Part 2
Aahil stroked Sanam's hair, as she slept leaning against him. She didn't want to let him out of her sight, so he stayed right there. His rage was seething after she had told him what had happened.
How frightened she must have been?
Kept in the dark, hearing voices of men moving about, frightened as to what they might do to her. She had refused their food the first 2 days, and was left to starve. The third day she ate out of exhaustion. She wanted to gather strength to escape from there. Because she stopped pleading and screaming, the men keeping her relaxed a little.
Her opportunity had come when the men started fighting about their lack of payment. Apparently the person who hired them hadn't come through with the payment, so few of them were threatening to demand ransom from him (Aahil) for his wife themselves. A fight broke among them and Sanam found herself unsupervised for some moments.
She was still bound and gagged, but she managed to run quite a distance and hid behind some bushes. It was some sort of a warehouse that she was kept in, and quite a distance of lonely road before a highway. She was about to hail a passing car when one of the kidnappers caught her and they tumbled down a shallow ravine, where the man hit his head and passed out. She scrambled out of the hole, the silky saree making it difficult, causing her to fall repeatedly and cut herself.
But she somehow got out and ran towards a large bus passing by. The concerned passengers were kind to her and dropped her at the police station in Bhopal city. Where she walked in and demanded that he (Aahil) be called.
Just the thought of her in so much danger made him feel sick. To think she survived it and escaped it all by herself too.
Ya Allah, I don't deserve her. Why must she suffer like this?
He felt a surge of protectiveness and squeezed her body to himself. She slept peacefully. How could he have not realized that she was gone? He knew he had felt something outside the hotel, where he found her phone on the floor. He sensed something but didn't see anything amiss.
In actual fact she was right there, calling out for him, fighting her kidnappers to get to him. And to think he actually went back home happily, thinking she was with him.
He should have known.
He should have realized immediately when "Sanam" was behaving strangely. He should have known it wasn't her.
But the question is why is there someone impersonating Sanam ? What would they hope to gain? They would have gotten more by just kidnapping her for ransom. He would have paid crores to get her back safely.
This smells of a woman's scheme. Convoluted and messy.
How long did this impostor think she could fool everyone?
Sanam had fallen asleep after telling him the details of her ordeal. So he didn't get a chance to tell her about the doppelganger posing as her. The reason he didn't realize she was gone.
He made his decision then. He was going to keep Sanam safe here, in the hospital, under police watch. Because the person responsible is most probably in the house helping that woman.
Who would stand to gain from this?
Ammi?
Can't be. Ammi didn't like Sanam very much but why go to this extent? He has signed the property papers anyway.
He shook his head, I can't believe I just suspected Ammi...
Then who?
The Impostor herself?
But she wasn't doing a good job of taking over Sanam's place either.
Something doesn't add up.
He needed to get the answers. He watched Sanam breathe calmly in her sleep, and moved to get up. She woke up instantly, "You're leaving?" she said softly, this time not as afraid as before.
That's his girl Sanam, gutsy as hell. Nothing can keep her down for long. She was already looking almost her normal calm self.
"I have to Sanam. I need to get the investigation going. I'm not going to rest until I find out who did this to you !!" His vehemence betrayed his rage for a moment, and she took his hand in hers. She looked like she had something on her mind.
"What is it Sanam? You had wanted to tell me something that night, what is it?" Aahil probed.
She reluctantly nodded. "Aahil, I'm sorry but Begum Sahiba had threatened me into signing the papers. She had hired men with guns aimed at you on that stage Aahil !! I was so scared, she said if I didn't sign they'd shoot you... because I had found out about..."
" Sanam ! Do you realize what you are saying? You think AMMI did this?? But why? We were going to sign it anyway?! That doesn't make sense at all. Listen, you just relax here. It's safe. I need to go for a few hours, but I'll be back here tonight and stay with you okay? Here I got you a phone, keep it with you always. Whenever you need me, just call and I'll be here, okay?"
He cupped her face and kissed her forehead gently. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. He looked into her eyes and smiled. "Please be safe Aahil. And come back fast." she whispered.
After talking to the Inspector and explaining his suspicions, he was assured of Sanam's police protection and he left for home.
Time to meet the Impostor.
He walked into the mansion, it was mid afternoon, no one expected him home. Ammi was lying down in her room, Lateef was noisily singing as he darted about with his chores. Rehan was at the office, Khala and Khalu were eating in their room.
He couldn't find the woman anywhere. So he looked in Sanam's old room. It was latched from the outside. Funny, why would they close it up, he wondered. As he turned away, he heard something bang against the door.
He turned back, surprised. Someone was locked up inside ! What the hell is going on in this house? He unlatched it and opened it to find the biggest surprise of all.
Sanam's Badi Ammi...
Before he could recover from the shock of the very fact that she was here and nobody knew?, Badi Ammi was wildly gesturing with her hands and crying really hysterically. He had to put his plans on hold for now. Badi Ammi needs to be removed from here immediately.
Something really fishy is going on ...What the hell!?
He quickly got her into his car stealthily and drove to the hospital. There was a tearful and tense reunion between Sanam and her grandmother. Sanam could not believe her Badi Ammi had been in the house all along, especially when Begum Sahiba herself had sent her off to Simla.
Aahil tried to keep his head clear. Sanam was pretty keen to pin all of this on Ammi. But he needed to find out for himself. He left Sanam in good company and left for home again.
This time he will confront the woman posing as Sanam.
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