"In case of any emergency," said the teacher to the class, "you should dial 100. That is the number of the police and they will send someone immediately to help you."
"Miss, should we call the number if there is a theft?" asked Prateek. "Yes," replied the teacher. "And what if there is a kidnapping?" Prateek again asked.
"Yes, Prateek, you can call then too,"said the teacher.
"Miss, what if aliens attack from outer space?"asked Prat
eek once more.
"I am sure, in that case too the police have to be informed Prateek," said the teacher a little annoyed but nevertheless answering his question. Even she could not have imagined that Prateek would be using the emergency number, so soon after learning about it.
At home, mom had not yet come back from work and grandmother had gone to take her afternoon nap. Prateek switched the television set on as he took out his ball from under the bed. He also thought of calling Sunny, his friend, from the adjacent house, when suddenly he heard some loud noise and screams.
Inspector Pandey was a busy and a very tired man. He had not slept for two days, keeping vigilance around the home of a reputed industrialist. The man had received a call saying his daughter was going to be kidnapped. Now, after hours of non-stop work, the inspector and his team had finally nabbed the crook who had been plottingthe kidnapping.
The inspector came back to the police station to draft his final report and take the rest of the day off when message came from the police control room-
"An 8-9-year-old has been kidnapped from 226, Vinod Nagar. The caller has identified himself as a 6-year-old named Prateek."
Inspector Pandey forgot all his tiredness and immediately set out for the locality where the *mishap had occurred. As soon as he reached the area though, he found everything peaceful and quiet. He rang the bell of the house which had been mentioned in the call.
"Are you the boy who made the call about a kidnapping?" asked the inspector seriously to Prateek who had opened the door.
"Yes sir," replied Prateek a little intimidated by the man's stern manner. But then he found his voice and said in one breath, "My friend was playing when two guys came and covered his mouth. Then they put him in a rug sack and ran."
"Where were you when all this happened?" asked the inspector. "Right here!" said Prateek.
"What! You mean to say a boy was kidnapped right in front of your eyes?" asked the inspector, a little surprised at the daring of the thugs.
Prateek's grandmother had heard the door bell ring so she came out to see a police inspector standing at the front door. "Is there a problem inspector?" she asked a little concerned.
"This little boy called 100 to inform that his friend has been kidnapped from here."
