permutations regarding the placement of the cards. The man lay the cards down. He sneered and picked up his card confidently. He showed it to Papa and said, "Beat this" Papa didn't know what to do. He was going to pick up just any card. But I knew which card was bigger so I caught his hand before he could make any mistake and guided it to the right card. Yesssssss!! It was bigger.

I succeeded again and again. That man was super angry and I thought he was going to burst with anger. He threw the table over and told the men to beat up Papa. Oh no!!!! My Papa was going to be hurt. They started beating him. Abhi tried to save him. Oh my God .......help. Suddenly Papa picked up Abhi, took my hand and we started to run away. But those men followed us. We ran fast and hid in a dark room.

The phone rang. It was Vidya and Abhi told her we were in trouble. I don't know how long we hid in thiat stinking room. Suddenly we heard Vidya calling Papa. We came out of the room. Vidya was there and so were those horrid men. Papa tried to talk to them, but they pushed Vidya. Oooooooh...... Vidya fell on the rock and stayed like that. Suddenly police vans came and the men started running away. Arti bua and Sam Uncle also came. But Vidya didn't open her eyes. She had blood on her head. I was so frightened. I remembered Mamma. She too lay still with her eyes closed and blood on her face. Would Vidya not wake up again? I want to cry.......... Abhi was crying and asking her to wake up. Papa was crying too. Will Vidya become a star too? Nooooooo. "Vidya, Vidya ......" I called but she didn't open her eyes.

"Please wake up, Vidya" my heart cried.

What more can I write, Diary? I am so sad today.

Dear Diary,

Something is terribly wrong. Vidya is in the hospital and very very sick. Papa , Arti bua, Sam uncle were crying. I don't know what was happening. I only heard the doctor say that Vidya was okay. That's all I wanted to hear. I think the baby has not been born..........I don't understand.

I am very tired, Diary. Goodnight ..................

Tsk Tsk indeed................😉

Where were you for a while? Out of town?