After the completion of one year of MBA and summer training, we were back to EMPI. Here we were enjoying and were planning how to treat our coming juniors.
We were very excited to take RIP.
My both the roommates were still at their respective hometown. One of them, Norbu’s mom was not well and to take care of her he was in Darjeeling, his hometown and came to EMPI six days late. But another roommate, Alok still had to come. I talked him on 25th of July and came to know that he was going under treatment for his eyesight and will come on 30/31 of July.
Norbu and me were taking little nap after 4 hours of class followed by lunch just to recharge for next 4 hours of class. I received call as it was saved as ‘Alok’s home’ in my mobile. I said “Hello Alok…!” while receiving call. “Alok nahi raha…….” udher se aawaz aayi. It made me uncomfortable, but I asked softly (hoping that I might listen wrong) “hello Anand …! Kyon kya hua ? kaha gaya hai Alok? aur kab aa raha hai college mein…..???” Alok’s younger brother, Anand repeated, “Alok nahi raha…” Mujhe phir laga ki mere kaan ko kya ho gaya hai, mujhe thik se kyon sunai nahi de raha hai. Then I gave my phone to Norbu and said that, “dekh yaar …Anand ka phone hai, kya bol raha hai.” Then Norbu asked to Anand kya hua bhai.
Anand, “………….” Ab Norbu ka face dekh kar mujhe kuch achcha feel nahi ho raha tha. He was still talking on the phone and was holding my hands, “Yeh kaise hua..? Kab hua.? Tabiyat to thik thi na uski….??” He asked many questions in a single sentence.
It was unbelievable. I was shocked. “Hey Bhagwan..! ye kya ho gaya…?” I was asking to God while closing my eyes.
Norbu and me called all the colleagues and told them about that casualty. They were saying that don’t joke rubbish. But …kash! Yeh joke hi hota.
We planned to Gorakhpur (Alok’s hometown) to see him for last time. Everybody was wanted to go there. Sayad….. har kisi ko kuch kahena tha Alok se. But college authority didn’t allowed more number of guys to go there. Finally Norbu, Anuj, Veer and me went there after 17 hours of non-stop journey, hoping to touch his dead body for last time. But we were late and even we could not take a part on his funeral. When we reached there they were returned after the cremation.
Gita mein Bhagvan Krishna ke Arjun ko diye hue updesh hai, “Jo hota hai, achche ke liye hota hai……..” aur mujhe bhi ab tak yeh right lagta tha. But aaj mujhe kahi se bhi ye right nahi lag raha tha.
We met to uncle-ji, jija-ji, dada-ji….. I don’t have words to write about their facial expression and how they were feeling. Dada-ji was greatly saddened and was saying to everyone, “Bachva ! hum kuch na kar saki, hamre aage hi sub kuch hoi gava. Wo bank jai bade muh-hath dhoi ke jaise hi bahar aayesh, use attack pada aur sharir bilkul ainth gava. hum puchate hi rah gaye ki ‘kya hua-kya hau…’ Bus 4-5 minute me hi sub kuch khatam hoi gava…….., hum kuch na kar saki…” and he started crying.
We were there for 3-4 hours but could not see aunty-ji. Then I asked to Anand, “Where is aunty-ji…” Anand said, “Woh sari raat jagati rahi aur roti rahi, abhi abhi sayad thakai se nind aa gayi ho….” We interrupted him, “Let her sleep……”
We were coming back through same route and we covered more than 15 km. then I received the call of jija-ji. He said, “Mummy –ji wants to meet all of you and she is crying. Please come back.” we went back and met to aunti-ji. Aunti-ji was asking, “ kya use koi problem hue thi, bimaar hua tha ya kuch achcha nahi chal raha tha…..?”
We replied, ‘He was upset at starting. (Reason, his family already knew) but he was coping with the situation and trying to forget the things which happened before coming EMPI.” Many more things we shared with aunti-ji but all these were minor and common.
Finally we were returning, I was thinking about Alok, his behavior, cute look, innocent comment, his way of speaking and some special words like- ‘Are hellooo…’, “Light cigarette piya karo…” and very unique his Chinese mobile’s alarm tune which helped us to woke up early in the morning for EFP.
Aur kabhi-kabhi class mein uske mobile pe SMS aate to Shity bajati thi, phir kya kahena, faculty ke samne hi class mein BC start ho jati thi.
Suddenly, I checked my mobile and saw that there was a missed call from an unknown number. I was keep thinking and then I received call from same number and brought my phone close to my ear…. “Are hellooo…” I heard and call disconnected automatically. The word “Are hellooo…” gave me a kind of pleasure. Then I tried to call (keeping in mind that yeh to alok ke word hai) but number was going busy. Then, I received call from same number after 2 minutes. He was Alok’s friend whom I met in EMPI when he had came to meet Alok from Ghaziabad. He was asking about Alok.
Kash, Yeh Alok ka hi call hota……!
Bus, mere mind mein rah-rah ke ek hi gaana yaad aa rah tha…
Duniya se jane wale,
jane chale jate hai kahan.
kaise dhunde koi unko
nahi kadmo ke bhi nisaan…..
Dear Alok ....! You will be in my heart forever.
May God give peace and calm to his soul…...!
