By Nabendu Bhattacharyya
Chapter 1
1n 1991, Rafiq, at 24 years,was the only bread earner of a family of six, widow mother, three sisters and a brother, youngest of all. They lived in a dingy place, five hundred meters away from the mosque sharing common wall with the iconic and celebrated Vishwanath Temple of Kashi, one of the most famous Jyotirlingas temple of India. Kashi is infamous for its narrow and narrower lanes and bye lanes where Rafiqwas ferrying passengers from one corner of Kashi to another. But, Rafiq wasnot like other hundreds ofCycle Rickshaw pullers you will find in Kashi. When Rafiq was in the 1st year of local college, his father was diagnosed with Tuberculosis which is fatal even in this century and in spite of advent of medical science, he succumbed to the infection. And as a matter of fact, Rafiq inherited the Cycle Rickshaw from his diseased father and become a Rickshaw puller in no time to keep the wolf out of the door, for very sustenance of a hapless family.
Chapter 2
It was the end of 1991, one winter evening Rafiq was returning home after dropping an old couple three kilometres away from his home. Then nonchalantly he was paddling as there was no passenger in the vicinity. He thought to take a short cut and entered in a narrow lane. And the moment he did that he stopped paddling his rickshaw due to a plethora of emotions which crept in; bewilderment, shock, fear and finally rage. Because what he saw first time was what he only read in newspapers or seen in televisions. At the right corner of the lane, two young lads were assaulting one young lady and she was trying vigorously to come out from their clutch. Rafiq did not stop paddling, rather he increased the speed of his Cycle Rickshaw and hit as hard as possible at the back of one who then flung away few feet. The sudden jolt broke the lady free from the second one. And as one became gravely injured, the other one took him in his shoulder and made no mistake to flee. The lady who was profusely crying for help, hugged Rafiq tightly and started thanking him repeatedly. Rafiq gave her water, helped her to wear her dress appropriately and dropped her to her home nearby. On their way, he came to know that the young lady is Sonali Tiwari, a 1st year student of commerce at Bangalitola college, Kashi.
Chapter 3
Nothing is more powerful than beauty of a lady and youth of a person. So the incidence changed them forever. Cupid smiled from the trajectory of the Kashi where Ganges made the final turn. After few days,Rafiq was waiting just outside theBanglitola college for passengers, where Sonaliwas the student. Around four in the afternoon, when Sonali came out from main gate of the college, just after crossing the large banyan tree, she saw him. And her heart missed few beats. Because, Sonali felt at the deep inside that what Rafiq did for her was a godly act which long time ago god Sri Krishna did for Draupadi. Rafiq gave her a new life from protecting her modesty being outraged by the local goons. She came straight to Rafiq, smiled and rode on her Rickshaw and asked her to take to ManikarnikaGhat. And their twitting started which eventually catapulted them as love birds after few months of togetherness at different ghats of Kashi.
Chapter 4
Two years had passed. It is December of 1993. And with utter dismay of all peace loving citizens of India, Babri Masjid had been demolished. Hindu and Muslims started behaving like beasts who were thirty for blood of each other’s. In this tumultuous situation,Rafiq and Sonali were meeting seldom after great difficulties and away from the jealous eyes and ignominy of the two different religions who were silentlywaiting for each other’s throat. In one such evening, when Rafiq was returning home after dropping Sonali near to her residence, few Hindu social workers, who regularly chant Hanuman Challisa and wore vermilion on forehead stopped Rafiq’s Cycle Rickshaw. They asked a million questions about their relation, extent of the relation and what dire consequence he possibly wouldmeet if hecould not refrain himselfto stop seeing her. Few solid slaps and a great number of expletives he had to digest before finally got the nod to go away.
Chapter 5
Then after two months, in one evening, when the tension had receded, albeit apparently, Rafiq again mustered courageto drop Sonali at her doorstep at late evening. There was no one there in the lane ending to her house. After dropping, while Rafiq was coming alone, suddenly at the deserted looking road a mob of ten people appeared from nowhere. As if they had raised from beneaththe earth. And immediately pounced on Rafiq while hurling abuses after abuses. Then more people joined and finally tied him with his Cycle Rickshaw. Suddenly someone reminded the crowd that tomorrow is Holi and they need the holy pyre. And in blink of the eye, they set fire to both Rickshaw and Rafiq. The sky filled with glory of fire, plight of Rafiqand smell of human flesh when the crowd started shouting Holi Hai, Holi Hai, Holi Hai. The neighbours came to take part in the celebration. Sonali too. And she had frozen the moment she saw the inferno of the Cycle Rickshaw and its puller.
Rest of her life she could not ride Cycle Rickshawand always hated Holi more than anything.
Holi haibhaiholihai,buranamanoholihai.
By Nabendu Bhattacharyya
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