Lost in the Alley….

May 12
NabanitaDhar

It was a dark winter night with the mercury dipping abnormally; the streets wore a deserted look and the fog wrapped the city in a cloak of invisibility. It was quiet; the only sounds were that of the leaking pipes from the old brick buildings on both sides of the alley. It was a long dark alley that ended in a wall on one end and opened up to the road leading to the subway on the other. There were dumpsters for each of the businesses that opened up to it on either side. It was in that part of town where no one would like to be found alone especially at an hour after midnight. But Nishit was there. He stood there at the entrance of the alleyway staring at the wall at the other end. What was he doing there?

Three hours back, at an uptown restaurant in the city, Nishit was dining with a beautiful tall lady, Preeti. She had hazel colored eyes, milky white complexion with black and velvety curly hair upto her waist. Though she was an investment banker, her looks vouched for a career in the show business. Atleast that’s what Nishit told her often.

Nishit had met her on the way to work a year back. He worked at the bank next to Preeti’s workplace. They would take the same bus to office and had become friends during their daily trips to work. Nishit had wanted to ask her out for a long time but every time fell short of words. Finally it was Preeti who asked him for a dinner date figuring if it was left to Nishit; it would take forever to even go for a coffee together.

All Nishit could remember was that they were having a great time, drinking wine and gorging at the best French food in town. Preeti looked gorgeous in an off shoulder knee length bottle green dress with her hair tied up in a bun. He had picked her up; given her a bouquet of her favourite flowers, carnations and driven uptown to the best French Restaurant in Town. They were having a wonderful time; the music in the background and the ambience was awesome. Nishit had planned everything to the smallest detail and it was going just as he had imagined in his head. After dinner as they walked to their car in the basement he remembered hearing the sound of cars screeching to halt. After that it was all blank. No matter how much he tried he couldn’t remember a thing.

He looked behind him but there was no one around. This part of town was unfamiliar to him and he wondered how he had gotten there in the first place. There was no sign of Preeti. His jacket was ripped from one side and he could feel the chill. He felt a little nauseated and light headed too and wondered if it was due to the wine. He looked for his cell phone in his pocket but it wasn’t there. He checked for his wallet; thankfully it was still there. But where was Preeti? How could he not remember anything about getting there in the first place? He didn’t even remember her number as it was stored in his cell phone which was now not with him. He thought of taking the metro from the subway back to his place and try and figure out what had happened.  Or should he go to the police station but then what would he report? A sudden burst of amnesia!

He turned and began to walk towards the subway but suddenly stopped. It seemed like he had noticed something move behind one of the dumpsters. Though he was feeling very cold and hardly had any energy left in him to explore anything, he began to walk towards the dumpster. Perhaps it was Preeti he thought, maybe she needed help. As he slowly approached it with anxiety, there he was lying down by it an injured man in his mid 30s. At first Nishit couldn’t recognize him but he noticed the man was wearing the uniform of the Restaurant that he had been to that night. As the man groaned in pain, Nishit realized he was the one who had been waiting on them.

The man was badly injured and needed immediate medical attention but Nishit didn’t have a phone. He looked around but there was no sign of a public telephone. He couldn’t leave him alone to go search for someone with a phone. He rummaged around the pockets of the waiter for phone and thankfully found one. Immediately he dialed for assistance while the man cried in pain.

Two hours later they were at the hospital, the waiter now in his complete senses though with a fractured leg and an injured forehead.  Evidently Nishit had been doused with a substance that caused temporary memory loss and hence he wasn’t able to recall anything about that night after the restaurant. He had a few bruises but otherwise he was fine. However the waiter whose name by now was known to be John wasn’t doused by the same substance and hence he was the only person who could probably help to make sense of it all.

The police was there too to take their statements. The officer in charge was Inspector Adil, six feet tall, well built and having intense dark eyes. He was dressed in jeans and check shirt with gun holstered to a strap around his chest. He stood there for a moment looking at both John and Nishit as though he was staring directly into their souls. Then he spoke in a heavy voice, a voice enforcing authority and at the same time reassuring them of finding the truth. He wanted to know what they could remember. Anything; even the minute and irrelevant details could be helpful he said.

Nishit narrated whatever he could remember upto the point of reaching the basement parking. Beyond that his guess was as good as anybody else’s! Adil turned to John and thankfully he had more to add. That night after dinner as Nishit and Preeti walked to the basement, John too went there for a smoke as he was off shift. Meanwhile John received a call from his sister and went to the other side of the basement near the exit to speak to her as the signal was weak anywhere else in there. As Nishit and Preeti laughed and talked while walking upto their car suddenly two cars came to screeching halt near them.  Few men alighted from the vehicles and walked up straight to Preeti and Nishit while John stood talking on the phone. They suddenly pulled Preeti towards them, covered her face with a black cloth and tied her hands. As Nishit protested and tried to fight the men, they grabbed him and doused him with some chemical and dumped both of them inside their cars. John realizing what was happening rushed to help the two but there were too many of them and just him alone. They hit him with something on the head and on his legs with rods. The next thing he remembered was waking up in the alley near the dumpster.
Nishit still couldn’t make sense of anything at all. Nishit cursed himself for failing to help Preeti. Where was she? What could have happened to her?

The police let out Preeti’s picture along with the description of the goons and the cars. There had been similar kidnappings around town in the last few months. The police suspected a gang involved in trafficking of women behind all these. They would sell the women to highest bidders in Europe and the Middle East. The police hadn’t been able to catch any serious leads so far and time was running out for the girls that were kidnapped. All the raids and the steps taken by the unit in charge of the investigation had reached dead ends so far.

What would happen to Preeti? Would Nishit be able to come over his guilt of not being able to save her? Would the police be able to save all the girls? Nishit went back to his apartment and sat with a can of beer, contemplating on all the events of the night. He felt useless for not being able to remember anything of importance to the investigation. It was his fault; he had to do something but what? Would Nishit be able to help in the inquiry in some way; would he sit and wait for the police to do their duty or would he find a way to get Preeti back? For the moment there were no answers, everything was dark but again when it is dark enough, it is only then that you can see the stars.

29 thoughts on “Lost in the Alley….”

  1. GOod intense story, but you could do some with character development, you need to make the reader feel bad and sad for Nishit. His sadness is like news to us in NDTV or something. If you add some more intensity, you are in for one of the best story writers out in blogosphere.

  3. The story is really good. A worthy attempt.

    One small suggestion: Instead of the third person narrative style, first person narrative style would have appealed much effectively.

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  11. As always, you are known to leave your readers awaiting for the rest of the story Naba.
    Why does it always have to be a thriller? Would to love to read a romantice melodrama, without the kidnappings, people gone missing, killings and all Naba :). Need not have to be a song and dance sequels 🙂

  13. Some interesting things.

    "Black and velvety curly hair upto waist" – it is so rare these days to have someone with long hair.

    Nishit had a car, works in a bank but goes to office in a bus?

    So what next?

    She was actually some gangster's sister who had come and stayed alone in some apartment? I am sure your readers can't tolerate the thought of a women being violated.

    Look forward to the next part of the story…

  14. Hi Nabanita

    Very nice and kept me hooked till the end.

    This seemed to be of a good size, not too long and thats a plus as per me 🙂

    Eagerly awaiting the next!

  15. I love your stories,but what i don't like is ,that i have to wait for the full one–anxiety is so bad for the heart !!

  16. That was awesome yaar !
    after seeing the size i got scared but really worth reading one and gives a feel of reading a NOVEL 🙂 cheers !

  22. "Black and velvety curly hair upto waist" – it is so rare these days to have someone with long hair. –Really ? Well I and most of my friends have long hair !

    Nishit had a car, works in a bank but goes to office in a bus?– I have a car and I like to take the bus to work ! you shud try it sometimes !

  25. wish I were a publisher- I would have had an excellent client churning out thrillers ever so easily, waiting for Nishit/ preeti ki kahani part 2:)

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