It was a big dark room. Only a thin ray of sunlight was coming from the gap of the closed windows which fell on Naaz's face.

"Aye uth na. Aye!" Said a little girl jerking her.

Soon Naaz gained her consciousness. She slowly opened her eyes and saw many children looking at her.

"Main.... Kaha hoon?" She asked.

"Tu jaha bhi hai, itna jaan le ab tu yaaha se kabhi bahar nahi nikal paayegi. Tu bhi fas chuki hai, humari tarah." Said the little girl and returned to the place where she was sitting.

Naaz looked at the whole room and immediately stood up.

"Main yaaha kaise aayi? Main toh Sidharth se milne jaa rahi thi.... Mujhe Sidharth ke paas jaana hai...."

She immediately ran to the door and started banging on the door.

"Koi Hai? Kholo darwaja! Mujhe Sidharth ke paas jaana hai! Kholoooo!" Screamed Naaz.

The other children were just watching her as they were used to it. They knew there was no use of it.

After sometime the door was opened and a man came there angrily.

"Kya hai? Kyu chilla rahi hai? Dimaag kharab kar ke rakha hai. Chup chap baith udhar jaa ke." The man yelled at her.

"Aap mujhe yaaha kyu laaye ho? Mujhe Sidharth ke paas jaane do please." Cried Naaz.

"Bhul jaa Sidharth ko. Ab tu sirf waheen jaayegi jaha hum tujhe le jaayenge. Samjhi?"

"Nahi. Main Sidharth ke paas jaaungi. Abhi."

Saying that Naaz tried to escape but the man stopped her by grabbing her hands forcefully.

Naaz was trying to free herself but she didn't have that much strength. So she bit hard on the man's hand.

"Ahhhhh!" The man whimpered in pain.

He became more angry. Naaz again tried to escape but he pulled her and slapped her hard making her fall on the floor.

"Phir agar iss kamre se awaz aayi toh iss se bhi bura haal karunga." Said the man angrily and left from there.

Naaz started crying. A girl felt bad and came to her. She helped her to get up and wiped her tears.

"Tu ro mat. Yeh toh humare saath roz hota hai. Tu bas chup chap woh jo keh rahe hai sunti jaa. Iss hi mein teri bhalai hai." Said the girl.

"Tum kabse yaaha ho?" Asked Naaz.

"Paata nahi. Kaafi din hogaye. Sayad ek mahina. Ek din school se ghar laut rahi thi, tab yeh log mujhe yaaha utha laaye. Pehle main Maa ke liye bohut roti thi. Lekin ab samajh chuki hoon ki main apni Maa se dobara kabhi nahi mil paaungi." Said the girl sadly.

Naaz felt bad hearing her story. She looked at the other children. Their stories were same. They all were separated from their family and closest persons and was being tortured here by this men, god knows from how many days.

"Tum sab ne kabhi bhag ne ki koshis nahi ki?" Asked Naaz looking at all of them.

"Kiya tha." Said a boy. "Lekin unn logo se bach ke nikal na namumkin hai. Woh log bade hai aur hum bacche. Hum unke saath lad nahi sakte. Humne jab pehli baar bhagne ki koshis ki thi aur pakde gaye the, unhone humein bohut maara tha. Tab se hum aisi koshish nahi karte."

"Aur waise bhi yeh log jis jagah pe humein rakhte hai, waha se dur dur tak koi nahi rehta. Toh agar hum kabhi bahar nikal bhi gaye toh zyada dur nahi jaa paayenge. Yeh log humein pakad hi lenge. Toh behtar yeh hi hai tu bhi humari tarah apni kismat ko maan le. Tu yaaha se kabhi bahar nahi nikal payegi." Said another children.

Naaz didn't say anything. She sat at a corner sadly and started shredding silent tears.

"Sidharth, toh kya main aap se phir kabhi nahi mil paaungi?" She said in her mind.

Meanwhile....

Rishi was hearing Sidharth and Vijay Tripathi's conversation on phone which Sidharth recorded.

After hearing the conversation he said, "Sidharth it's not Vijay Tripathi's voice."

"I know but I'm sure it's Vijay Tripathi. Phone pe voice change karna koi badi baat nahi hai. Uske alawa mere saath aur kiski aisi dushmani hogi? I'm telling you, tu abhi jaa ke Vijay Tripathi ko arrest kar. Naaz pakka mil jayegi aur baki bacche bhi." Said Sidharth.

"Sidharth try to understand. Woh itna bada politician hai. I can't arrest him without any proof. Higher authority se order nahi milega usse arrest karne ka."

"To hell with your higher authority. Teri higher authority ki wajah se main kya marne ke liye chhor doon apni Naaz ko? Haan? Naaz ko kisne kidnap kiya hai yeh paata hone ke bawajood main haath pe haath rakh ke baitha rahu aur woh log usse dusre kisi desh mein le jaa ke bech de." Said Sidharth angrily.

"Sidharth it's about his power..." Rishi tried to make him understand.

"I don't bloody care about his power." Shouted Sidharth and banged on the table.

Kushal and Ritesh tried to calm him down.

"Kya kar raha hai Sidharth? Sahi toh keh raha hai Rishi. Hum aise hi uss Vijay Tripathi ko arrest nahi kar sakte. Sabse pehle humein Naaz aur baki baccho ko dhund ne koshis karni hogi." Said Kushal.

"Haan Sidharth. Zyada der nahi hua hai. Abhi dhund ne se sayad woh mil jaaye." Said Ritesh.

"Kaha dhundenge hum usse?" Asked Sidharth helplessly. "We don't know where she is, how she is."

"Woh log seher se bahar nahi gaye honge. Aur unhone baccho ko zaroor kisi sunsaan jagah par rakha hoga. Hum aisi jagao par jaa ke search karenge. Aur main abhi baat karke pure seher mein nakabandi lagwa ta hoon. Woh log chah kar bhi seher se bahar nikal nahi paayenge. And don't worry, Naaz will be fine." Said Rishi.

Sidharth nodded.

They all went in search of Naaz.

Suddenly Sidharth said to Ritesh, "Jiju aap chaho toh ghar jaa sakte ho. Naaz ko dhund ne mein sayad aaj ka pura din lag jaaye."

"Tu pagal hai? Naaz hum sabki jaan hai yaar. Jab tak woh nahi mil jaati main kahi nahi jaaunga." Said Ritesh.

Sidharth smiled slightly.

They all looked for Naaz the whole day. They went to different places, asked many people but couldn't find Naaz. The more time was passing, Sidharth was losing hope.

"I failed to protect you Naaz. I just failed. Aaj pehli baar aisa lag raha hai, tumhe apne saath Bareilly le aake maine tumhari jaan ko aur bhi zyada khatre mein daal diya. Vijay Tripathi ke saath meri personal dushmani ki wajah se aaj tumhe suffer karna padh raha hai. Aaj agar tumhe kuch hogaya, I'll never be able to forgive myself. Never." Said Sidharth in his mind.
______________________________________

At Night...

All there children were sleeping in that room. Only Naaz had no sleep in her eyes. She was remembering Sidharth's words.

"Aksar aise situation mein humein apne dimaag ka use karna chahiye."

Thinking that Naaz stood up.

"Mujhe kuch na kuch toh karna hi hoga." Said Naaz in her mind.

She started waking up the other children.

"Haaye utho! Utho sab! Yeh sone ka waqt nahi hai. Sab uth jaao!...."

Naaz kept calling them. Everyone's sleep broke hearing her voice.

"Kya hua? Sone kyu nahi de rahi humein?" Asked a girl.

"Tum sab so kaise sakte ho? Hum sabki jaan ko khatra hai. Tum logo ko paata hai yeh log humein yaaha kyu laaye hai? Yeh humein le jaake dusre deshon mein bech denge. Waaha humse gulaami karwaenge yaa koi aur bure kaam. Iss waqt hum aise shaanti se so nahi sakte." Said Naaz.

"Toh phir kya kare? Teri tarah baith ke rote rahe?" Asked one of them.

"Humein madad karni hogi khudki, ek dusre ki. Yaaha humein bachane wala aur koi nahi hai. Sirf hum hi ek dusre ko bacha sakte hai. Mere paas ek plan hai..."

"Agar tera bhagne ka plan hai toh hum sab iss mein nahi hai. Woh log 24 ghante bahar pehra dete hai. Hum unse nahi bach sakte."

"Bach sakte hai. Agar hum apni akal ka istemal kare toh. Mujhe kaise bhi karke bas ek baar iss kamre se bahar nikalna hai. Phir koi na koi raasta zaroor mil jayega. Lekin iss mein mujhe tum sab ki madad chahiye. Kya tum sab meri madad karoge?"

Nobody responded.

Naaz looked at the girl who helped her and said, "Tum hi baatao. Kya tumhe apni Maa se nahi milna? Puri zindagi kisi aur ki gulaami karni hai?"

She couldn't say anything.

Naaz looked at the boy and said, "Kya tum apne parivaar walo se nahi milna? Unki yaad nahi aati tumhe?"

The boy looked down.

"Yaaha hum mein se koi aisa nahi hai jinhe apne parivaar ki yaad nahi aati. Lekin sabne haar maan liya hai. Tumhe lagta hai tum log yaaha se kabhi bahar nahi nikal paaoge. Lekin main haar nahi maan sakti. Mere Sidharth ne mujhe haar maan na nahi sikhaya hai. Unki nazar mein main strongest girl hoon aur main unhe niraash nahi karungi. Main yaaha se bahar niklungi, hum sab niklenge. Ab baatao. Kya tum log mera saath doge?"

The girl stood up and said smiling, "Main tumhare saath hoon."

"Main bhi." Said the boy.

The other girl who was rude to Naaz, she also said, "Main bhi tumhare saath hoon."

All the children started standing up one by one.

"Hum bhi saath hai."

"Hum sab tumhara saath denge."

A huge smile came to Naaz's face.

"Thank you. Meri baat ko samajhne ke liye." Said Naaz.

"Lekin tera plan kya hai?" Asked the boy.

"Baatati hoon. Pehle baatao woh log iss kamre mein kab kab aate hai?"

"Din mein ek hi baar aate hai, humara khana leke."

"Toh suno. Uss waqt tumhe karna yeh hai....."

Naaz told her plan to all of them and they agreed to help Naaz in it.
______________________________________

How will Naaz escape from that place?

Will she be able to save other children as well?

Will Sidharth find his Naaz?

Stay tuned....

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