The Wrong Car

Ipsita Sengupta 

One of my most vivid memories is of Fagu Tea Estate. Undulating roads leading up to an enchanting  bungalow high up on a hill with rooms full of books in crates ready for a bookworm like me. One such trip to meet Aunty Shobhi and Uncle Avinash led to quite an adventure.

With my arms filled with a dozen unread books I settled inside the back of our mint green ambassador and promptly started on the first book. The afternoon sun playing with tea bushes creating interesting shapes passed us by as we chugged along pleasantly. We were on our way home and I would only raise my head to count the number of bumps on the road. I might have missed a few counts with a highway robber in the book I was currently reading  occupying all my attention. After the count of five and an unexpectedly large bump, the car came to a halt. Suddenly a group of men surrounded the car. For a moment I thought the story I was reading had come alive!

There were five men in total completely surrounding the car. They had khukris and guns. They were mostly teenagers, maybe a little older than me. One particular man stood out as he was holding a gun pointed at Bapi through the window and his hands wouldn't stop shaking. He looked even more terrified than we did. Mamma turned around and held my hand and told me to be very quiet. The only sound we heard was our hearts hammering.

"Get out of the car right now!" shouted the young man with the gun pointed at Bapi.

He stepped out of the car, repeatedly chanting, "Take what you want but let us go". The men suddenly opened all the car doors including the trunk of the car desperately searching for something.

They tossed aside my precious books to the ground looking desperately. We looked at them bewildered as they didn't seem interested in our watches or jewellery or even Bapi's wallet. The man with the gun suddenly stood back and ordered us to get back in the car and drive off right away. The entire incident lasted five minutes though it felt like forever. We drove away thanking God we were all unharmed.
" I wonder what they were looking for" Bapi said.

"What does it matter, as long as we are safe," Mamma cried.

"Wait, isn't it a Friday today"? Bapi asked and then he suddenly accelerating and reaching home in less than half an hour.
As soon as we reached home Bapi rushed up the winding stairs and started started dialing, and no, in the early 90's we didn't have cell phones. He came away looking very worried.

"I was too late", Bapi cried.

"Too late for what, Bapi?” I exclaimed.

"I was too late to stop those men from robbing the jeep on the way to the Fagu!! That was right behind us, carrying money to pay the workers,” he said, putting his head in his hands and sighing.