Part 17

Naina was walking back home from the bus-stop after a long day. Their class had also endured a 4-hour field trip at the Prince of Wales museum to learn and record the findings, especially, prehistoric objects, ancient paintings and some historic coins as they usually had some inscriptions giving away the highlight of the era of the particular emperor's reign, for example the difference between the B.C. and AD time periods comparing the coins and scriptures from the time of Chandragupta Maurya and The Mughal ruler Jehangir, also considering the difference between Hindu and Muslim reigns.

She ascended the stairs of her chawl society when she heard two men, dressed modestly but alike in light blue shirts and charcoal pantsuits. Although their backs were turned to her, she could see that they were well-built and their height and posture exuded intimidating vibes. They had very short hair almost on the verge of baldness and from behind appeared like twins. Both came across as a force to steer clear of. She stopped at the end of the staircase on the top as both were standing outside between her house and her neighbour's, a slightly elderly lady, known as Taiji by everyone.   

Both men were enquiring about someone unusual. "Hum ek ladki ko dhoondh rahe hai jo thodi alag hai".

Taiji laughed, "O Bai! Yahan toh sab ek dusre se alag hai. Tum log kisko dhoondh rahe ho? Uska koi naam, huliya ya photo toh hoga tumhare paas!" Taiji suggested.

Both men only shook their head in a no and placed their hands on hips, "dekho aunty..."

But Taiji cut them abruptly..."O bai! Aunty kisko bola? Main kya itni budhdhi lagti hoon tumhe?" And she righted the pallu on her head with an attitude warning even the busty guys to not mess with her.

"Maaf kijiye! Par hum aisi ladki ko dhoondh rahe hai jo jadoo karna jaanti hai!"

At this statement, Taiji's eyes almost popped out of their sockets. "O Bai! Jadoo...yaaa jadoo tona?"

Both men looked at each other as they had already divulged more than they were allowed to. They couldn't give out any more details. "Hume pataa chala hai ki woh yahi rehti hai! Aap sirf batayiye ki kya aap aisi kisi bhi ladki ko jaanti hai jo baakiyon se alag ho?"

Taiji seemed to ponder and then her eyes fell on Naina, she was a bit different from girls her age but never could Taiji fathom that a shy demure docile girl like Naina had anything to do even remotely magic.

"Nahi...yahan aisi koi ladki nahi hai! Jyaada tar sab shaadi shuda hai, kuch choti bachchiyan hai aur baaki sab padhti aur kaam karti hai. Main iss chawl mein barson se rehti hoon...yahan kaun aaya, kaun gaya, kaun kitne saal raha, kya karta hai...mujhe sab khabar rehti hai. Itne saalon mein maine kabhi aisa kuch nahi dekha jo alag ho!"

Both men again looked at her and then looked at each other. Something was definitely communicated between them by eyes but even Taiji couldn't fathom. "Theek hai..." was all they said and turned around to leave when they came face-to-face with Naina. Both their eyes lingered for a moment on her face and then back to each other and then turned around and looked at Taiji...

"Arre...yeh to yahi rehti hai apni Chachi aur behen ke saath...padhti hai...ekdum bechari aur kismet ki maari hai....yeh aapke toh kya kisike kaam ki nahi hai!" Taiji warded them off. But their intense lingering gaze planted the seeds of doubt in Taiji's head.

Both men decided something about not acting out on whim, nodded slightly towards each other and left. Taiji set her pallu again, gave a look over to Naina once more and disappeared in her house.

A while later, when Chachiji returned from her work, Taiji came barging in, "Bela...!"

"Ji Bhabhiji...aayiye na...chai banao?"

"Haan Bela...achchi si adrak elaichi wali chai bana de...sar bahut bhaari ho raha hai!"

"Aap baithiye...main abhi laati hoon!" Bela hurried to the kitchen, while Naina was busy with her books in a corner. Taiji couldn't stop looking over at the suspicious girl, who might be the cause of any disruption in the dynamics of her chawl.

A few minutes later, Chachi came back with chai and nanakhatai that Taiji loved so much, while she slumped into one of the two chairs by a small round coffee-cum-dining table with 4 chairs. After taking a sip and experiencing bliss, "wah Bela...tere haath ki chai ka toh buss...jawab hi nahi hai! Puri chawl mujhe Bhabhiji kehti hai par sirf tujhe hi main apni choti behen maanti hoon!"

"Ji Bhabhiji...aap bhi toh bilkul meri badi behen jaisi hai!" Chachiji never undermined her authority as staying in the chawl meant keeping her happy.

"Aaj dou mushtande aaye the...kisi ladki ko dhoondh rahe the....jo jadoo karti hai!" Taiji said the last words by dropping her decibels and leaning towards Bela seated close to her. "Bhai maine toh saaf saaf keh diya ki yahan aisa koi nahi hai!"

Bela's senses were already on high alert and it didn't go unnoticed by Taiji, who was now sure that Bela might be hiding something.

"Theek kiya aapne Bhabhiji..." she tried to diffuse the situation, sensing that the woman was observing her closely.

"Zamana bahut kharab hai Bela...khaskar ladkiyon ke liye...yeh aise waise log ajeeb ajeeb kaamon ke liye na ladkiyan dhoondhte rehte hai...issliye socha tujhe aagah kar doon!"

Bela scoffed, "Bhabhiji, meri ladkiyan toh bahut seedhi saadhi hai...bus apni padhayi aur kaam ke alava kisi cheez se koi lena dena nahi rakhti. Bilkul saadharan si bachchiyan hai meri!" Bela tried to protect her daughters.

"Woh toh main jaanti hoon Bela...buss fir bhi...kuch dinon se kuch ajeeb sa lag raha tha toh chaukanna karne aa gayi...tu bhi aajkal kaafi raat pali karti hai! Ladkiyan akeli hoti hai aur abhi toh din mein bhi tum log kabhi kabhi darwaza bandh kar leti ho? Aur kuch din pehle tujhe Naina ko daantte hue bhi suna tha, tere ghar se chillane ki aawaze bhi aa rahi thi!" Taiji voiced freely while finishing the tea and munching on the sweet.

Bela was now almost in the panic mode and before she lost it, she got up abruptly, "nahi Bhabhiji...aisa kuch nahi hai! Woh padhne mein disturb na ho issliye darwaza bandh kar leti hai...aur bachche toh bachche hai. Kabhi kabhi galatiyan kar dete hai toh daantna toh padta hai na...hmm...achcha ab...Preeti ke bhi aane ka samay ho gaya hai...mujhe khana bhi banana hai...aapko bhi toh rasoi dekhni hogi!"

Taiji got her cue and she too stood up, "haan Bela...bahut kaam pada hai...main jaati hoon abhi...lekin koi bhi pareshani ho toh jhijhakna mat...batana mujhe". Taiji placed her hand on Bela's to assure her of her support, which Bela knew was nothing more than a ruse to pry out more of the personal information about her family or especially the girls.

She only nodded vigorously trying to usher away Taiji. She left and Bela hurried back to the kitchen. But Taiji stood outside the threshold, wondering "Bela zaroor kuch na kuch toh chupa rahi hai...pakka Naina ko lekar koi na koi raaz toh hoga...kahi yeh seedhi saadhi bechari dikhnewali Naina koi jadoo tona karnewali chudail toh nahi! Nazar toh rakhni padegi... Taiji ko jhansa dena itna aasan nahi hai...Ne wah!" Pulling her pallu under her arm, she walked inside her house.

Late at night, Naina discussed the events with Preeti in hushed tones in the bed they shared as Chachi was sleeping not far away in the kitchen. Preeti was thoughtful, "tune Mummy se pucha ki woh Taiji ke sawalon se itni bechain kyon ho rahi thi?"

"Nahi Preeti, Chachi pehle hi itni pareshaan thi...sawaal puchke aur takleef kaise deti?"

"Lekin behen, mujhe shaq toh hai ki Mummy hamare, ya khaskar tere bachpan ko lekar koi na koi baat zaroor chupa rahi hai. Yaad hai na tere janamdin wale din kya hua tha! Uss din bhi aisa laga tha ki Mummy kuch batana chahti thi par Taiji unhe beech mein hi bulakar le gayi aur fir woh baat adhoori reh gayi. Aur uss din bhi koi tujhe dhoondh raha tha. Aur aaj koi alag dou log tujhe dhoondh rahe the. Behen....kuch bhi bol...koi na koi bahut badi baat hai...kahi...kisiko tere haath pakadkar insaan ko padhne ke special powers ke baare mein pataa toh nahi chal gaya? Ho sakta hai ki koi iska apne matlab ke liye galat fayda uthana chah raha ho?"

Preeti expressed her concerns, which worried Naina too... "mujhe lagta hai ki Mummy se baat karni chahiye", Preeti suggested. "Nahi Preeti...abhi nahi...agar Chachi ko hume kuch batana hoga toh khud batayengi...abhi tak nahi bataya hai matlab sahi waqt nahi aaya hai. Hum unpe pressure nahi daal sakte", Naina was rather worried about her Chachi that she might have a solid reason if she was keeping something from them.

"Par Naina...teri salaamti...."

Naina interrupted her thought of concern, "main bilkul theek hoon aur pehle se bhi jyaada alert rahoongi...kuch nahi hoga...tu chinta mat kar...aur agar koi bhi baat hui...toh tu hai na, meri Jhansi ki Rani..."

Preeti smiled though misted eyes at her sister's faith in her. They hugged and slept on each of their sides. Preeti was in deep slumber already, but Naina's mind was scattered when she realized something tried to invade her brain or rather someone familiar.

"Hi" he tried cautiously as he had experienced a slight blockade and couldn't get in as easily.

"Hi...woh main thoda busy thi".

"Oh...sab theek?" Though he asked about her well-being, she easily read the anxiety in his brain. So, although she wanted to share her worries, she asked about his.

"Tum theek ho? Tumhara dimaag kuch pareshaan sa lag raha hai?"

He was touched as how well she could already read him without him giving away his exact thoughts and the happenings in life.

"Actually...thodi problem toh hai...aur maine hul bhi dhoondha hai...bus darr lag raha hai ki kahi koi chukk ho gayi mujhse toh?" He expressed freely and felt comfortable in sharing all with her.

He continued while she patiently waited for him, "Anamika...maine na aaj tak kabhi patte bhi nahi khele, lekin kal main apni life ka sabse bada jua khelne ja raha hoon. Agar zara bhi gadbad hui toh sab barbaad ho jaayega." He was extremely tensed.

She soothed him without knowing the matter completely, "tum chinta mat karo. Aur darr na achcha hota hai, hume focus karne mein madad karta hai taaki hum bahut achcha kare. Tum na sirf apne dil ki suno aur jo bhi karo, pure confidence ke saath karna. Jaise tumne kaha ki yeh tumhari life ka sabse bada jua hai, toh socho haar gaye toh kya hoga?" He shuddered at the thought of losing and she caught that, "hmmm...matlab haarna option hi nahi hai...issliye sirf lakshya par nazar rakho...baaki sab side mein".

Her words boosted his confidence and he felt a lot better than he did initially. "Anamika...ek request karu...kya kal tum...hmmm... mere saath rahogi?"

She thought for a second and smiled that they were taking a step further and he was trusting her to be involved in his matter. And just like that she agreed, "theek hai!"