|::| Strength |::|
She was lying unconscious on the floor, for how long she didn't know. A trail of dark maroon blood dried on the floor. Her face was covered with her curly hair as she was lying in a dorsal position.
Slowly she began getting her sense back. Her eyelids flattered and slowly she opened her eyes. As soon as she had opened her eyes they got hoodwinked by the stark lights en-kindling in the room. She promptly closed her eyes and again tried opening them. This time everything looked hazy and she felt a sheer pain on the back of her head. Her hand automatically went on the back of her head, touching it she felt dead and frowned. "Aah!" she groaned. Tarika tried to raise her head but that pain.. that unbearable pain made her to lie down back on the floor again.
.
When CID officers were on the flight to Kolkata in order to solve a case a man came in the room where Tarika had been kept, with a plate in his hand. The room was very small and there was nothing there, no furniture or anything else. She was sitting at a corner of the room, cuddling her knees.
The man put the plate in front of her roughly and went to to the wash-room attached to the room. She heard him, washing the bathroom by making noise. Meanwhile later he came out and went out of the room. Tarika heard the sound of the door being locked and the man juggling the cluster of keys. She let out a sigh and looked around. She couldn't see but knew there were cameras which were keeping eyes on every movements of her. A frown creased her forehead. She looked at the plate with narrowed eyes and realized that she was starving.
After having some food she leaned against the wall and waited silently. Waited for someone to come.
.
After a while another man with a bag hanging down from his neck, came in. He put the bag at a corner and approached to her. She stood up but her legs were wobbling and so she held the wall for support. The man move closer and took his mouth near her ear and whispered, "Who are you?"
Tarika pushed him away and said, "I thought you'd have figured out who I am till now."
"I'm asking you something. Who are you and how did you reach here?" he ground.
Tarika searched the back-pocked of her jeans and brought out a photograph. "I came here for him", she uttered.
"Why!" he frowned. "I'm not bound to tell you that." she glared at him. "Okay!" he said neglectfully and rushed out the room and locked the door from outside. Tarika had no more strength left and sat down. Abruptly she noticed that the man had left his bag there, in the room. She looked around carefully and pulled strap of the bag towards her. She opened the zipper of the bag and found a packet of cigarette, lighter, some papers and coins but surprisingly she found the thing she needed the most at that time, a mobile phone.
She lost her normal sense that it might be a trap and took the phone in her weak hands which were trembling . But she discovered she didn't have anyone's number then. She tried hard, put pressure on her brain and somehow remembered Salunkhe's number. As she had dialed him several times. She called but none replied. Again and again she dialed but no reply, as he left his phone in the lab.
She was worried, who else to call and suddenly remembered Abhijeet's name. "915..6." Tarika murmured. "What was it?" she frowned. And dialed the number with dilemma, the bell rang.
.
Abhijeet was sitting in his chair in the bureau and at the meantime his phone vibrated in his pocket. He put his hand in his pocket and brought his phone out. The number which was displayed on the screen was a privet number.
"Hello!" he picked up the handset, frowning.
Tarika's voice from the other side sounded distant and tiny, but the fear was clear as a bell. "Abhijeet!"
"Tarika what happened? Why do you sound -" his words were cut by her. "I'm trapped here.." she whispered.
"What!" Abhijeet exclaimed and stood up. "How? Where are you?" he wanted to know.
"I came to the hospital to find the boy. But it was a trap. He was not there. And the men caught me. They locked me here in this room...in a big building I guess. And well, there's no way out", she told him.
"Gawd!" he sighed. "Okay do you know who they are? And what boy Tarika?! You should've informed me, right?" he was angry.
"Scold me as much as you wish after I get outta here but for now just tell me what I should do?" she asked, looking towards the door.
"Don't worry. I'll be there as soon as possible. Just gimme some hints where they've kept you", Abhijeet was growing impatient every second.
"Abhijeet! relax. I know how to deal with these people. But...it's just that...I donno, for a few seconds I felt.." she paused "..scared! Scared of being trapped here forever. I donno..it's just. Oh forget it!" she gave up, a long-suffering sigh came out.
"I know what you're talking but don't worry. You'll be absolutely fine. Trust me!"
"I do", she whispered.
.
More then two hours had passed but Tarika couldn't find any way to escape. And all of a sudden the door of the room opened with a bang, she shook up am found the men throwing Abhijeet inside the room.