|Roohdari • Ruhaniyat|( Spirituality)

"Aman, aaj itna pyar kyun aa raha hai mujh par?" Roohi asked him with a dreamy look on her face, her head resting on his chest. Since the dawn Aman was acting head over heels for her, as if... it's their last time together.

"Phir mauka mile naa mile." He caressed her hair while sitting on the terrace.

"Mai kahaan bhaagi jaa rahi hoon? Tumhare paas hi toh hoon."

"Mai toh jaa raha hoon naa." His hold on her tightened a little.

"Aman, band karo apni yeh paheliyon jaisi baatein. Mera dimag kharab kar deti hai yein."

"Roohi, kitna pyar karti ho mujhse?"

They were lost in their trance, not caring that neighbours were bad-mouthing about them being shameless.

"Jo lafzon mein bayaan naa ho paye."

"Itna filmi jawab! Woh batao jo tumhara dil kehta hai."

Roohi giggled and turned to look at him with adoration.

"Mai tumse itna pyar karti hoon ke jis pal tum mujhse door ho gaye, uss hi pal meri saansein band ho jayengi." And she truly meant her words.

Aman smiled, as always, but this time with sheer love.

"Jaanta hoon."

And he kissed her, making the women looking at them from their terraces gasp out loud.

★★★

Amaan put his gun in the pocket of his kurta. He was informed that enemies are planning his assassination and he needed to be careful.

"Aaj kisey maarne jaa rahe ho?" He heard Ira.

He turned around and found her standing with her arms crossed. She was judging him and it hurt a lot.

"No one. It's for safety." He didn't look at her eyes and moved to leave.

"Aman kehta hai tum sudhar jaoge. Uss par yakeen karlu?"

He sighed, he shouldn't have married her. He was crazy in love. He ruined her life by tying her with him.

"Mai tumhare kabil nahi hoon, Ira. Lekin pyar karne ka haq toh rakhta hoon naa. Apne sath jod kar tumhari zindagi barbaad kardi. Ho sake toh mujhe maaf kar dena."

And he left with a heavy heart.

He used to think that earning lots of money will bring happiness in his life. Instead it snatched away his happiness. He was afraid to face his brother. He could see no love for him in Ira's eyes. Sometimes he wondered why he chose the path of crime.

★★★

The market was overcrowded. The burning sun added a feather in the cap of sheer torture.

There was a small shop, where a man was selling vegetables. The women already left after constant bargaining and taking Dhania for free. Now he was resting on a worn out chair and looking at the scenario. It was a kind of hobby for him to observe his surroundings when he has no customers.

He saw a guy. He was wearing a black kurta, his eyes curtained with expensive shades.

How he wished he could those shades. But he knew his financial limits, he had earned hardly five hundred rupees since the morning.

But that guy was looking somewhat dangerous.

He looked like Amaan.

Someone without fear.

And the men behind him were the enough clue to know he actually was someone dangerous, maybe someone connected to the underworld.

From the very opposite direction he could see another guy wearing a white kurta.

Oh, My God!

He looked exactly the same as the previous guy. Same face, same features. As if they were one.

But the second one looked like Aman.

Someone who possessed peacefulness.

Just by a look of him, the old man's heart calmed, forgetting the chaos surrounding him.

All of a sudden, the guy in black disappeared. But the guy in white was still there roaming around.

He was waiting. His eyes roamed around all the corners, for a moment his eyes paused the old man as well. He smiled looking at the old man, as if greeting him with his shiny eyes. The old man ended up returning the smile wholeheartedly. Just a look from the guy and he felt peace settle on him.

But, all of a sudden, he heart a shot. And the next moment he could the guy's white kurta turning into red as blood oozed out from his heart.

He wasn't shocked, or scared. He smiled. As if he was anticipating it and waiting desperately to meet the death angel.

The whole market panicked and began running here and there, except for the old man. He was hooked to his grounds, not daring to move.

Few moments later he saw the guy in black running towards the one who shared the same facial features as him.

The way he was crying, the old man understood that they were brothers. Maybe, twin brothers. That's why they look the same.

"Aman!!!" He heard him.

Aman.

Peace.

Why he couldn't guess it earlier? He was Aman, the peaceful one.

"Amaan..." He heard a mere whisper coming from Aman.

Amaan was devastated to see his brother at the verge of death.

"Bring the car!" He shouted to his men.

He bend down and put Aman's head in his lap.

"Aman, I'll take you to the hospital. You'll be safe. Okay?"

"I won't. Let me die, Amaan. I knew this moment will come."

"Don't talk rubbish! You will be alright."

"Amaan, leave the wrong path." And he smiled for the last time.

And he fled away with the angel of death.

"AMAN!!!"

It was meant for him. The bullet was meant for him. The death was meant for him. But his brother had endure it. His brother died the death that was meant for him.

The old man was in tears.

His agony of working at this old age was nothing in front of Amaan's agony of losing his brother, his only family.

★★★

Roohi was blindfolded. She was playing with the kids. Trying a catch them with using no sight at all.

She was laughing, hearing their giggles. Struggling to catch at least one of them.

Walking without any direction she collided with a chest.

She removed the blindfold and found Amaan standing in front of her. Something was odd. His eyes were red from crying.

"Amaan, you cried? What happened? Ira is all well, right?"

"Roohi, Aman..."

"Aman what, Amaan? He is not home."

"Aman is no more. He died."

He wasn't lying, he could never lie.

Her Aman died?

Then why she was alive?

Roohi collapsed on the floor lifelessly. Children came running to her. Amaan bent down to help her, but she didn't move.

"Roohi..." She wasn't breathing.

Roohi left, to meet her Aman.

Children began wailing knowing their Aman Bhaiya and Roohi Didi died. They left them forever.

Ira came running to the orphanage when she was informed of this tragedy.

Amaan, for the first time, cried in front of her.

"Amaan, I am with you." And she kissed his forehead.

She was his last hope. A hope to live.

★★★

F I V E Y E A R S L A T E R

Aman said the true words. Amaan reformed. He left the wrong path. He left the craze of power. But he wasn't there to look at his brother.

"Bachcha Party! Wake up!" He entered the large room where all the kids slept.

He and Ira took the responsibility of the orphanage and looked after the kids.

Ira was happy in a true sense. She fell in love with him again and again. Because now she had no reason to not love him. He was again the same Amaan she fell in love with.

Amaan always wondered how Aman had this spiritual aura around him. But now, he understood. Even if Aman stayed away from religions, he had deep faith in God.

Amaan developed that faith as well. The aura of spirituality now surrounded him.

It was hard. Very hard. Yet he was satisfied with himself.

And one day, he will meet his end with this satisfaction.

•••••••••••
A rushed ending, I guess.
But what can I do, it was really tough to write this story.

Do comment, please! 🥺