All the beautiful daughters of Mara, Ashok Aatreya [black male authors .TXT] 📗

for morning walk, because he used to go to bed late in the night. For around a month the entire family was again in the old city house and renovation work was in progress. The changing political scenario demanded that.
Anand’s Software Engineer son Pranav and Fashion Designer daughter Deeksha were not surprised to see Burqa clad ‘aunt’ Shaheen walking from the front big golden gate of their exalted-house Bhairvi- Villa at 4.30 in the morning. When she passed through the guard post, both of them respectfully bade –‘Good morning aunt’.
‘Good morning both of you, going for a walk? She asked.
‘Yes aunt, coming back soon, will no go far- Deeksha replied.
‘o. k come and join tea.’
‘o .k aunt.’
She was by now became familiar to everyone in the house but made her respectable position in their hearts also.Pranav and Deeksha also knowing her background since the time of her first visit with the Pakistan team when Anand was a senior officer in Anti-Terrorist Squad.They were also aware of the tragic death of Ahsas killed by Anand and the whole story behind that…The unfortunate suicide of their mother Bhairvi in utter suspicion as everything was made clear to them by his bold and transparent father Anand.Even the coming back of Shaheen in his life was not from back door and they as educated young boy and girl understood the entire situation in the right perspective…Rather both of them encouraged Shaheen aunt to come close and help in healing the broken heart of her old love. And great father Anandl.It was an extra-ordinary situation of ‘Paradise lost and Paradise regained.’
They used to go to the same park with their mother Bhairvi (late) who developed asthma during her middle age. At that time he was not a minister but due to his close contacts in the high circle the condition of Park improved a lot. Bhairvi took special interest in horticulture and floriculture and got number of variety of ornamental plants and flowers for the Park.As their house situated just opposite the front gate of park. Before the modernization of Delhi this area was a park and a deserted Bhoot Banglow was purchased by Anand which was being used as the coal depot for Railways.It was very soon renovated once Anand shifted here with Bhairvi and the whole money came from some well wisher whom Anand helped in getting a party ticket for M.P seat for one of the important constituency of Rajasthan.It was a very lucky deal after marrying Bhairvi and by shifting here, Anand elevated his political ladders vary fast. But after her death the public garden and their house looked deserted. The varnish paints of windows, doors, palmate and entire woodwork peeled. The central wrought iron park statue got knocked down and the main gate also was imbalanced and pulled off its hinges. The house became lifeless. The wide straight entrance with trees on both sides and the vast house looked lurched for a long time and Anand also shifted his family to government accommodation in Ramkrisna Puram.
Shaheen’s regular visits from Pakistan and meeting with Anand even after the death of Bhairvi made it clear with everybody that both of them were feeling the heat of emotions. their body language also expressed that affininty.On one side she was at the apex of her fight (Ensui) against her so called present husband Asad on the other side even the God could not divert and changed her heart (Porsui) from her old first love, Anand.She remembered to have read ‘Once Around the Sun’… In every age ‘the good days were a myth’.Anand was also destined to revive his past and to him Rudyard Kipling was showing the way-‘ They shut the road through the woods…years ago,Weather and rains have undone it again,And now you would never know..There was once a road through the roads.’
Perhaps Anand and Shaheen both were in search of their old clothes, forgotten in the wardrobe of their minds…but their minds are like parachutes and they only function when open.
Their parachutes now seemed to have opened at long awaited right time…and today was that special day Today’s meeting was a very special in their life.It was Ramadan’s time and Shaheen’s first ‘Roja Iftar’ party.Talk of the town. Breaking news.The most celebrated new lunerday for ‘momins’ world over.Shaheen was also a great believer of the Almighty and by his blessings she was sustaining her 30 days un-interrupted fast, in the month of Ramadan.It was breaking her last Friday roza at the niche of her old love Anand.There was a massive gathering and fanfare and Bhairvi-Villa wore its old time glory. The venue was the private home of Anand.
Actually it were Anand’s son and daughter who made her dream come true and that too on the auspicious occasion and such a large scale. Only yesterday when she entered this house and waited for Pranav and Deeksha at morning tea-time, she narrated them about her dream which she had seen two nights earlier and remembered each and every part of that as if everything happened before her eyes.Anand also joined the team. It was quite fascinating to all of them…In an old deserted big house and an old well from that well some very old man with long white bearded was pulling out water in a bucket. Moon alighted from sky and lot of unknown faces came out of clouds…In that house many persons were locked as prisoners…They were all hungry and thirsty.Anand and Shaheen also locked in the dark portion and then there was a cry of some lady .The lock was broken by violent people and that lady was attempted to rape…She was a nurse attending to the inmates…Everybody seemed helpless there but then Anand came out breaking the prison. He fought aggressively with the violent mob and rescued that nurse from the clutches of hoolgoonists…gave water to thirsty people and then the whole seen converted into a lush-green garden where the people were flying kites,enjoying feasts and family get-together.
Was that dream related to ‘Ramzan’ somewhere, and my feeling of insecurity-Shaheen wanted to know the interpretation of her dream.
‘And who was the Nurse? Definitely my mother’Pranav became more concerned and serious.
‘And to my little idea, the deserted place is our old ‘Bhirvi-Villa, which is left abondened-Anand also shared the spirit of Shaheen’s dream.
‘But what you feel all about?’ He asked her.
‘I could not sleep in the last two days. It was disturbing to me so I came here. I am sure, the thirsty and hungry people symbolize the strife and struggle of people fighting for justice’Shaheen was emotional.
On hearing that, suddenly, Deeksha jumped to conclusion-‘Can’t we all contribute in making this dream a reality? At least its Ramzan part! Celebration!! We will make fantastic elaborate arrangement in this old house.
For a moment …pin drop silence but then Pranav excitedly cried, waving his body and dancing-It is done…Any objection Shaheen Aunt?
‘It will be an ambition of a frog lustful for a lily pad’- Shahee expressed her inner fear.
‘No Aunt…It will be a Kaba in Kasi’-The inner voice of Pranav made a crystal clear point of new faith in life. They did not ask for the permission of their Papa…He was silent and calm! And by the grace of God ‘Bhairvi-Villa’ became the vanue of fourth friday Iftar Party.The ever first party thrown by Shaeen in India and that too with a mass gathering of prominent politicians,Diplomats,Writers and Artists, Social Workers and no doubt religious leaders of capital.Some close relatives of Anand’s side also attended the party.
The party was a big fun and a socio- religious event in Shaheen’s life. Anand’s home was open to everybody today and Shaheen made an arrangement of traditional lunch of biryani, shami kebab, sheer korma, pure badaam haua and dahi wadas were being cooked by experts.It was a great eating out for lot of muslim friends of Anand at Iftari.Lot of his friends did not take even a drop of water before they opened their fast.It was a family affair for many. They had their prayer before the party. There was a separate arrangement for vegetarians and for that Shaheen gave special instructios to cooks.Deeksha and Pranav received the guests with their Papa Anand.
The first guest appeared on the gate was the great bare foot Artist who was also a very close friend of Shaheen.He came from Santa-cruez Airport directly.That was his first public exposure after he remained in self-styled exile in Dubai.He straight away entered the kitchen and demanded some freash fruit juice. As an old man he was not a rozedar, keeping fast but had lot of ‘historic Iftar’ parties in his mind.He some how known the importance of Shaheen in the changing political scenario and fortunately was in the capital when she wanted to contact him in his Bombay phone.The moment he came out he was surrounded by lot of known and unknown friends but he never broke his silence and remained busy talking about his latest projects with his foreign friends. The party was in boon when the Ex P.M of Anand’s political party entered .She saw him for the first time.She went close to him and touched his feet. Got a warm blessing.The Artist also greeted him. They sat togather.In the running reference Ex P.M was interested to know the background of Shaheen’s relations with him.
‘I met her in hotel Rambagh Palace in Jaipur and had seen few original copies from Shahanama series of Paintings with her’- He told.
‘To aap dono purane papee hain (So both of you are old sinners)-‘Ex P.M made a comment. He was in joking mood.The P.M in making was standing with his stout and alert posture.Both of them were heavy weight champions of Indian politics.The Ex.P.M was Bhism Pitamah.He was in large shape and did not move after he settled. His car drove him upto his couch and all durries and other interfering articles were removed from the passage and then again re-arranged. He left only after 15 minutes and did not take anything but ‘Pindkhajoor’… bessing everybody waving his slow motion hand and the entire drama of his arrival and departure was -enacted smoothly certainly disturbing others a bit.
There were whispers, talks on politics, religion, terrorism, inflation, rapes and murders in posh colonies. Deteriorating law and order in the country, blasts in Jaipur, Ahemadabad, Delhi after Mumbai and Benglore,art literature ,fashion in different groups with lot of ‘mirh-masala’…but all within limits.No distance hearing or learning.The words loosing meaning…pure gossiping. no serious business.Still young looking gorgeous ‘Arabian face’ with beautiful ‘jheel si neelee aankhain’the centre of everyone attraction, Shaheen might needed to accept her hospitality then and there.Because beyond the fancy big gate of Bhairvi –Villa it was she who was greeting and being greeted as a new citizen of India at the grand celebration of Ramzan…and no doubt in his elegant blue long kurta, golden framed catching eyes,Anand was looking beyond everything. He was thinking about the time…it was not changing but moving…not in progressive direction but in a circle…
‘I can probably get you something’-Shaheen in her leisure moment asked him.
‘You have given me your today.’Anand replied.
They looked at each other with a different gaze and smiled.
She had broken her fast taking one khajoor and a glass of neemboo-pani and then joined others. Had also sent food to orphanages; Lepers Homes, the old age homes and the masjid. People from all walks of life made good gathering. Anand’s Hindu; Catholic, Parsi and other ethnic groups created all-togather a different impression of Anand’s emerging new role in Indian politics. No doubt the real force, spirit and imagination behind all that was Shaheen
She remained with the guests, did not enter the house till the last man was served humbly.