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CHAPTER 23
Chakor woke up in his arms. She checked her wrist watch only to find the time as 3 am. Giving him a kiss on his forehead and carefully moving out of his arms, she peeped out of the tent by making a slight opening in the chain. The beauty of nature was adorable. She decided to have a morning walk because the cold breeze took away any remaining traces of sleep from her eyes. She looked at Suraj, and found him deep in sleep wrapped in the blanket.
Typing a text on his phone, "Good morning, I am leaving for a morning walk! And will come back soon.", she got out of the tent and went towards the woods, that had a mysterious beauty surrounding it. She loved nature, so she was very much fascinated.
After almost forty five minutes, in an attempt to turn in sleep, Suraj sensed an emptiness near him. He sleepingly used his hand to feel his surroundings and was wide awake with a shock that Chakor was not there. In the ecstasy, he picked up his phone and saw the text. Morning walk! Seriously! At 3! He immediately took his jacket and moved out to search her. In these kind of situations, network plays the role of biggest enemy!
"The number you are trying to call does not exist! Please try later!"
His heart beats were faster than before. He too moved towards the woods because he knew there is high probability of finding her here.
He kept on shouting her name, "CHAKOR!!! CHAKOR!!!!" and all he heard was the echo of his own voice. There was the redness of sun outside, but inside the wood because of dense trees, it was still dark. He doubted whether Chakor would come here, but also cursed her,if she really came here!
"How can she be so careless!?!?"
"Height of irresponsibility!!"
"Where are you Chakor!!?? I am now having bad thoughts!?!!"
He searched for more an hour than what seemed to him like eternity. The sun rose and now it was a blissful morning, but there was a huge havoc in his stomach. He thought to return back and check if may be Chakor was in the camp.
As soon as he reached there, he found other trainees and co-mentors searching them.
Suraj told them everything that he is not able to find Chakor. Everyone divided in teams and searched in every possible direction, but Chakor was nowhere.
Suraj was usually calm in situations like this, but this time he was not. And his tension couldn't go unnoticed by all people there.
Finally they decided to take help from villagers. It was 7:00 am now.
Now when all villagers gathered, speculations began!
"We told you a tiger is roaming here! But then you all didn't believe us!"
"Anyone who goes to the wood, never comes back!!"
"This wood is kilometres wide. It's almost impossible to find her now. She is lost!"
"What if she is kidnapped! There are some dacoits in the middle of the wood!!"
"Yes! Those dacoits even steal our household things!"
"Yes! That's a complete community of dacoits!"
There was boiling in his stomach. He was so scared that he was on the verge of breaking down. Where could be she?? She is definitely in some problem... otherwise she has never been this careless anytime in life. All kind of dreadful thoughts clouded his mind. And his heart. With each dreadful speculation by villagers, his heart was sinking. He felt thunderstorms in his soul.
"What if I lose her!?"
And this question startled him to such an extent that he rose instantly with , "Nahiii!"
All shocked , looked at him.
"I know she is very brave, even if she's in problem, she must be trying her best to save herself! Also I know and believe, that she is alright. All we need is to find her anyhow! I am going!", and he ran as if a delay of one single second would take him away from her.
The woods were deep. And the sunlight peeped in from the gaps between trees. He was moving in the woods, accompanied by some male members of the institute and some villagers to direct them.
After covering almost a kilometer, they reached an isolated place
"Please don't go there!!! Behind that elevated area, is the place that belongs to the dacoits. We can be killed!" ,said a villager.
Suraj instantly replied, "if she is here, then I'll go!!"
Seeing him, others too accompanied him.
It seemed that the woods was cleared from these specific portion. It seemed as if there was some celebration going on. Some half dressed men were beating the drum, and small children were dancing. Suraj and others decided to move quietly.
It seemed as if they were going to have a feast there.
Suraj, "Is there any festival today!?"
One villager, " They celebrate when they kill someone from our community!"
Suraj glared at him angrily and regretted asking him the question!
He could see many, but Chakor was nowhere. Others refused to go in front but Suraj was adamant to not stop.
He moved out from behind the small uplifted land, to be revealed to those 'dacoits'. He was alone and there was sudden disturbance in the reverie of the habitant there as they saw Suraj. His shirt, jacket definitely revealed that he was not one among them.
They all were having a axe in their hands, and they must be twenty to thirty in numbers. Looks were horrible! Long beards which he knew, must made Chakor hate them. He used to call this style as "SUKHI JHAADI". Almost all had healed cuts on their forehead and face. Lower body clad in a long cloth. Upper body exposed.
Suddenly one, who looked like their leader broke the silence and shouted, "How the hell you have come here!?!?"
Suraj, trying his best to stop any vulnerable expressions, he had because of those dreadful thoughts, and acting stern, "I am here to find someone!"
The leader, "Who are you!?"
Suraj, "Suraj Rajvanshi!"
Leader, "What do you want!?"
Suraj, "My wife!"
Leader, "we will hel..." But just then he saw a number of people coming behind Suraj, including some villagers, who they could recognize. This pissed them off. Because the villagers before also came in groups to attack them and thought it was another attempt.
He ordered to attack and capture them. And suddenly it seemed like a complete army approached to capture them. They couldn't fight because they were less. Also, Suraj stopped them from retaliating because he thought Chakor can be with them.
His heart was sinking and throat was dry. He was fearing that every moment passed by, could take his Chakor away from him.
After tying them up, the dacoits made them sit in a group and employed men to guard them. Suraj pleaded, "See! Please leave my wife. I will do anything you want! Okay I can stay here, but please let her go!!!"
The dacoits as if not hearing, began with their celebration.
They were tied with extremely thick ropes, which were rough too. Any attempt to get out of them, bruised the hand brutally and Suraj's hand was completely red now with scratches here and there. But this didn't hurt him. What killed him from inside was Chakor's absence.
It was 9 am that is six hours since Chakor left. He was angry as well as worried on where Chakor could be. On hearing carefully the sounds behind the drum, he heard a loud cry from a woman. There was pain in that cry. But when those dacoits heard it, they started playing drums even more violently as if that cry increased their happiness.
That cry felt like it tore Suraj's heart. He couldn't clearly hear but that voice wasn't familiar, hoping she wasn't Chakor! But another thought crossed his mind, "What if it was Chakor!!!!"
And he instantly roared at them, "STOP DAMN IT!!!"
Cricket
