Chapter 33
"Tu mohobbat se koi chaal to chal,
Haar jaaney ka hausla hai mujhko!"
Raghu's POV
I was waiting at the car's side thinking hard. Mai was taking long so it made me restless. I looked towards mai and tiwari talking at some distance. I couldn't hear their talk but the way tiwari was trying to explain something to mai and mai looked frustrated, made me suspicious. My eyes frowned in thought. What were they discussing actually?!! That new commissioner named smasher khan... was he really some threat to her? But how?! And what just tiwari was trying to say?! I couldn't get that as mai stopped him abruptly. "Akhir iss tiwari nee kaun saa locha kiya hain?!" I told to myself.
After some long moment I saw mai coming to me followed by manohar. She was busy in talking with manohar Kakka. Their little words were reaching to my ears as they were coming forward. "manohar... Bahut jald saman nikalna parega." Mai said. "Aap jaisa kaho bahini... acha huya tiwari nee mazra samhal liya..." monahar was replying to her. There words seemed a little bit confusing. Mai's eye fell on me and all of a sudden I saw some alert expression in her eyes which I never saw before. "Manohar iss barein mein hum baad mein baat karengey..." mai coughed saying that, "abhi humein sab sey zaroori kaam karna hain." mai came near the car and stood at my front. With her questioning eyes she gauzed my expression. She might have saw something fishy in my eyes. cause even I was watching her straightly in her eyes which I never did before. My eyes were always bend down in respect at her front. But her behavior was making me do something which I never did before. How much my loyalty was trying to stop but the seed of doubt was already in my mind. Mai was hiding something from me. "raghunath!!" Mai's cold voice broke my trance. "Jii..." I answered in short. "Police commissioner kee office mein jana parega." She said. "Kya?!!... bahini.. aap uss naye commissioner see milne jaa rahe hain. Waisey hii usney atein hii dhamaka kar diya..." kakka said from side in hurry. "Aaahh... Manohar..." mai lifted her finger and indicating him to be silent. "Apni bakwas thori der kee liye bandh rakh manohar... Raghunath gari ghuma..." mai ordered moving towards back seat. I opened the door of back seat for her and then moved towards the front seat silently. Even I was eager to meet that commissioner. Who was the guy actually? He just appeared at the city and seemed all the people were worried about his work process?
After one and half hour I parked our jeep near commissioner's quarter. I jumped down from the seat with kakka. Mai moved towards the gate with us and we saw the security guard standing near the gate. The guard saluted mai and said, "Arey daya mai aap yahan?!" That guard hariya knew us well. When previous commissioner used live in the quarter we often visited there. God knows what happened to previous commissioner who was one of mai's closest friends. I never heard of transferring in a very short notice. "Hariya... Naye commissioner sahab?! Woo bhi yahin rahete hain naa?!" Mai asked. "Haan mai..." hariya nodded in agreement. "Zara unhe jaa kee bol.. humein unse milna hain..." Mai ordered. "Woo mai..." Hariya started to hesitate. "Kya huya hariya?! Maine kahan naa jaa kee bol unhe ki humein milna hain." Mai's voice turned impatient. Still hariya was standing there bending his head. I came forward greeting my teeth. "Kya bee hariya?! Bahera hoo gaya hain kya?! Sunayi nahin diya mai nee kya kahan?!.." I asked in my harsh tone. "Maaf karna raghubhai... main aisa nahin kar sakti..." hariya uttered slowly and we three of them got a huge shock by his denial. For a moment I couldn't talk to him. "Kya bola bey?!!" I asked in a bit shocked voice. "Maaf karna mai... Par smasher sahab kaa strict order hain ki koi bina appointment kee unke ghar mein nahin aa sakte." Hariya said. Kakka's face turned a perfect O by hariya's words. "Abey yee hariya kya kahe raha hain?!!" he said. my head boiled at the instant and I grabbed hariya's collar. Hariya's eyes turned wide in fear. "Eee hariya... Dimag khishak gaya hain kya tera?! Jaanti hain kiss kee samne khara hain?! Mai kii batein inkaar kar raha hain?" I said in quite loud and angry speech. "Maaf karna raghubhai... ruko abhi bulata hoon..." hariya just finished the words when a heavy voice floated in our ear.
"Kaun hain hariyaa?!!" as the voice came from balcony, we all looked towards that. we saw a middle aged man standing there. even in the age, his body was well build and his whole posture was conveying persona. His sharp feature, intelligent eyes, clenched jaw everything proved that he was not any simple guy. We understood that he was new commissioner himself. "Sahab!!..." hariya saluted quickly. "Daya mai.. ayein hain aap see milne.." he informed. His narrow eyes moved towards mai and became still. I looked back towards mai and I saw even she was throwing a cold but hardened gaze towards that man standing in balcony. Me and kakka both stood in silence without knowing what to do. After some moments smasher khan spoke, "Hariya.. insey kahe do kii yee humara ghar hain.. meetig place nahin... agar inhe kuch kahena hain too woo kaal humare office mein aa ke baat kare... hum office ka matter ghar mein lana pasand nahin karte..." his deep yet hardened voice seemed like bomb at the long silent. Me and kakka both were standing in thrilled nerve assuming that what was coming. He was the only one who rejected mai on her face. even I was unable to say him anything. If someone else would reject something on mai's face, I would surely gave him a doze. But seriously, that man had something which refraoined even me to do something. Cautiously I looked towards mai and was a bit startled looking towards her face. there was a small smirk playing in her face. "Koi baat nahin..." She said in moderate voice but still there was coldness at the edge. "Aaap koo pareshan karne kee liye mafi chahte hain commissioner sahab. Zaroori batein thi... par koi baat nahin... aap ki marzi hoo too hum aap kee office mein hi ayengey. Tab too humein aise wapas nahin bhej dengey naa?!" Mai said. Somehow her voice seemed cunning to my ear. But however, I shoved that feeling. Samsher looked a bit confused but still his jaw was hardened. "Chalo..." mai ordered us and we all moved towards the jeep. Mai indicated me to stat the jeeo while moving inside. I started the jeep and my eyes feell on the view finder. I saw smasher khan standing at the balcony at the same spot and throwing us that hard look. "bahini... yee kya kiya aap ne? uss s**e commissioner ki itni himmat... aap koo kahe rahein hain ki office jaa kee milo.. ussey chor na nahin chahiye tha bahini... aukat dikha dena chahiye tha s**e ko.." kakka fumed. "Aaah manohar!!..." mai expressed her annoyance through voice, "paheli baar mein hii aukat nahin dikhan achahiye manohar... naye naye ayein hain commissioner sahab.. agar hum pahele mulakat mein hii mara piti karengey too kya sochengey humare barein mein?! Hum kaal unke office mein jayengey.. unhe ghar pee bulane..." mai informed. "Kya?!! Bahini aap uss s**e koo ghar mein bulayengey?" kaaka's eyes shocked. "Haan manohar... hum unhe ghar mein bulayengey.. Jaa n pahechan too karni paregi.. humare ilake mein ayein hain too swagat bhi too karna parega..." mai said. Manohar looked confused, even I as well. I was living with her for almost 10 years but even sometimes it felt like I knew nothing about her.
We reached at the basti when it was almost evening. Mai and manohar moved inside naik sadan. The young boys of basti were playing cricket on the streets as usual. While I was going out from the garage the ball flew towards me and I caught that in a sweep. I looked towards the boys who were looking towards me with a huge grin. "Kya raghu bhaiya... khelengey kya?" Titu, the 12 years boy said forwarding the bat towards me. I smiled mildly and moved near them. Taking the bat from tinu's hand I stood near the wicket. It was really fun sometimes to play with them. My jumbled mind could get over the jumbled thoughts I was having and what could be mind charger than playing my favorite game cricket. As titu balled from other side confidently, I hit an over boundary at his very first ball. All of them continued to look at the ball with their usual wide eyes. Titu was biting his lips keeping his hand on his head. "Gaye titu bhaiya... Aap ne raghu bhaiya ko kyu n bulaya.. inko too koi out nahin kar sakta!!" Chiku said from side. "Dar gaya kya?!!" I said rolling the bat on my hand. "Bilkul nahin..." Tittu tossed the ball on his hand which chiku just brought to him. with a smirk I got ready for their another attack.
Antara's POV
"I swear yaar... I saw aman sir there..." I spoke to kirti and parth but they still looked towards me with unbelievable eyes. "Aman sir?!! In juhu beach?!" Kirti asked with confused voice. "Yes aman sir.. Not just today.. I even saw him in rail station when kirti gave us treat in Marriot. I never told u guys before cause even I was confused. "But u know.. the attire she was wearing, that faker like look.. it was the thing that confused me. Why a known businessman like him should have that get up?" I asked in confused voice. "Hey antu, I think you are wrong!! Aman sir just went for cliet meeting in front of our eyes, all suited-booted and now u are saying that he was there in Juhu beach wearing a fakker's attire?! How could be that possible?" Parth said from front seat. "I don't know guys. I am just telling what I saw... and I won't be wrong twice." I said in unconscious voice. there was a huge silence inside the taxi. I looked outside through the window as the cold breeze hit me. it was good that the road was traffic free and I would reach quickly. The jumbled thought bugged my mind all the way till the car stopped. "Hey antu... we have reached to ur place.." parth told me. "Uhh... oh yeah.. thankd for everything guys. The afternoon was really memorable." I said with a genuine smile. "Ahh its nothing... After all it was ur idea at first place." Kirti smilled. They told the taxi driver to wait and they came with me to drop me off inside the basti. I insisted them to visit my home but they would had to go far so they promised to come again.
When I entered inside the basti, the sun was just spreading its last redish ray all over the city. the pitches on the dusty street were glowing in reflected red as I moved through them. The deep red color, just like blood, my feet stopped abruptly as I looked towards the narrow harsh street. I felt like I was literally walking on the blood pools exactly like the blood spot on the place where my parents burned body was lying on the floor of houseboat allover covered by blood. I bit my lips and feasted my hand to control my overflow. I didn't know why my emotions all time made me so weak. I didn't want to show them but it was getting hard to control time by time.
Composing myself I lifted my eyes above and saw the setting sun over the huge buildings. The sunset was not pleasant view in Mumbai city like our Kashmir. The sky was acquired by the cloud of black smog of industries and vehicles. Even the glowing red of setting sunn looked fed on them. I never saw such a gloomy sunset in my whole life. I enjoyed watching sunset in daal lake back in shrinagar, but never thought that how much sorrow was hidden in it. Slowly as the red round sphere hid iyself beyond the horizon taking away all its light, all its hope along with, leaving the world in darkness, as if like it was taking its last breath!! Standing on the last edge of horizon as I faced sun's gloomy light I felt the emptiness in me. just like that setting sun, my life, my breath everything would set down at an instant. I didn't know when but I knew it would come soon. The way in which I was walking it was full of bloods and thorns and it would surely end in a death pit where I had to jump upon along with those wretched people. I had to be the suicidal bomb that would be created just to banish them.
Even the setting sun would rise all with its glory on next day. But there was no hope for my dying life. Sunlight could never reach inside a black hole. Would it reach?!! I continued to look towards sun as it was going down slowly. I didn't know why I closed my eyes at the moment and pappa's face flashed in my memory. "Pappa!!" I said in my mind. "I really don't have any hope for my life pappa. I knew the consequences of my life. But pappa, was there still something left for me?! Why sometimes my heart wanted to hope against all odds? I am really confused pappa!! I am feeling restless. Do you really know that where this deathly path would will lead me? What is my destiny pappa?" I stood silent closing my eyes. The little buzz of people didn't bother me at all. I was sure that I wouldn't get any answer of my abrupt mind's thought but suddenly a thud near my feat startled me. I opened my eyes and found a cricket ball rolling near my feat. It made me frown in confusion. A little boy from the basti, whom I knew really well, rushed to my side and quickly grabbed the ball. I smiled seeing him. The kids of that place had really become close to me, thanks to rhea. Rishav (that little boy's name) threw the ball behind me and rushed. I turned back in curiosity. The scene made me dumb for a while.
I saw the young boys were playing cricket at the road and at the middle near wicket raghu was standing with a bat hitting boundaries on those poor boys bowling. Not him again!! My saddened mode depressed even more. From the very start of my day, to the last rays of sun I was facing only him both the time. my day was starting and ending seeing the face of the same man whom I never wanted to see near me. Might be it was my cruel fates another mock.
They still didn't notice me. Raghu grinned a huge after hitting another boundary. His bat was kept over his shoulder while he was throwing a childish-naughty yet challenging frown towards those boys. I didn't know why I didn't feel disgusted as I watched him at that moment. I didn't like to say that ever but that huge grin and his bangs fallen over his forehead really made him look like an innocent boys, and the last sunlight which was falling on his sharp forte adding something to that innocence. I didn't know why but I really felt it hard to believe that the guy actually killed my entire family. I didn't know it was the effect of last sunlight or something else, but it was hard for me to feel any disgust towards raghu as I saw him playing with those boys at that moment. There was a little bit annoyance and a large amount of amusement in my heart but there was not at all hatred there, I couldn't even bring them even if I tried.
MY concentration moved towards Chiku who was scratching his head seeing the ball going high out of his reach. His poor expression made me smile again. he exactly reminded me of ishan. He also used to show same facial expression when he used to play cricket at our lawn in Kashmir's house and pappa used to hit boundary or over boundary on his every swing. Poor little chap!! Whenever I was coming from my collage and just reached at the doorstep of my house, most of the time I found ishan and pappa playing on the lawn and momma and noor appa enjoying their mini world cup while watering the plant. I saw how pappa was making my poor littke brother suffer with his over boundaries. I smiled and waited near gate without disturbing them. Ishan was determined at that time to knock out pappa and he fiercely balled him. Again pappa made his all effort vein hitting another high. But at that moment I moved inside the gate catching the flying ball in my hand. Pappa had tendency to throw towards the side of gate. So catching his thrown ball was quite easy for me at that moment. When I tossed the ball in my hand throwing a naughty look to my confused pappa, ishan jumped all over the ground finally seeing pappa caught out by her very own didu.
I was smiling widely remembering those moments. Those golden memories always led me to another world of happy dimension. I forgot everything at that moment, my surroundings, time, everything. It felt like they had come back to me again. I could touch them, embrace them, could talk to them again.
I saw the ball flying high and routing through curvature route in air, it exactly aimed towards me. I was still in trance and grinning wide like a little girl. As the ball came near me my hands automatically reached to catch it. Soon it landed on my joined palms and I imprisoned it grabbing hard. Smiling towards the ball caught inside my hand I lifted my gleaming eyes to find my pappa's poor face and ishan's victory dance. But I faced the startled face of those little boys along with raghu who was looking directly towards me with slight amusement in his face and that unreadable tender expression in his deep dark eyes. Blood dropped from my face as I understood that what actually I did.
"OUT!!!.. Raghu bhaiya out hoo gaye.,.. Antara didi nee raghu bhiaya kaa catch pakar liya..." Chiku's loud chirpy voice broke our shocked state. All the other boys jumped with them and cried in unison. I dropped my gaze and feasted the ball in my hand. My mind felt blank at that moment, empty off all emotions. I couldn't think even a sane thing. What actually I was going to do?!! What my weird destiny was trying to do with me?! My eyes fell in my feet and I was really really surprised. The last rays of sun suddenly changed its color from crimson red to golden. The roads, which were looking like dried blood pools before was turned into gold. Startled and amused, I looked up and my eyes fell on those joyfull children who were jumping around raghu and teasing him and the very own raghunath naik, red listed gangster of Mumbai city, standing at the middle scratching his hairs with a slight embarrassment. A little coy smile was there on his slips. As if like he felt that I was watching him. He directly looked towards me and I literally shuddered at that moment as a very strange wave ran through my nerves. It was hard to detect that what kind of feeling it was. As his black orbs aimed me, the golden lights reflected on them. At that moment they never looked like the eyes of some merciless killer, rather so gentle and somehow warm! I didn't know why my breath stopped and throat went dry as his silent eyes gauzed my expression with that light smirk in his face. I literally had to force me to move my eyes from him at that moment. I had to remind me more than once that he was the death's messenger to my loved once and then I finally could be able to look away from those eyes which seemed like unknown magnetic pool defending me to move my gaze from them.
"Didi... ball doo naa..." a little voice brought back to me world. I saw chiku standing at my front spreading his hand with that cute smile on his face. I remembered that I was still holding the ball in my hand. I smiled and handed over the ball to him. "Oye misscall!!" the irritating nickname again roamed in my ear and I moved my eyes to him with a frown. Supporting the bat on his shoulder and left hand he was looking towards me with that small smirk, slightly twitching his neck. There was a bit naughty glint at his face. "Waisey... Catch achi pakar leti hain tu... Apun logon ki team join karegi kya?!" as he asked with a slight chuckle I gauzed his expression minutely trying to detect if he was mocking me or not. "Haan didi... Humare sath khelo na..." Chiku said with hopeful eyes. I smiled and ruffled his hairs affectionately. I loved that boy very much. Everyone was so close to me but that chap had some special connection with me from the very day. "Aaaj nahin chiku... bahut thak gayi hoon... kissi aur din khelengey." Chicku's face disappointed a bit. "Aur haan... yee lijiye aap logon kee chocolates.." as I handed over a pouch full of candies to them chiku's face brightened again and he rushed back to the group to share those candies with all. I looked towards raghu for the last time. he was still standing at the same point with same posture. His eyes seemed never left my face. With a dry glance I slowly moved towards my house. As I was at the doorstep of my house, I didn't know why I urged to look back. I thought raghu left but still he was there and his eyes were following me all over. I didn't dare to look back again and moved inside my house shoving away all the odd thoughts from my mind.
Edited by ifians - 9 years ago
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