STRANGERS IN A HOME.
It was a dusky
evening with dark clouds and dreary lightening. A scarry environment for a
young girl of 13 years, all by herself in a strange city, standing under a huge
tree at the far end of the road. She was
thinking about how she had fled from her village by the local bus, that passed
once a day through the village. She was harassed and tortured by her only aunt
with whom she lived. She could not tolerate it anymore and so had taken such a
bold step to walk out of her home and village. Her parents had died before she
came to her senses and she was left at the mercy of her aunt. She had completed her 10th class
and now her aunt was not interested in spending on her education. She insisted
that she should get married or do some domestic work in people’s homes to earn
a livelihood.
Standing there
alone in the entire world, on a rainy evening, in an unknown place, she felt
lost. She did not know anybody in the city or anywhere else. She stood there
praying to God for help.
A car came and
stood in front of her. She stepped back, scared. Suddenly a man in his late
40s, bald, with a smile on his face popped his head out and said, ‘Hi!! Want lift?’
She did not answer and just kept on looking at him uncertain
of what to say or do.
He went on, ‘Who are you? Are you
waiting for someone to pick you up?’
She did not reply as she was scared to talk to strangers and also quite
confused with this man’s unexpected friendly behavior. Still she kept quiet. He went on, ‘Hello dear, don’t be afraid. I
can help you. I will drop you wherever you want to go. You seem to have lost
your way.’
She was still silent. Staring at
him constantly. He could sense her fear and uneasiness. He softened his voice
and said, ‘Don’t be scared of me. You are like my daughter. I saw you and
remembered her, so I stopped my car. I will be pleased if I could be of any
help. I won’t force you.’
His last words and the soft
approach made the right impact. Slowly, fearfully, she said,’ I am new to this
city. I don’t know anybody here. I don’t know where to go. Can you help me find
a place to stay? My name is Sarita.’
He could sense her helplessness
and did not probe further. He spoke to her again in a soft concerned voice,
‘You can come with me. You will be safe. Trust me.’ Something in his voice and
his sincerity made her trust him. He took her to his house, where he lived
alone with only a full time maid to help him. It was a lovely cottage with two
bedrooms, and a garden in the front. Sarita
liked the peaceful cozy house she came to and the man who brought her there. He
seemed to be a decent, dignified man. His name was Akhilesh Sinha, as mentioned
on the brass plate at the entrance.
Gradually, consciously he made a place in
her heart, where she had trust and confidence. It was difficult for her
initially, but his behavior, his mannerism made way for her to trust him. She
grew under his guidance. Though he had not adopted her but still they exchanged
thoughts and memories like a father and daughter. A long time after she came to
that house, she learnt from the maid that he had lost his entire family in a
car accident. His mother, wife and two daughters, whom he loved immensely. The
maid said that she saw a great difference in his moods and behavior after
Sarita came to the house, he saw his daughters in her. It made Sarita feel
good. She continued her studies, under his guidance and counseling. He did all that he could to help her get a
good job and status in society.
He is an angel, she thought. How can
someone be so good to a stranger, in this world of evil and selfish people?
Years passed by, she grew up to be a beautiful young woman. She remembered how
in some of their lonely moments, he would be attracted towards her beauty and
youth, and how the animal instinct in him arose, and how he graciously killed
it and let his human instinct win. They were both alone, no family, no friends,
no social acquaintances. She too would
get attracted to him as she had only him around her. But she saw a father
figure in him and he fulfilled that void in her life. They kept away from
society to avoid interferences and preferred living a peaceful, meaningful
life, in their cozy little home.
Life was simple and contented. They were
both happy in each other’s company. The old maid all along with them. They made
a lovely threesome. All strangers, all unrelated to each other, yet under the
same roof. They made a family that was
unconnected but bonded with a strange bond. A bond of humanity.
She had just completed her first term in
the job he found for her. She was so happy and excited with the work she was
doing. That fine morning, she noticed that he looked very upset. As if under
some mental pressure. She was concerned and tried to find out. What could it
be? She thought. She asked him again but he did not reveal anything and went to
his room saying that he needed some rest. She had an off in the office that day
so she too was at home. By 11 am the phone rang. She picked up the phone as he
was resting in his room. Some unknown person was on the line. He said he was
speaking from the bank and that some financial fraud had taken place in Mr.
Sinha’s company. That Sinha’s investments were all lost and he was in complete
debt and he hung up the phone.
Sarita was shocked. What was happening? He
never mentioned anything to her, about the company, about his investments,
absolutely nothing about his professional life. And why would he, she thought.
Who was she to him? What was their relationship and what right did she have to
know his personal life. Questions were clouding her mind but she tried to calm
her mind as she was more concerned about his health. He came out of his room
for lunch. She informed him about the phone call but he ignored it or rather
was indifferent to it. She was perplexed but did not probe further. He surely
looked unwell and Sarita guessed something was really wrong. She just prayed to
God for help.
In the evening they went out to the small
garden in front of the house. Watering and tending to plants was their favorite
pass time. They would often do it together at weekends, for hours together.
Discussing over various topics. It gave them immense pleasure and made them
feel relaxed and rejuvenated. The garden too responded well to their care and
company. Lovely flowers and fruit trees blossomed under their tender care.
After dinner, they went to their
individual rooms. Around 11 pm she heard a strange, loud sound from the other
end of the house, where his bedroom was. She could not make out the noise. It
was something like a pistol shot, but she was not sure. She rushed out of the
room. The maid was also rushing towards the sound. They both together opened
Sinha’s room and screamed out loud. Sinha was lying in a pool of blood, a
pistol in his hand. He had shot himself in the head. Sarita went blank. She
just could not fathom what was happening. She felt week in the knees and
collapsed. The maid helped her rise and
took her to the sitting room. Sarita’s world collapsed once more. She did not
know what to do. Whatever had happened was totally unexpected, unimagined. She
had known him to be a very wise and peace loving person. How could he do such a
thing and why? Her head was whirling.
The police were informed and the
formalities followed. Post mortem, Investigations, questions, all went on for
few days. It was only Sarita and the maid in the house now. As the man on the
phone had said, the bank was to seal the house for auction and recover their
amount. Sarita had no say in the matter. She was given a month’s time to complete
the legal procedures and hand over the house.
It was her last night in the house. She
felt exhausted over the proceedings. She had never faced such situations in
life. Akhilesh Sinha, a name that made her life. A relationship that had no
name. A bond that could not be described and yet a sense of belonging that
could not be erased. She felt lost. What was she to do now? She fell asleep
with a disturbed mind.
The next morning, it was the first thought that came to her as she woke
up. He was gone. And soon, this bedroom, the house in whose eastern corner it
sat, and the tiny garden outside with its gnarled old red hibiscus and the
half-grown mango tree they had planted together, all those would be gone as
well. It was the strangest feeling ever.
She remembered that first day in the city,
when she was standing at the end of the road on a wet cloudy day, all alone and
scared. Today, she felt the same, after 15 years, as she moved out of Sinha’s
house with her luggage. That day she had fled from her village, from her own
house, today she was forced to go out of the house which was never hers. She
felt herself to be on the same uncertain, unknown juncture of life. Lonely and
lost.
Going out of the gate, she turned back to
take a last glimpse at the tiny heaven she had lived in for 15 years. It gave
her love, care, respect and comfort. She felt so attached to it as if she
always belonged there. Tears rolled down
her cheeks, unaware, she turned away and walked out with a heavy heart.
Questions after questions clouding her
mind. Who was he? Why was she brought here? Why was she given a safe haven for
15 years, if only she had to leave it in this way? Why was it snatched away
from her? What did destiny have in store for her? She knew not what it was. The
maid helped her carry the luggage to the nearest bus stop and went away. She
stood there. Where was she to go now? She knew not where. She was once again at
the crossroads of her life, she did not know which way to go.
Just then an unknown person came to her
and handed her a sealed envelope. She opened it to find a letter. It read,
Dear Sarita,
I know I have been a good companion to
you. May it be as a friend, father or a guardian. It does not matter. You have
created a soft corner in my heart and I love you as my own daughter. I have
passed many years without them and your appearance in my life consoled me and
healed my wounds.
Thank you for all the good times we spent
together. I know the recent proceedings have disturbed you. I did not wish to
hurt you in any way, but the business transactions went wrong and there was
nothing I could do about it. But still, I know that if it would have been my
own daughter I would not have surrendered to circumstances so easily. But I want to make up for it. I am hereby
making you the legal heir of my only property that will be left after the debts
will be cleared. And that is my ancestral home in Banaras. You may go there and
take custody and ownership of the house. I have completed all the legal
formalities so that you don’t have to face any hassle. I wish you a happy life
ahead.
Together we created a world of peace and happiness, though we were
strangers. Now it is for you to live your way.
May God bless you with best of health, wealth and prosperity.
The address of the house is on the
other side of the page. Please turn over.
Yours
affectionately,
Akhilesh
Sinha.
Sarita turned over the page
mechanically, not able to take in the happenings in her life. It read,
Chandni Villa,
off Bangali Tola, Old
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
Sarita froze.
It was the house she lived in with her aunt. aunt.
Who was Akhilesh Sinha?
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