9th November, 2011
Early November winds caressed his hair through the French windows of his room reminding him of the onslaught of winters.
Standing before one of his cupboards, he pulled out a tie from his collection before pushing the drawer inside. How much he hated getting dressed in formals, and how much he hated this thing called tie. He heaved a sigh before getting down tying it around his neck.
"Chotu" he heard his grandmother's emerging voice from downstairs and winced. Just what he needed to complete his not so perfect evening.
Chotu!
That annoying five letter was his pet name when he was a kid; was being the keyword here. Neither he is not a kid now since he's eight and Twenty years already, and had grown up into a young business tycoon, nor is he fond of the annoying five letter word. And so he glared at everyone who had called him so, his butlers, his servants, his childhood friends and of course his siblings and soon enough everyone stopped calling him that; everyone, except his Dadi, of course.
"Chotu, I've been calling you for so long" he heard her Dadi speak who now was entering his room.
"Dadi" he hissed annoyed, however his Dadi didn't seem to take the clue.
"What happened Chotu?" she asked slightly concerned.
"Don't call me that Dadi" he shot back finally.
He saw his Dadi give him an amused smile, which rang warning bells in his head.
"If I don't call you Chotu, whom should I call that? Nakul Kaka? Too bad he's fifty eight years old. It wouldn't fit him. How about the cook Shrivastav? He's some forty plus but still he's not a "Chotu" or the watchman Pandey. He's some'" she trailed off thinking of his age, not caring the incredulous expression on her favorite grandson's face.
"He'd be between his late forties and early fifties. Wouldn't he?" she asked looking at her annoyed-to-the-core grandson.
"Very funny Dadi" he said and resumed wrestling with his tie.
"Are you going somewhere'" she paused and reached out to him to help him do his tie, while he took his hands back and studied his grandmother do her work diligently.
Old age hadn't diminished any of her beauty, in fact only enhanced it. She had grown old gracefully and the wrinkles around her eyes which accentuated every time she smiled, and the light grey hair at the roots of her hair near forehead only seemed to increase the royalty and grace that's poured out from her.
He couldn't help but smile warmly at her. He loved her, except at times when she got onto her teasing mode and irritate the hell out of him.
"I asked where you were going Chotu"
Ah! There it is! he thought grudgingly, there she gave him a reason to go back to his pissed self.
"Client party Dadi" he replied slightly peeved.
"Taking any date?" he heard an amused voice and raised his eyes to meet her gaze.
"You know me Dadi"
He heard her mutter something which carried words like boring, and Akdu.
"I heard that" he said stopping her mumbling tirade.
"Are you going now, as in this very minute Chotu?"
"Yes I am. Why Dadi? You need something?"
"I want you to wait for'" she paused looking at her watch "Ten minutes"
He was bemused at her calm reply and wondered if he was forgetting something.
"Is anyone visiting us now Dadi?"
"No"
"Do you want to go somewhere?"
"No"
"Do you want me to accompany you in watching your Saas-Bahu TV soaps?" he retorted.
"Good idea. But no'not now at least" she added with a small smile.
He raised his eyes to face his Dadi now, annoyed as he was. Swallowing his irritation, he asked in a calm voice "What do you want me to stay for Dadi?"
"Can't I wish to spend some quality time with my Akdu pota?" she asked with a smile.
"That's it Dadi. I give up" he said throwing his hands up in surrender.
She laughed and patted his cheek lovingly "Today Jupiter and moon are going to come closer. Happy? Got your reason?"
He truly was confused now.
"So?" he asked bluntly.
She looked at him as if he were an innocent child and then explained.
"According to Hindu mythology this is considered to be auspicious and not only that at the time when they are going to come close i.e between 8:48 pm to 8:50 pm, whatever is wished is supposed to come true"
He blinked once at the information and once it totally sunk in, he laughed out loud.
"Is that a joke Dadi?"
"Am I smiling Chotu? No na? Then no, it isn't a joke" she said flatly.
"C'mon Dadi you are an educated woman and handled our company for so long'"
"I know my history Chotu. Come to the point"
"My point is'" he paused giving another chuckle "being a sophisticated woman that you're, since when have you started believing in things like these? How come Jupiter coming closer to Moon or Earth or whatever would make it divine and fulfill your wishes? First it was shooting stars and meteors and now this?" he said placing his hands on his hips and laughing.
"Chotu you like Pasta?"
"I do Dadi and you know that"
"Then why do you like Parantha?"
"What sort of a question is that Dadi? Can't I like both?"
"Being a sophisticated man and a health conscious fellow, how come you like the unhealthy and traditional food with lots of oil dripping through it?"
He was shut with her simple statement. Regaining his thoughts, he replied calmly "I understand your point Dadi, but I was only surprised that you believe in superstition besides being well read"
"I call it a belief Chotu"
He sighed. He could never win an argument with his Dadi. He may be a businessman who'd make his employees dance to his tunes with a mere glare but to his Dadi, he would always be Chotu, who could never win an argument with her.
"Fine Dadi. It is a belief. Now happy? Can I leave?"
"I asked you to stay till that time. You can go after that?"
"But why Dadi?"
"Don't you have any wishes Chotu?"
He rolled his eyes.
"Dadi, you seriously don't expect me to wish something. Do you?"
"Unless you are planning to go to Himalayas, giving up the pleasures of this life and become ascetic, yes I would expect you to wish something"
He paused for a beat to reply to that. His Dadi definitely had a tinge of sarcasm flowing in her blood. He chose his next words carefully hence, not wanting to be a subject of her entertainment, anymore than he already was.
"I do not plan to lead an austere life but for now I do not have any wishes"
At this point, he saw her open her mouth probably to argue, or retort, but he silenced her by catching her shoulders.
"Moreover I've a loving Dadi who knows what I want more than I do myself so what's the point Dadi, you would anyway wish for me"
With that he kissed on her cheek and left the room, leaving her stumped.
* * *
Parking his car aside, he got down and rolling his sleeves up, he opened the bonnet to see what was wrong.
"May be I should wish my car to miraculously start" he said looking into the night sky where there was a green light tinkling, nearer to the moon, which he recognized to be the Jupiter.
He couldn't suppress his smile, at that thought. Women, he never understood them. And his Dadi was on the top list.
A car accident was all that it needed to change their lives forever. The car accident when he was too young to remember took his parents and grand father away, leaving him and his siblings to the care of his Dadi. Despite of her loss, she willed herself to face it than mourning in the past. It was her sheer determination and the steely spine she had which bought their company to what it is today. She was the mastermind of their company, an admirable businesswoman and a great strategist, a strong opponent anyone could have.
She was an inspiration, a best friend, a mother and a father, all mixed up into one personality. He revered her. It always surprised him that despite of facing so much in her life, she still lived to joke around and laugh with him. And it was always a mystery to him that despite of the tough sophisticated woman exterior she had, she still believed in petty superstitions'or beliefs as she called. He shook his head with a smile. Women, he never understood them.
A loud bang of a door disturbed his musings, and he looked up to find the source of the noise, only to have stare at a building few yards away from the road he was standing by. The two storied building was cozy and small, built with a taste, by the choicest style of construction, the wide arches in the balcony, the design of the railing exquisite, the garden surrounding the building adding to its charm.
However, it wasn't what had caught his attention. It was the person who leaned against the now closed door of the balcony. He couldn't see the person's face due to flickering of the street light but from the silhouette he could figure that it is a girl.
He felt the chill in the air increase as a bout of fresh air passed, making him notice how the girl's hair danced to the slight breeze. Her petite form was in shadows not giving him any view to her face, but it didn't stop him from understanding that the posture she was in now screamed agony.
Face buried in palms, body slightly shaking to suppressed sobs, the sight of her stirred something in him, something painfully familiar.
He remembered himself crying in shadows of his room as a child when he remembered his mother's cooking, and when he missed sitting on his father's shoulder. He cried realizing taunt's of older kids at school telling him how his parents left him and never would come back. He remembered that utter helplessness he felt back then, which he saw in her.
He had no idea how many moments passed when he stood by the evacuated road staring at her. The flickering streetlights which flicked continuously throwing specks of her features to him was the only witness to the silent scene before him. After a painfully long moment, he saw her square her shoulders and wipe away her tears and saw her taking few steps forward until she rested her hands on the railing of the balcony. The flickering of street light continued but as she moved front, the light fell on her face, revealing her features to him.
He looked at her transfixed. Fair skin that was looking pale now, heart shaped face with waist length long hair, eyes that carried agony, face devoid of all emotion, she looked like Algea, the greek goddess of pain and sorrow.
He saw her looking blankly into the sky, and his brow furrowed when he saw a lone tear escaping her features. She bought her hands together and joined them, and closed her eyes looking into the sky, as another tear rolled down from her closed eyes.
He didn't know who the girl was or what she is wishing for, but he knew whatever it was, it must be something she really in need of. At some level he identified himself with her, as he too as a child wished and hoped for her parents to come back from god. He saw the same craving, same longing in her eyes for whatever she wanted to have, like him. However, there was a tiny difference between both of them, she seemed to have something he lacked back then. Hope. While he steeled himself to the rough ordeals life threw him and matured at young age, and given up hope, she still seemed to seek for the warmth of it. And he was a person who valued the quality.
He peered at his watch. It was 8:49 pm. A minute to go for the so called auspicious time. Without another thought, he closed his eyes and sent his prayers to the almighty.
"Whatever she wished for, give it to her"
Hope after all should never be dead.
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Dadi*- Paternal Grand mother
Chotu* - An endearment which usually used to call the younger one in family
Parantha*- A kind of dish
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