Abhay Khanna went straight to the hospital from there. He got into I C U.
It felt like a silent weep was running inside him when he saw the old man lying unconscious. He sat in the chair next to the bed where Dev Raj Khanna was lying. Looking at that quiet, wrinkled face of sleeping man, many old memories come to mind.
It was this man who always guided him in the absence of his father. The moments when he started to hate his father, The ego to capture something and hatred towards everything began. Sometimes, when he was afraid, not knowing the right path, he was safe in the shadow of his grandpa named Dev Raj Khanna.
Grandpa grew him up with so much care and affection. Yet Abhay Khanna grew beyond the conception of that great man. If Grandpa was compassionate and helpful toward fellow humans, he had a special attitude toward them.
A lack of faith, it later grew into anger, disgust and pride. When he saw everyone swallowing his every word without opposition, he felt contempt for them all. So he repeatedly calls them people with low esteem and no self respect.
He looked at the old man with affection. Memories were pouring into thoughts like rain. Grandpa has repeatedly forbidden him and advised. Only to this man in this world, Abhay khanna do not utter a single word against anything. He loves and respects him so much.
But a deep wound given by his own dad do not let him overcome these beliefs. To date, there has been no one who could change these attitudes and thoughts. He believed that there will be no one, not anymore.
***
"Stop here please.." Nihan slowly tapped the shoulder of the rickshaw driver and said. She got out of it after giving fare to the driver. She was wearing a white churidar and red duppatta.
She looked up to find an arch board. She silently read the written letters on it.
"Ganga orphanage and charitable trust"
Her lips widened and she gave a smile to herself. The next moment it was blown away and filled with worries in her eyes.
Gangamma called her this morning and asked her to come. She did not say anything else and she sounded like she was disturbed.
Nihan was pretty upset until she reached here.
'Gangamma's tired voice', She had only heard it once before. She remembered the day Gangamma, who was also close to her mother, came to take her to the Ashram(orphanage), the day Abbu (father) and Amma(mother) died.
The six-year-old girl was sitting silent in front of the graves of her parents. The women put her hand on little Nihan's shoulder and called.
"Come.. baby.. come with me." Little Nihan got up and walked with her. After a moment of silence passed, She grabbed Ganngamma's sari and pulled it.
"Gangamma... I want to be a doctor.. like my Abbu and Ammi.. a big doctor.." Gangamma stooped down and comforted her when she heard the sudden idea.
"Of course... My baby can become a doctor.. study well and become a big doctor.."
Little Nihan's face lit up with happiness. The woman, who was full of worries, relaxed and held her tight.
"Is the doctor alone enough?" She asked.
"Yes.. i only want to become a doctor. when I grow up, I will become a doctor and cure my Ammi and Abba's illness. Ammi has said that the doctor can do things that no one can do.."
For the first time, Gangamma was tired of not knowing what to say in front of the six year old little girl's sincere hopes and faith. Then slowly and gradually time taught her that life is about losing some by God's will. She has not complained to anyone since. Never over-believed anything. All that she believed is in the decisions of God alone. Decisions that no one can stop and nor change. And after all these years, the same fatigue was visible in Gangamma's voice.
"Who is it?" Watchman's question woke her up.
"Kereem uncle , its me Nihan.. don't you know me?" Nihan asked him sadly.
"Aah Nihan daughter.. I am getting older. And I don't really get the sight. It's been a long time since I've seen you here.."
" I was really busy in these past two months uncle.. That's why I could not come. I told you several times to go and see a doctor."
"Why will i go to see another doctor when you are here..?" He said innocently.
"Uff uncle.. i think i can't solve your problem. Because You need an eye specialist. Not me." She replied and looked at the wristwatch.
"Oh no.. it's too late.. i have to go now.. see you uncle" Without waiting for an answer, Nihan crossed the gate and went to the orphanage.
Inside the orphanage was very different from what you see from the outside. Once you enter inside the gate, it is hard to remember that there is a huge city outside. The orphanage is spread over an area of acres. Leaving a pavement and a small road, the rest of the place is densely packed with big trees. And most of them are Mango trees.
No vehicles are allowed inside the orphanage.
Most of the land is for agriculture, except for about ten or twenty buildings that rise without disturbing the beauty of nature.
Only pickup carts in which the crops were transported were allowed into the orphanage.
The rest of us, however, have to get out of the car and walk inside. It was one of the most important rule that Nihan liked a lot.
The pavement leads to the orphanage building.
The rest of the buildings were either godowns or craft businesses. Nihan knocked on the front door of the Orphanage. A short man opened the door and the next moment he cried out and hugged Nihan.
"It's gone beautiful sister... Everything is gone..."
"What happened pappu? Who is gone?" Nihan grabbed him and set him aside and asked.
"Gangamma.." Before he could finish, he sneezed in a loud voice. "Aaahchiee... " After wiping his nose with a towel , pappu asked Nihan in a serious tone. "Give me hundred rupees beautiful sister.. to buy medicine.."
"Tell me the whole thing first pappuu.. " Nihan got angry.
"What was it?" Pappu asked her.
"you were saying about someone is leaving or something.."
"And who is gone?" Even after trying several times pappu was still repeating the same question which made Nihan angry and impatient. She punched him in the head and asked.
" Now tell me.. what exactly is going on here?"
"What is going on here?" He shook his head with pain and asked back.
"This is why everyone calls you stupid Pappu.. move aside.. i want to see Gangamma.." she said with a cheerful smile.
"What about my hundred rupees?" Pappu nodded his head like a child.
"just forget it too.." Nihan passed him and walked inside.
As she walked along the long verandah, she was filled with anxiety. Usually, in the large courtyard in the middle of the hall, around sixty children would be playing there. But It is quiet all over the place. There was no one there. There is no noise to be seen in the house where hundreds of children grow up.
A kind of fear ran through Nihan's heart. She called out the names one by one that came to her mind that time.
"Srishteee.. is there anyone here? Meena.. chinnu.. raaj... Where are you guyss??"
There was no reply. A few moments of silence passed and two rough hands came powerfully over her eyes and hid her sight. Her bag fell to the floor from her hands in a sudden attack. She tried to pull the stranger's hand from her eyes.
"Pappu, this is not fun.. leave me.."
"Big sister.. tell me who it is..?" It was the voice of a little girl. Nihan responded as soon as she recognized it.
"Sakshee.. Are you with him too? Just tell him to leave me dear.."
"Then tell us who it is big sister....??"
Nihan heard the voices of about forty to fifty children talking together. She became convinced that it is just a childish act by someone inorder to make her angry. But she could not guess who that person is.
Nihan slowly pulled out the safety pin from her dupatta. She pierced the stranger's thigh with it. He fell to the floor with a loud scream.
"Raaaj..... " Nihan called him in surprise.
*rickshaw - three wheeler vehicle
*churidhar and duppatta - indian dress