September’ 2003,
Midtown, Manhattan borough, NY City, NY.

“What have you got?” Aryan asked opening the door of the cab. “Positive”, Malcolm looked at him with a smile conveying the scale of success on his face. He continued with the conversation while letting himself step inside the car, “We have not only managed to get us endowment for the project but also we’ve hit on something unexpected”.

“Woah, is it?” Aryan asked him in a great surprise. “Mr. Justin Amell agreed to sign an MOU with our university. He is going to visit us soon. This would create opportunities in internships for students, supporting them to showcase their skills and if they are successful with this short stint they might eventually get a chance to continue their professional career in the company with a PPO.” He explained.

“That sounds amazing, great news for the students,” Aryan cheered. “Yes, it is. Such a nice guy,” he praised Justin, “when I first read the designation as head of automation on the visiting card, I was expecting to see an aged man in his close fifties. I stepped in to the chamber and abruptly, I find a young and dynamic personality. He is intelligent, you will see it for yourself by talking to him, an eloquent communicator.”

“Ah, I should have been there to witness the irie scene,” Aryan replied on a serious note. It may had occurred as blurt to Malcolm but Aryan meant what he said.

“Yep, you should have come along with me. So where did you go? Had you got any work in here?” He asked. It was a question in cursory but Aryan tried to lose the thread on the topic. “No, not really. I’ve just come to accompany you and look around in the city”, he kept it short.

“Did you had a chance to visit this city any time before?” he asked.

“No, this will be the first ever,” Aryan uttered.

“Alright, let’s drive across the streets in Times square. I bet you might never had seen such a place, it’s that beautiful”, Aryan smiled with his half-suppressed amusement while he managed to compose the innocence. Aryan recollected his strolls over the roads past the Broadway theatres, his trips through grand central station and Rockefeller Centre to the great white way. Malcolm spoke on the attractions that they came across but Aryan only remained tacit as he was engaged in reliving in the moments when the Broadway shows drew his attention in the vicinity of Marriott Marquis along with his visits to Duffy square and Shubert alley. His treasured experience was when he went to Ripley’s Times Square in the 42nd Street with Rekha. “Don’t you think this an exceptional spot for a hangout,” Aryan was intercepted by him. “Yep Professor, it definitely is a great place for the purpose,” he said.

They didn’t spend much time wandering in the streets. They started the ride back to the hometown after spending just more than a couple of hours with a forty minute luncheon.

---

He took out the evening newspaper lying in the back seat. “Yet again, a swindle in a company,” he read out, “Filthy idiots. They knew someday they would end up getting caught and they still do it.”

“What’s the matter? Anything sober?” Aryan enquired. “Kinda but it’s nothing with us,” he replied, “The company, Exantico solutions has cheated three hundred employees.”

“Oh, how and why?” Aryan asked with an increasing curiosity. “The MD promised the employees with full time jobs but only after an employee deposits an amount of $2000 and undergoes a training of six months with a $300 stipend,” he said.

“So, the MD disappeared after collecting the money?” Aryan voiced out his notion, “Exactly,” he said tapping his hand on the head rest of the front seat, “He disappeared but when he was apprehended he had no answers for the swindle. What kind of an MD is he? an Intelligent or a fool. He bluffed the employees and the owner of the building rented for running the company operations. What I cannot comprehend is How he managed to build the trust and setup such an expensive infrastructure?” he questioned himself after reading further on the news in the paper, “gosh!” he said puffing out air as he was flabbergasted after acknowledging the after effects.

“But Mr. Malcolm, why would they dare to do it?” Aryan looked for an answer. “We never knew, everyone has their own reasons,” he replied folding the paper and placing it back where it belonged.

Malcolm was too tired after the meet with Justin and a saunter across the streets in Time square; he lay down to catch a nap and the rest of the journey was silent except the noises from the outside environment. After an hour of drive by Aryan, the hackney almost entered into the Garden City Park and Malcolm was awakened by the huge traffic and sirens on the main roads inside the city. He cleared his eyes and grabbed a few gulps of water from tumbler. He checked on his clothes and then the conversation began. This time it was an unexpected discussion.

“So young man,” he adjusted his handcuffs and said, “It just came on top of my mind. Mr. Justin was talking about an adolescent, an incredibly talented individual in automobile engineering,” Aryan stepped in, “are you planning for a support in your project?”, he asked.

“That’s what I feel,” he replied. “Did you happen to meet with the boy or should we be driving to the city for one more time?” asked Aryan.

“There’s the problem. Justin isn’t sure of his current whereabouts but he believes that the boy left the city for education,” Malcolm uttered with a chuckle. No sooner Malcolm finished on his lines than Aryan applied the brakes. Malcolm looked out and realized he reached his house.

He got out of the car and stood at the other end of the front door of the cab. Aryan looked at him, “What’s so funny about it? Why a laugh?” Aryan enquired.

“Take this,” he said and handed him over a photograph. His eyes blurred but he cleared them like a bat out of hell to have a true life of the picture. It sent a quaver to his vocals and quiver down his spine. His palpitated heart stupefied him. “Where did you find the picture?” Aryan asked rapidly getting out of the cab after looking at it, “I found it in his room. I was unable to believe what my eyes had seen. I looked at the photograph and slide it into my pocket to talk on it later with you. But beforehand Justin talked and described about that adolescent,” Aryan stood by his side and Malcolm continued, “Aryan, my dear. Every time Justin mentioned the intelligent boy’s name, intuitions directed my mind to that boy in the picture,” Malcolm pointed out to the person on the photograph, “This person,” he said and looked over Aryan, “whom I have been calling him a young man,” He caught hold of his hand and continued, “Justin is still unaware of your whereabouts. From what Justin talked, all I know is you had interned at JAPMI under his supervision for a few months, is it so?” he asked.

Aryan was in dubiety if Malcolm found out his true identity. It seemed unlikely to Aryan after his confab with Malcolm. He only knows of my internship details and nothing about my relation with the JAPMI. Leaving himself from the thoughts, he agreed to what he has to say and decided not to speak more of it.

Malcolm bid bye to him and Aryan returned to his driving seat to ride back home. After walking a few steps, “Young man,” Malcolm called out, “So, I think I found that missing adolescent,” he grinned from ear to ear, “You mean,” Before Aryan went on to ask him Malcolm discerned on his intentions and in a split second he replied, “Will start to work on the project. I will talk with the management; we will discuss things later on Monday,” he said and walked into his house. Aryan called the picture of himself with Jenny and Justin taken on the last day of the intern at JAPMI back to his mind, “Thank you Professor Malcolm,” he uttered in an undertone and accelerated his hackney.

September’ 2003,
Midtown, Manhattan borough, NY City, NY.

He found a familiar car in the lot, seemed to be an expensive one. It confirmed on the presence of the Lieutenant at the station. He parked his hackney in the lot and walked inside the station.

As Aryan stepped in he had seen a person with round face and bald headed in his forties with thick eye brows and moustache, cleanly shaved but his complexion couldn’t help him look any better in the police uniform. The Lieutenant was sitting in his chair working on the files closely with a sub-ordinate. Aryan recognised him in no time. This is the same Lieutenant who frequently visited our home back then. He walks in; does the talking with Nemo sipping the coffee and disappears after a brief discussion lasting less then fifteen minutes. Aryan or Rekha never knew the reason for his periodic visits. Either the Hadars never took interests in the subject. It was inveterate on the kinsfolk to remain passive to the subjects until Nemo cared to let them know. Be that as it may, it had been a while for Aryan for a vivid understanding in why the cop made the visits.

“Hello officer Vincent,” Aryan greeted with his fully opened palm positioning it across the forehead. “You…?” the officer paused trying to remember who he was.

“Aryan,” he reintroduced and reminded himself to the policeman.

“Ah yes! Aryan,” he shook his head, “You looked familiar but I am sorry I couldn’t…” Aryan intervened. “No problem officer,” he said with a gripping voice.

“May I know what got you here?” asked the policeman.

“Your due diligence and impeccable loyalty to justice pleases me to pay a visit to your station,” Aryan sounded eerie to him manifesting his seriousness on his visage.

“If that is the case maybe we should talk it in private,” he said sensing a negative vibe in his presence at his desk in the open area, “I will take any appreciation or praise in private, walk with me” he said wending his way into a chamber few metres away from his seat.

He escorted Aryan into the private room and they sat in the luxurious Lawson. He called on one of the stewards to fetch the brandy from the cellaret, “How do like your wine?” he checked on Aryan. “In a glass,” Aryan uttered instantly. “I like brandy with champagne,” policeman continued with Aryan, “Champagne as cold as valley forge, with around three ponies of brandy under It,” he turned towards the steward, “Come on man, pour a decent one to the guest,” he then looked at Aryan and said, “I like to see people drink,” meanwhile the steward placed the glass on the teapoy.

“You may take off your coat,” the policeman said. “Thank you. I am doing fine with it on me,” Aryan said. “May I smoke? I enjoy the smell of it,” he said while Aryan was taking a glance at the orchids visible from the window. “You like orchids?” the policeman asked, “Not particularly,” Aryan uttered. “Nasty things!” he said and continued, “their flesh is like too much like flesh of men, and their perfume has the rotten sweetness of corruption,” Aryan intervened, “We have to admit that we read it in well verse.” Aryan wanted him to be in a state of out of his mind, to see him mentally out of the ordinary.

He grinned, “Sure we have to,” the policeman said, “so what is it the matter,” he finally brought the subject to the table.

“It’s about Anusha,” he said insinuating on the topic, “who was alleged for eloping on the day of her marriage with my father, Vivek”.

“I see. She was not alleged but she had actually eloped,” he responded in a staunch voice. “So what do you think? I have come all the way to listen to this obvious conviction.” Aryan said raising a doubt in his head.

“You mean, I am lying?” the policeman sounded undertone struggling to construct words. “We both know what the truth is, don’t we?” Aryan said trying to nail down the facts from the policeman. “Yes, and the truth is she eloped,” he repeated his answer.

“You made frequent visits to our home back then. Nemo had penned down in his diary that Anusha was murdered. Nemo knew this fact only after you enlightened him, Mr. Lieutenant Vincent Louis,” Aryan reminded him, “I believe that you have informed Nemo that you will take a stance to seize the miscreant. But I have never seen you in my vicinity after the death of my grandfather,” Aryan made him confined with his revelation.

He stammered, “I… I…. don’t re….re…remember, the…the….truth….is that she’s….” Aryan occluded, “officer, if you have got the same answer yet again. I would like you to mind that Riya, might exemplify the concept, elope. I would also like to bring it to your notice that my men at service had reached the vantage point at the state university”.

The policeman raised to his feet dropping the snifter, “Don’t you wanna play with my daughter’s life,” he was down on his knees, “I would oblige to tell you the facts from the murder only if you promise me to let my daughter be safe,”

Aryan wondered at his own behests that allowed the policeman to concur. I’ve never imagined my play would pluck the impetrations from the officer to get me answers for the unanswered questions. “Tell me everything you know and my men will do no harm to your daughter,” Aryan lied and the policeman was convinced.

“We had investigated the case and we did find the criminal”, he paused, “it’s… It’s…” he hesitated to tell who he was, Aryan pitched in, “I’ve got not enough time,” he warned him. “It’s Shikar”.

“What?” Aryan wasn’t surprised and carried on with a sip of wine, “Why did he kill her in the first place?” Aryan questioned.

“We found out it was Shikar but we never knew the reason. To bring it out into the open, I was ceased on my proceedings at the consummation. A week before Dayanand’s death, I was approached by a senior officer,” he said, “I was mandated to let Nemo know that the closure on the case would take a week. I had to intentionally make Dayanand believe that a misconception had peeped into the investigation. Exactly after a week, Dayanand was dead. Then the swiftness in the moments were at the best. I was assigned to a different case, in a manner I stepped out of the state of affairs. I presumed the senior officials had got something with the agreements about the case with Shikar or his comrades thereby killing the truth between the folks,”

“Anything else have you got to say?” Aryan asked and warned him, “don’t you wanna leave any trace unsaid. If I ever find it out in the later time, you have no idea on the repercussions”

“This is all I know, I swear.” he said in a low tone.

“Okay, I would need a favour,” Aryan cleared his throat, “Resume the investigation. Help me find out why Shikar did it to Anusha. Your work will not be left unpaid, you have my word from the Hadars,”

“I will be at my best to take the lead on the mystery to bring in more facts on the case,” the policeman confirmed on his liability.

“You better be on it,” Aryan shook hands with him, “Will meet with the time,” he said and walked out of the chamber.

September’ 2003,
GCP, Nassau County, NY.

Malcolm looked to be disappointed. His sad face said it all and Aryan was curious to know what had happened to him, “Mr. Malcolm, something wrong?” he checked on his intuition.

“Yeah, it’s the competition,” He confirmed climbing inside the car.

Though Aryan felt not to bring the talk on to the table for discussion he couldn’t allow himself to be tied down. Nearly after fifteen minutes of time in the journey, “May I ask what is the problem,” He looked back for a glimpse of him and continued, “…If you don’t mind,” he said. Hadn’t he asked Malcolm waldman after the brief period of silence, the days thereafter might had been different from the days that happened to him after he asked him about the problem.

“It’s a major one young man,” Malcolm took stance to give it a reason, “No company is willing to offer us the sponsorship,” he put the sadness into words, “not a single one. The university had no prior experience in FSAE, and the investors are afraid to sponsor the project.” He paused. Aryan made no attempt to interpose himself in the situation. Malcolm thought for a while and continued, “You have something to say Mr.”, and he was at his wit’s end. He didn’t know Aryan’s name. Since the day he started boarding his cab he had only addressed him with different names, young man, gentle man, tough boy, dude, buddy, the list never ended. Aryan took pleasure in being called by many names and went along with the appellations he choose to call him. The time has reached its zenith where Aryan had to introduce himself to him. “I am Tony”, Aryan said as he named himself at that very moment to hide the identity as a Hadar. His intention for a sobriquet other than the Hadar was not a haste instead it was thoughtful from Aryan.

“Yeah! Young man,” he reverted and didn’t mind not calling his name again, “you tell me. I agree that we don’t have prior experience but to gain experience we need a start. And to start we need a fund and to get the fund we need experience. And to have experience we need to start. You see dear? We go nowhere but circle around. When every company we approach has the same answer, how could we even start? How would one get to have that experience?” he was saddened by the bleared choices, “there are no window of opportunities buddy,” he said.

“You mean there is no way out?” Aryan enquired.

“I don’t think so. The present blurs my vision to foresee an answer. It is the time that will decide, I strongly believe that there exists a way out. There should be a solution for every problem in this world. There should definitely be a way out for this too,” He believed in his staunch.

“I agree with you,” Aryan opined to take a brief digression, “how are your students doing with the project?” he asked.

“So far so good. They are learning to take steps, it might take a while before they start running. They are yet to decide on the suspension system, the base for the vehicle,” he answered.

“Good to hear on it. By the way, which of the suspension are they planning on? Is it a double wishbone or push rod or pull rod?” Aryan walked himself into the perimeter by which Malcolm was taken by a little surprise, “oh boy! You know them?” He asked with a surmise.

“Yes sir,” an instant reply was shot from Aryan.

“Good. I presume we can safely speak the language,” he said.

“Ah! You bet,” Aryan uttered.

“We are planning for a push rod!” He replied.

“Oh but why?” Aryan enquired on the choice as he hold a different opinion.

“Because, the rolling resistance is convincing and the design is compact,” he said.

“But a double wishbone with its roll centre just above the ground can give you the best suspension geometry,” Aryan said, “It can give you the ease to design the geometry in the later stage of design.”

“Smart approach. Haven’t given it a much thought though. Did you have had any prior experience in this field?” he asked.

What should I say? Aryan asked himself, few days back he would have taken me for a fool if I said I had experience, and now what he would think? Let’s take it. He pushed his mettle.

“Yep, I did had exposure to the spare parts. In fact I have successfully designed a chassis with an excellent fatigue strength,” Aryan backed himself.

“Is it? It looks you have got a lot to enlighten me about. Where and when did you work on the chassis?” For the very first time Aryan felt that fate had intervened in his life. Aryan wasn’t prepared for Malcolm’s question and before he could answer him the hackney reached his stop, “Oh we reached… Alright young man, we will continue the talk tomorrow,” he said getting down the cab.

“Excuse me Prof. Malcolm,” Aryan called the aged man, “Yes,” he swivelled towards Aryan, “I know a way out,” Aryan said. “Sorry?” he asked. “Sponsorship, I know a way out,” Aryan voiced out hesitating. “You?” Malcolm said. It didn’t take him by surprise and instead looked at him with a hope, “what is it?” he checked on the notion.

“Will start tomorrow early morning, 6’0 clock. Trust me, I have a way out.” Aryan assured the aged man and Malcolm signed with his thumbs up.

In pursuit of a happy life, Aryan choose to consider things at their own pace. He didn’t wanted to hurry and later regret for what he had done. He rather intended to approach a situation or a problem naturally, as when the right time rolled in, he gave it a whacking blow, an accurate blow in a single shot.

---

Next morning… 06:00 Hrs…

“So gentle man, where are you taking me?” Malcolm climbed the car, “To the JAPMI,” Aryan said handing him over a material, “here is the card and the envelope,”

He got hold of the card, “Justin Amell, head of automation R&D, JAPMI”, he read it out, “who is he? How do you know him?” He questioned Aryan. “I don’t know him. One of my travel friend by name Mr. Aryan, just like you who took a hire of my cab back then knows Justin and as he said, they were close friends,” Aryan made up the content, “It is a long story how I have the visiting card and to cut it short, on a busy day on his calendar, Aryan dropped his wallet in my cab and the card was slipped out. I’ve returned the wallet in the next hour on the same day but the card, it was underneath the back seat and I found it a couple of days later when I was at the car wash. When he boarded my cab the following day, I let him know of my finding but he shrugged it off. So, it was always there with me and that’s how I got to know of JAPMI and Justin as well. I’ve never imagine that I would make a good use of it but it somehow made it to reach me for a purpose,”

“Don’t you think we should go meet Aryan first before we head to JAPMI for the head?” he lacked in certainty.

“Mr. Aryan left the city. I had him driven to the airport on the day of his final ride in my cab. He informed me of his unavailability thereafter and so…” Aryan clarified his scepticism and also added, “Oh… it was outta my sight. Please do mention that you are friend of Aryan. Just in case the head asks for any details, tell him you are a pen friend.”

“No worries Boy! I will look into it,” Malcolm assured him.

“You may want to get some sleep. We have a big day ahead,” Aryan said. “Uh-huh,” Malcolm replied dozing off.

It’s been a few days by then Aryan had found out the unsolved mystery of Anusha’s death. He took the opportunity for making an inquest in the sojourn to his hometown. The time now seems to be right to dig in deep about the mystery Aryan thought. He had made up his mind the previous night to meet with the inspector who had investigated the case back then under the invocation of Dayanand. It was Friday early in the morning the duo started driving to the home city. That was the first time ever Aryan left home without an intimation of the purpose to Rekha. But for all that, Shalini was aware where he was leaving for. Shalu will take care of mom, if she feels worried of my late arrival. I will drop the professor at the industry and I will lead my way to the police station. That’s the itinerary for the day.

August’ 2003,
Garden City Park, Nassau County, NY.

It’s been few months since Aryan ran the hackney. It was a singular day for him as he was in the state of buying a television for Rekha. Before he left for the store to do the purchasing he had got a line of routine pick up and drop job. A couple of weeks ago Aryan had met with a professor who worked at the local state university.

It was a conventional morning in the day for Aryan, waiting for the mob who would take a hire of his cab. A man in his fifties approached Aryan for a ride to his work place. Since the first day of drop, the aged man met with Aryan regularly at the same location and chartered his hackney to his workplace. Like it always had been the case with Aryan, in no time the aged man had become friends with him. Nearly after fifteen consecutive trips Aryan made a proposal to hire his cab on daily basis so that he could have the minimum assured returns from his driving at the end of the day. The aged man agreed up on Aryan’s earnest request and since then he had been driving him.

“Hello Mr. Malcolm, you are late today,” Aryan asked. “Ironically, I woke up late after a long time” he replied.

“Ironic?” Aryan enquired. “Aged man don’t sleep for long,” Malcolm replied.

“Uh-huh! Why don’t you take rest back at home, after all you have been working for almost?” Malcolm intervened, “close to thirty,” “Yeah for apparently thirty years and so you already have your son working”, Aryan said.

“I have worked in an MNC for so long, nearly twenty five years. I’ve always wanted to be a teacher but I couldn’t be. The state of affairs demanded me to pursue a career in an MNC,” he said recollecting from his past, “now that my son looks after the family. I could courageously resign my job to take my loved profession. So, I am not working, I am enjoying what I am doing now and I am happy about it”. Aryan had seen himself in Malcolm for a moment when he heard him say of his feelings over the vocation. He recalled the instances from Dayanand’s guest house where he told Jenny the same words.

“Mr. Waldman, you just put a tape on my lips,” Aryan said. “Never mind young man,” he laughed, “is there something else you wanted to know about?” He asked.

“Not for now,” Aryan said hesitatingly. He paused for a few minutes before he enquired his proceedings at the university, “Mr. Malcolm, yesterday when I was picking you at the university, I have seen students talking to you about the FSAE”,

“Oh yeah, they wanted to build a formula car for a competition. That is FSAE,”

I knew it Mr. Malcolm, all I want is how I can work for that project was the thought running in his mind. How should I break the bar and ask him about it? How do I buy his trust? How do I tell him that I have worked on it and been successful in the leading part of the project? A taxi driver, had been successful in building a chassis? Who would believe? I have no evidence to show him on my capabilities. People would consider me to be a fool If say it in the air. They don’t believe my words, they believe in my appearance and what I do. Aryan remained silent while he was brooding over his notion until Malcolm interrupted his thoughts. Malcolm continued, “In fact I am one of the chief of the board of charge committee for the project. They were talking to me about the endowment facilities and other issues with the fabrication. It seems we reached the entrance. Will talk it over the return journey young man” He said.

“Sure thing,” Aryan said in an utter disappointment. It felt disheartened that he couldn’t bring it in the open on his interests on the project. “See you dear”, Malcolm waldman said and walked into the university while Aryan drove to the store to get home the much fancied commodity.

The two phases of his life… who would be fortunate enough to have an experience in both of them in the transposed state? First of all can Aryan call it a fortune? Why an individual from a silk-stocking family may had to be forced to contend with the other extreme side of the person’s life? If fate did take a toll and if they did end up there, and if they are seen in the vicinity of stony broke, the rich is unfortunate, there are no two ways about it. On contrary when a poor born individual has to have an experience with the other extreme side of the person’s life, from the way the worlds sees it, when they shakes hand with the minted phase of their life, the poor is fortunate and there’s no denying it. Now, is Aryan an unfortunate? Or by cynical means a fortunate?

Wherever he belonged and whoever he was, he had literally seen the difference between the rich and the poor. When he was at his house, when he had his own car, when he had a colourful life, he had enough time for fun. For the whole day he was engaged in hanging on to one or the other thing and it always had a fun factor. He had an everyday story to write in his diary, if he had to. He would get anything, whatever he had asked for. He could do anything, whatever he wants to. Compromise was not seen in his life as he had access to the splendour in the world.

The life in being a poor, its whole different story all together, contrary to the other extreme. It’s challenging, every day he had a goal, for then, making some money. Once he raked in some of it for the day, the next would be to save a percent of it. Compromise was the key to live the life. Sometimes, he had to sacrifice a cup of tea, a wheeler for a chore to name a few, to see the routines going. Unlike the other life he had, there was only one single story running all days. He had to think twice to ask for anything and thrice before he could do something.

The only thing that overlapped in both phases of his life was the relationships. No matter where he belonged they were persistent. The love with his mother, his association with Shalini, they were never changed and they never will. His friends? It was him who advanced for a change in life and rode aside from the conventional. Absolutely! It was him who choose to be isolated from the world for a brief period of time. He thought he will get back to them, soon enough and he believed the things won’t change between them. The only one and the other half of his life, Kalki. He didn’t dare to think much about her. After all what he had done… He missed her. Can I get her back? Will I meet her again? Never mind! But I love her He thought.

June’ 2003,
Garden city park, Nassau County, NY.

The Hadars found themselves in a single room, spacious enough to accommodate five people. They had no clothes, Rekha and Aryan had a couple of extra pairs with one already on them but Shalini had got a couple more of hers. A larger portion of the room was almost unfilled except with few crockery on the sideboard; with the books and clothes in the closet. Life of the Hadars had been as natural as the poor would be in. Aryan drove the same hackney and had been sending a percentage of cash to Akbar Farrukhsiyar, the rightful owner of the cab.

---

Aryan’s week had been laborious since his arrival in the city, hundred miles away from the home. He drove the cab for more hours till late nights to hedge on the initial investments and steer the routine at the cost of his illness. On an evening in a mid-week, he was alone resting back at home when Rekha and Shalini were out attending chores. Aryan locked his eyes over the ceiling playing the rides he rode in the week and approximating the earnings. No sooner did he clap his eyes than his vision drifted unto the books lying in the closet. Of all, a diary in particular, drew his attention. It looked to him like a personal diary. Though he lay inert in his bed he tried to push himself to get up and reach for it. Momentarily when he got his hands over the diary, he realised it was Dayanand’s personal record. He ran his thumb finger over the fore edge of it and flipped open the pages from the last. He couldn’t believe what he read in the last sentence on the page, his vision was blurred but he regained the faculty of sight and re-read to put himself in the picture, She has been killed, he read out loud in his mind. Why would someone kill her, Anusha is an innocent woman. Why should anyone have to kill her? I find no answers. No! Answers are being hidden but why? Aryan flipped the pages to continue but he was unsuccessful in digesting the revelations. As he read, it revealed that Anusha made no efforts to elope on the day of her marriage with Vivek and instead she was murdered by known identities for unknown benefits.

If it is written here in the diary, mama should have definitely known about this incident long ago Aryan spoke under his breath. It occurred to Aryan that Rekha had been stashing the facts from him. Before he made digressions to draw any conclusions Aryan found Rekha and Shalini entering the doorway. In the split second Rekha caught the sight of the diary in Aryan’s hand, “What made you read it. Don’t you see it to be a privately owned possession?” She questioned his gaffe in an adamantine voice, “Nemo is dead, and this is no personal. Not anymore,” he replied, “and I have few questions. I would like to seek answers to each one of them.”

“…and what are they?” She asked.

“Aunt Anusha didn’t fly the coop but she was murdered. Why there has been a fabricated story that she showed a clean pair of heels? And next,” Rekha intercepted before he proceeded to ask further, “Stop you there! Stop your guff. This talk is gonna lead us nowhere because it is a hogwash,” she said.

“Mama, this is not nonsense, this is the truth. You knew it,” Aryan mildly raised his voice, “This is a subsidiary matter. Now my primary concern is to know the source of the thirty thousand dollars that showed up when we were out of our home with no penny in the bank. I believed you will tell me before I could ask but you didn’t. I deserve to know the truth mama,” Aryan took the bed.

She edge nearer to Aryan and took him in her arms, “Honey,” She snuffled, The story ‘you will know when the time sets it right’ might had come as an old chestnut to Aryan by then but that was the overworked phrase Rekha found a use to salt few things away for various reasons. And then the juncture had partly set it right. She looked him in the eyes, “If truth be told Aryan, When we were at the infirmary after our eviction from our home. I was informed of a visitor a few hours after the admittance of Vivek. It was an assistant of Shekar grandpa, he had earnestly requested my presence at a chalet in the forested hillside fifty miles from the infirmary in the city outskirts. Little I know of the contortion in fate with my attendance.”

---

“Welcome Rekha, welcome to my mansion in the woods,” Dayanand said, “I presume you are tired with all the misfortune. In fact very tired because of the absence of a bit of fluke,”

“It appears you aren’t gonna give a hoot with what happened with my family and It also appears because of your perversity in stroke of serendipity. What do you want from me? Why have I been called here?” Rekha asked, “I had the feeling that it was the bait to lure Vivek into the deal that never existed and you proved me right when I read through the legal papers handed over to me by the FBI. That was your vantage point isn’t it? But why? What made you do this to the family,” Rekha questioned his stance.

“Oh yeah, my daughter,” Shekar voiced out.

“Don’t you dare call me that,” Rekha flared up and proclaimed instantly. “Alright! And I didn’t lure Vivek. It didn’t need much of a thought though because of his perseverance, you call it?”

“I would like to remind that I am brought here for a purpose but not to trade insults,” Rekha uttered in frenzy of anger, “let the essence of my presence be honoured,”

“Fair enough. It was an awful pleasure doing it,” Dayanand replied, “but I apologize. I had do it because I was left with no other choice,” He said.

“So you slay people in the back who backed you when you needed someone to bolster your business. Is that your allegiance?” She debriefed.

“The embezzlement was real, yes. I managed to capitalise up on the expenses by manipulating them on the balance sheet. I’ve managed to have a high stock price to attract those investors but abruptly everything has over floated and it all came up to the brim. In due course the time has arrived where I had to show admittance to the fraud but if I did admit upon my misappropriation. My company was to go openly bankrupt, the investors would withdraw eventually I would have fallen into your place if I hadn’t done what I have done now” He continued to explain, “the total value of the loss would approximate the assets of Hadars and that’s why I had to make Vivek to take the bait of signing a phantom contract, we know how much of a fool he is, don’t we?. I am sorry, I would call to mind that we are not here to trade insults. So, that’s it. He finally signed the document of the allegation in the name of a pseudo contract to save my ass at the cost of Hadars livelihood,”

“You are one sick of a bastard, aren’t you? Do you expect a respect to be shown up on you right now?” Rekha exclaimed her anger, “because I would not be interested anymore Idiot son of a bitch,”

“I guess you mistook yourself to be me,” Dayanand smirked, “it is you who would be a son of bitch. Correction, a daughter of a bitch,” he said, “aren’t you?” Dayanand questioned and he continued, “look dear, let’s get this straight. I have a deal for you,”

“And what is it?” Rekha asked, “What makes you believe that we are in position to accept the deal, moron”

“My brother Shikar, father of yours has threatened you of killing your mother but let me enlighten,” he exhaled, “your mother’s been dead few years ago, and secondly you have to acknowledge the fact that he is going to come after you,” Dayanand disclosed the danger to Rekha. “I don’t see any terror associated with your divulgence because he’s killed my mother, who I failed to save and now I am with my life on a breadline. Why would he be after me for no reason? Perhaps you are under an expedition to deploy your second ploy”

“Not really. It’s your anticipation. My deal for you, maybe in your favour, is I am gonna kill Shikar. I knew how much your mother meant to you. How much you loved her so you may accept my proposal as a reparation,”

Rekha was quite all the time listening to the unexpected truths from Shekar, she was completely in blue with no speech at the juncture. Shekar continued, “Rekha dear, you have two choices. Hide the truth that I made your family pay for my mistakes and in return I will dispatch your father to the heaven for causing the death to your mother and threatening you the whole lifetime. In addition I offer you an indemnity of thirty thousand dollars”, he said.

“Shut the heck up, I don’t need money. I will see his death to myself,” Rekha raged up. “Whatever dear, Vivek is in deep trouble. Please bring it to your mind the place you were brought from. Doublethink is an art and you have no less prowess to hold it,” Shekar sounded smart, “you take the money and leave. I will kill him for you, you have my word.”

---

“I had to come with the money,” Rekha said.

“Mama, what is your past? I was never told anything about it. Who is my grandma? I have asked you several times but you were taken aback on every occasion. Let me know mama.”

“Aryan, my Mom worked as a Personal Assistant under Shikar grandpa at the SS chemical industry. He maintained a private relationship with my mama and I was brought into this world by a major mishap. As I grew up after I hit puberty, he sent me to the US and endowed my education. This is why I never knew the whereabouts of grandpas relatives especially Shekar,” Rekha continued, “on a weekday day, I have received a call from grandpa asking me to reach USA on a direct flight, couple of days before my marriage I was here. He threatened me that he would kill my mama if I don’t comply with him in my marriage with Vivek. Then it all happened in a haste; Vivek was my husband.”

“So you never know of Aunt Anusha?” Aryan asked feeling sad for what Rekha has gone through in her life. “No, I knew nothing. Except the facts that you read from Nemo’s diary. I didn’t care to mind the mystery because as I said, they are not going to lead anywhere from the current state of affairs,” she said.

“What have you got to say about Shikar’s haunt for you? Is he gonna come after us?” Aryan enquired. “Honey, Shekar is kind of a man who like it to play all the cards at once. Moreover he doesn’t do deeds for others he does it for himself. So this needs no premonition, let him venture in his business” She assured Aryan.

---

After Rekha left chalet…

“Sir, May I ask If you gonna kill your brother for her?” the assistant asked.

“I see I had the wrong surmise of your understanding of my stereotype after you had been with me all these years, that’s great but not good. By the by, who do you think I am again?” Shekar said, “I don’t do errands. I have my commission”

“…and what is the commission for?” assistant asked.

“You will know,” Dayanand put his glasses and left the place.

May’ 2003,
East Side, Manhattan Borough, NY.

A week later Aryan friends had left to their places.

“Thank you Shalu,” Aryan said, “thank you for everything”.

“You don’t have to do this. You can still stay with me. I will be more than happy if you are here. I always had a feeling that I have a family” Shalini said.

“Shalu, we were your family and we will always be. In fact we are family, aren’t we Mama?” Aryan said looking at Rekha, “It is just that we both needed to stay away from this city, isolate ourselves from all sort of communications for a while. I see it as the only possible choice that could make us feel better before we resume on our living,” he said walking towards Shalini, “Shalu, you have got a great job. You have a remarkable life, and you must get a buzz outta it”, Aryan dabbed her shoulder and said, “mama, let us go,”

“Hold on Aryan,” Shalini pitched in, “if you both have considered me to be your family then I have the right to stay with you, which means I am gonna go with you”, she asserted, “I am not excited going to work for the company where there is no you. I will draft in my resignation today, and I am coming with you, no matter what.” She said in a firm tone.

Aryan had considered her choice, in fact she made it clear for the Hadars that they should accept her impeccable line of reasoning and they just did because Rekha and Aryan couldn’t possibly think over it for long before they complied with Shalini’s solicitation. They knew Shalini had got a good head on her shoulders and her strength of mind was unquestionable. The Hadars were regardful of the fact that Shalini’s decisions were never made in haste and were other reasons by which they agreed upon to take her along with them.

Shalini left all of her belongings and donated all of her assets to the orphanage she was raised at. She had made an understanding in the past that she would do the charity from fifty percent of her savings to the children’s education and food at the orphanage. She backed her words back then and had been doing it since the time she observed her job. Perseverance is her second name Aryan thought and said, “Mama, Gimme a few minutes,” He went into the room and grabbed couple of loose sheets after tearing them from the notepad on the desk. He penned down…

“I tried to explain things to you, but we spent very less time and there was no space. I choose to write comprehensively and let you know what I wanted to tell you until today. I have the feeling that you should know what I am going through lately, as I felt you are also a part of my life who completes me. I’venever imagined even in my wildest dreams that I would write to you to express my feelings of unhappiness.I am in chaos.I am not being consistent in my life. I am muddling, hon. I am living in the swoon of sorrow and solitude thinking of how to save the Hadars from ironic circumstances. Yes, my family is about to die.

If this is one part of a piece from the montage of my life, you are the part of my love life. I stood by my hunch that I would make some love to you for the rest of my life but I never imagined that there would be a time coming when I had to refrain from having those thoughts. Do you still think that I would give you a family where you can be happy? I don’t want you to get worried for me, and I don’t want you to feel unhappy just because of me.

I promised to give you a happy life, yes I still wanted to keep up the promise, but how? I see an unanswered question, and when I have questions unanswered I don’t have the liberty to make commitments. Even if I did and let us be together, that’s not meaningful at all. I need my family to be safe and also you. I am now entrusted with multiple assignments in life to take the charge over and I am in the middle of nowhere. I was in abyss figuring out a way to go about my life, because you were also an important factor to be considered in whatever decisions I make. I know you will never show any objection to my interests and you never will, but I still have to consider you in every way I intend to go. What should I do? Was on my mind for several days. You don’t deserve to be apprehended to any of the things that happen in my life and I nailed it down to put an end to my love life. At this stage, I have to make a choice and it is inevitable; I made a choice, and I should prepare you to leave me because I cannot leave you as I promised I will never leave you.

You may have no idea to what extent I am imploded for the way I hurt your feelings and for ruining the faith you lay in me. I degraded myself in your life. I am happy that I did it for a reason and for our future, I hope you understand. You were and are always, a great lover, a great woman in my life.

You were always there for me when I am in my hard times. You’ve pushed me through ups and downs in my life. You well know that you are the only women in my world and whom I loved to the deepest of my heart. I am not able to convince my heart that we are not together anymore. I don’t know why I had to reach an inevitable choice to make. Promise me that you will take care of yourselves.

For the true love of yours and from the unsophisticated beau of yours,

Lots of love with loads of hug,

Good Bye”

“Mama, let’s move” Aryan uttered while walking out from the room. They had started the ride in his hackney to a new city for a new beginning. Aryan and the family had not foreseen of their lives in the new city. The unexpected fortune that he encountered after his arrival in the new place had dramatically changed his life thereafter.

What would one does when they are dejected? When they are thrown out of their very own world for some rationales which they did not know or would never be able to figure them out.

An abrupt annihilation; that had been the phase in life for Aryan. Meeting with the unexpected and he just had to live with it courageously. Be that as it may, he couldn’t withstand a downfall and he dint really know the basis but he still had the valor to face it and when he introspected he found the reason was being a strong push, the letter from his love.

---

Darling,

Every time you had asked me to tell how well I understand you or how good I have known about you after we stayed together for really long years, I never had expressed the way I perceived you not because I couldn’t but because I didn’t know how to pen my thoughts. Sometimes the magic in love just pushes your limits and can evince the hidden you in you.

At this moment in my life, this feels really great to show something to your love which usually cannot be expressed in words. So here it is and this is my first letter isn’t it? I am excited and I strongly reckon so are you.

You are unique in your own way, a competent communicator with wonderful ideas. It’s not just me, every individual, they just enjoy to be around with you for the sense of little humor you’ve got.

You are ground to earth, very humble and protective with qualities of being empathetic and understanding, aren’t you? Sweetheart. You even tend to make compromises for others. You have the heart to see a person point of view and can be compassionate. I must say, you are extremely creative and expressive when you are in love.

You are sensitive but sensible. Sometimes you hold on to things that you should actually not but I secretly love the quality in you because it brings out the kid that hides within you and I love to play with him. But when you’re hurt for substantial reasons, you tend to behave overbearing but this never disturbed me because I love you the way you conduct yourself.

You, my love, have such a great personality, an idealistic, charming and devoted human being. You are serious about what intrigues you and what you ought to do. You like to be on your own, going into the woods venturing to build your own empire. You possess a strong grace and amiability alongside with your loveable charm. You are an excellent observer and creative with high perception.

My journey so far has been incredibly loving with intense emotions and feelings. Your touch of idealism gives you high expectations from me yet you yearn for the encouragement in the relationship. Darling, I know you dislike to read for long and I conceive that it will be coon’s age before I crown my thoughts. I believe we will continue to stay together hereafter like before and so I will have the free hand to tell you in person about the rest of my fondness residing inside my heart.

My love for you will live forever and my life with you will thrive till ever. With loads of hugs and lots of love.

Yours beating heart.

And he be convinced that he did possess the courage to face the labefaction because every time he read it, it propelled and got him induced with the courage. It was written by the love of his life. A lover usually writes a letter to explicitly show the love but his love implicitly expressed her love in a letter that actually gave him hope for a life out of the dismay by showing what can he be and at the same time how grateful he was to have such a woman in his life.

May’ 2003,
East Side, Manhattan Borough, NY.

---

The New York Times
Health

A group of Swedish researchers published a study examining the risk of mortality associated with type 1 diabetes and celiac disease. In the study, the lifespan of 960 patients diagnosed with both type 1 diabetes and biopsy-proven celiac disease were compared with the general population. The authors discovered no increased risk of death within the first five years following a celiac disease diagnosis, but an almost three-fold risk 15 years post-diagnosis.

The authors suggest that the excess risk of death for long-term celiac disease patients with type 1 diabetes may be related to persistent low-level inflammatory activity in the gut even after years of following the gluten-free diet. Many cases might also be related simply to poor adherence to the diet. The authors propose close, long-term monitoring of patients with these two conditions.

---

“This is all how it happened” Aryan plonked by his weight on to a chair, “I was making some money driving the hackney cab but then again, father had suddenly fallen sick couple of weeks later. That is the starting of the last week and since then we are here running an extra mile, pulling our own weights in the infirmary”. Every one remained silent and were stifled on Aryan’s unveiling.

Nearly after fifteen minutes of silence in the ambience. Aryan eyes drifted swiftly to the right hearing heavy footsteps marching towards him. A man in black trousers and a vivid shirt appeared to approach near to him. In a little while after the moment, the man stood before Aryan. Aryan raised his chin and slowly his eyes to look at the heavy man. He cleared his eyes and conceived him to be the father of Kalki. Aryan immediately rose up.

“Hello Mr. Viswanathan,” Aryan said with a genuine smile on his face despite him being in the extreme troublesome phase of his life, “how are you? It took me by surprise with your presence”

“You should be!” He said sternly, “I have heard things from my daughter but let me be very plain with the matter at hand. I am not here to be empathetic for what had happened with the Hadars. Do you expect me to be apologetic?” He said locking his eyes with Aryan with no sign of hesitation, not even a pinch of it and he slide his hand in to his dak.

“Oh no Mr. Viswanathan, you don’t have to be,” He said continuing to smile but Viswanathan knew his expressions did hurt Aryan.

Aryan vocalised, “Please tell me. What it is?” with a brief pause he asked, “What brings you here?”

He cut everything in short and with a crisp voice he replied, “Your love with my daughter”.

“Hmm! What’s wrong with it?” Aryan asked.

“Nothing at all. I have got not enough time to discuss traits of the relations with you. I have travelled here to ask you to stay away from my daughter,” he inhaled and exhaled briefly and continued, “In the current living conditions of yours, you better start to keep a watch on your family and take good care of them. Don’t try to make a move with my daughter from now on to ever. When I say ever, I meant ever again, never again bud. You feel it? Don’t even think to play out bold and tend to be audacious. If I see anything unkempt, I will tear those guts and throw them into the arms of your father and I am sure he wouldn’t be able to catch hold of ’em” he said and asked, “isn’t it?”

Aryan was in a towering rage but it was not patent enough to the outsiders. He closed his eyes and Viswanathan fell on the floor like an inglorious bastard begging for his life.

“What?” Viswanathan uttered at the top apex of his voice, “I am talking and you keep your eyes closed. How disgraceful?” He raised his voice, “I am wondering how my daughter choose you to be her love, god damn it!”

Aryan was in a dwam and he rained blows on Viswanathan’s face. He was utterly disappointed as it was not veridical. My girlfriend have just saved you He grinned.

“So what is that you want, Mr. Viswanathan?” He asked grimly, “I should leave her, is that it? And if that comforts you, I will.”

“Good. I am done with that for what I am here. I will take leave,” He stepped back wending his way back into the lounge but then Aryan intervened and uttered, “I will leave her but please be mindful that If she decides to come back and stay with me for the rest of her life. She will be mine and I will never let you take her away from me. When I say Never, I mean never,” Aryan evened out with his intentions over Viswanathan’s, “and I will do whatever it takes.”

He bevelled his head sideward, and with a smirk he said “Try your luck, Youngster” and left the place.

Yet again, He descended rapidly in the chair right in the place where he was stranded all through his conversation. The four friends rushed up to pacify him on what had just happened.

“How rude on his part. He is an absolute epitome for a traitor,” Alexa Toto said displacing his hands on Aryan’s shoulders, “He laid his ass down at your Nemo’s feet back then and now how we see him. What an arsehole he is. Truly a traitor in the name of money.”

Aryan regained the calmness and composed himself. He was blank in his mind and heart, in fact he was out of this world not even comprehending on his friends talk. He could only see her, his love, Kalki. At that moment in his despair, the only thing his heart wanted was a conversation with her, maybe for one last time, he thought. He couldn’t help himself to live in with the situation. While he was so in a great need of a talk with her, something dragged him down to the earth and let his gloomy thoughts fade away and it was the affliction of Hadars.

He left his bezzies and walked his way out. He pursued his stroll striping his friends holds as they interjected. He walked a few meters down the corridor and halted there after he heard someone, again in a very familiar voice, calling him from behind.

He looked back to find Rekha. This time it was an unnatural call for him. He had seen Rekha screaming her heart out. He rushed towards her, real quick. He lost his footing in the midway when his pace was obstructed by jardinière. He quickly managed to get back on his feet but he failed to notice the blood oozing out from the ankle. “What happened mama? What’s wrong?” He asked in his undertone, “what’s wrong?” He asked her but she kept weeping, “What’s wrong?” he asked her repeatedly. She finally revealed, “He is no more”, she said, “its dad. He is no more, he left us.” she screamed out loud wrapping her arms around Aryan’s shoulder. Aryan imploded but he strangled the yelp. He only shed tears to let the pain drain out from his heart. Shalini wasn’t able to either help herself or the Hadars. Aryan boon companions were feeble with the condition.

The demise of Dayanand followed by the demise of Vivek. The proportion in the family got narrowed down to two and the proviso from Viswanathan, all of them happening uninterrupted in his life, battering his wounded heart.

When he had the hunch of things getting settled in after Dayanand’s death, his father fell sick. When he felt that things had started to fall into one place with Kalki, her father busted him. When he felt he was handling the health issue of Vivek, he left them.

What have I done in my life? Aryan questioned in his caliginous condition. Being a teen, why should I have to go through a lot of pain? Is it because I am the son of an illiterate rich father or is it because of being the grandson of a millionaire who had only done good deeds. Why? Why me? Aryan repeatedly asked himself but his concerns were never answered

April, 2003,
East Side, Manhattan Borough, NY.

Couple of days later…

It was six in the evening. “Shalu look after her. I will be back in an hour,” he said donning a tweed jacket. “Where are you leaving for?” Shalini thwarted in his course, “Nowhere,” he answered shoving her aside mindfully, “Got to go get some fresh air. I will be back, don’t be worried”, he assured her that he will be fine and only then she allowed him to leave. Shalini could see how dejected and dolorous Aryan was since his arrival in the house. She took a concern over him being down in the dumps and closely monitored on his general activity.

He walked down the main street, a busy commercial street crowded with people and automobiles hovering around with no let-up, horns buzzed loudly every minute from one or the other vehicle and People? It goes without saying a word of the public on a mercantile street. Yet Aryan heard no din while he tootled along the thoroughfare. It appeared that he was in a vacuum sealed ambience as he wended his way in to his past.

I cannot go back to the college. I wouldn’t be admitted in any context due to my failure of abiding to the university policies during the internship. Maybe I would let them know of Nemo’s demise and that should compel the university on my admission. Fuck, it is too late. I lived by my intuition that University would reject if I propose for a re-instating and now I suffer the repercussions. I flunked in junior school, while I just managed to clear the high school with an average percentage. No bright background in education except that I was serious in the sophomore year but why? Oh! Because of my passion towards cars. That’s quite a shitload in the dump yard. What good does it do? It doesn’t supply a criteria to be eligible for a job outside in a company.

Several other thoughts over floated in his mind. He was occluded further when he heard two juveniles talk about smoking.

“Dude, why do you smoke?” one of them asked. “It releases stress, takes pressure off of you. You find contentment and then you drown in the rhapsody,” the other answered him, “it feels good to smoke, smoke!” he said and blew out smoke rings.

Aryan found a vape shop hundred meters down the lane. He walked up to the place, “Boardwalk elixir Vapors,” he read out loud and ambled on the drugget inside the shop. A vapologist helped him with the nicotine liquid cartridge. “Flavour?” the vapologist asked Aryan, “Get me your choice,” he blurted. He finally had the stick, let’s do it He tapped the e-cigarette on his chest and slipped it in his mouth. He waited before he drew the puff from the e-cig and recalled the instructions No quick short drags, it should be slow and a long one. Nice and easy, wait until the smoke fills your mouth. Nice and easy. Before he proceed to his primer puff, he was intercepted by his phone. He pulled it out of his jacket.

Kalki calling…

---

“Before you talk, I have to tell you this,” he voiced out quickly before she uttered any shrilling vocable, “I am sorry that I couldn’t answer your calls and respond to your messages. I am going through a lot right now and I will break it down to explain the situation when time permits me to do it”. While he was prepared to hear on an acerbic rant, he wasn’t aware of an approaching allocution. The response she delivered soberly blew up his mind, “Honey, it took me sometime to understand that you too have a life. You expect, nope”, she tsk-tsked and continued, “you hope that I give you some space for it,” She said, “So darling, you don’t have to be sorry. I am perfectly alright” she said and kissed him. “You know what? I never knew why I had fallen for you but for now I see something, a reason if you wanna name it,” he paused. “What is it?” she asked. Aryan answered, “Your sentience” and kissed her back.

That kiss and her honeyed voice worked like a puff of smoke. He had never smoked before in his entire life till to that point of tending to smoke. He loved Kalki helping him refrain from doing it. He realised why there was no need of a smoke when he had the love.

Although JAPMI was well reputed company in the nation it was not acknowledged by many of the people but Dayanand achieved a tremendous recognition for his contribution in the industry. It was the good deeds of Dayanand which made the communication agencies step back from telecasting the news over the county and state. None of the citizenry, including Kalki, were aware of what had happened with the family of Hadars. Aryan decided to inform her but only by cutting it short in effacing the douce which would make her feel anxious and faze.

“Honey, I have to tell you something,” Aryan fumbled saying it. “What is it, Aryan”, she asked with no sign of tautness. “Our company faced a huge crisis. It all came up to the surface couple of days ago,” he paused and an emotional reticence prevailed for a brief moment, “our house and other assets were seized. We are grappling to save ourselves from some trouble,” she intervened before Aryan had completed, “What? How? Where are you? Aryan I am tensed”, She asked with surcease. Aryan moved by her perturbation pitched in, “Honey! Hold on. The present seems to favour us and I tell you there is no need for worry,” he took the edge off of her with his trumped up assertion. “You sure?” Kalki enquired getting in tizzy, “I am worried for you Aryan,” She said and silence hold sway yet another moment.

Stupefied Kalki uttered, “Aryan I am gonna come see you tomorrow. Why don’t you tell me where you are?”

Sweetheart it’s complicated and I am not at my liberty to tell you truths right away Aryan muttered to himself and continued, “Sweetheart, listen. Let me tell you, this is not the right time for you to come here. I will come see you after I am in possession of all my faculties. It’s gonna take a while, until then. Take care of yourself, we will be fine too,” he assured her.

“You better say it true to your words and remember, I will be waiting for your arrival,” she said in a suppressed tone.

“You knew me better than I know myself. I got to go now” He said. “Keep in touch, promise me that you gonna talk day by day” she asked.

“I cannot make a promise that I can’t keep but I will try the best of possible and probable,” he hanged up on the call.

Talking to her was a medicine to his mental illness. If he tried and made it to hear her voice for few minutes on a daily status, Aryan thought that it would give him positive energy that could just hold him onto be in more power and help him to continue to do what he intended to do.

By then Aryan had already stepped out from the vape shop onto the pavement across the avenue walking back with the progression of his talk on phone. While he had just decided to return home, a sign of hope laid bare in a voice.

“Hello sir,” the voice from his behind called him while he was on his way back. Aryan was sceptical when he first heard the calling but momentarily he tumbled on to reckon that he was in the know about the voice. He swivelled to clap eyes on the unknown. No one Aryan left a grimace. He noticed nobody on the trail, am I in a dream? He asked himself and continued with his pace on his way. “Excuse me Sir. I am here,” The voice said. He turned back and looked around; he found a man sitting inside a cab. You calling me? Aryan gesticulated in a soliloquy Oh wait… you chum…

Aryan got nearer to the car, “I bet you are the same guy”, he said to the man sitting in the driver’s seat of the hackney.

“Yeah! I am that same guy who you think the same guy I am. Get in the car, sir” he said and started the engine. Aryan climbed into the back seat of the car.

As the car pulled over its engine, Aryan recollected instances from the past. “I guess I was riding in the same car few months ago,” he said.

“Precisely sir” the man replied and Aryan continued, “You drove me to my home on the day of my grandfather’s demise. Thank you Mr. Akbar Farrukhsiyar,” he cleared his throat.

“I was intending to ask you the same Sir but I revoked on the notion,” before Akbar uttered further Aryan interposed, “You don’t have to call me sir. I am Aryan, just Aryan. I like us to be friends calling names,” Aryan said, “how are you friend? How’s everything?” Aryan paused staring outside the window, “I’ve never conceived that I would see you again. Of course I do remember on the visiting card that I’ve given you but that’s a different story all together. It’s a licence to see my father,”

“Oh Aryan, Never mind… I am fine with my happy business, and I am able to earn a living for my family. ” Akbar seemed to find a great pleasure in the company of Aryan, “how are you doing dear?” he asked in return and said, “That might just be a stupid question to the rich men but I’d like to admire courtesy,”

“I am okay. By the way, you have your business? ” Aryan asked.

“Yes Aryan. The endowment of fifteen grands from you back then had a significant impression on my livelihood. I have opened a car mechanic shed. It may be a small shop but the returns are satisfactory and I am happy educating my children alongside with a part time job of driving my cab”, said the man, “Aryan, out of curiosity. May I ask? You are okay…” he took a glimpse of Aryan, “you mean… just… okay or absolutely okay..?”

“Well that’s always been my Achilles heel and I probably biting off more than I can chew. Whatever, to answer you… Yeah! Kind of. Life’s become hard to live, lately.” He said.

Akbar decelerated the car and it eventually halted on the pathway inside a narrow lane, “Aryan, it is the rich men like you guys who’d rejoice in every other thing and it is the lame life of a cab driver or an equivalent job holder’s life which is hard to live by,” he said and turned back, “by the way, This is my home”, he raised his chin and drifted sideways to show him a house on the right side of the cab. They both climbed down the car, “I disagree friend. Everybody’s got hurdles at one or other point of time in their lives,” Aryan said walking abreast Akbar. “The way you say it,” said Akbar giggling as they walked in.

---

Aryan revealed to him about the tragedy. He was terrified after hearing to what Aryan had told him. It was scarcely credible to him on what had happened with the family of Hadars. Aryan had requested to lend his cab and Akbar complied with no hesitation in letting Aryan make the use of it. He had decided to drive his hackney for taking home a few dollars to fetch provisions for the family. At that very point of time in his life, Aryan believed, that the only choice was to drive the hackney.

The other day Aryan told him to come see him if he needed any help at any time and then, even before he consummated on it, he was in his house for a solicitation. Life is not hard until you find a way to live on our own. Aryan thought Life is not hard when you have people around you who can drop by to offer you their services when you are falling. Life is a challenge, I realised. I see it now, why mama always suggested me to live on my own and not to rely on the inheritance of deep pockets.

That day in his life was to be a sad but a memorable day as it made his presence in the confessions of reality, how the life of an average family would be and why those people fought for a single penny. He was happy as he started to be one among them learning to live by himself, Welcome to the second phase of life, Aryan, he said to myself, let’s face it. He got hold of the keys and drove back home.