On an Evening in Roma

Anirudh's Birthday, part-1

The day had started out like any other.

Anirudh had woken up at 6:00am sharp...after taking a bath he got dressed, checked his gun and bullets then headed downstairs...where his kaka greeted him the first birthday wish of this morning.

"Janmdibas ki bohot bohot shubhkamnaye beta."  Trilochan greeted him just outside of thier house temple.

"Dhanyabad kaka." Saying this Anirudh touched his Kaka's feet.

"Hamesha khush raho."

"Happy birthday Dada." Somnath and Shaswati said together.

"Thank you."

"Janmdin mubarak ho Anirudh." Sampurna greeted him while coming out of the kitchen.

"Shukria Sampurna maa."

"Batuk abhi tak phone nahi kya?" Kaka inquired. Usually he calls first thing in the morning.

"Kia tha...raat ki bara baje." Anirudh replied.

Actually that wasn't the full truth...the call that came at 12 O'clock it was from Batuk's number...but it wasn't from Batuk.

It was from Durga. She had just wished him when Batuk had picked up the phone in his apartment to call him and realized that someone has beat him to it.

"Durga ki bacchi...tune pahele kyu call kia?" Batuk complained annoyedly.

"Kyu ki tu bohot slow he." She replied tauntingly.

"Me sade tin ghanta time difference ke bade me bhul gaya tha!!"

"Too bad, so sad...your loss." Durga was a mature person but only when she wants to be...other times she was just as childish and compititive as any other child.

"Ager tum dono ko jhagra hi karna he toh me phone rakh du?"

That had sobered them up. He had talked to them both for several minutes ...in which Batuk had told him about their plan to feed the kids in Orphanage to celebrate his birthday. It was a very a thoughtful idea which he was sure came from Durga's mind. He had made a mental note to call her later to thank her for going though this trouble for him...and for changing Batuk so much that he isn't even considering to go in a club to celebrate his birthday.

Even before the Roy Choudhary's could seat for their breakfast the villagers started to arrive to wish him for his birthday with flower garlands and homemade sweets...which he had to refuse because he doesn't eat sweets.

At first he didn't used eat it because it reminded him of Bondita too much...but now he doesn't eat them because he had sweared that he will only eat sweets and drink coffee when Bondita will return.

"Accha aab bohot hua...chal nashta ker le...sab tere pasand ka khana bana he." After half an hour Trilochan interrupted...there were more people still waiting under their Gadi Baranda but if he stopped to personally accept everyone's greetings he will surely be late for the Court.

Standing on the top of the stairs he joined his hands and addressed the villagers, "Yaha ane ke liye aur aap logo ke uphar aur dua o ke liye bohot shukria... lekin aab mujhe chalna padega."

His audiences were dejected... especially the women who had taken extra care while making sweets for him and Urmila was one of those woman. But alas...today again her plan to meet him was ruined.

Anirudh was about to turn to enter the Haveli when from the corner of the eyes he saw one of his informants was running toward the Haveli. The expression on his face said something bad has happened.

Anirudh moved inside the hall room, out of the earshot of the villagers and readied himself for a bad news...only a minute later his informant came inside.