Chapter 4

‘We should start from this street.’ Jay was ordering the crew, the next day, ‘Two of you, go in that direction, and me and Sudhir, will go towards this club. Whatever you can cover, and whatever information you can gather, bring it down till evening. Good luck!’

The group split apart. Anil was with Jay and cameraman Sudhir, and they started their hunt again, with a new hope. For hours, there was no sign, maybe because it was broad daylight? Soon enough, Jay spotted a woman, with a slight bulge near her tummy, maybe she was pregnant? He walked towards her, and to his shock, it was the same woman, the same who he saw the other night. He couldn’t recall her name.

‘Hey…you…I know you.’ He screamed from across the street. The woman started walking away. Wearing white top with Jeans, she was looking decent. Jay couldn’t believe his eyes, whether it was the same woman or not. He recalled the name somehow.

‘Gudiya…your name is Gudiya, right?’

The woman stopped. She looked back, it was the same pervert from last night, she thought.

‘Hey, how are you? What a co-incidence that we are meeting in this strange city for the second time?’

She gave no response at all.

‘Hey, what happened? Why are you not speaking anything?’

She hastily entered into a store. Jay followed her, she entered the washroom. Jay waited for her outside. She came out after few minutes, and ran away. A car was waiting for her at the front door, she sat in it, and zoomed off. Jay couldn’t understand what happened and why she was behaving in such a strange way. He started walking towards the door, that he saw some toilet paper scrambled near his feet. He picked it up. There was something written inside:

“Meet me at 55 Buranasart Road, San Chawporser, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok, tonight at 11pm sharp. HELP ME”

The words slid away the ground beneath Jay’s feet. He couldn’t believe his eyes. She had no relation to him, yet she looked at him with eyes full of hope and faith. Maybe she was genuinely in need? He ran towards his hotel and called up everyone from work.

Now, there were two motives of his trip. One, to help that woman, Gudiya, and second, to get his love, Mahi, back! He told his crew that he wants a day off. Rest of the members had collected some information, and even talked to some prostitutes, who shared their story. But nothing was as influential, as it could move someone’s heart. Jay watched the clips, not even one moved him as a person.

‘Good work, guys. But this is not what we need.’

‘Then what else do you need, Jay?’ Anil spoke.

‘I need a story…something which can shake the entire country.’

‘Hahaha, and you expect to find it here?’

‘Give me one night, without anyone, give me the camera, and everything, I’ll handle it on my own.’

‘As far as I can sense, you are going into deep shit, Jay. I told you to stay away from any kind of mess…’

‘Anil, I’m totally alright. I want to be involved in this project now, and that is my way of working. So, please let me do it in my way!’

‘Alright! As the mighty says, the night is all yours!’ Anil winked. Jay ignored him, and rushed into his room, to get some sleep. Tonight, would be a long-long, night, he knew!

THAT NIGHT

Jay reached at the mentioned address at the given time, there were so many people all around. He couldn’t see Gudiya, anywhere. There were men, serving and consuming drugs openly. The street was filled with girls, wearing short and seductive clothes, and making vulgar gestures to people passing by.

‘Paper?’ a man asked Jay, and leaned over his shoulder. He was too stoned, to even stand upright.

‘Thanks man, but I don’t smoke.’ Jay pushed him a little aside, and walked ahead.

Far away, faintly, he could spot the woman who called him here. It was Gudiya, standing alone, just like that night, when he first saw her. He ran towards her.

‘Hey, you called me? What happened? Are you alright?’

‘You ask too many questions.’ Gudiya said, held his arm, and took him aside.

They entered a hotel, and Jay understood that she wanted him to hire a room for them, for one night. Jay asked the tariff, and fulfilled the required details and formalities, the manager gave them the keys. They took the elevator and reached their room. They entered, and Gudiya closed it from inside. Jay sat calmly on a sofa, while Gudiya came running and fell at his feet.

‘Help me Saheb, I know you are a journalist, and you can take me out of this trap, they will kill me, I’m four months pregnant, and they are forcing me for an abortion, once again. It would be my fourth abortion, I will die, Saheb. Please help me…’ she cried helplessly, holding Jay’s feet.

Jay felt equally helpless and couldn’t understand what to say, or how to respond. He knew his position; he wasn’t a policeman, but just a journalist, who came to cover a documentary in Thailand. He was trapped with her now, as a man, Jay Parekh was one hell of a determined one. He knew that it is now impossible for him to leave the woman alone, in this condition.

‘Look, I cannot promise you anything, but I would go to the extreme limits, to take you out of all this. But first, you need to tell me, your story…everything, from the beginning…’

Jay knew that, this story could shake the entire country, he could sense it in her eyes. Jay set up his camera and Gudiya began with her story…