“Where am I?” Shyam asked, his eyes scanning his surroundings. He was in four white enormous walls, a totally strange place for him.
He heard the words but couldn’t put them together.
“I can’t understand.” He whispered.
Again he heard the same obscure voices.
“Where am I?” he shouted.
“Please, be calm.” Someone said, “Don’t be angry it makes you unconscious again.”
“Where am I?” he repeated the same.
“In hospital.”
“Am I alive?”
“The dead man asks no questions.” the man replying him smiled.
“Who are you?” he asked.
“I’m doctor Verma.” Was the answer.
Doctor and hospital those two words made him calm. The doctor gave him some injections and snaked out tubes from his nostrils.
“Have you any problem in breathing?” the doctor asked, removing IV from his forehead.
“No,” he mumbled.
Doctor noded on his answer and left the room.
After some minutes the door opened and charmi entered in.
“Thank god you are alive.” He said, trying to smile.
“Yes, perhaps god also like a happy ending.” She smiled back and stood on a stool near his bed.
“Why you stopped Viktor’s bullet?” she had tears, “you can get down and save your self.”
“Because you were in my dreams.”
“Really?”
“Yes,” he said, “is any news about Archana?”
“No news about her. All the TV channels are showing news from you. If she is in this country she must have come here.” She said, “it was head’s idea. They have appealed in media to come her but she hasn’t.”
“Why the head did so?”
“Because you are alive due to her.”
“How?”
“Ambulance staff told us you were speaking her name while they got you. The nurse played as Archana and that’s why you didn’t go into a coma.”
“If Archana was alive she must have come.” He said. He knew if Archana has heard about what had happened with him no one could stop her to come to him but she didn’t come means she isn’t alive.
“I came instead of her.” Charmi said, “I felt you will be happy seeing me.”
“I’m.” he said, “You are Archana.”
“What?” she asked, feeling happy.
“Haven’t I told you about my dream?”
“You have.” She said, “That dream has done all this. And I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“To change the meaning of your dream.”
“It was pre-decided. In the dream, you were speaking the same words that child of Anjali was also in every dream.” He said, “how is that child?”
“The child is safe to his father.”
“His father?” he shocked, “Anjali?”
“She is no more.”
“She had called Archana and warned her about Viktor that’s why they killed her.”
“I know.”
“When did you get conscious?”
“The same day but I wasn’t allowed to leave the hospital.” She said, “as soon as I got the leave I came to Delhi to see you.”
“I’m in Delhi?”
“Yes.”
“Why not in Chandigarh?”
“Doctor has removed all the bullets from your body except one near the spinal cord.” She said, “To remove it they have to transfer you to Delhi hospital.”
Shyam smiled to himself, thinking about his life.
“WNN’s reporters are coming for your interview.”
“What should I tell them?”
“All the truth.”
“Why?”
“That butcher house had CCTV and the gun which had killed Viktor has your fingerprints.” She said, “For last week people are seeing you on TV.”
“So I should enjoy some years in the jail?” he said, for all this goodness.
“No.”
“Why?” he said, “I know the law of my country.”
“Yes, but what if you are a secret agent?”
“Secret agent?”
“Yes, the head has declared you as agent Malik.” She said, “no one knows where he is?”
“And?”
“And you are declared as a special agent of Haryana government so the home minister will win the next election.”
“Opposition party. Don’t they have doubt?”
“No, agent Malik’s file is years old. Nothing to doubt.”
“Good. He should pay me a debt.”
“What?”
“Due to him, I have spent three months in the dark caller. Now his file will keep me out from the prison.” Shyam exhaled a deep breath of relaxation.
“Can I send reporters now?” charmi asked, leaving the stool.
“WNN cannel.” Shyam murmured, “I haven’t heard before..”
“A new channel from Delhi. After your interview, it would have a good name. The owner of it is the nephew of Delhi commissioner that’s why they have got chance for your interview while other reputed channels are waiting in the queue.” Informed charmi before leaving the room.
‘Agent Malik’ Shyam chuckled, unaware that he wasn’t dead yet. He was breathing somewhere but having lost his memory due to the bullets of Simon.
Shyam didn’t need to wait too long. A reporter entered as soon as charmi left out.
*
At evening doctors shifted him to a general room from the ICU. Charmi took care of him like a close relative till he was able to get on his feet again.
Those days of Charmi’s constant care told him she was feeling for him. The same feeling he was feeling for Archana.
She couldn’t hide her heart till long. The day doctor allowed Shyam to leave the hospital she proposed him to marry with her.
Shyam wasn’t ready to forget Archana but he didn’t want charmi to suffer the same pain which he was suffering. How can he make her suffer when she had many favours on him?
Charmi’s proposal got warm approval from him.
***
Beginning In The End
EPILOGUE
September 21, 2017.
Shyam got out of the bathroom. He put flowers to photos of his father, Archana and kajal. Lit five holy sticks. He had brought Kajal and his father's photos from Gujrat before somedays. Today Rameshvar Shashtri was smiling at him as if saying him don’t worry about Kajal, I’m with her.
“Today the Navaratri starts. You need to visit the market to buy things for POOJA and CHUNARI for MATAJI.” Charmi said.
He wiped the corner of his eyes and smiled.
Archana had told him the same, on the Navratri when they were with each other. Just the difference was small – charmi call him by his name while Archana calls him with respect as an Indian wife.
Charmi didn’t as they have drunk with each other, lit cigarettes and played most dangerous fights. They were friendlier than husband and wife.
Though, after marriage, Charmi had given up smoking and drink. The doctor had warned her to stop them before thinking about pregnancy.
She gave up in a day. She had lived as a best agent, a best friend then best wife and now she wanted to be the best mother.
Shyam changed into formal clothes and went to the market. He bought things for POOJA. He bought two CHUNRI for MATAJI, one behalf of Charmi and another on behalf of Archana.
Charmi offered both CHUNARI to MATAJI. Charmi also knew Archana had never left Shyam. She would be always in his heart.
Then they both closed eyes and prayed to godess.
“What did you ask?” he asked as they opened eyes.
“Guess?”
“Son.”
“No, I asked for a child.” She smiled, “son or daughter depends on the wish of goddess.”
*
Whenever Archana (Surabhi) would see Shlok she thought only one thing – how happy Shyam would be if he had seen his son.
It was hard for a handicapped girl to raise the child alone. To feed him, his wash, his mischievous, his stubbornness, his sleep, weren’t easy. It was a test for her but she managed to pass it. She did every duty of a mother without getting irritated. The hardest thing was motherhood for her as she wasn’t able to walk with her, she needed a stick to walk. She couldn’t manage to walk when her son is pressed to her chest like other women. She wanted to do it but she couldn’t.
Though her lap was the best place for Shlok to play and sleep when she was seated.
But luckily, the girls of the school where she was teaching were kind and loved to play with a child. Shlok became favourite of all of them. Most of the time he was in hand of one or another person. Everyone adored him as his mother was a handicap.
When Archana would in school she had kept a village woman to take care of Shyam. The students and other teachers had supported her too much.
When Shlok was for five months, the cradle wasn’t enough for him. he started to come out of the cradle, hoping and on his own. Archana couldn’t gather how a child of five months can hope out the cradle.
Sometimes it made her worry.
How naughty he would be when he grows up?
And what would I say when he asks me about his father?
Should I tell him the fact? The fact that Viktor has killed his father?
No, I won’t.
If I’ll, he will leave me to get revenge.
I’ll never tell him the fact. She decided.
*
November 9, 2017.
Shyam and charmi came home from the hospital. In the morning when they had gone to visit the doctor, they were two but when they returned they were three – Shyam, Charmi and their little daughter RANO.
Shyam named her Rano as Archana wanted that name if they have a daughter. Archana’s dreams were being fulfilled but in her absence.
“Rano and Archana share the same birthday.” Charmi had said seeing him sad, “don’t be sad.”
Shyam felt happy that Charmi remembered Archana's birthday. Perhaps she would also love Archana.
Rano made him painless. Day by day he started to live happily with Rano as she was little Archana for him.
Whenever he would see Rano’s little eyes he could she Archana’s dreams inside them.
‘Archana lives in your eyes.’ He sometimes whispers to her.
Once Archana had told him to write a story of their love. She had insisted to write their love story to tell it to the world. For the last six months, Shyam was fulfilling Archana's that wish. She was writing the story of their love and lives.
He ended the story with the birth of RANO. Still unable to decide whether the story is a happy end or not.
*
Archana’s words were right. She would often say, “If you will our love story you will be rich.”
“Why?” Shyam would ask.
“Because until there is love in the world, people prefer our story to read.”
“Do you think I will sell my love for money?”
“No,”
“Then why should I write?”
“There are many Archana in the world; I want them all to have their Shyam.”
‘There are many Kajal too.’ He spoke in his mind. He had never told Archana bout Kajal. He didn’t want to think her his love as sympathy.
“Okay, I will write.”
Charmi too had helped him in writing. On 14, November he had met first time to Archana and on the same date of 2017 he finished their story. He published the book on the same date.
*
Surbhi (Archana) had limited option to spend the day. In the morning eight to the two of the noon, she would be in the school. After two of the noon, she spent time with Shlok or she would read any book. Librarian Mital had become one of her best friends.
She had read most of the books from last month’s purchase. Mital had told yesterday library had got a parcel of the books from the Jaipur and it had many new novels. Archana would mostly read English novels. She had read Millennium series twice and twilight series for five times. Hunger game and divergent was her favourite series.
Mital had told in that parcel they have got a debut novel of Indian English writer.
“Who is the author?” she had asked.
“Someone Shrama...” the answer would have shocked her if she was Archana but now she was Surabhi.
“Send the book at my room.” She had told, carelessly.
At evening a girl from grade seven got her that book.
When at eight of the evening Shlok fell asleep Archana had nothing to do. She opened that book. She read the title: In search of the dream.
She looked at the author name: Shyam Sharma. And her heart skipped a bit.
She started to read.
*
At midnight she finished the book. She had no tears in her eyes. Her eyes had been dried up due to the constant crying of four hours reading time. She was the first reader who knew more about the characters than the author himself.
*
When Shlok wake her up it was eight of the morning. She made tea and breakfast for him. She couldn’t eat anything. She went to Library with Shlok. She fumbled through old newspapers and saw a photo of Viktor’s dead body. It made her relaxed.
She saw photos of Shyam and Charmi.
Now she had no fear of Viktor. His fear had blocked his outgoing from the camp. After two years she went market and bought a phone and a sim card.
She called Shyam but the number she knew was out of service.
She signed up on Facebook and searched for Shyam's profile as she knew her profile would get her his number.
She opened Shyam's profile and saw a cute small girl’s face as a profile picture. Under the photo was reading – MY LITTLE PRINCESS RANO.
She fumbled through the whole profile and saw Shyam and Chrami’s couple photos.
As she had expected she got his number. She keyed in his number and was about to call him when someone in her head shouted at her – what are you doing?
One of your calls will ruin Charrmi’s life. You have Shlok, she has Rano. You have Shyam's memories, she has Shyam. Archana had read Shyam's book and she knew if Charmi wasn’t there to rescue him from the dark cellar, Shyam wouldn’t be alive. It was charmi who fulfilled her dream. Her dream of having Shyam’s two children – Shlok and Rano.
She liked the profile picture.
Shyam and Rano were in this world was the happiest thing for her. She didn’t care whose Shyam is – Chrami’s or hers.
She went to a sweet shop and looked at Shlok, “what will you like to eat?”
Shlok didn’t reply but pointed his little finger at BARFI.
She smiled. Shyam also liked BARFI.
“Give half a kilo BARFI.” She said to the shopkeeper, a smile on her face. They came at home in the school campus. She ate the sweets after a long time.
Shlok was staring at him while chewing Barfi.
*** The End***
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