The Marriage

Episode 8

#TheMarriageEpisode8

#RhituparnaChakraporty

#Disclaimer: This is an original work of fiction. Any relation to any person or organism living or dead is purely coincidental. This story cannot be published, copied or reproduced elsewhere without the consent of the author Rhituparna Chakraborty. This is a work of imagination with no intention to hurt anyone.

Mushtaque boarded the bus from the rear door and just when Saanchi was about to pull the trigger of the gun, Mushtaque yelled, ‘NO! SAANCHI, DON’T!’ Hearing Mushtaque, Saanchi turned around to look at Mushtaque, when Neeraj swiftly snatched the gun from Saanchi and pushed her head down. A bullet passed over Saanchi’s head, nearly missing her and Neeraj. Neeraj quickly leaned towards the window adjacent to Saanchi and shot two shots from the gun, killing two of Burns’ men right on spot. All the girls were asked to bow their heads down. Mushtaque, shot back to back bullets from the rear door of the bus, while Neeraj drove the bus away swiftly. Without looking at Saanchi, Neeraj said, ‘ Don’t sit up. Sit this way, till I tell you. There could be bullets coming from the window.’ Saanchi looked at Neeraj bewildered. The bus sped off . After half an hour, Mushtaque said, ‘ All of you can sit comfortably now.’ Saanchi was still in shock. Focusing on the road and side view mirrors and without looking at Saanchi, Neeraj said, ‘ You can sit back comfortably now lady.’ Saanchi looked at Neeraj baffled and said softly in a muffled voice, ‘ Who are you guys?’. Neeraj said, ‘ I can’t tell you anything now. My boss will tell you girls everything once we reach a safe haven. Till then, please sit comfortably and do as we say.’

Mushtaque then knelt and bent right in front of the last seat of the bus and took out the food packets and water bottles kept under the seat. He gave all the girls two food packets and a bottle of water. God knows how famished these girls were. The moment they saw the food, they ate as if they were hungry for ages. Mushtaque then came to Saanchi and handed over two food packets and a water bottle. Saanchi looked at Mushtaque with millions of questions in her eyes. She then took the food packets and the water bottle and looked at Mushtaque as if she wanted to say something. Before Saanchi could say something, Mushtaque, said, ‘ Don’t ask me anything now. I will answer all your questions. But not now.’ Without uttering a single word, Saanchi opened the water bottle, drenched her scarf with little water, squeezed the water out, got up from her seat and gently patted Mushtaque’s bleeding nose, lips and cheeks with that cloth. Mushtaque was tall. Saanchi had to stretch her hand and stand on her toes to reach Mushtaque’s face. Mushtaque stood still with surprised eyes. Saanchi then sat down on her seat. Mushtaque could not take his eyes off Saanchi. Neeraj saw that from the rear view mirror and coughed and smiled. Mushtaque looked sternly at Neeraj and said, ‘ Focus on your driving skills. We need to reach the airport soon.’ Neeraj replied earnestly, ‘ Yes Boss!’. The bus moved on.

Mushtaque then talked to someone through his tiny, almost invisible microphone. Mushtaque said, ‘ It’s done? Okay! Join us at the airport. 80 percent of Burns’ men are gone. You are safe. Finish your task and join us. Your car is behind the first dormitory. While coming, take the second lane.’ Mushtaque then spoke with someone else. He said, ‘ We are almost there at the airport. Ensure all the girls are dressed like college students, brief them about the fake passports and their names and details, so that at immigration check, no one doubts us. Burns’ associates are after us like sniffing dogs. We have to get out of this country fast.’

They reached the airport. A lady named Sofia was there to receive them. She handed over the passports, air tickets, wrap around long skirts and cotton jackets to all the girls and instructed them to wear those quickly on top of their existing clothes. She then escorted all the girls to the airport and took them to the washroom. After parking the car, with extreme caution, Mushtaque and Neeraj too walked into the airport. They were tense. They had to board the flight with the girls in another hour. What if Burns and his men find them before that. No, they can’t take a chance. At least, if the immigration check is done, they will be somewhat safe. However, without the flight taking off , the risk was still there. Mushtaque spoke with Sofia over the tiny microphone and said, ‘ Bring them fast please.’ The girls arrived. They looked fresh. All of them looked like college students, dressed in simple t shirts and denim trousers with cotton jackets and sneakers on their feet. All of them wore a sports watch. The sports watch had a tiny microphone through which they could talk to each other in case some trouble brew up. All of them, then walked to immigration check.

Mushtaque, Neeraj and Sofia stood behind the girls. Mushtaque was constantly monitoring the other associate. The other associate had not arrived as yet. What if the associate was killed? Mushtaque and Neeraj kept on worrying and were thoroughly stressed out.

One by one, the immigration check of almost all the girls were done. It was a risky business with fake passport. But they had the support of some top bureaucrats because, after all, this was a rescue mission. Now, came Saanchi’s turn. Saanchi was hell nervous. When the immigration officer asked her name, she was about to say ‘ Saanchi’, but her passport had her name as Parveen. She recalled her passport name, but, out of sheer nervousness, she forgot what was the full name in the passport. She said in a jittery note, ‘ P..P..Parveen’. The immigration officer asked, ‘ Full name please.’ Saanchi was blank. She forgot what was her full name. Just then Mushtaque came swiftly, stood beside her, gave his passport to the immigration officer and said, ‘ She is Parveen Mushtaque Khan, my wife.’ Saanchi stood there without saying anything. The immigration officer checked both the passports and allowed them to go. Neeraj followed them.

It was time to board the flight. Mushtaque, Neeraj and Sofia were hell worried. The other associate had not arrived as yet. They all started boarding the flight. Every passenger boarded the flight. Saanchi was seated in the window seat beside Mushtaque. Neeraj was there on the aisle seat. Sofia sat beside Riya and Samaira. Mushtaque clenched his fists tight, praying and hoping their associate was safe. Just then Neeraj said softly to Mushtaque pointing at the aircraft door, ‘ Boss, there he is.’ Mushtaque and Neeraj looked at the guy coming towards them with smile and a sigh of relief. Saanchi went numb seeing that person…….

To be continued……..