by Dhiraj Singh
“Why are you crying, Rajni?”
Rajni remained silent and had her eyes closed, as though she was trying to hide her tears or something else from Umar.
She soon opened her eyes, winked at Umar and said softly, “You made me so horny last week. And I get to meet you only today after that. What else will I have other than tears in my eyes?”
“Yeah? Yeah? Let me dry the tears in your eyes and make you wet in other places now.”
Umar was at his naughty best. He rolled on top of Rajni. They did not need any foreplay today. At the end of the act, with Umar climaxing early for the first time, Rajni held his face in her hands and said, “Happy birthday dear! Meri umar bhi tujhe lag jaaye, Umar.”
“Thanks! But I am sorry, you didn’t seem to be enjoying that much today?”
“Nothing Umar! Just a long gap I suppose… Come on, tell me what shall we do for the rest of the day?”
“More of what we did just now?” Umar said, with a wicked smile on his face.
“Shut up! And get dressed soon. We shall go to a temple and then go out and eat somewhere before I take the evening flight back to Bangalore. Oh I am so sorry! You would want to go to a mosque first, right?” Rajni was sincerely apologetic about her mistake.
“No, no Rajni! I shall touch my parents’ feet after my bath. And that is more than a mosque for me.” Umar tried to make Rajni feel comfortable.
“I have a better idea! We shall go to the Lotus Temple, the Baha’i House of Worship,” Rajni bounced back promptly.
Umar knew that the Lotus Temple, besides being an architectural marvel, was also a religious melting pot, open to people from all religions. They reached there late morning. It was a sunny day, but quite cool. Umar and Rajni took a long walk around the various paths inside the twenty-six acres campus with several clean ponds and well-manicured gardens. Inside the main part of the petal structure of the building, both Rajni and Umar felt a strange calm embrace them.
“Looks like this is the ceasefire calmness after the bilateral treaty signed by our gods,” remarked Umar.
“Shhh… let’s just keep quiet and pray,” said Rajni. Her hands were folded already and her eyes were partially closed. Umar too closed his eyes and joined his hands with the fingers interlocked. He just heard the word ‘forgive’ a couple of times as Rajni mumbled her prayers.
They sat in meditation for another half an hour or so. Then, with their minds fully replenished, they decided to replenish their stomachs.
“Well, let’s go to Cyber Hub in Gurgaon. It’ a pretty cool place, I hear. And you can go straight to the airport from there,” Umar suggested as they walked towards their car outside the gates of the Lotus Temple.
“It’s your birthday, and I can’t say no to anything you say,” Rajni willingly acquiesced.
“Are you sure? Anything? Remember, we will be in the car soon. And there are good forest areas in Delhi too…” Rajni slapped Umar on his arms, before he could complete his sentence.
The Cyber Hub was a bubbling new haunt in Gurgaon for the young and old alike. On weekdays, the working professionals thronged the various restaurants within the campus. It resembled a bustling plaza in Singapore, with a variety of food—Indian, Indo-Chinese, Parsi, Bengali and fusion cuisine. There was no Hindu or Muslim food. The place was a fusion of Indian food, religions and culture.
“Fusion Indian seems to be the best choice. For us!” Rajni suggested, as they walked around the wide walkways of the hub. There was a large crowd in the large open area cheering wildly at a huge screen that was showing the India-Pakistan cricket match. Ahmed Shehzad was batting for Pakistan. Ahmed had a striking resemblance to India’s star batsman, Virat Kohli, in both looks and style.
“Oh, it’s Virat’s split playing,” said Umar, pointing towards the screen.
“Split? What rubbish!” Rajni dismissed him, without elaborating.
“I have to make sure you meet my friend Anil soon.”
“Tell me Umar, and don’t feel bad about me asking this, but do a lot of Muslims support Pakistan when they are playing some country other than India?” Rajni knew she was touching a delicate subject here. She held Umar’s hands tight.
Umar paused for a moment. He was happy Rajni had asked him this question. He had always thought of a right answer for this. He wanted his answer to go out to all the Hindu religious fanatics in the country. He knew Rajni was just an innocent bystander to all the political posturing in the country. But he was happy that they could discuss these topics openly. Sensitive topics were difficult to discuss and had the potency to create confusion. If Rajni could discuss a delicate topic with him with ease, he was convinced that they would be able to sort out any confusion or miscommunication in their married life later.
“Rajni, there are about five million Hindus in Indonesia. Do Hindus sit in front of their television sets and cheer for the famous Indonesian badminton players whenever they are playing? No na? Who has the time, boss? Other than our politicians who make up these imaginative theories to polarise us.”
“I fully agree, Umar! In sports, all we care for is our country and maybe a few favourite players.”
“Also some beautiful players like Maria Sharapova! Or Sabatini, for my father,” Umar said with a laugh.
They went inside the cosy café serving fusion Indian food. Orange drinks in small jars set a unique tone for the rest of the gastronomic voyage that afternoon. By the time the desserts were served, Umar and Rajni were full. But they could not resist the delightful presentation of the desserts with the chef personally preparing them on their table with liquid nitrogen and other such exotic ingredients.
“Umar, even when we are full, we still want to have these sinful and attractive desserts. Will we do the same in our marriage even if we are fully satisfied with each other?”
Umar was stumped for a while. He did not know whether to enjoy his dessert or give a satisfactory answer to Rajni. He finally chose the latter.
“We will then cook these sinful desserts at home only, Rajni. We don’t have to eat outside.”
Umar was satisfied with his cryptic yet appropriate answer.
“So you will make me cook more at home?” Rajni was not going to let it go, even on his birthday.
“You know, I have always wondered if my father actually loved my amma. Or did he say he loves her only because she cooks such great biryani and other items for him? As time passed, I realised that love is a sum of everything. The caring, the sex, the talking, the food! Food is part of the love for each other. My mother enjoys cooking and the adulation that her food brings. And my father enjoys the sumptuous food and understands the efforts she put in to make delectable dishes.”
“Very smart! In your roundabout way, you have just convinced me that I should cook more for you.”
Rajni put her arms around his waist as they walked back towards their car.
“Just like I will drive more for you. Even though you are the expert driver,” Umar said, opening his car’s door with a remote key.
Rajni rested her head on Umar’s shoulders as he drove her to the airport. They spoke very little on the way. Instead, they listened to the old movie songs being played on the FM radio.
The worst part about meeting a loved one is the imminent separation. Rajni was dreading the separation at the airport. Umar sensed her unease.
“Don’t worry Rajni. Just a matter of a few weeks now. And then no separation. Forever!”
“Forever? Are you sure? Hope you are speaking the truth and not lying.”
“As long as we are truthful to each other, even my Allah and your God will not dare to separate us.”
At the airport, Umar parked the car on the side of the road. The airport was not that busy in the late afternoon. Umar leaned against his car while Rajni leaned against him, for one last hug and kiss. Umar bent down and kissed Rajni’s stomach, saying, “So that the baby does not feel left out…”
Rajni had tears in her eyes when Umar got up. She took
out her golden chain with the pendant of Lord Ganesha and put it around Umar’s neck.
“Love you Umar. Forever.”
“Love you too Rajni. Forever and ever.”
As she entered the gate of the main airport building, Rajni handed her boarding pass to the security person. She turned around to look at Umar waving wildly at her from a distance. As though she was leaving him forever. Forever.
PART III
DEADLY MATHEMATICS
24
Umar had made a detailed plan for their trip to Diu. He had personally met all the relevant authorities from his company and in the government to ensure a hassle-free trip in a private plane. This was a trip to put behind the memories of their past and bring a closure to the nightmarish experience. The future had to be lived without the fear of the past. And Umar did not want any hassles on the way. He had made an estimate of the expenditure and shared it with both Niraj and Anil, who were happy to contribute their share of the expenses. They had already wired in the money to Umar’s account. They were going to spend two nights and three days in Diu. They were looking forward to the two nights of fun to forget the harrowing experience of that one night a year ago. The plane was to take off from Delhi airport like last time, but this time it would fly in the opposite direction and cross over Ahmedabad before landing in Diu airport.
It was the same date a year ago when the fateful crash had happened. Anil got up early in the morning and looked around his house to make sure nothing was amiss. He checked his blood pressure. It was slightly higher than normal. He knew it would rise further during the day. He had bought the DVDs of the latest Hollywood blockbusters to watch at home. The restaurant was closed that day. Anil wanted to play it safe, as much as he could. He wanted to call Romi and his old, ailing father. He played it safe and called his father.
“Pranaam papa. How are you?”
“Anil beta! So good to hear from you. It’s been a long time. Why don’t you come and meet me sometime? God knows how long I shall be around.”
“Sorry papa! I was avoiding most of my trips this year. Hmmm… Because of my business, you know. But things are settled now. And from tomorrow onwards, I shall be travelling more often.”
Anil felt a bit guilty for ignoring his father for the past year for his own safety. He was not happy about going to Bangalore too for the IPL game. But it was a matter of his restaurant’s reputation, which came before safety. Reputation first, safety second and guilt third, according to Anil. This was Anil’s new pyramid, similar to Maslow’s pyramid. He had made a fair compromise between reputation and safety by agreeing to go on the anniversary trip a day after the year ended.
Niraj was very sombre in his office today. He was more careful and slower than usual, while driving his SUV to office. He had a bottle of mineral water with him. The filtered water in office didn’t seem a safe idea today. For food, he had the properly washed fruits from home.
“Sir, everything all right?” an executive at Niraj’s office expressed concern.
“Oh yes! Just taking it a bit light today, as I have an early morning flight tomorrow to Delhi. And then I have two to three days of heavy eating and drinking.”
Niraj’s mind was trying to manipulate his thoughts that day.
Niraj had never spoken to his father after he left Nagpur. He sometimes spoke to his mother, who now lived with a painter in the same city. But they had never married. One broken marriage was enough for her to not get married again. Just like one broken marriage was enough for Niraj to not get married ever.
“Ma, how are you?”
“Niraj! So long! Have you also forgotten your mother, just like your father?” Niraj’s mother was still bitter. A failed marriage can never heal a wounded heart. The scars remain for long. Much deeper than Umar’s scar, Niraj thought.
“How can I forget you, ma? Just been busy with my new job. I am going on a holiday with a few friends tomorrow after a long time.”
“Somebody told me that you had gone to Delhi recently for your cousin’s wedding. Was your father also there?” Niraj’s mother believed in the age-old wisdom of keeping track of one’s enemies. She knew about the wedding in Niraj’s father’s family. Niraj had hoped to see his father in the wedding, but his father didn’t show up. In fact, nobody knew his whereabouts.
“No ma, he was not there. Nobody knows where he is.”
“Really? Do you want me to go to the police here? Or put out an advertisement in the local papers? Hope nothing untoward has happened to him. Oh god, I feel so worried now.”
Niraj realised in that very moment that fights were bitter when there were strong underlying emotions. There were larger issues between India and China, but the bitterness between India and Pakistan was stronger.
“Ma, I don’t know who will get worried about me if something happens to me. Okay, I have to rush now. But I will come and meet you once I return from my holidays. And maybe we can find father together.”
Niraj was also hoping to find his family and his lost childhood happiness.
Umar got up early in the morning and hugged his mother, who was busy preparing breakfast for the family. She had recovered fully from her illness, and Umar was glad that she had. Not just for her sake, but for Rajni’s sake too. He was going to come back from Diu and tell his mother everything.
Umar’s sister was busy getting ready for college. She had always been very supportive of Umar. She had both affection and respect for her brother. He was counting on her support again when he told his family about Rajni. Umar’s father was at the Qutab Golf Course, trying to shed the calories he had gained from his wife’s oily biryani.
“Amma, how much do you love me? More than anyone else in the world?” Umar asked, hugging his mother from behind.
“Why do you ask this, Umar? Of course, I love you more than anyone else in the world. You are my first child, my first creation, and you will always be my first love.”
Umar kissed his mother on her round plump cheeks and then went to his bedroom to call Rajni. He looked at the pile of magazines and the couple of books he planned to read that day, staying in the safe confines of his home. Books and magazines were a medium of knowledge and nothing else, he reasoned.
“Hey! Missing me? Had sweet dreams? About me?” Umar lay in his bed in a relaxed mode, still in his night clothes.
“Hi! Well, believe it or not I have been suddenly missing my mother a lot this morning. And as for the sweet dreams, I don’t need to dream about you now, Umar. You are real for me. I would rather dream about someone else, na?”
“As long you don’t dream about Ramaan Khanna, I am okay.”
“Done, I will leave Ramaan for you. He is not my type anyway.”
“Really? Who’s your type then?”
“You, of course!” Rajni, like most women, had the inherent ability to hide her past, fantasies and secrets, deep inside the reservoirs of her heart.
“I see! Okay, tell me then, who do you love the most in the world?”
“You stupid! And no one else! Now or in future!” Rajni exclaimed.
After about half an hour of sweet nothings, Umar finally bid goodbye to his love.
“You have a great holiday, and take care of yourself. Remember your life is interlocked with mine,” said Rajni, before putting the phone down.
Umar had a bath, a good breakfast and then snuggled up in bed with his books and magazines for company. He was safe and secure. His mother loved him the most and Rajni too loved him the most.
25
8.50 a.m.
Niraj was running wildly with an air bag in his right hand. His running was much faster than his driving. He had taken the earliest flight from Bangalore to Delhi, which had landed before time. As he ran, he compared his life to that of an early morning flight. The early morning flights were mostly on time, sometimes before time. Unlike the other flights that got delayed due to myriad reasons, early morning flights didn’t depend on too many external factors; they were not linked to an
y contingencies.
Niraj Roy was an early morning person. He always reached his office and his clients meetings on time. He had no family that depended on him or delayed him. There were no reasons for him to get late over anything at home. He never got delayed because of his son occupying the bathroom, his wife arguing with him in the morning or his daughter requesting him to help her with her homework, which she had forgotten to complete the previous day. He did not even have a dog that ran away with his towel just as he was planning to take a bath. He enjoyed the rare privilege of being punctual always and Niraj was not in a mood to tarnish that reputation.
Niraj was running from the arrival terminal at the airport to the departure area. Just like in life, he thought. From the time one arrives on earth till the time of departure, one is constantly running. Niraj was in an unusually philosophical mood that day. Maybe he was subconsciously relieved that the year had passed safely. He felt himself breathing heavily as he ran in the airport that morning. It was easier and more enjoyable to run in the parks of Bangalore, without a care in the world. The run of life was much more enjoyable and easier when there was no stress or deadlines, thought Niraj.
Niraj saw Anil and Umar standing at the small gate at the farthest end of the departure terminal. Umar was anxiously looking at his watch to see if they were not too late for their flight departure. Anil too was anxiously looking at his watch to see if they were not too early for the cycle of destiny. He checked the date on his watch again. He was reassured that it was a day past the one-year mark.