"What happened to Noori?"
I stopped her in the middle of the halls one day. I had that question on my mind for days now. I wanted to know, I had to know what became of the little girl and her crying mother. Madhu pretended at though she had no recollection of last week's events.
"Rishabh, I am the President of the student body. I have errands to run, meetings to attend and giant fish to fry. Go loaf around or something".
She knew my name? Oh right, from the party(s). How dare she call me a loafer? I worked and I worked hard alright. I worked my butt off. I spent my Friday nights handing out campaign flyers at Chandni Chowk. My tan is not from the Jersey Salon. I burn my beard out in the Delhi heat. I did it because I thought the auto pollution gave me a rustic look but, that is beside the point. I work, okay?
"Madhu, I want to help. If there is anything I can do to bring Noori back. Anything at all".
"Don't jump to battle if you cannot stick till the end. Your leader was seen visiting JP road thrice by the New Yorker and not for the purpose of rescuing girls".
"I read the party agenda….", I was about to go defensive when she zipped me up.
"Then you must have read about the people you should avoid. I am that loud mouth, no hold bars, fights for the right, spiteful feminist you were warned about".
She left before I could tell her how much I worked. I had always been that guy who made sandwich jokes. The guy who thought all feminisms were man-eating s**ts at heart. But, she worked on real problems. Problems real-er than mine, if that's a word. And what was she saying about Bittuji? I was sure it was only a yester year slip up. He was a nice man. I had never seen him with escorts; he could easily afford to live that life in the open if he wished. I was sure it was all a mix up. She had better watch her mouth the next time. I was sort of offended.
When I ran into him post the Noori incident, there was only one thing on my mind: how do I tell him what I know about Bittuji? Should I? It's not my place to make or break their relationship. That was their call to make and he would find out in due time.
Roger called. He was still active in politics at the time. They'd found Noori not in Sonagacchi but in Kalsara working as the younger breed of highway prostitutes.
P.S. Kalsara is a village situated on the Jaipur-Alwar highway known for all the wrong reasons.
She had been quite roughed up, living in unsanitary conditions. She had been breathing in sand dust along with regular beatings from her pimp, curse words thrown at her from every direction and her body being used as a machine, all at twelve years old. But, there was more bad news to come. Chandni's madam (brothel owner) found out about her confiding in me. They took her away to one of the many unknown addas spread across the country. Chandni could be anywhere at all, not knowing what became of her daughter.
What became of her daughter was not very bright or hopeful. Noori tested positive for HIV and had been experiencing nervous breakdowns ever since. If that was not enough, Roger had formally forbidden me to get involved before the election season was over in Rajasthan. I understood his conviction. At the same time, I could not let go when I was caught knee deep in the lives of Noori and Chandni. I simply had to visit her.
You know what they say: desperate times call for desperate measures. I employed the most unsuspecting man for the job: Rishabh Kundra.
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Geet - Hui Sabse Parayee
