Peter had just passed the two-month mark since his last quarrel with his estranged daughter, Jacqui. They hadn’t spoken since that heated exchange of cold voice notes and angry WhatsApp messages. Now, as he worked on emails for a project, his phone buzzed with a message. He saw Jacqui's name, the familiar red alert dot fading in and out. It was hard to ignore.
Jacqui, his firstborn from his ex-wife Sandra, had blocked him for a while—her WhatsApp DP blank, messages showing single ticks. Peter knew both Jacqui and Sandra had a tendency for emotional outbursts. The voice note was brief and direct: "I'm coming to Delhi, to Hindon Airport, with Shahid. Can you meet us?" A second message followed, with flight details and a slight edge of urgency in her voice. After letting her wait a bit, Peter replied, "Will be there."
Grabbing an Americano from the co-working pantry, Peter settled back into his thoughts. The North African music playing softly on his playlist took him back to his days in Muscat, Oman—when Jacqui was just a baby and life felt simpler, full of travel, work, and excitement. But now, his mind raced. Who was this Shahid? Jacqui had mentioned he worked for Amazon Pay and was a Tamil speaker. Peter had seen a photo of them together, looking happy, but his anxiety grew. In the political climate of Uttar Pradesh, with rising religious tensions, his thoughts turned to the worst-case scenario. Could this be a "love jihad" situation?
At 5 a.m., Peter booked an Uber and headed to Hindon Airport, the former Air Force base now serving civilian flights. As the taxi sped through empty roads, he drifted off, waking up briefly to see a group of cyclists on the road, likely expats, decked out in fluorescent jackets. The sight pulled him back to reality.
Approaching the terminal, Peter noticed something disturbing: a group of men loitering outside. Unshaven, smoking bidis, they seemed out of place—especially the one in saffron robes with an air of quiet authority. They held a printout with photos. Peter’s heart sank. These were likely members of Bajrang Dal or Hindu Yuva Vahini, groups known for policing interfaith couples. Jacqui and Shahid could be in real trouble.
Peter entered the terminal under the guise of purchasing a ticket, flashing his media pass. He sent Jacqui a hurried voice note, warning her to stay inside the terminal, near the Uber counter, and avoid eye contact. "Use hoodies, masks, sunglasses—anything to avoid being recognized," he urged, fearing the worst.
As Jacqui responded, Peter directed her to an emergency exit. But as they approached, an airman blocked their way, firmly stating that the exit was for authorized personnel only. Desperate, Peter appealed to the man’s sense of compassion, slipping his Swiss Military watch onto the airman’s wrist as a bribe. The airman hesitated, then opened the door.
Peter, Jacqui, and Shahid slipped through, racing down the corridor toward freedom.