The Enigma!

Pre Script - Guest story by Brother Ashish!

“Hence we come to the conclusion that the Yagi uda Array can be used both as a Director as well as a Reflector”.Gosh, those concluding lines are so soothing when one attends the ever-lasting lectures. So, that was where the “Antenna” Lecture Ended. Those College lectures were never meant to be understood.”SOME ENIGMAS BETTER REMAIN UNFOLDED” was the thought that clinked my mind. Going college was a fun especially when u know that u ain’t gonna last even 2 lectures. So this ended my day at college (It wasn’t evening, My College Day usually ended at 11 in morning).

Quickly Ruffled up my attire and spiked my hair back to the proper Vertical position with some water (Spike Hair always tend to obey the Newton’s Gravity. Damn..!!).All set, here I leave college for my date at Café Coffee Day  (yes it was only 11:30 am).The minutes of meeting (MoM) discussion of the Date is out of question anyway.So then , She went back to somewhere (I never cared where..!!) and I flew on my bike for home.

Daytime, the Weather was getting pretty and moreover, the Date had been awesome as well. So with all the butterflies running my stomach and with all the Blues, I Rode. The Perfect Picture in my mind got a break when my eyes stuck to an aged, tattered and poor-looking man standing beside the road, asking people for Lift. I never cared for anybody asking for help, but that day, had to be different. He looked  an Emaciated gnome like fellow struggling for something. Something  just struck my mind and I stopped for him.

“Where ?”,I asked.”Near Suditi Hospital son, It’s my home there”, he said in an almost whispering and trembling voice. He looked too weak to speak something audible.”I’m going the same way, let me Drop you there”, I Replied. Quickly, he pounced on the bike as if I was not serious enough to help him. So my Single 15km Journey to Home was now accompanied by someone whom I never knew and Perhaps, I would never know. I drove as usual, quick yet Controlled, and the bizarre journey continued.

Out of compassion (the little bit I could gather at that moment), I asked, “Where are you coming from? So far from your place “ .He started in his diatonic shaky voice “My name is Narayan singh. what to say beta, I’m Ripped apart..blah blah and more blah “.But Suddenly it caught my attention when he further Added “My Son has been a prey of Black Magic. 3 Months ago, On Diwali night, somebody kept the Evils at the hailway of our house and..”.I Interrupted out of Curiosity “What evil things are you talking about ?”.Almost weeping, He uttered, ”a Doll with a needle piercing its debris, with name Rakesh(his son) written on its forehead along with a Reddish mysterious lemon. My son Rakesh took those anonymous belongings and threw them out. Slowly the things got worse, He Started feeling uncomfortable within himself, He Dreamt of Evils and his soul was forced to obey them. He used to yell at times, asking for penance from the spirits, and the rest of the day, his mind remained like that of a comatose. So for the Remedy, I go every Tuesday to a baba, Who is known to have magical powers. He claims to convalesce my Son within four weeks.”

I could frame an interesting tale in my head until it was made a little more pathos-demanding by Narayan. He further added to his miseries and said ,”for the past 3 months, there’s nobody to earn, Rakesh(his son) has lost job, I get a meager Rs 2000 as pension which is insufficient for the household expenses. So money for my commutation for such purposes is out of question."Fair enough", I said and nodded my head. I could Imagine the quandaries he would be in, but what could I do, besides blaming his fate. He refurbished my framed scenarios with another heart-melting hardship by saying.”Today is munni’s birthday, my 5 year Old Granddaughter. She just loves chocolates. whenever I used to reach home, she used to tap my pockets first, looking for her chocolates. But now, even she hesitates to do that. She knows what has happened these days to our family”. Completely engrossed in his story, I was keen to come up with suggestions and references for help, but his destination had come by then. I stopped at Suditi Hospital to bid him adieu. He happily pounced off the bike saying ,”Thank you son, you are a great human being, remember,” SOME ENIGMAS BETTER REMAIN UNFOLDED”.A strange thought, that had appeared my mind before. I told him if I could help him in anyway ( I was feeling mighty and fortunate that time).A little sigh of relief on his face indicated that some financial aid was most welcome.

That day, All I had was Rs. 500, out of which 250 was already spent for the morning coffee at café coffee day. But , Somehow the better and sympathetic  side of me was the protagonist at that moment. I thought a Rs 100 note atleast would bring munni her favorite chocolates. So I headed for home after those couple of transactions (debits, u can say).After I reached home, the story was still quite audible to me, the Scenes were visible,the characters were kinetic and my mind, as usual, restless.  Although I never saw munni , Rakesh and family, but human mind is fertile enough to frame those. After sleeping in the day time, I sat with newspaper and tea. I never knew the Page-5 of the newspaper would bring me Goosebumps.

It wasn’t any mishap or politician-related news that dried my throat. It was an Obituary, stating the second death anniversary of an Old man. My heart skipped a beat when my eyes went at that face. Yes, It was of Narayan Singh, Address- H No 45, near Suditi Hospital, Bhopal, Son-Rakesh Singh and other details. I was frightened enough that my Mind went completely blank for the time unknown. The man I helped today noon, the man whose Story captivated me all along my ride to home, How can he die 2 years ago???.My mom asked what the matter was. I could hardly utter anything that moment, but told her about the Macabre. She calmly said it wasn’t possible and he might be some other man, the world isn’t short anyway.

But It wasn’t that easy either. I Read the Address, Name, Son’s name again and again. The more I read, the more I was feeling the death. I, then, decided to go to his place to get answers to all this horrible dream ( I wished it was a Dream).I headed Straight and quick to Suditi Hospital, enquired where House No 45 was. And there I was, standing at the Porch of the Haunting House no 45.

Inside was a small, irregular, not well furnished Room, but decorated with flowers and Balloons at that time. A cute little girl stood there, in new frock and chocolates in hands,some chocolates falling on floor from her small fists. I figured out she would be the little Munni. Other people standing there were Munni’s mother in a filthy light shaded saaree and properly locked hair, an Old lady, who appeared to be Narayan’s wife and a Man with stubble and dirty hair, sitting on a chair, almost dead, He would be Rakesh I thought. But where was Narayan ?, Was he alive ? or Dead ?. I needed the answers. Hesitatingly, I entered the hall and asked,” Is Narayan there?”.All the three people stared at me, making me feel so Uncomfortable and Unwelcomed. I Repeated my words, but was paused when the Old lady spoke,” Who are you?, How do you know Narayan?”.

I said, “I helped Narayan today while he was arriving from New market to Home”. Munni was engrossed in her chocolates. Her Mother never bothered to speak, but She started looking at her mother in law’s face, for her Reaction. The old lady first said It was a Joke, because Narayan had passed away 2 years ago and Some Other Guy would have be fooled me. Pointed at But I Narayan’s photo and said that yes, I have Carried this man for 15 kms and I know all of you people. I know today is munni’s Birthday. I know your son is under the evils. And you say this is a joke..??”. She Stood Silent, Puzzled and Petrified when she heard my words. Even they didn’t have any Answer to my Questions.

Gosh,where should I Go??. Where do I find out the answers to the unanswered questions ?.The more they remained murky, the more scared I felt. I stared at munni’s Chocolates, Munni tended to hide those from me, thinking that I would eat all of those. Almost leaving from their place, I Asked,” Who bought munni the chocolates? “.Her Mother said,” Munni found a 100 Rs note at the Porch in evening, and since It’s her birthday today, so we decided to get her a few chocolates”.”Her favorite”, I added.

Enfeebled, scared and Muddled, I went back home .My legs were shaking in that profound despair. Narayan was flashing in my mind right throughout the moment I saw him in the newspaper. all I could figure out was the thought,” SOME ENIGMAS BETTER REMAIN UNFOLDED”..!!!

Post script - A demanding New semester, Not able to write! Ashi Bhai Comes to the rescue... Thanks brother! :)


Post script 1 - havent read any blogs for abt a fortnight now! Sorry fellow bloggers. Laziness gettting the better of me these days. will be back soon. I shapat :p