“Not Propophol but propofol” Charmi taught him correct pronunciation. “ propofol is used to make anybody unconscious quickly. It is a drug which starts to affect within three seconds, however, its effect lasts only for ten minutes but the kidnapper can do his work in those ten minutes. This drug is used when anybody was to be kidnapped from the crowdy place.” Charmi explained Shyam.
“You mean they kidnapped me using this drug over me. But I have heard the kidnappers use chloroform. They wet handkerchief with chloroform and they winnow the handkerchief against the nose of the victim and the victim soon gets fainted.”
“It is only shown in movies and novels. In fact, you must push the wet cloth with chloroform for three to five minutes on the nose of the victim to make him unconscious. The kidnapper can't take this risk at crowdy places. In addition, the victim of chloroform fell down as soon as the drug effects and his all movements stopped at once. The kidnapper has to cradle the victim and put him in any vehicle to kidnap. This process is impossible at the crowdy places. There is a risk of the kidnapper himself to be unconscious if he has no mask over his nose and mouth during the use of chloroform.”
“And propofol?” Shyam was eager to know about all the drugs. This topic was more interesting to him than his favourite subject accounting.
‘Propofol is a different type of drug. The victim becomes unconscious only mentally not physically after the dose of propofol. Still, the person can stand on his heels and he doesn’t fall at once so kidnaper has not to cradle him and put in a vehicle. And the kidnapper needs to support him and directs and the victim begins to walk as per his wish in a certain direction. The people around misunderstand that he is helping any sick person to walk or he is managing his drunken friend to send him home. No one can imagine him as a kidnapper. Hence, the propofol is the best one to use to kidnap someone from crowdy places. They must have used propofol over you.”
“Means propofol is a blessing for kidnappers.”
“Yes, it is a boon for them. It is known as ‘a bless of evil’ in the underworld. It is also coded as ‘gift of God’ too in the underworld.”
Shyam didn’t wonder about her knowledge, after all, she was a spy, “Can you build any prediction now? I have told you how I was kidnapped.”
“Yes, we can build a prediction comparing the methods used to kidnap you and me.”
“What?” Shyam exclaimed naturally.
“You were kidnapped from the crowdy place, sector-17. It highly means you were injected propofol. Propofol’s effect lasts only for ten minutes. If you were not given any different drugs after that, we are at somewhere in the radius of ten minutes from the sector-17.”
“One minute...”
“When I got consciousness, they severely beat me and asked many questions. But I could not answer them any of the questions. At last, they decided to kill me and called someone. After the discussion on the phone, they decided to keep me alive up to some election.”
“Good”
“Good? From when is beating believed good?” Shyam annoyed.
“Yes, good. Beating is better than murder for the sufferer. And if you answered and furnished them with the information they need, they must have killed you.”
“I couldn’t understand anything. Why did they kill me if I answered them?”
“Because they are no sage or saints that they would allow you to live after they got what they want. They are kidnappers. They have kept you alive because they couldn’t get what they want. Now, understand, Mr Teacher?”
Shyam filled with sudden fear hearing Charmi’s explanation.
“Then now? How long am I secure?”
“Till they get their answers from somewhere else. When they will have the answers, you will be of no use. I don’t think they are so kind to waste time and food and money after you. They will slaughter you.”
“Why slaughter? They can shoot me.” Shyam’s heartbeat increased, and he asked a silly question like a child.
“Why should one waste bullet if a blade is enough for the work? But if you can answer my two or three more questions, it will increase our chance to escape without any casualty.” Charmi looked at him with hopeful eyes.
“I am ready to answer two hundred questions. I want to live.” Shyam was simply begging.
“How were you feeling when you got consciousness?”
“When I got consciousness…” Shyam tried to remember, “you don’t believe me but I was feeling the freshness.”
“Have you felt an urge of vomiting?”
“No,"
“Were you feeling burning or itching inside nostrils, throat or lungs?” Charmi’s voice found some enthusiasm.
“Not at all. I was feeling I had slept for more than ten hours and just awoke.”
“Good. The kidnapper hadn’t use chloroform on you. It simply means they used propofol only. We can conclude kidnappers have not brought you far. We are near the sector-17.
“I couldn't understand anything.”
“One minute.” Charmi stopped him to speak and tried to guess, “We are maximum 30 minutes far from the sector-17.”
“Thirty minutes?”
‘Yes, propofol’s effect lasts for ten minutes but you are slim and you might get consciousness after thirty minutes. Propofol’s effect can never last over 30 minutes even on a child.”
“Hamm. You confirmed from side effects after consciousness I would have that I was given propofol only. Suppose they drove in a direction for ten or might be thirty minutes from sector-17. We now must know how many red lights made them halt and how many turns they took. And the kind and speed of the vehicle.”
“Good. Now you have begun to think like a detective.” Charmi’s cheeks red with joy.
“I have read many suspense and detective fictions.” Shyam laughed forgetting all worry. It seemed Shyam and Charmi were friends for years. Human nature always wants friendship. Man is a social animal. And in the deserted cell after months Shyam got Charmi, and he accepted her as a friend. So did Charmi.
“Hamm.” Charmi whispered, “Now I can understand something.”
“What?” Shyam asked curiously.
“They captured me from sector-30 B, and in the daytime.”
“You said you are an army detective. Why did you go to C.B.I. office?”
“I feel you are from C.B.I. how can you suppose just hearing the word sector-30 B that I was going to C.B.I. office?” Charmi threw a questioned look at him.
“I was working at safety material supplier. My company supplies materials to government institutes like C.B.I., P.G.I. and G.M.C.H. and I.M.Tech. My job was to prepare invoices, and it is no wonder I know where all the institutes are located.” Shyam paused a while, “Now Don’t doubt me of a doctor from P.G.I. and G.M.C.H or a scientist from I.M.Tech.
Shyam cleared her doubt. Charmi led the conversation, “I came to Chandigarh from Pathankot. I showed up at the bus station at sector-43 of Chandigarh. it is not wise to wait for a city bus to reach sector-30 as there are few buses run on this odd route. I took an auto and reached the C.B.I. office. When I came out of the office finishing my work, it was almost 4:00 pm. It was Sunday, and I tempted to visit the Sai Temple. Sai temple is near there.”
“Sector-29 A” Shyam couldn’t help himself speak as Archana and he always visited Sai temple on Thursday.
“You have roamed all Chandigarh.” Charmi smiled.
“Yes, in starting I hiked to search the job. I went with Archana at Sukhana Lake and sai mandir. After having the job, I had to visit any sector of Chandigarh for the company’s work.”
“Hamm”, Charmi continued her talk, “The temple is not so far from there and I decided to go there on foot and I left toward the sector-28 A. when I was leading, A van emerged from my backside and stopped. No sooner did I understand anything, the door slid, and a man aimed the gun at me. Two men advanced from the Van and drew me inside the van suddenly before I could do any combat. I couldn’t do anything because I was heedless. The door slid and shut. I had no way do anything, they all have guns, and I had no chance to have my gun hidden in my shoes in my hands.”
Charmi’s face red with anger and her face seemed she was ashamed of being caught.
“Then?” Shyam suggested her going ahead.
“They shut my mouth using duct tape. They used the duct tape and tied my hands and feet and pushed me under the seat. I couldn’t see anything but I gave full attention to the sound of van’s engine. The van must have driven straight in the direction for ten minutes. Then it took a turn at left. Again it drove straight for five minutes then the van slowed down and took a turn at right.”
“How could you know the van took a turn in right or left?” Shyam spoke between.
“I have a three-year military training, Janab. I can know even from the slight jerk of the vehicle whether it took the turn at right or left.” Charmi looked at him feeling proud of her training.
” One Minute…” Shyam spoke as if he learned something.
“What?”
“You were heading toward Sai Mandir from C.B.I. office. The van appeared from your backside. You must have known if the van had taken U-turn after your abduction. You were going toward sector 29 A but You were walking on the road of sector 30 B which is a road inside the sector and I think no traffic lights there on that road, I am not sure but no busy traffic light there and the van had no hurdle to jump any deserted traffic light if any exists there but one traffic light…” Shyam was panting as he was excited. He looked into her eyes with a questioned look.
Her eyes were telling she understood what he had said.
“The traffic light at the junction of the road you were walking on and…” Shyam confused a little, “I am talking about the way between the Purva Marg and The Sukhana Path.”
“The Chandi Path” Charmi spoke easily.
“Yes, the Chandi Path. It is along the Purva Marg and Sukhana Path. The Chandi Path is an extremely busy road. If there was a red light there, it would be tough to jump the red lights there. it takes five minutes to reach that intersection on the Chandi Path from C.B.I. office. You said the van had driven straight for then minutes. So the van had neither stopped nor taken a turn there. it meant the lights were green, and the van passed the lights without any halt. The van must pass near the Sai Mandir and reach to The Purva Marg within the next five minutes. The van took a left turn from there. After five minutes, the van turned at the right side. In five minutes the van can’t reach the Dakshin Marg. I am sure the van turned on the road between the Dakshin Marg and the Elante Mall. How long did the van drive after that?”
Charmi astonished at the workout and prediction Shyam figured out, “10-15 minutes. But the van took three to four turns during that time and after that, it halted with a jerk. They covered my eyes with a black cloth before drawing me out from the van.
“I think we might be in the industrial area phase-1. Maybe eighter in the colony or Dariya. What do you think?” Shyam felt comforted as he could learn where they were.
“You are doubtless right. But how can we learn where we are from those three places? They can confine us in an abandoned factory in the industrial area. It is not problematic for them to hinder us in any house in the colony. And to imprison us in any farmhouse near the Dariya reserved forest is almost easy and convenient for them. All the three places are safe and comfortable for them to incarcerate their victim after the abduction.
“Maybe anywhere from those three places. By the way, We are in Chandigarh. we are not in sectors but at least near the railway station.” Shyam laughed.
“Why are you laughing?” Charmi wondered.
“Thinking about luck. To go to the bus depot or railway station after the escape is both safe and risky. Safe because we can have the favour of crowd and presence of a couple of policemen standing there...”
“And risky because the kidnappers always keep watch over these places first to re-capture the rescued victim. They also know very well the victim can only leave the city reaching those places.” Charmi also laughed, “But it will be decided as per the events where should we go after the breakout. We can’t decide now where should we go after the escape. We don’t know where exactly we are now from those three places. How many people will be out when we escape? How many will chase us?”
“We have figured out where we are. Now, we must have a plan to run.”
“I am a master in planning. And successful, too, till now.”
“Hmmm” Shyam buzzed.
Both prepared to think more.
***
To be continue...
