He drove through the entire city. His cell phone showed no signs of any incoming call. So he waited for the call and the instructions that were to be given. While driving he looked outside the window.
The entire city was embellished with lights. The shops, restaurants, streets were glomming with lights. And every other shop had put on a unique and a beautiful fairy light. The city looked magnificent in the darkness of the night. There was an utter rush. People were enjoying their shopping as Diwali was only a day ahead. One could make out the happiness in their faces while they bargained for the things –
“Bhaiya dus ke che diye de do na.”
Some of the small kids went around the entire firecrackers shop and picked almost each and every type of cracker, while others were just happy with the ‘fuljhadis’. He could hardly remember when he last celebrated Diwali with his family. He missed them today. And he missed her too. He realised that seven years had passed by since he returned back home or met Her.
While he was lost in his nostalgic thoughts, his cell phone vibrated. He knew who it was from. He kept looking at the screen through his moist eyes. And after a long time he picked up the call.
“Is everything ok?” A heavy voice spoke from the other side of the cell phone.
“Yes.” Zaroon told him.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes”, Zaroon replied.
“Ok. Head towards the hotel; others are waiting.
Khuda hafiz.” (Goodbye)
“Khuda hafiz.”
****
The car stopped at the hotel’s entrance. It was one of the grandest hotels of Mumbai- the Taj hotel. It looked beautiful on this eve of Diwali. The expensive lighting that was spread over the walls of the hotel made it look no less than heaven. The elite class was all over the hotel; some entering to enjoy the ambience of the hotel and some coming out after having a nice time. Zaroon looked around him and soon caught sight of a familiar van, standing right opposite to his. He waved at them to signal his presence. And in response they waved him back.
Zaroon stepped out of the car and started walking towards his destination. He had put on a black jacket. The muffler that ran around his neck also covered his face except his dark brown eyes.
As he walked along the road, he secretly took a glance around himself several times to make sure that everything was all right. Every single step towards his destination increased the adrenaline rush in his body. He knew what he was about to do, but was not fearful. Those seven long years had well trained him to overcome all fears.
People were busy buying all the stuff that they needed for tomorrow’s Diwali eve. And busy bargaining with the shopkeepers. One could see the immense happiness on those small faces while they came out of the firecrackers shop with huge bags of their favourite crackers.
Zaroon walked and walked. He didn’t look back again. His destination was just a few steps ahead. He closed his eyes and remembered his ‘Allah’.
“Bhaiya ye vala bi de do.” (Give this one as well).
A soft voice spoke. Zaroon immediately turned his head as soon as the voice fell in his ears. But the small crowd blocked his sight. He tried to look through the crowd but failed to find the owner of that voice. He thought he might have mistaken and turned back to move.
As soon as he took a step he again heard the same voice. And this time again he turned back immediately.
A woman stood at a distance trying to bargain with the shopkeeper. The hijab had covered her face. One could only see those beautiful light blue coloured eyes which were guarded by the long, bushy eyelashes.
Zaroon headed towards her, completely forgetting about his destination; completely forgetting the purpose of his presence in that street. In no time he was standing beside her. She was still busy bargaining with the shopkeeper. Her eyes were enough to give him the assurance of her identity. It was after a while that she took notice of Zaroon who was staring at her. And their eyes met.
Yes! It was her. He hadn’t mistaken her. They were those same eyes for which he had fallen for when he had first seen them.
And she hadn’t mistaken his presence too. It had been years since she had seen him or felt his presence around her; but she hadn’t forgotten him. How could they forget each other!
She had tears in her eyes, but her rage had frozen them. She wanted to cry out loud; she wanted to ask him; she wanted to be in his arms once again but the years had made her heartless too.
One could see the guilt in his eyes. He wanted to take her in his arms and answer all her questions but fate had planned something else for them.
While they kept looking at each other, the old memories that they had locked somewhere in their hearts started flashing in their minds.
****
Seven years back
The thundering of the clouds continued. It was raining cats and dogs since morning. The watery lanes looked like a river. One could see the heavy drops of rain under the street light.
The darkness of the day had shut all the doors and the windows.
Kashaf was still not asleep. She was missing her mother who had passed away a month ago. The nights haunted her in that lonely house. The memories of her mother made her cry all night long.
It was the same night when she was battling with the loneliness that she heard a hard knock on her door. The knock frightened her. Shiver ran down her body. It was 2 am in the morning.
The knock went on and on. She didn’t know what to do. She peeped out secretly through the window. All she could see was a boy in his early 20s who was continuously knocking the door.
She gathered all her courage to ask out loud who he was. But the knocking continued and there was no response. She again peeped out through the other window.
This time her eyes caught sight of the blood that was continuously flowing down his arms.
She once again gathered all her courage and finally opened the door. And in no time the stranger rushed into the house.
Kashaf stood near the door inert. She kept looking at the stranger who was still bleeding profusely. He took out his jacket and sat on the chair holding his arm tight.
Kashaf knew something was not right but at that point of time she had no other option. She walked into the room and searched for the first aid box.
The Sun was on its way to rise but Kashaf was still awake. Who is he? What had happened last night with him? All these questions had occupied her mind. She finally sat up on her bed. It was already 5 am. She went into the kitchen.
Today she made two cups of tea. He was awake. She placed the cup on the table.
“I’ll stay here today. I can’t go out now. I am injured.” Finally he broke the silence.
“Who are you?” Kashaf asked him.
He looked straight into her eyes. He knew she had a lot of questions in her mind. He could sense the fear in her voice. But he remained quiet. Kashaf waited eagerly for him to answer but he didn’t.
“You can stay.” Kashaf said and went inside her room. She didn’t know why she did that. Maybe her loneliness made her do that and also because he was badly injured.
A week had passed by now. And he was still in the house. They hardly spoke to each other except when he needed something.
Kashaf didn’t ask him again who he was. She had somewhere started liking his presence. Now in that lonely house she had someone with her. She took good care of the stranger. And used all home remedies to cure his injuries.
“I’ll have to stay for few more days.”
He said while she was cooking the dinner.
Kashaf didn’t answer him. He kept staring at her. Her innocent face and those beautiful eyes which he had seen for the first time had made his heart beat for the first time.
“Can you tell me who you are?” Kashaf asked him looking straight into his eyes.
“Zaroon.”
Probably this was the first time he answered to her question.
“What happened that night?” She couldn’t resist asking.
“That’s none of your business. I just want to stay for a few more days and then I’ll leave.”
“Whose gun is it?” She pointed towards the pocket of his jacket.
“That’s none of your business.”
“You’ll have to leave or else I’ll....”
Before she could even complete her sentence Zaroon grabbed her through her waist and closed her mouth with his hands.
“You won’t do any such mistake or else....” He kept staring into those beautiful eyes of hers. He loosened his grip around her waist and left.
It was the first time in the last few days that she had seen him so closely. His dark brown eyes were filled with anger but the sadness still peeped out somewhere through his eyes.
The days passed by and this stranger was still in the house. Slowly they started talking to each other. Now Kashaf never had her morning tea alone. And in those mornings they got to know each other. Zaroon never told her who exactly he was but he told her he would tell her when the time comes.
They started loving each other’s company. She cared for him and he never made her feel lonely. They knew they had fallen for each other but none of them spoke about it. Somewhere their hearts knew the answer.
Finally, the night came when all their restraint and resolve broke and they loved each other beyond all limits.
A month had passed by. And Love had occupied the lonely souls. Smile had taken over the sad faces as if the flowers had blossomed on a dead plant.
****
After a long time Zaroon stepped out of the house to buy some household things. He had covered his face well enough. Although no one knew him in that area, yet he couldn’t take any sort of risk.
He had bought all the things that they needed and headed back towards the house.
The lanes were empty. Slight darkness had taken over the daylight. It was while walking through these lanes he felt a pat on his shoulder.
“He wants you back. There’s something that needs to be done.” The voice said from behind.
“If I say I can’t return?” Zaroon spoke with all the courage.
“You better know the result.”
No further explanation was required.
He couldn’t face her today. He knew it would be his last day with her. He had no other option than to leave her behind again in this solitude. In that one month Kashaf’s love made him forget everything. He wanted to live for her now. But things had to change.
“You’ll have to take care of yourself Kashaf.” Zaroon spoke while she sat beside him, wrapped in his arms.
“I don’t need to do that. Till you are there besides me, I don’t need to take any special care for myself.”
“Yes, I’ll always be there.”
He spoke while his voice choked and silently kissed her forehead.
He saw her one last time while she was fast asleep and in company of her dreams and walked out of the house quietly.
Kashaf never knew she would wake up without him one day. She spent her days with that note that he had left for her.
“I’ll return soon. Till then you will have to take care of yourself.”
She kept looking at those words that he had inscribed in that small paper. She knew somewhere he wouldn’t return but her heart couldn’t stop hoping.
Since that day years passed by and he never returned back. And she had stopped hoping. She had become lifeless. She breathed but her soul had died long back.
And then it was this day that came into her life.
After seven long years he was standing right in front of her.
****
Zaroon’s cell phone rang. This time he didn’t bother to see who it was from. He took her hand in his and headed towards his destination. She didn’t question him. She just went along with him the same way she had the first time.
The rush was the same. In fact the crowd had grown a little more.
They held their hands tight while passing through the crowd. Zaroon’s cell phone kept ringing but he did not respond.
Finally he stopped. He removed her ‘hijab’ and uncovered his face; looked into those beautiful eyes that had stolen his heart; smiled for one last time and finally pressed the knob.
The raucous explosion blew away the crowd.
The street that was embellished with lights was now embellished with thousands of dead bodies. There was blood all over. The explosion had torn the bodies into pieces.
Thousands of lives were lost in the bomb blast.
But right up there in that deep blue sky, two souls had found their way out.
The two souls had finally met!
The two souls who were not meant to be together in this world but definitely meant to be together in some other world, the world of their Love!
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