Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Lets Go Away...together and forever!

Continued from the previous part
http://www.sarkartimes247.com/2017/08/continued-from-previous-part.html


                                                         Pic courtsey: (c) Rohitash Hurla, 2012. Location: Sinhagad Fort, Pune.

"Now? what next? You are not going to school without your bag..or are you?" her eyes grew bigger and wearing an upset face Kavya was looking more beautiful than ever to Pankaj.
Pankaj giggled a little.
"I never thought i would be talking to you for so long. I so love my schoolbag now." He was happy.
"Huh? Okayzzz... I am getting late now. My friend, Supriya will join me soon. Time to go now. Bye Pankoo. I have to catch a bus to Khadakwasla. Its really far and i am getting late. Bye" She turned her face back and stood there only with her arms crossed and looking up as if she doesn't want to talk anymore. She soon started humming one of her favorite songs.
Pankaj turned away his face from hers. He stepped back a little. His eyes again searching for the bag.
He asked the man standing right next to him. "Dada, have you seen any bag? a school bag. Blue color? with a superman? Red wala superman?Inside it there was my lunch box. I kept that bag here only. Have you seen dada?"
No response came from the person who was busy staring his wrist watch and adjusting it as if someone has tied the time telling device and he is not able to get rid of it. Pankaj waited for his response. He shook his head in negative and attended a call, "Hey Shalu... my wife is waiting for me dear. I can not come right now. You know your friend Rashmi very well. Imagine what would happen if she gets to know everything about us what will....hey Shalu listen, hey..okay where you want to go? Okay...I will be there. Hmmm some twenty minutes? Okay?Bye." The call got disconnected and his eyes met Pankaj's sad little face. "Kaay Pahije? I haven't seen anything. Now go!" "Hey Rashmi, Ho... I will be a little late darling, Mera jo boss hai na he has given me a very big assignment. I need to stay back at office. Ha....on my way to office right now. Sorry darling. Is Shruti alright? You gave her the medicines no...?... that i gave her last night. The doctor told me Shruti will recover once she completes this course. Yea...What about Chintu? School gaya? Okay..Hey..will call you after I am free okay? Chalo Bye..Love you darling." He disconnected the call and started running towards the bus which was already crowded.

With teary eyes, Pankaj saw the man finally get to board the bus. Some commuters who were hanging near the doors started beating the man for such unauthorised entry. Life is like that only. Pankaj collected his thoughts and started visualizing the angry face of his mother.  Her ever abusing attitude towards him and how she locks him in his room as a part of punishment. His mother will beat the hell out of him. He remembered the last time he lost his only pair of black leather shoes during a cricket match in neighborhood.
"Kaay? Laad sahab ban gaye ho? Did your father saved enough for us? Are we that rich Pakeya? Answer me? where are your shoes?Where are your shoes??"  With a raised voice and red eyes she started scolding her son.
"Aai, Mala mahiti nahi. I lost them somewhere i don't know!" *And then the regular event started which was nothing new to Pakeya.*
Pankaj would sit in a corner of his small room crying and remembering his father while holding his left cheek. The warm tears rolling down his cheek started tasting sour rather than salty.It was never sweet either. The day he lost his father, he didn't cry.He would take out his marbles one by one and place them down on the floor. One by one he took out three blue, two green and one black marble. "Suresh, Rohit, Mangala, Baba, Aai.....Hmm...Hmmm...Kavita."

He turned back to Kavya. She was going towards the bus with her friend Supriya.
"No, i will not go home. I will not go home. Mi Ghari Janar Nahi..Nahi."
He started running towards Kavya as if he wanted to see her once again. The two girls busy chatting entered the bus and managed the window seats near towards the exit.The other commuters were entering the bus ready to go on a journey for more than one hour long. The bus driver honked for the last time. The conductor standing near the exit door shouted monotonously, "Khadakwasla,Warje, Kothrud Stand...Chala Chala..."
Pankaj didn't want to lose the opportunity.He didn't care about his lost school bag, neither he cared when he lost many such gifts of life. He never had such a great desire to meet Kavya before. He felt as if his legs were taking him towards Kavya effortlessly. Because this time he had reasons. Reasons to not return back. Reasons that he wanted someone to believe him. Reasons that Kavya cared for him knowingly how stupid he was. All his sorrows vanished into thin air which was becoming heavy with his heart full of emotions and willingness to talk to Kavya.
And he jumped on the bus finally. His both hands now firmly taking hold of the door handle on which he was still hanging and smiling towards Kavya.
"Kuthe?" asked the thin mustached man in his fifties tapping his vending machine towards Pankaj.
"Shevtche Station...Khadakwasla. Last Station...Khadakwasla!" Again he heard the same voice..this time the voice had melody . Apna Pankoo smiled back to the bus conductor and showed him his journey pass," Khadakwasla." His eyes shining. Tears nowhere to be seen.

Pankaj took a deep breath hanging by the doors. His eyes met Kavya's who was watching him carefully without paying any attention to Supriya's gossips anymore. Pankoo,almost hanging from the doors took out the only black marble from his shirt's pocket and showed it to Kavya .

"Kavita...see. This is for you."

Kavya watched him with surprise and smiled back. Her little , just a little smile made the most perfect dimple for the two little souls ready to take a journey long and for ever.

What will you do when you find the journey more beautiful than the destination?
Will Kavya and Pankaj continue their journey together? To know further...please have a little patience as picture abhi baaki hai mere dost.


~to be continued~

~PS~ 08.08.2017