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Chapter 7-B
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"Sometimes being a friend means mastering the art of timing. There is a time for silence. A time to let go and allow people to hurl themselves into their own destiny. And a time to prepare to pick up the pieces when it's all over"
- Octavia Butler
Ayesha leaned against the gates and the rusted gate creaked open, alerting both..
Arjun raised his head and saw her walk backwards out on the street that separated the two houses.
Ayesha, however held his gaze for a while before backing out.
Having known the guy for nearly half her life, she had known that Arjun despised the ones who pitied him.. And probably that had been the only reason why he had befriended the three of them..
Since they hadn't really eyed him with eyes full of sympathy. Yes there had been times when the girls had felt sorry for his loss, but had never voiced it out to him..
And today, 15 years later, Ayesha knew better.
Yet, she needed him to know that she was the same girl who had been his best friend not too long ago.. One who could read him like an open book.. She wanted him to realise that she wasn't aloof to his suffering.
He needed to know that she was the same Sha he had been close to once; close enough for having poured out his heart to her when he had first felt the tingling of love.
She was right here, beside him.. She had always been there for him.. Only he hadn't looked or probably overlooked that bit..
She looked away upon realizing that his eyes were still fixed on her and spun around on her heel.
Arjun sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose; those salty water droplets streaming gathered around the corner of his eyes were threatening to trickle down.
As if mirroring the state of their troubled hearts, loud thunder roared through the dark skies followed by a flash of lightning..
And then Ayesha's eyes fell on it..
A lump rose in her throat and her breath hitched in her throat as the contour of the ruined place slowly came into view.. Ruins..
Yes that's what was left of the place.
Tears welled up in her eyes at the sight in front of her and her feet led her into the majestic gates on their own..
Arjun's head snapped up the same instant and he sprang to his feet upon watching Ayesha walk in through the gates.
The uneasy feeling from a while back was now replaced by anxiety.. He felt like a child who wanted to step onto the street, fully aware that he could get run over by a speeding car..
He had just lifted towards the house, when something held him back. He turned back and saw visions of an angelic face standing beside him, motioning him to stop; pleading with him to take back his footsteps.
"Mat jaao Arjun.. Wahan tumhe sirf dard aur takleef ke kuch nahi milega.. Woh ab humara ghar nahi raha.".
He slipped his hand into her fingers, "Please Mishti ek baar.. One last time.. Mujhe dekhna hai.. Mujhe jaan na hai.."
Roshni rested her head on his shoulder and latched onto his arm,
"Why are you doing this to yourself? Kitni baar samjha chuki hoon tumhe ki hum sab ki maut ke zimmedaar tum nahi ho.. Phir kyun?
Kyun apne aap ko chot pohonchana chaahte ho? Kyun nahi samajhte ki jab tumhe takleef hoti hai, toh dard hum sabko hota hai.."
He clenched his eyes shut and balled his fist even as guilt surged through his veins..
How he despised himself!
She still cared for him; for his well-being despite being in another world. And him.. He hadn't been able to do justice to her, nor when she had lived and neither now, while her murderers were still roaming scot-free.
He felt her fingers wriggle against his palm and turned to face her.
She sniffed and looked straight,
"Jaao.. Nahi rokungi aaj tumhe.. Kyunki uss ghar se humari yaadein judi hui hain, Arjun.. Woh yaadein, jo shayad tum kabhi chaahkar bhi bhula nahi paaoge..
Aur main nahi chaahti ki tum kabhi aisi koi koshish bhi karo.. Jaante ho kyun?"
He looked away not being able to bear her selflessness and innocence in her voice,
"Isliye, kyunki all is not lost, Arjun! All. Is. Not. lost.."
His head snapped up and the noise of roaring thunder sliced through the weeds around him, jolting him out of his reverie..
Arjun looked around and lifted his fingers in front of his eyes and gently rubbed them together; her gentle touch still lingered on them..
And then her last words rang in his ears.. She had never spoken like that before.. He could still remember her smiling face when she had uttered those words a few seconds ago..
He inhaled sharply and saw Ayesha kneeling on the ground some thirty feet ahead of him.. He shook his head and walked out on the street,
He had been a fool to have given away reins of himself to those seemingly innocent little girls.. Each one of them had him wound around their little fingers.. Even today!
He held the rusted iron handle on the gate and was immediately jolted back into memories of the day, he had first set foot into the premises..
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"Life gives us brief moments with another...but sometimes in those brief moments we get memories that last a life time.."
- Author Unknown
Police Station, KHOPOLI, Raigad, Maharashtra.
March 1995
Arjun sat still observing the functioning of the police and absorbing every bit of it.. But what had amazed him the most, was the 5'11" man sitting across the table..
He wasn't unlike any other cop he had come across or heard of ever.. Inspector Gupte had an aura that commanded respect and faith.. And Arjun, being the nave teenager he was, was instantly drawn to him..
How he wished that he would never have to leave him.. Few hours around the man, and Arjun already saw a father-figure in him..
Inspector Gupte hadn't been aloof to Arjun stealing glances at him while he interrogated criminals or consoled an ex-colleague's wife and daughter..
There was something about the child that reminded him of the three little devils back in his home.. He was just as innocent and inquisitive as the girls were..
Volunteers from the Child Services would be here, any minute to take him away. He had a decision to make.. But before that, he would have to talk to the boy..
Gupte pulled a chair and sat opposite the boy, eyeing him,
"Kya soch rahe ho? Kaafi gehri soch mein dikhayi dete ho?"
Arjun looked away embarrassed at being caught, "Nahi main toh bass.."
Gupte smiled and placed a palm on his thigh, "Arjun, mere zehen mein ek baat aayi hai.. Sunoge?"
He eyed the officer quizzically as he spoke,
"Dekho, jaise ki tumhe maine pehle bataya hai, Child Services wale kuch hi der mein yahan honge.. Tumse sawaal karenge, tumhara bayaan lekar phir tumhe apne saath le jayenge.."
He felt the boy tense up and patted his shoulder,
"Daro mat, bete.. Woh tumhara bohot achhe se khayal rakhenge.. Tumhe school mein dakhil kareyenge, tumhari sehat ka dhyan rakhenge.. Wahan tumhare jaise aur bhi bachhe honge.. Kya tum taiyaar ho?"
Arjun looked up and was unsure of what to say.. Was he ready?
Obviously not; since a few hours back he was happily living with his now dead parents.. He wasn't ready..
The Inspector sensed his dilemma, "Theek hai, ab meri doosri baat suno.." He looked up, hoping that this option atleast sounded better.
"Mere ghar chaloge?"
Arjun's head snapped up with a hint of happiness on his face..
The Inspector couldn't help but smile,
"Meri poori baat toh suno.. Dekho, main nahi jaanta ki main tumhe zindagi ke saare aish-o-aaram de paonga ya nahi; lekin poori koshish karunga ki tumhe nek parivarish mile aur aage chalkar tum ek kamiyab insaan bano.."
Arjun smiled and nodded his head, "Aapki tarah?"
Gupte smiled at the boy and ruffled his hair, "Hmm.. Ab bolo, chaloge?"
Arjun sprang to his feet and hugged the cop out of excitement, leaving him amused..
Having completed a few legal formalities, Arjun and Inspector Gupte were on their way home..
They entered the countryside and Arjun turned to the cop amused, "Tumhi ithe raahta?!!" (Do you live here?!!)
He nodded, "Hmm.. Kyun?"
Arjun shook his head, "Nahi.. bass aise hi.. Aapko dekhkar laga nahi, ki aap gaon ke rehne wale hain.."
Gupte chuckled, "Kyun, gaon ke log itne bure hotey hain kya?"
Arjun hung his head, "Nahi.. Mera matlab woh nahi tha.."
He eyed the boy, "Waise tumne sahi kaha; main humesha se yahan nahi rehta tha.. Main bhi tumhari tarah Mumbai mein hi pala bada hoon..
Phir Police ki naukri join kar li.. Shaadi hui.. Aur rural posting mili.. Ab farz toh farz hai na.. Bhale phir usse sheher mein rehkar ya gaon mein rehkar poora karein, kya fark padta hai, hai na?"
Arjun smiled genuinely and nodded his head.. He then suddenly realised that Gupte must be having a family of his.. Would they accept him or would they treat him as an outsider.. Though a part of him told him that the later would never come true, yet he felt the urge to ask him.. And he did..
"Sir, aapke ghar mein kaun kaun hai?"
He looked on as Gupte spoke up, "Mere Dada aur Vahini Mumbai mein rehte hain.. Aksar chuttiyon mein yahan aaya karte hain..
Meri chotti behen, Shanti.. Aur.."
Arjun raised a brow waiting for him to finish..
His anxiety reached the peak when he saw a stern Gupte eyeing him, "Shaitan.."
Arjun was taken aback momentarily and then looked at a chuckling Gupte, "Shaitan ki naniyaan hain, teeno.."
Arjun smiled, "Teeno?"
Gupte nodded, "Hmm.. Meri beti, meri bhateeji aur humare padosi ki beti.. Teeno hi meri bacchiyaan hain..
Lekin tumhe abhi se warn kar raha hoon, unse jhagda mol mat lena.. Kaafi khatarnaak hain woh.."
He saw Arjun's nostrils flair as he spoke,
"Huh.. Main ladkiyon se nahi darta.. Dekh loonga unhe.."
Gupte winked at him and grinned inwardly, His house was going to soon turn into a battlefield.. Not that it wasn't already..
The jeep entered two majestic gates and a woman clad in saree came running towards them. She eyed the boy suspiciously and turned to Gupte,
"Dada, yeh kaun?"
Gupte motioned Arjun towards him,
"Yeh Arjun hai.. Aur ab se yeh humare saath hi rahega.."
The woman bent down and eyed his attire, "Lekin isse toh chot lagi hai.."
Gupte glanced at his bruised arms,
"Haan.. Baad mein batata hoon.. Pehle humein andar toh aane do.."
The woman smiled and moved aside but halted when Gupte called out to her,
"Arjun.. Yeh Shanti Aatya hain.. Ab se tumhe kissi bhi cheez ki zaroorat ho, toh bejhijak inse maang lena, Samjhe?"
Arjun smiled and saw the woman hold out her hand to hold his. He couldn't help but marvel at the simple and compassionate nature of these people..
Well.. Well.. Maybe he had judged them too early..
A group of spies had overheard their conversation.. The girls assembled together near the water tap in the garden..
Having made a plan, all three stealthily climbed the stairs, struggling to lift a bucket full of coloured water spilling water on the steps..
Gupte motioned Arjun to walk into the house..
And just when, they had been about to step into the verandah, Splash!!
Both the men were completely drenched with pink coloured water dripping down their heads..
Arjun's head shot up and he saw the trio giggling and doing a quick jig in the air..
He turned to his lift, running his fingers through his wet hair, while Gupte had burst into peels of laughter..
The girls sprinted past Arjun and had circled them screaming,
"Baba, Bura na maano, Holi hai.."
Arjun glared at them and looked away when Gupte placed a palm on his shoulder.
The girls pecked their Baba's cheek one by one and moved back eyeing their guest suspiciously..
Arjun glared back at them..
The youngest one walked away, sticking her tongue out at him.. The second, eldest of the lot, ran behind her trying to catch hold of her, glancing at him over her shoulder.. While the third one smiled at him and ran behind the other two..
A gasp followed by a chuckle broke his chain of thoughts and he looked at the figure ahead of him..
Ayesha sat still on the ground, with the lashing rains having soaked her completely.. She looked around blankly and realised what the place was..
Flashback
A middle-aged woman stood behind the children, keeping a watch on them as they soiled their clothes and themselves..
One moment ago, all four of them were planting rose saplings in their respectively allotted spots and the the next one, two of them had started bickering..
She held them by their arms and pulled them apart,
"Arre arre.. Kya hua? Ladh kyun rahe ho? Ab chupchap apna apna kaam karo.. Ismein jhagadne ki kya baat hai.."
The girl wriggled in her right arm,
"Aatya.. Issne mere paudhe ki kali todi, dekho na.."
The boy tried to wriggle out of her hold,
"Jhoothi kahin ki.. Woh toh pehle hi gir gayi thi.. Main toh bass usse uthakar wapas rakh raha tha.."
The girl shot him a glare and grabbed his sleeve, "Arjunnn'"
He twisted her hand behind her back, "Shaaa'"
Ayesha wriggled in his hold and motioned to her friends to rescue her from his hold.
The two girls glanced up and resumed their work, apparently disinterested in the banter.
Ayesha had had enough.. She yelled out to both of them, "Mishtii.. Rooo.. Gaddar kahin ki.."
The girls rolled their eyes and saw Arjun smirking at them.
Ro stood up dusting her hands on her jeans and walked past a surprised Mishti, "Tum rehne do.. Tum toh humesha iss Bandar ki hi side leti ho.. Isse toh main maza chakhati hoon.."
And just when Ayesha had been about to give up, she heard Arjun screaming behind her..
She spun around and saw Ro dumping a heapful of soil into the pit that he had dug with so much effort.
The girls had run and seeked refuge behind their Shanti Aatya, while Arjun kept scowling at them..
Ayesha chuckled as the memory flashed in her mind.. And her fingers moved lazily across the soaked soil..
They had been preparing a flower-bed for their Baba.. It had been his birthday in a week.. And they had all wanted to do something special for him..
Having done away with a singing competition, a wrestling match and a cricket match, the only fourth option left was planting his favorite roses..
A tear rolled down her eye as her palm grazed across the now barren land..
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