I returned every night to the meadow for a whole week, but there was no sign of Anjali. I'd wait for up to an hour each night. Even fell asleep propped up against a tree one night, only to wake up shivering because the temperature dropped. Where was this girl? By this point, I was actually starting to doubt my own mind… maybe she was just a dream or something. People don't just disappear into thin air like that.
I was sitting at the kitchen table on Saturday, hunched over my second bowl of cereal, yawning and struggling to keep my eyes open. Suddenly Dad slammed his files on the tabletop scaring the hell out of me.
Omi- Hey kiddo. Didn't sleep well last night? (rubs Atul's back)
Atul- (rests his head back on the table) Last night? More like all week.
Omi- What's wrong with you beta? You've been like a zombie these days. Are you feeling okay? (puts a hand on Atul's forehead to check for signs of a fever)
If only you knew, Dad, if only you knew.
Atul- (sighs) I feel fine Dad.
Omi- You're worrying me son.
Atul- (groans) What did I do now?
Omi- Nothing. That's precisely the problem. You aren't doing anything. It's scaring me.
Atul- Ah, geez, Dad. Relax. You know it's gonna take me a bit to get used to these… khandars that you call historical buildings. They're not even buildings. They're ruins. (tips back on his chair)
Omi- Well maybe if you tried exploring the area during normal people hours, they wouldn't seem that way to you. (grins)
Atul- (falls back off the chair) Whoa, what?! You knew???
Omi- What? Do you think your Dad is deaf and blind? I know you go out at night after I "go to bed."
Atul- Dad… you haven't been… following me, have you?
Omi- You're not going out there and smoking crack are you?
Atul- (shocked at the question) Dad!
Omi- (laughs) I'm just playing around. Lighten up. How long are you gonna keep punishing me for moving up here? (sits down next to him) This move was for the better. You get to attend one of the best colleges and fulfill your dream of becoming a writer, and I get to run the second biggest hospital in the country. It's a win-win situation. It's not like you're the only one who left something behind in Mumbai. You left your friends, and I left the house that I first brought your mom to after we got married. I have so many memories attached to that house, but we need to move on kiddo.
Atul- (smiles) I never actually considered how much you had to leave behind. Mom would have been really proud of you Dad. Just like I am. (hugs him)
Omi- Thank son. That means so much to me. (smiles) Alright kid. Duty calls. I gotta get going, but uh… here. (tosses a key to him) I was gonna wait until your first day at this college, but, what the heck. You can't stay locked in here all day can you? Enjoy. (winks and leaves)
After Dad left, I walked out of the house to see what it was the keys belonged to. Score! Dad got me a new car. Do I love my dad or what? Well, I guess that meant I needed to go check out the new campus. Might as well head off to the city. I desperately needed to be within civilization an FAST.
I drove slowly along the highway. A thick gray fog hung over the road and I wanted to be careful. Last thing I wanted was an accident to ruin my driving privileges or my dad's trust in me. Wheels meant freedom. I turned on the radio and found a station that didn't play the oldies that my dad seemed to like so much. Seriously, those songs were ridiculously depressing.
Dad wasn't going to be home until late, so I considered going to check out the campus first and then exploring the city. As I was driving, something real strange caught my eye. I glanced out the window and saw a road that had been cut through solid granite. It led to a house perched in an isolated area. The great house hovered far above the fog, but despite the gloom, I saw no lights in the windows. The place looked abandoned. Who'd wanna live in a place like that? It wasn't house… it was a mansion. A creepy looking haunted mansion of some sort. I sat straighter in my seat. What had Anjali said? "A crypt the size of a mansion." Yes! I was going to find the mysterious Anjali whether she wanted me to or not.
I decided I better take care of business first, so I found my way to the University. Upon reaching there, I found the main office, talked to the secretary about my transfer and admission from Mumbai, and she assigned me a guide. That's right. A guide to give me a tour of the campus… What did they think this was? I have plenty of sense of direction. Inborn trait for guys. Anyway, I was flipping through the packet she gave me when my tour guide showed up.
Guy- Hey man. You're new, huh?
Atul- (turns around to face him) Sure am. Are you my guide?
Guy- (laughs) Cheesy, I know. It's like they think we can't find our way around or something.
I instantly took a liking to this guy. He was about my height, skinny, fair guy with gray eyes.
Atul- Tell me about it. (laughs lightly) I'm Atul Joshi. (extends his hand)
Guy- (smiles and shakes his hand) Rahul Garewal. So, you're from Mumbai. Nice place!
Atul- You've been there?
Rahul- Yeah. I head out there every so often. The night life there is amazing. I can understand how it must be for you though. Culture shock. I moved here from Punjab a few years ago.
Atul- You like it here?
Rahul- At first it was kinda odd, but Delhi is like a home away from home. It's cool.
Atul- I don't know if I'll ever consider it as a home away from home. Frankly, I don't have a say in the matter either. I'm a second year student. You?
Rahul- Same. What's your field of study?
Atul- Literature.
Rahul- Cool. Me too. (smiles) Alright so you wanna go on that tour? (grins)
Atul- You wanna guide me? (laughs)
Rahul- (smiles) I didn't think so. So what are you planning on doing now?
Atul- I don't know. Explore the city I guess.
Rahul- Hey listen, if you get really bored, come down to the Elevate Night Club any night. We all hang out over there. You've seen Mumbai's night life. Come check out Delhi's. (winks)
Atul- (grins, pleased with the invitation) I was wondering what people did for fun around here. Thanks. I'll check it out.
Rahul- Great. I'll keep a look out for you. (shakes Atul's hand) See you around newbie.
Atul- See you dude. (starts to walk off, then stops) Hey, you know the city real well right? Do you know who lives in that creepy mansion up near the highway?
Rahul- (thinks for a moment) You mean the Gupta House? Home of the Ghost Girl.
Atul- (pulse quickens) Wait, what??? A ghost lives there?
Rahul- No dude. Not a real ghost. Just this one girl who only comes out at night. I don't know much about her, but I've heard that she's allergic to the sun. There's plenty of talk about her around here.
Atul- (confused) I've never heard of being allergic to the sun.
Rahul- Neither have I, but it seems pretty serious since she never goes to college. Only the people that have lived here all their life have ever seen her, and that was back in primary school. I saw her once… she walking around on some little balcony on the roof of her house in the moonlight. Weird, don't you think?
Atul- (shivers a little) Yeah… weird.
Rahul- (phone rings) Hello? Yeah babe. Alright I'll be right there. Bye. (turns to Atul) Gotta get going. Girlfriend. (motions to his phone)
Atul- Ah. Demanding?
Rahul- Very.
Atul- (laughs) Good luck. Bye.
Rahul- Bye. (walks off)
After leaving my new University, I drove around the city aimlessly, taking in the sites. So far, Delhi was pretty cool. Maybe I was just blowing this whole thing out of proportion. I mean, on my first day here, I met a girl that was driving me insane even after a week of our encounter. The minute I walked into my University, I made a new friend. Found out what people do for fun around here, and I even got to explore the city on my own. Delhi was starting to look up for me, especially after I found out the whereabouts of my enchanting visitor from a week back.
I was driving home from the city a couple nights later along the highway when I was rewarded by the sight of a lone figure on the rooftop balcony of the Gupta House. I pulled over to the side of the road, turned off my headlights, and got out of the car. I could see the girl quite clearly etched against the summer sky, lit by a waxing crescent moon. I couldn't help but grin. Hello Anjali. I think it's time we met again…
I crossed the deserted highway and walked up the steep side road that led to the yard and driveway of the huge house. Except for a lone candle that glowed by a back door next to the balcony, the house was pitch-black. Lucky for me, there was a narrow outside spiral staircase that wound up to the balcony and I started towards it.
I kept telling myself that this was stupid, not to mention risky. What if there was an alarm? Or a vicious dog? I haven't been this city long enough to be labeled as a criminal. But I'd come too far to go back. I made my way up the winding stairway, careful to be as quiet as possible. By the time I got up there, I was drenched in my sweat. I stood on the step just below the landing and peered onto the narrow balcony. Sure enough, there stood Anjali, leaning on the railing. Staring at the moon. I also noticed a stool and a book, although I couldn't seem to figure out how anyone could read in the dark. With my heart hammering in my chest, I pulled myself onto the narrow walkway. This was the moment of truth.
Atul- (calmly) Hello… Are you planning to fly down, like a vampire bat?
Anjali- (gasps and almost screams)
Atul- (quickly grabs around the waist and covers her mouth gently) Shhh. Don't be scared. It's me. Atul Joshi, from the meadow.
Even in the scant light I could tell she wasn't pleased to see me, as I released her from my grip.
Anjali- You're trespassing.
Atul- I know, but I took the chance anyway because I wanted to see you again. I went out to the meadow every day, but you never came back.
Anjali- (looks at him surprised) You did?
Atul- What can I say? You got to me, Anjali. I've never met a girl with such a great pickup line. Vampire… (tries to humor her) I mean, most girls usually just have bad hair days. Hardly a topic for deep discussion.
Anjali- How many girls do you know?
Atul- (grins) Why? Are you setting an inquiry on me?
Anjali- (studies his face) How many?
Atul- (grins wider) Actually, you're the only girl I've met since I moved here, and you won't even talk to me, so that makes none.
Anjali- (walks to the stool, picks up the book, and holds it across her chest like a shield) But you've heard something about me, haven't you?
I didn't want to lie to her, so I felt that being truthful was the best route to go.
Atul- Yeah… on the day I went to go check out my new campus.
Anjali- (laughs lightly) So you're here to see the Ghost Girl. Don't look surprised. I know what they call me. What else did they tell you?
Atul- (unsure of what to say) They said you were allergic to the sun…
I waited for an answer, but she neither confirmed, nor denied the information, so I just continued on.
Atul- I was just out driving… and was on my way home when I saw you up here… so I came up to talk.
She kept looking at me as if she were trying to peer into the depths of my soul. I just wanted her to relax and trust me. I peered up at the sky right from the very spot she was standing in.
Atul- So… what were you up to? Star gazing? Moon watching?
Anjali- Yes.
Atul- Man, this house must be really old.
Anjali- My grandfather bought it from a 93-year-old widow long ago. She became quite bitter after her husband's death, and after her death, people could see her ghost walking up here at night.
Atul- Have you seen her ghost?
Anjali- No, but ghosts like to keep to themselves.
Atul- Is that what you want? To be by yourself?
Anjali- I usually am.
Atul- I wanna come see you again.
Anjali- (scoffs) Why? So you can talk about me to people on campus?
Atul- I'm not gonna to tell anyone about us if you don't want me to.
Anjali- (slowly repeats) Us…I've never been an 'us' before.
I could feel her loneliness as if it were a living thing and realized why she was so defensive. No one could hurt her if she didn't let anyone get close to her.
Atul- Look, I'm gonna write down my phone number. Call me if you want me to come back and see you. Otherwise, I promise, I won't bother you again.
I patted my pockets for a pen but failed miserably to find one. She watched, then finally pulled one out from under the book she was clutching. Then I began a new search for something to write on. Real smooth dude. Again, I failed miserably, and gave her a helpless shrug. To my surprise, she didn't look the least bit annoyed. She simply smiled slightly and offered the book, so I quickly scribbled my number on the inside cover and handed it back.
Atul- Call me, Anjali. Please.
She gave me a lingering look, then turned and stepped through the door, disappearing into the darkness of the great house. I stood there alone on the balcony, missing her, imagining what it would be like to have her next to me again.
The next morning went by rather quickly. It was Dad's day off so we just lazed around the house like the true men we were. It wasn't until later on in the day that a question that had been bothering me since the previous afternoon finally found its way to my oral cavity.
Atul- Hey Dad?
Omi- Yeah?
Atul- I have… well there's… (sighs)
Omi- (looks up from his newspaper) Something bothering you son? (gets up and goes to sit near him) What's up kiddo? Spill it out.
Atul- Dad… there's something that's been on my mind since yesterday.
Omi- Okay. Well, go ahead. I'm all ears.
Atul- What can you tell me about a disease that a kid is born with that makes them allergic to the sun?
Omi- (looks at Atul thoughtfully) You mean a sun rash?
Atul- No. Worse than that. Like… like getting burned. Really bad… if the sun even touches their skin.
Omi-(thinks) Ah, I think you mean Xeroderma Pigmentosum, or XP for short. We call them Children of the Moon.
A child of the moon… yeah. That described Anjali perfectly!
Atul- Can you tell me about XP?
Omi- It's a genetic disorder. The patient's DNA repair mechanisms don't work properly, making them severely sensitive to ultraviolet radiation.
Atul- Sunlight…
Omi- Right. Actually, any kind of UV light, but sunlight especially. There's no cure for XP, but fortunately, it's rare. Maybe only a thousand cases worldwide.
Atul- (too afraid to ask) What happens to people with XP?
Omi- Every time they're exposed to UV light, their DNA is irreversibly damaged. They're very susceptible to eye and skin cancers, melanoma being the worst of the skin variety. Even normal people can get melanomas. That's why we urge people to not get sunburned and use sunscreen faithfully, but they don't listen.
Atul- So a person with XP can't ever get well?
Omi- Well, no, but some cases are worse than others. Many XP victims also have severe handicaps, such as blindness, deafness, and even mental retardation. Most victims die young. It's imperative that they limit sun exposure, which means turning themselves into night people. It's a hard life, especially when they're kids.
Atul- (tensing up) But… isn't there research going on to help these people?
Omi- There's always research, but because so few people have it, it's not a high priority. Sad, but true.
Atul- (suddenly disgusted by the medical field) That's horrible!
Omi- (shocked by his son's sudden outburst) Whoa, kid! Relax. Why are you asking about XP all of a sudden anyway?
Atul- I've heard some stuff about an XP girl that loves out in the city.
Omi- (sober expression) I sympathize with her parents. It's unimaginably difficult to raise a child like that.
Atul- (beginning to get defensive) It's not exactly a party for her either. At least her parents can come and go as they please. They aren't pinned under a glass where everybody who's normal can stare at them and make them feel like an outcast.
Omi- (gives him a quizzical look) Am I missing something here?
Atul- All I'm saying is… I feel sorrier for her than her parents. They can walk out the door. She can't.
Omi- (sensing something very wrong, puts his arm around Atul's shoulder) Son, you know we're a team, right, and you can talk to me about anything? Is something bothering you?
Atul- (sighs dejectedly) No, Dad. I'm… fine.
Fine… why did that word sound so extremely foreign? In any case, I think Dad and I both knew that I wasn't very "fine" at all. I just thank God for a Dad that doesn't probe into things unless I make the first move and tell him about it. So, as usual, Dad dropped the subject, but I knew he was concerned about the way I was reacting to this disturbing information. Hell, even I was concerned at my reaction. Who would have thought that Anjali was suffering something like this?
I was in desperate need of relaxing my mind, so I headed down to the Elevate Night Club to meet up with Rahul. He did say "drop by any night." Here's hoping he was actually there.
Rahul- (calls out as soon as Atul stepped into the place) Hey Atul! Where have you been dude? I've been telling he gang about you, but you never showed. Everyone was starting think that I was hallucinating or something.
Atul- (laughs) I was just a bit busy, but I think I'm getting used to things now so… here I am. In the flesh. No hallucinations.
Rahul- Thank God! Come on. I'll introduce you to everyone.
He pointed to a cluster of people my age with names that included, Yuvi, Jenifer, Borna, Sid, Naina, Sakshi, Raj, Jiggy, and Muskaan. I tried to keep up, but the faces sort of blurred together, and I wasn't sure I could put the right name with the right face.
Atul- (self consciously) Hi…
Jenifer- Do you wanna dance?
Atul- Um… sure, but I should warn you, I'm not the best dancer.
Yuvi- You should be the one getting the warning. Jen's practically got 2 left feet. (snickers)
Jenifer- (whacks him on the arm) Shut up Yuvi! Let's go Atul.
Yuvi- Good luck. I've got the first-aid kit handy. You'll need it.
Jenifer- (glares at him, then smiles) You know what? You can go to hell. (kicks him on the shin and leads Atul to the dance floor)
As bad as I may have felt for that guy, I have to say, he had it coming. Girls are pretty feisty. To be completely honest, I was a really good dancer. Hey, I did say I was the target overly-flirtatious girls didn't I? My night life in Mumbai mostly consisted of parties and clubs. Years of practice is all I can say. Jen wasn't a bad dancer either. She hadn't stepped on me as of yet.
Jenifer- (yelling over the crowd and loud music) Where did you learn to dance like that?
Atul- (unable to hear anything) What???
Jenifer- (louder) I said, where did you learn to dance like that?
Atul- Oh, just picked it up over time.
Jenifer- Seems like you spent a lot of time at it. You're amazing!
Atul- (smiles) Some things should be kept hidden.
We headed back to the rest of the gang and chilled for a while. I instantly recognized Muskaan to be the "demanding" girlfriend that Rahul was talking to on the phone. She seemed like a sweet girl, but damn, was that girl loud! It's like someone needed to stuff a silencer down her throat. I knew girls were born chatterboxes, but this girl was born to talk. I really wondered how a quiet guy like Rahul could handle someone so talkative. Opposites really do attract don't they? What did it matter? They seemed very much in love. The typical, ideal college couple, and equal runners in that race were Yuvi and Naina. Same problem here. Yuvi hardly said anything, and Naina never shut up. Two very subtle guys dating two very dramatic girls. Sheer torture.
Sakshi-(sitting very close to Atul) So Atul, do you have girlfriend?
The others started hooting and I could feel my face turn red. It wasn't often that a shy looking girl like her noticed me, let alone hit on me.
Atul- (uneasy, still blushing) Uh… I just recently moved here, so no.
Sakshi- Oh! No old relationships from back in Mumbai?
Atul- (faint smile) No.
Sakshi- Well, if you ever need company, gimme a call. (winks then gets up to go dance with the other girls)
Sid- (laughs) Dude… not bad. Your first day with us and already you've got girls all over you.
Atul- (laughs nervously) Yeah… Alright. Well, I gotta get going, but it was great hanging out with you guys.
They invited me to come again real soon, which Ii promised to do, but all the way home I wondered how they would react if they found out that I knew the so called Ghost Girl. Probably not so friendly. It didn't seem like people really cared about her. All the more reason for me to feel worse. She didn't deserve this. I mean, it's not like she asked to be this way.
By the time I got home, Dad had gone to bed. He left the lamp on in the living room and a note was stuck to the fridge in the kitchen. It read:
Atul,
Some girl named Anjali called around 11 p.m. I'm glad you're finally making friends. She asked me to let you know that she called, but that was about it. Didn't really leave much of a message. I'm sure you already ate, but in case you didn't, dinner's in the fridge. Night son.
My heartbeat accelerated. Anjali called! I wanted to talk to her before she changed her mind about talking to me. So, I eased out the door, got back in my car, and headed off to Anjali's place. She was giving this chance to reach out to her, and I wasn't about to let go of it so easily. I wasn't about to let go of her so easily…
Hope you guys enjoyed this part. Next part will be up by tomorrow inshAllah.
-Komz
CID
Music Corner
290