THE police found the area where Brian had turned off the road and a piece of the girl’s torn clothing, but there was no more indication she was anywhere around there.
“They must have taken me somewhere else,” Preity concluded, “Maa,” she prayed, “I need you now, more than any other time in my life. Please don’t let me die here.”

The detectives continued to talk to her as their search continued, “Units are spread along the highway,” she was reassured, “Now, I want you to listen carefully and tell us what you hear around you, anything.”

There was silence for a while then she said, “I can hear heavy vehicles driving a distance away and I feel a slight shudder as they pass.”
“That’s got to be a turn-off somewhere from the highway,” The detective said with confidence, “That’s where they probably dumped the car.”
“My phone battery is dying,” she said, fear now creeping in her voice, “and the air is becoming less. Let me talk to my mom, please.”

“Mom,” she said, her voice breaking, “Just in case—”
“No, baby,” her mother interrupted her, “We will find you.”
Preity closed her eyes, her breathing now very slowly and when she reopened her eyes, through the haze of her tears, she saw a lone bright star in that little part of the sky she could see through the rock crevice.

“I can see a lone star, mom.”
The hours were going by as the car the mother was in that was following the police vehicles, approached the road to the second turn-off and she saw a lone bright star, like a guiding light.
“Is this it?” she wondered, “Is this the divine help that will guide me to my daughter?”

She dialled Preity’s phone but there was no answer.
The phone battery had died!
The terrain way off the road was rough, and the search parties set off on foot in different directions.
“She’s got to be here,” the mother cried, her anxiety rising. The minutes she waited to hear a shout from the search party were tortuous, and when the shout came to a long while after that they found her, the mother broke down, sinking onto her knees.

Her hands clasped to the Heavens, “Thank you so much, Maa.”
Preity was barely alive when they brought her up, her clothes torn, her skin bruised and bloody.
“Mom,” was the only word she could say, as her mother sobbing uncontrollably, hugged her.

Not until she was in the special care of doctors, under police protection and surrounded by family and friends, did the detective feel it was safe to give the media the story and the phone recordings, a story that hit the nation like a freak storm. The expressions of shock, dismay, and anger flooded in from all levels of society as they gave support to this brave girl who stayed strong and held on to faith, to stay alive. Dravid recovered from his head injury and was taken overseas for further treatment after giving a damning testimony against his brother.
“It’s time to be brave,” he said, “to be a man.”

Preity stayed at home, the place she felt safer, to recover mentally. Messages, cards, and gifts continued to be sent to her home from well-wishers for her bravery. One gift from an overseas women’s group was a surprise.
It was a nice little car.

“So, you don’t have to ride in anyone else’s car again.” They said.
Preity laughed, her heart filled with thanks, “This is so nice, thank you.”
In her private moments, she offered her prayers to Mother Saraswati, as she always did, “Thank you, Dear Maa, my faith in you won the battle to survive and to live for a new day.”