Isaac and his friends stole money from people. They also indulged in other bad deeds. A day came when their money finished. They were used to eating good food. They also wore good clothes. All this they got from the money they stole. One of the friends told Isaac, “The boss of the Plane Company has lots of money”. “There’s a lot of money in kidnapping,” said another. “Let’s kidnap his son. We shall get a lot of ransom money”. They all sat down together to make a plan to kidnap the rich man’s son. It would be done in the afternoon when he was returning from school. They sat in the bushes on the road from where the boy passed. School was over. The boy, Andrew, was returning home. Suddenly someone jumped from behind the bushes. He put a gag in the boy’s mouth. The boy wanted to scream but he could not. The bad men bundled him into a car and took him to a house. It was very far from the city. They had also blindfolded him so that he could not see where he was being taken. On reaching their destination they carried Andrew inside and locked him in a room. Then they called up his father to inform him about the kidnapping. He was told to pay a million rupees. Andrew’s parents were shocked. They did not know what to do. His father tried to arrange for the money. Meanwhile Andrew and Isaac met. Isaac brought Andrew something to eat. Andrew thanked him. Sometimes Isaac would sit with Andrew and talk to him. He told him that he too had once been a good boy. He had turned bad because he did not have any money. He had tried getting a job but had failed. “Do not fret. I shall ask my father to give you a job, but only if you free me.” Andrew said to Isaac. Isaac liked Andrew because of his good habits. While eating together Andrew would always ask Isaac to eat first. School was over. The boy, Andrew, was returning home. Suddenly someone jumped from behind the bushes. He put a gag in the boy’s mouth. The boy wanted to scream but he could not. The bad men bundled him into a car and took him to a house As time passed, they became good friends. Isaac told Andrew about his friends, “They are very bad men. I was forced to join them as they have bought me.” And it was true. They did very bad things to make money. Isaac was tired of this life. He wanted to lead a straight and simple life. Isaac and Andrew made a plan. Isaac would put a sleeping pill into their tea, which would put his so-called friends to sleep, thus giving them time to escape. It was 4 O’clock in the afternoon; Isaac had brought the medicine and put it into their tea. The men drank it with great enthusiasm. Now he waited for the medicine to show its effect. After a while they were all fast asleep. Isaac opened Andrew’s ropes. They locked the room in which the men were sleeping and took off with the keys. When Andrew reached home, his parents were overjoyed. His mother could not stop hugging him. They heard Isaac and Andrew’s story. Isaac along with Andrew met the police. They informed them about the location of the house and the presence of the dacoits. The police immediately rushed to the scene to find the men trying to break open the door. The police unlocked the door and captured the men. Andrew’s father arranged for Isaac to not be punished. He also asked Isaac to work for him and so ended the bad chapter in his life. The writer is the author of ‘Short Stories for Children’. She can be reached at zeenat.hakimjee@gmail.com Published in Daily Times, February 8th 2018.