PART-7
He was running... running aimlessly like a maniac. He just wants to get rid of this pain in his heart. It is his habit to run whenever he is emotionally drained. It was the same when he lost his father when he was just 12. It was the same when he lost his mother 5 years back. Thanks to his friend Rishi who took the utmost care of him during this unwanted phase of his life. Rishi is one person he can confine everything to. He is not only his subordinate in his office but also his close associate and a dearest friend. So he is running with his bare foot like a maniac. He was not feeling any pain. Any physical pain seemed much less than the emotional pain he is undergoing now.
Here Aarthi was still talking to the picture. She cleared her tearful eyes and said "pata hian... doctor uncle ne maa se milne se mana kiya hian... (you know what... doctor has refused my meeting maa tomorrow) you know na she was all hyper and to keep her heartbeat at a perfect rhythm she has to be given no stress and meeting me will make her tensed... this is what Dr.Mehra said and he asked me to avoid meeting maa tomorrow... aur tumhe pata hain kal mere liye kitna important hian?? (and you know tomorrow is a big day for me...) I am joining into a new job. And look at damned fate... that I have to join without her blessings..."
Aarthi looked at the clock when it struck 8. She was feeling nauseated being in the home all alone and with those clouding thoughts she can't bear to be there. So she headed off to the beach. As she liked the atmosphere there when she came with Sameer for the first time. She came to the beach and saw it to be crowded she slowly walked through and entered in to the secluded area of the beach. She felt at peace there with no hustle bustle going on around. She was about to sit there on the sand when something to be precise someone caught her attention. She saw a person leaning on to the big anchor there. It seemed like he is still in his office attire. His hair was ruffled. His eyes are swollen and are red. She can see lot of emotions filled in them. His tie was loosened and his waist coat was thrown a bit far from his place. And she can see a few beer cans randomly thrown around him. And she can see his hand consisting one more can. So she came to a conclusion that he has been drinking all the while. Well at first she was afraid of being there. Because the person who is there was all drunk and the place was secluded. But then again she wants to take a closer look. Why on earth is she feeling a weird connection?? She doesn't even know. She took a closer look at him and was flabbergasted to see the same person whom she met at the mazhar. "Oh god!! He was the same. I think he is having a very big problem' his eyes really speak volumes. What is actually wrong with him? His eyes were filled with same kind of hollowness and helplessness. What is it that was troubling him??" If only she knows what was actually troubling him.
It was then she saw him getting up. He actually was wobbling a bit due his high dosage of drinks. He was staggering. He was heading in to the ocean!! He was already drowned up to his waist. She saw him heading into the deep ocean and some kind of weird panic hit her. "Oh no!! Is he trying to commit suicide?? Then why on earth is he heading into the deep ocean?? Ye kya ho raha hian??" With no delay she ran to him shouting at him to stop. But her voice went to no ears. Thanks to those rustling tides. It was when a strong wave hit him hard and thanks to his high dosage of drinks he was about to get drowned, Aarthi took hold of him. She caught him by his hand and dragged him off to the shore.
It was then he saw her. He saw his Aarthi. He felt is like he was dreaming. He was in some delusion. But reality hit him hard when Aarthi started shouting at him. He still can't believe it that Aarthi was really there and she saved him and is shouting at him. Aarthi was like "What is wrong with you?? I know that you are being troubled and are having a very big problem. But is this the solution to it?? If death can solve problems... then there would be no one living on this earth. You get that mister? Why do you want to die? Don't you want to live for others in your life?? Tumhare liye na sahi... tumhare apnon keliye toh tum jee sakthi ho na??There might be someone who is waiting for you to enter into their lives... don't you want to meet them??" with this question he looked straight into her eyes. It did struck some chord in his heart.
She still saying something more but it didn't get registered into his mind because he is at a verge of passing out. Thanks to his heavy dosage of drinks. He also was physically withered and mentally broken. All these things took a toll on him and he passed out. He fell on Aarthi. Aarthi was panicked. She held him by his waist. And he being heavier is not helping her. So she made him lay on the sand. She doesn't know what to do now. Suddenly something hit her. She saw his waist coat lying there. She was uncertain. But she was searching for some card or a phone. She got hold of his phone in his waist coat. She opened it to call. She started searching his mobile. She saw two folders one is personal. And the other folder is of business related phone numbers. She opened his personal numbers folder only to find three numbers in it one is named home and another is named Bauji and the third one is named Rishi. She was intrigued. "Only three numbers in his personal folder?? Strange!! OK leave it let me call these numbers first" with that saying she dialed home. No one was lifting it. She then again called bauji... it was the same no one's lifting... she was like "if this rishi doesn't lift too... then what am I gonna do?? Anyways let me try first" she called Rishi. It was ringing but no one's lifting it yet' after a few rings someone lifted it. Rishi who saw his phone ringing and the caller is yash he took it. But he heard a lady's voice and was stunned.
"Hello Am I speaking to Rishi??"
"Yeah... yeah you are... who is this??"
"Myself Mrs.Dubey... Your friend... he just passed out..."
"What are you talking about??" he was thinking "Yash ko kya hua? What happened to him?? What is she saying??"
"umm don't worry... he is just high on drinks and he passed out...and one more thing..." she wanted to say that he wanted to commit suicide but then again refrained from doing so thinking that Rishi may get tensed.
Rishi was stunned listening that Yash was high on drinks. He was thinking like "Yash and getting drunk!! Not possible!! But this number is his number only!! May be this lady was right..." but then again he heard her saying something more"What is it Mrs Dubey??"
"ermm it's nothing... well can you come and pick him up??"
"Mrs.Dubey I so want to take him home but my papa was having a severe health condition and I am at present in a hospital getting him checked... I can't leave him right now" Rishi is thinking to himself "yaar Yash' ye tumne kya kardi?? What have you done!!! You and getting drunk?!? What shall I do now?? I can't even leave papa here and go... Will do one thing... I'll send my driver."
Aarthi who listened to him was perplexed. What shall she do now!! It was then she heard him say again. "Mrs.Dubey if you don't mind... I'll send my driver there. You just tell me the spot. My driver knows Yash and his house. He can leave him there and he can leave you also at your home. Please do this favor to me. Please."
Aarthi had no choice she accepted it and told the spot where they were to Rishi and ended the call. Aarthi can't say no. but frankly speaking she can leave him there and go. Why didn't she?? "Why am I not getting a heart to leave him here and go?? Why I feel some weird connection with him?? Why can't I say no to him??" she was still thinking when the driver came there searching for Yash. Driver came to her and asked her name and he helped Aarthi to make Yash sit in the car and then they reached his apartment. Driver helped Aarthi in taking Yash up and opened his apartment with the keys provided to him by Rishi and he went away saying that he will be waiting for her down.
Aarthi entered inside his home. It was a 3 bed room flat with subtle furnishing. It has a very big portrait of an elderly lady and a portrait of couple in their early years. Both are garlanded. So she came to conclusion that his parents are no more in this world. She felt a tinge of pain in her heart knowing it. She entered his room seemingly so' she made him lay on the bed. And she turned around and hit a vase because of it being dark in the room. She carefully searched for switch board and switched on all the lights. When all the lights were on she checked her surroundings. And she was stunned. She felt the ground beneath her is cracking apart and is sucking her in!! she saw her paintings all around his room!! HER PAINTINGS!!
Geet - Hui Sabse Parayee
