“Sorry...... Oh! Yes, my name.... See, I think that’s why all my friends tag me as ‘the most talkative person of the group’. I have been talking to you since an hour and I haven’t told you my name.” There were two missed calls on my phone, which I had totally ignored, to hear her name. But finally I decided to take the call rather than waiting for her to come to the point.
The frequency of the calls indicated that the matter was urgent. I took my phone out from my trousers and saw the screen which was flashing, ‘Mom calling.’
I got worried when I recalled the circumstances in which I had left the house. Mom must be worried. I swiped the screen to take the call and signaled to the ‘The Talking Machine’ to stay quiet for some time.
“Actually my name is........ ” I missed her name.
“Hello.” I said and heard my mother’s words, filled with utmost urgency.
“Beta, come back home quickly. He is here.” Her voice was firm and had a hidden message that quite clearly said, ‘Leave whatever you are doing and come back.’ She was worried and I thought that something was wrong with her.
I instantly searched for Rishi, he was nowhere. ‘He is here.’ Was Rishi trying to hurt Mom?
I left everything and ran to fetch my car and drove back home.
I reached within 5 minutes and threw open the gates of my house. Every room was filled with smoke. Fire?
I rushed inside searching for my mother. “Mom! Mom!...... MOM!” Nothing could be seen, there was just smoke and nothing else. What had Rishi done? Where was my mother? This couldn’t be happening!
Then I saw my mother sitting on the floor with him.
Dressed in a black kurta-pajama, a black cloth holding up all his long hair and a black tika on his forehead, he was not looking any less than an Indian version of ‘Men In Black’.
“ Om (I don’t know what the F**K he said in between) Namah.... ” He said while igniting the fire in already burnt wood.
“Mom?” I asked all my questions with just this ‘one’ word.
She came rushing towards me and showed me to the man and said, “He’s the one, baba. Please save my child from the shadows of ghosts.” Oh come on!!!
The baba instantly smiled and chanted another deadly mantra and threw something again on already burnt twigs. The whole scene was already set. The baba was ready with all his ghost taming instruments (kamandal, jhaadu, a lemon, sindoor, etc.), a set audience including the ‘aunties’ of the entire neighborhood, some elders of the society, my mom and now finally the beholder of the spirit had also arrived. Perfect setup! But something was still missing.
“Bring your boy here with you.” The baba said rudely. I wanted to slap him on his face and throw him out of my house but that would create a whole new scene in front of the neighbors and most importantly that would upset my mom. I quietly followed my mom and my mom followed baba’s instructions.
I sat on the floor in front of him and next to me sat my mother. Something was still missing.
“Om (...difficult to be decoded...) Namah.... ” And then he threw something again on the dead fire but this time he was not alone. Rishi too joined him. Yes, the ghost himself had been missing all this time!
I saw my mother; worried, ready to do anything just to save her child. Why are mothers so caring that they are even ready to behave so stupidly? She was joining her hands in front of that baba who was busy fooling us.
The only person who was enjoying the whole scenario was Rishi. He liked everything that the baba did and copied him too. There was a time when baba was searching for his lemon and Rishi helped him and found the lemon for him. The ‘Ghost Hunter’ baba was getting help by the ghost himself. I fought hard to control my laughter but somehow it erupted and I laughed.
Baba gave me a strange look and waved his jhaadu over my head and said to my mother, “Your son is in the witch’s hands. She’s leading him to hell.” Baba picked up his kamandal to pour some ‘holy’ water on me but it was empty. He looked suspiciously inside the kamandal again but found nothing in it. Then he flipped the opening downwards and saw a lollipop falling from inside the kamandal.
Baba now looked scared and without saying anything, he ran away from the house. Slowly the crowd also scattered and only three of us were left in the house; me, my mom and Rishi.
“Hey Bhagwan! You have already taken Puneet’s father away from us and now..... ” My mother cried like a small kid and after sometime continued, “Please spare my son.”
She continued pleading before the idol for hours. There was no third person between us; my mother was the only one for me and I was the only one for her in this big world of strangers. My father, a very big politician of his time, had died in a car accident. That was the event which changed everything in our life. We fell from the heights of the sky straight to the ground and since then every time my mother stood in front of the idols of God she always put forward my father’s issue. She loved him a lot, maybe more than me. She was totally broken after Papa’s death but had to be tough and stand up again to make me feel strong. She didn’t want to place a weak example in my head.
“I can’t live without him. Please.... ” Now that was enough, I took her in my arms and brought her back to the living room. I made her sit on the sofa and consoled her. While doing all this, my eyes searched for Rishi. I found him standing behind the sofa. He was about to cry, he was feeling low for my mother. So cute!
“Why did this ghost have to come into our life? We were so happy; I was even talking to your bua ji about your marriage but...... ” She blurted out everything in her mind and then spoke with an imaginary air, “Please, leave us and spare us! We have not wronged you in any way then why are you wandering over our heads?” Rishi dropped tears from his eyes and saliva from his mouth. I felt bad for him.
I don’t know what was attracting me towards him but there was some connection between us. I started liking him.... Just like.... Just like, he was my Son.
While this affection was pouring out of my eyes towards Rishi, my mom suddenly started wailing very loudly. I got totally distracted and Rishi got terrified.
“Mom..... Mom.... listen to me. He’s gone. The incident which took place in the morning was just the result of all my overtime work at the bank and less sleep, nothing else. So just calm down, there’s nothing here, no ghost.” I said all this to console her and pulled her again in my arms. She was such a drama queen!
I saw Rishi, he was looking like a heartbroken child after listening to my words but then I assured him by blinking my eyes trying to signal that I had said all that just to console her. He smiled slightly.
The whole episode was dramatic but finally it ended and then began the personal sessions with Rishi.
Chapter 6
What purpose do you seek in me?
I am as good as that brown, dried-up leaf still on the tree.
Do I owe you something beloved?
I am nothing more than a living dead who can just be lamented.
“Who are you?” I asked Rishi. I was sitting on the chair next to the bed in my room on which Rishi was sitting. It was difficult for me to decide whether to be strict with him or behave friendly. I didn’t know who he was but for some reason my heart was shouting, ‘Hey, can’t you recognize your own son?’
“I am your son, dad!” he coolly said and smiled. I loved that smile. I had seen this smile. Long ago. But where?
“How can this be possible? I have no son, I am not even married. And let’s assume somehow you are my son then why can only I see you?” The biggest question of the century!
“I am your future son, dad.” He said and laughed at his own joke.
“Are you a ghost?” I asked keeping my face rock strong. No expressions at all.
“No. Just a memory of your mind. That’s why only you can see me.” He said seriously. He copied my expressionless face.
“Memories belong to the past but you said you are my future. Right?” I countered him.
“
Okay.... ” He seemed to be thinking. “Okay, then assume I am a ‘possibility’.” He had caught me with that! I had nothing to say about this topic now. So I changed the whole subject.
“Why did you come? If you are my future then you should show up when the time comes. Why now? Have I got some ability to see the future or something?” I knew that I was talking rubbish but the situation demanded that all these questions be asked.
“You wouldn’t have asked me this question if you had the ability to see the future.” He said and paused. That pause seemed more weird than awkward. Rishi definitely knew something that he was hiding from me. His eyes were screaming the secret out but the lips were shut.
The seriousness instantly vanished and again the ‘Jolly Rishi’ came back. “I came to help you. To help you find my mom!”
“WHAT?” I said. That was unexpected.
“Ya! I had to come. Because with your current speed of approaching a girl, my future mom, my birth will be delayed for more than a decade! Believe me, you are VERY BAD with such matters. So I have come to help you with finding my future mom!”
I said nothing, just smiled. Huh. this couldn’t be real. Was I that bad? I must’ve been the first father whose son had come from the future to help his father find his mother. I couldn’t believe this.
“What? You still don’t believe this. First lesson dad! Accept changes quickly. Time will flow away and you have to flow with the stream to keep up with time. Why can’t you believe that I am your son? Just look at me. My face resembles yours and my habit of sucking a lollipop; go & ask grandmother how much you liked it and you know why I am so annoying because you were also........ ” He kept on talking just like an insurance agent over the phone. Annoying!
“Okay I believe you.” I paused for a long breath. “So Master Rishi, what should our next step be?” I asked him sarcastically.
“First, we should name it.”
“Name what?”
“Our mission..... It should be known as Mission ‘Finding Mom’.” He was just like me; naming every task before starting to work on it. So organized!
“But why ‘mom’? She’s not my mom. I am not going to name it ‘Finding Mom.’” I said.
“Don’t be selfish every time and try to focus.”
“Hey Dad!” He said in a harsh voice. He raised his index finger and continued, “Meet my Mom.” I looked back and saw her. She was standing just behind me; with open hair and red eyes, she took my breath away in fear.
“I told you a lie.” Rishi continued “I am not your future son.” Then he smiled, in a weird way. Both of them laughed, while I was left trembling in fear.
“So where do we start?” I asked Rishi who was busy playing ‘Flappy Bird’ on my phone. He was damn good at it. Usually when I tried to play this game I had to throw my mobile away in frustration after 4 or 5 chances because I couldn’t even cross the score of 5. I even uninstalled the game several times but then again gave it one ‘last chance’. That was my attitude towards everything, I tried, got frustrated, I threw it all away thinking I couldn’t do it but then again I gave it one ‘last chance’.
“Hey are you listening? Stop that fucking game.” I shouldn’t have used that word in front of a 10 year child and too my own son. Fuck!
“You used that word again. Remember? I can read your thoughts; loud and clear.” He gave me a strange look and again pinned his whole attention on the screen. “One last chance!”
I quietly lay on the bed next to Rishi and waited for him to talk again. I closed my eyes and slowly slipped onto her lap in my dream.
She had a spark in her eyes. Her magic wand was her hair locks. She waved her hair on my face and I got spell bound. I couldn’t blink, I couldn’t breathe; I was lifeless but still I was alive just because of her. She leaned a little lower to whisper in my ear. I could feel her warmth. That softness of her breast, rubbing over my chest was arousing every single beat of my heart.
“I love you!” She whispered to me. It was not the first time I had heard this but this was the first time it felt real.
“I love you too, Roshni.”
“I love you too Roshni.”
“Dad! Wake up. DAD!!!” Rishi was sitting on top of my chest and I was feeling choked. I was unable to breathe. I turned over as a result of which of which he toppled down from my chest. I began to pant heavily.
“Oye! Puneet! Get ready soon, we are going to the market.” Mom came rushing to my room. I tried to control my breath but she noticed my uneasiness.
“Oye, Puneet! What happened beta?”
Nothing mom, you get ready, I am coming out in half an hour.” I said and sent her out.
She left in silence; maybe thinking something. I shifted my attention to Rishi. He was quietly sitting with his eyes fixed on me.
“Who is Roshni?” He asked me in a serious tone. “Do you know her?”
“No. Why?” I said in a casual way while taking a small yawn and stretching my body.
“Then why were you saying, ‘I love you, Roshni?””
“Who? Me? No. Not at all.” I was lying and even I knew that I was lying.
He kept looking at me continuously and then finally I said, “Okay, I was actually dreaming about her and then I don’t know how this name ‘Roshni’ just came to my mind and I just said it.”
“Are you sure? I mean, about this girl, was she the same one?” He asked me suspiciously.
“I think so.” I paused and then continued, “Well, you should be the one to know it. Since you can read all my thoughts, you must have the ability to enter my dreams too. Right?” I said in a high tone.
“Yes, I can enter there but do you really want your child to enter your dreams?” He asked me and I felt as if I was caught by him red handed while committing a crime.
No, I would definitely not like my son to enter my dreams and know my wildest, strangest, horniest dreams. Well, that would certainly be embarrassing.
“Correct!” he said and with that I quietly entered my bathroom and Rishi started playing his ‘Flappy Bird’ game again.
Chapter 7
“Bhaiya, aaloo kaise diye?” I was in the local vegetable market and it was the one place I hated to enter. My mother inquired from yet another vendor about the potatoes.
“15 rupay kilo.” The vendor said while packing vegetables for another customer.
“Itna mehenga! Bhaiya peeche to 10 rupay kilo de raha tha” My mother said and I was shocked to hear that. Why? Let me take you 5 minutes back in time.
Flashback.
“Bhaiya, aaloo kaise diye?” My mother asked a vendor pretty casually.
“20 rupay kilo.” He said without any eye contact. He was busy fighting with another customer over some polythene issue.
“Poore market me to 15 hai.” I was amused at how she knew that. Was there any kind of secret newspaper circulating just for ladies where things like daily gold rates, daily vegetable rates get published?
The vendor did not reply and then she moved to the next vendor.
Coming back to the present.
Mom left that vendor too and proceeded towards the next one.
“Mom, what are you doing? He was selling at the right price, right? You yourself said its 15 rupees in the..... ” I wanted to know the tactics behind her move. Was she there to buy vegetables or just to negotiate the rates with poor vendors?
“Tu chup kar! You know nothing about bargaining. It’s an art, beta ji. It can’t be learnt, it comes naturally.” She said and moved forward. I stayed there and watched my mother. There was a kind of spark in her. She loved shopping. Shopping was like medicine for her. She had been so worried about me yesterday and now she was again back to being her normal self. I was happy for her but on the other hand I wanted to run away from that market soon. It was too suffocating in there.
Vendors were continuously shouting out the prices of their commodities. Aunties were busy bargaining. Children were fighting over different issues and I was standing in be
tween them carrying an empty jute bag.
I continued following my mother and watched her succeed in her bargaining championship. She finally got her “10 Rs. per kg” potatoes. She was more than happy. I smiled; amused about the whole event and suddenly I found a reason to widen the smile on my face a bit more.
My dream girl was in the market too. She waved, and I waved back at her. The world around me vanished and I walked towards her.
“Hi. What are you doing here?” I asked her. She had a mesmerizing effect over me. I couldn’t resist staring at her.
“Actually I was here to buy movie tickets. Someone advised me to buy tickets from here because they also provide free popcorn at the interval. Isn’t that exciting?” She said and totally confused me.
My confusion was visible on my face. I looked at the ticket- seller. He was wearing a torn T-Shirt that read the line: ‘I hate all girls except the one reading this!’ I could have bet that the vendor had no idea about what was written over his shirt. He was looking at me with a blank expression and I was looking at him with a suspicious look on my face. How could he sell movie tickets?
Then suddenly I heard the most melodious laugh ever. She was laughing and it was like everything else had stopped and there was nothing around me except her.
“What else can I do in a vegetable market other than buying vegetables?” She continued laughing and I continued to adore her beauty.
After the peals of laughter, came an awkward silence. I wanted to talk to her but nothing was striking me. I was blank and strangely she was also quiet. I looked around to seek help. My eyes searched for Rishi but he was nowhere. Damn Rishi!
“So are you alone?” I asked her and I saw her expressions changing frequently.
“No... Actually... I... my mother is also with me.” She said. I didn’t know why but it felt like she was lying.
“Okay, I am also here with my mother.”
“Mother! And your wife?”
“Wife? No, I am single. Unmarried.” I replied as quickly as possible.
Hey Dad! Meet My Mom Page 3