IS RAJ BACK???

“Good morning Mohan. I’m waiting for you at tea. Come down soon.”,a sweet voice wished him.

Mohan wanted a snooze of 5-more minutes which he wished never ends.

“Lazy Lizard”, the lady called after some good 15 minutes had passed.

“C-oo-m-i-ngggg Yaaa”, yawned Mohan in the bed.

He headed towards the bathroom, brushed his teeth and went downstairs.

The lady was sipping the tea. Mohan hugged her from back saying, “Good Morning dear”.

The lady put her hand around his nape, pulled his face forward and planted a fresh kiss on his forehead,” Very good morning sweetheart”.

“It ain’t fair. You finished your breakfast without me”, Mohan said with a frown face on seeing an empty plate and half-done tea.

“I’m getting late Baba! I have to rush to the hospital”, the lady tried to placate him.

“Oh! As if I don’t have to go to work”, Mohan grumbled.

“Common Honey! You are the boss. You can make a bit late also but I’m not allowed”,She tried to cheer him up.

“Okay! See you in the evening”, he sipped his tea.

“Bye”, she waved her hand.


BANG …. BANG…

Mohan looked at the wall-clock. The cuckoo came out of the cuckoo-house as it struck 8.00a.m.

“Ahh!!!Still an hour to doodle. I should better catch a nap”, Mohan was not ready to shake off his lull.

He went back upstairs to doze off. He was just to pull up the quilt when he saw newspaper lying by the side of lamp. The half-folded paper read “MISSING”. The very word caught Mohan’s attention and he jumped to grab the newspaper. It was a 15-year old boy who went missing from his school. Other relevant information were provided but Mohan didn’t read further. Something choked in his throat. A gulp of missing identity struck his chord.

He remembers the day when he opened his eyes nearly after a month in Malini’s house. Half of his body was plastered. He twitched in pain and tried to ask galore of questions popping in his mind. But a lady in green kurta and white trousers gestured him to relax back. She was happy to see him back to his senses. She went near him and asked,”How are you feeling now?”

As he opened his mouth, the jaw pained but he gathered strength to ask,” Who are you?”. “I’m Dr. Malini. I found you lying in a pool of blood in the scarcely trampled foothills of Shivaliks. I was there to attend a camp on Naturopathy. You had a severe injury at the back of your head. It seemed as if you were the victim of the landslide”, the lady explained him everything calmly.

He laid blank on the bed. He listened to the lady as if she was narrating some story. He tried to recollect his memory but,” Dammit! I don’t remember”.

As the lady heard those words, she was taken aback as her anticipation came out to be true but she quickly dusted the worry from her face and gently asked him,” You just take rest. Everything is fine”.

The lady called up psychiatrist Dr. Jyoti and narrated the just-incident to her.

“I’m so sorry Malini. But it seems he is suffering from memory loss”., the voice on the other end said.

“That’s so pity. How to tell him about this??” Malini said.

“You don’t panic. I’ll come and handle the patient”, Doctor assured her.

“Thank-you doctor”, She cut the phone.

In the evening Dr. Jyoti tackled the situation and told the patient everything. The patient was still baffled. He couldn’t make out what is happening? Why is it happening?? He didn’t remember anything. He had lost his identity with his memory.

All this while Dr. Mailini stood by his side. She got a reason to live after her husband’s demise. She gave the patient a new name Mohan and welcomed him to her solemn life. Two years have passed and now Mohan has become an indispensable part of Malini’s life. She has gifted Mohan a whole new life. But Mohan still tries to kick hard his brain to wake up his dormant memory.

The clock banged again. It showed 9.00a.m. Mohan got up with a heavy heart. A number of thoughts were racing in his mind. He left for the office.

In the evening, Malini and Mohan sat together for dinner. Serving the plate, Mohan asked, ”Did anyone call up from Police station??”.

Malini got a jerk. She stammered, ”W—h—h—y, What? Oh! I have asked you not to worry. I have registered the case the very day I found you. Police is doing their investigation and will inform us as soon as they get some news”.

“When will I get back my identity”, Mohan was frustrated.

Malini calmly said,” Now you are Mohan. Live as Mohan”.

Mohan stood up in anger and left for his room. Malini was slapped with intense anxiety and worry. She didn’t eat anything.

Mohan was moping around in the balcony while Mailini turned off the lights and went to sleep. Mohan wasn’t sleepy at all. He gazed at the stars in the sky which twinkled in hope while the gust of air slapped him in bewilderment.

He went into the room and saw a book lying upside down. Perhaps it’s another of Malini’s collection. She loved reading novels. There were about 500 novels in her store on topics varying from philosophy to love.

Mohan checked the book to distract his mind. Though he was not a bibliophile but just to feed the rambling ants in his mind, he started reading the novel.

From the very first page itself, he found something unusual. May be because he was reading after a long time or may be because he no more believed in love. Reading ten more pages, Mohan felt like this has happened somewhere. Anyways he continued reading.

The more he read, the more intimate he grew with the book. Some blurred images hovered in his mind. Mehak-Raj-train- these words hit him like stone. He was desperate to complete the story. Four hours had passed and he was just 100 pages short to know the end. Sleep was nowhere in his eyes. His head was paining a little but he was anxious to know more about Raj and Mehak.

As he reached the last chapters (which were written by Mehak) , he felt giddy. The room revolved around him. He felt unconscious by then.

It was morning. Malini checked for Mohan. He was lying unconscious with the novel in his hand. She checked his pulse rate which was above normal. She rushed him to hospital. Worry and anxiety lingered in the air.

After the wait of six long hours, Mohan was back to life. Malini hugged him in joy,” Are you alright?”.

“I ‘am Raj”, Mohan uttered.

“What?? What are you saying Mohan??”, Malini didn’t want to lose Mohan.

“I’m Raj, Doctor Malini! Call Mehak. I want to see her right now”, Mohan almost commanded.

Malini broke in tears.She never wanted to lose Mohan after he came into her life.

In a few more hours, the entire world changed. Mehak and Raj were reunited. Their love succeded. A deluge of joy and love was flowing from their eyes.

“How much I missed you Raj. Where were you all these years??”,Mehak enquired.

A composed Malini answered instead of Mohan(Raj).

“But I have registered Raj as missing in police. Every day I went there in hope of some good news. Didn’t you seek the help of cops??” Mehak asked.

Mohan was also shocked at this question.

“I didn’t want to lose Mohan.So I never filed the case”, the sorry Malini confessed. Her eyes couldn’t meet that of Raj’s.

“Why Maa?? Why didn’t you want me to live as Raj?” Mohan asked.

“After my husband’s demise, you became the reason of my life. How could I let my life go??”, the 50-year old Malini rested on floor.

“Oh! Maa”, Raj came out of his bed to hug her,”I’ll never leave you. I have two mothers now. You are my Yashodha Maa and I’m your Mohan”,Raj cried in her lap.

Mehak too embraced both of them. A new relation with the old life was back on wheels. The fragrance of True Love wafted in air.

Such is the power of words. Words can melt a stone. Words can unite hearts. Words can change lives. Words can make you fall in love. Words can make you feel in heaven. Adore words. Love words.


P.S. This story is the sequel of my previous story. It is written on reader’s demand to mark a happy beginning to Raj and Mehak’s love. But I would just like to say that love doesn’t always brings happiness. But genuine love washes away all your pain to make you feel ecstatic. I’m sure you will agree with me here.

Hioy'oy Hoi Polloi
JJJ