Anoop
It was a dreaded winter morning.
I was wreathing in pain due to an acute intestinal infection,
lying in my room at the Graduate Engineering Trainee hostel , Ranchi .
The place Ranchi, an industrial town of Bihar state in India was relatively new for me.
The late evening news had announced that there was an indefinite curfew imposed in the city.
Why curfew?
Why are people so frightened?.
I was wondering, why?
I was not in a position to move out any way !
I was advised to relax and sleep as I was not well.
I heard the city was under the grip of terror because of some Masjid (mosque) issues.
It was late in the afternoon that I heard on the radio of Bahadur (our hostel watchman) that there were Hindu Muslim riots in some parts of the city.
I could not know more about the issue as I was not able to concentrate on any thing due to acute abdomen pain.
The doctor had advised me to be on light food and preferably on fruit diet for an early recovery.
My roommate Anoop was getting ready to go to the factory against every ones advice to attend to an urgent maintenance job.
The factory had round the clock working schedule and the work was held up since early hours that morning due to a technical snag in one of the units.
It was 4 .00 AM in the morning and Anoop was all set to move out on the curfew bound roads in his attempt to reach the factory..
He assured me that he would be just fine and left he had to make it to the city railway station from where a suburban train was to take him to the place where our factory was situated.
A train was the only alternative to commute to the place.
I was worried but could somehow sleep again with the pain still killing me.
Anoop had advised me to be regular on the course of medicine prescribed by the doctor.
Our watchman Bahadur brought me tea at 7.00 AM .
I remember that he asked about my health,
but I was too week to respond.
My state was really pathetic.
Bahadur came back at 9.00 AM and found me lying as it is with the cup of tea untouched.
Bahadur was now a worried person because Anoop was away and he did not know what to do !
The city was under curfew and medical help was not easy to get.
The Radio news at 13.00 hrs brought some relief.
The curfew was reportedly relaxed for couple of hours in the afternoon.
I prayed all this time that may Anoop's job be over by now and he returns home before the curfew is imposed again in the evening hours.
The doctor had advised me to be on fruit diet with regular intake of fruit juice.
Bedridden with curfew imposed in the city,
I thought what a foolish advice that was.
All shops of the city were closed.
People were not able to get the essentials.
How and from where I could have got fruits !
I don't recall how much time elapsed in my thinking process and when I had gone of to sleep.
I slept the whole afternoon.
I have observed that when you are sick or not too well you tend to see dreams in your sleep.
I think I was dreaming during the afternoon nap.
The dream was so dreadful and frightening that it woke me up.
I was sweating all over my body though it was a winter afternoon.
It was almost 5:30 PM.
The cot adjacent mine was still empty.
Oh My GOD ! Anoop hasn't come yet !
Where is Anoop?
Hope every thing is well with him !
Why has he not returned till now ?
A series of questions flashed in my mind in a moment and I was shaken up with my apprehensions & doubts !
Somehow I could manage to walk across the corridor of my hostel to approach Bahadur's room.
Bahadur, has Anoop checked in ? was my immediate query.
No Sir !
Bahadur was as blank as I was and apprehensive too.
The clock read 6:30 PM and it was now dark outside.
I heard brisk footsteps in the corridor.
It was Bahadur.
(Anoop Bhaiya aa gaya-In Hindi)
Brother Anoop has arrived !.
I don't know how and from where I gathered force & courage to stand up and rush to the main door to receive Anoop.
I was very angry and I let my fury flow freely on Anoop with all that I could think off to convey that we were all worried about him and why the hell did he get delayed so much.
It was a certainly a cause of worry for all of us because of the serious situation in the city.
Anoop had both the hands full with packets of fruits.
He had an explanation to submit that his friend was advised to live on fruit diet and that his friend had not eaten anything properly for last two days.
He had gone to the fruit market,
which was located in the disturbed area of the town,
had requested a shop owner to get him the fruits at any cost,
get it through the back door of the shop as these were required for his friend.
It was many days later that Anoop revealed to all of us that on that day a mob of mad hooligans had rushed towards him while he was paying for the fruits and a sword bearing youth had almost got him.
The sword had flashed barely a few millimeters from his hand.
He said that there was no time to think so he kept on praying in his heart and just ran blindly till he managed to get a lift on a mobike.
I had tears in my eyes as he finished narrating the story .
All friends also appreciated him with wet eyes.
He had risked his life for me.
He was a true friend , indeed !
We are still good friends and I am proud of having a friend like Anoop !
I define a FRIEND as
F A FRIEND
R who is a RARE jewel !
I senses your INNER most needs
E who is yours for EVER
N so NEAR to your heart
D that he is the DEAREST of all
and I believe in the definition by heart !
What a contrast it was !
I had Anoop on one side who had risked his life for saving my life and had some miseducated ,
misguided people on the other, who had tried to take life out of this Angel!
My heart goes out for the likes of Anoop who share love and togetherness and get blessed in this life.
Are we prepared, friends to have some serious thinking about the other group ,
the misguided group !
who are enticed by some motivated & pervert leaders in making issues out of no concerns.
A human life is very precious and we allow it to finish , come to a premature end , without giving any serious thought to it.
Shouldn't we ask ourselves before doing or getting associated with this heinous act of barbarism?
I firmly believe that given different religions by birth , we are all still a part of the same human race.
There is absolutely no need for us to fight with each other for a cause really not known to us. Or for a matter which has already been relegated to history books.
I feel that our deeds should be such that our successors should not be ashamed mentioning us as their predecessors.
Can we think ?
Well , all this in the backdrop of a gem of a friend
! Anoop !
In deep gratitude !
Dhirendra Joshi
