The wasted souls (Completed)

Chapter 7

Rasiklal's roar had lost its steam, and he appeared to be a broken man. His only son now was always was in a drunken stupor to drown the sorrows left by the death of his lover. Rasiklal's own status was going downslide, along with yet another broken marriage alliance of his son. People started to talk behind his back, and even Raman confronted him. Many theories and rumors began to do the rounds in the sleepy town of Sahaya.

But Rasiklal was not to be intimidated, and he set out to do the damage control. Authorities pressured Acharya to close the case citing no witnesses. When he refused to bow to the pressure, they removed him from the case. Witnesses turned hostile, and ultimately the file was successfully closed after six months. Raman and his family left the town, but Acharya knew that they coerced him into leaving. Before he left, Acharya managed to hand him over his wife's body to cremate with all rituals. No one came forward to claim the other woman's body and hence the funeral had been carried out as per rules.

Rumors slowly died down, and so once again, the town and its conscience slept, better to say was buried deep down. But something good came out of it all when finally, the much-awaited transfer, applied by Acharya, was approved.

Acharya was to leave in a fortnight and was on his way to meet some people he had good relations with during his tenure in Sahaya. One such person was the station master Shantilal.

As he reached the road outside the station, he saw a figure at the platform standing precariously at the edge and was swaying back and forth with a bottle in hand. Then he saw another figure seated on the bench watching the drunken man. He had recognized both the men as his feet carried him towards them. But then at a loud hoot his heart missed a beat, and his feet halted. The train was approaching, and as far as he knew no trains stopped at this station at this time. Naturally, it was to pass on without stopping and would be racing at a very high speed.

He now broke into a run and screamed at the top of his voice, "Stop him! pull him back!", but the loud hoot of the approaching train, that was now speeding away in front of Acharya, drowned his voice of plea, taking the swaying man with it. A few seconds more, and probably he would have saved the man, but it was fated to happen.

Out of breath, he stopped near the bench. The train slowly sank into the darkness of the night with another hoot. Then he glanced at the man sitting on the bench.

"Why didn't you stop him?!" Acharya screamed at the beggar.

"Why should I have? It was his decision, why should I have interfered?"

"You could have saved a life?"

"Life! that was his. It took him a lot of courage to die...but did not have the same to live and fight. He didn't have anyone to live for, and had lost his purpose in life,"

"What do you mean by that, it took a lot of courage for him?"

"He came here every day at this time and tried many times before to end his life, while I watched him. At first, I saved him and then warned him, but he kept on coming, then I stopped interfering when I saw that he was merely testing the waters but would not seriously jump in. But today...," the beggar stopped and sighed.

"Do you know who he was?"

"Yes, the Haveli's heir,"

"Yes, Ramnath,"

"Manohar!" someone hailed him from behind, and he turned around to see Shantilal approaching him.

"Shantilal," Acharya greeted him.

"What happened?" Shantilal saw the serious look on his friend's face and threw a puzzled look at the beggar.

"One more death,"

"What! Where! Who?" his questions chipped in with a horror contour and was promptly pointed in the direction.

"Did you know the person?"

"Yes, it was Ramnath, Rasiklal's son,"

"What!! Oh my god!!" he cried and ran towards the edge of the platform. And then sprinted the length to its right and left. After having confirmed with his own eyes, his tired feet carried him towards them and then let out a deep sigh.

"It's a mess. I do not know how Rasiklal will take it. But have to inform him and take care of other formalities,"

"Do not inform him now. Let him sleep for a while more. It is going to be his last anyway," Acharya said and willed his feet to carry him home. Before that, he visited his police station and to do the needful.

The sleepy town woke up to the news of another death. Everyone merely sympathized over it through the morning tea and breakfast, and then forgotten by lunch. For Rasiklal though, even tears had dried in his eyes at the sight of his son's dead body. There were strangers all around him but no shoulders to cry on. The only known face was that of Acharya, who had come to pay his respects. Death was the ultimate truth for mankind, and beyond that, one had no power.

Within a week of his son's departure, death visited the Haveli again, and this time it was Raskilal's sick wife whose soul had departed. Now he was truly lonely, and there was nothing in this death that could have shaken him. His son was his true beacon of light, and he had lost it.

It was Acharya's last day at the Sahaya station, and his subordinates arranged a small farewell for him. Maybe, fate had brought that visitor to him on that day. Raskilal entered his cabin to his surprise. Unshaven, with empty hollow eyes and stooping shoulders, was the figure that stood in front of him. When allowed, he seated himself. Acharya's keen eyes followed his every movement. Peace of mind was more valuable than money was the sudden thought that came over him looking at Rasiklal.

"What can I do for you, Raskilalji?"

"Eh! Ha..yes. I had a request,"

"What sort of request?"

"You had mentioned that my son...I mean...that woman...that who died, had a child,"

"Yes, what about it?"

"Can I have that child...to care of...I mean...to bring it up,"

"But you refused to acknowledge that woman had anything to do with your son and now the case is closed. Now on what basis do you want that child?" Acharya felt no sympathy for the man before him, but deep down anger ignited in him, and he held it low.

"I...know. Is there no way I can get the child? You know I can pay a lot of money to appease anyone in this,"

"You still believe that money can solve all your problems after what happened to your son? Even if you wanted nothing can be done now because the child has already been adopted by another family,"

"What!" after that disappointing news, he said nothing more and left the station carrying his pathetic self, back to be buried once again in the deep shit hole of his money.