Beena Agarwal

Cry of an Abducted Child - Rohan

The story Cry of an Abducted Child-Rohan by Dr.Vinay Kumar Pandey is a moving story of the agony of an innocent child who suffered for no fault of his own. The story reestablishes the age-old dictum-evil recoils on the evil doer. Also it breaks the old belief that justice delayed is justice denied.      

The story underlines the position of law and order in Bihar, the locale of the story. Rohan, the child protagonist of the story, belonged to a well-to-do business family in Bhagalpur from where he was abducted for a ransom of five lakhs. The author relates this traumatic experience of the child, if not in detail, in some detail. He tried to peep into his mind and heart. Rohan, released from the grip of the abductors, did not want to stay in Bhagalpur. He said to his mother, “Leave this place immediately. It is hell. We should leave Bhagalpur forever for a peaceful life”. He was shifted to Jaipur. He worked hard and finally became the Superintendent of Police, posted at Bhagalpur. He ordered to open the old case of his abduction. Eventually the police arrested the culprit who died at the end in the jail. 

The story provides a ray of hope to the young generation that all is not lost. Our determination and sincere efforts can enable us to establish law and order in the country. And it is always true-we reap what we sow. 

I congratulate Dr. Pandey for the present story which is written in lucid and lively style. Since it is an early effort of the author, it suffers from some linguistics lacunas. For example, the author has not paid any attention to the usage of tense. Sometime the events are narrated in the present tense and sometime in the past. However, with these minor lapses, it is a good effort made by Dr. V. K. Pandey. 

(The story was published in The World Plus, a quarterly journal in English Vol. IV & V Oct-Dec, 2006, editor E. N. Muraleedharan Nair)