Mo Yaling

The Luck!

I become so dumbstruck being imprisoned that it took some time for me to realize the situation and react. But as soon as I realize I banged the door hard! ‘Hey! Open the door! What the hell is this!? Open the door!’

‘Of course I will dear! But after the marriage is over!’ she replied softly from outside.

I was feeling very awful. I couldn’t believe that my own fiancée has locked me up for a mere marriage ceremony! ‘You cannot do this to me! This is injustice!’ I yelled as I banged the door hard once again.

‘Create dissonance as much as you can my dear. I am NOT going to open the door!’

I controlled myself. She is NOT easygoing! I have to think something else. I changed my attitude and asked softly after sometime, ‘Are you there my love?’

‘Yes. I am here my love.’ She replied softy again.

‘Don’t you love me sweetheart?’

‘Don’t you?’

‘Of course I do!’ I uttered with all my urge. ‘I love you more than anything - you know that!’

‘Then,’ she paused for a little while and said, ‘why can’t you stay in this room for two days for my sake!’

‘Because I have to go to airport at sharp eight to-’ and I stopped abruptly.

It is a pin drop silence outside the room. And inside the room. I know what I have done in my agitation. After a prolonged silence I could only hear some whisperings, faint tingling of her glass kangans and a metallic click of lock and key. I was so flabbergasted that I couldn’t think anything clearly. I paced up and down the room to ease my tempestuousness. Then I moved under the quilt left by my would be brother-in-laws and the left over sleep of last night took over me instantly.

Once again my sleep was crushed under the sound of my ring tone. I awake with a jolt, gathered myself and received the phone just to see the smiling face of my old friend. What suddenly reminded me is that I have to reach the airport at eight sharp. I jumped out of the bed and the next moment I recall everything and flopped on the bed once again. I threw the phone aside. The phone stopped for a while and then started over. I grabbed the phone and arranged myself before receiving the call.

‘Morning professor!’

‘Hello sweetheart! Oh god! You haven’t left your bed yet!’

‘This is not MY bed old man. I have been a captive in my in-law’s house by my fiancée!’

‘WHAT! What the hell-’

I cut him off and stated briefly what has happened with me this morning. Steve broke into laughter. Not only that he laughed himself. He turned the camera to his companion (this is a new guy, I haven’t seen him before) utters him about me in brief and made him laugh also. I was feeling so irritating that I disconnected the call. How can a well educated man be inhuman like this! But after a few moments I felt very sorry and called him back.

‘May I join you in a day or two professor?’ I asked solemnly as he received my call.

‘I fear that cannot happen my dear!’ he replied in a wary.

‘Why professor?’ I asked.

‘Number one – I do not have any route plan right now. I have to move according to my guide there. I cannot leave you any trail. And secondly your two days will turn into at least three days-!’

‘No professor! I promise I will leave as soon as my marriage is over!’ I exhorted before he completes his words.

‘Oh no no no no! That I know dear! This time the situation is like - we have a budget of one way chopper. You have to cover that distance by car. So when you will reach the starting point we will be at least three days ahead of you.’

I felt so sorry that I couldn’t say anything.

The old man sensed my mental condition and consoled me in his own way. But, that didn’t helped my bitterness improve any way.

After finishing the call I started to think over everything once again. I cannot be a confined here like a criminal! I HAVE to get out from here. But the million dollar question is HOW? I examined the room. It has two doors and one big window. The first door is the way I came in, which is locked from outside right now. And the second one leads to an attached small toilet. Outside the window – there is the garden. The window is covered with strong iron grills. Spacious enough to pass out for a cat only or a lap dog. The toilet window is so small that hardly a small child or a bony thief can move through it!

I was trying to motivate myself to get out of this situation. I opened my google app and researched some subjects very fast. It is seven thirty right now. Professor is flying to Dibrugarh. If the flight takes off Delhi airport at its right time – it will take nearly five hours. That means he will land at one o’clock more or less. He will have his lunch on the flight, so the rest of the day he will be busy with some last minute arrangements for the adventure. He will start his journey NOT before tomorrow. SO, (IF of course) I can run away from here – I can catch the night flight at nine twenty. The flight will layover overnight at Kolkata and send me off to Dibrugarh next morning nearly at eight thirty. If I can actually catch the night flight I can bargain a delay with the chopper timing!

That's a very good plan. I patted my shoulder in excitement. First of all I have to arrange a few things. Promptly I booked a ticket at the night flight. Then I briefly stated my plan to professor in w******p and asked him to mail me the required permissions through mail. Now, The minimum time I necessitate is at least forty minutes, five minutes to reach home, ten minutes to pack and twenty five minutes to reach airport, if I get a fast conveyance. And the fastest conveyance could be none other than a motor cycle. I can book one in uber. But I cannot rely over a cab company in this situation. Sometimes they cancels in the last minute. I have to have a confirm vehicle. I thought very deeply. I need someone who will be a good driver and trustworthy too.

All of a sudden I thought back of Roshni. She is a licensed biker! A champion! And … and … my former fiancée! AND Nayna hates her like anything! But she can SAVE me from this situation! She is a devil! But Nayna will be annoyed! It will be hard for her to believe that I have taken help from Roshni! Oh god! What will I do! Whatever is there in my fate – I can’t think any more – I made the call.

On the third ring Roshni receives the call.

‘Hi handsome! what’s up! After so long!?’

‘I am in a miserable situation Roshni – you HAVE to help me?’

There was something in my voice that touched her. ‘What happened dear?’ She asked apprehensively.

Her voice touched my heart. Slowly I started to brief my position. And when I stopped, after a little pause she BROKE into peeling laughter! She laughed her heart out for a ceaseless thirty seven seconds and then controlled herself. I was so stupefied that I cannot say a word!

‘I am … I am so sorry Neel! I didn’t mean to laugh but cannot control too! I will do my best for my pal. Tell me - please.’

I felt a little revilement, but what else options do I have in my hand? When I was briefing her my plans, I suddenly heard somebody called my name with a roar! I turned to see my father at the garden side window. I’ve NO idea when he came here! And how much he has heard! Was I so loud-voiced that he heard everything?

‘F-f-father!’ I f-f-fumbled.

‘How dare you!’ He roars again. ‘Nayna has told me everything!’

Now I noticed Nayna, standing behind him with mild smirks on her lips. Oh! Faithless traitorous woman!

‘I – I – I ...’, I tried to clear my view, but could not proceed more than that single letter!

‘You unwise folly! If Nayna wouldn’t have been there you should have run once again with that old Japanese scientist! She has done the right thing!’ My father roared to me and the next moment turned to her and said in a cheese-like voice, ‘I am proud of you my daughter! Hand over me the key – and I will see who on earth is there to rescue him from that room before the day after tomorrow!’

My father took the key of this room from Nayna and paced away. Nayna winked at me with the smirks on her lips. I was burned-out top to bottom!

‘Hello! Are you still there?’ Roshni asked from the other side of the phone.

‘WHAT!’ I can’t control my rage. ‘You were on the phone while my father was rebu– I mean – when I was talking to him – my father!?’

‘Yes!’ she seemed very astonished, ‘the phone was on!’

‘You were NOT supposed to listen all those shits Roshni!’ I almost yelled.

‘Then why didn’t you cut the call you i***t?’ She spewed from the other side.

‘OK! I can – I HAVE made a mistake – that doesn’t mean – I mean – anyway – its my fault! I’ll call you later.’ I disconnected the phone abruptly.

I threw away the phone and flopped on the bed. Fatigue embraced me. Suddenly it seemed that my life is on the verge of an end! I couldn’t see any light of retrieval from this prison. May be I was asleep once again. A disturbing beeping sound of incoming message wake me up. I seized the phone and YES! Why shouldn’t I recalled this person before! I didn’t took the risk to call him any more. I just typed my condition and send him. After a few minutes an emoji of thumbs up came back.

I felt so relaxed. Now, it is just a time lag to get out off here. I felt at home. Conversed with everybody who are seen through the window. Gulped the food that came through it. Ordered tea thrice. Sang with full voice while bathing. Even Nayna was very pleased with my behaviour. I even tried to kiss her through the window grills, but she ran away. She thought that the reprehension of my father has worked out!

Eventually the evening came. Now, everybody felt quite innocuous about me. I put the light off and waited in the dark for the right time to come. I need only forty minutes! It is seven thirty now. I keep staring at the mobile clock. Seven forty .. seven fifty … OK! Eight o’clock. The moment can come any time now. Suddenly I heard light foot steps. A very faint clicking sound on the lock. A thin long ray of light fall on me as the door opens with a faint screech ...