THE MAN HELP - By Ocean Singh

- CHAPTER 21 -

- CHAPTER 21 -

AN EXPAND

In spite of the evening hours and the serene quiet it holds, there was another silence in the car, which was getting unstable time to time and the four people sitting-in could feel it easily. No one initiates any talk except a query of one word or two and answers of the same count of words in return.

Gautam, knowing the fact of his next would be world, starts speaking to Vaani who's sitting beside him in the back seat.

"Remember the last ride we all had in the car?"

Vaani smiling agrees – "yeah."

"You were in the driving seat! And Sona was in your place."

"Yeah." - Vaani keeps smiling and nodding she tell – "I remember."

Tushar and Akshay shares a gaze in the front seats.

"That was some ride!" - Vaani chuckles and Gautam continues – "Never imagined I would experience something of that kind in my life ever."

Vaani pressing her lips with some helplessness looks at him. Gautam notices. – "Nah, don't be sad, I'm just saying. Now I have new fresh times spent with both of you to recall and relive." - Vaani grabs his hand. "These years in that cell, there was hardly a thing or two to make me smile. Sona and her stories, our talks.." - He looks at Vaani. – "I always miss those evenings. We used to play so much, in that park. And sometimes..." - He takes a pause as he whelms up with emotion, Vaani puts her another hand on his hand holding tightly. - "You know those evenings, everyday they were alike. Same things used to happen. People sitting outside their houses, kids playing, vehicles running on the roads, same rant and gossip of people. So many things happening in that one view, in that moment and the cycle goes on, until the sun sets and everyone gets on with their work for the night now." - Vaani listening calmly to his words sits a bit blank when Gautam looks into her eyes now deeply and keeps talking. - "I have lived the same evenings all these years, in the prison. That one view - on and on and on. Everything piece to piece seemed alike to me. People sitting in the ground - watching something. Prisoners who have become friends maybe enjoying their time. Those sound of the vehicles running on the roads outside the prison walls and those never ending rants and gossips! But you know what, when I sit their everyday, in that open area, looking around those things, every evening - there was this one thing, which I missed. It was with me when I was sitting in the park ten years back. I miss the talk. Talking to friends. Talking to you. They all were doing what they suppose to. I was doing it while sitting with you. Making every evening different and meaningful. I'm happy I have got a chance to have one more evening just like them. I missed it in prison... There were people but there was no friend, who just sits there and listens to my rant, like now you're doing. Like we did in.." - Vaani puts her arms around him and hugs him tightly, having flood of tears in her eyes.

Unable to avoid listening to the talk running in back-seat, Akshay pushes the race. Tushar noticing him now puts a hand on his shoulder. Then he turns to back coming into the conversation

"Hey guys, we can take a small break, stretch our legs a bit. It's a long way to go still."

Gautam and Vaani nods. Tushar turns back to front looking at Akshay now.

"Come on buddy, let's stop at the next rest-area."

"Yeah." - Akshay replies and keeps riding the car.

******

Around 11 in the night, the car stops at a rest area after crossing Kanpur and heading to Lucknow now. Everyone gets out of the car. Gautam and Vaani heads to washrooms when the helping boys stays at the car, waiting. Feeling the wait getting longer, Akshay lightens a cigarette and offers the box to Tushar, he takes one out and lights it while Akshay starts speaking.