Naveen (shocked): Pranav ! This is Anjana's phone !

Pranav: Show me the phone.

Naveen unlocks her phone and gives it to him.

Pranav: Dei, why has she kept this alarm at 9pm in the night? Why does she have to meet her MD at 9pm?

Naveen: How will I know... she is quite forgetful so she usually keeps alarms even for small things.

Pranav checks her phone thoroughly for evidence. Naveen closes and locks the door from inside. The thief was still lying there unable to get up.

Pranav: Naveen, who's number is this?

Naveen looks at the phone in which there was a WhatsApp chat with an unknown number.

[+91********** (20:38) : I got the video.]

[You (20:52) : How?]

[+91********** (21:02) : I'll tell you when I call]

Pranav: This message is sent on 15th of August. Which video are they talking about?

Naveen: I don't know...

Pranav: How can a smartphone retain its charge for almost 2 weeks?

Naveen: No da, I initially got voice texts from this number only. For the first week I got calls from her number. When I tried to speak to her and trace the number they found it and switched off the phone, this happened in the end of the first week if I remember. From then I refrained myself from tracing her. So maybe they charged it the whole time?

Pranav: Okay. But how did her phone get here? And look, there has been no message since two weeks from this person.

Naveen: Would this person have kidnapped her?

Pranav: I don't think so, she has called the same number this morning !

Naveen: What?

Pranav: That means... this person is also someone like us. I mean he might not know anything about her kidnap. Or would they have relocated her today and is that why her phone broke?

Naveen: I don't understand what's happening here. We can only get to know what is happening from Anjana...

Pranav: If she had called this number today morning, then this person would know something about the kidnap...

Naveen nods his head in doubt.

Pranav: Can we call this person now?

Naveen: We'll try.

They call the unknown number from Anjana's phone but get no response.

Naveen: Wait, I'll call from my number.

When Naveen tries to call the number, someone starts knocking at the door. Both of them stand there with no clue of what to do. Naveen thinks for a few seconds and turns to Pranav.

Naveen: Pranav, if they would have relocated her today according to your assumption and her phone is here.. then she must be here in this building only right?

The knocking on the door gets intense. People from the other side of the door ask them to open the door.

Pranav (anxiously): Maybe.

Naveen: Then... do me a favour.

Naveen looks at a door at the corner of the room.

Naveen: I'll try to find Anju in this building, at the same time you divert the attention of the people here by calling the police and handing this guy over to them. You never know, there might be henchmen too...

Pranav : But how will you find her?

Naveen: Look there is a door there, I might find a way from there. You leave, I'll take care. And ! Take her phone with you.

Naveen tries to open the door at the corner of the room but finds it to be locked. He looks around the room for its key. Pranav helps him. The tapping and shouting from the other side of the door gets louder which wakes the thief up.

He tries to hit Pranav and escape from behind. Naveen pushes him apart which makes him fall on the mortar and pestle again. The thief gives up and lies down in pain. Something falls from his shirt pocket with a cling sound. Pranav bends down and finds it to be a key.

Pranav (whispers): Naveen ! Look at this ! Try this on that lock.

Naveen tries to open the lock with that key and it unlocks. They both look at the thief in shock. Naveen gives the key to Pranav and asks him to lock it from outside.

Naveen gets into the room and Pranav locks it from outside. Pranav calls the police and opens the door. The people find only Pranav and the thief in the room.

Naveen was inside the room, which was apparently a room to store meat and vegetables. He finds a spiral staircase and a side-exit. He uses the spiral staircase to go to the terrace.

There were three small rooms in the terrace in which two had beds and wardrobes. The third one was a huge space to store sacks of rice, wheat and flour.

Naveen looked through all of the three rooms thoroughly and couldn't find her. He lost hope in finding her and stood alone in the terrace facing the moon and stars. Suddenly, there was a familiar motor sound that was coming from the provisions room.

Naveen (in his mind): Motor room !

He went inside the provisions room again and opened the door of the motor room. As he walked inside his legs felt someone's arm. Startled and scared, he bent down to see who it was. 

It was Anjana. 

Naveen gets shocked on seeing her and hugs her in relief.

Naveen: Anju !

He pats her face to wake her up. He unties her hands and removes the plaster off her mouth. She opens her eyes slowly and realizes it was Naveen.

Anjana (reposing): Naveen... you..?

Naveen: We have to find a way to escape, we'll talk about everything later.

They get out of the room as she keeps choking. He gets a water bottle from the fridge and gives it to her. She empties it and they run down the stairs. He opens the side-exit door and lets her out first. He locks the door from outside and asks her to get moving.

As they get out of the restaurant premises from the rear gate, they reach the main road and see the entrance of the restaurant filled with policemen and a few people from the press.

Naveen holds her as she was still feeling fatigued. They walk towards the car. He covers her head with her dupatta and signals Rajesh to open the car door.

Rajesh: Hey ! How did you find her?

He opens the door and makes her sit inside the car.

Naveen (calmly) : That's a huge story... she was lying unconsciously there... Where is Pranav?

Rajesh: He is at the police station, nothing to worry he will be back in an hour. Its very late in the night now, you better take her to your house. I will accompany him. You take the car.

Naveen: Thanks da.

Rajesh: Dei shut up and leave.

Naveen makes Anjana comfortable in the backseat and starts driving to his house.

Naveen: Anju, are you fine now?

She nods her head.

Naveen : Do you want anything? Water or tea?

Anjana (placing her hand on her head) : No... just drive... I'm fine...

He looks at her worriedly. They reach his home. His mother gets startled seeing Anjana. He asks her to stay calm, takes Anjana to his room and makes her lie on his bed.

Naveen: Take rest... Call me if you need anything, okay?

He switches off the light and switches on the night lamp and fan for her to sleep. She holds his little finger and pulls him down asking him to sit down. He sits on the floor holding on to her hand. She keeps his hand close to her face and shrinks her eyes as she leaves a few tears. He embraces her and kisses her forehead ensuring her safety for a lifetime, as she falls asleep.

TO BE CONTINUED