Infatuation in Dreamland … Part -4th ( The concluding episode ) …..

(Recap-  Rajoo, as my best chum and a guy with cheerful disposition, who ever conceived a thought to marry a beautiful girl, suffered a tragedy. The tragedy, he encountered spoiled his future in a sad way.)

As I told earlier, firstly he underwent depression and then to a lunatic state. But a consoling fact about his mental status was that he was never violent in behavior, merely  secluded himself from the outer world and arrested himself to his room only. But after some years, he began to step out from his self – imposed confinement. Firstly, he used to stroll up to the family yard only but later on he began to install on a chair on the front gate of his house and began to watch passersby blankly. Somehow, it helped to restore his memory back, but that all was incoherent.

                                                         Gradually restored his consciousness

These all changes in his behavior took long fifteen years. I am giving this calculation roughly.  In this lapse of fifteen years, my parents too left for heavenly abode, even the mother of Rajoo too passed away in this period of time. This is the time circle, and old generation too is bound to complete their life time and to vanish into in the blue. Now, Rajoo was being looked after by his old fragile father and the family members of his younger brothers. But, gradually he was restoring back his consciousness. All these information about him, I gleaned from my old acquaintance of village people, with whom I happened to be in touch.

In between this period, my occasional visits back into the village too receded, merely on some most demanded occasions, I hardly could spare the time to visit there. The fast changing time and my self being busy in city life was responsible for this. Though, my roots were back there in village, and that forced me to visit the village once in a blue moon. At my such an occasional visit back to the village, rather truly say, persuaded by the inner man’s voice, I decided to throw a glance at Rajoo. No doubt, this surge was based upon the old feelings, that were supported by the instinct of his being my childhood friend.

                                                                        Rajoo recognized me

Till my this visit to Rajoo, it was confirmed, he had regained his consciousness substantially. In fact, a feeling had surged inside me, probably, Rajoo being a childhood friend of mine and could recognize me. This forced me to visit him, as I narrated now. I found Rajoo sitting on the chair at the front of the house. He, at once by a gesture of hand, betokened me to come near to him and abruptly brimmed with joy. This amazed me down to the core of heart, suddenly he called me by my name and said, ” hey, Prakash! Where had you been?   I  often remembered you and awaited you to find strolling here on the road, but couldn’t.” It all was so gleeful for me to see him talk in this way.

Both we hugged each other like friends who were meeting after a long long time. He threw a scrutinized glance at me and declared, ” You have grown quite older friend.” His this gesture too soothed me  deep down to my heart’s content. I knew, he had recognized me but I knew, though he had gained back his consciousness, but he was not all perfect in his deportment. I made a reply, ” It’s the pace of time Brother, it doesn’t spare any one, it makes its own impressions with its passing.”

                                       Rajoo tried to glean some secretive Information

Suddenly, Rajoo slowed down the volume of his voice and in a whispering tone added with clandestine gesture, spoke in to my ear, ” You have been my childhood chum and I am asking you one question. All these years I have been assailed by that. I knew, You only could provide me the correct answer, hence I am sharing my query with you. One question nags me constantly. The answer of this query, my mother could provide me, but they say, she has gone to another World. Now being a friend, I can ask and confirmed that from you. Will you that?”

No doubt, his way of talking was quite sagacious up to certain extent. But my sixth sense warned me, ” You have to become clever in suggesting the answer to his query.” I felt  a stiffness occupying my whole being. It was like an ordeal, I had to go trough, but apparently I encouraged him, ” Of course, why not friend. I am here to pacify your every query.”

                                                          The suspense that thrilled me

For a while, he constantly gazed into my eyes and abruptly asked, ” Can you suggest me, whether I had been married to some one? What was her name and how she looked? I have forgotten everything about her, but something of this kind related to her assails my mind.” I thanked to my sixth sense at the first hand and managed an answer, ” Brother, first thing, when you were about to marry, prior to marriage ceremony weeks before, the prospective bride died in an abrupt ailment, the ailment she developed inside her. Second thing, her name I don’t remember and it’s of no use to recall her name now. Dead person never appear back by recalling the name. Third thing, I never occasioned to see her in person. The important thing is, of whatever name she bore or how she looked, that all is irrelevant now. Long ago she died, no logic to remember her now.  Being a Hindu soul, she might have reborn somewhere, leaving behind her that life. Why you think of that?”

The reply seemed to console him with an impact. He mused for some minutes in silence and suddenly burst in to a big laughter. His laughter continued for minute and it was so full throated and loud, so that his brothers’ family all rushed onto the spot. I was certain somewhere, they all never witnessed him laugh in this way in his past fifteen years. To them, for the first time he was laughing openly. The rest of the story is like happy ending. After that Rajoo resumed to his normal state. Not only this, his brothers too arranged his marriage ceremoniously with a good looking widow. ( End of the story) … Penned by — Vinay Pharasi …..