"Hello...Mama..

Raghav.

Not Manav. Mama.. where are you? Hello.. What are you saying? Hel-"

There was a constant hustle and bustle all around the place. Though, it was a small city, yet the glimmer of the crowd was at its peak.

A blinding glimmer.

It was 6.30 in the evening, and he was still percieving the place, where he had kept his feet in. Raghav was in a quandary and the place seemed in a muddle.

Keeping the telephone down, he took out another coin and pushed it inside it again.

But, from the other side came no reply. Earlier, all he could hear was an old man’s slurry voice, uttering a name, probably an address. Probably.

With a dejected look on his face,he came out of the calling booth and looked at her. Curiosity and awkwardness was clearly visible on his face.

The tingles, and mortification was still burning him.

Walking upto her, he slumped down on a nearby bench, with his bowed head. Shuting his eyes, he dug his face within his palms and a sigh escaped his mouth. To silence his intense raging. His resolutions were beyond any doubt, for coming in search of something that was postulated to be non-existent. He wasn't indecisive on this reflection but he was dubious if his search led him to an exact place.

The curious eyes, led their way towards them as they walked past both Gayatri and Raghav, however nobody said anything.
Gayatri looked at the man before him, his sturdy physique was poised nevertheless he looked more woebegone.
She went over and sat beside him, to commiserate him for his doleful mein.
But a sense of embarrassment had already occupied her.

His condition touched her somewhere, however felt a tie-in with the gentleman.

“Gayatri Ji, Why are you still with me? You should have gone by now." Feeling someone beside him, he looked up to find Gayatri. "I can’t thank you enough for your cooperation. I..

I don’t want to trouble you more.You please go now.

Unwarrantedly, I've confined you in my matter.” He spoke, with a lose heart and sweat beads adorning his forehead. His eyes, were already deciding to shut and a sense of enervation has already taken place.

She had an unperturbed look on her face and was ready to make conversation, perhaps,but his words already succumbed her words.

Who's she even to put an oar into his affairs.
No one.

“I know, we have travelled this far,together. You helped me alot for reaching till here but.. I can’t rely upon your help any further." He sighed as he gradually played with his palms."Moreover, it’s me who has to do everything. I will be forever indebted for your help. You may please leave me."

Giving him a last look, sighing, she got up and looked at the sky. There was a visible darkness near the horizon and black clouds, out of nowhere seemed to appease the town soon. Taking her bag, she looked around and walked few steps,until she decided to stop again.

“The agency, I’m going might help you out, maybe? We can try there if..if, they know someone there.” He looked at her, with a slight look of expectancy yet hopelessness was also quite evident on his face.

Perhaps, this could turn out a guiding light.

✿✿✿

"So you are all in one!” Raghav passed her a faint smile, while his eyes were fixed on the small diary he held before him. Potpourri of words laid before him, enunciating the life and human.
She nodded before letting out a chuckle and looked ahead.

Following getting through her work, and meeting the agency's employees, Raghav could finally feel some respite from the distress that had already caused him.

The person he talked to in the call booth, had provided him some information yet he got some garbled voice and set of instructions from the other side of the telephone. But after inquiring, he could see the clear clouds. The address he heard on the telephone, was none other than a small tavern in that city.

After a search of long time, they haulted in front of it. The tavern was lucent on the streets of Digha. While all around they heard the same dialect, they had on their tongue. The tavern was full of tumult, displaying various hues of dazzle. The place was not less than an enigma, with music gambling around.

Without waiting for anyone, he walked across the road, to reach the tavern. Passing Gayatri a last look who nodded at him. He came inside with a brooding and mystifying look. His eyes searched for someone around the bar and in return he could find the same eyes on him. After a period of introspection, he approached the bartender.

“Bijoy Basu..

Uhmm.. Does he really come here, daily?” The bartender— a large black beard masking his half of the face, his eyes itself a deep trench of enebriety and he seemed dangerous—paused whilst wiping the lustrous glass and looked at him, suspiciously. The chewing gum in his mouth was abruptly paused.

“Are you his relative?” He asked with a strange look and a croaky voice, meanwhile, his hand again busied wiping the glass.

“Sort of..”

“Then, give me the money, which that c*nt has already drank. Only then, I will let you proceed inside.” Raghav looked at him with a disbelief and saw rage on the bartender’s face. He frowned with a scorn. Not wanting to argue with him, he took his bag and put before him a bundle of notes, and the bartender took it like a hungry animal.

Raghav could only look at him with a poised umbrage, folding his hands across his torso.

“Hey Man! if you have already done with the counting, let me know where is Bijoy." Uneasiness and irritation, was clearly lacing on his words.

“50 rupees more.”

“Damn! How much this Mama, drinks!” He muttered under his breath. “Listen man, Tell me his whereabouts or else you will not be spared.”

“Started scaring me already, Haan!?” The bartender spoke, dominantly with bloodshot eyes.

“Keep your volume down,man! Be in your limits, while talking to a brief.

Now tell me what I've asked.”

"Means, any random person will come before me and hold a gun on my ahead." He smirked and with a smug face chuckled, ridiculously. "Stupid!"

Raghav had enough and he simply snatched the money roll, he held within his hand. Without uttering anything, he was about to keep it within his bag when he heard the bartender's shout, who seemed perplexed.

“Man, I didn't..didn't know you'll be this impatient.
I've left you because you gave me money..

He's there.. upwards.” A sense of losing money had injected inside him, so he couldn't find the man, leaving with the money which could be his.

“D-dead?” For a speck of moment heart skipped its beat, as the bartender pointed his finger upwards. Bijoy Basu can’t leave the world. He was only the main string that brought him here, in this unknown city.

“Tch, saheb Not dead.

He's in the upper chamber. Must be down with alcohol, again.” A sigh of relief escaped his mouth and glancing outside, at Gayatri, who stood facing her back towards him, he decided to move upwards.

The bartender looked at the young man and smirked,"Idiot,Moron!"

Seconds turned into minutes, but Bijoy wasn’t ready to get up. The smell of alcohol and cigarettes wasn’t affecting Raghav much. All he wanted, at that moment was answers of some questions.

The grey haired man, his clothes tarnished, and he smelled of rubbish. He was famous as a boozer in that town and could readily drink 20 hefty bottles in a day. That was why, the people in newspaper agency were able to tell his location.

Finding no other solution, Raghav emptied his large water bottle over him and made the man sit down, properly. Amidst the spectral, coruscating light which danced with the songs played in the background, Raghav sat before the haggard man, with a piqued, enraged demeanour. Some young girls behind him, from the corner of the floor looked at him, their eyes held lust, and crave for the gentleman and their hand held a glass of intoxication.

“Mama, This is me, Raghav. Ajit's son, from kolkata.

I called you and you said you will help me.” He spoke out, with hope evident in his eyes. Due to excessive boozing, he would slur and kept his palm on his head, as a way to bless him. He would close his eyes, mumbling incoherently, and Raghav had to pat his cheeks every now and then, only to wake him up from his oblivion. Holding the old man’s collar, he could whisper yell.

“Mama, it is really urgent.

You said you know her location.

Please tell me, where is she now?”

✿✿✿

The place has no meaning to be called as a quietude but a chaos which was evident already. Gayatri stood on the long pitched road there, watching the passer-bys. The vicinty was enough to make her conscious, with the vivid gazes she got. Messing with the thoughts which brought her in that place.Her hand held a thick diary which held some metrical composition and...her secrets. She pulled down her hand and in an instant, an image flew down from it, near her feet.

Her gaze, went down to her feet suddenly and the image lying down, on the ground left her deadened. She couldn’t see it lying there. It had a deep impression in her life and remembrance of forever. Picking it up, she put it back inside her bag, not before staring at it for a while.

Until, she heard Raghav's voice and some shuffling of footsteps.

“How’s the show going?” He asked her, pointing at the crowd and the noises the people made. In response, she looked at her watch.

“It is about to strike 8. Did you end up at your search?” She asked hopefully and a victory smile stretched on his lips. Perchance.

“Hopefully Yes!” Her eyes widened, and grin that touched the corners of her eyes, she gazed at him joyfully. “Before, we get late, let’s leave.”

They walked ahead, further. His demeanor looked not less than a game where you know the next step but the ability to move is inconceivable. His mind was already  occupied with the vague and morbid thoughts. While walking through the dark alleys, he played with his hands occupied with his thoughts, such that he couldn’t even hear the girl walking beside him. It was when she nagged him and he turn his gaze at her, suddenly.

“R-raghav.. I don’t know whose search brought you here. But, this gives me intuition that it is only for a good sake.” She spoke out, kicking a stone that came on her way.

“Yeah. Hope so.” He looked at her and walked, matching her steps. After few seconds, “You really want to know who I’m in search of. Don’t you?”

She paused for a while, and looked up at him.

“Before that, I want to ask you something." He spoke."Why did you come this long with me? How did you trust me?

You don’t even know anything about me except my name and profession. Why then?”

They took a turn to a left alley as a hand pull rickshaw passed abreast her.

A simper came down on her lips, “ You know what? I don’t even trust anyone, not even me. But-" She took a deep breathe."There was an unspoken and inscrutable emotion, I saw on your face, when you told about your search. It might be too gooey but a part inside me provoked me to lend a hand. I could relate to that emotion, I’m known yet unknown about.

I found you honest in a way.”

“What if I was lying?” He asked scratching his stubble.

“Listen.” She motioned him to bring his ear closer. “I know face reading.”

In response, he put his palm on his mouth, faking surprise. “Thank God! I kept my emotions in control. Phew.”

A chuckle escaped, from her mouth as he saw his fake acting. Lines were adorned on his forehead and one could clearly tell, he was worried. Worried of the upcoming bombshell.

“So, Whose search brought you here?

I think I should deserve to know this, now, being a partner in crime.” She asked him, with inquisitiveness and slight haughtiness.

“Tori” The words escaped from his mouth left her rooted on the ground. “My...Wife.”

Those three words were enough to make Gayatri hysterical. Raghav had spoke the last two words with an arising strain. His face scrunched lightly. While, he went towards few natives, to enquire about the address, his mama, Bijoy mentioned. Which might turn out to be his final destination, according to him.

She sighed and looked at him, his manly face, and gallant features, as if comprehending something.

She was left flabbergasted with turn of events. The daunty evening was foreshadowing a difficult time ahead.

“But.. you mentioned that-"

“Someone’s waiting for me at home, right?”

“Yes. But.. When did you.. because you said you went abroad-" She struggled to speak, worry lines making their way on her forehead as if everything was making way for her forethought.“This means-"

“I was married off at an early age.” He gave a thoughtful faint smile, while she looked at him, with nervousness and curiosity at its peak. “Everything’s possible here.”

And finally everything made sense to her when he uttered those words.

Before she could enquire him, further,they stopped before a small house with a large and hard rusty iron gate. His eyes were sanguine and his mind said that there was light in the end of tunnel. He drew his lower lip between his teeth.

Whereas, she would look at the door and then to him, battling her lashes, and her heart would beat with mystified feelings. Her hand, heedless, brushed with a wound her another hand held. Her lower lip would tremble. The name he mentioned was enough to make her timorous.
The man before her, was her biggest nightmare and yet she found herself tangled with him.

With a knocker, he knocked the door.

•••

*Mama- Uncle
*Saheb-Sir

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