Part 1
Neil Oberoi gulped down his drink and poured himself some more. His mind was numb, his hands were shaking, his eyes were red with angst and traces of self doubt that was paining him the most. Has he really lost it? His magic touch? His inspiration? No, no this cant be true but he has never heard such words for himself. All he has heard was praises but for the first time he felt the throbbing pain of rejection, of being labelled as mediocre.
“Ace painter Neil Oberoi fails to impress this time.”
“The artist’s work has lost its soul.”
“It was all technically great but lacks the feeling.”
“Extremely ordinary this time.”
He remembered how critics had put his work, his new exhibition of paintings, in words and those words were killing him.
“Bhai, enough now. You are already drunk. Stop it. It was just one exhibition. Why are you so concerned about the reviews?” Mickey, Neil’s younger brother tried to console him.
“No, its not just one exhibition. Its my passion. I live for it. Painting makes me complete. And since few exhibitions I am only getting negative reviews and now this latest one, the critics have declared that Neil Oberoi is finished. Really? Those losers. Do they even know how much time and efforts is needed to complete one painting?”Neil started his rant again.
“Bhai, come on, we will go home now.” Mickey helped his brother and took him back home somehow. His brother was a renowned painter. In fact he was a painting prodigy. Since his childhood he was doing painting. The first thing he picked up when he was a toddler was a paint brush. He had his first exhibition since he was just 14 and since then he has never looked back. He got his talent from their mother Sandhya Oberoi, who herself was a very good painter. Though a mother’s love cant be measured but if it was possible then definitely Sandhya loved Neil more than Mickey. Mickey went after his father Suyash Oberoi, business minded, practical, straightforward and outgoing while Neil was Sandhya’s son in true sense. Not only he inherited her talent as a painter but also her attributes, her introvert nature, her emotional side, her warm heart, her ability to love unconditionally but the only thing is that he was always so engrossed in his own world and paintings that he never actually found anyone to grace his lonely life.
For Neil, his world revolved around Sandhya and his paintings. But fate had been cruel when it took away his mother Sandhya. She died of cancer. Neil was heart broken but somehow he managed to get through the tough phase with the help of his paintings. But ever since his mother died, Neil lost his touch. No matter how hard he tried but his paintings were not like before. The critics were right when they were saying that there is no soul left in his paintings.
Unable to take this rejection, Neil was shattering down slowly because for him, his paintings were the last hope of survival. Without his paintings he was nothing. He knew he could not live like this.
Mickey tried his best to take his brother home but he was only successful when Neil passed out because of alcohol. He somehow put Neil on his bed.
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Mickey went to Neil’s room in the morning with the strong coffee.
“Good morning bhai. Time to get up.” Mickey said as she pushed opened the door but was surprised to see Neil was not only up but getting ready also. Mickey had expected he would be lying in bed cursing the hangover. Though Neil was a morning person and he frequently visited their farmhouse in Khandala to be in nature’s company and get inspiration for his painting but ever since their mother had died Neil had lost interest in almost everything. Therefore to see him awake and all ready to go out in the morning was a real surprise.
“Morning Mickey. I hope I didn’t give you much trouble last night. I am the elder one I should take care of you but its always you who handles me.” Neil said as he looked at Mickey with gratitude.
“Bhai, you dont know how happy I am to see you all ready in the morning after so many months.” Mickey replied and hugged him. Thats when he noticed Neil had also packed a bag for himself.
“Are you going somewhere?” He asked.
“Yes, I am ashamed of my behaviour from last night. I cant keep escaping my failures. I have to face it. Mom came in my dream last night and she said she was sad because of me. She wants me to be like old Neil again. So I have decided that I will try my best to come out of this state of depression...hopelessness...or whatever it is.”Neil confessed.
“Thats very good bhai. But where are you going?” Mickey asked again.
“Ever since mom has left us, I have lost my inspiration thats why my paintings look so lifeless. I am going to find my inspiration back...my faith ...my soul back. I will prove once again, Neil Oberoi is not finished.” Neil replied.
“Oh, so you are going to our farm house?” Mickey concluded.
“No, not farm house this time. I have to take a longer journey. I am going to Patiala.” Neil answered.
Patiala? Mom’s birth place? But why? We dont have anyone there now. Even our grandparents passed away and after them we are not connected to anyone there.” Mickey shared his opinion.
“That place was very special to our mom. Mom used to tell us lots of stories from there. I know we dont have anyone there now but still the memories...the stories of our mom are there. I am going to relive them. Mom was my inspiration and in order to find it back I have chosen the place which was close to her heart.” Neil explained.
“But still bhai, you can go anywhere. Go to any hill station or even foreign location, I am sure you will feel nice. Whats there in Patiala?” Mickey tried to convince him.
“To be honest, even I dont know that apart from being our mom’s birth place what connection we have to that place? I even dont know why I am selecting that place but it just came into my mind. And I am very positive about it.” Neil shared his views.
Mickey was still not convinced as he thought there were better places to unwind and relax but he thought if Neil is happy going there then he should not object.
Neil reached Patiala. Apart from some summer holidays they spent here in their childhood at their grandparents place, he didn’t know anything about the city. He checked in the Holiday resort located towards the village area so that he could be in nature’s company.
First day he didn’t do anything just the memories of his mother and the recent failures he had to endure kept coming in his mind, almost giving him headache. He decided to sleep early and start afresh from tomorrow.
“Next morning he woke up. He decided to go for jogging in nearby village. As an artist he was always interested in taking new experiences. Away from the hustle and bustle of Mumbai, this small village and their simple lifestyle attracted his attention. Soon he started coming there daily. The sociable nature of villagers, the atmosphere, their stories and their day to day struggles made him friendly with the villagers. He again started to paint, getting new ideas, he started moving away from all the negativity. But still there was something amiss. He couldn’t put his finger on it but could feel it.
One day he went to fields with local villager Kartar to see his cultivation. As Kartar was explaining him the process of cultivating wheat, Neil saw a structure at some distance. It looked like some sort of fort or ruins. As he moved ahead he got a clear view of the structure. It was an old style mansion or haveli in villagers language. It was magnificent. Though time has left it imprints on it in the form of broken pillars, removed paints, deposit of fungi on the walls, plants and weeds growing all around and over it but still he could tell that in its time, the haveli must have been the beautiful mansion.
Dont know why but he had the sudden urge to go there, look up close. Kartar was continuously telling Neil about the fertilizers that he used but he didn’t know that his voice is falling on deaf ears now as Neil long ago had stopped listening to him. He was captivated by the haveli’s charm and started moving towards its direction.
Neil was about to enter through the main gate when he felt someone held his arm. He turned around to find Kartar had stopped him from entering and he looked terrified.
“Why you stopped me Kartar? And none of the villager told me about this place. Isnt it beautiful and magnificent?” Neil questioned.
“Ye kya karne ja rahe the babuji aap? Aur ye khandahar aapko kaha se sundar lagta hai? Ye to badi manhus jagah hai. Isliye gaowalo ne aapko nahi bataya kyunki iske bare mein koi baat karna pasand nahi karta.” Kartar explained.
“But why?” Neil asked.
“This place is haunted.Yaha ek chudail ka saaya hai.” Kartar told the reason.
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to be continued....
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