Pilgrimage

Main hoon na..

KS checked back once again if anything left behind among the total baggage the two ladies were carrying and then signaled the driver to get started.

"Lao kuch bags hame dedo ek cabin mai itna sab nahi aayega sote time takleef hogi tumhe..", KS said as a responsible businesswoman. HM looked over her from head to toe and answered while shoving the last bag forcefully at the last corner of cabin,"Jarurat nahi! Ham dekh lenge...".

KS had it enough first all the passengers bickering in her ear and now this arrogant woman. She chose her mental peace over an argument and walked away.

"Nahi saman ke sath hi vacation pai jana tha toh hame kyu utha layi Haseena?!", NM said looking at her and then the fulled cabin with luggage in disbelief. They had occupied first downside cabin in the bus which was already pretty smaller for two persons and seeing her daughter added more stuff for inconvenience NM was definitely boiling in anger.

"Ammi... Kuch toh lihaj rakhiye apni beti ka. Aur 5 min rukiye ham hata rahe hai saman. Phir aap akele itminan se yaha rahiyega..", HM said removing the things putting them on upper cabin after she saw the other lady went away. "Aur tu?", NM asked remembering that HM is her daughter afterall.

"Yai upar wo hamara cabin hai ham waha soyenge. Darsal ham darkhast karne wale the Dilip Sir se lekin do logo wale compartment already booked the so hame socha ase hi adjust kar lenge. Ham unhe khamkha takleef nahi dena chahte..", HM said not realizing DS was standing behind her listening to her carefully.

"Ek bar keh deti Haseena beta. Apne sir ko itna paraya samaj liya kya aapne?!", DS said standing behind HM while gesturing hello to NM to which NM helloed back. Both shared a smile and HM said, "Sir asi bat nahi hai. Itne sare passengers ki already shikayte honge hi aapke samne usme ham add nahi hona chahte. Aur achha hi hai ammi ki dat khane se behtar ham alag cabin mai iss safar ka aanand utha sakte hai".

All three of them laughed at it. Then DS bid his goodbye as he was still busy handling some bickering passengers. HM adjusted her stuff making sure that her mother got good space to sleep and relax. While her cabin wasn't really looking that comfortable but being a stubborn herself she managed to sit back with the luggage at upper cabin.

She still couldn't believe that she was finally able to take some time from her hectic duty to find out her mental peace through out this journey. Her whole life she had been hardcore atheist not believing in any super power or almighty guiding human beings and taking care of them. When her eyes fell on the post she saw online. A travel summary of different religious places all around the country. Her heart might somehow convinced her right there to grab the opportunity and this way HM met DS for the bookings. This wasn't just a holiday tour for HM but it was a search towards her mental peace. To find out if it was right of her being atheist all her life?

Her chain of thoughts got disturbed as someone poke her arms standing between the gap of cabins in the bus. "Akhari bar puchne aaye hai luggage kahi aur adjust krke de aapko?!", Asked KS who had no plan on helping the latter but her father insisted seeing HM sitting uncomfortable due to tones of bags. HM looked down towards the latter sternly answered, "Na ka matlab samaj nahi aata aapko?! Keh diya na ham manage kar lenge pareshan mat karo ab!!"

That definitely hit KS's nerves as she walked away without answering her anything. "Dad! unko jaise bethna hai bethengi! Aapne theka nahi le rakha hai sabka. Chaliye aapke bethne ka intejam kar dete hai ham..", KS said to her father grabbing him with her as she knew her father won't move without her stern behavior and will keep doing social work whole night without any rest if he has to.