Shyam awoke to a continuous knocking on the door. He opened it to find Archana, he rubbed his eyes and made certain it was not the recurring dream that had seemed to cease. He let her in, then closed the door.
“I am preparing a snack and some hot milk for you.” Archanas’ voice sang with the crisp freshness of morning.
“It will cost us an hour, it is already 5:00 am I have to leave at 6:00, lets rather chat for the hour and I will have breakfast at the station,” proposed Shyam.
Archana covered his head with her dupatta to keep at bay the winter cold. As she walked with the aid of her stick Shyam drifted into thoughts of how similar she was to Kajal, she also wore a dupatta, walked aided by stick, she would worship Lord Krishna and serve prasad and smiles to all family, even the pace they walked at were similar.
“But”
“No Excuse”
Archana forced the breakfast to be had then but eventually capitulated to chat, which lasted thirty minutes before the thought of preparing breakfast again would again take root.
“Please let me prepare breakfast, I want to bid you farewell only after feeding you something I cooked” Archana insisted.
Shyam nodded in agreement. The breakfast was prepared within ten minutes. It was time now for Shyam to depart.
“You have to go now…” a sadness replaced the morning freshness in her voice.
“I have to” an equally sad Shyam conceded.
Archana hugged him, “please don’t go.”
“Don’t be crazy, I have to. The next time I come will be to settle, I didn’t plan on it this time. Please wait just a little longer” Shyam exhaled.
“but when will you be coming back?” she asked still hugging Shyam she began to cry.
“in June or July”
“Promise?” managed to eject before the sobbing prevented further words.
“Promise. I will come back. Vada. Me vapas aaunga. Ye vada he mera” he delivered a line from a song he heard in a movie “Khuda Gavah”.
No longer able to control herself she broke into tears. She could not bear to be separated from Shyam, she had spent her whole life in doubt whether anyone could accept and love her, meeting Shyam was a gift from God she assumed. She feared the separation further because Shyam could change his mind at any time, her heart rose to her throat. She barely whispered, “You go, I cannot hold back my tears.”
“Will you not accompany me to the station”? he asked into her eyes which she swiftly turned away.
“No, I cannot bear to see you depart on that train, I would cry and the public will have the fun of a drama free of cost, which I don’t want. Sorry” she tried to laugh it off but couldn’t.
“I will return, I love you, never even dream that I will forget you.” He assured Archana as if he knew her fear. She stared at him in astonishment wondering how he could tell, as he picked up his backpack and left. Archana hastened to the door forgetting the slippery tiles she strode upon.
Shyam had reached the corner of Archana’s road, he turned back to look at her before making the turn, he saw her face painted with sadness, she waved goodbye to him and ran to her room losing the battle against the tears she fought.
Shyam stopped an auto near the Gurudwara, “Bhaiya, I want to go to the railway station.”
“You should get down at the P.G.I. You can get a city bus from there.” The auto driver replied.
“Okay”
The auto reached the P.G.I. from there he took a bus to the train station. He stepped on his train which arrived promptly at 7:30, found his berth took a seat and proceeded to release the tears he could not in Archana’s presence.
“I am on the train” he called Archana and reported, he heard in her voice that she had still been crying. “Please don’t cry, take care of yourself.” The train began to accelerate.
*
Shyam arrived at his home in Gujarat. Anirudhdh greeted him and cautioned him not to be seen by Satyam or father.
“You have to eat out of the house from now on father has expelled you as a family member. Do you see?” Anirudhdh dismayed at Shyams situation.
“Do you think I am wrong?” enquired Shyam
“No. You are right, bro and that’s why you will be the one to suffer”
“I am ready to suffer.” Shyam stepped toward the first floor.
Shyam began to eat out, both lunch and supper. He passed his time chatting with Archana, both her sisters, Kavya and Manisha, had been married in January. He bid farewell to his students on the last day of February and dozed the entire day off the first of March.
*
Shyam woke up early on the next day. He was on break as the month of March dictated. He would only resume classes with his students in April. While pondering what he would do with his time his phone rang, It was Archana.
“Please come now, I need you” were her words.
Shyam considered her request as naive but could never be angry with her, he would always remember his Kajal aside from that he knew that she felt lonely as people would discriminate against a handicapped person and hardly befriend them.
He assured Archana that he would return to her soon. He took a shower and followed his routine of prayer after which he went downstairs. He stood facing his father who sat on his chair reading the morning daily.
“I have already warned you not to come in front of me.” Rameshvar Shastri spoke keeping his speech as strict as he could folding the newspaper and putting aside on the table.
“I have come to speak to you regarding something.”
“Speak to me? Or have you come to inform me of a new decision?” His demeanour every bit as outraged as previously. “A respectful son discusses matters with his father, but you don’t, you dictate new rules”
“I am going to marry a handicapped girl” Shyam spoke ignoring his father's satire.
“Handicapped!? The word tortured the burning belly of Rameshvar Shastri, he felt as if his heart had been pierced by a white-hot rod. He stood up enraged.
“What have you said? A handicapped girl added as a dog collar to my normal and educated son?” Shyam's mother ran out of the kitchen towards them but she was stopped at the door, stopped by the sight of the rage inside her husband. In all their years together she had never witnessed him become so angry.
“A dog collar! Hats off to you, sir! Have you forgotten you wanted a normal and accomplished boy for your handicapped daughter – Kajal?” Shyam's voice was cold.
“Is this the relationship between Shyam and Rameshvar Shastri instead of father and son? Rameshwar had become as cool as Shyam.
“He is not mature and a fool, but you try to understand…” Shyam's mother tried to intervene yet was stopped by the stern burning gaze delivered to her by Rameshwar.
“Now everything has run beyond, don’t try to favour him” mother was told.
“The same situation befell Kajal. You wanted a normal boy for her while she used a stick to walk, it’s because this is not your daughter or were you prejudiced then also but Kajal was your blood, your daughter so it didn’t matter then.
“Shya…m” Rameshvar rushed towards Shyam slapping him.
“Why are you doing this? Should you beat your own grown son?” Shyams mum uttered attempting to restrain the hands of her husband.
“No, Mummy, the slap is because he has no answer.”
Shyam’s mom guided Rameshwar to the sofa where she got him to sit. Rameshwar panted for breath mother rushed to the kitchen gaining a glass of water and promptly returning it to her husband.
“Get out of from my house” Rameshwar spoke as soon as he had downed the water.
“Mum, look after Rameshwar Shastri, I am going to get my sister Kajal’s soul to rest in peace.
“But Beta, Shyam..”
“No, Mum, no need to explain it to me. I know the questions you have, but go upstairs, in my room is a photo of Kajal, ask her all your questions if you ask as only a Mother can.
He stressed the word Mother in order to convey to his father, that if he behaved like the father of a crippled girl there would be no quarrel over this situation.
Shyam stepped up to his room. He came back with his bag packed. He bowed to his mom and touched her feet. She, the helpless creature, wanted to ask him to stay but she knew Shyam and she also remembered the suicide letter of Kajal and the words in it. She couldn’t speak.
Shyam stretched his hands to touch his father’s feet and take the blessings but Rameshvar Shastri moved his legs.
“Don’t come to attend even my cremation.”
Shyam didn’t reply anything. He went out of the home with the weeping eyes.
*
“Malik, Simon, the foreigner, and assassin, has spotted you. Run away from Mumbai as soon as possible. Don’t try to reach the airport. You may be under a watch.”
“How could you know this, Rozy?” Agent Malik wondered.
“I got success Christy to vomit information. You be careful.” Rozy laughed but her voice had been unknown to fear.
*
Shyam booked a tatkal (emergency) ticket from Palanpur to Chandigarh. He was lucky. The clerk congratulated him as he could get the last one left the reserved seat. He called Archana and told her he got an emergency ticket and he would board on the train at night and would reach Chandigarh by tomorrow evening. He didn’t say anything about what happened at his home – the quarrel.
*
Rameshvar Shastri was not wrong entirely. He was a gentleman but he could not get a groom for his Kajal even after a constant search and wandering. Neither his fame nor status in society could get him a groom for his disabled daughter.
Having pride in his fame and status in society, Rameshwar Sharma whom people call Shastri with respect was brokenhearted. He used to talk about his disappointment and insults felt while searching a groom for Kajal to his wife and Kajal would hear all their conversations secretly. Something ran for years. Kajal could not bear the condition of her father. She wound up her life leaving a short letter after her. Suicide. Rameshvar Shastri died many years before when a family drove him out of their home insulting with harsh words while he begged the family to accept his Kajal. Kajal’s suicide killed him again still his heart was beating without any will from him. Not beating but burning, burning continuously!
Shyam was also right in his mind. He believed in love instead of hatred. His heart was also burning since Kajal’s suicide but he chose the way of love instead of hate. He had decided I will offer Archana what Kajal couldn’t get.
*
Rameshvar Shastri was in anger and rage. What he said was merely a result of the anger. He loved Shyam very much. He accidentally told Shyam to get out of the home but Rameshvar Shastri was unaware that Shyam was to go on the same path where Kajal went.
***
To be continue...
