Part 1
The very thought of it was burning his soul somewhere inside. A moment of it, and he would lose all the positivity and sense of life. The night that changed his perspective towards everything. Or rather, dragged him away from the life he had been living. Rising away from all the worries, grave thoughts and questions... he was flying higher and higher. But, would he ever be able to drive away his guilt?
"Cover up your eyes with this, son. It will help you sleep comfortably in a flight...", a lady said from behind perhaps to her child. Ricky thought for a second if there was a cloth that could ever help cover up the scorching light somebody had thrown on his life. Everything around him seemed to bother his peace of mind now. He gave up the idea of sleeping. The step that he had taken was not bothering him. But, what can he make out of this step was more troublesome. He had never thought that life would make him so thoughtful. At one point, he couldn't decide whether black boots would go well with his purple T shirt. But, time changed so terribly for him that a drastic decision of leaving his home didn't seem to bother him now.
He was so much lost into his loneliness that a baby's sudden cry somewhere from behind got him out of his world. The flight had landed. Undoubtedly, his most forgettable flight. Still, nothing could be forgotten. After completing the formalities at the airport, he wondered what he would make out of this journey. He walked and walked to reach the taxi stand. Somebody said "Welcome to Dilwalo ki Dilli, saahab... Where do you want to go?". Ricky didn't look at his face. While he was struggling to find an answer, his right hand went straight to his wallet and he got that 'scary' piece of paper that read :
Sharma Nivaas
Gali no. 16
Chandni Chowk, Delhi 6.
Ricky kept staring at the paper as if the paper was waiting for the answer. Soon, some 7-8 drivers came around him and asked him to sit in their taxis. Maybe, they knew the address very well. Or, the money in this customer's wallet was a good temptation for them.
"A...an..any good hotel that u know in Chandni Chowk...a cheap one. Take me there.", he said in a soft wavering voice to one of the driver.
"What happened Sahib, you aren't going to that address?", driver said.
"N...no..". Ricky hurriedly went inside the taxi, looking very disturbed.
"Come sir, I take you to a very good hotel here sir. You will remember me that I got you to such a good place. Everybody who comes in Delhi never gets back disappointed. This city is everybody's first love.. You are new to India, sir?". Ricky least bothered about his blabbering. He chose to be silent.
The driver soon drove past the heavy and loud traffic of Delhi and was soon on a much smoother road. The noise was much lesser here. But, things were much louder inside the man sitting on the back seat. He questioned himself on why couldn't he go to the address on 'that' paper. The moment he had stepped on Delhi's ground, he had been feeling uneasiness. He needed some time before he could listen to his intent.
"Here, sir. This is it. The Ganesh Living Palace. The best ones for visitors".
"How much?", Ricky asked.
"Seventy rupees, sir'', the driver said after reading on the meter.
Ricky handed the money to him and went inside straightaway, without caring to have a look at the meter himself.
He went to the reception and waited for somebody to attend to him. The hotel seemed to be very noisy with plenty of on goings happening in the hall. Somebody was annoyed with lift not working and someone was angry with manager for a dead phone in his room. But above that, a loud ringtone was disturbing him.
"Main shayar toh nahin, magar ae haseen...". An old Rishi Kapoor's hit song. It kept ringing and ringing but the user seemed to be too busy in yelling at the manager.
Finally someone came at the reception and said sorry for being late.
Ricky immediately asked for a room without showing his annoyance. He had already spent half his energy fighting with himself. It was already 9:30 at night.
"Sir, your good name?", she asked.
"Ri...", he stopped.
"Pardon?".
"umm...I said Rishi. Rishi...Kumar", he said...thanking to the ringtone that was playing in the background.
He didn't want to reveal his identity. And after completing the rest of formalities, he went straight to his room upstairs.
The room was a middle-sized one with a single bed and a couple of chairs and a table lying in the middle. It was a neat one though. The best that he could get with a meager cost. He put his baggage on the table and lied down on the bed. It was too chilly and windy night outside. He closed his eyes. A sound came suddenly, and the window in his room opened with a bang. He got up and moved to the window. It was a very dark still beautiful view of this city from here. He never thought that away from luxurious and starry streets of America, he would have to come here. People lived here with almost no space whatsoever to breathe. He looked at the closely-spaced houses and wondered if they ever get a chance to witness the sky from there. But, inspite of these problems these people take birth, live, earn and die in these localities without a single trace of rejection. It seemed unbelievable to him. His life couldn't coincide with them, for sure.
He didn't notice that he still had the paper with Sharma family's address in his hands. He looked at the paper first and then at the city and asked himself..."CAN I DO IT???".
The silence of the city had no answer for his question.
Cricket
