The Secret of the Chalisa

by Subhanand, Dr. Runjhun Saxena

  Chapter 10

  Vidyavan guni ati chatur Ram kaj karibe ko aatur

  You are the repository of learning, virtuous and fully accomplished, always keen to carry out the behest's of Shri Ram.

  Prabu charitra sunibe ko rasiya Ram Lakhan Sita man Basiya

  You are an ardent listener, always so keen to listen to the narration of Shri Ram's Life Stories. Your heart is filled with what Shri Ram stood for. You therefore always dwell in the hearts of Shri Ram, Lakshman and Sita.

  Located in the heart of the city, dalanwala was the heart beat of the city. Its majestic bungalows spread themselves like a wave of splendor and grandiosity. Brushed with soothing canopy the houses were encased in a flowery fragrance of the beautiful winter bloom. Keeping in pace with times, there were numerous tall towers coming up which added to the extravagance of the place. Every now and then one could see an Audi or BMW sweep through the road. The faint sunshine was barely able to make its way through the bleak fog.

  Sanjeev and Ravi stood there in front of the huge bungalow feeling awkward to the core. The stood there admiring the magnificence of the building and hesitated to step in. After giving each other a feeble glance, they gathered courage and Sanjeev rang the door bell

  The door was opened by a butler dressed in white uniform. He gently asked the duo whom they wished to meet, as if such a gesture was a part of his everyday door opening routine.

  “Is Mr. Pratap at home? We would like to meet him for some important work,” said Sanjeev.

  “Come inside Sir, I’ll call Saahibji,” the butler answered and went inside the home.

  Sanjeev and Ravi were standing in front of the most splendid home they had ever seen in their life. With an ochre painted background, the walls had textured surface throughout which was just perfect to display the extortionate paintings and sculpture. A carpeted helical staircase led to the upper floor of the house with a grand overlooking gallery. The parapet was beautiful decorated with fine filigree which shimmered like gold. Up high in the center of one of the walls was a huge truncated head of a dear mounted on a wooden oval frame. Below it was an intricate fire place which had burnt coal ashes still remaining. The floor had a rug of tiger skin and Ravi wondered if he was stepping on a real tiger. Sanjeev and Ravi took their seat on the grand sofa which was placed there.

  It was not long when Pratap came and asked with a coarse voice filled with authority, “What important work brought you here? If you are seeking youth party tickets, then sorry we can’t entertain any more as of now.” He was tall and sturdy but his face carried an expression of anger. He wore a white kurta pajama with a thick fur waistcoat to match the winter season. Though the dress looked simple for a politician, his shoes were black and expensive leather make.

  “No… No Sir, not for ticket,” stammered Sanjeev. “Actually I am Dr Anjana’s student. I… I… came here to ask for some information. Actually Sir, she left me a wooden box and a booklet of Hanuman Chalisa,” Sanjeev hurriedly took out the relics as he tried to explain Pratap. “I… I just wanted to ask you…..” He couldn’t even complete when Pratap roared in coarse voice, “Look Mr…., whatever you name is, I don’t know anything about these and neither I’m interested in helping you out in any way,” his voice was filled with annoyance.

  “Actually Sir she mentions about Dhuvaje and Vajra in booklet which are your party symbols, so I thought,” Sanjeev stammered again. “And it mentions about your children also, so….”

  That was enough to flare Pratap’s frenzy, “I don’t know anything about Anjana and you cannot speak to my children. Just leave immediately, or else I’ll throw you out.”

  Hearing Pratap scream, his wife came out to the living room. “What happened,” she said,startled.

  “See Kesari, some dumb head has come inquiring about Anjana,” he grunted.

  “What is he asking about Didi? Maybe he knows something and has come here for help. After all she died in a mysterious way,” she stated.

  “No, no. I’m not entertaining him. You leave else….,” Pratap commented.

  While everyone else was caught up in the raging talks, Ravi glanced towards the parapet. He saw someone sneaking through the curtains. A graceful young girl dressed in pink kurta and chudidar and a matching pullover, with a white coat on her shoulder and a stethoscope hanging across an arm, she had an air of compassion surrounding her. She stood there looking at the scene below, but disappeared as soon as she saw Ravi staring at her.

  Ravi held Sanjeev’s arm and hushed him out of the house. “Not now,” he whispered in his ears. They stepped out of the house and stood on the opposite side of the road staring at the house. Sanjeev was disappointed. Pratap's rude behavior made things tough for him. Just then Ravi saw the same figure peeping through a window from the balcony onlooking the road. Ravi sensed something strange. He signaled Sanjeev to stop and see, but she vanished away in a flash again. They just waited there trying to decrypt the mystery when they saw her coming out from the bungalow on an Activa. The Activa stopped in front of them, and she handed a piece of paper to Sanjeev and sped away swiftly as if she was scared of being traced.

  It all happened so quickly that Sanjeev could hardly react. He stood there with the note in his hand staring at the road from where she left. Ravi took the paper from his hand and read out aloud, “Meet me in an hour in Café Coffee Day near medical college on Rajpur road.”

  They reached the destination much before time and waited for her to come.

  “I wonder what she has to tell us,” asked Sanjeev.

  “I don’t even know who she is, but I’m guessing she is the daughter of Mr. Pratap about whom Pawan Sir told us,” answered Ravi.

  “We should ask her about the symbols and their meaning,” Sanjeev suggested.

  Sanjeev could feel his palpitations. Each heartbeat was rising like a wave in the ocean and engulfing the mind with unanswered questions. He sat fidgeting with his fingers and vigorously shaking his left leg until Ravi placed his hand on his feet reminding him to calm down.

  Fifteen minutes later she arrived. Dressed in pink kurta and chudidar and pink pullover, this time she had her white coat and stethoscope both hung on her right arm. Left arm had a stunning Rado watch and a silver chain with a pendant of Hanuman hung across her sleek neck. With no make up and extravagant accessories, she looked like a beautiful white lily blooming in spring. Her hair were left loose, with a delicate pin holding half of them back, while few strands curled down on her cheek. Her spotless radiant face glowed with radiance and natural blush. Her eyes twinkled with warmth highlighted by a thin stroke of kohl. A pair of small glittering studs in her ears shone on her face.

  Thin, tall and slender she walked her way confidently towards Sanjeev and sat down at the seat in front of him.

  Sanjeev couldn’t keep his eyes away from her. He didn’t realize he was staring at her like a tourist who sees the Taj Mahal for the first time. His heart was still beating fast, but this time it was a different feeling. He didn’t realize whether it skipped a beat or two. From a distance he felt a sweet voice singing his name, when he was broken from his trance by Ravi.

  “Are you Sanjeev?” she asked.

  “Ya, yes, yes..I.. I’m Sanju, I mean Sanjeev,” he blurted.

  She gave a perplexed look and said, “Well I’m Bhumija. Bua had mentioned about you,” she said.

  Sanjeev’s heart skipped another beat, “My name?” he uttered in surprise.

  “Yes, she spoke about your thesis work with me and how well it has come out. She left some research papers with me and told to hand it over to you when you came. I didn’t know it will be after her…,” she couldn’t complete her sentence when her voice broke and her beautiful eyes were watery. However she gathered herself and said, “When I saw you at home today, I understood that you must have come for those papers so I brought them with me,” with this she handed over a brown folder to Sanjeev.

  Sanjeev however, was amazed as usual. He didn’t know that the
events would take this unexpected turn. He held the brown folder in his hand not knowing how to react when Bhumija spoke again.

  “But I don't understand what help you were asking for from my dad? I just heard Dhuvaje and Vajra, and a reference about some booklet. What’s that?” she asked.

  “So you are not aware of the relics?” asked Ravi.

  “What relics?” she inquired.

  “It’s a long story so far. Let’s order some coffee while we debrief you,” said Sanjeev. Sanjeev and Ravi then told her how they got the relics and how much they had progressed so far. Bhumija, like an ideal student sat there with her cup of coffee engrossed in the story. She listened patiently and ardently, as if the mention of Anjana brought peace to her thoughts. Whenever, Sanjeev unfolded an event she would acknowledge the wisdom of Anjana proudly. Her face reflected a genuine compassion and intellect. One could guess from her gesture that her love for Anjana was pure and unconditional and that Anjana too would have loved her like that.

  “I didn’t know she left a trail behind. But if it was for these documents which I gave you, then why such a complex procedure? Unless it’s not just about your thesis,” she remarked.

  “True, I agree with Bhumija,” said Ravi.

  Sanjeev opened the brown folder and checked the papers inside it.

  Most of them were blank with few chemical reactions mentioned over them. Some of them were research articles from journals, while others were review papers.However, one of them had a verse of Hanuman Chalisa written over it.

  Ashta siddhi nava nidhi ke dātā, asa bara dīnha jānakī mātā

  meaning..

  Mother Sita granted you a boon to become the bestower of 8 Siddhis (supernatural powers) and 9 Nidhis (divine treasures)

  8 Siddhis (Supernatural powers) are:

  Aṇimā: Ability to reduce one's size

  Mahima: Ability to increase one's size

  Garima: Ability to increase one's weight infinitely

  Laghima: Ability to become lighter than the lightest

  Prāpti: Ability to Obtain anything

  Prākāmya: Ability to acquire anything desired

  Iṣiṭva: Lordship over creation

  Vaśitva: Having control over things

  9 Nidhis (treasures) are:

  Mahapadma: Great lotus flower

  Padma: Lotus/ a Himalayan lake with treasures

  Shankha: Conch shell

  Makara: Crocodile/ Antimony

  Kachchhapa: Tortoise or turtle shell

  Mukunda: Cinnabar/ Quick Silver

  Kunda: Jasmine/ Arsenic

  Nila: Sapphire/ Antimony

  Kharva: Cups, vessels baked in fire

  “Look here,” Sanjeev exclaimed. “This paper too has Hanuman Chalisa verse on it. Coincidentally, the same verse is highlighted in the same manner in the booklet,” he said opening the booklet. “Did you notice this? Did madam mention anything about this?” he asked.

  “No, I didn’t. This paper was not there. I remember working with her in her lab and keeping important documents in this folder. I didn’t keep this, nor do I know anything about it,” Bhumija sounded astonished. “Can you show me the wooden vault?”

  Sanjeev took out the box from his backpack and handed it to her. “Did you say it had idols over it?” she inquired.

  “Yes, that’s what Bajrangi told us,” answered Sanjeev.

  “Well, Bua gave me an idol of goddess Sita few days before the incident. I’m not sure if you are looking for the same.”

  “Can we see that,” said Ravi his voice filled with excitement.

  “You can’t come to my home for sure, so I’ll have to bring it somewhere. I’ll come to Pawan Bhaiya’s home secretly as my father won’t allow me to meet him too now,” she said. “May I see that paper again,” she asked Sanjeev who handed over the chalisa verse written on the research paper.

  “I don’t understand. These are not the ingredients with which we were working. Do they belong to your thesis? And what is with the supernatural powers?” she asked.

  Sanjeev gave a glance, shrugged his shoulders and nodded in negation.

  “Since Bua has written this, there must be some hidden meaning to it. When I was a small child she use to design treasure hunt games for my brother and me. She would leave clues for us which we had to decipher in order to reach to the treasure. Oh, what fun it was!” she exclaimed with a faint smile seeming lost in her childhood. “I’m getting late for hospital, but I promise I’ll bring you the idol today evening at Pawan bhaiya's place. You can see it there. I guess its another treasure hunt game which Bua has planned for you,” a naughty smile sweeped her face which almost caused an adrenaline rush in Sanjeev. “Say, 6pm today?” she asked Sanjeev who was lost in his thoughts until Ravi pinched him amd said, “Yes sure. We will be there by then.”

  Bhumija left CCD leaving the distracted Sanjeev engrossed in his thoughts. After all these days of stress and unhappiness suddenly he felt a pang of pleasure in the depths of his heart. He was not sure whether he heard birds chipping, bells ringing and soft music in his ears, or was it his imagination. But he was sure, whatever that undefined feeling was, it was nice and brought peace to his heart. He was smiling to himself, unhindered, pellucid and unclouded, and he loved that.

  Chapter 11

  “You shouldn’t scream at everyone who comes to our home and asks for Anjana Didi,” Kesari said to Pratap after Sanjeev had left the house.

  “I don’t like those people who come to my home asking about my sister. I feel as if they are accusing me for her death,” replied Pratap.

  “But he was just asking for some help,” argued Kesari.

  “Enough Kesari, don’t start your petty fights again with me. I don’t like anyone interfering in my work,” Pratap said rudely and walked off the living room.

  Kesari sat there on the sofa feeling angry and sorry for herself.

  “Bibiji, do you want tea?” her maid asked.

  “Yes, bring me a cup,” answered Kesari as she sat there with glimpses of the past flashing in front of her eyes.

  It was a warm summer morning. Under the surveillance of two young boys, two small kids were playing near the gigantic Kempty falls with somersaults of streams before it hit the bottom at 40 feet. The milky cool water was a perfect play for the kids in the summer heat. They were giggling, splashing water and running across the shallow water at the shore. The parents however were sitting by the shore and having cool beverages and snacks.

  “Kesari, how are your kids getting along?” asked Anjana.

  “Didi, you know how tough it was for me. When seven years after the marriage we didn’t have any child, I convinced Pratap to adopt a baby girl. He was so much against it, but when we adopted Sarita from one of my far off relatives, our life was filled with happiness. The motherhood within me was born and I felt I got everything in my life. She instilled so much joy in my life that I was able to conceive and that too blessed with two more kids. Bhumija and Lakshman are my own kids but my love for Sarita was incomparable,” said Kesari.

  “I know I’ve been witness to all that you said. When Pawan and Suresh were born, I deeply felt that you should have a child too. It was a good gesture to adopt her,” said Anjana.

  “However, it was very painful for me to lose her. I never knew her pneumonia would progress so much that she will leave us. Didi, there’s such a big void in my heart which I can never refill,” Kesari said with tears welling up in her eyes.

  Anjana placed her soothing hand on Kesari's shoulder, “I know it’s very tough but it’s time that you should come out of your guilt. It was not in your hands, you did what a responsible mother should do”.

  “Bhumija has been shattered since then. She feels that healing Sarita was her responsibility, since she was looking after her too. At this tender age of seven, she’s deeply hurt. I’ve seen her becoming over possessive for Lakshman.”

  “Send her to my home, I’ll speak with her,” Anjana suggested.


  “How about your life, Didi? How’s your work going on and how’s Jijaji? I heard he’s doing some valuable research,” Kesari asked changing the topic.

  “Everything is going fine. I was married at an early age, but because of Raghav I was able pursue my dreams. He helped me continue my studies and get a post graduate degree in Ayurveda. I’m also doing my PhD. He is a very hardworking man. He is currently working on an anticancer drug and these days he’s very busy with it. Everyday he keeps running behind the authorities to convince him about his project. I try to help him as much as possible. We have opened a laboratory in our home and are trying to see the effect of drug on gnotobiotic rats. The results are very promising. I just hope he succeeds in his endeavor,” Anjana said.

  “Is it Didi? Will he discover a cure for all types of cancer?” Kesari was amazed.

  “No, not all, but certain variety, especially brain cancers,” answered Anjana.

  “Oh that will be such a noble work for the society, how did you get the idea?”

  “It was all Raghav's brain work. He wants to make a drug which has anticancer potential and also cures the side effects of the other constituents of the drug. So he is researching on small molecules separately and then combining them to make one drug,” Anjana explained.

  “How different you are from your brother. You are so generous and kind. Please teach something to Pratap also. Sometimes I feel he’s not even true to his work as a builder. Now he wants to go into politics also. I’m worried for him. See even today he didn’t come for a family picnic with us. Just sent the car with a driver,” Kesari expressed her concern.

  “Pratap Dada was always a different person. Do you know in childhood he confiscated all my toys and I was allowed to play only with few of them that too as he wished. He always told me that girls don’t have any right in their parent’s house. He told me that once I’m married everything that I have will become his by default,” Anjana said laughing.

  “Yes, I try to ignore sometimes. How are your boys doing?”