“Jeejuu, I’m hungry,” Finally hopping down the boulder, Shikha whined. “Please lets go.”

Chuckling at his sweet little sister, he glanced at the vast lush expanse of the valley again, before taking her hand into his, and helping her from over the rugged terrain to where they were parked further down the valley.

“Where do you want to eat?” he asked.

“Town centre maybe. There must be some good places, right?”

“Hmm, I haven’t ventured around much.” Advay glanced at his watch. “It a little before half past eight. The town is about an hour from here……they must be serving breakfast at this time.” let’s look around.”

“Haan tho chalo please lets go.”

As they finally made it out of the metal gates, they found Veer leaning against the car rocking his head to the beats pouring down through his head phones, while watching the cricket match on his phone. He had scanned the place as quickly as he could and had chosen to get back to his car as there was no reception up in the valley.

“I’m sick so of this man,” Shikha groaned. “Look at how romantic this place is, and look at how he is lost to his game.”

Circling his arms around her, Advay laughed, but couldn’t help kiss her temple.

_

Ten minutes later, they had hit the road, and were back on their way to the town, when he groaned again in despair as both Veer and Shikha began ripping each other’s head off over something silly.

“Enough … Cut it, you two,” Advay yelled at the two of them, and rolled his eyes to find Veer glancing over his shoulder glaring at Shikha and Shikha too pouting back at him.

“I had lost my mind to have married you.” Sitting in the passenger seat, beside him, Veer snapped at her.

“Haan…I’m a fool too.” Advay groaned when Shikha choked on her tears. “You can still divorce me, you know?”

“What?” Advay snapped at this two siblings in horror.

“Lets get a divorce. Lets be done with this.” She sniffled.

“Shut up you two.” Advay snapped, unable to understand what had happened so suddenly. He had been scuttling between Rishikesh and Prayag for over six weeks, but had never realised there was trouble in paradise.

“Veer you need to stop fighting with my sister, alright?”

“Bhai please, you always take her side.”

“That’s because she’s mostly right”

“Thanks Jiju.”

“Badi ayee Jiju ki ladli.”

“What the fuck is this fight all about anyways?” Advay snapped.

“Poocho. Ask your darling sister.” Veer glared at his pouting wife for the rear mirror. “She went out and got our room painted in pink without once asking me.”

“What?” Advay gasped.

“Haan. Pink. Can you imagine ….Pink. And when I lost my mind, she accused me of not being in touch with my feminine side.”

“You two are squabbling over a fucking wall colour.” He snapped. “What the fuck! Give me a break please.”

“Bhai it’s a big decision” Veer looked at his brother with disbelief. “I want blue…she wants pink….and she didn’t even ask me before getting it done…..Now Bhai how the hell am I meant to sleep in a pink princess bedroom?”

“Waisey, pink is not a bad colour, Veer.” Advay smiled at how he and Murli had painted their little Chandu’s bedroom pink. “In fact, your Bhabhi’s bedroom is still peach. I sleep there all the time. I kinda like that colour now.”

“Exactly, thanks Jiju.” Shikha chirped from the behind him. “Thanks for that.”

“Tum toh chup hi raho, Bhai ki Ladli, ” Veer argued “Bhai pink… pink, it’s such a girly colour. Are you kidding me? Waisey what would you know, you don’t have to put up with a pain in the backside of a wife.”

But he froze the moment those words fell out of his mouth and he saw his brothers face pale, and his eyes instantly well.

“Bhai…I’m I’m….sorry.”

But Advay screeched the vehicle to a halt to the side of the valley, and his fingers instantly reached for his wife’s black bea ds around his wrist, flicking them, as though wanting to calm himself.

“Why are you always so stupid?” Shikha snapped too, but Veer clutched to Advay’s hand and choked, “I’m sorry Bhai…I didn’t mean.” As his fingers grazed into the scars of the cuts on Advay’s wrists, his eyes welled. “Please don’t do anything stupid.”

But Advay wasn’t listening. Keeping his eyes out of the car, he kept his gaze to the valley and sniffled back his tears.

“Bhai….please.”

“You know what Micku?” He finally turned to his brother and choked, “I would sleep in ten pink bedrooms. I would drive a pink car. And I would wear pink for the rest of my life if I could have Chandini back.”

As Veer lowered his head, he continued, “Learn to value what you have today Veer. You never know what’s in store tomorrow….I’ve learnt it the hard way. You don’t make that mistake.”

But suddenly feeling suffocated inside the car, Advay leaned back in his seat and blew out all the air in his lungs. He then reached for the door and stepped outside, just for a breath of fresh air.

And couldn’t help chuckle when Shikha muttered a few scorn-filled words at her husband before jumping out of the car and following him to the edge of the valley.

“Waisey, how far is the town?” After a few minutes of silence, she leaned into his shoulder and smiled.

“Another fifteen minutes, depending on traffic.” He pointed to the town at the distance from where they were.

But he couldn’t help sigh at how fresh it felt up here, surrounded by the Himalayas. It was serene, beautiful, the river glittered like a brand new silver anklet at the bottom of the gorge. And he wanted to stay here. Forever.

When the door opened again, he glanced over his shoulder to find his brother gazing at him with puppy eyes.

“Come here.” He opened his arms for him.

“Sorry, Bhai. You know I didn’t mean it.” Veer ran into his arms and pleaded his apology.

“I know, my brother.” He patted his back. “But it is what it is. And on a good note though, you are right.” He cupped his brother’s face. “I don’t have a wife to fry my brains. To be honest, I never had one.”

And the three of them laughed.

“Achcha, I’m starving.” Shikha whined.

“Hmm.” Advay nodded, yet stepped further up to the edge of the valley and closed his eyes, to feel the wind in his face.

When he opened his eyes again, he could see the famous Lakshman Jhula bridge at a distance, the hundreds of flags strewn all over it fluttering in the cool Himalayan breeze.

There was something magical in the air around him, and mystical too, that left him feeling calm from inside. And for once in his life, he felt like he was home.

Taking another step closer to the valley, he closed his eyes again, and held his arms out to the valley.

Except the sound of an occasional truck, there was nothing but the wind, the birds, the rustle of the leaves, and the gushing of the ganges.

“Advay!” A softest whisper fell in his ears, and he shot open his eyes.

His entire body froze, and every hair on his back stood up straight. As he tuned his ear. “Advaaayy!” there was that call of his name again.

He instantly turned, making Shikha jump in her skin.

“Did you hear that?” he hissed.

“Huh?”

He stood still and closed his eyes again, but this time a truck passed and all he heard was traffic. Yet, he was so goddam sure, it was his name he had heard.

“Chandini,” with a hiss, he ran for the road.

“Jeejuuu.” Shikha ran after him.

“Chaaanndiineee.” He yelled again, as he ran onto the highway.

“Shaaahh.” Shikha screamed for her husband who was busy listening to his music, when Advay ran onto the centre of the road, almost missing an oncoming car by mere inches.

“Bhai…” Running after his brother, Veer yelled too

But another truck was approaching them, and Shikha screamed her guts out, while Advay continued twirling around on his feet in the middle of the road like a mad man,

Veer was quick to grab him, and drag to safety before the truck passed them blaring its horns.

“What’s the matter with you?” Advay yelled.

“What’s the matter with you?” Shikha yelled back. “I thought you’re better now. But you are just the same.”

“Shikha I heard her…..she called my name.”

“Jijaji, Enough!” she glared at him, yet tears pooled in her eyes. “This is why…this is why, I don’t want you living here all by your self. Daure padte hai aapko.”

“Shikha…”

“You heard her in London’s heathrow airport a few years ago.” She glowered at him. “Do you remember how you had run across the airport like mad man, frantically searching for your wife.”

“Shikha.” He clutched on to her shoulders. “Shikka, listen. I’m telling you. This was different. This has never happened before. I swear I heard my name.”

“Its impossible. Even if it was true, my Jiji will never call you by your name.”

While Advay frowned at those words, she rolled her eyes at her husband. But Veer gave her an assuring nod.

Just then they heard a school payers, and Advay turned on his feet and frowned.

“Shikha, look. There is a school up there. I think her voice came from there.” Ever before she could gather what was happening, he ran back to the road, but this time he glanced to his left and right and ran across the road with purpose.

“Jeejuuu,” she yelled.”

“You both go down to the Lakshman Jhula and search for her. Meet me in ten minutes.”

“What?” she stood rooted to the spot while Veer burst into a laugh. The laksman Jhula he was referring to was at least five miles from where there were. He had got to be kidding, to assume someone would call out to him and run five mile down the road, all in the snap of a finger. But he was a mad man, and everyone knew that now.

“Chalo.” Chuckling, Veer got behind the wheel, and Shikha rolled her eyes at him.

__

As Advay ran up the side street, he could hear the children reciting poems. With his heart fluttering, he ran up the stairs to the metal gates of the school, and stopped to find a watchman guarding the gates.

The moment his gaze met with the watchman’s, he panted. “Is there…Chandini. Is there a Chandini here?”

“What?” The old man frowned.

Advay blew out all the air inside his lungs, and caught his breath. “I’m looking…Chandini….is there anyone here by the name of Chandini?” Even as he said her name, it felt weird, given this was Rishikesh. The Ganga flowed down from Rishikesh to Prayag, never the other way around. Could his Chandini had flowed up and reached Rishikesh somehow?

The thought itself was so far fetched.

Yet, that voice he had heard, he felt it in his gut.

“Is she a student? Are you a parent?” The watchman asked.

“No…No teacher maybe. She’s not a child…she’s a grown up. My wi…” But stopped himself so he didn’t sound like a psycho who didn’t know his wife worked at a school or not. How was he meant to explain he actually had lost his wife. And himself too.

The old man frowned and then glanced at one of the cleaner sitting beside him.

The woman shook her heard. “Aisi kono teacher naahi hai.”

His heart fell into a gloom again, and he chuckled ruefully. What the fuck had he been hoping! It had been over four and half years. She was gone. It was time he kept his focus. Yet, he couldn’t help his tears.

“Do you want to meet the Principal, saab?” the old watchman asked.

“Hmm…” Advay sighed heavily again, but another thought flashed him. “Chandini Yash Narayan Vashisht. Anyone by that name?”

The watchman shook his head.

“Chandini Advay Singh Raizada,” he asked next. “Mrs Advay Singh Raizada?”

“Nahi saab.”

Advay gritted his teeth, given how clueless the watchman looked. But that voice. He had heard her voice calling out to him. But why had she been calling out to him? Shikha was right….his wife would never call for him.

“Is there anyone here by the name of Advay?” he finally asked.

While the watchman blinked at him clueless, defeated, as he was about to turn, the maid spoke. “Advaya kaa?”

Advay instantly stopped in his tracks and snapped his eyes to her. “Wha..… What did you say?”

“Advaya…… The naughtiest kid in the nursery,” she asked. “She was playing outside ten minutes ago…and fell and hurt herself.”

“Ad…Advaya… what’s what’s her full name? Her mother’s name.”

“Woh tho…mother I…her father…”

“Hey. Chup.” The watchman snapped at the woman. “Saab, we cannot give details of anyone out like this. If you want to speak to the Principal, please book an appointment with him. He will be able to help you.” He handed him the card. “He usually meets people for an hour after the school.”

Nodding, Advay took the card, yet flickered his eyes to the woman, ‘Advaya’ that name striking his heart with renewed hope. But she was a child in nursery….nothing made sense to him.

“What time does the school finish?”

“Half past three.”

“Haan par pre nursery finishes at two,” the woman added.

“I said shut up.” The watchman glowered at the woman again, before glancing at Advay. “The school finishes at half past three. The Principal will be available only after that. Please book an appointment.”

Nodding, Advay glanced at his watch. It was around ten. He had four hours to two. He had waited for over four long years. Four more hours was hardly anything.

__

Almost an half an hour to two, as Advay sat in his car, tapping his figners to the steering wheel, while glancing at his watch every two minutes, Shikha groaned from the backseat. “Jiju. This is a waste of time. Trust me there is no one here.”

“Another half hour Shikha. Please.” He kept flicking his gaze to the rear mirror, for a flutter of a dupatta, or a flick of the hair. But it was a barren side road.

The school was a little further up, and not wanting to raise suspicions with the watchman, he had parked further down, yet he was at a vantage point, so anyone going up or down the the school had to pass his vehicle. The road itself was a dead end ahead, with the valley opening out onto the gorge way. The school was in a picturesque setting, nestled between the lush valleys of the majestic Himalayas.

“But why will she be here?” Shikha grumbled again, while Veer was lost to his music.

“Jiju.” She groaned. “Even if she is here…lets go to the local police station and enquire. Yeh kya hai. Like a stalker…I am a politician….if anyone sees me here stalking outside a school. That will be the end of my political career.”

But just then, there was bustle down the end of the road, and Advay sat up straight and glanced at his watch.

It was ten to two.

A trickle of parents started to build around the school, and his hawk like gaze kept scanning them all.

“Right, keep your eyes open,” he hissed.

Another five more minutes passed, with a few more parents now flocking in front of the gates.

While Shikha kept biting into her nails, she reached for the door.

“No,” Advay snapped. “Stay in the car. Let’s wait for the school to finish.”

Blowing the strand of hair off her hair, she leaned back, but Advay kept his unfaltering gaze to the road, to where the buses and the rickshaws were stopping, letting off parents. His fingers continued drumming against his wheel, and his heart continued thumping in his chest.

Soon it would be the moment of truth.

Her voice echoed in his head again. And his eyes welled.

But blinking, he glued his gaze to the mirror.

A rickshaw came to a halt a few feet behind him.

The school bell rang at the same time, and the parents all flooded forward, blocking his view. He shifted, and glanced over his shoulder.

When he turned again to check his rear-view mirror, there, in the corner of his eyes he caught a yellow saree fluttering.

A sigh escaped his lips, and as he leaned back in his chair and kept his gaze to his mirror, he saw her flick her hair at first, and then her sweet smiling face came into his view.

Tears pooled in his eyes.

His heart stopped, then began beating again.

The moment she waved at someone and broke into a broad smile, “Chandini,” a sigh escaped his lips.

And tears finally rolled down his cheeks.

Author’s note

Just when we thought it was all over.

Well, this cliched sequel to Entrapment is for all of my lovely readers.

Its also for my Chandini, and to some extent my Advay too.

Hope you enjoy this journey too, like you have until now. How many chapters? I haven’t decided on a number yet. But this part is for pure indulgence, and why not.

Love Chitra