A Poignant Scene
I stepped out of the house and into the lanes that were still etched flawlessly in my mind. The little temple around the corner was still there, while the sweet shop which once occupied a small stall across the street had been turned into a mini restaurant. While I wasn't consciously intending to, my feet (with a mind of their own) led me to the back alley of the local shopping arena.
--
"Ishwari, tum baccho ko lekar chale jao yaha se," Raghunath Dixit screamed in pain, his hands attempting to shield himself from the gang of five men that was attacking him.
Dev had already taken his sisters to a safe place, but he had returned back for his parents. The sight in front of him broke the feeble boy, but his courage was unwavering. "Maa, tum chalo yaha se," he screamed, trying to pry her away from the strange man's tight grip.
"Nahi Dev, tum ghar jaao. Main tumhaare papa ko aise nahi chod sakti," she cried, struggling to free herself.
--
The back alley had been turned into a parking lot for the mall adjacent to it, but for Dev, the place remained a memory of the day he had turned into a man at the young age of 11.
--
"Dev tum chale jao," Raghunath yelled as he saw his child coming closer, but Dev went even closer. "Chod do mere papa ko!" he yelled with rage building up inside him. Grabbing hold of the man, who he later found was indeed Khatri, Dev gathered all his strength and punched the man.
Though it gave Raghunath some leeway to escape, Khatri had grabbed a wrench from the trunk of his jeep and threw it loose, hitting Raghunath at the back of his head. Ishwari gasped and ran to her husband who had collapsed to the ground by now, his hand covering the gash left by the wrench. And despite the little one begging Khatri to let his parents go, the man had no ounce of humanity left in him. He pulled Ishwari by her hair, dragging her away from her husband, "This is what you get for saying no to me," he grinned. Taking the wrench from the other end, Khatri took a ferocious step towards Raghunath and stabbed him in the chest, taking away any chance he had left at survival.
Dev stood there in shock, unable to comprehend the situation. And to make it worse, Khatri walked towards him with the same wrench in his hand, blood dripping from his hand. Ishwari, though frazzled, ran to Dev and shielded him from this devil. "Isse toh chod do Khatri saab, yeh to baccha hai!" she pleaded, her hands folded in front of him.
--
I may have forgotten everything else from my past, but that day - that day haunted me day-and-night, reminding me of the very moment that I had felt myself change, becoming a different Dev. I was no longer the carefree and innocent child as I had once been. I saw my father die that day, but worse than that was seeing my mother die every day after. She was living after that, but she wasn't alive. I felt as if I had matured in a matter of seconds as these events conspired.
As I walked back to my house, I passed by Sona... Dr. Bose's house. Peeking from afar, I saw her silhouette in her room. The room I had often visited in the course of our relationship, while it lasted at least.
--
I'm sorry Sona, but maa iss rishte se kabhi khush nahi hogi.
Ajeeb baat hai na, main tumhaari maa ko mana nahi payi, aur tum apni maa ko mana nahi kar sakte.
--
It was only when I saw Sonakshi standing in her balcony that I realized I had stopped walking. She waved, and I smiled in return as I retraced my steps back and headed home.
Kuch rang pyaar ke aise bhi.
Itti Si Khushi Sab TV
