Close Apart
Chapter-15
“Shock n’ Awe”
“Hello! Ahmedabad riot relief helpline? Listen, would you please help me out with a piece of information? I am looking for a family in Bharuch. The Chopras, a family of three, Amrita, and… goddamit what’s her mother’s name!!”
“Please hold on, do have any land mark?”
“Yeah, the house is near the main post office…”
“Oh God! Man…”
“What’s up?”
“I am very sorry to inform you but that area has been severely messed up!! Totally burned down, not a single block stands!”
Aditya was in a state where a part of his mind was telling him that all these are just another bad dream. But the other part was starting to accept the fact that he would never be able to accompany Amrita to another trip of hers.
**************************************************
“You lied to me?” Manish was yet to have the real shock.
“So who was that girl?”
“It was Komal. Our Boss’s daughter.”
“What?”
“Look you wouldn’t believed me if I told you the truth then.”
“What truth?”
“That Amrita was out of station, she went to her home.”
“So?”
“In Ahmedabad.”
“Wha… You mean… and she was there?”
“I have lost her!”
“Haven’t you called up the helpline?”
“I did, but all they said was the whole town is in fires. Every house has been burnt down, Hindus says they were Muslims and Muslims says they were Hindus! No one survived!”
“There must be some way, have you tried the hospitals?”
“Every other line there is dead!”
“Aditya, don’t break down! She’s safe. She’ll call you back as soon as everything is back to normal! Have faith.”
Aditya sulked down in his chair. He didn’t have the slightest urge to live. But Manish’s words were meaningful. Maybe she’s safe somewhere, waiting for all these to pass over.
“Aditya”
Aditya lifted his head to discover Komal near his cabin.
“Any news?”
Words came out of her mouth as if they too are too sorry to convey the fear behind the slightest hope that remained.
Aditya said nothing. He wasn’t in a condition to do so.
Komal came near, sat beside him and took his hand and said
“Everything will be alright.”
That was it! Aditya couldn’t hold it anymore. He broke in Komal’s arms and started crying like anything.
“She was all I had in my lonely life…”
And all these pain went unnoticed to the rest of the office staffs, for whom the riots were just another reason to start a heated discussion.
Ambiance Track:-
NickelBack-Far Away
http://www.smashitsusa.com/index.cfm?Page=Audio&SubPage=STFListen&TrackID=9678
Chapter-15
“Shock n’ Awe”
“Hello! Ahmedabad riot relief helpline? Listen, would you please help me out with a piece of information? I am looking for a family in Bharuch. The Chopras, a family of three, Amrita, and… goddamit what’s her mother’s name!!”
“Please hold on, do have any land mark?”
“Yeah, the house is near the main post office…”
“Oh God! Man…”
“What’s up?”
“I am very sorry to inform you but that area has been severely messed up!! Totally burned down, not a single block stands!”
Aditya was in a state where a part of his mind was telling him that all these are just another bad dream. But the other part was starting to accept the fact that he would never be able to accompany Amrita to another trip of hers.
**************************************************
“You lied to me?” Manish was yet to have the real shock.
“So who was that girl?”
“It was Komal. Our Boss’s daughter.”
“What?”
“Look you wouldn’t believed me if I told you the truth then.”
“What truth?”
“That Amrita was out of station, she went to her home.”
“So?”
“In Ahmedabad.”
“Wha… You mean… and she was there?”
“I have lost her!”
“Haven’t you called up the helpline?”
“I did, but all they said was the whole town is in fires. Every house has been burnt down, Hindus says they were Muslims and Muslims says they were Hindus! No one survived!”
“There must be some way, have you tried the hospitals?”
“Every other line there is dead!”
“Aditya, don’t break down! She’s safe. She’ll call you back as soon as everything is back to normal! Have faith.”
Aditya sulked down in his chair. He didn’t have the slightest urge to live. But Manish’s words were meaningful. Maybe she’s safe somewhere, waiting for all these to pass over.
“Aditya”
Aditya lifted his head to discover Komal near his cabin.
“Any news?”
Words came out of her mouth as if they too are too sorry to convey the fear behind the slightest hope that remained.
Aditya said nothing. He wasn’t in a condition to do so.
Komal came near, sat beside him and took his hand and said
“Everything will be alright.”
That was it! Aditya couldn’t hold it anymore. He broke in Komal’s arms and started crying like anything.
“She was all I had in my lonely life…”
And all these pain went unnoticed to the rest of the office staffs, for whom the riots were just another reason to start a heated discussion.
Ambiance Track:-
NickelBack-Far Away
http://www.smashitsusa.com/index.cfm?Page=Audio&SubPage=STFListen&TrackID=9678
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