Two Strangers

Faruq was getting ready for his daily morning walk, wearing his favorite grey t-shirt, he went downstairs. A single hoot woke up the roost. A coughing Muezzin was calling Allah. A distant temple bells were celebrating the morning. A sudden swoop of owl sent the playful rodents into the holes. A saras lorry whisked pass in hurry to supply the milk for the morning tea. All this and more medleys of sounds kept increasing. He was happy to wake up, witnessing a mysterious silence. Soon he was out, on the road and was enjoying the freshness in the air. Mornings were dear to him. Waking up early in the morning gave him a pleasure which is incomparable to any other pleasure. while walking, he found a small girl in school uniform who was crying silently. He went close to her and inquired “why are you crying, kid?”. She looked up, and to her amazement she found an angel like person standing and smiling at her. Hesitatingly, she slipped her tiny hand in his hand and replied “ I don’t want to go to school. I don’t like it. Can you take me with you.” He was dumbfounded, he said, “I can’t take you like this.” Hearing to this girl bowed down her face. Looking at the disappointed innocent face, he felt bad. He came close to the girl and whispered in her ear, “Would you like to go to Pushkar with me?”The reply was twinkling in her eyes as she smiled her world embracing smile to me,“Ok than, I am going to get my bike, till you wait here.” The girl saw him going and then coming back to her. She climbed beside him and held him tightly. Unique smell of Faruq’s perfume filled her nostrils. She felt extremely comforted and secured. “what is your name?” asked Faruq. “Razia.”she replied.
                                           The freshness of the atmosphere completely eased Pinky. She spread her arms and felt the force of the wind against her arms. The twisted roads and mystic faces on them, the Colorful turbans and dhotis of men with women robed in bright colored ghagras in the farms filled her little heart with amusement.  “Here is our Pushkar”, said Faruq while stopping near a tea stall.  “oh vow, look at the sky bhaiya”. There came big, black rumbling clouds. Exhibiting their lyrical quality, they broke into rain which was so dense and constant that the sky was a river and this part of the world was its waterfall. But there was no end to the fun of Faruq and Razia. They started dancing and playing in the rain. For Faruq this was all new and different, at the same time freaking exciting. The ice cold raindrops falling on their sweating skins released them from the boiling heat. After all the fun they went into the shade of  a tiny sweet stall. While eating the hot jalebis they settled themselves on a small bench to enjoy the rain which was slowing down, leaving the face of earth clear and cleansed and almost radiant.
                                 Faruq looked at his watch and saw it was half past two. “We should go now.” At that very moment, a grave expression passed crossed the little face of Razia like a cloud shadow sinking over smooth hills on a sunny day. She adjusted herself at the hind seat of bike. Soon they were on the way back to home. The farewell was bit awkward, both were unwilling to let go of each other. But this was unavoidable, without saying a word, they departed.
                              At home,Faruq put a teapot on the burner and while the water was boiling, he thought of little razia. The memories of past moments spent with her receded  and returned like waves moving on the great ocean of heart. With school bag and water bottle Razia was standing , looking down and waiting for the school bus. But instead of school bus, there stopped a bike in front of her and she saw Faruq’s smiling face,“would you like to go to Pushkar with me?”