“Happy Holi” screeched Samaksh as he colored Ankit’s face. Blue smeared across his face, he decided to do the same with Samaksh but just in time a whole lot of people with dhols (double-sided barrel drum) and more color came down their gully (a small, narrow passage) and the boys started dancing to the tune of the dhols. They danced like no one was watching, quite literally. Lots of known as well as unknown faces came around Samaksh and Ankit, coloring their faces on the occasion of Holi. The gully was jam-packed, but everyone was singing and dancing in utter joy.

Lost amidst the crowd, Samaksh was taken away by dangerous goons who tied him up in a dark dingy place and made him eat a sandwich that was infused with a substance that put him off to sleep. Ankit started calling out for Samaksh and went on searching for him in all the possible places so that he will not be pranked again. Failing to find him, he frantically ran up to his home to inform his parents. The goons then started asking Samaksh all kinds of questions relating to him that could be used when the goons would make a ransom call.

Ankit, along with Samaksh’s parents registered an FIR of him missing and gave them a picture of him. The police said they would investigate the matter and asked them to leave.

Samaksh was barely awake, his vision was hazy and all he could see was a dull flickering light. He said to himself that he had to get out of this place because his parents will be very worried. He then kept fidgeting with the rope that was tied on his hands to free himself, he did manage to almost free himself, but just then a goon entered the room unexpectedly. Samaksh had to think quick and pretended to be asleep so that the goon would not doubt anything fishy.

Ankit along with Samaksh’s parents and with their family friends got divided into search parties and looked around for him, they called out for him “Samaksh! Where are you?”

The goon left the room, this time Samaksh made sure he freed himself so that he could escape this dingy nightmare. The search parties, Samaksh’s parents, and Ankit traveled for several kilometers in and around their residential area in search of him.

Samaksh freed himself from the rope ties and slowly stepped out of the place, he ran for his life. Samaksh could hear his parents calling out to him and he started running in that direction. Just when he called out to his parents, they saw him and felt a rush of emotions – happiness, apprehension, and relief. As Samaksh approached his parents, a speeding lorry came in the same direction simultaneously.