The Collateral (4)

It was early morning now. Haria could not sleep the entire night. He was constantly gazing at his wife and his 2 year old daughter, Saumya. Their eyes and their lips matched.

"But nose is like me." Haria thought.

Saumya would often cling to her mother and feel so satisfied. She would ignore the whole world when her whole body was draped with her mother's saree. She would sleep peacefully with the nose in her mother's breast.

"Sometime, I would embrace saumya and forget the whole world." Haria looked out through the window. It was a foggy morning today. He thought of going outside for a change. He calmly came outside. He just saw Prati passing by. She was composed of herself, with her headphone on. She was distracted by haria's repeated hand waves.

"Oh, haria. What are you doing this early morning."

"Nothing madam, was just going for a walk. You are going the same way. May I join you?"

"Yeah,sure. Lets go to the park." Prati disconnected the headphones with her head and put it round the neck.

"So, madam you don't seem worried when the environment is too intense. This is so different to observe."

Prati responded, "look Haria, I don't care for the people or the place anyway. Whatever happens, let it happen. We will face it. And also, my name is Prati. Call me by my name."

"Okay madam; ah sorry, Prati."

For sometime, no one spoke a word. Haria intervened when Prati was just to put her headphone on again. "Prati, we are beside the park. Let's go inside. We will sit there for sometime."

"Hmm,yes" Prati murmured.

Haria became the guide, "Prati, you know this park was made more than 20 years back. Though the skating area was built later, the whole set of things ;the swings and these benches are the same as I saw it 20 years back."

"Hmm, hmm" Prati was cold.

Haria also became silent on getting that response. A momentary shine came in his eyes when he saw pujari baba and Anki sitting together on the bench.

"Hey , we have pujari baba and Anki there. Let's move over there."

"No, that's enough. I will be leaving. I have something to do. Bye." Prati said in a frank tone.

"Okay madam. Bye then. See you." Haria hid his disappointment and turned towards the bench on which they were sitting. On reaching they greeted each other. Haria was asked to sit, so he did.

Anki asked directly, "So, you will miss this place, won't you?"

Haria replied, "definitely. I have spent more that 30 years here. I know every street, every mohalla of this small town. It is really sad to say them farewell. Aren't you feeling the same?"

Anki responded , "not as much as you, I guess. There are not many historical places here,you know."

Pujari baba giggled, "yeah, but for me it's a disaster that I have to leave the temple. The temple of this town is the best place to live. But what can we do against god's will? I hope that our lord will lead us to something good again."

"Yeah, hope so." Haria wondered.

He gained consciousness and asked, "we all should be leaving. Only 1 hour is left and I have to check everything one last time."

Anki nodded, "yes, pujari baba let's go."