Rustom was panting like nobody’s business! Sweat dripped from his head, his brow, his sideburns, running into little rivulets, meeting the soaked shirt at the collar and down his chest in front and the back too! In fact, it seemed he had a bath with his clothes on! It would seem funny if it wasn’t for the expression on his face…. scared, no terrified!
In the high beam of the speeding car, the driver was shocked to see a balding middle-aged man, sprinting on the road, in an expensive looking suit which seemed thoroughly drenched. His kind heart wouldn’t let him proceed without asking the runner if he needed any help!
Rustom felt his prayers had been answered, as soon as the car stopped beside him and a cheerful voice asking, “Can I help you?”
“Can you drop me at the next petrol pump?” Rustom asked. “Sure!”
As he scrambled into the car, beside the driver, his heartbeat reverberated through that enclosed space. The rescuer did his best to befriend the visually scared stranger. By and by, the soft music playing on the car stereo system, the cheerful voice of the driver, and the comfort of being off the road and the jungle lulled Rustom into feeling safe.
The dark ribbon of the road unfolded gracefully with a few vehicles plying. As the moon shone silver, Rustom relaxed and turned towards his rescuer, grateful and answered his questions. Going over the events of the past few hours, he found it incredible he was alive, still.
After a few minutes, the driver said he had a funny feeling that a jeep was following them. He asked Rustom to slide down the seat and not be visible as he would try to shake off the chaser. “Why would anyone want to follow you?” “Your guess is as good as mine.”
He recalled his car breaking down in the middle of nowhere. Cursing his stars, he got off and tinkered around. A startling scream shook him up. His prayers came to him but naturally. Turning towards the sound he took a few steps keeping behind the trees, and what he saw, got his hackles up! 4-5 people were holding a man down as another held a gleaming knife ready to strike. As he stood shocked, he was wondering what to do. He collected a few rocks near his feet and stood hiding behind the tree. His sense of fair play, ethics, dignity surged through him and his reflexes swung in before his brain took a decision. Taking aim, he let loose a volley of the rocks and being a good bowler in his yester years successfully knocked off the knife and a few hands. The hapless man sprung up like a wounded tiger and grappled with a couple of them. The surprise knocked the wind out of the others. Rustom was in a quandary now to come out of hiding or not. Just then the hapless victim turned tiger, turned around Rustom’s jaw dropped. It was….. and he tripped!!!
Everyone turned to check out the strange sound, as 6 pairs of eyes lay on him, they all heard the loudest, scariest, thundering growl of a tiger, somewhere close to the left of them. That sound was enough to make them freeze. Then as adrenaline rushed through, everyone ran in the opposite direction. Inadvertently it was Rustom, the victim, and then the goons!
Praying fervently, “Ahura mane bacchavo!” “Jai Bajrangbali!” “Har har Mahadev” “Mere Malik bachalo” and many such short but precise slogans rented the peaceful air, much like a torrent of rain after a clap of Thunder!
The chase was incongruous, because the tiger could have knocked down each one of them if it wanted. Luckily it was not human and had no such perverted desires of knocking down some members of another species, just to brag about it amongst other tigers and tigresses! The men who were ready to kill their victim leaving no traces of their crime just a moment ago cared more for their own life to be safe. And Rustom was now an eyewitness, given the identity of their victim.
Drawing on his years of training as a cricketer, he ran like there was no tomorrow. He tried to recall the GPS map, and knew the direction he had to take to reach the highway and some help. He wondered if his wife would call the police. He wondered if she would know the route he was driving on, where and when would people come out to look for him. Oh man! If he survived, he would definitely tell her, he loved her and would buy those diamond earrings too! He could not feel the sweat running down his body nor feel his expensive customized suit sticking to various parts of his body like limp wet linen.
He kept to the tree line just right of the other men, analysing and digesting all the information, gathered so far. How come the victim was none other than….
He could hear the distant sounds of trucks, cars, and motorbikes. He could also hear the sounds of the footsteps behind him becoming faint. His parched throat demanded water, the adrenaline surge pumped his legs and the impulse to save his life propelled him on.
He could now see the road. Cutting across the trees, the tall wild grass, he hoped to increase the distance between him and his pursuers. The jungle emerged in the evening symphony as the birds returned to roost and chattered loudly. They were joined by the troops of monkeys who had heard the tiger roar and raised the alarm.
As soon as he reached the road, he increased his pace. Debating whether he should retain cover or just take the highway, he risked going further, faster. And then of course he got a lift!
He started to tell his story …. But only heard polite monosyllables in reply!
“OK! We have shaken off our pursuers, make yourself comfortable!”
AS hoardings loomed up with flashing lights and garish colours, they were alerted to the fact that a town was fast approaching. “And who did you say the goons were attacking?” asked the kind driver.
“You will not be able to guess in your wildest dreams,” said Rustom as a chill ran down his spine. “It was …” The car nearly went off the road as the driver, shocked beyond disbelief stammered… “ Balman Khan? The famous movie star? You better get off at the first police station!”
