Chapter-23 Dusk… Basistha Police Station  Via GMC (12th December, Evening)

Sir, do you think, this boy is really a burglar. "I don't know, but the crowd would have killed him. I myself had a tough time in escorting him to my jeep." "Are we going to Thana, Sir?" "No, to G. M. C., the boy is wounded badly, he needs medication. The conversation continued about the miraculous boy and the jeep driver destined for G.M.C. For some time there was total silence inside the jeep.

In fact, the outburst of the crowd, the wounded boy who broke into somebody's house without any intention made the police officers question their profession.

"Sir, the boy is almost my son's age."

"Stop Mr. Kalita, our profession doesn't allow us to be emotional. We still have to enquire the boy after he comes back to his sense."

"Chetri, stop the jeep and bring a cigarette for me and tamul pan for the others. The jeep stopped at a roadside shop.

The Inspector Mr. Baruah chewing the tamul pan had a look at Vastav lying on the back seat. "Chetri, bring the torch" Mr. Baruah peeped inside the back . "Poor fellow, shivering in winter. Kalita, take this boy into the middle seat with us and wrap his body with canvas cloth." As Mr.Kalita pulled Vastav's body, he moved along. "Sir, Sir, he is coming back to sense." "Stop Mr. Kalita, do as I ordered." But Mr. Kalita couldn't stop his inquisitive mind.

"Oi lora,tur ghor kot."(O boy, where is your home)

"Moi nejanu"(I don't know) Chetri started the jeep and headed to G. M. C.

"What's the problem, Sir." Asked a doctor.

"Just check is the wound severe, give him first aid and we will take him to Basistha Thana"…. was  Mr. Baruah's reply.

As Vastav was taken into the doctor's chamber guarded by two constables, Mr.Baruah went outside and lit a cigarette. "Poor fellow, seems to be from a good family,        is he a drug addict?....I wonder." A similar wave of disorderliness was running inside him but being the incharge, he can't show it.

"What is your name; OK,no need," the Doctor inspecting Vastav's body was talking just to keep Vastav awake. He observed the wound on the left side of the head, totally covered with dried blood clots, and cleaned it with spirit. "I thought the wound was deep but it was a light cut and almost healed, amazing!!! Any more problems, young man?"

The Doctor picked up an X-ray report of a skull and asked again, "You didn't reply to my question." " Is the report mine, Sir" "No, it's not yours. "You are totally OK , just need some rest. "Sir, please give me a pain killer, My whole body is paining as if it will blast, and my left knee…..I can't even move."

"OK, but you will have to come again for a whole body checkup." The doctor pushed an injection and left the chamber.

"So, Sir, your man is ready, but I don't think you will have to waste your time for the boy. Just talk with him nicely."

Two constables brought Vastav to the jeep and Mr. Baruah sat on the driver's seat "Chetri, give me the keys, I will drive.

OK Doctor bye, thanks for your help."

The old Mahindra jeep moved along the roads of Guwahati letting more carbon monoxide into the atmosphere. The old Mahindra jeep don't even need a pollution test, after all it's the Police jeep.

Finally, the jeep reached Basistha Police Station. Vasu was still unaware that he was in fact in the grip of law. For the police, Vasu  is a criminal.....the words needs more explanation for Mr. Baruah but for poor Vasu it was still a dilemma. The series of events which occurred the last couple of days was unexplainable, unforeseeable beyond the reach of common man and Vasu was no exception.

12th Night

Vastav looked around with big eyes, trying to sense where he was, but failed. A constable forced him to sit on a bench near the lock-up, but Vasu's hand was still without a handcuff. Darkness crept in slowly and silently and it was almost midnight now. Breaking the eerie silence a jeep entered the Thana campus. The loud noise piqued Vasu's curiosity.

All he can do is just stars at the inspector who came inside like a typhoon dragging a man with him. Vasu tried to stand up from the beech but his left leg swelled showing signs of immobility and extreme pain. He somehow stood up and shouted, "You have no right to harm that man." The inspector raised his brows, came closer to Vasu and asked, "Don't you know who am I?"

Vasu exchanged looks with the inspector fearlessly. He looked at the inspector eye to eye as if he knew everything. "Ya I hope, you are from crime patrol." The inspector surprised at Vasu's behavior asked Mr. Baruah about the stranger.

"A rare and odd case!" The inspector smiled and went out.

After sometime, Vasu's consciousness once again lost into the brink of darkness. For how long, he slept he doesn't know but Vasu woke up suddenly in extreme pain in left knee. Moreover, being human he felt a strong hunger too.

For some unknown cause, he felt a sense of insecurity. The effect was so strong that forced him to plead a constable for something to eat.

Vasu, though for himself was weak but a higher force was governing his life at Present. The constable was forced to provide something for the stranger to fill his belly. The constable gave a strange smile and after Vasu finished the food, pulled him to the lock-up. Vasu didn't protest and went inside believing that it us too easy to bend the lockup rods.

As he entered inside, an internal voice commanded him, "Make this place your own space… be confident, the trail will soon be over." Without thinking much more Vasu put his own identity on the lockup just as an animal, a dog leaves it's own. Some words emerged from the dirty walls….. name of somebody, some cell numbers and many more. Was it the urea, left by Vasu that cleaned the walls chemically or was it some indications for Vasu to escape from the cosmic trap...….still a miracle.

Vasu looked at the words in the walls if the lockup. He tried all what he could make out what they meant.

In fact, a life trapped in the death claws fights with it till the very end.  He shouted for help, pulled the rods of the cell,  but they were much stronger than Vasu ever imagined.

For the police, this was a common scene, criminals pretending as if they are the most pious man in the world.

As Vasu was struggling to come out, an inner struggle arouse within him. Some hazy pictures float in front of him.

"Maa SSS,MaaSSS, I am in trouble, I am in trouble"

Vasu for the first time in his trial period recalled someone who was spiritually closer to him than anybody else. He got a friction of his physical existence got a touch of his mother's aura. He sobbed pathetically but in a different plane where the ethereal laws was creating a path, a path to his refuge, his home.

"Constable, bring the boy out."

"What is your name"

"I don't know Sir, please let me go." "Go where" shouted Mr. Baruah.

"You don't know your name, your home and you want us to let you go? Come on, give me a contact number on which I can inquire about you."

Vasu remained totally numb, his body still shivering with cold.

Finally, Vasu repeated a mobile number several times.

"Whose number is it?"

Vasu still in his  mayic trance, continued repeating the same number. A constable noted the number and passed it to Mr.Baruah. Mr. Baruah dialed the number. It was almost dawn and the person at the other end delayed in receiving the call.

Though seemed a tough Man, Mr.Baruah developed a soft corner for Vasu. He didn't surrendered to fate and took Vasu's case personally. Why? He didn't know. But his experience forced him to believe that Vasu is from a well to do family.