HIGHWAY HIGH DRAMA!

-M.K. Parthasarathy

The time was 40 minutes after midnight. Sriram and his father Narayan were returning home by car after bidding farewell to a relative of theirs at the airport. Sriram was sitting next to his father in the front watching the twin fingers of the car’s headlight beam advancing before them.  The trees on either side of the road zipped past. Occasionally a heavy vehicle drove past with a short deafening noise. Sriram yawned wide – as wide as the roaring lion of the MGM movies!

Narayan glanced at him. “I bet you feel sleepy?” he smiled, “Let’s take a shortcut. That’ll save about 20 minutes,” so saying he swung the car to the left and drove through a dark alley. The road was deserted.

Moments later, it happened!

A dark blue car shot ahead from behind and pulled up abruptly, forcing Narayan to bring his car to a screeching halt. And thank God, Sriram and Narayan had fastened the seat belts! The next instant, three masked bandits, with guns, surrounded the car while the fourth one remained at the wheels. “This is a hold-up. Do what we tell you. Don’t start anything which you can’t finish. Now get down with your hands raised!”

“Don’t get panicky,” Narayan patted Sriram who looked more surprised than afraid. He was just 12 but a very courageous boy. A cadet of the school NCC team, he had read many detective novels, adventurous stories and had watched movies. However, this was the first time that he was confronting a ‘real’ experience in person!

The father - son duo got out of the car. “Hand over all the money and valuables and snap it up,” ordered the kingpin who spoke first. They seized all the money, the mobile phone, wrist watch and gold bracelet from Narayan. “Do you carry an ATM card with you?” asked the first man. Reluctantly Narayan gave it to them. “Come with us. There’s an ATM centre nearby. Draw all that you have in your account. Don’t try to cheat”, spoke up the kingpin.

Narayan knew that the best way, under such a situation, was to do what they said. He was worried about Sriram. But Sriram’s mind was working at top notch. “How to trap these criminals?” he mused. Idea! The detective stories that he had read helped him hit upon a solution!

Posing a terrified look, Sriram told the kingpin, “Uncle, please take my watch. Not an expensive one. I bought it for Rs. 110 at the platform”. He took off his wrist watch and handed it over to the kingpin who took it, turned it in his hand and tossed it back to Sriram. “Keep it,” he thundered. Sriram made no attempt to catch it! The watch fell at his feet. He carefully picked it up holding one corner of the strap and put it inside his shirt pocket.

Seconds later, two of the men hopped into Narayan’s car. The other car followed. They pulled up near an ATM centre from where the robbers took Rs. 48,000 from Narayan’s account. Leaving a bewildered father and son behind, the bandits went back the way they had come.

The next morning Narayan and Sriram went to the police station and reported the robbery to the Detective Inspector, Douglas. But from the description Narayan gave, the Inspector could not make headway. “There are thousands of criminals with that description that you have just given”. Just then Sriram provided the inspector with a clue! A beaming Inspector Douglas praised Sriram for his highly intellectual move. Within hours all the four highwaymen were nabbed by Detective Inspector Douglas and the robbed money and valuables were restored to Narayan.