Prologue

I am Naveen Madgula; I am not a good writer and reader. In fact I dont like
reading books. But I want to describe about my journey, the places I visited
during, people I met and the incidents that occurred. So I started writing a book.
My dad worked all over India. Whenever he gets transferred from one place to
another, I used to transfer his luggage from that place. With that reason I got a
chance to visit so many places, across India. The outcome of which is The Perfect
Holiday Story of my Holiday trip
Hope this introduction is good enough to start. My kind request is not to disclose
this story to anyone or share it, or post it on internet; I think you people
understand my intention.
Enjoy the episodes of my story. Don't forgot to give feedback or comments
Naveen Madgula

Episode 1

Platform No: 1
Allahabad Railway Station, Allahabad
Date: June 11th Wednesday 2003

A Little before the arrival of the train, the station is busy place. Wherever you go
you find a crowd of people. In front of the booking office window stands a long
line of passengers who wait for their turn to get tickets. They are pushing one
another to reach the window.
At platform a large number of passengers are waiting for the train. Some of them
are sitting on the benches and others are sitting on the bare ground or on their
own boxes or trunks. Some are going up and down the platform. Every now and
then they look in the direction from which the train is to come. When the
distance signal light is yellow, all feel happy. They are now certain that the train
must come in short time. As soon as they catch sight of the smoke rising from the
engine, they get ready and stand up. Some passengers carry their bundles on
their heads. Some, whose luggage is too heavy to be carried by them, engage
coolies for this purpose.
When the train arrives, all are anxious to get and occupy a seat. The passengers
who want to get down at the station open the doors. Others, who are to get into
the train, try to get into the train. Thus a deadlock is created. After better
counsels take place the in-going passengers make way for the out-going ones and
let them pass.
My Train arrived while I am waiting on platform no: 1. it was already half an hour
late, but I expected that. I had my reservation to Kolkata from Allahabad in 2AC
which is conformed before one hour of my train arrival. I heard stories from
others travelling through. Every one of them mentioned that their train was late;
some, that their ticket booking was not there and they had to rebook. I was

prepared for the worst, but everything seemed okay when I came to station
before 2 hours to conform my ticket.
There seemed to be a people-lock and I could not get through. I pushed a couple
of people out of the way and pulled myself into the train. Once I settled down, I
checked to make sure all my luggage was on board. That was when I realized, my
wallet was missing. That little blockade was for a specific reason, so someone
could swiftly grab my wallet. I had not felt a thing. I will not keep money in my
wallet. Only my driving license and money equivalent to Rs.300 was in the wallet.
I knew I would be more careful next time; after all, I planned to be in Kolkata next
day and 2 days in Jalpaiguri, and somehow knew I would love it. Regardless of
upset tummy, or trains running late, it is an experience no one should miss.
I had been travelling from last 3 days. I came from Hyderabad to Allahabad to
meet my Dad who is working as a project manager who recently came to
Allahabad from Jalpaiguri. I am going to Jalpaiguri to book my dads language to
Allahabad. Meanwhile I planned to visit Darjeeling as it is very near to Jalpaiguri.
I used to travel a lot irrespective of places and languages. With my butler English
and Hindi mixing some Telugu words, I used to manage the communication.
Finally they will understand what I want and I understand what they are telling.
I stowed my suitcase under the aisle berth. The coach was an AC 2 tier, and the
four passengers in the coupe were already in their seats. One of the men, the
younger one, looked a little weird, I thought. His face was a little lopsided, with
the symmetry slightly askew. He had very short, almost crew cut hair.
Not wanting to stare, I put my laptop on the peg above my berth, and settled
down. I then pulled out my mobile phone and dialed my dads number to give him
status.
While I was on the phone, well built young men came in and plunked on my seat.
Asking my dad to hold the line, I looked inquiringly at them. One of them pointed
to the berth above mine, signaling that it was his. I nodded and went back to my
conversation.

Within few minutes the train started, leaving platform. Train journeys had always
been my favorite. The passing landscapes, the whistle of the train and the rush of
air-all filled me with a feeling of freedom. I always avoid AC coaches as hell- they
might be comfortable; but they took away the exhilaration of being on the
journey. This journey was more than twelve hours long. So my dad booked 2 AC
for my comfort. I dont have habit of reading novels while traveling. The train was
now moving quite fast. The first thing that impressed me was the beauty of the
landscape. There were green valleys. Tropical plants could be seen everywhere. In
certain places there was tall grass. All this reminded me of the geography lessons.
Inside the train, everything was interesting. Some restless passengers moved
about aimlessly and their restlessness was amusing. Some were sleeping with
their mouths wide open. Others were reading magazines and newspapers.
Occasionally, the ticket-checker passed by.
Life is a continuous journey. Some journeys are short and some long. Some
journeys are sweet and pleasant while some are sour. Some journeys are too
memorable to be erased by the sands of time. I had one such experience. The
memory of this journey continues to flicker, on and on, in my mind even after
several years that was when I meet my co-passengers and stories which they told
to me.
It is around 12:00pm and I completed my lunch. We exchanged our identities;
Omble is one of my co-passengers travelling to Kolkata. He is working as ASI in
Gokhale Road Police Station in Kolkata. We started discussing on general affair
etc... Then he told a very interesting story which he came across. Here it goes

The Plan
Are you sure what we are going to do is right? Zoya asked.
Zoya, Im not sure of what we did till now is right but what we are about to do is
absolutely the biggest mistake in our lives Dev replied
After all, what they are going to do would change the course of their lives.
Where are we going after this? asked Zoya
Sweden is our destination. Dont ask me why. But I assure you that it is a safer
place said Dev
Dev had rightly picked his spot. Sweden is not listed on Interpol and it is not
having any kind of criminal exchange program with India. So it would be a safer
place for them even if they are caught. They would still remain alive in Sweden.
I think we are risking our lives a lot said Zoya
I dont think. I believe that a life without risk is not worth living. Dev said
Fear has a face and I see it in your face. Let me tell you one thing we are in the
process of building our lives and I dont want to hear any queries from now on.
Okay Dev.
Its five o clock in the morning. They didnt keep a track of it as it was an endless
conversation. Dev quickly checked the clock and realized that it is time to say
good bye to her. He booked her for only six hours. And the company is very strict
of the timings it provides to the customers
Im leaving now and will be back tomorrow evening. Dont think much about it
He kissed her and left in a jiffy wearing his pajamas.

Zoya was alone in the room, laid on bed thinking of how their destinies are
dragged to Sweden. She quickly fell asleep. Her business is only at the darkest
hours of the day.

Who is Dev?

Is this what you call work? The Manager was furious and raging all over Dev.
Let me brief you on one thing. Working here is not a joke and we need high
quality work personnel
Dev was cautiously listening to what he was barking at. Hes mute when the
manager was yelling at him, as usual
If you want to earn some shillings so that you can buy some bread to survive, do
the work the way it is supposed to be done, else theres always an exit sign
corresponding to an entry board
The whole office was watching the movie and waiting for Dev to recite his
dialogues Dev hesitated to reply first but after twenty-two minutes, Dev spoke.
His first and last words were
Sorry
There was a deafening silence and the manager retraced back his steps to the
cabin.
A vicious smile spread across the face of Dev and he fled away without answering
anybodys questions.
Six months back he joined the company after he did his majors in Economics at
the Indian Institute of Statistics, Kolkata. He was a mediocre student and finished
his course with his sub-juniors.
On the whole it took him four years to earn an exit pass from the academy. The
reputed firm, in which the manager yells like a dog, holds a variety of clientele
including bureaucrats, businessmen, politicians, and etcetera. All are well known
in the communist part of the sub-continent.

F.I.R
The streets were stinky with the smell of fish. Hawkers were selling raw fish on
the busy streets of Kolkata at discounted prices.
It was a busy day and a Sunday.
When everyone was enjoying with their wives watching TV, the Khaki dressed
Public servants were playing a deck of cards with the cons in the cell at the
Gokhale Road police station.
I need to register an FIR said Mr. Gupta
Is your wife lost? Vehicle lost? Children kidnapped? Cell phone lost? House
burgled? the ASI fired a round of questions
My bank account was hacked and all the amount to the last digit were wired to
another bank account, said the stranger
Did you check with the bank officials?
The banks were all shutdown as it is a Sunday and there is no chance to find out
what happened
I fear you entered the wrong place. You should go to the Cyber and Forensic
Department at the Mukherjee Road. Hope it will be open on Sundays
Mean while the in-charge officer of the police station, Pandey walked into the
conversation
Good morning Mr.Gupta, Pandey greeted.
Mr.Gupta was the ex-chief justice of the Kolkata High court.
Mr.Gupta, I just drove my way from Gokhale Road and happened to see that
there are eight similar cases including yours, filed today

File an FIR here and I will get it handed over there

Dont know how it happened. When I tried to swipe my debit card at a store this
morning, horrified to learnt that I was broke down
Dont worry Mr.Gupta. We will give our best possible shot in this case. We have
seven other persons like you. All are well known faces in the town. Even the
Mayor filed an FIR
Ill drop a call as soon as I have an update
Thank you Mr.Pandey. And he left
Omble, the ASI collected the FIR details and handed over to Pandey
Pandey wondered if the day is going to be a busy long day like any other. He
pondered over the case for a few minutes and left for the Cyber department
leaving Omble in charge of the station
It was quarter past nine in the evening and theres not much traffic at that part of
the day.
All of a sudden eight cars rammed in front of the Police Commissioner Office.
Gentlemen, we made some remarkable progress in this case and I believe that
we got two leads in this case, said the commissioner
All of you are present here to identify the suspects
Where are they? Eight voices echoed the same sound.
They were caught in the act on the video. We need to clarify some things before
proceeding further
Lights off
Play the video, said the commissioner

This is suspect one. Does anyone know him? , the commissioner paused
No one replied.
He then continued, Today after receiving your complaints we sent a special-ops
team to get hold of your bank account details and transactions.
What we found out is pretty interesting. All your money is transferred to four
bank accounts bearing the same name SAVE THE CHILD CAMPAIGN in different
banks. The money was transferred around 11 am yesterday.
All the money is withdrawn around 12 PM -1 PM yesterday and the accounts
were closed at that moment All were cautiously listening.
We are unable to get video footage of yesterdays bank CC TV transactions but
this guy in the picture is common among the video footage of June-20 in all the
four banks. The same day these bank accounts were opened in all those banks.
And the branch managers confirmed that this guy is the one who opened these
organizational accounts
And this is suspect two A picture showing a lady popped up the screen
One of your credit cards was used at the shopping mall yesterday. The CC TV
footage at the billing counter showed this girl
Does anybody happen to know her or meet her?
Silence still ruled the room. None except the commissioners voice is being heard
in the room.
Okay Gentlemen, then we have to trace out the couple and probably in the next
48 hours, will try to wind up the puzzle
All the eight persons stepped out of the room and were heading for their cars.
His name is Dev, said the mayor
Yes, I too know him someone shouted from the back

And she is a slut said Mr.Gupta

Zoya! What kind of a whore she is? Never thought that she can do these kinds of
things said the Mayor
Mayor, why didnt you tell the commissioner about these muggers? someone
from the front questioned
I dont want the newspapers hit with flashing headlines like MAYOR SLEPT WITH
A SLUT. Everyone needs a clean image right?
Everyone agreed with what the mayor said and everyone slept with her.
That guy Dev can separate my white money from the black ones. So I need to
stay calm at the meeting said Mr.Gupta
Mine too said everyone
They were all trapped and robbed. Yet they couldnt take action against the
culprits Dev and Zoya legally.

Who is Zoya?
Where did you get her?
Someone sold her for a mere twenty thousand at Andhra-Karnataka border
Shes definitely worth even more than that. Look at her, she would bring us
millions. Move her to the new comers room said Munna
The men moved the unconscious body lying on the floor to the corner room on
the second floor.
She was brought to Sonaganj, the busiest night place in Kolkata. Its often
compared to Sin city of Paris
Munna owns the PLEASURE PALACE at this place. It was established even before
Dandi march started. It houses few of the finest women and has prominent client
database.
Give her some food, Groom her and make her a beautiful woman said Munna.
Zoya was brutally beaten to death when she tried to escape in her initial stay.
Months after she learnt that theres no escape from that part of hell
Munna calls her Gudiya, for she is a precious doll to him. She was a kind of show
stopper to his business

Action Plan
Darling, do you love me? Zoya whispered in his ears
If love is a feeling of getting laid with some bitch, then right now at this moment
Im in love with you, Dev said
They both made love for a while and he went to the desk, grabbed a few papers
and showed them to her.
How many of these men do you know?
Zoya carefully went through the faces in the papers
I knew some of them but not all. They are my regular customers and they come
here for business like you and she grinned
Thats good. How often do they come here?
I sleep with them once in every fort night
How did you get hold of the details of these men asked Zoya
These are my clients as well. I work for them. I did some auditing work for these
gentlemen
Now, what do you want me to do?
I have a plan. I will discuss with you next time in detail and they both slept
Dev is an orphan and works for the auditing firm. He almost had contact with
every prominent face in the city. He is a regular customer at the PLEASURE
PALACE and books only Zoya.

The auditing firm is a window through which these gentlemen convert their blackcolored currency notes into white.
It was ten O clock in the morning the next day and Zoya was trying to feel Dev
beside her. She opened her eyes and caught Dev hurriedly moving out of the
room. It was too late for his office.
That day a cyclone hit the coast of Bay of Bengal and heavy rains lashed the city. A
transformer at the Sonaganj Street blew up and there was power shut down
everywhere Dev sneaked into Zoyas room with a candle. It was raining outside by
the time he reached the palace. She recognized him and handed over a towel
Forget that. Come sit down. We need to discuss
Dev is planning for the dirtiest thing at the darkest hour in the city. He handed her
two devices
What are these things?
These are cloning devices. One is a SIM-card cloner and another is a credit card
cloner
What do I need to do with these?
You remember those eight persons I showed you last time
I do. Those are the faces I can never forget
Next time when you sleep with these men, I want their cell phones in their
pockets and the plastic money in their wallets to be cloned
Use this drug. They will take a short nap so that you can finish off your business
That sounds good. I will mix it in the drink. But what are we going to... she was
suddenly interrupted
Get me only the original SIMs and insert the cloned SIMs in their mobile

And one more important thing, you need to bar these numbers from their cell
phones and he gave a list of phone numbers corresponding to every person
Do what I say and we will be filthy rich. Dont get into too much detail. Just get
me what I asked said Dev and left
Zoya secured those devices and wondered what Dev is up to. She relied on him
and knows that what they are trying to do is extremely dangerous
After two months, Dev returned back to her
You got all I want?
Yes, a bunch of SIMs and a lot of credit cards
Now, tell me what you are trying to do with these things
Did you bar those numbers from their cell phones?
Yes, I did
He quickly took one of the SIM card and pushed into his phone and made a call
and activated the speaker phone. He is using the Mayors SIM card
Good evening, welcome to Citi bank customer support said the IVRS
To continue in English dial One, dial two for Hindi Dev quickly pressed one
For credit card or bank account details dial one, to report loss of card dial two, to
know the status of your credit card application dial three
To speak with our customer care executive dial nine
Dev pressed nine and his call was on hold for some time. Mean while he got the
account number of the Mayors. He had every detail of those eight men like their
e-mail ids, Account details, and Date of Births etcetera as he worked for them.

How can I assist you sir?

I lost my Internet banking password and I need it urgently
Can you confirm your TPIN sir or can you confirm your account number and date
of birth?
I dont have my TPIN handy but my account number is 4278631089 and my Date
of Birth is 14-08-1958
That does match with our data base sir and your password will be mailed in the
next twenty four hours or so
Thank you Dev said and hung up the phone
Got any idea of what Im trying to do? Dev asked Zoya
Yes. But how can you access their e-mail accounts?
Theres a friend of mine. I would lure him to hack eight e-mail accounts for me.
In return I will be giving him one of the privilege-credit card numbers you got
Thats fine. Whats this privilege credit card
He can scratch up to 10 million using this card. I think all these gentle men own
such type of cards
Why did you ask me to bar some numbers in their mobiles asked Zoya
They wont receive any telephonic-updates and SMS-updates of the ongoing
bank transactions from now on as you barred those numbers
Even if any bank official makes him a call, I will disconnect it as I will be
monitoring all their calls, because the SIM cards you are carrying are Parent SIMs.
The parent SIM first receives the call before reaching the child SIM
Dev took the credit cards and checked them.

These could earn us a lot. Most of them are privilege cards. I will carry some of
these
Tomorrow morning shop as much as you can. Jewels, Clothes, Accessories
anything you want with these credit cards. Use them to the full extent
What will you do tomorrow?
Tonight I will transfer all the money in their accounts to my account once I got
their IPINs. As it will be same bank transfer it will be finished in a couple of
minutes
Dev opened four accounts in different banks with the same name, three months
back. All the gentlemen contain their accounts in those four banks only
Tomorrow I will withdraw the amount and close the accounts
Remember to purchase more gold and we will not be carrying it. I know a guy
Tinto, in exchange of goods and money he gives us an equal amount of foreign
currency
Can we believe him?
You dont need to worry. Everything will be worked out as per plan
Are you sure what we are going to do is right?
How much is the stake? asked Tinto
Fifty in Cash, ten in Gold and a few branded cars and I want it in Sweden replied
Dev
My man will receive you at the Sweden airport and here is the bank account with
ten million Euros. Check before you leave. And here are the flight tickets for
Sweden tomorrow

Dev checked the account details and took leave from Tinto
It was a busy day and Sunday
Dev and Zoya were waiting for the flight and it got delayed by half-an-hour
I dont know how Munna agreed to send me with you?
The Mayor gave two Mercedes cars to Munna said Dev
What? Zoya was dumb-struck on listening this
Dont worry. I purchased some cars with Mayors credit card and gave it to him
Zoya smiled and the flight took off
When the commissioner was discussing with the eight Gentlemen, Zoya and Dev
were in the flight

Next Day
Where are they now? asked Pandey
They boarded a flight to Sweden yesterday sir. Their names were in the check-in
list and they were caught in the CC TV camera at the airport too
Sir, I dont understand why all these men cancelled their FIRs asked Omble
Even I too dont know replied Pandey
When Lord Mountbatten looted India and enjoying his holidays in London, did
anybody filed an FIR against him?
No sir
When all the projects are on paper and paisa in the pockets of ministers, did
anybody booked a case against them?
No sir
Leave this as such. Dont think much about this Omble said Pandey
The head constable hurried into the room and said Those two suspects Dev and
Zoya Swere married two years ago. Both of them are from Andhra
Omble was shocked on hearing this

Two Years Before

The door bell ringed. An old looking man opened the door. He is very fragile with
broken glasses
Good evening sir, Here is my wedding invitation. It would be a pleasure if you
grace the occasion.
But how do you ... the old man was searching for words
You taught us Maths sir when I was eight. Im Devendra Reddy, one of your
favorite students
Thats so nice of you. I will definitely try to come if my health permits The young
man left the house and the Maths teacher read the wedding invitation adjusting
his glasses
KATTASANI DEVENDRA REDDY weds GANGULA MADHU
21st SEPTEMBER 2001, VEERAREDDYPALEM
Devendra just returned to his home place after finishing off his course at Kolkata.
Its been almost a decade since he left the place. His family was one of the richest
families in that village. As soon as he arrived, he was shocked to see that
preparations were under way for his marriage.
Son, I think you can understand. Mahinder Reddy was a serious contender for
the coming elections and if you marry Madhu, his father Suresh pledged his entire
caste support to me his father said
Devendra Reddy didnt have a look at the bride and his marriage was fixed in
another two days
Okay father and he left the place
Finally the occasion had arrived. The Maths teacher could not make it to the
party as he fell sick.

Both the brides face and grooms were covered and they were not permitted to
see each others faces until the groom tied the sacred thread around her neck. Its
a part of their custom.
The Muhurat has arrived and Devendra started to tie the sacred thread around
Madhus neck.
The celebrations were filled with huge pomp and splendor as they were the
wealthiest families in that part of the land.
Suddenly Mahinder Reddy attacked the place with almost two dozen men. They
started killing every individual irrespective of gender, age. After two hours of
brutal killing Devendra was the sole survivor with his nose punctured, broken rib
cage and a fractured leg. He made no attempt to search for Madhu as he couldnt
recognize her.
What he remembered was there was a mole around the neck of Madhu, which he
saw while tying the second knot. He didnt even tie the third knot and Mahinder
attacked with his men. He thought she was dead
Madhu was kidnapped by Mahinder Reddys men and sold to Munna. With all her
family killed in the ghastly incident, she lost all hope and became the GUDIYA for
Munna

Next Day in Sweden

Will you marry me? asked Dev
They reached a Hindu temple in the northern part of Sweden, four hours after
they landed in Sweden. They managed to buy some garlands and the necessary
stuff for a marriage as per Hindu rituals
The priest was chanting mantras and Dev tied the sacred thread around her neck.
He saw mole around the neck while tying the knot.
Tell me your real name said Dev
Madhu
He was shocked by hearing her name. He remembered the entire incident
happened 2 years before. This time he tied the third knot properly.
Omble completed the story, all passenger are listening to him seriously. Then he
continued, everything happens for a reason, nothing happens by chance or by
means of good luck. Illness, injury, love, lost moments of true greatness and sheer
stupidity all occur to test the limits of your soul. Without these small tests, life
would be like a smoothly paved, straight, flat road to nowhere, safe and
comfortable but dull and utterly pointless.
Yes, in this story Dev and Madhu finally met each other irrespective of their
journey. Hope they will have wonderful life from here onwards.

Train stops in a station for crossing. It is waiting for next train which is
arriving from the opposite side. Group vendors curtail some of them by shifting to
the other platform. They perhaps assess that the remaining few customers can be
looked after by a few fix shops or big trolley vendors.
Red-shirt coolies also shift their waiting spot to the next train. The eatable carrier
vendors start moving toward their point to sell products. In the same way, station
porters in red shirts stand on the door points of the coaches. The train steams in
and incoming passengers block the passage and passenger, who are to alight, find
it difficult to alight. Goods are handed over through windows. There is cracking
noise of vendors and the compartment children, who are struggling for going out.
I am looking through the window thinking about Dev and Madhu. Life is just like
our journey; Both Dev and Madhu are from good family. Fate made them to travel
in different directions and finally meet each other. People come into your life for
a reason. Sometimes they walk away, sometimes they act up and sometime they
force you to take stand.
One family in our coupe got down in that station. We got a new co-passenger
who is going to travel with us. Her father came to drop her and was giving lecture
and precautions on how to deal with strangers while travelling. The scene is very
funny I and Omble laughing at them. She came and occupied the seat that was
exactly opposite to me. We just kept quiet.
She looks like a Brahmin girl. By seeing her toe ring, I thought she must be
married. After 5 minutes train started, we are talking about some topic. She got
out her book and started to read.
Omble asked her What is your name? Where are you going?
She saw him and told Meenu Meenakshi going to Kolkata. I came here to visit
my father and going to visit Kolkata for office purpose.
I think your father loves you a lot. Thats why he is giving lecture and precautions
on dealing with strangers and travel.

Yes, he loves me. But giving lecture and precautions is not for that. It is for some
other reason.
By saying this, she started telling about an incident happened to her recently

Her eyes remind me of someone very close, she said to herself.

The lady sitting beside her, had face totally covered by a scarf except for the eyes
otherwise show would have been an Egyptian mummy.
Even now she looks like a trained Taliban roaming on the streets of Hi-tec city.
Meenu!!! she shouted suddenly after carefully looking at her i-card on which
there are bold letters of her name, Meenakshi.
Meenakshi got astonished. Before she could guess who the lady beside her was,
she was already taking her scarf.
Now its Meenakshis turn, Siri!! she exclaimed in a loud tone of joy and she too
started to take of her scraf.
So surpised to see you like this, said siri.
You mean in the scarf? Meenu said and laughed
Its been almost..
Sorry couldnt make it to your marriage last month, Meenu cut through siris
words in an apologizing tone.
Hey! No problem. But it was a great fun with our batch meeting for the first time
in an year, for my marriage said siri.
Hmmm missed the fun. I should have made it to the occasion, but stuck with
some other issues replied Meenu.
Heard you are working in pune. When did you move here? asked siri
About two months back, moved to KPHB said Meenu
Where in KPHB, I live in the same area asked siri in an inquisitive tone like most
girls have
Meenu paused a bit and said 9th phase. Near the siva temple

Yeah. I remember that. I used to come every Monday siri replied and laughed
So, which company do u work? Meenu asked
Working as an analyst in Dell. Previously worked for JP Morgan: her tone was
rather upbeat. It reflects a sense of pride, working at dell. What she doesnt know
is all the software companies fall in the same category of shit.
And you work in TCS right asked siri,
Yeah. How do you know? Meenu was baffled for a second.
That was there on you i-card along with your name and siri laughed
Oh! I forgot to remove it saying that she removed her i-card
My husband also works for the same company. Its because of him I got posted
here Meenu said
Husband ! siri exclaimed When did you get married? I thought my marriage
was the first of our batch
Three months back. So you eyed my i-card but missed the sacred golden string
on my neck. Thought you had a glance of it Meenu replied placing her i-card in
her pouch
So, who is it? Anand? Asked siri
Nope was the reply
Then it should be definitely Ajai said siri
No. Its simply Jai Meenu said
Who is he then? I dont know you have a boy friend with this name siri asked
Finally I settled for arranged marriage, dumped both of them was the reply
from Meenu in rather a heavy tone

Thats okay. Justice cant be done by marrying both said siri in a grieving tone
and laughed.
Enough of jokes. Hows your life? asked Meenu
Doing well. What about yours? Hope you are having good romance in office with
your husband at work.
Nope. Though we work in the same office, we have different shifts. Mine is
morning and he works late nights said Meenu
Siri was looking out of the auto but paid a good ear to what Meenu was saying
And the hardest truth to digest is, we are yet to plan for our honeymoon Meenu
said in low voice
Thats terrible siri turned and replied
Even my husband will have night shift in three months. I know its difficult to
sleep alone for a newly-wed said siri
Yeah. That too I live with my husband only. Nobody will be available at home to
talk cried Meenu
Even I have the same situation at home. Its a worst feeling at the corner of heart
said siri looking out of the auto again.
By the way what your husband do
Siri broke the tone of Meenu auto stop here by commending the drive.
Meenu, I need to get down give me your number said siri in a hurried tone
Siri noted the number on her mobile and said, I will message you my address. Its
not too distance from here. You should come with your husband for lunch this
weekend.
Yeah will try. Meenu replied and the voice faded as auto went past siri.
And so ended the conversation in the auto.

Few minutes later, Meenu got down and walked back lazily to her home at the
corner of the street. She was pondering of what point of the night her husband
finds his way back home.
As Meenu passed by, she noticed that neighbors were not yet home from their
vacation, by glancing at the un-picked newspaper laying at their gate.
Meenu entered the home. Took a short nap and called her husband. He didnt lift
the phone. Still thinking of when her husband returns and what to prepare for
dinner, Meenu got undressed and went for shower.
Twenty minutes later she was busy in the kitchen preparing aloo parata, as it is
her husbands favorite dish and the door bell rang. Meenu quickly washed her
hands and attend the person on the other side of the door.
A man barged in suddenly and quickly dragged her into kitchen. Meenu remained
mute as she is in a state of trance, not knowing what is happening.
The stranger took a knife in the kitchen closet and held it close and firm against
her neck.
If at all you open your bloody mouth and shout, you will taste sharpness of this
knife said the stranger
Please dont rape me said Meenu in a shrill voice
Im not here for such sort of dirty business saying that he dragged her into the
balcony, pulled the nylon rope used for drying clothes and tied her to a chair in
the hall
Lady, it would be good, if you assist me in robbing this house said the stranger
and closed the door
Hope you know that this is the corner house and your neighbors are off. The
only person who can hear you is 200 meters away. So keep your voice low as it is
of no use in shouting said the stranger in a soft tone.
Now lets talk business. Where are the locker keys? Asked the stranger

Hey! I have seen you somewhere shouted Meenu

Madam, please keep your voice low. Otherwise this sharp piece of steel will get
stuck in your stomach said the stranger as he searches the house.
Arent you the man who was in the auto plugged to the i-pod, sitting beside us
asked Meenu
Brilliant! Unlike other girls, you surely got a good piece of machine on top of
your shoulder. Now where are the keys? replied the stranger
They are in my handbag Meenu said, showing him where her pouch is
Unfortunately the battery in my i-pod is dead and I listened to your music
instead, in the auto said the stranger
Then you completely followed our conversation asked Meenu in a terrified tone
Yeah, from the very beginning. Night shift, newlywed, living alone and all that
answered stranger as he got the pouch in his hands and started to grope for the
keys
Im completely lost cried Meenu
Dont worry. Im just here to rob. Let me finish off my duty said the stranger as
he picked the keys and cell phone
Galaxy S. This phone is smooth as silk. It should definitely cost you more said
stranger.
Yeah. Its wedding gift from my husband replied Meenu
Where did he buy this? asked stranger
He brought it here itself from local store replied Meenu
Next time ask him to buy at flipkart.com. It would save him at least 5%. This time
Im taking this. Said the stranger and laughed

Hey! You got two messages. Let me read them for you saying that he started to
read
Sorry Honey. Was in a meeting. I will be late tonight. Will come around 3 read
out the stranger
Meenus face became dull. She hoped her husband might come but here came
that stranger to rob her house
3 A.M I got plenty of time to play in this house said the stranger in a joyful tone
Please dont rape me Meenu said again
Honey even if you have mood to play dirty games with me I dont have, I have
my wife and kids waiting for dinner said the stranger as he went into the kitchen
Nice dish. Parata one of my favourites Exclaimed the stranger as he started to
eat it
Girls talk too much unnecessary stuff than required and get into these kinds of
trouble continued the stranger
By the way how did you find my house? Questioned Meenu
Honey. You were too busy texting Ajai or Anand that you didnt even notice who
was at the back of you while walking the stranger replied
Meenus face became even pale and started crying as she was not aware who was
following her back in the dark
honey . Please stay quiet. I will finish my job and leave in few minutes he said as
he washed his hands leaving the parata on the dining table after tasting it.
Meenu was looking helplessly as the stranger went inside the bedroom and
brought all the valuable stuff
You should definitely get a locker at the nearest bank. Otherwise idiots like me
will rip this place off said the stranger as he started to search for a bag.

He found a laptop bag lying on the couch. As he started to arrange the loot in the
bag he said As you are newlywed Im lucky to find this much amount of gold.
Otherwise it would have been a waste of time definitely
Wait a second Wait a second. If this is a laptop bag then wheres the laptop he
said to himself and the next moment his eyes were laid on the laptop in the bed
room.
Ah there it is! he exclaimed happily and went near it.
Please dont take the laptop. It is company property begged Meenu
Then you are lucky. Your company will definitely have theft-insurance against it
said the stranger and moved out of the house with all his things
Meenu was sitting there alone, tied to the chair and waiting for her husband to
show up
An hour later, her husband entered the house finding the door unlocked, his wife
fully tied with rope and a half eaten aloo parata on the table
Three months later her friend siri also got robbed by the same guy. He was
thankful for the message left in Meenu phone (Yeah, the second message the
stranger didnt read it out to Meenu was the message siri texted her, her address
).
Eavesdropping is a crime and can lead to a crime. So please dont talk
unnecessary stuff while travelling that is why father telling me so many
precautions while I am travelling.
As her story ends train stops in Mughal Sari Junction. It will halt more than 30
minutes here and it is dinner stay. I got this information from Omble told about
this. I got down train to get something for my dinner.
MughalSarai, the Railway Station is one of the busiest railway junctions in India.
Almost all trains from the East and North East touch this station. It is important
railway junction of Indian railways. Once, it enjoyed the position of the largest

railway marshalling yard of Asia. Mughalsarai is most famous for its railway yard
and its railway colonies.
Once I got down the train, I heard the strident metallic voice of the female
announcer followed by three loud unmusical beeps closing her announcement.
The intermittent announcements and the ectophonic beeps, the voice of the chaiwallas, the collective noise of people talking, arguing, spitting, eating, tasting,
discussing created an auditory spectrum that was saturated by the imminent,
inescapable noise of approaching trains, the rattle of their serpentine bodies,
their loud hisses. The platform was a world in itself, a microcosm of India as it
stands today: the potpourri of numerous cultures, languages, cuisines, influences
and many more mixed to perfection.
The best way to pass time is eating I suppose. And moreover its difficult to ignore
tasty stuff. So I bought 2 plates of bread omelet along with juice and water.
Train started slowly crossing the platform. Train crew distributed pillows, bed
sheets and blankets. I made sure I had a complete set and immediately spread the
bed sheet. I marked my territory. After sometime I went into deep sleep.

It was a cold breezy night .The streets wore a deserted look as the clock just
tipped 2 O' clock in the morning.
She was just returning to her apartment after a late night report. That morning
she had a brief scuffle with her manager. She was actually running from fear. Four
shadows were chasing her from the back.
"Help!" she shouted
"Anybody Please help me" her voice hit harder this time. Anxiety crept over her
face and it echoed in her voice.
Nobody was seen on the road except four men who were chasing her. They were
complete strangers to her. On seeing them following her, she listened to her legs
and started to ran
All of a sudden she stopped abruptly and said to herself
"Wait a second. I suppose this is a dream"
The four shadows following her disappeared
She woke up as the alarm rang and the dream ended. It was the same dream
playing in her mind with her every night since three months.
It was 6 O' clock in the morning. She prepared coffee for herself and sat reading
the newspaper. She laughed quietly when she looked at the photo in the
newspaper. The credit to the photo taken by her was given to another guy.
"Look, this photo has no life in it" he said
"I do agree" She replied to her manager
"It is a dead body. So it bears no life"
The manager grinned and said "Then its fine"
She works as an accident coverage reporter for popular news daily. She covered
every part of the city as part of her news coverage.

It is too chill to step out of the office. She was alone returning to her apartment
after finishing her days work. Her parents died in a flight accident two years ago
and she was living alone since then
Suddenly she stopped in front of a building. It is not a dream but it was the same
building she saw in her dreams. She went inside the building to unravel the
mystery in her mind
It was very dark inside. She groped for the switch along the walls and turned on
the light.
The room is almost empty except for a person tied to a chair in the corner of the
room. He was badly bruised and seems to be unconscious.
She hid herself behind the curtains as she heard heavy footsteps enter the room.
She heard no dialogue but two shots of fire and the man fell to death
immediately.
She shot the scene of crime with her camera. The flash was on. It was the only
mistake she did
"Catch her" a heavy voice with a typical British accent commanded.
She jumped off the window and the men started to follow her back
"Help!" she shouted.
"Anybody .Please help me" her voice hit harder this time. Anxiety crept over her
face and it echoed in her voice. Nobody was seen on the road except four men
who were chasing her.
"May be this is what they call realizing one's dream" she said to herself
All of a sudden a cab stopped in front of her. She dashed the car and fell on the
road
"Come on. Get in quickly" the man said

She had no other thoughts in her mind and followed his words. She was gasping
heavily and trying to ask him a question
"Don't worry. You need not suspect me. I'm here to help you". The words reduced
her anxiety.
"I think we are safe. They cannot follow us anymore." She said
"Yeah We out ran them"
"How do you know me?"
"Actually, how did you save me?"
"How come you did arrive at the same place at the right time?"
A series of questions were fired to the cab driver
"My dream starts here" was the reply from cab driver.
She was dumb, fell short of words and remained mute for the next twentyminutes
"This is my apartment. Think you will be safe here tonight" said the cab driver
"Thanks for saving my life" she said. Her voice was lazy. She was tired and almost
sleepy.
"You can sleep in that room" saying that he slept on the couch in the living room

"Would you like to have some tea or coffee" She asked

He just woke up and looked at his watch. It was seven O' Clock in the morning
"Coffee would be good" he replied
She was preparing coffee in the kitchen
"What do you do?" she asked from the kitchen
"I'm a cab driver by profession" he shouted
"Are you married?"
"By God's grace, was married once" he replied seeing her carry a pot of coffee
She gave him his share of the coffee she prepared
"I don't see your wife here"
"I left her"
"Got separated?"
"I left her when I saw her with my friend on my bed"
"That's it. Simply left her?"
"I left her dead"
The police arrested my friend suspecting that he killed my wife. His finger prints
were all over the room. I bribed the officers and he was behind the bars for what I
did. He deserves it.
"What do you do?" he asked
"I'm a journalist. An accident coverage reporter"
"Where do you live?"
"I live with my parents in Bandra" she lied like any other beautiful girl

"Tell me about your dream" he asked

She narrated the whole story to him and she showed him the pictures she took
"What shall we do now?"
"The pictures were amazing. Get some life into it" he replied
"What?" she was dazzled by that reply?
Process them using Photoshop or some crap image editing softwares and bring
some life into the dead man lying in your camera. Make him look alive
"What's your dream about" she questioned
"You will see my dream turn into reality in few days" he replied
"Are you sure of what the connection is there in between us?"
"We don't share common interest but we do share common dream" he replied
"I know it's confusing but the reality is my dream started where your dream
ended"
"So is it like a dream split into two halves and the first half sits in my mind and the
latter half playing in your mind?"
"You almost got it. I don't say it's two but it can be anything"
I don't know how many people are linked in this dream. But what we need to do
at this moment is to just simply follow my dream
What if we break this dream?"
"I wouldn't break it. The picture you took would fetch us millions. That is what I
dreamed about all these days"
"I want you to stay here for a few days till things get settled"

After 2 days one early morning doorbell rang. She opened the door and picked up
the newspaper
"Have you seen this?" she asked in an astonishing tone. She was carrying
newspaper in her hand
"What is it?"
On the front page of the newspaper was a photograph of the same person she
saw being murdered two nights ago, with a big heading MISSING
"I gave the ad in every newspaper. It is the same photo you edited last night" he
said.
She was astonished to hear his reply
"Why would you do such sort of thing? Is that your phone number here? "
"Yes. Now we can make contact with the men who killed that guy. We can
negotiate for money"
"It's too dangerous"
"Anything that involves money is dangerous and difficult" he said
His phone rang and he picked up the call
"Your guy is at the SVM mall now. I can hold him for some time if you want" said
the person who called
"Please be there. I'm on my way and will be there in few minutes" he said and
hung up the phone
"Don't know how crazy people are these days. This guy was murdered and people
say they saw him. Everyone lives and lies for money" he said
They got a series of such calls in the next two hours until it ended with the right
call

"How much do you want?" the other voice said. It was the same voice with typical
British accent
"I need five cores sealed in a plastic bag, dropped at the 80 kmph sign on the
Mumbai - Worli Bridge in 30 minutes"
"We will drop off all the proofs, the photos and the camera at the same place"
"Don't try to be too smart in this. You will get what you need. Never try to use the
thing in your head" he disconnected.
"We got to hurry now" he said to her and they left the place in the next moment

"Do you think they are following us?"

"The deal is done. We gave them what they want and I got what I dreamed" he
said, looking at the sealed cover in the back seat of his cab
"Where do you want me to drop? Take your share of money" He asked her
"I'll come with you" she said
"What about your parents?"
"I lied. They died two years ago"
He drove as fast he can on the Pune express high way
"I think they are not behind us" he assured himself
"Take the left at the corner. It's a shorter route and we will save some time" she
said
He followed her advice and drove on that way
"Seems that this road is not used quite often" saying that he stopped the car as
the tier got punctured
"Come. Let's go to the building over there and find some men to repair my car"
"Don't forget to bring the money in the back seat" saying this he started walking
She carried the cover and followed him
The place looked deserted and they stepped into the building, finding it almost
empty and dark
A series of gun shots were fired at them. Before knowing what is happening, they
were shocked to see that they are lying in a pool of blood
"The dream finally ends here" said a voice
She recognized it. It was the same voice with the typical British accent

When the man came into light, they both were shocked to see him. It was the
same person who was murdered two nights ago
"What according to you is the biggest theft?" he asked
"I know you both were not in a position to reply" he added
"You may think it might be a bank fraud, stock exchange scam, or a political scam"
the man said
"But the reality is identity theft"
"I killed the same guy whom you gave today in newspaper and took his position to
enjoy his mighty wealth"
"I underwent a plastic surgery today and took his face, took his name, took his
voice, took his chair in his office. I took everything that belonged to him"
Now they realized why they got a series of calls in the morning, that people saw
him alive
"And the worst part of your dream is I share your dream. That's why I know that
you would come to this place"
He went near them and took the sealed cover soaked in blood
"Once you got the money, you should deviate from the dream but you followed it.
Maybe you missed the major part in your dream"
"By the way what do you call yourself? What is your name?" he asked finally
They didn't reply as they are dead
Suddenly train stopped with big noise. I woke up and looked into window. Its
Kolkata Station.
Shit Its a dream