The Determined Chase

     I have learnt two valuable lessons- Firstly, don’t listen to your pregnant wife even if your gynaecologist has advised you to do so and secondly, never read the newspaper headlines and jump the gun.

A week before her admission date at Hyderabad City Hospital, Sonia my wife says, “Honey, let’s go for a long drive … to my Mom’s place!” She puts her arms around my neck and kisses me lightly on my cheek, her belly gently caressing my six-pack abs. The baby in her womb seems to echo the request as if eager to meet granny. 

   “Is it safe…such a long journey?” I inquire brushing her long brown hair giving her a naughty smile.

“Of course! The ninth month is the safest.” She winks at me.

I gently entangle my fingers into her long green oval-shaped earrings and whisper, “Let’s go to the bedroom instead.” Sensing my wicked intentions, she moves away quickly almost jerking her, a soft whine escaping from her mouth.

“Be Careful, Sonia,” I respond, gently helping her slump into the sofa. I see wrinkles return on her forehead as she glances at Montu, our seven-year-old special child suffering from Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

The words of our family gynaecologist reverberate in my mind - In the state of pregnancy, always keep your wife happy. This would be our last family trip before we multiply to four from existing three-and-a-half.

“ Pack your bags, we move to your Mom’s place in half an hour.” I chuckle. 

In this part of Hyderabad, the weather is unpredictable, especially in the monsoon season. My right eye starts twitching- my sixth sense warning me of impending danger, but the decision for the road trip has already been taken.

***

An hour later, our family hits the road in our BMW X4. Montu slumps on the back seat. I strap on my seat belt and switch on the radio- a ritual I always perform. The romantic song ‘Everything I do, I do if for you – by Brain Adams’ twitches my right eye even more. I try to ignore it as I hold my wife’s hand and realize that I had made the right decision to buy an automatic car- keeping one hand free for the long drive romance.  

As we immerse in our eternal love, we fail to notice that the sky has become dark with ominous black clouds. The winds pick up, howling and wailing, the first flash of lightning appears and within seconds, rolling boom of thunder reverberates through the skies. Soon, I hear the rhythmic sound of the wiper swishing the rainwater from the windscreen of my car.

We exit from the city limits pretty smoothly without any hiccups. There aren’t any street lights in this part of the countryside. I turn towards my wife and ask, “I can’t see a thing. Let’s turn back.”

She nods her head and I am relieved. It seems that this time around, my sixth sense has been giving me a false alarm, much to my happiness. 

As I look ahead, a strange creature appears out of nowhere in front of my BMW. With full force, I press the brakes, my seat belt engaging my forward movement. The car, unable to find its love ‘friction’ on the road, skids. It goes off-track barely managing to avoid collision with a nearby tree. I glance to my left and see my wife holding her belly, jolted by the impact of sudden braking. At this stage, it was needless to point out that she hadn’t worn a seat belt. 

I take a long breath, engage the reverse gear and press on the accelerator. The car refuses to move, the front wheel stuck in the mud. As I get down, my boots are immersed in slush. I inspect the tyres and find them jammed in the muddy waters. 

“Fucked and far from home.” I sing a song trying to control the shaking of my hand.

I look around and the darkness has swallowed my soul and I feel the void for there is no living person around us. I switch on flashlight of my smartphone and start searching for things I can put under the tyre, but everywhere it is grassy and wet. As I approach closer, I see a strange-looking animal that my BMW could have rammed into a few moments ago. I touch to check if it’s alive. It feels strange, a lump of cold flesh, its body covered with a bushy coat of fur, its eyes shining like an emerald in the flashlight. 

 The newspaper headlines a few weeks ago flashes in my mind- a brutal dacoity, rape and murder on Hyderabad Highway although I did not have the time to read the full article.

“It’s a trap!” My legs feel like noodles and I freeze. I look around waiting for the dacoits to appear as I hear thumping of my heart against my chest. From a distance, I hear a few sounds, probably of men. The darkness is broken by a stream of light coming from a distance; probably radiating from another vehicle approaching from the opposite direction. 

“Is it a dacoit’s vehicle?” I think aloud as I run towards my BMW. I find my wife sitting where I had left her, holding her belly and yelling in pain as blood trickles from her forehead.  

“It seems like labour pain has started. Take me to the hospital.” She cries out. 

I open the rear luggage compartment, pick up the luggage trolley and place it beneath the tyre to fill up the soft ground.

I get back onto the driver’s seat. I put the stick to Reverse and press hard on the accelerator. A loud crackle as the wheel breaks the plastic case of the trolley bag. The car frees itself from the clutches of slush. I smile as we start driving back in the direction of home. But the smile doesn’t last long as the vehicle starts to close in. I throttle hard and my BMW is touching 120 kmph and the chaser is left behind.

I heave a sigh of relief and look around… something is a miss…! But I can’t figure out clearly? 

And then suddenly… I blurt, “Where the hell is Montu?”

  “Poor fellow. He would have got down to look for his daddy.”

“Hurry up, turn back the car…” Her moaning changes frequency.

The vehicle which I had left behind closes in.

  “We can’t walk back into the trap again. Somebody had thrown a dead animal in front of our car to stop us and then rob us, I guess. Do you remember the ‘Hyderabad Highway Rape and Murder Case’ news a few weeks ago?” I shout.

 “I have to get to the hospital first. I have to worry more about the child who is healthy and normal in your womb.” I continue as I glance at my rearview mirror.

“So you must be happy getting rid of your autistic child.” She cries out waving violently in anger. 

 “I never said so!” I try to soothe her.

 The vehicle is now closing in; honking and I see a man waving at me.

  “Holy shit! The dacoits want to stop us.” I shout as I point my finger towards the rearview mirror trying to convince my wife so that she may realize the gravity of the situation.

I press hard on the accelerator, the car now touching 120 kmph. The van too accelerates, still chasing us. The man continues to wave at us to stop, honking feverishly.

The dashboard light of my car starts blinking. I look at my fuel indicator and discover that it is displaying a low fuel warning. 

“Fifty kilometres ahead, there is a hospital with a police check post. I have got to reach there at any cost.” I mutter.

The van seems to be determined to chase me and I start to imagine my fate if fuel finishes…I am overtaken by the van etc! A hundred questions and no answers…

I pick up my mobile and dial 100. It seems ages as nobody picks up the phone.

At last a sleepy voice says, “This is police helpline number. How may I help you?”

“Sir, I am being chased by dacoits... my wife is pregnant and my son is missing.” I blurt. 

“Triple emergencies? What can we do? Register a missing complaint or take your wife to a doctor? For registering a missing complaint, you need to visit the nearest police station. For medical services, you need to dial 108.” A well-rehearsed voice replies as if it has been spoken a thousand times before also.

“Some dacoits are chasing my car. I need your help.” I shout.

“Ok...Ok, tell me about your position.” The police operator replies.

“Sir, I am thirty km from---”  

There is a sudden silence. “Hello…Hello …” I stammer. The mobile is disconnected. I dismally look at my mobile which has been automatically disconnected and flashing a message- Low Battery, switching off in thirty seconds.

The van behind me is almost touching my bumper.

I zoom to a top speed of 135 KMPH, the engine refusing to race further. 

My clothes are drenched in sweat. The cat and mouse chase continue for some time… Finally, the hospital signboard is seen at a distance. I press the accelerator one last time, but the engine does not rev up this time. Instead, a faint sound beeps continuously indicating that gasoline has finished. The car starts to slow down but continues to roll. The van comes closer almost touching my bumper.

I see the police station and pull down my car towards the side of the road. I jump from my car and shout,

“Save me from these dacoits!” I scream at the top of my voice.

A guard emerges from the check post with a rifle in his hand and points towards the van. The van stops.

A man in his early forties gets down from the van and shouts,

“Don’t shoot me. I am innocent,” I immediately recognize the doctor who treats my son.

“I am Dr Sebastian from Lilavati Mental Hospital. I have been treating his child for the last few years and found that this guy is desperate to get rid of him. He left his poor son in the jungle. All I was trying is to deliver the boy back to him.” He continues as my right eye twitches the fastest now.

 ***

While I sit in the Police Station trying to explain why I wasn’t having any intention of abandoning my special child, my wife gives birth to a healthy cesarean baby girl. 

I also explain to them the news of murder and rape on Hyderabad Highway a few weeks back to which the Investigating Officers replies “Come on Sir, read the newspaper carefully- It is Hyderabad of… Pakistan, not India…” 

We have also recovered the body of the creature that you killed. It is an endangered species, Dhole -Indian Wild Dog. The killing of this extremely endangered species attracts a fine of two lakh rupees or imprisonment of two years- whichever you decide. My right eye continues to flutter ever since…

THE END