Trina took first turn. She watched the woman on the streets around Rabindrasadan, followed her discreetly on the buses. A van with Shreeja and Hridi followed Trina. If change of shift required, then, it was planned that Saurabh and Pratiti would take up. Trina marked the house in Behala where the woman entered holding a baby. It was a big house, in a middle-class neighborhood, with gardens and a pond in the back, very unlike the current paradigm. Also, the house did not have electricity. Next day Hridi appeared at the doorstep of the house to sell home-made phenyl. A man in his sixties, opened the door and denied buying any phenyl. Hridi asked, “Can I get a glass of water?” The man could not say, “No.” He was hesitating to agree. Hridi feigned fainting. The man had no choice but to take her inside the house. It was dilapidated. As the man went inside leaving Hridi alone in the room, she fixed a microphone on the door frame, hidden behind panes. Those had no bolt, bar, ring; hence cannot be locked from any side. The man returned with a woman of his age. They found Hridi roaming all around the room. Hridi apologized for fainting but did not drink their water. A child started crying from inside the house, a few more joined. The man and the woman were not seemingly moved by the cries. Hridi said, “Probably you’re busy taking care of children. Sorry to bother you. I must leave now.” She almost ran out of the house. As she entered the surveillance van waiting for her a few meters away, by the turn, Shreeja heard that the woman was scolding the man for letting an unknown girl enter their house and leaving her alone in the room. The man fumbled, “She fainted.” The woman scowled, “Your imagination. You can’t keep your hands off young women.” Shreeja told Shiuli about this venture. Shiuli was apprehensive about this unlawful surveillance, its inadmissibility in court of law. She hurried to legitimize surveillance based on Hridi’s written statement. Weeks passed. The beggar woman around Rabindrasadan brought a young man to the house. In the evening. The old man asked the youth, “Remove your clothes. I must see you completely naked.” They confirmed by observing the naked man that he had no ploy but had fallen into their dragnet, like other prey. The old woman was heard instructing, “You can never have a cell phone. You shall never accompany our girls on the streets. You must ask one of us before you go out.” Shiuli texted Shreeja, “DNA is a match. It’s Mohul Saha, indeed. Missing over twenty years and alive.” Shreeja shared the development with Saurabh, Moumita and Tapaja. Tapaja reflected, “It can be a long haul.” Moumita suggested, “One of you must listen to them, daily. Shreeja must maintain liaison with the police. Till it becomes presentable, both of you need to work on other assignments. Your girls will be reassigned to other projects.”
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Advisory:
