Reborn to love

Raaz Ka Pehla Panna

Part 7

The dark sky was illuminated with shining stars. He stood by the window and gazed out at the shadows that cast a silhouette at the horizon. The position of the stars indicated it was close to midnight. Though he wasn't great in any of the subjects as he wasn't a studious kid ever, his uncanny ability to remember everything that he read saw or heard inadvertently had earned him the tag of a genius throughout school and college without much effort.

"Bhaiyya, aapka khana laga doon. Bahut der ho gayi hai. Munna Pandit bhi chale gaye hai. MAalik pataa nahi kab tak lautenge. Koi phone bhi nahi aaya." Ramdhari reminded him about dinner.

"Nahi Ramdhari, khane ka bilkul mann nahi hai. 12 bajne ko hai par jane Nanu kahan reh gaye?" Sameer was concerned while Ramdhari was surprised that without glancing towards the clock even once, he knew the time, neither was he wearing a wristwatch.

Sameer closed his eyes and withour realizing blurted, jaake darwaza khol, shayad koi aaya hai". Before Ramdhari had a moment to be surprised, the doorbell chimed. Ramdhari's eyes widened but he left to answer the door, assuming that it would be Maalik and Sameer might have just heard his car or so.

When he opened, there was no one in sight. He stepped out on the verandah and called out, "kaun hai?" When no one answered, he called out again, "arre bell kisne bajayi, kaun hai?" When still no one answered and he couldn't spot anyone, he turned to go back inside but spotted an envelope lying near the threshold. He picked it up and went inside and shut the door when Sameer appeared, "kaun tha Ramdhari?"

"Koi dikha nahi Bhaiyya, par yeh lifafa pada tha darwaze par". Ramdhari handed him the envelope.

Sameer removed the letter from the envelope and opened it with care. It seemed to be a little old as the corners had started to dog out and the edges yellowed. Sameer started reading it, "mere pyare chotu se Sameer", Sameer was surpised as only his Nanu addressed him so, "ise akele mein padhna" was the first line and so without reading, he scanned to the name of the writer in the bottom, "Nanu" was all it was written.

Sameer was surprised but followed the instructions. "Ramdhari, tu so ja. Raat bahut ho gayi hai. Shayad Nanu kahi kaam mein atak gaye honge...woh aa jayenge toh hum khana kha lenge".

Ramdhari never liked going to bed without feeding his Maalik and Bhaiyya but he had gotten used to as the situation arose often as Maalik was too occupied with work and Bhaiyya didn't stay at home all the time but rather with his friends. He left leaving Sameer alone with the letter.

Sameer went with to his roomwith the letter, shut and locked the door and sat on the edge of the bed and started reading.

"Mere pyare chotu se Sameer, ise akele mein padhna.
Aur agar tu yeh chiththi padh raha hai toh iska matlab hai ki tumhara janamdin ka din pura ho gaya aur kisi wajah se main tere saath nahi hoon. Maine tujhse vaada kiya tha ki tujhe teri Maa se milaaunga. Maine bahut koshishein ki thi sab kuch janne aur samajhne ki. Par beta, kayi saari aisi baatein hai jo main khud theek se na jaan paaya hoon na samajh paaya hoon. Tere atharvein janamdin se har saal tere liye ek chiththi likh kar rakhta hoon taaki agar main tujh tak na pahuchu toh yeh tujh tak pahuch jaaye.

Itne saal se main kaamyaab raha tha tujhe duniya se chupakar rakhne mein. Par shayad aaj na rakh paun. Aur sahi bhi hai, Vishakha ne mujhe aagah kiya tha ki apni jawani mein kadam rakhte hi apne janamdin par tu apne aap se milega. Buss main yeh nahi jaanta ki woh din kaun sa tha.

Aaj tujhe tere janm se jude kuch raaz batana chahta hoon.
Meri Beti aur teri Maa Vishakha ek bahut achchi, khoobsurat aur intelligent ladki thi. Usne apna graduation khatm kar liya tha, University top karke. Aur mujhe apna vaada nibhana pada tha. Use bachpan se hi pahadon mein ghumna bahut pasand tha. Issliye maine usse vaada kiya tha ki agar woh top karegi toh use uski pasan ki jagah pe trekking par jane dunga, pura ek mahina. Uss waqt mujhe nahi pataa tha ki mera yeh ek vaada, hum donon ki zindagiyon ka rukh hamesha ke liye badal dega. Vishakha akeli Gangtok chali gayi aur pure ek mahine baad wapas aayi. Lekin jo wapas aayi woh meri Beti nahi thi. Bilkul badal gayi thi...padhayi aur mere business mein interest lene wali ladki buss chup chap apne aap mein rehti.
Ek baar aadhi raat ko maine use ghar se bahar jaate hue dekha aur uske peeche gaya. Tab maine use ek naujwaan se milte dekha...woh bahut zyaada handsome ladka tha par uski aankhon mein ek ajeeb si chamak thi. Kuch aisa jo use baakiyon se hatkar banata tha. Aur meri Beti raat ko akele mein chupkar use gale mil rahi thi. Baad mein bahut puchne par mujhe pataa chala ki woh use Gangtok mein mili thi aur pyar karne lagi hai. Mujhe prem vivaah se koi aitraaz nahi tha par na Vishakha mujhe uske baare mein kuch aur batane ko taiyyar thi aur na hi usse milawane ko. Aur kuch din baad, ek chiththi chodkar chali gayi ki woh apni nayi duniya basane ja rahi hai.

Maine use dhoondhne ki bahut koshish ki par aisa laga jaise woh buss gayab ho gayi...jaise ki woh na chahti ho ki koi use dhoondh paaye. Iss ghatna ke lagbhag ek saal baad, ek din achanak tu mujhe ghar ke darwaze par mila, gehri neend mein. Aur Vishakha ki likhi hui ek chiththi ki uska beta Sameer sahi waqt par aankhein kholega. Aur tab tak tujhe insaanon ki tarah zinda rakhna hoga. Teri asaliyat duniya se chupani hogi kyonki tu bahut khaas hai.

Sameer, tujhe yeh janakar hairani hogi ki apne janm ke lagbhag chaar saal baad tune aankhein kholi aur insaan ke bachche ki tarah roya. Iss baat ke gawah sirf main, Munshiji aur Ramdhari ke pitaji Gangadhar the. Humne tujhe chupakar zinda rakha chaar saal tak. Main nahi janta beta ki tera pitaah kaun hai, kya naam hai, buss tu uske jaisa bahut handsome dikhta hai. Shayad usne apne kuch aur gunn bhi tujhe diye ho par main kuch nahi janta. Vishkha ne apni chiththi mein likha tha ki usse judi har yaad mita doon...taaki tu surakshit rahe. Issliye tujhe kanoonan godd lekar apna naam de diya.

Main janta hoon beta ki apni Maa se aur apne janm se jude kayi sawal honge tere mann mein. Par main isse zyaada kuch nahi janta. Apne sawalon ke jawab tujhe khud dhoondhne honge. Uske liye yeh kunji aur tera pyaar tujhe raasta dikhayega.

Yaad rakhna Sameer beta, hamesha apne dil ki sunna aur aankh bandh karke sirf apne sachche pyaar pe bharosa karna".  Nanu.

The letter ended, rendering Sameer very emotional that he started to pace restlessly. Rather than answering the questions plaguing him since childhood, Nanu had left a maize of jigsaw puzzle and he was clueless about anything. He was no longer sure of who he was and his origins and his legacy. But recollecting his memories, Nanu had never said that his parents had passed away or that he was an orphan, he had just assumed by the way his Nanu talked about his mother in past tense. He had also weaved a bunch of stories about surprises and wishes when he had asked about his mother or some picture or any physical memory attached to things or places. So, who was this man his mother eloped with? And if Nanu was not against love marriage, what was the need to elope in the first place? She had instructed Nanu to keep him safe for several years but why hadn't she disclosed anything about his father or his ancestry? He didn't even know the name of his birth father or who he was or where did he come from? And why did his mother have to bandon him at birth? Was she still alive? What about his father? Where was Nanu? And most important of all questions, how come he woke up after 4 years of his birth? How was it even possible? How could he have survived for such a long period outside his mother's body? And the realisation hit and the bottom of his stomach dropped. Was he even human?

He was plagued by the number of questions when the key rattled in the envelope still in his hand. He removed and examined it against the light. It didn't seem to be a normal key to any cupboard, at least not in the house. It was very fashionably designed, made from brass. It was a finely carved piece of metal. He had no clue where it would fit and which door would it unlock that would reveal his true identity. He was about to place it on the table, when the light falling on it illuminated the inside of the top ring part. Upon a closer look, he could read "Sameer" inscribed clearly, indicating that Nanu had long back planned and readied for this day. So where was Nanu and why didn't he tell him all these things in person? And why did he wait for all these years?

The thoughts bugged him and unknowingly, he went to the window to gaze out in the starry night. He had no idea what was his way forward and what was he supposed to do. He also had to find where Nanu was and ensure that he was ok. His heart wasn't somersaulting or he would know if something bad would have happened to him. Looking back, he realized that he always had this preternatural ability to sense trouble or some kind of doom. Wasn't that how he had sensed that that special female was in trouble.

He closed his eyes and involuntarily his hand rubbed his heart and his thoughts drifted to her scent and voice. He wasn't tying hard to connect but there was a dull burn on his chest and something flashed in his mind.