10-08-2019, 02:49 PM
His face certainly looked familiar. Smiling and beaming; reflecting the radiance and hidden energy of the newly acquired youth. He had a set of head phones hanging on his neck. He smiled to me and said "Hello, uncle" before taking his allotted seat next to me. I was still over powered by the boy's youthful charm so much that I could hardly mutter "Hi!" in response to it.
With great difficulty I removed my eyes from the boys face. There was indeed some hidden attraction I felt in my heart for this boy. What was it? I tried very hard to remember, if I ever met this boy earlier in my life. I drew blank. I never had any memory of my meeting this boy.
The flight attendant announced all passengers to tighten seat belts, no smoking and all the routine things they were coached to speak. I hardly heard the announcements. I was just trying to locate the boy's identity in my memory scan. Again blank.
One thing was sure. The boy belonged to a group of students going out on some kind of summer vacation or some college program; because he was accompanied by a number of other students wearing a similar college uniform and enthusiastically waving to those who were seating away from each other. A number of those, who could get seats next to each other, were engaged in deep conversation.
I could barely control myself. Appearing as casual as possible, I asked the boy, "Some kind of college vacation trip, is it?" the boy responded with quite maturity, "Well sir! We are on our way to New Delhi to attend the Independence Day parade representing our college." My curiosity was bursting to ask the obvious question. But I had to be patient.
"Oh! I see. Which college is that, young man er....?" I stammered. The boy replied in the same tone, "St. Xaviers, Ellisbridge, Ahmedabad, Sir. And my name is 'Divyansh'." The name did not seem to mean anything to me. I heard it for the first time.
"Ahmedabad?" I asked. I had to ask some probing questions to get to satisfy my unending curiosity.
"Hey, I was in Ahmedabad myself for some time. I am familiar with most of Ahmedabad. Where exactly do you live my boy?" I asked.
The boy perhaps realized that he had to tell me all about him if he has to rest a while and although he wanted to listen to the I-Pod music from the electronic gadget, he had hanging on his waist; he replied with some finality, "I live with my parents in Ambavadi. My father's name is Sudhir Parikh a Civil Engineer and my mother works in a bank." Saying this and smiling to me and as if to put a stop to any further conversation, the boy pushed his earphones into his ears and slipped into his own world of music.
I almost fell out of my seat. I could not control my reaction. I was in a state of shock. Memories of years gone-by came back flooding to haunt me. I was feeling restless. It had to be the same. Was I dreaming or was I in the real world? I had no courage to ask any further question. If I asked those questions; I was afraid, all that I wanted forgotten might spring back to life; haunting our sentiments. The memories were by no means unpleasant; but I thought were best left alone and away from the present realities.
Suddenly I slipped into the past, it was some 12 long years ago........
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12 YEARS EARLIER
I woke up feeling groggy. I opened my eyes and realized that it was late evening. My head was paining. I was unable to recollect the exact sequence of happenings. I remembered the bang in my head caused by a stick hitting my head with a force. After that it was blank. I tried to get up. Suddenly a pair of delicate hands pushed me from behind to enable me to sit up in my bed. I looked behind me and saw Rekha Bhabhi supporting me from behind.
"You have not completely recovered from your injury", said Rekha. "I am however glad to see that you have recovered quite well in the last two hours or so." She finished. I understood that I was in semiconscious state for more than one hour; after I was hit by a rioter on the head. I mumbled something trying to convey that I am OK now. Sudhir was standing in a corner of the room looking out of the window. He turned to look at me hearing our conversation. He asked, "How are you feeling; hero?" I said I was OK.
-------------------------
With great difficulty I removed my eyes from the boys face. There was indeed some hidden attraction I felt in my heart for this boy. What was it? I tried very hard to remember, if I ever met this boy earlier in my life. I drew blank. I never had any memory of my meeting this boy.
The flight attendant announced all passengers to tighten seat belts, no smoking and all the routine things they were coached to speak. I hardly heard the announcements. I was just trying to locate the boy's identity in my memory scan. Again blank.
One thing was sure. The boy belonged to a group of students going out on some kind of summer vacation or some college program; because he was accompanied by a number of other students wearing a similar college uniform and enthusiastically waving to those who were seating away from each other. A number of those, who could get seats next to each other, were engaged in deep conversation.
I could barely control myself. Appearing as casual as possible, I asked the boy, "Some kind of college vacation trip, is it?" the boy responded with quite maturity, "Well sir! We are on our way to New Delhi to attend the Independence Day parade representing our college." My curiosity was bursting to ask the obvious question. But I had to be patient.
"Oh! I see. Which college is that, young man er....?" I stammered. The boy replied in the same tone, "St. Xaviers, Ellisbridge, Ahmedabad, Sir. And my name is 'Divyansh'." The name did not seem to mean anything to me. I heard it for the first time.
"Ahmedabad?" I asked. I had to ask some probing questions to get to satisfy my unending curiosity.
"Hey, I was in Ahmedabad myself for some time. I am familiar with most of Ahmedabad. Where exactly do you live my boy?" I asked.
The boy perhaps realized that he had to tell me all about him if he has to rest a while and although he wanted to listen to the I-Pod music from the electronic gadget, he had hanging on his waist; he replied with some finality, "I live with my parents in Ambavadi. My father's name is Sudhir Parikh a Civil Engineer and my mother works in a bank." Saying this and smiling to me and as if to put a stop to any further conversation, the boy pushed his earphones into his ears and slipped into his own world of music.
I almost fell out of my seat. I could not control my reaction. I was in a state of shock. Memories of years gone-by came back flooding to haunt me. I was feeling restless. It had to be the same. Was I dreaming or was I in the real world? I had no courage to ask any further question. If I asked those questions; I was afraid, all that I wanted forgotten might spring back to life; haunting our sentiments. The memories were by no means unpleasant; but I thought were best left alone and away from the present realities.
Suddenly I slipped into the past, it was some 12 long years ago........
--------------------
12 YEARS EARLIER
I woke up feeling groggy. I opened my eyes and realized that it was late evening. My head was paining. I was unable to recollect the exact sequence of happenings. I remembered the bang in my head caused by a stick hitting my head with a force. After that it was blank. I tried to get up. Suddenly a pair of delicate hands pushed me from behind to enable me to sit up in my bed. I looked behind me and saw Rekha Bhabhi supporting me from behind.
"You have not completely recovered from your injury", said Rekha. "I am however glad to see that you have recovered quite well in the last two hours or so." She finished. I understood that I was in semiconscious state for more than one hour; after I was hit by a rioter on the head. I mumbled something trying to convey that I am OK now. Sudhir was standing in a corner of the room looking out of the window. He turned to look at me hearing our conversation. He asked, "How are you feeling; hero?" I said I was OK.
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