Part 8

It was way past midnight and suddenly the rain was peltering on the windows. A restless soul could not sleep and was tossing and turning around endlessly. Normally, Naina never had a problem falling asleep. She always took a book to read in bed, sometimes related to coursework and sometimes a novel or some historical topic or autobiography or mythology as her mood and interest let. And most of her topics of interest were related to the discovery and use of ancient languages, Greek and Egyptian mythology and their connection to the earliest civilisation before time.

The sisters shared a bed as far as they could remember, irrespective of the number of houses they might have changed in their lifetime till now. But today, Hypnos wasn't being kind. Finally, she gave up and went to the kitchen to quench her parched throat with a cool glass of water from the earthen pot. The kitchen window had been mistakenly left slightly ajar and started rattling due to the wind. In order to avoid the rainwater from wetting the floor and the rattle disturbing her Chachi and Preeti's slumber, she thrust her hand outside to catch the handle of the open side of the window.

A few drops fell on her hand and it felt exhilarating. Thr melancholy that was unknowingly bothering her started to calm down. Only then did she realize that her body was heated to a feverish pitch. She was amazed that she had not shown any signs of sickness. Nevertheless, tranquility washed over her heart and brain. She wished she could wake up her dear sister and share her emotions, but knew that eventhough Preeti would wake up in the middle of the night for her, she herself wouldn't be able to explain her feelings. She herself wasn't sure about what was happening but something had drastically changed in her personality since the previous day since the stranger had knocked on her brain as it was a door and when she had opened it a crack to check, he had marched right inside and took over.

Not that she didn't feel grateful for his help coz she wasn't sure what she would have done without him as there was no help around. Immediately, her body stiffened as her mind wandered to the accidental occurrences of the previous afternoon and that she still hadn't shared the incident with anyone. Unintentionally, it was a shared secret between her and the stranger.

Inadvertently her eyes closed and her mind was filled with his thoughts, everything else blocked out in the process.

He had felt her trying to reach out to him and this time purposely and not unknowingly.

She wasn't aware that she had established a connection with him just by thinking about him strongly but as soon as she felt him in her brain, she could feel some gloom surrounding him. Cautiously, she whispered in her mind, "kya tum dukhi ho?"

He was taken aback by surprise and his eyes flew open. But afraid to lose the connection, he snapped it shut snd focussed back on her fragrance, "tumhe kaise pataa?" was all he asked.

"Pataa nahi...buss aisa laga!" She couldn't explain it either.

None uttered another word for they knew nothing about each other. She wasn't sure if there was anything she could do or say to make him feel better. So both maintained silence and felt each other's presence. Both were heedless that the other's apparition worked like a balm and soothed the pain of the other.

Finally, as a return favour since he had saved her life, she projected softly in her thoughts without saying it out loud, "jab mann udaas ho toh kuch aisa karna chahiye jo khushi deta hai ya aankh bandh karke kisi aise ke baare mein sochna chahiye jo dil ke sabse kareeb ho".

Sameer smiled inwardly at her suggestions as she had unknowingly succeeded is warding off some of his depression. So, he replied, "iss waqt kya karu samajh nahi aa raha hai...aur jiske baare mein sochkar sabse zyaada khushi hoti hai, iss waqt unhi ki chinta ho rahi hai".

She was puzzled that though her suggestions might have calmed him, they sure didn't alleviate his sadness and worry completely. "Toh fir sirf apne dil ki suno aur waisa hi karo".

He eyes gleamed and he was pleasantly surprised that she had advised him exactly as what Nanu had said in his letter. All his life, he had implicitly trusted his Nanu and here, this stranger girl was dropping the exact pearls of wisdom. How could two brains think so alike. But then he smirked. There was nothing normal about them both, especially him and the way this conversation was progressing. Most of the times, he carefully guarded his thoughts that he projected to her and vice versa, but for a second he let his guard down and she was quick to catch on.

"Main bhi yahi soch rahi hoon ki hum iss tarah kaise baat kar sakte hai? Na hum kabhi mile hai, na kabhi ek dusre ko dekha hai aur na hi phone ka istemaal karne ki zaroorat padti hai. Hum ek dusre ka dimaag aise padhte hai jaise aamne saamne baatein kar rahe ho? Thoda ajeeb lagta hai." She voiced out her concern freely this time echoing his thoughts too.

"Pataa nahi kaise...ajeeb toh hai, par....hmmm...mmm...par mujhe achcha lagta hai. Actually bahut achcha lagta hai. Tumse baat karke dil ko sukoon milta hai". He too expressed it for the first time but cleverly left out for now that her fragrance was familiar to hum for as long as he could remember and it always provided a certain tranquility whenever he was restless. He waited patiently for her to voice out her feelings too.

After a long moment's pause, she hesitantly accepted her thoughts, "mujhe bhi". She smiled shyly and blushed inwards. He couldn't see her coz unknowingly her strong psychic sense had blocked out her image and she had closed her mind to the outside world so she couldn't see his image too. They were just like two silhouettes in each other's gray matter.

"Naina...khidki ke paas kya kar rahi hai beta? Bandh karke so ja...thand lag jayegi!" Bela chachi interrupted her connection and it was lost abruptly. Nanina loved her Chachi as she was no leas than a mother to her but momentarily her concern by craning her neck from the bed on the other side of the kitchen annoyed her to have lost contact with him.

She went to bed and tried again but couldn't reinstate it. On the other side, Sameer too was left bereft but his mind too was occupied ewth thoughts about Nanu and his letter and so couldn't focus intently on her solely.

The next morning, after an almost sleepless night, his stomach felt famished hut the brain revolted at the idea of puri-bhaji, a recipe Nanu had procured from one of his dealer's wife during one of his visits to Mumbai and passed it on to Ramdhari as a hearty Maharashtrian brekafast, which was an instant hit in the Maheshwari household.

"Ramdhari, yeh sab khane ka mann nahi hai, tu mujhe chini daalke thoda daliya de de aur kuch fruits kaat de". Sameer requested a completely different breakfast.

This surprised Ramdhari, "par Bhaiyaa, aapko ko toh daliye ke naam se chidh hai na...fir aaj...aapki tabiyat toh theek hai?"

"Haan... main theek hoon. Mujhe kya hua hai! Bus saada khana ke mann kar raha hai". When Ramdhari was still contemplating about the latest developments, Sameer prodded him, "ab ja na jaldi".

A while later, Ramdhari placed the requested food on the table, and when Sameer was about to start eating, he questioned, "Bhaiyya, Maalik kya raat bhar ghar nahi aaye? Subah ki chai lekar unke kamre mein gaya toh aisa laga ki koi waha aaya hi nahi".

Sameer wasn't sure what to tell him coz he practically worshipped his Maalik and the news of his missing might not go well with him. "Nahi.. Nanu raat ko ghar nahi aaye. Unhe achanak kisi bahut hi urgent kaam se sheher se bahar jaan pada, toh factory par se hi chale gaye", he made a lame but believable excuse.

"Toh fir aapne mujhe uthaya kyon nahi. Main unka saaman pack kar deta. Kab tak aayenge?"

"Hmmm...shayad kuch din lagenge. Par saaman ki chinta mat kar...zaroorat ka saaman hai unke paas, baaki khareed lenge!"

Ramdhari nodded his head and was about to leave when his besties entered lighting up the whole place with their lively chatter. "Kya khareed raha hai Sameer?" Asked Munna while entering.

As they approached the breakfast table, they were surprised to see the type of food that he was ingesting. Ponga's eyes widened in horror, "chal chal Sameer, jaldi doctor ke paas chalte hai!" He started pulling him out of the chair.

"Arre Pandit, main bilkul theek hoon. Mujhe kuch nahi hua hai. Fir doctor ke paas kyon jaunga?"

"Agar tu theek hota...toh yeh na kha raha hota!" Pandit lifted his spoon filled with porridge and spilled it slowly back in the bowl making a disgusting face.

"Yaaron...mera buss sada khane ka mann hai. Usmein kya galat hai?" And he started eating and finished the bowl in a few spoonfuls, while three faces were tying to figure out the reason for his changed preferences. Sameer just finished and left a bewildered trio gazing at his back.

Seeing a very different behaviour of Sameer, Munna Pandit followed him to the room and asked, "kya hua hai Sameer? Sab theek hai na? Tu thoda badla badla sa lag raha hai?"

"Haan... aur Nanaji kahan hai? Subah se dikhayi nahi diye? Itni jaldi toh office nahi jate?" Pandit also questioned.

"Nanu office nahi, kuch din ke liye sheher se bahar gaye hai! Kal factory se direct hi chale gaye. Pataa nahi kab tak lautenge!" Sameer's disappointment was very much evident in his voice.

"Ohooo. Toh yeh problem hai! Kuch samjha Ponga?" When he shook his head, Munna continued to explain, "Arre kal subah ke baad se Sameer Nanaji se mila nahi hai aur woh bhi bina isse mile chale gaye. Arre Sameer, tu bhi na yaar...soch kitna urgent kaam hoga ki Nanaji ko tujhse mile bina jaana pada. Jab aa jaye toh baat kar lena...ismein itna udaas hone ki kya baat hai? Hum hai na tere saath!" Both boys surrounded him and hugged in their trio. Sameer too reciprocated as usual.

"Chal bhai bahar chalte hai, tera mood bhi badal jayega". Munna suggested to cheer him up but Sameer refused. "Nahi yaar... abhi mann nahi hai...tum log jao!" He prodded them as he didn't want to put a dampener on their enthusiasm brcause all he wanted to do was establish the connection with that stranger that felt as it was the only solace for him in the current situation.

"Tu pagal hai kya? Hum tujhe akela chodkar kahi nahi ja rahe hai" both boys, his shadows plonked on his bed as if they owned it and prepared to spend a day indoors to keep their friend company, unaware that he might love them to bits, but actually he wanted to be left alone for the moment. Sameer didn't know how he was going to explain his situation and his condition to his friends. After Nanu, these two adorable dorks wad the only family he had left and what if they thought him to be some freak and adjudicated him. What if they broke their friendship. So, his fear made him hide things from his besties. He knew he wasn't doing it right but for now, he just wanted to close his eyes and be lost in oblivion.