Ishu had not been seen for a few days. She could not even be contacted over the phone. What happened to Ishu? Raman decided to go to Ishu's house. But before he could do that, someone delivered a letter to him. This was what was written in that letter:
Dear Raman,
My father has kept me grounded in my room. He is not allowing me to go out. I
haven't seen you for a long time. My bed is drenched with my tears. If I remain
like this for some more time, I will surely die. Rescue me from here in
whatever way you can. So long.
Yours, Ishu.
Raman's blood began to boil after reading the letter. He must rescue Ishu in some way or other. He was not very afraid of Ishu's father. But Ishu's elder brother was someone he was afraid of. This brother was tall and well-built. He was really strong. So far, Raman had not had to put his own strength to test. Now the time had come.
Raman quickly opened the drawer of the table. He pulled out his revolver. He put it in his hip pocket.
Raman's father asked him, ''Where are you going?''
Raman replied in a serious tone, ''I'll be back soon.''
Then he descended the stairs swiftly. His moped was standing outside. He jumped on the moped and started it. The moped started running.
After a while, the moped stopped in front of Ishu's house. Raman got down from his moped and rang the doorbell. He touched his hip pocket with his hand. No, the revolver was not quite needed yet. If negotiations work, that would be the best. If not, that would be the time for the revolver.
The domestic servant opened the door.
Raman asked, ''Is your master home?"
''Yes, he is.''
''Upstairs?''
''Yes.''
Raman smartly stepped in and went upstairs. Ishu's father was sitting alone in the balcony. He had a newspaper in his hand. He looked up when he heard someone's footsteps. Seeing Raman, he folded his newspaper and put it aside. He asked, ''You? What's the matter?''
Raman did not waste any time. He said, ''Where is Ishu?''
''Why?''
''I want to see her.''
''Why?''
''I want to take her with me.''
''Why?''
''I will marry her.''
''Impossible.''
''Why is that impossible?''
''I want Ishu to be married to a Cabinet Member's son, or to a doctor, or an engineer, or at least to a government officer. I won't let Ishu marry an ordinary boy like you.''
''Is it for this reason that you have kept Ishu grounded in a room?''
''Yes. I don't want that Ishu goes out and meets you.''
''This is torture.''
''This is not torture. This is a father's duty for his daughter.''
Raman assumed a dramatic pose and said in a deep voice, ''I think you are forgetting something.''
Ishu's father inquired in an unperturbed tone, ''What is that?''
''That I am the hero of this story. You cannot possibly win over me. I will win.''
Ishu's father smiled and said, ''I am quite familiar with the heroes of modern stories. They are weak, pitiable, spineless, helpless and ponderous. In short, they are worthless. Of course, there were great heroes in the classical age. They are admirable. Now is the age of anti-heroes. Rubbish!''
Raman protested, ''I am not an anti-hero. I am the real stuff.''
''Prove it.''
Raman pulled out his revolver from his hip pocket and pointed it at Ishu's father. In a stern voice, he demanded, ''Where is Ishu?''
''In that room.''
Raman looked at the room, and found that it was locked.
''You have put her in that room and locked it?''
''Yes.''
''Unlock the room.''
Ishu's father rose up from the chair. The key to that lock was lying around. He unlocked the door. But he did not step inside.
Raman stepped in. He found Ishu lying on the bed, with her eyes closed.
Raman called her by her name.
Ishu opened her eyes. When she saw Raman, she sat up on her bed and exclaimed, ''It's you!''
''Yes, it's me. I rushed here as soon as I got your letter.''
''But what is that in your hand? A revolver?''
''Yes.''
Ishu started crying. She said, ''I am scared.''
Raman inquired, ''Why?''
''You might lose if there is a fight. Do you think you will be able to tackle my brother?''
''Of course I will be.''
''I am not sure. My brother will kill you. Leave as soon as you can.''
''I will leave, but taking you with me.''
Just at this time, Ishu's brother entered the room and said, ''That's impossible. You are day-dreaming.''
Raman pointed his revolver at Ishu's brother and said, ''Get out of my way.''
Ishu's brother said, ''Why should I? I will kill you. You have the audacity to...''
Raman said, ''I am telling you again, get out of my way. I have a revolver in my hand.''
''So what?''
''I am the hero of this story.''
''So what?''
''It means that I cannot die.''
''You will die, in this story.''
''No way.''
''Let's see.''
Raman pulled the trigger. Ishu's brother swerved swiftly to a side. But no bullet came out of the revolver. Raman pulled the trigger again. Ishu's brother once again swiftly swerved to a side. But this time also no bullet came out of the revolver. What happened? Raman had no idea. He started pulling the trigger in a frenzy, again and again. No bullets whatsoever. Then he suddenly realized that before leaving home, he had forgotten to load the revolver in a hurry. Disappointed, he started cursing the author of the story in his mind. If he had known it would go like this, he would never have become the hero of this story. But nothing could be done now. He stashed the revolver in his hip pocket and stood there.
Ishu asked, ''What happened?''
Raman said, ''The author of the story has betrayed me. I forgot to load the revolver before coming here.''
''Then?''
Raman remained silent.
Ishu's brother now started advancing towards Raman slowly. Raman, afraid, started stepping backwards, towards the wall. Ishu cheered him, ''Back steps won't do. Go ahead and fight.''
Raman said, ''But how?''
Ishu said, ''Why, fight the way Dharmendra fights, Amitabh Bachchan fights, Mithun fights.''
Suddenly, something happened to Raman. He felt like he was possessed by some gigantic power. He pounced on Ishu's brother with all his might. In a few seconds, he pinned him to the ground and stood there with his right foot on his chest. Ishu's brother was trounced. He could not even get up.
At that time, Ishu's father entered the room and said, ''Let him go. I beg you.''
Raman took his foot down from Ishu's brother's chest and said, ''I'm letting him go only because of your request. Otherwise...''
Raman did not finish the sentence. He asked Ishu, ''Let's go. We can now leave without fear.''
So Ishu left her home with Raman. No one dared to stop them.
The moped was parked outside. Raman first sat on the moped. Ishu sat at the back. The moped started running. Ishu asked, ''Where should we go now?''
''To my home.''
''And then?''
''Let's see.''
In about ten minutes, Raman reached home with Ishu. He got down from the moped and said, ''Come on Ishu.''
Raman entered his house. Ishu did the same.
Raman's father, just like Ishu's father, was reading the newspaper at that time. But he was not sitting in the balcony. Rather, he was sitting in a room.
Raman entered the room with Ishu. At the sound of their footsteps, Raman's father looked up. He put the newspaper down and asked Raman, ''What's the matter? Where did you go?''
Raman said in reply, ''You know Ishu, right?''
''Yes I do. But what about her?''
''Ishu's father kept her grounded in a room.''
''Why?''
''So that Ishu could not see me.''
''And, what did you do?''
''I rescued Ishu.''
''What for?''
''I love Ishu. I want to marry her. Ishu will stay here from now.''
Raman's father burst into rage. He said, ''Impossible.''
Raman kept his cool as much as possible and demanded, ''Why is that impossible?''
''I want someone who can do household chores.''
''What do you mean?''
Raman's father did not reply directly. Instead, he looked at Ishu and asked, ''Can you sweep the floor?''
Ishu said somewhat angrily, ''No.''
''Can you wash clothes?''
''No.''
''Can you cook?''
''No.''
''Then what can you do?''
''I don't have to know these things.''
''Why?''
''I am the heroine of this story.''
''Don't heroines have to know these things?''
''No, not at all. Does Hema Malini know? Does Rekha know? Does Sridevi?''
Raman's father gnashed his teeth and said, ''I don't want a heroine in the house.''
Ishu said, ''Your wishes are irrelevant.''
''Then whose wishes are relevant?''
''The hero's.''
''Who is the hero?''
''Why, Raman!''
Raman's father was surprised: ''Raman, a hero? Does he have any of the qualities of being a hero? He is a good-for-nothing.''
Ishu protested, ''Wrong. He has rescued me after considerable fight.''
Raman's father smiled and said, ''The fight is not over yet.''
Ishu almost burst into tears, ''Still more fight is needed?''
Raman's father said, ''Certainly.''
''Against whom this time?''
''This time, against the police. If Raman wins, I will accept him as a hero. Then I won't have any qualms about allowing you into my house as a heroine.''
Raman had not said a word in a while. He had been listening quietly. Now he said, ''So you won't accept Ishu as my wife?''
''Not yet.''
''Are you driving Ishu away?''
''Not only Ishu. You as well.''
Raman heaved a sigh and said, ''I realize that this is the script of a two and a half hour movie. The fight will not end easily. Anyway, we will see.'' He then turned to Ishu and said, ''Let's go Ishu. There's no point standing here.''
Ishu said, ''Let's go.''
The two came back on the street. They rode the moped.
Ishu said, ''Did you load your revolver?''
Raman said, ''I don't need bullets.''
Ishu said, ''But why? Suppose you have to fight against the police?''
Raman smiled and said, ''I will fight with bare hands.''
Ishu was surprised, ''Would that be enough?''
Raman said, ''Sure. I am the hero.''
Ishu did not ask anything further. Raman started the moped. The moped started running.
Ishu asked, ''Which way are we heading now?''
Raman said, ''I don't know.''
''So we are heading for the land of the unknown?''
''Yes.''
Since her childhood, Ishu had heard of the land of the unknown in many poems, songs, stories and movies. Heroes and heroines always want to venture out for the unknown world. But no one knew how that world was. The answer was not given clearly anywhere. Only that phrase existed. So Ishu could not have traveled to that place even though she wanted to. And today, she was heading towards that unknown world. She was thrilled. But she could not stay immersed in the thought of this unknown world for a long time. She came back to the real world in a little while.
The moped kept running. Gradually, its speed increased. Ishu asked Raman, ''How many kilometers does your moped run in an hour?''
Raman replied, ''Sixty.''
''Fuel consumption?''
''Very little.''
''Does it shake too much?''
''Hardly.''
''Can I place a piece of paper on your back and write a letter?''
''Sure.''
''Just as we see in the advertisements?''
''Just like them, yes.''
''Can your moped climb hills?''
''Yes.''
''Can it cross rivers?''
''Yes.''
''Can it glide through air?''
''Yes.''
''That's very interesting.''
''That's right, very interesting.''
At this time, Raman spotted a police jeep through the rear-view mirror. He said, ''The police is following us. There's a police jeep behind us.''
Ishu asked, ''How did the police come to know about us?''
''Your father and brother did not leave us alone. They have reported against us at the police station.''
''So now we will have to fight against the police. Your father had predicted it right.''
''That's how it seems.''
''What shall we do now? I am scared.''
''Nothing to be scared about. The police would not win.'' He increased the speed of the moped. The moped started running at lightning speed. The police jeep followed it. As the moped increased its speed, the jeep also increased its speed. There were times when the police jeep almost got hold of the moped. But in the next moment, the moped increased its speed further and created a huge gap between the jeep and itself. The driver of the jeep started sweating. The police officer was exasperated. He asked the driver, ''Which make is this moped?''
The driver said, ''It's new in the market.''
''Amazing. I'll have to buy one of these.''
Another person said, ''So will I. It competes with a jeep! That's not a joke.''
Another person said, ''Sir, order firing.''
The police officer said, ''It's not the time yet.''
Then he paused a little, and told the driver, ''Increase the speed some more.''
The driver increased the speed. Raman increased his speed as well. But at one stage, he could not continue any further. He found that his moped was only about a handshaking distance ahead of the jeep. Immediately he pressed a button. The moped left the ground and started rising up in the air.
Ishu said, ''That's fun! We are flying in the sky.''
Raman said, ''Don't talk now.''
The driver of the jeep, seeing the upward motion of the moped, asked the police officer, ''What should we do now?''
The police officer said, ''Stop the jeep.''
The jeep stopped running. The officer stepped on the ground. Following him, four constables also came out of the jeep. They all gaped at the sky.
The police officer ordered, ''Fire!''
The four constables took aim at the moped and started shooting bang bang.
Raman said, ''They are shooting at us.''
Ishu almost burst into tears, ''What should we do now?''
Raman consoled her, ''We are the hero and the heroine of this story. None of the bullets will hit either of us. They will fly past us.''
And that was what really happened. The police constables fired quite a few rounds. No bullet touched Raman or Ishu.
In a while, Raman reached some place far away from the range of the rifles. On their way, they saw many towns, crossed many rivers, many farms and fields. Presently, they reached a forest.
Ishu said, ''The forest is very beautiful.''
Raman asked, ''Do you want to get down here?''
''Let's get down.''
Raman then landed, with Ishu behind.
Ishu said, ''I have never set foot in a forest before.''
Raman said, ''Neither have I. Should we?''
''Yes we should.''
The two then entered the forest. The moped was left outside the forest.
The forest was not dense. There were large trees all around. Flowers were in bloom on the trees. Birds were chirping. Deer were grazing about. Peacocks were dancing, exhibiting their plumage. Ishu was beside herself at the sight of a deer. She said, ''Look, there's a deer.''
Raman was beside himself at the sight of one peacock. He said, ''Look, there's a peacock.''
Ishu said, ''Beautiful.''
Raman said, ''Very pleasing.''
Ishu said, ''I have seen such forests in many movies.''
Raman said, ''So have I.''
Ishu said, ''There's always a big lake in such forests.''
Raman said, ''I am sure there will be one in here.''
Ishu said, ''There will be lotuses in the lake. And ducks swimming in the water.''
Raman said, ''I am sure there will be those things here.''
They started walking and saw many more deer, peacocks, many kinds of flowers on the trees. They heard the buzzing of the bees. They heard the chirping of the birds. They stopped at one place. Then started walking again.
In the course of their walk they found a lake indeed. They saw lotuses in full-bloom in the lake. Ducks were swimming in the lake.
Ishu looked at everything and said, ''Wonderful. Everything agreed with my expectations. I thought about a lake. I got it. I thought about lotuses, about ducks. See, there are the lotuses, and there are the ducks swimming. Strange, isn't it?''
''Yes, very strange.''
Ishu said, ''I will not go anywhere from here.''
Raman said, ''You don't have to.''
Ishu said, ''We will build ourselves a hut here. We will have cows as pets, deer as pets, peacocks as pets. We will plant flower plants around our hut. And fruit trees as well. We will take good care of them.''
''I will go out of the house with a bow and arrows, hunt deer, hunt birds.''
''In the evening, the moon and the stars will shine in the sky. We will sit by the lake.''
''I will relate the adventures of my hunting to you. You will sit there and listen to me.''
''I will give you briefings about household things. You will sit there and listen to me.''
''The evening will give way to night at some point. We will feel sleepy.''
''We will fall asleep here.''
Raman paused a little and said, ''There are advantages of living here, but there are disadvantages as well.''
Ishu's legs were hurting. She sat down there and said, ''What kind of disadvantages?''
Raman did not keep standing either. He sat down by Ishu's side. And then he said, ''You like watching movies. You won't find any movies here.''
''And?''
''You like eating chili-chicken. You won't find that here.''
''And?''
''You like to ride on the underground trains. You won't find underground trains here.''
''And?''
''You like fashionable clothes. You like cosmetics. You won't find any of those things here.''
Ishu had tears in her eyes. She said, ''What should we do then? I won't be able to survive without those things.''
Raman said angrily, ''You wanted to head for the land of the unknown, didn't you?''
''Yes I did. But at that time, I did not know that if I go to the land of the unknown, I won't be able to watch movies or eat chili-chicken or ride underground trains or wear fashionable clothes or use cosmetics.''
''You should have known.''
''I don't know whether I should have. I will not stay here.''
''You will go back to your father and your brother?''
''That's what I will have to do if you are a good-for-nothing.''
Raman fumed at these words, ''Did you just say that I am a good-for-nothing?''
''If you aren't, why did you bring me to this forest?''
''Bah! You asked me to land the moped here. I landed. You wanted to enter the forest. We entered. You had so many good things to say about the forest for a while. And now you find the forest disagreeable! And I can't believe that you are blaming me for this!''
''I don't want to argue with you. Take me back to my home.''
Just at this time, the sound of a helicopter was heard. Raman and Ishu both looked up in the sky. They saw a helicopter hovering in the sky. Then it started descending and vanished behind the forest.
Ishu was surprised, ''What's the matter? Why a helicopter?''
Raman said somberly, ''They have come to catch us.''
''Who are they?''
''The police.''
''Police once again. Will there be a fight?''
''Of course.''
Ishu clapped in delight, ''That'll be fun!''
Raman said, ''There's no fun in it. You hide yourself somewhere. Otherwise you will get killed. For me, it is the last fight. I will win or die.''
Ishu said, ''We are the hero and the heroine of this story. We cannot possible die.''
Raman said, ''I don't trust the author any more. I am not sure how this story ends.''
Ishu inquired, ''Why don't you have confidence on the author?''
Raman said, ''Just a little while ago you called me a good-for-nothing, and then you wanted to go back home. How can I trust the author after this? The hero is now biting the dust.''
Ishu consoled Raman, ''I will never say such things again. Forgive me please. I will now watch you fight. You will let me, won't you?''
Before Raman could reply, he saw Ishu's brother walking along the forest path with a garland in his hand. His father and Raman's father were following him. Raman stood up on seeing them. So did Ishu.
Raman said, ''I don't think there will be a fight.''
Ishu asked, ''Why?''
''Can't you see, they are carrying a garland.''
''That's disappointing. Where are the police?''
''I wonder!''
Ishu's brother slowly advanced and stood face to face with Raman. Then he put the garland around Raman's neck, shook Raman's hand and said, ''Bravo! Keep it up.''
Ishu's father hugged Raman and said, ''You are not a Cabinet Member's son, or a doctor, or an engineer, or an officer. You are much above all of them. You are a real hero. Not an anti-hero. I have no hesitation in offering my daughter's hand to you.''
Raman's father gave his blessings to Ishu and said, ''I have no hesitation in accepting such a heroine as my daughter-in-law. I don't care whether you know household work.''
Raman touched his father's feet. Then he touched the feet of Ishu's father and elder brother. Ishu did the same.
Ishu's brother said, ''Let's go. The helicopter is waiting for you.''
Ishu asked her brother in surprise, ''Where did you get the helicopter from?''
Ishu's brother growled, ''Now don't act stupid. Where do they get the helicopters from in movies?''
Ishu understood. She did not ask any more question.
She walked, keeping pace with Raman. Raman was wearing the garland on his shoulder, and a big smile on his face.
Raman softly touched Ishu's hand and said, ''See, we won in the end.''
Ishu smiled and said, ''But you had lost faith on the author twice.''
''I am sure the author will forgive me for that.''
''That's up to the author.''
THE END...
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