The Great Grandpa

 

Shruti Agarwal and Shamina Baig were inseparable friends. They were together since their primary school, precisely standard one. When Shruti was ten, her parents died in a fatal car accident. So, she was brought up by her grandfather Narayan Agarwal. Narayan Agarwal family was very rich, affluent and respected though very down to earth. They had a huge villa in the middle of Jaipur City in which Shruti brought up like a princess. Shruti had all the possible facility available in her villa since her childhood.

One the other hand, Shamina brought up in a poor Muslim family alongside two sisters and one brother in a tiny housing board home in one of the Muslim areas in Jaipur. Her parents had hand to mouth income. Her father was a factory worker and mother a vegetable vendor. They were poor yet honest and hardworking.  They had big dreams for their kids. Shamina was bright student since her primary, and remained topper throughout her academic career.

Shamina used to visit Shruti’s home for their studies; while Shruti used to visit Shamina’s home daily to pick her up on her scooty on their way to school. That tradition followed even when they were in college, only change from two-wheeler to four-wheeler. 

Narayan Agarwal had seen many ups and down in his life, so naturally he had seen many Hindu – Muslim riots as well. He sometimes worried for Shruti’s daily visits to Shamina’s home. 'What happens if Shruti was at Shamina's home and riots broke out?' that question used to tremble him.

Many times, he spoke to Shruti about his worry

‘Shruti beta, I have no problem with your friendship with Shamina, I have problem with your frequent visits to her home, in fact that area’

Shruti used to take her Grandpa’s wrinkled hands in her hands, clutch them and say, ‘Don’t worry grandpa. I would take care of myself. Besides, they are good people’

‘I know they are good people…but Shamina’s uncle is little notorious’, Narayan Agarwal used to say and stop. 

‘Grandpa, Shamina’s parents treat me like a daughter’, Shruti used to say 

Narayan Agarwal had seen that many Hindu-Muslims friends turned into foes when riots broke out. He used to fail explaining that to Shruti.

‘Shruti beta, you are the only reason of me living….’, Narayan Agarwal used to say, tears would well up in his eyes ‘I will never forgive myself if something happens to you’

Nayaran Agarwal was very protective and possessive about Shruti. She was the only child of Narayan Agarwal family.

‘Don’t worry, grandpa’, Shruti used to give him a gentle hug. She could gauge her grandpa’s age was taking toll over him. Becoming much worried was but natural thing. 

 

Narayan Agarwal knew Shamina from her childhood and her whole family very closely.  Shmina’s father had worked two years in Narayan Agarwal’s factory. He was very honest but his brother was terrible.  Many riots had already happened, her father was never involved but her uncle participated in anti-Hindu movements. Shruti – Shamina’s friendship remained unaffected nevertheless. Their friendship was unbreakable at least in that life.

As usual Shamina topped in third year of college as well and incidentally that day was her birthday. Narayan Agarwal was equally happy for her success. He gave her a brand new mobile phone as a gift. He also gifted a big photo frame. He sent one of his loyal persons to go and fit photo frame at Shamina’s home himself. Photo frame had four hand painted black and white pictures of Shruti-Shamina at each corner. As per Narayan Agarwal’s order, the man had gone to Shamina’s home and fit the photo frame in Shamina’s drawing room wall.

That day when Shruti returned home, her grandpa was waiting for her. He wanted to give one letter to Shruti.

‘Shruti beta, did you and Shamina like photo frame?’, Narayan Agarwal asked as Shruti settled down by his side and gripped him from his muscles

‘Yes grandpa, it was awesome’, Shruti enthusiastically replied

‘Beta, I want to give you something’, Shruti’s grandpa said and took out a piece of paper from his diary and handed over to her. Then he stood off and went for sleep.

Something was written on that paper in a single line. Shruti went through that line in a few seconds, folded back the paper and put it in her mobile cover. She smiled at grandpa who was heading to his bedroom

Well, days went by. Shruti and Shamina together passed out their MBA as well. Here, Shruti’s grandpa had already started searching a suitable groom for her. His health remained unwell, so he wanted to get Shruti settled before he died.

Finally, at 24, Shruti got engaged to Rajeev Munot, an NRI business tycoon Dinesh Munot’s son from US. Dinesh Munot, a friend of Shruti’s father whom Narayan Agarwal once upon the time financially helped to settle in US. Since then, he respected Narayan Agarwal Sir from the bottom of his heart. He believed that he was him because of Narayan Agarwal Sir. He owned chains of restaurants in US, and he gave the whole credit of his success to Narayan Agarwal Sir.  

Once he had called to inform Narayan Agarwal Sir that he was coming to India and as usual he would come meet him.  There, he came to know that Narayan Agarwal Sir were searching for a boy for his granddaughter Shruti. Without giving a second thought, he dared to ask Shruti’s hand for his son, Rajeev.  Narayan Agarwal suggested to fix up children meeting first and if they liked each other, he had no problem. The chain of events started happening soon. They engaged, and wedding date as well fixed up and preparations started.

How Shruti could forget Shmina?  One day, she decided to visit Shamina’s home to personally invite all family members to attend her wedding. As she was to fly US, Shamina forced her to plan a meal at her home which Shruti couldn’t deny.

Shruti’s visit to Shamina’s home had turned out to be very horrible event for her, in fact it was her last visit to Shamina’s home. At around 8 PM, Shamina’s father, her two sisters and Shruti – Shamina were sitting in drawing room, talking and laughing. Shamina’s mother was preparing food in kitchen and doing in and out from kitchen to drawing room to participate in conversations. And then suddenly, something happened which made everybody's eyeballs out and mouth wide open. The drawing room’s door swung open and Shamina’s brother fell on the floor. He was bleeding profusely from all over his body. He was terribly attacked with pointed weapons but was still alive. All present there couldn’t gauge what had just happened. Shamina’s only brother Aslam was lying on the floor in mud of blood. His mother took him in her lap immediately who was in severe pain and badly bleeding. His father rushed to him.

‘What happen Aslam?’, Shamina’s father almost shouted

‘Abbu – Ammi, it is Hindu – Muslim riot outside’, Aslam could only speak and stopped breathing. He succumbed.

Shruti froze on her place so did Shamina. Shamina’s mother let out a louder cry. Her two sisters who reached to her brother’s dead body too cried out. 

With fumbling hands, Shamina’s father promptly called Shamina’s uncle to know the facts. He gained the knowledge that suddenly riot had broken out.  A group of Muslim boys molested a Hindu girl later that evening. Then, a group of Hindu boys vented out the anger that followed Hindu mob killed one of the boys of that Muslim group and the entire episode started. Hindu-Muslims were on road with swords, knives, hockey sticks, and what not in their hands. Police was helpless to control the mob. A few of Jaipur’s area were under threat and curfew was declared.

‘But why they killed my son?’, Shamina’s father loudly asked

‘What? Aslam?’’, the person on the other side might have asked

‘Yes.  What my son had to do with that shit? Why they killed him?’, Shamina’s father had mixed emotions of pain and anger.  He had lost his only son who was as bright as Shamina and was pursuing last year of his engineering. 

 

‘Bhai, many innocent people get killed during riot; Aslam might be one of them. They don’t see who is guilty and who is not. They just kill…it is bloody politicians’ agenda to spread nuisance’, the man on the other side said and hung up after saying ‘I am coming over your place’

Shamina’s uncle reached in no time as he stayed in the same colony. He saw Aslam’s dead body and turned red in ager.

‘Who killed my son?’, Shamina’s father asked, more to himself

‘Mob has no face, bhai’, Shamina’s uncle replied. He looked at Shruti, a Hindu girl in the house.

‘We can take revenge of our Aslam, this Hindu girl in your house will pay the price. Blood against blood, bhai’, Shamina’s uncle said. He rushed to door and shut.

Shamina’s father looked at him and then at Shruti.

Shruti stuck to the place and felt trapped. She couldn’t believe the words just said by Shamina’s uncle. Her grandpa used to say that Shamina’s uncle was notorious.

Shamina jumped in the matter, ‘what the hell are you talking about, Chacha? What is the fault of Shruti?’, she stood up and covered Shruti, ‘Don’t dare to touch her’

‘What was the fault of Aslam?’, Shamina’s uncle counter questioned

‘Chaha, this is not fair. Abbu, why don’t you speak…?’ Shamina spoke but her words didn't put much effect.

‘Chacha is right. Shruti is innocent but has to pay the price of being Hindu the way my son has paid the price being Muslim’, Shamina’s father agitatedly said

‘Abbu…’, Shamina was going to speak but cut short by her father.

‘You stay out of this…’ he said and clutched Shamina’s wrist and dragged her in the room to lock her.  Shamina’s uncle towered Shruti who was shivering by then and in an utter shock. Shamina’s sisters were instructed to go inside the room. Shamina’s father came in the drawing room where Shamina’s uncle was terrifying Shruti. Shruti was in a real trouble. Shamina’s mother was silent and still held her son’s head in her lap. She had no opinion or words to say.

Suddenly, Shruti remembered the words in the piece of paper given by her grandpa on Shamina’s birthday. In the paper, it was written that ‘whenever you are at Shamina’s home and in any trouble, then turn back the photo frame I’ve given on Shamina’s birthday’.

Devils like Shamina’s father and uncle were discussing the next course of action to hurt Shruti. Fortunately, that day Shruti was below that photo frame.  She reached up to frame and turned it and she was shocked to see back side of photo frame.  There were two pistols tailored in the back of photo frame. Her grandpa had sent his reliable person to go fit that frame. He got carved the wood behind the photo frame to fit two pistols in them. Immediately, Shruti understood that her grandpa had silently arranged for her safety at Shamina’s home, he arranged two pistols for her self-protection. Without wasting time, she took out both pistols and pointed towards monsters. Having seen pistols in Shruti’s hand, they stepped back in shock. Their eye balls came out knowing the mystery behind photo frame. For three years then, that photo frame hung to that wall, nobody ever imagined that there were two real pistols. Shruti made them sit on their knees with hands behind heads.  With shivering hands and trembling foots, Shruti somehow managed to reach the main door and opened it. She got out safely before anyone even tried to play any trick. She shut the door from outside and ran away. She put the pistols in her bag and ran over the road hiding herself where her car was parked. She drove off the way back to home unstoppable.

The moment she entered home, she hugged her grandpa tight and cried out louder like a hell. Her grandpa was equally tensed as Shruti’s number was continuously going unanswered. He let out a sigh of relief seeing Shruti in his embrace.

Two weeks later:

Shruti got married to Rajeev and flied to US. Her grandpa shut all his businesses and he too left for US to pass rest of his life. He continued secretly protecting Shruti some or other way. Even after unforgettable chaos, Shruti remained friend with Shamina, even called her to attend her wedding.  But,  Shamina had no guts to meet eyes with Shruti and her grandpa. She was very much ashamed of her father and uncle’s deed, so she neither attended wedding nor went to bid good bye to Shruti. Shamina’s father was equally ashamed of his unforgivable act. Narayan Agarwal didn’t take any action to teach the lesson to Shamina’s father and uncle as he understood the pain of losing the only son, he too had experienced that.

***THE END***

Thank you for reading....Jai Hind

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