She strolled vacantly on the roads swarming with Delhi folks, running hither and thither to accomplish the tasks and the planned transactions of the demanding day stretching ahead of them. There was a sharp bite to the morning air she sucked in which stabbed her nose and fetched tears to her eyes. The air traveled down her throat like a frosty drought. The cold went down her clothes freezing them; her skin became pimply and drained of blood. The only supplies of clothes clinging to her skin were thin and coarse with an addition of a ragged sweater.
Her mind recounting the events of last night. The bawling of Buaji still ringing in her jaded ears. She must have to do something, do anything for money. Her eyes were glued upon the impenetrable mist astern, searching for the first glow of the rising sunthat would ascend a sense of assurance and protection upon her. That would will her to battle with the tribulations and challenges the merciless life was intent on throwing her way. Her eyes voyaged afar stabbing their way through the fog again and again but all she could make out was the endless obscurity weaved by the mist. Her head bowed, with defeat. The ray of hope was nowhere to be seen. She was going through hell; in fact she had been going through hell for the most of her life. The discrepancy lied in the pain she endured during different times. The fire was always flaming. She has to keep walking. One day I would end up in heaven where all my worries and hardships would come to an end, she thought.
Two weeks earlier Khushi had moved from Patna to Delhi with her Buaji and a Paralyzed Mausaji. Her Mausaji had a paralytic attack and his job was lost which was the only source of income for the family. They had resolved to shift to a large city like Delhi in order to earn money and start anew. Since Khushi's Mausaji could not work anymore, it was up to Khushi to fulfill their needs. Two weeks had passed and she still had no job, her Buaji's constant taunting and scoffing was now intervening her head. Early this morning Buaji had still resumed badgering her with the queries of money. Incompetent to take anymore of her crap she had exited the house abandoning a fuming Buaji behind flinging demeaning words at her. Nevertheless, once out and about, the frigid morning air had pellucid her head. Mentally chiding herself on her irreverent and awe less demeanor she turned around the corner of an unknown wide extensive road aligned with spacious and grand bungalows on both sides.
She kept walking and walking, her body numbing with cold by degrees. But she still hauled her feet on wards with a shivering body. Her paces ceasing ever now and then until finally her fatigued body discarded to move ahead. Reluctantly, she gave up her combat with her body and halted in front of a splendid bungalow. Momentarily a gush of air pervaded with a horribly familiar scent swept pass her. Impulsively she forced her eyes close, the reflex merely intensifying the anguished and the achingly luscious feelings.
Images after images dawned into her, folding and unfolding the anguish and euphoria of the past. She stood there; savoring and shuddering with the flashes of the face of the one person who caused her the pain of her life yet endowed her with the bliss of no evaluation. She stood there for what felt like forever, passing through an impasse. Her mind insisting her to get away from that place as quickly as possible but her heart compelling her to relish the harmony. The numbness of her body began strengthening the torment and diminishing the joy. All at once she got dragged out of her reverie by the sound of skidding tires behind her. She had neither time nor the power to move away from the spot, and then she got pulled into darkness as she felt a light thud on her body.
***********************************
He was lashing, akin a fanatic, blanketed in fury and inexplicable melancholy along the deserted roads of Delhi. His insides were squirming and wriggling with queasiness. A throbbing sensation was engulfing his body making him snarl in exasperation. The sensation was not a novel one yet it was dating from far back, a former time when he held the key to happiness. The prospect was sufficient to bring back the crashing weight of memories on his already wretched brain. He stomped his foot on the brakes, bringing the car to a standstill with a jolt.
"No" He howled with an ear piercing audibility, the car vibrated along with the sound. Repelled and sickened with the surging feelings deluging his heart. The weather outside was a bidden one. The wind was prowling with phantoms of past and remembrance. The trees were swaying as if communicating soothing words of a fragmented voice, the birds were twittering as if trying to balm his wounded and inflamed state. He felt like the nature was poking fun at him.
With anguish exploding his rickety body, he thumped his fist with all his may on the headboard. But to his bewilderment the anger resided there, igniting to the height of flames; threatening to smolder his entire being to vestiges. He was renowned for his inability to control his temper and ferocity, for directing his wrath at every person or thing at hand in the vicinity during his anger phase. Hurling things, yelling, hitting all these brutal acts were the means of subsiding his ire, at all times. To hell with this doomed day, everything had taken a vow of futility. And then all of a sudden a stream of sudorific memories gushed towards him from somewhere deep inside, where they were held prisoners since a protracted time, beseeching him to rewind them, to not thrust them back after so many years.
The only thing left to do was retreat into the past. Debilitated and enervated with the inevitable assault of his own surmounting feelings he gave in himself to the demanding, cherished memories.
************************************
There was a slight fog on the river this morning making ghostly images out of the trees on the opposite bank. The sun was burning his away as it rose allowing a vision of the river to become clear. The water was tea colored and deep. Flowing slowly as it had done for perhaps thousands of years. Everything was inclined to peace and calm in the morning air. Though the calm was perturbed by a girl of about 18 years sitting near a tree trunk, sliding against a boy of 20 years. Sparks of anger and annoyance were emanating from her body disturbing the air of serenity which hung about the place. The boy was ruffling her hair, though the girl was aggravated by the look of her expressions, she remained silent fidgeting with her dupatta.
"What's wrong?" the boy inquired.
"Nothing. What made you come up with the idea that something's wrong?" The girl countered.
"Well..!! Let's think. How about the signature mark of yours?" He replied.
"Signature mark...?" She inquired befuddled.
"Certainly." His gaze travelled down to the crumpled dupatta in her hands. Seeing his shifted eyes she followed his stance. A lopsided smile appeared on her face. "Oh! This..." She said.
"Yeah this." He broke in, caressing her face with slender movements of his fingers. She closed her eyes in placation. Her heart beating in tandem with his, picking up its pace. His movements descended down to the hollow of her neck, making her breathing more pronounced. In a jiffy the soothing and magical touch was gone. She jerked her eyes open, hailed by the amused expressions in performance across his handsome face.
"My apologies for the act of interruption but then I daresay that I really do fancy knowing what is disconcerting you?" He asked gently.
Irritated with his momentous and intentional tricks, she shot out "Why did you beat Rahul?" He was caught off-guard.
"Who told you this?" He demanded, racking his brain for any possible explanation of the current knowledge unleashed by her.
"I have sources. You have got nothing to do with who filled me up with the aggressive act of yours. I want an enlightenment. Why?" A note of authority evident in her tone of voice.
"You do know why. Don't you Miss Know-it-all. It won't...?"
"The point is Arnav, I don't care what they say or do. And I'm sure you must haave got him wrong because Sonia has told me all about him and by the sound of it he is a nice fellow besides all I care for is you. How many times have I asked you to basket your temper? "Khushi intervened, with a guarded voice.
"The point is Khushi that, I don't care whether I have to kill someone just for the sake of it, but I can't ever bear your insult or one wrong word against you." He resisted.
"Really Arnav..!!! What about all those insults a month ago?" She asked scoffing.
He stared at her as if scrutinizing her being. An apology written in the expressions of his face. A bile of guilt formed in Khushi's throat.
"Dear young woman," he continued, when he was able to control his emotions, "you are happily remote from the sin and wickedness of your so-called friends, and I am sorry to speak of such things in so peaceful a spot--but as a strange chance has led me here, I must speak, must tell you that all others are not so virtuous and faithful as you, I am sure, are."
"What I wanted to tell you Arnav is that you should at least try to restrain your temper." She explained, taking his hands in hers. "How many times I have asked you to control it?"
"I have lost count" He admitted guiltily though his voice was coarse.
"Do you want some tips?" She asked trying to make up to him. He cocked an eyebrow.
"Well! Whenever I'm angry at someone..."
"Oh please. Someone is a broad classification. I haven't seen you angry at anybody except me" He replied with a sly smile.
"Alright whenever I'm angry at you..." She stuck out her tongue on him "or I'm nervous..."
"You fidget with your dupatta. What else!" He said playing to be stunned.
"What the...Arnav" she said hitting him with his small bird like hands on his chest.
"Fine. What do you do?" He asked laughing.
"I close my eyes and think of the happy moments of my life." She answered.
"As if they help" He replied tauntingly.
"They do. Trust me"
He opened his eyes and to his utter bewilderment the anger which a few minutes ago vanquished his body had subsided. Instead there was warmth an assurance pervading his heart. His mind seemed wholly taken up with reminiscences of past gaiety.
CID
Kumkum Bhagya
Pyaar Kii Ye Ek Kahaani
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
813