“What? Kabir, have you gone insane?”
“Sejal, please! Atleast, tu to aisa mat kar. I know I am sounding like a madman right now. But, do you clearly remember that I didn’t go anywhere last night?”
“Hell yes! You were at your home yesterday. Your neighbour was complaining to me. He couldn’t sleep because of you, man! You were snoring like a pig.”
He let out a sigh and facepalmed himself.
“Are you suffering from amnesia or what?”,she furrowed her brows.
“Wait, wait, wait! Salary na badhne ki wajah se tu depression mein to nhi chala gaya?”
“Seriously? Tujhe meri bezzati karne ke siva koi kaam nhi hai kya?”
She clicked her tongue and nodded negatively while he rolled his eyes.
“Ok. Thanks.”
“Dekh Kabir, tu apni professional life mein itna doob gaya hai, ki you’ve started hallucinating. Take a break and chill. Maybe you feel better.”
She gave him a sympathetic look and walked outside.
Kabir looked at himself in the mirror. There was a slight cut near his throat, just like he had seen in the nightmare. It looked fresh and he couldn’t rememeber getting hurt recently.
“Kabir, I know that you are a dutiful offive but you’re being reckless. Vansh is like a storm, that destroys everything that comes in his way. He has brutally killed countless innocent people and needless to say, if you continue this behaviour, you’ll be his next prey. Not in vain have I grown white hair on my head. Son, I have seen the world more than you have. You are a young man. Don’t play with fire, you might get burnt.”
“But, uncle…”, he tried protesting.
“Maine pandrah saal iss desh ki seva ki hai. Aur kitne hi mujrimon se paala pada hai. Tajurbe se keh raha hoon, iss bande se door raho, to hi tumhare liye achcha hoga. Ye main ek retired officer ki haisiyat se nhi bol rha hoon. Ek aam insaan ki salaah de rha hoon.
Baaki, tumhe samjhana to bhains ke aage been bajane jaisa hai. Best of luck, Inspector Kabir.”
The ringing of his phone broke his reverie. Shrugging his thoughts, he answered the call.
……..
Riddhima lighted a diya near a lady’s picture and offered some jasmine flowers.
The frame had a garland hung around it and the woman looked quite old.
“I’m sorry, Dadi.
I didn’t realize that whatever I was doing would affect you too.
I was reckless, but you could have corrected me.
You could have confronted me, scolded me, slapped me, I wouldn’t mind.
You could have guided me to the right path.
Then, why didn’t you do it?
You were the one who always told me to keep trying.
Then, why did you yourself accept defeat?”
Wiping her tears, she folded her hands and prayed for her soul to rest in peace.
“Jab zinda thi, tab to unhe itna bada shock diya ki vo heart-attack se hi chal basin.
To ab ye dhong kaisa?
Unki aatma ko shanti tabhi milegi, jab tumhe tumhare karmon ki sazaa milegi.
Anyways, tum to ab khush hogi na. Hmare poore parivar ko bikherne mein successful jo ho gyi tum. Ab karo aish. Aur ye ghadiyaali aansoon bahane ka drama mat karo, please! Koi pighalne nahi wala hai tumhare so-called guilt pe.”
“Aree re re re! Ab ye to vahi baat ho gyi na, ulta chor kotwaal ko daanthe. Dusron par ungli uthane se pehle, ek baar khud apne girebaan mein jhaank lena. Tum mere beete hue kal ko kuredne se zyada dhyan apne future ke baare mein sochne par lagao.
Aur ab kukarmon ki baat chali hi hai to aise bhot se kaand tumne bhi kiye honge. Apne raaz dil mein dabaye rakho. Vo kya hai na, deewaron ke bhi kaan hote hain.
Kya pata kisi din…Boom! Aur tumhara parda faash ho jaye.“
She smirked devilishly, which made Ishani gulp in fear. Realizing that it was better not to mess with her, she disappeared in seconds.
“Well, glycerine does wonders…”, she chuckled while wiping away the fake tears.
………
Riddhima was sitting on the steps of the mandir.
The same place she once considered her home, but not anymore.
The god whom she considered as her mentor, her friend, her everything stood numb when the love of her life was dying in front of her eyes. He refused to listen to her prayers when she needed him the most. And that day, she realized, that the God she believed in, never existed. The deity she worshipped all her life, was just a carving made of stone.
Her trance was broken when she felt a pat at her shoulder.
“Beta, prasad…”, the pundit spoke, gesturing her to bring her palm forward but she plainly refused.
“Beta, prasad ko mana nhi karte. Ishwar rusht ho jaenge.”, the elderly man replied in a soft tone.
“Jis bhagwaan ka ye prasad hai, uss par se bharosa uth gaya hai mera. Jab waapas vo mera vishwaas jeet lega, to khud aakar ye prasaad grahan karungi.”, she gave him a tight-lipped smile and went away.
………
“Kya baat hai, Ishani?Aaj badi khush dikh rahi ho.”, Anupriya asked Ishani, whose smirk grew wider.
“Vo kya hai na, Mom. Aaj hum sabka sar-dard khatam hone jaa rha hai, humesha-humesha ke liye. You know what I mean?”
“What do you want to say?”, she asked, perplexed.
“Hmara sabse bada dushman kaun hai?”, she raised her brows at her.
“Riddhima!”, she said, matter-of-factly.
“Wait! What did you do to her?”, Anupriya asked bewildered, realizing what Ishani meant to say.
……..……..
What do you think Ishani has done to hurt Riddhima?
Does Riddhima really know any of Ishani’s dark secrets or is she just frightening her?