Mine and mine only. Another Arnav Singh Raizadas & Kushi Kumari Gupta fanfiction

5 : Janak AND his Manasa Puthri Janaki.. The Poetic Bond...

It's an early December  morning.

The wind and the rain from last night almost settled. 

The old fashioned Victorian clock in the hall, is making the routine tick sound. 

Janak couldn't sleep at all last night. He was constantly falling into a loop of thought's. He felt something unsettling is happening/ or about to happen.

After having a stroke few months back, most of his days and nights are like this. His mind always preoccupied with thoughts. Often it's about gurukulam, it's future and above all about his daughter.

He trust her, he is proud of her, huge faith in her... But her future.

Janakan sat own his bed, lit the bed side lamp, took a book to read. But lost in thought again so he decided to come out of the room and took his favourite seat near varanda. He could see the natya mandap now, it's almost covered in dark.

He visualised a woman dancing, she is dancing in circle and move to one side,
now it is another young woman dancing.
Both woman is dancing together now, both in contemplation. There is a smile in Janakans face. He closed his eyes.

And one among the young lady dancing ran to him calling 'baba' sat near him and started scolding him in the most affectionate way, the way that daughter scold her father.

Baba, its so cold out here... What are you doing, you shouldn't be here, come on go inside and sleep, come on get up. You are.... Come on...

He opened his eyes and with open arms trying to reach the girl..she is not there. He looked towards the closed door opposite the varanda. The room is still lit with soft light. But the owner of the room is not there.

His daughter Janaki..Jan

She has taken the kids from the Ashram school to an art camp in Ootty. 

It's month long annual event, its been only 10 days she and the kids left. But seems like ages.

She has never left him alone for this long after they met.

But now due to medical condition he has to stay back. And that left him with more time to think. If she is around he won't get much time to think. She will be always around engaging him with one thing or another.

Now she is not HERE,

And the past few days I have been thinking about the one person who entrusted her with me. My friend.

Manohar. My Mano. My best friend.

The boy born with a sliver spoon. He was studying in one of the best schools in Lucknow, and me trying hard to go to school, as my parents could not afford even the bare essentials of day to day life.

My parents were poor. We lived in a small Lucknow suburb and he lived in a Mansion not so far from us.

But destiny bought as together and we became friends for life.

Some one told his Mother Devayaniji about my dad, who was a singer trying to meet his ends. My dad has few music students, during day time he worked in a nearby shop us an accountant, not earning much.

My parents where from Tamil Nadu, even after spending nearly a decade in Lucknow after her marriage my mom couldn't speak the language with fluency. But she was good dancer. So she do have one or two dance students from near by town, they were also belonging to Tamil families.

One of those families used to visit the mansion and they introduced my parents to Devayaniji.

Subsequently she sent her three kids over to our home for dance and music lessons.

The little one couldn't continue but the other two... They became part of my life..

One... my best friend... And the other... Sigh...

Mano started the music class with me and other kids. My dad taught us the basics.

My mother taught Ratna, his sister, the basic dance lessons.

I still remember the day young Mano hold my hand, and stood by me.. Always... Almost always... Other than once... One very crucial time... Well... At that time.. He had no other options... .

Later once he told .. 

If he could change something from his past and do differently it would have been standing by my side and giving me the hand off....

Well past is past... Now...

... Ring... Ring...

The old fashioned telephone rang from the corner.

Janak is still old fashioned. He's still using the old phone he hates mobile phones.

It was a struggle for him to get from his chair. He try to reach out for the phone.

'Hello'

'Hello'

'Jank'

'Mano'

'oh kedarnath, your merci, I was... I was thinking about you... For the past few days.. It was only you I was thinking about... U ok'

Janak was breathing heavily, in excitement, nervousness , agony, pain and happiness. A tsunami of emotions crossed his already weak heart.

Because he knew its an unusual call.

MANO USUALLY CALL Him only during Diwali and on May 1st on Janaki s birthday. They never talk directly about Janaki. Mano will ask about 'the daughter /bettiya' and I will tell him about the developments.

It was also his desire that she should get the best higher education. He always sent a hefty cheque in my name for her expenses and stay. Even after my refusal to take any of those. He regularly deposited a sum in a bank account for her.

He always want her to be financially independent, but all without her knowledge. When he handed over her to me in that small remote Lucknow station. He promised her, after blessing her,

'Mama will sort everything soon and will come back and get you. Till then you have to stay with Janak. He will take care of you betiya. Treat him like how you treat me or Shashi sahib. Consider him as your father. I will come and get you when the right time comes.. '

Both Mama's and Bettis eyes filled with tears, they said good byes. I accompanied her to the local unreserved railway cabin which crossed several borders and reached my small South Indian home town.

And Mano with heavy heart he went the other way, crossed oceans and reached America once again, with the rest of his family. Except one, the one family member he left with me.

Then the occasional phone calls, very carefully chosen words. The long pauses in between.

Still this phone call... this means different.. Thought Janak...

Janak..

Manos sound broke the thoughts...

(to be continued)