INTI Orion.com

Prema was on the straw bed, staring at the ceiling. She had a strange feeling. Why, though? She was not sure, but she felt that something, good or bad, is going to happen. She heard the cooks in the kitchen talk about it. She was not sure…… but apparently, someone had been gathering information about the children in the factory. Why, why? She heard about rescues before this, she read about it in the papers that one of the kind workers sneaked in for her. She did not quite understand the entire article but she knew, vaguely, what was going on: there has been successful raids and rescues of children forced by their families to work. She hoped and prayed that it would happen here. She was not sure how, why or who, but it just had to happen.

The next morning, the owner came in, spoke to the staff and was very angry, for some reason. He then questioned the children- he asked if they had spoken to any stranger through the factory gates. The man got his answers and walked out hurriedly. What was going on? The children were told to take a break for the day- the first break they had had for years. Puzzled, but happy, the children did not question this, but instead went out to play, as children would. But the older ones were more inquisitive and talked among themselves, excited. Despite the fact that they had never been to school, these were children who took every opportunity to learn. The occasional trips out of the factory and the television and newspapers in the supervisor’s room are something to be treasured- that was their only connection to the outside world.

Then, in the evening, all of the sudden, every single child was told to line up and get themselves in a bus waiting outside. The supervisor shouted for them to hurry up.. Prema could hear own heartbeat. She looked at her friends for reassurance. Deva nodded and they got into the bus. The children were more excited than scared; many had puzzled looks on their faces and tried to ask questions. But the adults refused to breathe a word and seemed worried about something. The bus moved at last. Every child was on board. Prema prayed silently in her heart. She could guess what was going on. There was no reason to pack all of them hurriedly like that if there were no problems at the factory. The bus driver drove fast and the children were told to sit down quietly. From the look of it, they were heading to a more remote area, far away from the factory. The excited children could not be contained; for the some of them, this was the furthest they had been from the factory.

Suddenly, they could hear police sirens. To Prema, the sound was like an answer to her prayer. Going faster, the driver attempted to lose the car at the back, chasing them. Prema looked back and saw a police car. Her heart leaped with joy! Finally, the driver gave up. He stopped the bus……