Chapter 37
Eight months after the blast
"Hold on to the railings Ansh I do not want you to fall" Yash shouted so that he could be heard over the noise that the children were making in the park that they had come to.
"I am absolutely fine Papa. Please go and sit on the bench overthere, that one on the FAR right and let me enjoy...ALONE" Ansh complained as he was getting embarrassed at having only his father right next to him while the other parents were giving the other children space to play freely.
"Are you sure you can manage on your own?" questioned Yash not liking leaving his son alone.
"Of course, Papa. Now GO" Ansh said and slid through the spiral slide with relish.
Yash smiled seeing the amount of fun his children were having, especially Ansh. It had been a painstaking and assiduous few months to gain Ansh's faith back. But Yash had given it his all. He devoted all his time to his children. It was only then he realized that how stupid and insensitive he had been in avoiding them, it was not only a question of them needing him but it was more the other way round. He needed them more than anything now. His kids were keeping his sane and making him live this life even when living and breathing felt like a curse to him.
He was just glad that the children had come out of the tragedy and bounced back to their usual sunny and cheerful selves. One could learn so much from children... their resilience, their forgiving nature, their not holding any grudges and their unconditional love. His heart filled with love for his three little angels and he thanked God for blessing him with them.
It was getting dark so Yash urged the children to come away from their play as they had to head home. But as usual he was having a tough time convincing his kids to stop playing. With great deal of persuasion all finally left the park and went to the parking area.
"Kids I know you have to freshen up and then only have something to eat. But I do see a ice-cream stall over there. So what do you say shall we treat ourselves?" Yash asked.
"Yes Yes Yes" the children shouted excitedly.
"Ok you guys sit in the car while I fetch some for you" Yash said.
He got down and walked towards the stall nearby and placed his order. As the shopkeeper was fetching his order Yash started to have a look around. Just then something caught his eye. A duppatta trying to fly away because of the wind and a woman trying to hold on to it; He stayed immobile for the longest time, frozen into inactivity. It was Aarti... YES...Aarti across the road. She was waiting at the bus stop for a bus. It was a vacant bus stop with her standing there all alone.
Yash gulped. It had been sometime since he had had hallucinations of Aarti. He closed his eyes willing the image to disappear. Usually his mind was strong enough to snap out of his dillusions. But when he opened his eyes again she was still stading there. Yash started to notice how life-like and real his creation of Aarti was. She was wearing salwar kameez, her hair had grown longer since the last time she had had it cut before going to Delhi, and she was growing impatient as if she was in some hurry to catch the bus and head to her destination somewhere.
"Sir here is your package" the vendor spoke and finally broke Yash's concentration.
"Thank you" Yash mumbled as he collected the package and paid for it but he kept looking over his shoulder again and again.
"The lady has been waiting there for quite sometime. I do not know why the bus got delayed today" the vendor spoke when he saw how Yash had again turned his focus to the woman standing alone in the bus stop.
Yash was shocked to hear what the vendor had said.
"You mean you can see her too?"Yash questioned the vendor finding it unbelievable.
"Of course Sir" answered the man feeling amused at being asked such a silly question.
Just then the bus for which the woman was waiting for arrived. Yash ran across the road screaming forgetting his parcel and his kids in the car.
"AARTI...AARTIJI...AARTIII"
The woman and already got in and the bus started to go away. Yash chased the bus with everything he had.
She was REAL. Oh God he saw Aarti. ALIVE. His heart leapt with joy but his brain gripped with fear at the prospect of not being able to catch up with the bus.
Suddenly his leg hit a huge rock placed on the road and he stumbled and fell down, panting hard. And to Yash's horror the bus turned and disappeared. His hopes crashed and he felt immense pain in his chest. He felt utterly crushed. He was so lost to everything else that he did not even notice how badly his leg was bleeding. Just then a vehicle screeched to a halt right behind him.
"Dear God! What are you up to man? If you want to die why don't you find someone else's vehicle to die in front off?" a man got off from the vehicle and started to blast Yash as he came near him angrily.
Yash kept staring ahead to where the bus had disappeared and completely ignored the pain he was in and the man who was yelling at him.
"Are you deaf or something? Why are you not answering? And what are you staring at?" the man asked crossly as he came and stood next to the Yash yet still not getting any response from him.
"Oh my God you are bleeding badly man! Let me help you. Come I'll help you stand" the man offered Yash his hand and Yash took it trying to stand up still focusing on the road ahead.
"Let me take you to the hospital. I think it is nearby somewhere" offered the man generously.
Yash finally turned to look at the man helping him. He tried to make sense of what he was saying ...hospital...nearby... What??
Yash refused after finally understanding what the stranger was talking about. Instead he asked the man to take him back to his car which was parked on the other side of the road. He then saw that his children had gotten off the car and were looking for him frantically.
"Papa what happened Papa?" they asked as he limped his way towards them with the strangers help.
"It's nothing...I just tripped and fell" Yash tried to make light of it so as to not make his children more worried.
"Sir your ice cream, you left it there and ran off (the vendor handed the parcel over) Oh my God? You have hurt yourself badly sir. What was the matter sir? Did you know the woman who got in the bus you were chasing? "the vendor asked feeling very curious about the scene that took place just now.
Yash nodded and again started to look in the direction the bus had gone. The vendor saw some more customers coming to his shop so we went away in haste.
"Now how are you planning to go back home?" the stranger asked not liking the fact that the injured man kept getting distracted.
"We could take a taxi" Yash answered.
"No need for that. Let me drive all of you back to your house. I will just park my vehicle here and come back" the stranger volunteered.
"You do not need to trouble yourself" Yash said as he did not want to burden the stranger.
"It's no trouble for me, come I will help you into the car first" the stranger assisted Yash into the front seat as the three children sat back, all three of them were feeling very scared on seeing their father injured like this.
Within no time they were all on their way back home.
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"Yash what happened?" questioned Pankaj shocked as he saw his brother being helped into the house by a stranger.
"Nothing bhaiya, I just fell down" Yash said mildly trying to play down the whole thing.
"Yeah your brother here was chasing after some woman in a bus, stumbled and fell down. Never seen such Romeo-giri that too from a father of three" commented the stranger mockingly with a smirk.
Yash felt embarrassed at the way the stranger narrated what had happened.
Pankaj moved forward and took over the charge of Yash. He asked the stranger to wait in the hall as he took Yash to his room. The children followed their father and uncle inside.
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Oh boy! Talk about luck. Just when I thought my money was running out and that I had to again look for some work I hit jackpot. It's like goddess of wealth has again smiled on me.
That man what was his name...yes Yash. He just had to drop in front of my oldie van. Perfect just perfect. So I did the good deed for the day and helped him out. Turns out he is loaded. Well I could make that out from the car he drove but then this house... well this is something else entirely.
Let's see what I get out of helping out Mr. Yash.
The man started to roam around having a look at the obvious grandeur of the house. Never before had he seen such wealth and never before had he stepped into the gates of the rich and famous. He found he liked what he saw. If only he could get his hands on such wealth he thought, he could just settle for life.
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"Thank you for all your help" Pankaj said as returned to the hall after making sure Yash was taken care of by Gayatri and Vidhi.
The stranger got up and looked at Pankaj expectantly. Pankaj understood the look in the stranger's eyes; it was greed for money plain and simple. So Pankaj took out his purse and tried to give some money to the stranger.
"Che che che...I saved the son of such a prosperous house and all that I get is this paltry sum. Boy! You guys are just outwardly rich I guess" the stranger said acidly.
"Watch it mister. I am thankful that you could be of some help to my brother. But that does not mean you can speak as you want" Pankaj said taking in the appearance of the stranger who looked more like a ruffian.
"Arre...did I hurt your feelings? I did not mean to you know" the stranger lied.
"Fine...just tell me the amount you are expecting, take it and leave" Pankaj said impatiently not liking the man in front of him more and more with every passing second.
"Hmm...if it is just money I will anyway spend it in a hurry. How about...how about I get a job here, surely even you would have something that I could do" the man asked trying to milk the opportunity for all its worth.
"By the looks of you...I do not think you are qualified for any job" Pankaj said scathingly.
"Arre...do not judge me by my clothes, lend me your fancy clothes and believe me I would look even more qualified that you"the man said mockingly.
Pankaj got angry at that. As if a street rowdy could ever match their cultured and sophisticated existence by just a change of clothes.
"Here is the cash. I have doubled the amount take it or leave. We do not have any vacancies here anyway" Pankaj threw the money on the table besides the sofa.
"Pankaj...we do need a driver don't we?" said SP who had just come from visiting Yash in his room as he interjected the conversation going on between his son and the man who had helped his other son.
"Yes we do bauji, but this man is hardly suited for that job" Pankaj replied giving the stranger an insulting look.
"Hire him Pankaj, he obviously can drive. Besides he did us a huge favour today" SP said forcing Pankaj to accept his decision however unwillingly.
When SP went away Pankaj turned to the man and gave him a condescending look.
"You got your wish it seems" Pankaj said feeling very displeased at having to eat his words and to offer the job to the insolent and ill-mannered man in front of him.
"I would like to get your details before you can start. First up what is your name?" Pankaj asked the stranger.
"Arre...what is in a name bhaiya? But if you insist I will still i will give you my name...My name is "AAKASH". You got that...it's AAKASH. You better remember it now. OK"
TO BE CONTINUED...
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