Prologue
It was a typical May afternoon, blistering hot, suffocating with no indication of any sort of future respite. The roadside tree leaves had withered due to lack of water, the grass and the shrubs had turned completely brown. The small ponds and rivulets had completely dried up. Even the Ganges was running well below her usual level. The number of times water was supplied had already been reduced to once a day the previous month. That morning there was an official announcement that water would be supplied once in two days. The sweltering heat and the added water scarcity had already pushed the locals to the edge of their patience level. It was in a day like this when Gauri Kumari Sharma came to Bareilly for the first time. The increasing mercury level, the lack of water and the increasing taunts of her newly adopted uncle and aunt, however had no effect on her as she sat on the cot of her newly allotted attic room. Later on, during the day when her Radha Ma came to search for her, she found little Gauri in the same position, numb and unaware of her surroundings. Radha Ma forcefully took her to the bathroom, washed her up and then fed her. All this while, Gauri had not spoken single word. Radha Ma then put her to sleep and turned off the lights. Four hours later when she came to check on her, Gauri was lying on the cot, her hollow eyes wide open. The only difference was the two continuous rivers flowing from her eyes.
Days and months had passed by. The sweltering heat had been replaced by rains and then had again been replaced by a chilly winter and then again by a sweltering summer. Yet, little Gauri was still the same. During the day she would have to do all sorts of household work in her uncle's house. In the summers, there was the added work of going to the tube well five kilometers away because of the scarcity of water. Every time she did something wrong, she was lashed by her aunt (because she had to be taught obedience) who always had a stick ready. During the nights, she would lie on the cot, eyes wide open and crying silently. Her Radha ma tried. She really had tried to save her Gauri but her ailing heart did not support her. Gauri had still not spoken a single word.
It was again a sweltering May afternoon. She was sent to the tube well with two big buckets. Her little hands could barely pump the water out. Yet she kept on pumping, even when sweat had blocked her eyes, even when she could no longer pump. Suddenly, a pair of bigger hands caught hold of her smaller ones, gently pushing and pulling her hands so that she did not have to put in any force. Turning around, she saw a boy of around fifteen, with slightly longish hairs and shockingly dark eyes looking at her with a slight smile on his face.
"Hi he said extending his hands towards her.
Gauri turned away and taking hold of the bucket handles tightly, she started to walk away.
"Hey wait he said easily falling into steps beside her. "I am new here. I have no friends.
Gauri kept on walking.
"Its fine if you don't want to talk to me. I can still be your friend.
Gauri turned to look at him. She didn't want any friend she wanted to say but the words stuck in her throat. It had been so long since she had had any desire to speak.
"See I get it. You don't want to be my friend. It's okay. Let me be yours.
By this time Gauri had reached her aunt's house. She bent down, tightened her hold on the handles and walked inside the gates.
It was only later at night that she had realized that he had subtly carried both the buckets till she had reached home.
Again next day she was sent to bring water and again the day after that and then again the day after. And he kept coming every day. He kept on talking to her. She never replied. He kept carrying the buckets for her. She never stopped him.
A week had gone by like this when one day he suddenly said,
"Acha buddy aaj thodi der ke liye pedh ke niche baith jate hai, kya kehti ho!
She looked at him and then started walking towards the house.
Next day again he asked the same question. This time she again looked at him and then slowly nodded.
"To buddy kaunse class mein padhti ho tum
"Five she replied in a voice which was hoarse due to lack of use.
"Aur tumhe sabse acha kaunsa subject lagta hai
"Maths. "History bahut boring hai she said after thinking over it well.
He smiled. She reminded him of his elder brother. He loved Maths and hated history as well.
"Ab chale she said.
He nodded.
It was only later that ten year old Gauri Kumari Sharma realized that she had spoken and had spoken without thinking or hesitation after one long year.
Fifteen days later little Gauri had become firm friends with her buddy. She knew he had come here for his holidays. She knew he had two brothers whom he missed terribly and she knew his favorite poet was some weird man named Ghalib. He knew that she lived with her Radha ma, a horrible uncle and an even more horrible aunt. He knew that she was regularly beaten up not because she had said anything but because he had seen the marks on her little arms and legs. He knew that she wanted to be a fashion designer and he knew that she loved butterflies...especially the blue ones.
Ten days later little Gauri would chatter nonstop with her buddy. They would splash water on each other after filling the buckets. She would run after the blue butterflies and he would run after her, filling the entire world with her tinkling laughter as he tickled her.
"Tum meri Tinker bell ho he would say.
"Oo kaun hai she would ask innocently.
And he ruffled her hair affectionately, not answering her.
Five days later, it was time for her buddy to go back home. Suddenly, it was too much for her little heart. She couldn't stop her tears till night.
"Tum bhi hume chhodh ke jaa rahe ho she sobbed. "Sab hume chhodh ke chale jate hai. Ma, Baba, Didi...sab. Ab tum bhi Jaa rahe ho.
He went stiff for a while. "Nahi pagal mein humesha ke liye thodhi hi na jaa raha hun.
"Matlab she asked.
"Yeh lo he gave her a piece of paper. "Yeh mera locker address hai. Tum ispe mujhe letters likh sakti ho.
"Tum padhoge she asked, her eyes brightening up.
"Of course he assured her. And then he spontaneously took out the OM locket around his neck and put it around hers.
"Yeh dekho ab main humesha tumhare saath rahunga.
"Agar tum mujhe bhul gaye to. Tumhare to wahan bahut buddy honge na she asked tearing up again.
"Pehle tum mujhe promise karo ki tum phir kabhi nahi ro ogi. Humesha haste rahogi phir chahe situation jo bhi ho. He was adamant.
"Thik hai hum phir kabhi nahi roenge she said bravely, wiping away her tears.
"Aur main bhi apne best buddy ko kabhi nahi bhulunga. Yeh Omkara Singh Oberoi ka promise hai.
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Anupamaa
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