"Mom!Alok!Come soon. Hot and yummy parathas are ready", screamed Nisha, as she placed three white plastic plates on the wooden dining table. She, in a dark pink saree and a white pearl necklace wrapping around her neck, rushed back towards the kitchen which was separated from the dining hall with a thick white arc, extending from the left balcony of the hall to the right balcony of the kitchen. Their flat shined bright with the hot Sun piercing through the opened balconies and the big window by the main door, a few feet away from the dining table as the couch set separated the two.
Nisha pushed her white strands of hair which were only one or two in the front part of her head, behind her ears as she placed the white metallic chic vessel with spicy greens curry filled in it. Her eyes suddenly went over an elderly gentlewoman, in a light blue saree, sitting on the couch and nodding as she turned a page of the magazine in her hand." Turkish Journal of Pathology", said the book, of around one-hundred pages. Nisha shrank her eyes at her mother. She rushed towards her, snatched the book, and placed it on the glass table in the center and surrounded by the couches all around it.
Sandhya shrugged at her, smiling and questioning, "What happened Nishoo?"
"Mom, please! You are no longer a pathologist. You are retired. Why do you still care about the research?", shouted Nisha, frowning at her. As Sandhya looked down at the floor, Nisha sat beside her and patted her shoulder, consoling, "Mom, take rest that's all I meant..."
"Pathology was not my profession. It is my only passion. It's my life, Nishoo.", interrupted her, as her eyes smiled through her transparent glasses.
"Fine! First, eat and then carry on. You will never change!", exclaimed Nisha, getting up from the couch and walking towards the opposite bedroom. She stood outside and knocked it hard, calling, "Alok beta, it's getting late. Have your breakfast. Mamma should go to her company..understand.."She heard a huge burst of laughter from behind. She turned back to witness her mother pulling out a dining chair and sitting, as she mocked, "Nishoo, now you understand how I used to struggle back during those days? Hahaha! Now it's your turn. Enjoy"
As Nisha frowned at her mother, the latter gestured a sign of all the best and began serving herself with two parathas and the sidedish. Nisha turned back towards the door and chuckled to herself."Caught you!", exclaimed someone beside her. Her heart throbbed for a second until she noticed a young guy of twenty standing at the entrance of the room and laughing at her. She laughed back, hitting his shoulder amiably. She observed his red plain casual shirt out-shirted on black pants. She massaged his groomed black hair.
"Alok, your light brown eyes and slim figure reminds me of someone very close to my heart. You resemble him a lot today not only in your looks but also through your responsible conduct...How come you didn't feel lazy to wake up early after your two-month-long summer vacation? I thought that you were still sleeping but you are a unique fellow, beta. Very impressive!", complimented her. He smiled and hugged her. He faced her again, but with a few drops of tears accumulated in his eyes, this time, "Mamma, whom do I remind you of? You have been sharing this with me quite often these days."
She smiled and patted his cheeks, convincing, "Keep your curiosity aside. I will tell you when it's the right time. Now, finish your breakfast like my good boy and go to your college. You are in your pre-final year of Engineering and ought to be serious about your studies. Got me?"He shook his head and rushed towards the dining table. As his mom sat beside him and filled their plates, he patted Sandhya's hand, asking, "Naani please tell. I am a big boy. Isn't it? Shouldn't I know?"
His granny smiled at Nisha who shook her head and gestured at her seriously. She finished her breakfast and grabbed the glass of water beside her plate. As she washed her hand, she revealed, "Alok Sharma."
"Sexy! He too is an Alok like me!", exclaimed the excited guy, chewing his first bite.
"Mom!", yelled Nisha, getting up from her seat, and swallowing her tears. Alok shrugged at her, asking, "What happened, mamma? Who is Alok?"
"Just an old friend in college. That's all!", declared Nisha, crying and running inside the bedroom right behind the dining table. Alok and Sandhya too got up and followed her, calling her out. Alok hugged her as she burst into tears. He apologized, "Mamma, I am very sorry. I shouldn't have bothered the one who gave me such a colorful and beautiful life. Without you, I would have still been an orphan. Sorry, mamma..."
She wiped her tears and shook her head, massaging his hair again, "Shut up! I won't spare you if you call yourself an orphan or an outsider again. I will surely tell you everything I feel behind your name whenever we are free. Trust me, it will happen very soon. The only problem is that I want to keep myself ready before I narrate everything to you. You are a young boy and I don't want you to get disturbed by the old past of my life which is a useless topic to discuss anytime..."
"It's okay, mamma. Tell me if you want to and whenever you want to. I promise I won't bother you once again", promised he, placing his right palm upon hers. He smiled as the three hugged and chuckled with tears of happiness.
Meanwhile, in a two-storeyed independent house, elsewhere in Delhi, a middle-aged guy with a slightly whitish beard and mustache, combed his grey hair, as he turned back and stared at a photo above his bed and on the wall. He frowned at it, as he grabbed his mobile from the study beside the dressing table. He searched for 'mom' in the contacts app, clicked on the only match, and placed the mobile on his right ear. He began strolling with tears toward the photo. He stood like a statue mid-way and closed his eyes. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he thought, "Mamma, pappa, why have you been ignoring me for the past twenty years?.."
"Alok sahib, your poha is ready.", announced a young girl, in her early twenties, with her dupatta tied across her salwar.
He opened his eyes and nodded at her. She bowed and left. He began strolling towards his plate as he rang his mother again. He heard the busy tone at the very first ring. He knelt in front of his food and sighed, longing, "Mamma, who will feed me now?"He was interrupted by a notification on his smartphone. He opened it and read that his recharge was due that very night. He looked back at the fair gentleman in the photo and whispered to himself, "Paapaa, who will recharge my mobile now? How could you forget your beloved son?"
He stood up and wiped his tears as he strolled back towards his dressing mirror by the window. He lifted his neck and stood with a serious look as he noticed his light green shirt inserted into his black formal pants. He wore his black coat and spectacles with a thick black frame.
A while later, "Ramlalal!", called he, descending the stairs. He had then worn his black bag across. A man of around thirty, in a blue security uniform, nodded at him, standing at the entrance. He threw the keys to his driver and hurried towards the car. Sarla came outside the house. Ramlal blushed at the maid as he locked the door.
"Sahab, I am leaving", informed Sarla, peeping inside the car through the driver's window. Ramlal caught her hand and grinned, offering, "Shall I drop you?"She blushed, as she released her hand from his and ran away. He shouted her name out, in excitement. She looked back from the entrance and blushed as he gave her a flying kiss. She blushed and ran like a teenage girl in first love.
Ramlal sat inside and began driving. Alok laughed at him."Sir, this is called life..."
"Sexy! You are married to someone else and she too is married to someone else.", said Alok, gesturing the security to close the gate behind as they left. He continued, as they drove on the main road, "Why do you guys flirt? Don't you feel guilty about cheating on your wife?"
His cool driver laughed, justifying, "Sir, my wife, and my two daughters are my responsibility and I am taking care of them. I will never betray them but I too need a break. Sarla is my break. Simple!"Alok patted him and chuckled."My perspective may sound funny to you, sir. But, this is the plight of a married man. Lucky you! Why didn't you ever marry, sir?"
Alok stopped laughing and stood straight, leaning back on his seat. He smiled at Ramlal, reasoning, "Love already hurt me once. I don't want it to hurt me again. That's why..."He rested his right hand on the driver's shoulder, continuing, "I stay away from love, marriage, and relationships. It's painful, I know."
"Oh!Sounds like you are very experienced. I didn't know this!", exclaimed the curious driver. Alok faked a smile and gestured for him to concentrate and drive.
"Alok! Yaar, it seems that we must submit the technical topic report to some Dr.Alok sir.", announced Mihir, as he came running towards the young Alok and Sooraj, lying and resting on the green lawn of the Rishi Singh University of Delhi. They stood up, at once, as Sooraj threw his mouth open. Mihir placed a book on his face and tried to conceal his face from the bright sun directly above their heads.
"I completely forgot about the holiday assignment...", worried Sooraj, shaking his spectacles.
Mihir patted him, consoling, "Arey yaar! Not a problem for us. We can submit it tomorrow. He will deduct just a mark but we will pass!"They hugged and cheered at their studious friend," Yaar Alok, go ahead and submit off otherwise your cgpa will go to Tanya. Hahaha!"Alok frowned, as he grabbed his black bag from Sooraj.
"Yaar, think of the devil and the devil appears. Someone has said it right.", grumbled Mihir. The three guys turned back and looked at their two classmates giving a wicked smile and nearing them." They are coming to challenge our Alok. She could never beat him so far", said Sooraj, as Mihir nodded along." She will never beat our friend. He is very intelligent.", added Mihir, as the two shared a hi-fi.
Tanya, in her yellow Kurti and black leggings, glittered like gold with the sun incident on her. She gave a proud look at Alok who was busy checking his bag." Tanya secured full marks in the technical topic assignment. Alok sir is damn sweet.", announced her friend, Ranveer. She shrugged at him who smiled, arguing, "Hey come on! You deserve a great celebration. Your hard work has finally paid off!"
Sooraj frowned, touched his spectacles, and shook them as he stepped forward towards them. Alok caught him and gestured him to stay silent."Ignore them, guys!", whispered he to Mihir who too was about to utter a word.
"Congrats Tanya!", praised Alok, as his opponent raised her eyebrows and smiled at Ranveer. She turned back at Alok, neared his face, and challenged him, "You will be a loser this time. Mark my words! You can't always stand first in the class."
"Let's go, Ranveer.", declared she, and they left, as Ranveer teased, "Loser!Loser!Hey hey!"
"How dare he?", grumbled Sooraj, shaking his specs wildly at them.
"Fuck!", exclaimed Alok. Sooraj and Mihir shrugged at him as he revealed, "I left my assignment at home. I must talk to sir."
"Yaar, wait!Wait!", cheered they as he rushed straight towards the white building with 'CSE block' written on it. He rushed upstairs to the first floor. It was elongated and spacious with classrooms and labs everywhere. He reached the end of the corridor and spotted the staffroom, at last. A professor stood beside the corner cabin having Dr.Alok's nameplate on its door; his back faced the young Alok.
"Dr.Alok Sharma", Alok read it out, breathing faster and recollecting the conversation at his home that morning. The scene of his mother crying and running inside the kitchen flashed in front of his eyes. He slowly looked up to spot his professor who stood erect and smiled at him. Their eyeballs rolled at each other. Dr.Alok checked his student out and chuckled, in surprise. The young fellow too smiled in return. They laughed, cheering in chorus, "Weird!"
Alok patted his student, sharing, "Hello! You kind of resemble my college days. I looked more like this. How can you be my carbon copy?"
His listener chuckled, sharing, "Sir, I will perhaps look like you when I grow older. How strange!"They laughed again at the unprecedented encounter.
"Generally, look-alikes don't meet in an entire lifetime. But, we met!", commented Alok sir, walking out of the staffroom. As they stood beside each other, smiling at the green lawn. They put their hands in their pants pockets at the same time. They noticed it and laughed again.
"Hey, looks like there is a lot beyond mere look-alike between us.", remarked his professor. Alok chuckled, highlighting, "Sir, my name too is Alok."They chuckled again at the strange coincidences.
"Sir, can I please submit my assignment tomorrow? I forgot it at home and it's one hour away from here. I will miss the next class if I set out now...", requested Alok.
"Hmm..you students take us for granted just as we start getting a little friendly. Is it?", pointed the professor. Alok shook his head, refusing, "No sir never..."
"I am sorry, look-alike. But, you must submit it today. Understand that if I permit you, I will have to permit many others too. Everyone would come up with silly excuses and I will be in trouble.", explained he, turning away from him and walking towards his cabin.
"Alok!", called out a female voice from down. He stopped at once, with tears flooding his eyes. He thought, as he rolled his eyeballs, "I think I have heard her before."He smiled to himself and turned back.
