OS - What we can...

A tribute...

This wasn't easy...

As always, looking forward to your feedback.

Her tear-filled eyes flicking between the television and the door, Devyani Singh Raizada tried hard to ease out the trembling in her cheeks. They were beginning to hurt from trying to rein in her emotions. How she wished that she could be one of those women to whom crying came easily, she thought, as she glanced at her sobbing daughter-in-law. Eyes gentling, she thought once again that, for all her outward bravado, Manorama had the most tender of hearts. She had been crying for the whole day.

The door finally opened to reveal the exhausted group. A weak-looking Anjali was being held upright by her two sisters-in-law, themselves looking on the verge of collapse, while the men looked absolutely defeated. Waiting for them to walk up to her, Devyani continued running her hand over the sobbing Manorama's head.

Unable to sit and do nothing, Anjali had insisted that they go to Jantar-Mandar, even if for a minute, to light a candle. For once not voicing his security concerns, her brother had agreed. Only those who really knew him would have realised how disturbed he must have been to agree without an argument. And now, they were back, the silence and the sobs in the place they had visited, having affected them beyond belief.

The grief and emotional exhaustion too much to let out in tears, they collapsed on the sofas. Going to sit by his mother, Akash nodded to Payal, who quickly came around to her other side. He knew, his mother loved her daughters-in-law. Having the steady, calm Payal near her, would calm her down as well.

NK jumped up again, as if too wound-up to sit still. He looked enraged, as if he was barely stopping himself from breaking things. Khushi quietly sat with Anjali, eyes red from weeping, while her Di sat straight, staring ahead, as if lost in some world. Lying back against the headrest, Arnav had his eyes closed, the clenched jaw being the only sign of his inner turmoil.

"Hum aise kaise ho sakte hain?", Anjali broke the silence. Her faint voice breaking, she repeated, "Insaan aise kaise...Jaanwar bhi..."

Relapsing into silence, the group sat silent, their disbelief and pain at war with their rage. There was nothing they could say or do to heal themselves, and heal they had to, this had become personal.

"Aur hum? Apne life mein hum itne busy kaise ho gaye ki humein in sab cheezon ki parvaah hi nahi raha? Ek baar bhi nahin socha ki log kaise jeete hain iss duniya mein...kitna self-centered hain, hum sab..." Anjali broke the silence again.

The guilt-laden silence an acceptance of what Anjali said, everyone went back to their own silent hells, the television staying on noiselessly.

It was late into the night when everyone drifted away to their rooms, to a sleepless night. Having not said one word since reaching home, Arnav and Khushi went back upstairs. Going mechanically through the motions of getting ready for bed, they moved around eachother, recognising in eachother, the absolute necessity of silence. Settling into bed, each at their respective ends, they lay for a while before Khushi gave a sigh and moved across. Extending his hand, Arnav curled her to his side. They would be lucky if they could find sleep.

"Hum kya kuch bhi nahin kar sakte hain, Arnavji?"

The single sentence jolting Arnav out of his reverie, his leaned down to place a soft kiss on her head before replying, "Karenge. Zaroor karenge."

Settling back into the grief-filled silence, Arnav and Khushi, like the rest of Shantivan, paid homeage to a ravaged soul, who had drifted off into the unknown, leaving only heartbreak behind.

*********

The next morning, the family who had sat down to a half-hearted breakfast, was surprised to see Arnav come down with Akash, both dressed in casual outdoor clothes.

"Aaj aap log office nahi jaa rahe ho?" Anjali asked.

"Nahin Di. Humein aap sab ko kuch dikhaana hain. Naashta karne ke baad chalenge", Akash replied, while Arnav walked outside, apparently gone to speak to their drivers.

Not giving a clear answer to Nani and Mami's questions during the long drive, they stopped in front of a fenced property set amidst a lush orchard. "Prateeksha" read the board over the archway.

Arnav had just led the family to a rambling cluster of buildings when a modestly-dressed couple came running. Greeting Arnav and Akash with folded hands, they looked curiously at the rest of the family.

The man spoke up, "Sir, aap ek phone karte toh hum aapke office mein aate. Aap yahaan aane ki takleef kyun ki?"

Arnav shook his head and replied, "Nahin, Gautam Sir. Aaj se yeh usual tareeke se nahin hoga. Yeh mera parivaar hain, aur main aur Akash chaahta hoon ki aap humein bataayein ki hum yahaan kya kya karte hain taaki hum aaj se iss kaam mein pehle se zyaada involved ho sakein."

Akash turned to the still-puzzled family. "Nani, Di, actually yeh un foundations mein sirf ek hain jo AR Group apne CSR initiative mein support karte hain. Hum ek farz samajh kar saalon se karte rahein, lekin kal jo hua...Well, uske baad, Bhai aur main, hum soch rahe the ki hum sab yahaan ki activities mein thoda aur shaamil ho jayein."

Turning to Gautamji, Akash continued, "Chaliye, Sir. Humein bataayiye hum kya kya kar saktein hain."

Smiling now, the couple led the way, while explaining, "App toh jaante hain, Prateeksha ek aisi facility hain jahaan rehabilitation process pe dhyaan di jaati hain. Chaahe woh physical abuse cases ho, psychological trauma se related cases ho ya mentally-retarded bachchon ke padhaayi ho..."

***********

Stepping back into the courtyard after a few hours, Anjali stopped Akash. "Humein yahaan aake bahut shaanti mila, Akash, yeh dekhke ki aise bahut kuch hain, joh hum kar sakte hain. Lekin humein yahaan laane ka idea achaanak kaise?"

Turning to gaze at Arnav who was looking at Khushi running around happily with a bunch of kids, he replied, "Bhai bol raha tha ki kal jab aap aur Khushiji unse poocha ki hum aise peedith logon ke liye kya kar sakte hain, toh unhe aisa laga ki sirf paise dene ke bajaay humein personal involment lena chaahiye. Aksar, rehabilitation process mein ek human touch hi hai, jo in logon ko zindagi mein wapas la sakte hain. Toh, bus..."

Looking at Nani and Mami busy with a group of women who were working on quiltting, and Payal laughing with a group of teenage girls giggling at NK's hindi, Anjali agreed whole-heartedly. Cuddling the one-year old burn-victim closer to her, she smiled, we'll do what we can...whatever we can, to make amends for what the world has thrown at these gentle souls.

This is not what I had kept ready to put up today...it is not part of the Vignette Series.

This morning, I woke up to receive news that my cat, the gentle soul that warmed our hearts and hearth for eight years, was dead.

After having walked around with tears in my eyes for two days, when even writing seemed like blasphemy, when I shared the pain, anger, outrage and plain helplessness that echoed across the nation, this was just too much to bear. I felt defeated.

But then, I realised that, while there was nothing I could do for my departed Bushy, there was much that I could do for the nameless women whose stories went unheard. While I have been associated with numerous orphanages for a very long time, I had never done anything for those who have been ripped apart by this ruthless world.

That changes today...I solemnly swear that I will not remain one among the silent citizens who think that they cannot make a difference. I'll do whatever I can do...from today.

And this piece, is part of the plan. The pen is mightier than the sword, they say. And I think I can wield my pen as well as my sword to create a difference. I didn't want to write this...But I had to. Each drop counts, each impassioned word makes a difference.