~The Two Lone Travellers~
When Arohi opened her eyes the sky was still covered with thick rain clouds. She rubbed her eyes & tried to lift her head from the pillow, but it was so heavy that she couldn't move it. She was exhausted completely, and with that she felt an uncanny nothingness in her heart, as if something has gone missing or something which someone has ripped out from her. An absence of that "something made her more restless. Coming back home yesterday she went straight into her room, locked the door and cried, until the pain gone & until the tears gone dry and left a bitter taste inside her heart.
"Aru...uth ja...kuch kha le... Arohi loosely got up from the bed & stared blankly at the pale sky. Savita was in her room, sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Bhookh nahi hai... Arohi replied ignoring her utterance.
Savita heaved a sigh & came near to her,
"Pata hai beta, par kuch nahi khaogi toh kaise chalega...zindagi mein aisa waqt ata hai...par... But her voice stopped abruptly as Arohi was again staring unmindfully at the calm, thick cloudy sky.
"Arohi... But she didn't turn back, rather her awkward cold tone ventured,
"Ye bahot zaroori tha ma...zindagi keliye...jeene keliye...apne aap ko pehchanne keliye...
"Khud ko aise tasalli toh maat do... Savita said placed her hand gently on her head.
"Tasalli nahi de rahi hun Ma...mein accept kar rahi hun, jo bhi zindagi mere samne la ke rakh diya un sab cheezon ko... She replied in the same voice, slightly turning back at her.
"Beta samajdar hona galat nahi hai par apni dard ko aise dabana thik nahi hai Aru...
"Apko kisne kaha mein dard daba rahi hun...? She said calmly.
"Mein tumhari Ma hun...tum mujhse aise kuch bhi nahi chupa sakti...tumhara dard dikh raha hai tumhari ankho mein... Savita came where Arohi was sitting facing the window. From the back, she was looking like motionless statue, drowning in a deep sea.
"Ye dard nahi hai...gussa hai...narazgi hai...apne aap se...
Savita understood that some struggle is meant for going through the storm alone. No one can help the person & this struggle is something like that where Arohi has to solve everything by herself & may be...may be through this anger & pain she will find her own self someday. Savita looked at her & after a bit she left the place without saying anything.

Arjun looked up but couldn't see anything. The long thick leaves are covered the sky like an umbrella. He felt the cold damp grass under her feet. Arjun looked here & there, but there was nothing except long trees. He realized it is a forest, dense forest, but couldn't understand why he is here, and then, at that very moment he heard a tune, more than the tune the voice which attracted him & understood in a bit this was the reason for him to come to this forest. He was totally blank, what is he finding? The voice? Or the person? He didn't know but he knows that he has to find something, something related to this tune. Suddenly his eyes stuck with a house, more precisely a hut, his heart skipped a bit as soon as he realized that he is so closed of the person. Entering he saw a girl, whose face was covered partially by a veil, she was singing, something completely unknown, but her voice is known...so familiar...who is she? He felt that he knows her for ages, what's their connection? The girl stopped & Arjun felt that his heart will burst out in excitement; the girl removed her veil in a soft movement of hand & looked at him,
"Arohi... He muttered.
"Arjun...Arjun... The voice came as a subtle overwhelming force in his reposeful mind. He gradually opened his eyes as it took some time to come back to reality after a flow of dreams. A sharp sun ray pierced his eyes as soon as he opened it. He got up while rubbing it.
"Kya huya hai...? Arjun said in a sleepy voice but suddenly he frowned & emerged himself in a thought. He couldn't believe that he was dreaming, it was so real & more that that he has dreamed of Arohi. Arohi...how can it be possible?
"Tujhe kya huya hai...? Salil asked. His voice seemed a bit perplexed. Arjun looked at him & shook his head.
"Chod nah...tu kyun aya hai? Arjun ignored his question,
"Uncle tujhe neeche bula raha hai...Rashi ki Sangeet aur Mehendi functions ke bare mein kuch discuss karna hai unhe... Salil replied.
"Salil... He said in a mild tone.
"Haan...
"Mein ek dream dekha... Arjun said in an incredulous tone.
"Toh...? Salil frowned.
"Meine Arohi ko dekha dream mein... Arjun said unmindfully.
"Achha...dream mein thoda aur insult kiya nah? Tera shayed maan nahi bhara hoga... Salil gave him a satiric smile.
"Shut up...kal meine jo kiya sahi kiya Arjun was irritated.
"Haan toh tu bhadak kyun raha hain...meine toh bas pucha... Salil said.
"Jyada smart mat ban ok...! Arjun got down from his bed.
"Khair...tu naha le pehle, neeche dadi hai bekar mein tujhe daant padega... Salil said and left.
"ye meine Arohi ko kyun sapne mein dekha, Arohi...like seriously...ye dreams bhi nah...kuch bhi dikhata hai..." He shook his head, taking the towel he went to the washroom.

(Jeh main tenu baahar dhoondhan
Teh mere andar kaun samaaya...
Jeh main tenu andar dhoondhan
Teh baahir kisdi maaya)
The dry road was looking like a mirage. The air was hot and dusty. The outstretched plain was rough. Arjun was struggling with the heat. It was almost afternoon now, but there was no sign of the heat to be reduced, but in compare with the pain which was whirling in his chest it was nothing. The red scarf of Arohi which was tied with the handle-bar of the bike was blowing in the wind & constantly reminding him how lonely he is right now. The vast deserted valley was like his, own self, soul-less only a fragile human frame.
(Andar tu ae bahar tu ae
Vekhan har thaan tera saya..
Main bhi tu ae
Teh tu bhi tu ae
Ratta farak nazar na aaya)
Arohi was sitting beside a window seat resting her head on the window. The sights were receding with the motion of the bus as if she was letting go of everything old. But was it that easy to letting go? Arjun is surrounding her in a way that she can't deny his presence even when he is not with her. May be they both were/are connected through their heart & that is why after trying for a 100th times she couldn't even forget Arjun. Not for a second.
(Log chiraag jalaate ghee ke
Maine dil ka deep jalaaye
Log hai khaate kasam wafaa ki
Main zehar hijar da khaaya)
Arjun was sitting on his bike idly and the bike was resting. In a rough land he was all alone, his pain was incomprehensible. There was no one to give his company. He was sitting there like a broken statue. He touched the red scarf gently and heaved a sigh. Arjun has never thought of soul-mate before but today he realized the true meaning of it. A soul-mate is someone who is the part of your soul and finding that soul mate is same as finding your own self. Though this was true that Arohi is not with him but without staying around him Arohi was everywhere. In every memory, in every thought, in his veins, as if they both have emerged from the same soul.
(Log gawaande dil ishqe mein
Log gawaande dil ishqe mein
Maine apna aap gawaya...
Phir bhi mera bhujna haye
Mere sone yaar ko bhaaya)
And even now after all of this she felt that if she could run to Arjun, hugged him tight, and cried hiding her face into his chest...then maybe she could breathe again, she could live again. The way she has lost herself it's tough for her find it again & still its Arjun's love which is keeping her alive. And still she can't hate him, not for anything, she had tried many times, she failed. She couldn't hate him. May be that's the only reason she could give herself that why she left her own city.
(Jeh main nadiyaan taa tu paani
Main taa bin tere sukh jaana
Jeh tu paani taa main pyaasi
Main taa bin tere muk jana)
The sun was setting behind the Moorish land. The gloomy light was scattered everywhere. Arjun increased the speed of the bike. He has to find Arohi in any cost. He can't let her go, let her lost. And Arjun has no fear, no hesitation to accept that he will die without her. His entire self is meaningless without her.
(Dil da lagna agg da lagna
Yaara sab kujh hai jal jaana
Na tu dhuaan na chingaari
Yahaan kuch bhi nazar na aana)
May be it's a right decision to leave everything behind, because Arjun can't change himself & Arohi can burn in pain throughout her life but can't live without him, and that's why she has chosen to leave him, so that she could bear the pain, which was caused by her.
The bus stopped with a jerk. Arohi looked outside and saw "Luna written in a hoarding of a shop. She got up & went down.
(Aaja khelein khel wafaa ka
Yeh khel hai bahut puraana
Ya tu mera ya main teri
Hai chaukhat par mar jaana)
The evening came sluggishly overcasting a dark shadow of sorrow in his heart.
He saw a small shop in the side of the road after a long, he stopped his bike. An old man was sitting in the bench. Seeing him he got up, he stared intently at Arjun when Arjun spoke up,
"Yahan se Rajahsthan kitni dur hai?
"Rajashthan...? The old man smiled, "Sahab ye Rajashthan hi hai...iss jagah ka naam Ganwari hai...Sikar tehsil mein ata hai...Ye Rajasthan ki hi hissa hai...apko jana kahan hai...? The old man asked sluggishly.
"Mujhe Rajasthan city jana hai...proper...I mean Rajasthan sheher... Arjun replied.
"Achha achha...jyada dur nahi hai yahaan se 45 minutes aur lagega...aap thoda rukiye... The man replied and coughed. Then he called out loudly, "Chotuuu...eee chotu...Kitthe mar gayo re????
Arjun removed his shades and saw a 14-15 years old boy, who was running towards them, he stopped seeing Arjun while panting still and then again looked at the old man.
"Ye sahib ko Rajashtan jana hai...tu uske saath jawo...
"Mare ko nahi jana...idhar ka kaam kaun karega...aur waise bhi mujhe saher ke sahib log se chirchira hota hai...
Arjun turned his face at him & frowned but Chotu completely ignored Arjun. Arjun hawked a little,
"Nahi nahi mere saath jane ki jaruraat nahi hai...bas bata dijiye kaunse raste se jana hai... Arjun was becoming impatient. The old man gave him a big smile,
"Eee ek chammat padegi nah akal sidha ho jayega... Chotu made a face, "Sahib...chotu ko leke jao...woh apko pahocha dega...ap akele nahi ja payenge...raat bhi honewala hai..
Arjun said nothing.
"Chotu andar aawo... The old man called Chotu inside.
After a bit Arjun saw both of them coming outside from that small shop.
"Baithne keliye bolega nahi? Chotu said.
"Baitho... Arjun said in a firm voice in slight displeasure in his voice.
The boy sat behind him, "Chotu ko sab pata hai sahib kya kya kaise karna hai...ap bilkul fikar mat kariye...
"Haan haan...dadho sa... His lips curved in a smile, "Maro sab pata che...ab chalega bhi... Chotu said.Arjun controlled his irritation & he moved on wearing his shades again.
"It was my fault Shefali...completely my fault... Arohi said turning her face aside. She was sitting beside the window at the drawing room. Shefali was sitting in front of her. After yesterday she hadn't expect Arohi to be this strong and cold. "Mujhe samajna chahiye tha ki landscape dur se hi achha lagta hai...pass jaoge toh bas defects hi nazar ayega... Arohi said again.
"Achha ye sab chod...chal thoda walk karke ate hai... Shefali said.
"Nahi Shefali mood nahi hai... Arohi looked tired.
"Areee isiliye toh... bahar jayegi toh achha lagega nah...yun ghar mein baithi rehgi toh mood aur bhi kharab hoga... Shefali holds her hand, "Chal na please... She requested.
"Jyada dur nahi...Saturday exam hai Arohi warned her.
"Nahi nahi bas church jayenge aur thoda park mein walk karenge...
"Park bhi jana hai... Arohi made a face.
"Kya yaar tu..aisa kyun kar rahi hai chal nah... Shefali said in a nagging voice."Achha thik hai...ja toh rahi hun..." Arohi went inside to get dressed up.

Everyone was waiting for Arjun when he came to the dining room.
"Good morning... He exclaimed & sat in his chair. Rudrapratap smiled.
"Lo aa gaya sahabzada...aab toh khana shuru kar sakte hai... Teji taunted. Kumud nodded & started serving them breakfast.
"Meine toh nahi kaha tha nah mere liye wait karo...humesha taunt maat mariye dadi... Arjun replied & took an apple from the fruit bowl.
"Ye koi kehnewale baat nahi hai, ek parivaar mein rehna ka kuch usool hote hai jo hum sabko manna padhta hai, tum ye baat kyun nahi samajte Arjun? Teji looked at Arjun.
"Achha ma aap shuru hoti ho toh rukti nahi ho...hum yaahan Rashi ki Mehendi aur Sangeet ki baat kar rahe the... Rudrapratap said. Teji said nothing. "Hum soch rahe the koi international event management company ko bula lu...what say Arjun? Rudrapratap asked.
"Why are you asking me dad? Jo marzi woh karo...mein kya bolun... Arjun replied.
"Rashi is your sister Arjun...tu hamesha aisa aloof kyun rehta hai har cheez se...? Salil said.
"Tujhe bada engaged hona hai nah...toh ho ja...mujhe kyun force kar raha hai... Arjun said & got up.
"Kahan ja raha hai tu...? Kumud asked.
"Park...Cycling karne... Arjun said & before Kumud could say anything he left the place. Teji looked at Rudrapratap, he kept his head down.

TO BE CONTINUED...
Edited by M_Nira - 8 years ago
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