RANSOM

            Time in its fleet brought about many changes in the attitude of most of the people today. They illegally want to own the property of others. They are ready to take law into their hands when time comes against his wishes. All such things are going in the usual manner nowadays: bribes given to officers and leaders, match fixing in games and sports, dowries in marriages, tips to servants, ransoms to kidnappers and other things for others. What the people say is that man is crazed with the spell of money and he can never come out of it. To state about ransom, a notorious kidnapper called Dhanbal was answering all the queries posed by the police inspector.

            'I've heard that you're a very clever and noted kidnapper. You were very successful in kidnapping and earning money illegally...You set the kidnapped twins free...,' said the Police Inspector.

            'What you've said is right...I was successful in kidnapping the twins but not successful in getting the ransom for kidnapping them,' said Dhanbal.

            'What made you fail in getting the ransom?' said the Police Inspector.

 

            Dhanbal was very much surprised for the question. It appeared all silly for him, as he was ever successful in kidnapping and getting ransom most successfully. He earned millions and millions. He owned a five-star hotel in Bengaluru, a lodge in Delhi, a leather factory in Hyderabad and so on. He was ever successful. He got full confidence as a successful kidnapper. He had his own teams to go all around and kidnap children. They were also very sharp. It all appeared that he knew the science of kidnapping. He had a big mansion in isolation amid shrubs. He luxuriously lived with his two wives.  He kept the kidnapped children there in the mansion that had no connection with any house. It was in the middle of the forests with bushes nearby and trees far away. His teams hid under the bushes to meet the parents or the guardians and collect ransoms. It was very convenient for him to keep the kidnapped children and mint money. In pursuit of his hunting, he heard news about one of the richest business magnates in the nation with twins in the age of nine years. He found them playing marbles on the premises. He rushed to them with a team of two men, well-versed most in kidnapping. They kidnapped them by offering chocolates to them. The team was sharp in impressing them,

            'We've many things to offer you...big, big chocolates, ice creams, lollipops and all whatever you want..., ' said the first kidnapper.

            'All whatever we want...a cricket court for play, a small theatre to watch films but no school for us with  teachers to beat us...Everything should be encouraging...,' said the first boy.

            'No school...only refreshments and entertainments... there is nothing boring...  and everything is interesting...You realize when you go there...,' said the second kidnapper.

 

            'Very good... We've a school with teachers of wicked nature...They beat us like anything... We hate school... There's no school with cruel teachers to curtail our pleasures...' said the second boy.

            'Have you heard of heaven as described in the stories for children told by your mother? You find heaven, the happiest place there...,' said first kidnapper.

             'Okay... We love it... We like it...,' said the boys with one voice.

 

                        ...                                 ...                                 ...                                 ...

            The kidnapped twins were there in the mansion of Dhanbal. They got very good treatment and so they were happy. To know their names, the kidnappers started a small conversation:

            'What are your names...,' said the kidnappers.

            'We are Lav and Kush...,' said the boys

            'Lovely names...,' said the kidnappers.

 

            'We love all except the school in which we sit facing the teacher without pleasure...Our parents force us to go to school which we do not like,' said the boys.

            Dhanbal sent a note of information to their father about his kidnapping of his twins. He also stated in the note that they were safe. There was his demand to the parents to pay two crore rupees towards ransom positively within a fortnight to get their twins: Lav and Kush very safely.

            The parents, who had been in search of their sons, learnt that their sons had been kidnapped. They knew that the sons were very sharp. They had confidence that they would come back one day or the other but they heard various types of news. Among all the types of news, the news about the kidnapping the only daughter and killing her was haunting them to pose a threat to them. They therefore felt scared all the time. They thought of the ways to free their children.

            Lav and Kush were there in the custody of Dhanbal. They served all items to the twins for a few days but they started to express their protests.

 

            Dhanbal was angry with them.  The third day they hurled stones at his dogs and the dogs were barking. He and his wives were not getting sleep, as the barking of the dogs disturbed their sleep. The next morning, He came to them to have a sweet conversation,

            'Children, you're sharp...You don't make any disturbance...,' said Dhanbal.

            'Sir, we're children to play all kinds of games and sports... You said that we would have a theatre, a playground, all whatever we want,' said Kush.

            'This's the playground for your play and that's the television for your entertainment...,' said Dhanbal.

 

            'You told many things for us to enjoy all of them but we don't have anything of that sort..., ' said Lav.

            'This's for you...All are for you...What don't you have that sort? When you've everything, why do you say that you don't have anything?' said Dhanbal.

            'Sir, we don't find any love... the love of mother's pleasure...We have only one mother in our house... She isn't here... Your children have two mothers...You have two wives...one extra...Wonderful..., ' said Lav.

            'Whenever we look at them, we're reminded of our mother...' said Kush.

   

            'You promised to serve ice-cream, chocolates and so on often but you aren't doing so. You aren't serving non-vegetarian food in lunch and dinner everyday. You should serve as many items as we want,' said Lav.

            'Okay... You'll get...,' said Dhanbal.

            While Dhanbal was going back, both of them hurled small stones on his back. He thought that they hit him. He looked at them angrily. He was going ahead later. Again, they hurled small stones at him. He became very fierce and furious but it was not his aim to be angry with them. His aim was to get the ransom of two crores and so he kept quiet.

            The dogs were barking again the next morning as Lav and Kush pelted stones at the dogs.  It became a headache for Dhanbal and his family.  He appeared before them. He tried to pat them on the back. They bit his hands. With a great difficulty, he was able to avert their efforts. He sustained injuries and blood was oozing. He rushed inside for the first aid. While he was rushing, they again hurled stones at him. It was very difficult for him to escape their hurling of stones.

           

            The next morning the servant boy came to serve non-vegetarian food and all they wanted. They ate all he served and beat him, hurling at him the plates with all leftovers: bones and others. The servant boy took to his heels.

            The next day, the wives of Dhanbal came to Lav and Kush to speak to them pleasantly. When they looked at his wives, they started to speak,

            'My mother is one in our house. You're two in your house...Why...,' said Lav.

            'You are happy here...aren't you?' said one wife.

 

            'No...All food items are tasteless and insipid... In your house the cook has no mind...no brain...no heart...He doesn't cook well...You are eating not only grass but also hay...You're animals...You eat grass...,' said Kush.

            'What nonsense are you talking?' said another wife.

            'It's sense...not nonsense...What we say is full sense...You are talking nonsense..., absolutely nonsense,' said Lav.

            'We have seen many children here. No body is like you...You're childish...You're foolish...You're ticklish...,' said one wife.

 

            'We're very good. You, my dear kidnapper's beloved wives are not good... You make promises but you don't keep them...You're dirty fellows...You're nasty fellows...,' said Kush.

            'Shut up...,' said one wife.

            'Shut up...You should shut up...,'said Lav and Kush, raising their hands.

            The wives weren't able to talk further. They kept quiet for some time. While they were going inside the house, Lav and Kush catapulted stones at them continuously. They started to run to escape their pebbles catapulted.

 

            Dhanbal who had injuries bandaged was taking treatment in a clinic in the city. Wherever he went, he went in disguise. The people were not able to identify him as a kidnapper. The parents of Lav and Kush did not respond immediately. They were waiting patiently, trying their best. Here Dhanbal was quiet unhappy with them. They were not able tolerate any further, When he came back, his wives were crying, appealing to their husband,

            'If you keep the boys some more days, they won't allow us to sleep. They abused us and catapulted stones at us...See the injuries in the backside of our heads...They have broken windowpanes. You did a mistake in kidnapping them. We have had no such bitter experiences so far... For the first time, we all became victims to the kidnapped. You have kidnapped many children quite for a long time. Some were still with us in separate rooms. You can instruct our teams under the bushes to settle the case of the boys without any delay... All the kidnapped children stayed with us for sometime and went back when their parents responded immediately, paying the demanded ransom and took back their children...What is this nuisance with the two boys...? Send them back...They must not be here...Send them away...Leave them near their house...,' said the wives in one voice.

            Dhanbal sent a note to the parents again but they didn't respond immediately as they had confidence in their sons' winning. The next day the boys had lunch with special food items. They kept silent as long as they were having delicious meals. Then he approached them. Then they threw the plates at him. He started to run. Then they catapulted stones at him. This time he was very much injured. He went inside. When he was very much upset, he called his kidnapping team, ordering them to leave them in their street without further delay.

 

            The team of kidnappers came with armors to their bodies and helmets on their heads. When the team came to them, they tried to bite them but it was not possible for them to bite. They abused the team like anything. With a great difficulty, the teams lifted them from the house of Dhanbal. The teams dropped them in their street.

            The notorious kidnapper told the police inspector that he had bitter experiences with Lav and Kush. The police listened to him and appreciated the twins for adventurous attempts to be away from the kidnapper. The parents of the boys were very happy when their sons came back safely and successfully. 

Published: Literary Vibes

Edition CXLIII

26th July 2024

https://positivevibes.today/article/newsview/551#RAJA