Posted:
All Rights Reserved.
This story is exclusively for India-Forums. Do not dare copy it in whole or part on any other site or even any other forum on IF.
"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing
and rightdoing there is a field.
I'll meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass
the world is too full to talk about."
- Rumi
This story is exclusively for India-Forums. Do not dare copy it in whole or part on any other site or even any other forum on IF.
"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing
and rightdoing there is a field.
I'll meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass
the world is too full to talk about."
- Rumi
The Sun was rising in the east; its rays turning everything they touched into gold - green leaves of few day old rice plants, still water surrounding them, a lone tree on an edge of the field and the Ganga that was quietly flowing at some distance. Every now and then a bird flew from its nest to start a new day. Someone rang bell in a nearby village temple and the sound was carried all the way to the banks of Ganga. The world was waking up.
He sat there unaware of all the changes happening around him with hands on knees of his long legs stretched before him. He was shivering a little despite it being a hot day of early July because he was wet. It had rained all night. And, because he had lost blood. He was soaked with rain water, mud and his own blood. With the blood that bled out from his body, consciousness was also seeping away. After the initial shock of pain had subsided, in one insane moment, he had thought about all the blood that was mixing with water that was nourishing rice plants. Nature did not like to waste. Plants would soak up all nutrients that his blood carried and would grow. Someone would eat that rice and his blood would become part of that someone's blood. Interesting! He had thought. Would his blood fight with his? Would his O -ve blood fight his O +ve? Oh positive! What a trouble it had been! But he had lost so much more blood than him. Numbers were on his side in this case. And, he was not the one who easily gave in. He had not given in. He had fought valiantly - the man whose body stretched half-submerged in water on his side crushing delicate green shoots, with face down hidden by the water. Another man appeared in his peripheral vision and he noticed. The man was talking really fast, but his words didn't make any sense to him. The Sun had fully risen now but night was calling him lulling him to sleep. He did not fight it. He took a last look at the man and the Sun set in his eyes.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Few months later - Kolkata
Few months later - Kolkata
"Mujhe police commissioner sahib se milna hain. Woh kahan milenge?" A young woman timidly asked an inspector sitting behind a desk in the city police headquarter. The inspector looked up at her with a corner of a lip curling up. "Who was this who directly wanted to meet the commissioner of police?"
The inspector's experienced eyes did a quick appraisal of the woman. Young woman in early 20's, fidgety, nervously clutching a jute bag hanging on her shoulder, a hand reaching every now and then for her burkha trying to hide what he guessed was a baby bump, with puffy eyes which indicated both lack of sleep and constant tears. Her face was tired and a small bag lay on her side. She had traveled a distance. Not from the city. Despite the tired face and puffy eyes, she was a beauty. Smooth skin, big doe eyes, delicate features and he could guess that figure hidden behind that burkha was not bad. Pure, innocent, virgin beauty! Oh...not virgin though. His eyes quickly glanced at her belly. She seemed to feel it and used her bag to cover her belly. He knew likes of her well. Idiot woman charmed by some man who left her after making her pregnant and now she was looking for him.
"Kya kaam hain?" He was working on an interesting murder case and did not like this interruption.
"Jee. Bahot jaroori kam hain. Agar unse ek baar mulaqat ho jaaye to bahot maherbani."
"Kaam bolo." A phone rang somewhere in the hall.
"Jee...woh...," she played with the strap of her bag.
"Jaldi bolo...tumhe sunane kei liye pura din nahi pada." He already knew her story.
"Jee...jee...mere shauhar laapta hain. Peechle char mahino se...woh..."
"FIR likhwayi?" He cut her short. "Ye kameene ne to shaadi tak kar li thi." He thought.
"Wah..bhai...wah..."
"Jee. Darjiling main kab ki likhwayi hain.."
"Tumhara shauhar Darjiling main laapta hain aur tum use Kolkata main dhoondh rahi ho? Akal to theekane hain?" He barked.
She paled and took a step back but answered. "Jee woh kaam ke silsile main Kolkata aaye hue the aur yahi se laapta hain. Maine yahan ke thane main bhi FIR likhwayi hain."
"To phir kya hain? Police apne kaam karegi. Yahan mera waqt kyon barbaad kar rahi ho?" He was quickly losing interest.
"Jee. Char mahine ho gaye. Kuchh pata nahi chala. Agar meri commissioner sahib se baat ho jaati, agar woh kuchh kar paate..."
"Oooh...chahti ho ki commissioner sahib sab kam-dham chhod ke tumhare shauhar ko dhoondhe?" He mocked her.
"Jee nahi...nahi...bas agar woh agar koi chhitthi likh de ya phir us thane ke inspector ko phone kar de to...," she meekly said.
"Police commissioner sahib ke paas aisi faltu cheezon ke liye time nahi hain. Tumne FIR likhwa di hain. Police apna kaam karegi aur tumhare shauhar ke mil jaane per tumhe khabar karegi. Ab jaao yahan se."
"Per agar ek baar mulaqat ho jaati to..."
" Jaaon yahan se...'commissioner sahib se milna hain' kahan kahan se aa jaate hain." He dismissed her and looked back at the papers on his desk.
She turned around wiping tears that had flown out with her burkha's sleeve. She started walking with a heavy heart and unsteady steps.
Phone started ringing on the desk that she had left. She looked over her shoulder. The inspector picked up phone, "Sinha..." and soon he was engrossed on phone completely forgetting her existence.
She turned back and kept walking. Her strength faltered soon and she clutched an edge of the bench in the lobby and sat down with a thump. She was feeling dizzy. Her hand fumbled inside her bag to take out her water bottle. When she took out the water bottle, she remembered that she had shared water with an elderly couple in the bus and it was empty. More tears dropped from her eyes, slid down her cheek, touched her lips and dropped in her open mouth. She tasted those salty tears and a wave of nausea came over her. She started taking big breaths with her mouth, one hand running on her cheek to wipe tears. But tears were not stopping. Her last attempt had failed. Last hope had faded. How was she ever going to meet police commissioner? She was not sure if he could help her, but he was commissioner of police, a powerful man, definitely he could have done something. But no one was going to let her meet him. That inspector was right. The commissioner had many important things to do. Why would he listen to someone like her? She quietly sobbed trying to hide her face in her shoulder. What would she do now? What would she do?
"Paani pee lijiye." A glass of water appeared before her. She looked at hazy outline of the glass and then the person who held it. Her vision was blurry because of tears.
"Lijiye." He said in a soothing voice.
She took the glass in one hand and then drank water as if her life depended upon it.
"Aur chahiye?"
She nodded and he took back the glass. There was a water cooler at the end of the lobby. He came back in a minute.
"Lijiye."
She drank slowly this time. When she finished the glass, she wiped corner of her mouth and softly said, "Shukriya." Her hand was shaking when she gave him back the glass.
He gave a friendly smile. He had those eyes that you felt you could trust. His face was boyish and unlined unlike the hardened face of the inspector she had met inside. His police cap was having hard time staying put on the mop of his curly hair. His name plate read 'Ayaan Khan'. He pointed at something by her side. She looked confused at the empty seat next to her and then with same confused eyes looked at him.
"Paani ki bottle." He said smiling at her confusion. She mechanically gave it to him not knowing why he wanted it. He walked in the direction of water cooler and came back with full bottle.
"Ye rakho."
"Shukriya." She gave a small smile. She put the bottle back in her bag. He was still standing before her. She gave a cautious smile this time and looked down. She had visited Kolkata several times in past few months and had come to understand that not every helping hand could be trusted.
"Commissionar sahib shahar main nahi hain."
She looked up and again looked on those eyes which invited trust. "Jab aap Sinha...I mean inspector Sinha se baat kar rahi thi. Maine aapki baatein suni." He looked sheepish and scratched his neck which was turning red.
She found him adorable and herself feeling hopeful.
"Woh kab tak vaapis aayenge?" She asked in an eager tone.
"Ek hafte ke baad..."
"Aap koi sifarish leke aayi hain kya?" He asked in a matter of fact tone.
"Sifarish? Jee nahi." She paled again and looked down. He was still there, so she started talking.
"Woh kya hain ke main kitno dino se Darjeeling aur Kolkata ke police station ke chakkar kat rahi hoon per mere shauhar ka kuchh pata nahi chala. Mujhe bahot fikar ho rahi hain. Agar commissioner sahib ek baar meri baat sun lete aur meri madad kar dete."
Ayaan looked at her with pitiful eyes.
"Darjeeling ki rehnewali hain?"
"Jee."
"Mere shauhar kaam ke silsile main aksar Kolkata aate rehte hain. Chaar mahine pehle aaye the aur uske baad unka koi pata nahi. Naa koi phone, naa koi khabar. Main to unhe bata bhi nahi paayi ke main...main...," her hand briefly touched her stomach and then she looked up at him with welling eyes, "Allah ke liye meri madad kijiye. Mujhe commissioner sahib se milna hain."
Ayaan didn't have in him to break her naive hope. He decided in one moment.
"Chalo mere saath..."
"Kahan?"
"Commissioner sahib nahi hain per assistant commissioner sahib hain. Unse mil paao to chalega?"
"Hum kab mil sakte hain?" She was already standing up.
Ayaan looked around furtively. "Dekho. Main abhi andar jaata hoon. Aap woh leftwali seedhiyon se upar jaaiye aur phir left side ke teesri office ke saamne mera intezaar kijiye. Main 5 minute main aata hoon. Upar jaane se pehle checking hoga. Aap bolna aapki ACP Khan ke saath appointment hain aur kuchh jyada pooche to...to bolna inspector Ayaan Khan ne bheja hain." He looked really nervous at the end. But he was new. His illusions about being able to help people with the help of his uniform shattered every day and whenever he got a chance he latched onto it.
And, his mother and sister always said that he was very impulsive.
She nodded and gave a grateful smile. She seemed to understand what he was doing. He did not want his colleagues to know that he was helping her and he was going beyond the call of duty.
She nodded and gave a grateful smile. She seemed to understand what he was doing. He did not want his colleagues to know that he was helping her and he was going beyond the call of duty.
"Left side pe teesra office." She looked determined. She gave a brief smile and started walking.
After few minutes, Ayaan made an excuse to go to first floor
which housed offices of senior police officers. He found her waiting before the
third office on left.
"A.C.P Asad Ahmed Khan?"
"Yes. Main pehle jaake baat karta hoon." He knew he was pushing his luck in taking a nobody to a senior officer, but he was in good terms with ACP Khan. Recently they had worked together on a case and they worked well together. He got a feeling that the other man was impressed with him. Maybe he would listen to her. At least he would go home knowing that he tried.
Once he was outside the office he realized that the woman was grabbing attention of others on the floor, but he couldn't just barge in an ACP's office with a stranger in tow.
"Main ek minute main aaya." He knocked the door and stepped inside feeling her anxious eyes boring in his head and now the closed door. To his disappointment he found the office empty. He wouldn't be able to help her. He was about to turn back when he saw a shadow outside the window. He immediately got alert and stealthily walked towards the window his hand resting on his revolver. He relaxed within few steps as he could hear the senior officer's voice. ACP Khan was in the balcony that overlooked inner courtyard of the building. It was a strange building to house a police head quarter but it had been the headquarter since the time of Britishers. He got a big smile on his face and he turned back.
"Andar aaiye." He was really pushing his luck by taking her inside without taking permission of his senior but he pushed it.
"Yahan baithiye." He pointed to a sofa near the door far away from the imposing desk of the ACP.
"Sir phone pe hain." He informed in a whisper pointing to the balcony.
At the very moment, his phone
buzzed. He looked at the number and pointed to door. He was going outside to
talk. She got nervous.
"Relax, Mrs Hussein. Main abhi aaya." And, he left.
She got very fidgety without him. It was an enormous office and it had a deadly hush about it. Other than hum of the air conditioner and tick-tock of clock, everything was quiet. It was hard to believe that she was still in the crowded and noisy police headquarter. She could hear her heartbeats now. On one corner she could see trophies and shields so shiny as if they were awarded today. From the opposite wall father of the nation was giving her a benign smile, next to him was Sardar Patel and Chacha Nehru. Her eyes noticed the shadow walking back and forth beyond the door curtain. She hastily looked at the other side of the wall which had a tall bookcase covering entire length of it filled with books and files. The bookcase ended at a small door. It looked like a washroom door. She thought a senior officer would have his own washroom. Her full bladder reminded that she really needed to use one but she wouldn't dare. She suppressed the urge. Neither inspector Khan nor ACP Khan was back in office yet. She didn't know what to do. Her heartbeat was still going up. She did something which had become a habit over past few months. She moved her hand on her stomach and gently rubbed it. No, not to soothe the baby inside it, but to let the baby soothe its mother. She relaxed a bit gaining strength from her unborn child. She did not notice the curtains parting and a man entering the office.
"Who are you and what are you doing here?" He asked in an authoritative voice. He had first seen her.
She looked at him and her eyes went wide. She couldn't answer nor could tear her eyes away from him.
"Aap yahan kya kar rahi hain?" He again asked. His trained eyes had quickly assessed her and found her to be no immediate threat but he could not take chance. He regretted that his revolver was in his coat pocket and not on him. She was like a statue looking at him with wide eyes.
"Are you alright?" He asked. She looked weak.
The next moment, she got up and ran into his arms. Now, it was his time to get shocked.
"Ahsaan...Ahsaan...aap kahan chale gaye the? Maine aapko kitna dhoodha? Pata hain aapke peeche mera kya haal hua hain? Aap kahan chale gaye the? Aapne aisa kyon kiya?" She sobbed holding onto him.
Ayaan entered the office and was completely flabbergasted seeing the scene before him. He also stood like a statue near the door.
"Who is she, Ayaan?" ACP Khan finally found his tongue.
"Woh...sir...Mrs Hussein... Mrs Zoya Hussein. Apne laapta shauhar ka pata kar rahi hain." Ayaan answered.
"Ahsaan...mujhe yakeen tha ki aap mujhe mil jaayenge." She said between sobs. Ayaan who was walking towards them to pull her away from his senior officer came to a halt. "What was she saying?"
ACP Asad Ahmed Khan who had got his wits back was raising his arms to push her away and suddenly her body went limp and his raised arms went around her to stop her from falling.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Different? Yes, wanted to try something different.
Different? Yes, wanted to try something different.
Idea of this story has been in my
mind for quite a while, but not all details were working out so I kept the
story aside and started with the other story - Zoya the lawyer, Asad and bookstore.
And, it seems after I wrote that one, this idea felt jealous and wanted to be
written. Somehow details filled in and I had to write this chapter. So, here it
is.
Again experimenting with Zoya's character and with Asad - going way beyond experiment.😳
BTW, I am in a dilemma about which story to start next. I may just break my rule of one story at a time but I know how hellishly difficult it will be if I choose that way. I will have to see.
p.s. Before someone says 'Kahani', the similarity starts and ends with missing husband and wife finding him. This Kahani has its own Kahani.
Index
======
Chapter 2: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/4280479?pn=16Chapter 3: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/120822920
Chapter 4: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/121352945
Chapter 5: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/122087507
Chapter 4: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/121352945
Chapter 5: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/122087507
Chapter 10: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/130915376
Chapter 11: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/132925166
comment:
p_commentcount