Continued from mail from the past…

***

He woke up early next morning, earlier than he used to,  and went for his morning sprint; everything as usual. It was a fine Saturday morning; one of those days, when he would go jogging to the highway, to push the extremes, breaking his own records, he set every week. It was only 3 miles from his place.  He knew a shortcut, a bare and dusty mud road, that lead to the valley village, and through, to the main highway.

Through the foothills, he ran, amidst mud brick dwellings, with bright tunics on the roof; a scarcely populated area of farmers. On both sides, it had a long stretch of lush green farms, carpeted with farming of winter wheat, bordered by peepal trees, criss-crossed by irrigation streams and irrigation ditches. He ran; as thoughts raced through his mind.

“What am I going to say to Aakriti. I am sure she wouldn’t approve of this.”

“Do I have a choice? I need to find a way out. I promised me yesterday, I ll go see her.”

He was almost huffing, straining himself, gasping for breath. I ll catch some rest, he thought, so he sat by a rock, to find how beautiful scenery, serenely presided around him. Sharp edged stripes of sunlight that angled through the tall trees, soothing the skin so much; as the chilled air tickled arrows in his heart, with every breath he took. Thin columns of smoke rising from the mud houses, across the hillsides and deep in the valley. The sky above was speckless, spotless blue.

“I didn’t even notice this, in all of my noise inself. What’s happening to me?”

“Oh you are fine buddy. Nothing’s wrong with you. You ll find a way to sort it out. Am here to help you.”

Puzzled, he looked up, to find a not so old man; in his late fifties, grey haired with few strands of white, wearing a strange happy look on his face, smiling to him.

“And who are you mister? Do I know you? I didn’t recognise you.” – Ram said.

“Well young man, you don’t know me, but I do know you. I have been where you are. Right here, ages ago. I am here to tell you, you must Go. Go see her.” – said the old man.

“What? Go where?” Ram was puzzled.

“Where you are supposed to be my friend” – he added.

Raising up his voice, a sort of vexed already, Ram was agitated –

“Supposed to be? Excuse me? I don’t get you Sir.”

“Yes.. You are supposed to be with her. Nandini I mean.” – he said calmly.

“How do you know about her? Who are you?”

“That’s not important right now. What’s important is that you should go?”

“… And why should I listen to a stranger who I ‘ve met just a couple of minutes ago. Who knows nothing about what happened. This is too much. You hardly know me.”

“I do know a lot of things that you don’t know yet my friend. Ah btw.. you can call me Sri” – he added.

“Look Sri.  Am very disturbed at the moment and not in a mood to entertain anyone. It was nice to meet you. We ll catch up some other time. I should leave now.”  - saying this Ram walked away.

“Enjoy your walk.” – greeted the old man.

Ram smiled and looked back to find noone there. Miraculously like he appeared, he disappeared too; may be somewhere in the trees, he thought.

“Strange!!” – Ram murmured and walked towards the main road.

“I need to stuff me up with something, and some tea with that will be great” – he said. Soon as he  said it, he spotted a small shop right across the road, around 100 feet away.

“That’s exactly what I needed at the moment. Thank you almighty J for being so kind to me.“ – he exalted.

The tea vendor was skinny fellow, with a clumsy left hand, wearing a monkey cap with flaps that covered his ears, as he sang some folk song in a tune, or better say, in no tune, in such a way that he was the most noticeable of all, present there. A VIP of some sort, as everyone hooked on to him, for something or the other. He lifted the kettle off the coal stove and poured tea in the glass tumblers as he looked at him and said -

“What would you like sahib jee? The tea is ready.”

The aroma of cardamom scented tea was powerful enough to urge anyone, who would go in its vicinity and seemed a perfect way to turn cold down.

“I ll have a one  special masala tea along with anything freshly cooked. Samosas would be great, if you have em and if you don’t, bread will do.” As Ram said this, he found the same old man sitting there on a bench.

“How the hell did he reach here so fast? This is unfuckinbelievable.” – he thought. “Anyway, let him be.”

“Do you have the newspapers bhaiya?” – Ram asked.

“Yes its with that gentleman there babujee. Please share.” – said the tea vendor, as he pointed a finger to Sri.

Ram looked at him, and chose not to get in any conversation.  He kept waiting for his tea, as this old man approached him once again, and offered the newspaper.

“Here. You can have them. I am done anyway.” – he said pulling a chair to him.

“Thank you!!” – Ram responded with a smile, as he took the newspaper from him, to unfold it. 

So when are you going? – Sri asked.

“I won’t respond. Let this weirdo go his way” – he thought. “That’s how these sickos must be treated who stick to you like a parasite, sucking blood out of every conversation, with everyone they meet.” He didn’t react a bit, as if he hadn’t heard him at all.

“Nandini doesn’t know. It was sent by someone else.” – Sri said.

This was getting mysterious and has to be sorted right now.  It irked him to set ablaze his feelings; felt like holding him by his collars, punching him down, knocking each pair of tooth left in his mouth so that he stops being inexplicably orphic smart ass and comes out straight with whatever he knows.

“It seems you know quiet a bit. Why don’t we talk?” ­

“Yes Ram. That’s what I have been trying to do.” – Sri chuckled.

“Well.. Then tell me. Am all ears.” – said Ram.

He moved his chair next to the bench where Ram sat, as Ram invested all his attention to him trying to escape from the emotional wrath he was going through a few minutes ago.

(To be continued…)