Part 5: Ek Mulaqat Zaruri Hai
10 years...
Every morning I woke up to think of him & every night I slept to dream of him.
Now I have had enough of it.
Now my heart craves to meet him once, one meeting that would bring me back to life.
Ek mulaqat ho
Tu mere paas ho
Jeene ki wajah tum bano
Tum bano
I have been living with his dreams for years now.
But in my dreams he was still that little boy I met 10 years ago.
He is 17 now, must be in Grade 12, could be as adamant as he was before.
How does he look like?
Should be a handsome young boy,
Could have grown a moustache & light stubble,
Must have a well toned body,
Ought to have that breathtaking smile...
I dream with open eyes...
I wish...I wish...I could see him with open eyes in flesh and blood not just in my imagination.
And every time I try to imagine how he looks like, my mind goes back to the day when we first met.
I don't fail to remember how he had entered my lonely life like a shining star, kissing all my sorrows away and making me feel complete.
Ban ke tu rahbar
Mujhko mila hai
Tu mil gaya
Main muqammal huva
And today again I am at the same spot where I was standing 10 years ago prior to his entry in my life.
My breath hitches making me realise that I would be able to breathe a breath of new life only when I meet him.
Ek mulaqat zaroori
Hai zaroori jeene ke liye
Haan mulaqat zaroori
Hai zaroori zindagi ke liye
He has taken a part of me with him when he left creating a void in my heart, in my life.
Har pal dil mein adhoorapan sa hai
And even to this day my soul wanders like a nomad in search of its mate, in search of peace.
Bhatke tanha banjara jeevan hai
And the soul returns disheartened only to tell me that the distance between me and him is like the distance between the sky and the earth and unfortunately the earth and the sky will never meet.
Main hoon kya bas
Ek aadha aasmaan
Naa rakh paaun
Fasla darmiyaan
"Bas ek baar mere ankhon ke saamne ajao Raman" I weep helplessly
"Please bhagwan ek baar Raman se mila do" I beg desperately
Ek mulaqat zaroori
Hai zaroori jeene ke liye
Haan mulaqat zaroori
Hai zaroori zindagi ke liye
"Ammmaaa" A loud shrill brings me out of my reverie.
I rush worriedly to the source of that noise. I reach granny's room to find her lifeless in Appa's arms who was sobbing uncontrollably and Amma trying to calm him down.
After granny's last rites, Appa decided to take a transfer. He had always wanted to work in North India, he had stayer back only for the sake of granny.
Granny's departure had made me sad but this news of shifting to North India made me happy for I secretly wished that Appa gets a transfer to Mumbai.
Appa's transfer was approved & we had packed our bags all set to go...this time towards a new destination, Delhi.
Life in Delhi started as usual.
His dreams followed me from Mumbai to Chennai and now to Delhi, so did the hope of meeting him at least once in lifetime.
First day of school @ DPS.
I found an empty space at the parking stand and parked my bicycle there and rushed to find my classroom.
The day went by normally.
Nothing exciting or interesting about it except all my classmates treating me like an alien who had just landed on Earth.
I had heard that DPS students have a lot of attitude. Well that kind of felt true as nobody came forward to being friends with me.
That made me upset but I just shrugged it of because I had a special friend who would be waiting to come in my dreams this night.
With that thought in mind, I rushed to where I had parked my bicycle as soon as the dispersal bell went off.
I wanted to get home ASAP and complain to Raman about every silly thing that happened today & he would comfort & console me in my dreams.
But to my dismay, I could not find my bicycle there.
"Ayyo. Where did my bicycle go? I am sure I parked it here" I mumbled as I frantically looked for the only means of transport that I could rely on.
Everyone that came to take their bicycles just looked at me like I was some crazy buff & left without giving a damn.
"Ayyo! What will I do now? Kisse poochun? Hey bhagwan mai kya karun?"
I was at the verge of crying when I heard a voice behind me "Excuse me. What are you looking for?"
"I can't find my bicycle. I had parked it here" I said without looking back.
"You parked it here? Don't you know this is RKB's parking space?" He asked.
"No I didn't know. Today is my first day at school" I said answering his query still looking for the bicycle.
"Oh I see! Come I know where your cycle is. Follow me" he said and I followed him without thinking twice.
We walked for about 10 minutes and reached a place that was stinking like hell and was covered with garbage.
"Where are we going?" I asked him suddenly conscious that he could be tricking me & would want to take an advantage as he knew I was a new student.
"KEEP CALM & follow me. We are almost there" he said without turning back.
I started to get worried now & decided to run away but I stopped when he pointed towards a corner and said: "There is your cycle"
I scanned the place and found my bicycle on the floor amidst worn out furniture of the school.
"Ayyo!"
I shrieked looking at the condition of my brand new bicycle. It did not look new anymore. One of its tyres was punctured.
"Ayyo...Ayyoyyyo"
I kept saying as I tried to get my cycle out of the place.
I heard the retrieving of footsteps and I remembered I was not alone there and I had to thank the person who had helped me find the bicycle in whatever condition it was.
"Excuse me" I called out.
"Yes" he said.
I looked at his face and found his face as angelic as his nature.
"Thank you for the help" I said genuinely.
He gave a killer smile in response that took my breath away. I was suddenly reminded of Raman.
Would he look like this handsome boy in front of me? I wondered.
"I am sure now you know that you shouldn't park your bicycle in RKB's space. Warna agli baar you won't find your cycle here either"
"Matlab?" I asked innocently.
"Matlab agli baar ye cycle kachre ke dabbe me bhi nahi milega. Isliye better be careful" he said in a warning tone.
I was still not getting it how he knows so well about that RKB & why was he warning me on his behalf.
However I shrugged it off & decided to seek his help in getting my bicycle out of the place.
"Can you help me with this please?"
"Excuse me. Mujhe apna naukar samjha hai kya? Jo kiya wahi bahut hai. School me nayi ho isiliye tumhari pehli galti maaf karke bata diya ke cycle kahan rakhi hai"
The angelic face now looked monstrous just like his nature.
I was still trying to comprehend the sudden change in his behaviour when he snapped a finger at me and said "Apni aur apni cycle ki hifazat chahti ho to mujhse door raho. Nayi ho isliye bata raha hun, warna RKB kisi ko warning bhi nahi deta"
What the hell does he think of himself? RKB my foot I said mentally as I saw him walking away with full-on attitude.
Can you imagine I had to push my cycle all the way to my home drenched in the unseasonal monsoon in a new city all alone?
I was feeling so tired and weak that I went off to bed on an empty stomach in the same dirty uniform.
"So gayi?" I heard someone asking me.
"Hmmm" I said in a half-asleep state.
"Utho" the voice said.
"Ummm" I grunted.
"Dekhogi nahi mai tumhare liye kya laya hun?"
"Kya?" I said lazily still lying on my stomach and not moving an inch.
"Ye lo" he said pulling my hands forcibly and shoving something into it.
I unwillingly opened my eyes partially and then opened it completely on realising what it was. I sat up in a jerk scanning it and feeling it "Raman tum mere cycle keliye nayi tyre laye ho? How sweet of you!" I gushed.
"Raman? Koun Raman?" The voice asked.
"Tum...aur koun?" I said looking back and a 440 volt shockwave passed through me when I laid my eyes upon him.
"Tum?" I asked raising my eyes and spitting fire.
"Aur koun" he said imitating my earlier sentence.
"Tum yahan kya kar rahe ho?" I fumed.
"Tumhari cycle ka tyre dene aya hun and FYI ye nayi tyre nahi hai. Tumhare cycle ki jo ek louthi tyre sahi salamat thi use ukhaadne ke baad laga ke tumhe bata dena chahye. Isiliye le aya, tumhe dene keliye" He smirked.
"How dare you? Mai tumhe chodungi nahi. I will kill you" I said bringing forth my hands to strangle him.
But before I could reach his neck, a pair of hands held me back.
"Chod do Ishita! Use jaane do" I heard little Raman commanding me to stop and immediately I withdrew my hands.
He smiled at me and I smiled back in response.
"Chalo go back to sleep" he said making my lie on his lap and patting my head gently.
When I wake up I know it was a dream.
I am irritated at realising that RKB was in my dreams last night.
"How dare he come in my dreams? Mere sapnon me ane ka haq sirf Raman ko hai. Mai usko chodungi nahi"
I was all set to punch that bas***d in his face, but then I remember Raman's words from last night & quit the idea.
"Better stay away from my life and my dreams Mr. RKB" I begin to warn him mentally
"Mujhse bura koi nahi hoga agar...
Tum Mere Khwabon Se Na Sake"
--------To be continued-------
To kaisi rahi pehli mulaqat...ermmm...nt exactly pehli mulaqat...mulaqat after a long tym...
o
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