Pagkalipas ng walong taon, natuklasan ng isang ina na nawawala ang kanyang anak na babae habang naglalakbay, na ang kanyang larawan ay may tattoo sa kamay ng isang lalaki. Ang katotohanan sa likod nito ay ikinagulat ng buong nayon.

Isang hapon noong mga unang bahagi ng Hulyo, ang Puri Beach ay puno ng mga tao. Ang tawanan at mga tinig ng mga bata ay humalo sa tunog ng mga alon. Ngunit para kay Ginang Meera, ang mga alaala ng lugar na ito ay isang malalim na sugat na hindi kailanman maghihilom.

Walong taon na ang nakalilipas, dito niya nawala ang kanyang nag-iisang anak na babae, si Anjali, na sampung taong gulang lamang noon.

Nang araw na iyon, lumangoy ang grupo ng pamilya sa paglilibot. Kakakuha lang ni Ginang Meera ng tuwalya nang mawala ang kanyang anak na babae. Noong una, inakala niyang tumakbo si Anjali para habulin ang grupo ng mga bata, ngunit hinanap niya ito kahit saan, tinanong ang lahat, ngunit walang nakakita sa kanya. Agad na ipinaalam sa Beach Management Board, at pinatugtog ang mga loudspeaker upang mahanap ang batang babae na nakasuot ng asul na floral na damit at nakapusod, ngunit wala itong naging epekto.

Sumisid sa dagat ang mga rescue team, at kasali rin ang mga lokal na pulis, ngunit walang bakas na natagpuan. Wala ni isang tsinelas, wala ni isang laruan; tila nawala ang lahat.

Kumalat ang balita sa lahat ng dako: “Isang 10-taong-gulang na batang babae ang misteryosong nawawala mula sa Puri Beach.” Inakala ng ilan na tinangay siya ng mga alon, ngunit kalmado ang dagat nang araw na iyon. Hinala ng ilan na dinukot siya, ngunit walang malinaw na nakunan ng mga kamera sa lugar.

Pagkalipas ng ilang linggo, umuwi ang pamilya na nagdadalamhati, nagdurugo dahil sa kanilang mga sugat. Mula noon, ginugol ni Ginang Meera ang mga araw sa paghahanap sa kanyang anak na babae: nag-iimprenta ng mga polyeto, humihingi ng tulong sa mga grupo ng kawanggawa para mahanap siya, naglalakbay sa mga kalapit na estado kasunod ng mga bulung-bulungan tungkol sa “pagkakita ng isang batang babae na kahawig ni Anjali.” Ngunit lahat ng iyon ay isang ilusyon lamang.

Ang kanyang asawang si G. Ramesh ay nagkasakit dahil sa matinding pagkabigla at pumanaw pagkalipas ng tatlong taon. Sinasabi ng lahat sa nayon na kahit na mag-isa lamang na nagpapatakbo ng isang maliit na grocery store si Gng. Meera, nanatili siyang determinado at nabuhay sa pag-asang matagpuan ang kanyang anak. Para sa kanya, hindi namatay si Anjali. Palagi siyang naniniwala na ang kanyang anak ay nasa kung saan pa rin, na kung hindi siya susuko, magkikita silang muli balang araw.

Walong taon ang lumipas, isang mainit na umaga ng Abril, nagtitinda si Ginang Meera ng mga groseri sa labas ng kanyang pintuan nang bigla niyang marinig ang paghinto ng motorsiklo. May ilang binata na huminto para bumili ng tubig. Hindi niya ito pinansin sandali, hanggang sa dumako ang kanyang tingin: sa kanang braso ng isang lalaki, nakita niya ang isang tattoo ng isang batang babae.

The image wasn’t anything special, just a sketch of a round face, sparkling eyes, and a braid. But to her, it was so familiar. Her heart ached, her hands trembled, and her glass of water nearly fell. It was the face of her daughter—Anjali. Unable to contain herself, she summoned the courage to ask:
— “Uncle, this tattoo… whose is it?”

The man hesitated for a moment, then smiled awkwardly:
— “Ah… just an acquaintance, Aunty.”

Hearing the answer, Mrs. Meera’s heart raced. She tried to remain calm and ask more questions, but the group of young men quickly paid, started the car, and drove off. She quickly ran after them, but could only see the car’s number plate, which blended into the crowd.

She couldn’t sleep that night. The image of her daughter’s hands and face haunted her. Why would a stranger tattoo Anjali? Was she still alive, and was this a clue?

After finding out…

The next day, she decided to go to the commune police station and report the incident. At first, everyone thought it was just a coincidence—perhaps a tattoo similar to Anjali’s. But she insisted:
— “I’m a mother, I can’t be wrong. She’s my child.”

The police took note of this information and agreed to help verify it. Mrs. Meera also actively inquired around, asking tuk-tuk drivers, motorbike taxi drivers, and street vendors to be on the lookout.

A week later, a tuk-tuk driver reported:

He saw a group of young men gathered at a small pub near the Bhubaneswar bus station. She immediately went to look for them, but when she arrived, they were gone. The owner explained that they were frequent visitors, and that the man with the tattoo was named Arjun, about 30 years old, and a long-distance driver.

Hearing this, Mrs. Meera became even more determined. For the first time in eight years, she truly felt a flash of light.

The truth came out

After waiting for several days at the pub, she finally saw Arjun again. The same old car, the same hand with the little girl’s tattoo. She took a risk and stepped forward, closing the pub door behind her, her eyes trembling and determined:
— “Sir, can I ask you something… whose tattoo is on your arm?”

Arjun was startled for a moment, then sighed. He hesitated for a moment, then said softly:
—“Aunty, don’t ask too many questions. I just want to remember someone I met.”

Mrs. Meera choked up:
—“Please. My daughter was lost in Puri eight years ago. Look at that photo… She looks exactly like her. If you know anything, tell me.”

Arjun tried to brush it off for a moment, but when he saw his mother’s tears, his face grew heavy. He remained silent for a long time, then whispered:
—“That year, I went to work for a stranger. By chance, I saw a little girl crying near the beach. I was a little boy then, so I didn’t dare intervene. But her face haunted me forever, so I got her tattooed so I wouldn’t forget her.”

Mrs. Meera was stunned to hear this. Their hearts ached, and a glimmer of hope appeared. If Arjun was right, Anjali hadn’t drowned, but had been taken away. But who was that person? Where was she now?

The police intervened, took Arjun’s statement, and revisited the old missing person case. Slowly, the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place: At that time, there were some strangers around Puri Beach, suspected of human trafficking.

Meera’s entire village was stunned by the news: the disappearances that year might be linked to a criminal gang. People were alarmed, and many other families remembered stories of their children being lured away by strangers.

Mrs. Meera was both scared and hopeful. For eight years, she had learned to accept this loss, but now, the longing for her child was rekindled. Every night, she prayed to see her child one more time, even if only to know that he was still alive.

The story remained unsolved. But for Mrs. Meera, seeing that tattoo was proof: Anjali was living in a stranger’s memories. And that was enough for her to believe—her child was still somewhere, waiting for that day to return.

The police took action, took Arjun’s statement, and revisited the old missing person case. Slowly, the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place: At that time, there were some strangers around Puri Beach, suspected of human trafficking.

Meera’s entire village was stunned by the news: the disappearances that year might be linked to a criminal gang. People were alarmed, and many other families remembered stories of their children being lured away by strangers.

Mrs. Meera was both scared and hopeful. For eight years, she had learned to accept this loss, but now, the desire to find her child was rekindled. Every night, she prayed to see her child one more time, even if only to know she was still alive.

The story remained unsolved. But for Mrs. Meera, seeing that tattoo was proof: Anjali was living in a stranger’s memories. And that was enough for her to believe—her child was still somewhere, waiting to return that day.

Following Arjun’s testimony, the Odisha police officially reopened the case of Anjali’s disappearance. A special investigation team was formed in collaboration with the police of the neighboring state, as there were indications that the case might be linked to an interstate human trafficking network that had been operating for years.

The news spread and sent shockwaves through Meera’s entire village. People gathered and discussed: “Could Anjali have been sold somewhere else? Could previously missing children also be involved?”

Police looked through old records and were surprised to discover a piece of information that had been overlooked: that year, people near Puri Beach had seen a white van driving away at night. A baby was crying inside the car. That testimony had been dismissed years earlier as “insufficient evidence.”

Now, compared to Arjun’s story, this information becomes crucial. Police cordoned off the roads and discovered that the white truck belonged to a small transport company in the area. The previous owner had sold the truck and left the village shortly after the disappearance.

Habang patuloy ang kanilang pagsisiyasat, bigla silang nakakita ng isang lumang litrato sa kanilang mga file—kinunan sa isang gasolinahan sa labas ng Puri, isang araw lamang matapos mawala si Anjali. Sa larawan, isang batang babae na may tirintas at isang asul na damit na may bulaklak ang nakatayo sa tabi ng isang estranghero malapit sa isang puting trak.

Malabo ang litrato, pero ang mukha ng babae… ay kapareho ng kay Anjali.

Nang ilabas ang larawan, nagulat ang buong nayon. Napaiyak ang mga taong nakakakilala kay Anjali: “Siya nga iyon! Nakalabas siya nang buhay mula sa Puri!”

Patuloy na hinanap ng mga pulis ang lalaking nasa larawan. Nakakagulat na hindi pala ito estranghero, kundi isang residente ng nayon—si Rajiv, isang malayong kamag-anak ng isang mayamang pamilya. Si Rajiv ay dating isang maliit na negosyante, pagkatapos ay nawala sa nayon kasabay ng pagkawala ni Anjali.

Ikinagulat ng mga taga-nayon ang katotohanang ito. Ang lalaking dating itinuring nilang mabait na kapitbahay ay maaaring sangkot sa isang kilalang network ng human trafficking.

Tiningnan ni Ginang Meera ang litrato, ang kanyang mga mata ay malabo dahil sa luha ngunit nagniningning sa pag-asa:
—”Ang anak ko ay dating buhay, dating napakalapit dito… Naniniwala akong naroon pa rin siya sa kung saan, hanggang sa sumuko na ako.”

Inihayag ng pulisya na palalawakin nila ang imbestigasyon sa ibang mga estado at makikipag-ugnayan sa mga puwersang kontra-trafficking upang mahanap si Rajiv at ang mga sangkot.

Gulat na gulat ang buong nayon. Hindi lamang nagdadalamhati ang mga tao para kay Anjali, kundi naalala rin nila ang iba pang mahiwagang pagkawala sa mga nakaraang taon. Ilan pang mga inosenteng bata ang maaaring nawala sa kadiliman?

Wala pang katapusan ang kwento. Ngunit para kay Meera, ang bagong palatandaang ito ay patunay na ang kanyang anak na babae ay hindi kailanman nawala—nandoon pa rin siya sa kung saan, naghihintay na bumalik.