A Trip - 10 (Final Chapter)

CHAPTER 10

The long and tedious drive came to an end when we reached a small junction where the four roads met. The dawn was nearing and I could see orange clouds on the East. The rainy clouds were gone and sky was pretty clear. I never in my life saw such a beautiful dawn. The golden plate had started showing its unfading beauty from the East. The trees were very fresh because of their late night’s bath. They were giggling beautifully to the mischievous touch of the morning breeze. I turned my head to the left side to see my wife. She was sleeping deeply. Her head was shaking softly coping up with my drive. Her hair was loose and the same cool breeze which was making love with the tree leaves was trying to make love with her hair strands. The hair was all over her face and I stretched my left hand to keep them aside. Her face resembled the moon which showed itself out from the cloud. I could see peace in her face and I felt proud for saving her. She gave meaning to all my sufferings for the past five or six hours.

I saw a small coffee shop nearby and parked my car over there. The tea master was arranging all the things and was getting ready for his customers. He looked at me in a strange way and asked me whether I was new to the place. I replied positively and ordered for two hot teas.

“Ji….. Get up….” I woke my wife up.

“Hmmm…..” She just shook her head up and resisted to get up from her sleep.

“C’mon Ji…. Get up… Don’t you want a hot cup of tea?” I shook her holding her shoulder.

“Mmmmm………… What?.... What?..... Did we reach our home?” She asked and tried hard to open her eyes.

I didn’t reply. She struggled a little to open her eyes. As she opened her eyes, the beautiful mild golden rays of sun rushed to find a hiding place in her eyes. Those made her close the eyes instantly.

“Wh….Where are we?” She asked me. Drowsiness filled her voice.

The shop owner handed over me with two glasses of hot tea. I gave a cup to my wife and took one for me. She held the glass with both her hands and enjoyed every sip of it. I too couldn’t resist myself. The hot vapour touched my face very softly giving me an unexplainable pleasure. Nothing in the whole world tasted more than that hot cup of tea.

I asked for one more tea and my wife too. The shop owner looked at us in wonder. I understood the meaning of his look.

“We had a tough time last night….” I said with a smile in my face.

He couldn’t have understood anything. But I didn’t mind that. I asked him how much distance we had to drive to reach the nearest town since we were lost. He told me to drive one hour more to reach the town. I also asked him where the nearest petrol station and he old me that I would find one in some 7km away. I paid him for our tea, thanked him and started our journey. We felt refreshed apart from our tiredness.

“What do we do now?” My wife asked.

“I know what to do….. Don’t strain your little brain thinking over such big issues….” I said and smiled.

She pinched my left thigh hard to show her dislike on my bad joke.

“Oh ho?.... Now mine is a small brain?.... Smart boy…. Want to take credit for all the adventures by himself?....” Her voice showed me slight anger.

“You know… how much beautiful you are when you are angry?..... The only thing is I rarely get a chance to see you in your anger….” I said.

She blushed in shyness and I really loved to see that. What I said was the truth. She rarely gets angry. I used to wonder how she manages her anger for some really great issues and how she bursts out for something very silly at times.

“Do you have any idea what they would do next, Mr. Smart brain?” She asked me teasingly.

“I don’t know…. But they will not sit back and relax…. That’s for sure…” I replied.

“I don’t think that it would be a cake walk then……” My wife said worrying.

We reached the petrol station and filled the tank and reached the town by 8 AM around. We stepped in a restaurant and finished all our morning needs there and finished our breakfast. Suddenly my mobile started to sing my favourite song from a Tamil movie. I took my phone out it the display showed “Home Calling”. I pressed the green button and put the mobile in my left ear.

“Da…. Where are you two?” I heard her upset tone.

“We have just reached the town Amma… Last night we couldn’t reach town because of the rough weather… We had to stay back and there was no network coverage for the mobile… That’s why couldn’t call you… Did you call Ji’s home?... How is monu?” I gave her the details in a nut shell since I didn’t want her to upset her by saying every thing to her.

“Monu is fine da…. I called your In-Laws home early morning also….. But he is missing you a lot, it seems…. Where is she? Hand the phone over to her…” My Amma told me.

I handed over the phone to my wife. She continued her talks with my Amma. One or two minutes later my wife cut the call and she gave the mobile back to me.

“What did she say?” I asked her enquiringly.

“Nothing much… She asked me whether we are in some kinds of trouble?.... My Amma also tried to call us but couldn’t get us online…. So they are worried….” She said.

We paid our bill and left for home. It took nearly 12 hours to reach home. After reaching home both of us had a long bath in the hot water and immediately left to my Parents- In-laws home to take our son back. We stayed there for a while and returned home.

When I woke up, the sun was at its peak and his hot rays were penetrating the window glass to enter into the room. He was trying very hard to wake my wife by pricking her cheeks but she was lost in her sleep. I was still in the bed near her looking at her plumpy soft red cheeks. Her eyeballs rolled in her closed eyes. I couldn’t resist my urge to pinch her cheeks. I softly, very softly pinched it without disturbing her sleep. I saw a mild smile bloomed at the corner of her small red lips. I understood that she was pretending sleep. I hugged her tight and she hugged me back. It was one of those golden moments in which everything seemed to vanish from the heart, every worry, every fear, every happiness, every every other thing.

It was two days after we return from our trip. I reached home after 6 PM and my wife was feeding my son with some thing from a bowl. He was sitting on the dining table and my Amma was cutting vegetables for the next day. I changed my dress and headed for the hall to turn my TV on to watch news. It was my routine to do so and usually all the family members join me. I and Appa sitting on the sofa and my wife and Amma in dining room used to watch some news channel.

Some breaking news was going on the news channel that we were viewing.

THE VISUALS RECEIVED FROM A CDSENT BY AN ANONYMOUS PERSON TO THE CHANNEL HAS THE VISUALS OF A GROUP OF DOCTORS PERFORMING A SURGERY CUTTING THE VITAL HUMAN ORGANS FROM A DEAD BODY.

The visuals were shown repeatedly by the channel by marking the faces of the doctors’ faces in red circles. They have also informed that the matter had been under police investigation and the police have doubt with the source and originality of the evidence that they handed over the evidence to experts to check its originality.

I peeped back and my eyes met with my wife’s eyes which were strong and firm.

“This is what these people do whenever somebody decides to do some good to the society by revealing these social evils…” Appa told to me in anger. But I didn’t respond.

“That’s true pa… But how can you blame them alone?.... There is always a chance of foul play from the other side too…. Now a day’s people use these kinds of things for the sake of their petty revenge too….” Amma strongly opposed my Appa’s prejudiced view.

They argued and I didn’t say a word neither my wife.

Two more days passed and the news channels and the news papers spread out the authenticity of the CD the channel received and they were in full praise for the unknown messenger who revealed this utter cruelty to the world.

The next day dawned with the news of capture of the group of doctors and they showed the visuals of their arrests and hot debates were there in each and every channel. People were voicing against the cruelty behind the organ theft and they demanded for strict laws against those crimes and serious punishments for those who commit the crimes. Still they didn’t forget to praise their unknown messenger. We smiled secretly.

The news and its impact subsided slowly and everyone seemed to forget that. Suddenly one day after the passing of a month, again there was a breaking news saying the doctors were innocents and they were doing the surgery in a dead body whose the organs were donated by his parents to the needy. The lean lady whom I saw in the hospital corridor that dark night was giving interview to the channel saying they donated the organs of her son who was wounded severely in a terrible accident as per his last wish made in his death bed. I still believe that I saw a drop of tear in her left eye and the shiver in her voice when she said the last sentence.

I felt a heavy heart and I opened our wardrobe and took a small box kept under the bottom partition. I opened the box and saw the small memory card there without any use. The memories of an unknown youth filled my heart and I felt a cool, soft hand on my shoulder. I turned back to see my wife there. She smiled at me softly and kissed my forehead.

“You did everything you could…. Don’t worry….” She said in a comforting voice.

“But… That boy didn’t get the justice he needed….” I said tiredly.

“No… da… Now its time for us to move on with our own life…. Because this is what the world want for us to do… We have only you and we don’t want to lose you….” Her voice was dull with pain.

I let out a sigh and closed the wardrobe and got ready to move on with my life.

I finished off my breakfast and took my files with me. My son was accompanies me till his school.

“OK da…. Say bye to Amma and grand parents….” I said.

“Bye….Amma, Bye…. Thatha, Bye….. Paatti….” My son waved his tender hands to everyone and caught my left hand and we started from home to his school first and then to my office.

“Bye monu…. Take care…” I left my son at the class and kissed him good bye.

I started my car and was slowly driving it towards my office. I reached the narrow road to my office and suddenly,” what…. What is that?....”

“Is that the same black SUV following me?..... Or…..”

[FONT=&quot]THE END[/FONT]

 

Dear readers,

This is where my protagonist's trip comes to a stop.... or is it really?

Do type in your comments....

Thank you so very much for all the supports you gave me till date....

Regards,

Simi..

 

I wish all my readers a very Happy New Year 2012!!

may you all have a blessed and successful year ahead......

Regards,

Simi....

 

Thank you so much dear aruna and dear mshanj for your valuable comments.

My next release will be by this week end and it will be a romantic thriller!

I expect your support in my next venture too...

Thanks in advance..

Regards,

Simi..

 

Thank you sofea for your encouraging FB.. Its by all your feed backs i got the energy and inspiration to write. I am very much grateful to you guys.

I am very much flattered by your mentioning of my work as gem though am least eligible for such a description that too from people like you. I read your posts and I know how a gem of a writer you are. I feel it great to have such a wonderful FB from you. Thank you very much...

God Bless...

 

Thank you pups for your beautiful feed back. I need your full support in my next venture too which I am planning to start this week end. Hope you will like it.

Happy new year to you and your family.... God bless...

Love,

Simi....