Missing In Lock-down

Mala was looking out of her window at the empty streets 'You know this kind of curfew, is my second time, I had experienced it when Mumbai was riot stricken' she said to her husband.

'Tell me all about it over coffee please' he begged looking up from the book he was reading.

'Yeah why not, let me ask Tia if she wants too.' She said

Mala knocked on her daughter's door expecting her to be glued to her phone with headphones.

When she had no answer, she opened the door and went inside only to find Tia wasn't in her room. Her phone was lying on the floor and her bedroom lampshade fallen. Books were thrown on the floor and her bag tossed near the window. Mala panicked and called out, 'Rajat! come quick Tia is missing and her room....'

Rajat takes one look at the room and tells, 'Mala she must have gone out in a hurry.' 

'Not possible, not without her phone.' she says picking it up. 'Damn, it's locked. Do you know how to open it?'

'Leave it Mala, just call at Priya's place, maybe she went there while we were napping.' he says, going back to his armchair.

Mala calls Priya's place on the intercom, they live in the same building. Her mother picks up, 'Hi Mala, bored kyaa?' 'Sneha listen, is Tia there?' Mala asked hastily.

Sensing the motherly urgency Sneha said, 'No she is not here but neither is Priya. She said she is going to Raghav's place to hang out.' 

'Raghav?' Mala asked

'Raghav is Priya's boyfriend. Maybe Tia went there too.' Sneha offered. 

'Okay, where does he live?' Mala was getting anxious.

'He lives in C block, here his intercom number is 6754. Have you tried calling her?' 'She hasn't taken her phone.' Mala said worried, 'Okay let me call his place, thanks Sneha.' 

She immediately dials Raghav's extension. An old man picks up the phone, 'Yes?' 

'I am calling from A802. Is Tia or Priya there?' she asked not to wasting any time. 'No!' he barked. 'Please, I think Priya is Raghav's friend is she there?' wondering why this old man was being rude. 'Useless Raghav has been out since morning madam. I don't know what that boy does?' 

'Could I get Raghav's number?' Mala asked. 

'I don't know, what has happened? Has he done something?' the old man was coughing loudly. 

'No no, I am looking for my daughter who is friends with Priya.' Now Mala was really getting worried. 

'I think I know this girl Priya, she comes here sometimes. I am telling you, the youth nowadays are a bunch of rascals.' Mala had enough of this bitter old man, 'Thank you' 

She looked at Rajat, he was lost in his book, 'How can you not be worried? It's a curfew day and your daughter is missing from home, left her precious belongings lying on the floor and her room is ransacked. Is it not slightly out of ordinary for you?' Mala could be her sarcastic best at times, that's why she excelled as a boss to her competent marketing team. 

'Did you check at Priya's?' Rajat asked her weakly.

'I have been on the phone, chatting you think for so long?' she was furious, 'She is not there neither is Priya and nor is her boyfriend Raghav.'

'Wait Raghav Ram? Is he Priya's boyfriend?' he asked. 

'Rajat I don't have time for this, I just know Tia's not home. Where can she go?' she sat down with Tia's phone in her hand, trying different numbers to unlock it. After five attempts it did not allow her. Rajat sat down next to her and took the phone from her hand. 

He said while trying to unlock the phone, 'Raghav is state tennis champion, I have met the boy, a couple of times. Here it's unlocked.' she looked surprised, 'What was the password?'

'It was your birth date. Can you imagine that?' he laughed. She started laughing too, in spite of the worry. 

'Hey, why are you laughing?' He asked Mala. 'I am surprised that you remember my birth date without any reminder.' 'Come on, when have I forgotten? Let's check during social distancing, where has our daughter gone?' he said.

They check the phone, they see a message from an unknown number. It reads:

"-Before us great Death stands Our fate held close within his quiet hands.' Come soon."

'Rajat what is this? Who sent it to her? Come soon where?' Mala said gripping with fear. 'Mala checks where Priya is, meanwhile this seems like a line from a poem. Let me go through her phone.' Rajat said calmly but he was a bit shaken with the profound message. It was perfect for the world gripped with fear for coronavirus. 

Sneha informed Mala that Priya's phone was unreachable and so was Raghav's. She had called them after Mala had rung. She suggested they could meet and check the complex club. Usually their phone is unreachable.

Rajat saw his daughter had joined the campaign of social distance and ffight for corona in her recent activities. She was a smart girl, but what is this all about? He went back to her room. While Mala updated him, wore her mask and headed to meet Sneha to go to the club.

In her room, he saw some books which were thrown on the floor. They were her chemistry books. He picked her bag and saw her wallet was missing. He found a library slip, she had borrowed collections of poems 'Ariel by Sylvia Plath'. Where is the book? He could not find it. He searched online the exact message she had got. Then it struck him he could call that number. He immediately did that. It went unanswered. He tried again, this time a boy picked up. 'Hello' he answered casually. 

'I am Tia's father, who is this?' Rajat asked.

'Uh uncle I am Tirth, her classmate.' he seemed a bit shaken. 

'Where is Tia?' Rajat was a bit annoyed. 

'I don't know, I was waiting for her at the library. She was supposed to meet me.' he said.

'Which library and why were you guys meeting? Don't you know you are not supposed to be outside today?' Rajat was angry.

'The complex library, we were going to shoot a video for the campaign. I had the idea I wanted Tia to help.' he sounded scared. 

'Isin't the library closed, how did you manage to open it?' Rajat asked incredulously. 

'I am sorry uncle but I have to go.' 

'Wait…' said Rajat but Tirth had hung up. He called him again but it was unanswered.

He got a call from Mala, 'Rajat, hello, are you there?' 

'Yes Mala, I can hear you, did you find her?' 

'No, but the watchman saw Priya sobbing and Raghav was with her, consoling her outside the club. We are heading to Raghav's block to check.' Rajat told her about the phone call. Mala stopped Rajat and asked, now equally worried Sneha, if she knew who Tirth was? Sneha said she couldn't place it but she had heard that name.

Rajat went through her phone again, there he found a few messages from Tirth's number. Some vague messages about death and coaxing her not to do something. What was his daughter doing? His phone rang, it was Mala. 

'Raghav has his uncle's flat which is empty, his grandfather suspects maybe he is there.' Mala quickly updated. 'Where is the flat?' Rajat asked. 

'It's in Aasra township. Should we go there?' Mala was unsure, but her motherly instinct said something was not right.

'Yes, is Sneha coming too?' asked Rajat 

'Yes she is worried too.' Mala answered.

'Ok wait at the Exit, I will get the car.'

They got into the car and drove to Aasra township. He handed Tia's phone to Mala. Mala started going through it. 

'I think Raghav has taken his car. How else could they travel?' Sneha said. 

'Raghav has a car?' Rajat was surprised. He must be a year older than Tia. 'Yes, Sneha said, 'He got it on his eighteenth birthday from his mother.' 

Mala suddenly said 'There is a group, having Priya, Raghav, Harpreet and two other unsaved numbers. They are writing in codes I think lines from poems. It's about some online event.' 

'Hey that Tirth said something about shooting and Tia helping him in some campaign in the Library.' Rajat connected the conversation to Tirth.

'Library?' Sneha asked, 'But it's closed due to the CoronaVirus situation for the whole of last week and its keys are with Joshi aunty.' 

'That's what even I thought, but he hung before I could know more.' Rajat said. 

'You know what this boy Tirth I remember now, is Joshi aunty's grandson. He came here six months ago from the US, his parents left him to go to school here. I did not remember his name but now I know he could have got access to the Library. I think he is in Priya's class.' 

They reached Aasra township, and headed towards the building complex.

As they approached the flat, they heard Priya crying loudly. Rajat checked most flats on the floor were unoccupied. Sneha quickened her steps and rang the bell. Raghav opened the door, he was surprised to see all of them. Sneha ran inside to look for Priya.

'What is happening?' Mala asked Raghav as they walked inside. As they went inside they saw Priya sitting on the bed holding Sneha and crying. There were some blood spots on the bed cover.

Rajat cornered Raghav holding his arms, 'Quickly explain everything.' he said angrily. They did not see Tia there. 

Priya said, 'Uncle, Raghav is helping me, he hasn't done anything. I am … I was pregnant and scared to tell mom. So I told Tia and Raghav. Raghav knew a good doctor and he prescribed the abortion pills. We had to do it this week or it would have been dangerous for me.' Sneha's mother was quietly crying, Mala though still troubled was holding her hand.

Rajat left Raghav and sat down still looking at him sternly. Priya cried out in pain, her cramps were bad after the second medicine she had taken in the morning.

Raghav quietly said, 'We got the doctor to prescribe and send it online. I got her the pills and we have a doctor on call in case she is not feeling well. But the doctor said she would have bad cramps and heavy bleeding. When she met me at the club she was in a bad state. We had planned to get her here.'

'We?' Rajat asked

'Tia was supposed to be with us, helping Priya. But because of the curfew, she said her family would know if she went out.' he said. 

'But she is not there at home, her books and mobile were lying on the floor.' Mala said urgently.

'Tia had come to the club and gave us some toiletries but she did not join us. This was in the morning uncle, at around 11.…' Raghav explained.

'Who is the father of the child, Priya?' Rajat asked and looked angrily at Raghav.

Raghav and Priya looked down, not answering, she cried out in pain again. Her mother held the hot water bag closer to her and said, 'Priya answer us, at least you can tell me that much.' She saw her mother was embarrassed and hurt. 

'Its Tirth, Joshi aunty's grandson.' she whispered.

'Tirth?' Sneha was astonished, 'But I thought Raghav was your boyfriend. Oh God!'

'You are right Ma, he is but before that I have been close with Tirth. I was helping him as he was new. But …. Aaaaaah.'

She cried out. Raghav got up and picked up a medicine to hand it over to her, 'Enough Priya! have the painkiller. Doctor said you could have it. Don't behave sacrificial.' Priya had it.

Mala got up, she still did not know where Tia was?  

'Does Tia know it was Tirth? He has been sending her cryptic messages about death.' asked Mala.

'What messages? Tia did not say anything to us.' Raghav said. 'But yes she knows.' 

'What online event do you have?' Rajat asked.

'It's a dark poem recitation. Everyone was going to join from their homes tonight. We were discussing what we should recite, Tia chose Sylvia Plath'. 

'Everyone?' Mala asked.

'Yes we had our classmates nominating themselves over the last week. And anyone with an invite could join.' Raghav said.

'Who is organising it, your college?' Rajat asked.

'No, Tirth is heading it, and some of the boys from the computer club are supporting.' He said.

'But where is Tia? She is missing.' Mala was pacing the room.

'Aunty can I have a look at her phone?' Raghav asked. She gave it to him.

'Priya what do you know?' Sneha asked. 

'I know Tia confronted Tirth with the news of my pregnancy, I asked her not to but she said he has to know.' Priya was still in pain but she continued, 'When he knew, he met me and asked what I intended to do. I was furious that he had not used protection while we were close.' she looked at Raghav, he flinched.

'I told him I planned to abort, he was abominable. He said this was sin and we were murdering the child. He blamed Tia for brainwashing me. I told him she did not. He started screaming but Raghav intervened. Tirth left but he sent me messages too, I should not do it. He was odd and that's why I stopped being with him.' Priya said with tears.

'I think he has sent her some messages, the last call was from him.. see aunty.' Raghav was showing it to Mala. It's the same number as the messages.'

'When did you guys see Tirth last?' Rajat asked. 

Raghav looked at Priya, 'I roughened him up a little after Priya got messages from him a week ago. Asked him to stay away. That was the last I saw but Tia said when she went to the library he was lurking around but she didn't pay him any attention.' 

'Where can we find this Tirth?' Rajat asked.

'At the computer club I think, if he is hosting this online event.' Raghav quickly said.

'We have a computer club in our complex?' Mala asked incredulously. 

'It's just a small room adjoining the club.' Explained Raghav.

'When does this event start?' Rajat asked.

'It starts at 8PM.' he said.

'Ok Mala, let's go find Tirth and maybe we will find our daughter. We have 2 hours before this starts.' Rajat said getting up and heading towards the door.

'Wait….' Mala said, 'Raghav you said he might have sent her a message. What did you mean?'

'Uh from these lines 'Because when you take a closer look, this world is a pretty evil place' I felt he has given her a message or a note.' Raghav scratched his head. 

'Her poem book she borrowed from the library was missing when I had looked in her room.' Rajat said enlightened.

'Okay thank you Raghav. Mala let's go.' Rajat said. 

'Sneha, I guess you will be with Priya. Take care of her. We will keep you updated when we find Tia.' Mala said.

'Should I join you? maybe I can help to find Tia.' Raghav said.

'Yes I think it's a good idea, after all this is my fault.' Priya cried.

Rajat looked at Mala, she nodded. 'Okay.'

'I will be back aunty, we have all the supplies here.' Raghav told Sneha. Sneha accompanied them to the door, 'Tell me as soon as you know.' She patted Raghav, 'You are a good boy.'

Rajat asked Raghav if he could try Tirth's cell number, he wasn't answering his call. Raghav said he doubted he would take his call either but maybe they can try Mala's phone. They called but his phone was switched off. Raghav made some calls to other friends. 'The event is on and he is online taking questions from the participants. I asked Harpreet to ask him where he is?' Raghav took a call and updated that he is not answering Harpreet online. 'Ask him to check with Tirth in case of technical issues where he should call? Said Rajat. 

Raghav conveyed it to Harpreet and waited. Harpreet told him, Tirth gave the number of the club. 'My guess is that he is there. At the computer club.' Raghav said. 

They reached their complex, Rajat drove directly in front of the club. They got down and headed towards the club. It was dark at the club. A tiny light came from an extreme corner. Raghav pointed there and whispered 'Computer club'.

Rajat yanked open the door, he saw two boys huddled over two laptops with some other devices. 'Who is Tirth?' he barked. They looked scared and started shaking their heads. 'Neither of them' answered Raghav.

'Where is Tirth? Where is he operating from?' Raghav asked.

'We don't know, he is online and handling it from wherever he is.' one of them answered. 'Ask him where is he?' Raghav raised his voice. 

'We already did, but he simply asked us to manage the online streaming and traffic.' they said timidly. 'Then why is he directing technical issue calls to the club phone when he is not here? Raghav asked.

'He has routed all the calls from the club to his cell phone when he was here in the afternoon.' one of them said.

'What time was here?'Rajat asked, 'Have you seen Tia?'

'He came around 4ish I think and no, we don't know her. He was here alone.' confirmed one of the boys. 'Has something happened? We are not doing anything wrong.' they were scared.

'No it's okay, here take my number and call me if Tirth comes here.' Raghav shared his cell number.

They left the club, Rajat checked his phone. It was around 4 PM that he had called Tirth. 'He is hiding something, after my call he would have come here to the club.' Rajat analysed what they knew.

'I am going to his place, I don't know where Joshi aunty lives which block but I will ask Sneha.' Mala had to do something, she was tired.

'But aunty I don't think he will be at his place.' said Raghav.

'Let us at least rule that out. Meanwhile I suggest you both keep looking.' Saying that she left. 

'What did you speak to him Uncle? Should we inform the police?' Raghav was tense now.

Rajat told him about his conversation and he felt going to the police would be when they could not find Tia at all. Currently they were all busy with the curfew he was sure.

'You know what uncle, let's check the library. He said he was waiting for her there. What if she did go to meet him?' Raghav said.

Library was behind the club, it was ten minutes walk to it.

Raghav got a call and meanwhile so did Rajat. 

Mala went to Tirth's place, Joshi aunty was alone and unaware of Tirth's whereabouts. When she asked aunty when was the library last open she said last week before the lockdown. Mala asked her if anyone else had the keys to the library. She said it was only in her custody and backup with complex management. When Mala asked her if Tirth would borrow the key she stiffened and started asking why was she asking all these questions. Mala had told her everything, she had the right to know. She immediately looked for the keys and told Mala they were not there. She tried calling Tirth but his phone wasn't reachable. Mala updated all of this to Rajat over the call. Rajat asked Mala to go home and wait, they were heading to the library.

Raghav told Rajat that Tirth had announced that he would be telling them something really dark today during the recitations. They hurried to the library. It was locked but from inside. It was dark inside. Now they were sure Tirth was inside probably even Tia.

Raghav told Rajat he would check the windows if it was open. Rajat got call from Mala, 'Rajat I got a crumpled paper near the dustbin, it says

'A secret told -

Ceases to be a secret, then -

A secret, kept-

That can appall but one 

Better of it - continual be afraid

Than it-

And whom you told it besides-' ~ Emily Dickinson

Seems like a threat to reveal about Priya I think.'

Rajat told her to wait, he is at the library.

Raghav found an open window, they got in and switched on the mobile torch. They heard a small noise like continuous banging from somewhere inside. The library was slightly smaller than the club. They found Tirth hunched over his laptop with headphones. He had not heard them. As Raghav held him tight in his grip from behind, Rajat faced him. He was a medium height bespectacled boy with a slight stature. 'Where is Tia?' 

Tirth panicked and tried to get up, Raghav pinned him down. 'I am asking one last time, where is Tia?' Rajat growled.

Tirth pointed towards a store room, 'My …. My event is going to start. Please leave me.' he begged. Raghav continued to hold him. Rajat quickly opened the latch to the store room. Tia almost fell outside drenched in sweat. She had been locked close to 5 hours. Rajat held her and asked her if she was okay. She could barely speak but she nodded. Rajat looked for water and saw fear stricken Tirth. He handed the bottle to his daughter and then stood in front of Tirth and boxed his face.

When Tia was finally able to tell her parents that she got a call from Tirth, he had left a note in the book I had borrowed from the library. He wanted to reveal online today during the event that Priya was killing her child and he asked Tia to meet him so she could stop it from happening. When she desperately was looking for the poem book she got his call again. In a hurry she dropped her phone and met him. When she did, she scorned him for being so unorthodox and that that he was responsible for her condition. Tia threatened him that she will instead reveal his deeds. Hearing that he got scared and pushed her inside the store room. He locked it from outside and kept shouting not to jeopardize his event and that we all were sinners.

Raghav cancelled the event. Rajat took Tia home while Raghav kept holding Tirth till Rajat returned. Tirth was bleeding from the corner of his lips. Rajat warned Tirth that he would be reporting this to the authorities and if he ever tried to harm anyone again. He was taken home and was locked in his room. Priya returned home the next day. They were all under the lockdown to fight the pandemic.

Our carefully crafted illusion

Of predictable security,

Destroyed by a simple virus,

We watch as the well oiled gears

Of our elaborate world machine

Grind to a shuddering halt

An invisible enemy

Illuminates hidden lines

Of our interdependence

Eerie silence prowls empty streets

Enforced isolation teaching us

Just how much we need each other.

~John Mark Green