Who Stole My Buffalo

By VIHAR KATTUNGAL

This is a story about Hari and his family. Hari took a voluntary retirement from the army after winning a whopping lottery amount. He returns back to his hometown.

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His wife Meera, kids Rita & Rahul are thrilled upon his retirement.

 

One of the passion of Hari is annual buffalo cart race held in his village.

Since last two years his buffalo Jerry was winning the annual event.

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One morning Jerry goes missing. The same day kids Rita & Rahul are kidnapped.

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Who stole Jerry? Who kidnapped the Kids? Is it someone from Hari's past.

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Will Hari find them before it is too late ?

• Language: English
• Publisher: VIHAR KATTUNGAL
• Release date: Jun 25, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201139445

Book preview

WHO STOLE MY

BUFFALO

by

VIHAR KATTUNGAL

Disclaimer

THIS BOOK IS A WORK of fiction and all characters in the book are fictional. Any resemblance to real-life characters, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

First published in 2021

Copyright © VIHAR KATTUNGAL, 2021

Vihar Kattungal asserts the moral right to identify as the author of this work.

Thanks to my parents, nephew, sister, and brother-in-law.

&

Thanks to friends, relatives, and well-wishers for being there in my life.

Contents

Prologue

HARI Retires and Returns Home

SANDRA & RAVI in Trouble

Who Stole My Buffalo

RITA & RAHUL gets Kidnapped

Who is the Kidnapper

Kidnappers Caught

JERRY The Buffalo

All Ends Well

WHO STOLE MY BUFFALO

Prologue

I t is too cold, Captain , isn’t it? Major Shyam asked, standing behind Hari.

Hari, engrossed in sipping the tea and glancing at the scenery around, did not hear Major Shyam’s footsteps behind him.

Hearing his senior’s voice from behind, Captain Hari almost spilled the hot tea he was sipping.

He immediately turned and saluted his senior, balancing the teacup in the other hand.

At ease, Captain. You are not wearing any jacket. That is a surprise. The view of Kashmir’s snow picturesque scenery is breath-taking. But I do not want you freezing here, Major Shyam said with a smile.

Good morning Major Sir, I just finished my jogging, Hari replied.

Ok, so that’s your secret to withstand this cold. That is cool. Your health is in your hands. Anyway sorry, if I am interrupting your privacy. This morning Colonel Jayanth informed me about your resignation. It seems you won a lottery of 10 crores. Congratulations. But I want you to rethink again your decision about taking voluntary retirement. You are young. At least younger than me. The army will lose a capable officer like you. I am certain, before your usual retirement age, you will reach the rank of a Colonel or if your luck shines maybe higher rank than that.

Sir, my kids are growing up fast and I am missing them a lot.

What’s the name of your kids? How old are they?

Younger daughter Rita is just 11 years, and my elder son Rahul is 15 years of age, Hari replied.

But you look too young to have teenagers as your kids? Major Shyam said.

I got married just after my graduation.

I see. That is your secret. Why don’t you shift your family here to Kashmir? Just look at this beautiful scenery and the snowcapped majestic looking Himalayas. You won’t find such type of beautiful locations anywhere in India.

I agree, sir. But my wife wants the kids to stay near their grandparents. She says the kids should keep in touch with their grandparents as they grow up. Otherwise, they will forget them and will slowly forget the family traditions.

But your parents, nor your wife’s parents are staying with you, are they?

No, sir. But we are all staying in the same village and their houses are within one kilometer radius from my home.

You mean your wife is from your village?

Yes sir, she is from my village.

So, it was a love marriage?

Hari blushed slightly, saying, How do you know that, sir?

It was just a fluke, guess. But seeing your blushed cheeks now, I am sure. How many years since your marriage? Major Shyam asked.

It is 16 years, sir, Hari replied.

16 years and you are still blushing?

You caught me with a surprise question, sir.

What is the name of your village?

Pudukad.

So, what is your plan after retirement? Please do not tell me, you have earned enough money now and will spend the money earned.

Ha, ha, then controlling his laughter Hari said, No, sir. I will start a detective agency, just like our retired senior Lieutenant Colonel Hyder Ali. Since he lives in northern India, he wants someone to handle the cases he gets from the southern parts. I will be mainly handling those cases, he refers me.

It’s difficult to get the license for starting a detective agency?

All documents are ready, sir. Even the office is ready.

So, you have been planning this for quite long?

Yes, sir. Almost four months now. Right after I won the lottery, Hari replied.

That means, I cannot dissuade you from not retiring? Major Shyam asked.

I am sorry, sir.

Ok then. I will sign your release papers, which the Colonel had forwarded to me. Ok then Captain. Good luck, Major Shyam said, shaking his hands.

As he turned around to go, a thought occurred, and he stopped. Looking at Hari said, Captain.

Yes, sir.

The court approved Dave couple’s bail. They got parole. Just for you to know. Heard they are from south?

Yes, sir, Hari replied, showing no emotions on his face.

They are the couple with vengeance in their hearts. They worked for the army and you caught them selling weapons to terrorists. That was almost 5 years ago, wasn’t it?

Yes, sir. But I am surprised. They committed treason, and now the court granted them parole. It’s not fair.

Yes, even I am surprised. Guess they got connections at top places. Just be careful, ok. So then, we will meet again at your farewell party, Captain, Major Shyam said, walking back to his quarters.

Captain Hari stood looking at the disappearing outline of Major Ravi as he walked off from his view. He thought, did the Major come to advise him against retirement, or to warn about the Dave couple. With these thoughts in his mind, he walked back to his quarters.

Finally, on the last day of his retirement, colleagues of Captain Hari gave him a blasting farewell party. Both the Colonel and Major attended the party.

Next day after the party, Major Shyam accompanied Hari and dropped him at the railway station.

The train came, and he got on the train. After sitting inside the train, he looked outside at the stunning landscape of Kashmir and thought, this will be the last time I am seeing this beautiful place. A sudden sadness came over him.

Hari had taken voluntary retirement from the army. He got married years ago, at a very young age, to a girl from his hometown in Pudukad. Yes, it was a love cum arranged marriage, as he describes it.

Some say the girl was his girlfriend, that is the reason the parents had agreed to conduct the marriage in a very low-profile manner. Others insisted the girl’s father is a miser. But the rumor mill had worked overtime and concluded there is something fishy in this marriage.

Hari worked in northern parts of India, in the army. So, he never took his wife or his kids to his workplace. But every year comes home to his family for a one-month long vacation.

One day as usual Meera, wife of Hari, received a message from her husband stating, he is returning to hometown for good.

It thrilled Meera to receive the message from her husband. She did not give that much thought to the exact words her husband Hari had written in his message. Along with her kids, she started making plans to spend their month-long vacation.

It thrilled Rahul and Rita to hear the news of their father coming for vacation.

Rahul, being the elder brother, always showed his dominance over his younger sister Rita.

We will go to Ooty to spend our vacation, Rahul said with confidence.

No, no. We will go to Munnar when father comes, Rita shouted.

I am the eldest. I will decide this year’s vacation plan, Rahul said.

So, what if you are the eldest? I am the youngest and last year when dad came, you had decided the place, and we went to Mahe. So, this time is my chance to select our vacation spot, Rita replied with a smirk on her face.

No. I will not agree.

Mom, see how brother is fighting with me. This time is my chance to decide, isn’t it? Rita asked with a significant look of hope towards her mother.

Do not fight among yourself. I cannot understand why you guys fight always when your father comes home for vacation. He will decide where we will go. Get up now and come in. The dinner will be ready soon. Close the front door or the mosquitos will get in, Meera said in an authoritative voice.

The kids came to the sitting room and started watching TV. Meera was in the kitchen preparing dinner.

When the dinner was ready, she shouted, Rita, come and set the table for the dinner.

Rita, who heard her mother’s voice, kept quiet and continued watching TV.

Rahul heard his mother, then looking at his sister, Rita, didn’t you hear mom? Help mom to set the table for dinner.

Why only I should help mom? Even you can help her, Rita replied, with anger in her voice.

You are a girl. It is your duty. When you grow up and get married, you must prepare and serve food for your husband and kids. Now, this will be a practice session for you.

I will not cook for my kids and husband after marriage.

How will you eat then?

My husband will cook for me. I have decided I will marry a man who owns a restaurant.

Why is that?

So that, he will cook for me and my kids.

But the owner of a restaurant need not be a chef at home.

That is ok. If he does not want to cook at home. I will ask the chef of his restaurant, to cook for us at home. Otherwise, will order FREE takeaway from our own restaurant, she said.

But you are only 11 years now, and you have decided all this, he said.

Yes. We girls, decides everything in advance. We think with our brains and not with our hearts. The marriageable age for woman as per government rule, is 18 years and I got only 7 more years to look for my husband.

Don’t you think 18 years is too young for a girl to get married?

But mom got married at that age to our father.

Yes, but the rumor is theirs was a love marriage. And grandmother told me that, father had gotten a job offer in the army. He was the most eligible bachelor with a proper job in this village. They did not want to let him go, even if his job location was in northern India.

So, what if it was in northern India?

They were afraid he might marry some girl from northern India. So, made him marry before joining the army.

I love north Indian dishes a lot. I should marry a north Indian man, who is an owner of a restaurant, Rita said.

Never knew you were so clever. So, will you allow me to eat for free whenever I visit your restaurant? Rahul asked.

Not every time. My restaurant is not for charity. We will go bankrupt, if we allow all our relatives to have free food. But since you are my elder brother, I will allow you to eat freely, only on your birthdays, Rita said seriously.

But what about, during the birthdays of my wife and kids? Rahul asked with curiosity.

I never met your wife and kids. First let me meet them and only if I like them. Only then will I allow them free food on their birthdays.

Meanwhile, Meera had lost her patience and was shouting for Rita to come and help her. She walked angrily to the sitting room and, seeing Rita talking with her brother, shouted at her, I have been shouting at the top of my voice, asking you to come and help me. Didn’t you hear?

Why do you always ask me to help you, mom? Rahul is also here. Even he can help you set up the plates on the table for dinner, Rita said.

Meera did not know what to reply. She just blurred out, Rahul is a boy and you are a girl. That is why,

You cannot discriminate against me because of my gender, mom. I know the law too.

Meera lost her cool. She walked angrily towards Rita and gave her a tight slap on her cheeks. Then shouted, Even I know the rule of a parent. Spare the rod and spoil the child. When I was your age, my mother never had to scold me for these things because I loved her. Whereas you want to sit and eat only.

Rita rubbed her cheeks angrily. Tears started coming from her eyes, but she did not cry. She replied, "I love you more