Part 23

The boys had awaken and were already raiding the kitchen and hounding Ramdhari for breakfast when Sameer heard the cacophony and walked in the kitchen. As soon as they eyed him, they quietened and an awkward silence followed.

To diffuse the tension, Sameer tried nonchalantly. "Mujhe laga tum log so rahe honge toh main naashta banwakar fir tumhe uthanewala tha".

The boys glanced at him briefly, and felt awkward themselves. The three were never posed with anything that either couldn't look in the eye of the other two. Sameer had divilged a plethora of unusual information about himself quite confidently and they had taken it in stride too. But something about Anamika, someone residing in your brain that was not your alter ego or a sequestered personality but rather another person, or specifically a girl and one acknowledging it as if it was a common occurrence, was only a breath away from being tagged crazy.

Munna Pandit didn't say it aloud but Sameer could feel their thoughts all over the place, thanks to his heightened senses. He had already heard them in the kitchen but it was his lame attempt to initiate some small talk and maneuver it towards Anamika, the only part of him, they had to accept yet.

Unexpectedly, Ramadhari came to everyone's rescue, "naashta buss ban hi gaya hai. Main saath mein chai or bhaiya ki coffee lekar aata hoon. Aap log table pe baitho, main abhi lekar aaya".

All three casted furtive looks to each other and moved out of the kitchen hurriedly and settled themselves on the dining table. Sameer gave them an extra moment to calm down, meanwhile touching her brain.

She responded immediately. "Subah subah kya hua? Sab theek?"

"Nahi...woh Munna Pandit..." he couldn't complete his thought.

"Tumhare best friends?" She picked it.

"Haan...unhe tumhare baare mein bataya...woh shayad samajh nahi pa rahe hai".

"Aur tumhe darr hai ki woh tumhe chodke chale jayenge?" His fears were loud and clear. She scoffed and explained, "Tum baaki sab toh aasani se chipa lete ho, par apne doston ko lekar dare rehte ho. Chinta mat karo...unse baat karo...sab theek ho jayega. Main hoon tumhare saath. Jab bhi zaroorat pade, yaad kar lena". She gave him the boost he very much needed.

The boys ate in silence and moved to the guest room to collect their belongings. After a while, Sameer mustered the courage to talk to them. "Mujhe chodke ja rahe ho?"

The empathy in his broken voice halted Munna Pandit. They weren't one for leaving their bestie but the new information was overwhelming. Suddenly, Munna came and hugged him...Pandit followed suit in a second.

"Tujhe chodke kahan jayenge yaar? Par yeh kya pagalpan hai? Shayad tujhe doctor ki zaroorat hai. Sameer...tu..." Munna was ranting and Sammer's words stopped him.

"Kya baat kar rahe ho yaar! Maine tumhe apne janam ke baare mein bataya, heightened senses ke baare mein bataya, automatic bharte ghaav ke baare mein bataya...tumhe kuch ajeeb nahi laga. Par ab agar main keh raha hoon ki ek ladki hai...jise main kaafi samay se mehsus kar raha hoon par kuch dinon se baat kar pa raha hoon toh tumhe ajeeb lag raha hai? Tum logon ko lagta hai ki main pagal hoon? Munna..Pandit...please yakeen karo meri baat ka". He looked them in the eye to dare them to not believe him. Then an idea clicked him.

Sameer connected again to Naina. "Main jaanta hoon ki tum iss waqt class mein hogi, par please mujhe tumhari zaroorat hai. Uss din maine Sunaina ka haath pakda tha toh tum uske baare mein dekh paayi thi na. Mere doston ko yakeen dilane ke liye ki tum ho, please kuch karo. Mere liye yeh donon bahut important hai". Sameer requested and she was happy to oblige and do anything to put him out of his distress.

The boys noted Sameer with his eyes closed almost in a state of meditation.

She tried to make light of the situation, "tum lucky ho! Aaj mera free lecture hai issliye main kuch research karne library mein aa gayi. Ruko main koi kone wali seat par jaati hoon". She changed places.

"Achcha...ab batao, kaise karu tumhari madad?"

"Main apne doston ka haath pakadta hoon aur tum mere dimaag se unke baare mein padhke mujhe unki koi aisi baat batao jo sirf unhe pataa ho", he suggested.

"Hmmm...theek hai!" She agreed.

Sameer opened his eyes and told both of them how he was going to prove her existence. They were skeptical but agreed. Munna clasped Sameer's hand first. He touched her mind indicating that they were ready. She focused hard but couldn't find anything other than Sameer's own wayward thoughts and fear of losing his friends. She instructed him to reverse the clasp and he held Munna's hand. He did as told but again, it was blank. She tried again both ways but nothing at all. Assuming that Munna might have blocks of his own, she asked him to change with Pandit. Again, same process was repeated but she turned with nothing.

She could sense Sameer was getting anxious and she didn't want to fail him, but after trying hard for several times, she knew it was pointless. The reason was something else snd not their blocks. "Kya hua Anamika? Kuch dikha?"

She knew she was going to disappoint him but it was better than lying. "Nahi Sameer. Maine bahut koshish ki par donon mein se kisi ke baare mein nahi padh pa rahi hoon".

He didn't want to give up. "Aisa kaise ho sakta hai? Uss din toh tumne jhatt Sunaina ke baare mein padh liya tha! Please ek baar aur try karo na", he almost pleaded to her.

"Sameer, mujhe lagta hai ki shayad tumhare through dusre ladkon ko nahi padh sakti ya fir jinhe tum apni marzi se chute ho ya jinki chuan tumhe buri nahi lagti, main unhe nahi pad sakti". She could sense his disappointment. After thinking for a second, she suggested, "kya tumhare ghar mein koi aur bhi hai? Hum try kar sakte hai?"

Sameer moved his eyes in every direction and just then saw Ramdhari heading to the garden. He jumped on his feet and called out loudly, "Ramdhari..." he hurried to him and clasped the hands of a startled Ramdhari.

"Ramdhari humare yahan kaam karta hai. Ab try karo!"

She tested her theory and unfortunately she felt that she was right. "Sorry Sameer! Par shayad main sahi hoon. Tum Ramdhari ko bhi bachpan se jante ho!"

A disheartened Sameer let go off his hands, "kya hua Bhaiyya? Aap theek toh hai?" Ramdhari enquired with concern. He rarely saw Sameer so much disheveled but then since his Maalik had left, Sameer was always distressed or in stress.

Munna Pandit, who had followed him, replied, "theek hi toh nahi hai...pagalpan ke daure padne lage hai ise!" Panfit stated.

"Tu ja, apna kaam kar!" Sameer dismissed Ramdhari. But was furious at his friends for not believing him. "Pagal nahi hoon main! Anamika ne uss din Sunaina ka bhavishya padh liya tha. Par tum log mere apne ho iss liye woh tumhe nahi padh pa rahi hai!"

Then, he lowered his decibels and stated quietly in a resigned tone, "Mere paas aur koi tareeka nahi hai uske hone ka saboot dene ka. Main toh uska asli naam bhi bahi janta. Tum log mujhpe vishwas nahi kar sakte toh mat karo. Waise bhi main ajeeb hoon..." Saying so, he left them and headed to his room to pine in solitude.

He had already broken the connection coz he didn't want her to know how distraught he was. She was feeling bad enough to not be able to help him, he didn't want to make her feel miserable about not being able to use her gift when needed.

While he was wallowing in self-pity, Munna Pandit entered the room. He could sense their presence but he didn't turn around from gazing out the window. Munna declared from behind, "hume tujhpe bharosa hai!"

The words flowed like warm honey on his ears comforting his heart. He turned around and seeing them both smile genuinely, he ran to them and the trio hugged. "Par ek din tujhe hume usse milwana padega", Munna gave his condition.

Sameer grinned, "pehle main uska naam toh jaan loon!"