Ch26: Sojurn

The car passed a bylane near a Masjid and finally slowed down and halted near an Assam Type House. "Vasu, finally we have reached home." Spoke Jeetu with a deep sigh of ultimate relaxation.

"I will have to leave now, I have an urgent piece of work to do. OK Vasu, take care." Vinay left the place immediately showing an escapist attitude.

Jeetu ignored Vinay's words though it hurt him. He holds Vasu by the arms with a strong grip.

As he moved towards the gate, Jeetu prepared his inner core to face the coming outburst of questions.

A handful of onlookers stood on the lane, presenting a pathetic sight.

"Hey look! The left leg is swelling to an enormous size and the wound on the head… .my God. How this fellow survived."

"Mind your own business, get lost. "roared Jeetu. The onlookers dispersed in a flash but their words had a lasting effect on Vasu's consciousness. His wounds showed extreme pain and reminded him of the outburst of the throng. He lost his balance and it became a tough job for Jeetu to hold him. As he dragged Vasu, he prepared himself to face the unstoppable series of questions waiting to be explained, to be answered....a series of unsolved riddles.

The entire campus was numb resembling an ever silent death valley. Vasu's mental awareness was dissolved in a higher plane of consciousness.

He entered the house, struggling to the extreme to move his left leg normally. Though the entire house was filled with the influx of people there was pin-drop silence. Vasu noticed the glaring eyes of people at his home; round,  big and blood-red eyes making him recall all the horrible experiences he had recently, the bows and kick of the mob.

With a deep breath and determined steps, he proceeded to a corner and hugged Akangshya, who was holding her tears so that it doesn't hurt Vasu.

"Mom, I am very tired, I want to rest," with these words after 3 days of silence, he tucked to bed and folded his knees as if a child feeling ultimate solace and a sense of total security at the home.

Akangshya ran to the nearby room and burst into tears. "Oh Lord Shiva, it's your child, give him fearlessness, give him fearlessness."

Vasu unaware of what was going on was lost in a dream world resembling a corpse. The crowd dispersed finally leaving the Kaushik family alone, challenging the inquisitive nature of mind.

For some hours, the house gained life with the influx of visitors but finally turned into a death valley leaving an unending series of questions for the Kaushik family.