Hai everyone, I am posting another story..It's an Os on my favourite Tasha...
I want to dedicate this one for my friend Divya V Das, and all FF members who gave me such a warm welcome..
No more introduction, Please read and review...
"WITHOUT you is also WITH YOU"
She was sitting on the bench reading that novel.
"Taarika"
Someone called her from behind. She turned back and got astonished.
"Tasha, Wow, tum yahaan?"
A cute, bubbly girl came near her with a charming smile and shared that bench. She snatched book from Tarika and asked,
" Kyun? Ye park tere naam kiya hai kya kisine? Can't I come here? "
Taarika didn't reply but kept staring at her childish friend's face. Then said,
" Nahi yaar, I was just wondering. You never liked any lonely places, then how come this happen? You are fine na? Got fever or something ? "
She touch Tasha's forehead and act as if she is worried. Tasha first made a face, but she never knew to fail.
"Acha? Tumse kisne kaha ki ye jagah lonely hain? I mean, look around yaar. There are trees which answer you with flowers and leaves, Birds that will question you till you get irritated, and this wide green meadow that will hear whatever you say without interrupting or interpreting.."
Tarika gave an appreciating look first then for some fun looked at the book she had and asked,
"Acha, kitab mein padhoon aur dialogue tum mare,"
They both share a smile and then Tasha continued,
"Taaru, you know something, I come here every day to tell this tree my story.."
Taarika this time shouted,
"What?"
Tasha continued ignoring that,
"Haan, I know it is crazy but I do that. When I became alone in this world, when all started to call me orphan, and before I got a friend like you, and someone like Vivek, I lived because of this tree. I always felt suffocation as there was no one whom I could share anything. Then one day when I came here, saw this tree standing alone. Don't know how and when I started to talk to it. Slowly it became my routine. I try my level best to share everything to him,(She pointed to the tree). Crazy haan?"
Taarika who was hearing her friend silently took a sigh.
"It is crazy, but I didn't shout on that. I know you would do almost every crazy thing you can, after all you are the little angel of our team."
Tasha smiled but Taarika suddenly change her tone and started to scold her,
"But Miss Tasha Dhanraj, how dare you not tell me this? How could you keep this as a secret? I mean..look at me...I come here almost every day, but I am unaware that my 'bestie' is also here...How could you do that yaar?"
Tasha put her hands on ears just to show Taarika how loud she was talking. She understood her friend as always and made her sound low. But she kept scolding and then it became complaint.
"I am not going to tell you anything, I too can hide secrets"
"Really? Chupa sakti ho tum? " Tasha asked just to make Taarika angry, and guess it worked.
Taariaka continued,
"Why? I can...If you can then why not? I am not going to say any of my secrets to you or Vivek."
With a jerk, Tasha asked
" Vivek? How came he strike into this?"
" Because he is your boyfriend. He too didn't tell me this...Usse patha tha ki mein roz aati hoon yahaan, phir bhi nahi.."
Tasha's face went dark a bit. She stood silent but kept staring at Taarika's face. Seeing that Taarika stopped in middle and wait to hear what Tasha had to say.
"He didn't say because he didn't knew..Usse pata nahi hein"
Taarika looked at her incredulously. Tasha made her sit on the bench and sat near her.
"Taaru, do you really think that I told that to Vivek? You are my best friend yaar...We call 'bestie' those who are nearest to you, like your family. Then how can I tell Vivek something that I hide from you? I didn't tell you guys because this wasn't that much important..."
"Sorry Tasha...I didn't mean that..I was feeling bad so just said that"
Tasha wanted to change the topic. She always wanted everybody happy.
"Chodo, sab ki galti maaf...teak hain, now you go ahead with your fiction and let me talk to my friends...they may be wondering, why I am 'here and still not near'
As she was leaving Taarika asked from behind,
"Which story you are going to tell them today?"
Without looking back she answered,
"Of a girl who always quarrel with her best friend and a tragedienne who is forced to tolerate all her profanity..."
Taarika just smile on it and again got into the novel. But she couldn't immerse into it as she wanted to see her friend's childish behaviour. Tasha made herself comfortable by couching her body on it's shadow, without any embarrassment. Then, start to talk something. She gave a 'damn' to those who were confusingly watching her, She always did the same.
After some time, she came back and asked Taarika a lift to home. While Tasha took the book from her and just flipped it, Taarika asked,
"Are you in a hurry? Let's have a coffee and then.."
"No, no, no, no...Not today. I have to prepare for tomorrow...So many cases yaar..tum jaanti ho na, I have to complete some files and all. That's why I came here early,"
Then Taarika didn't argue, after all for every one of them, 'duty comes first'. They went together on Taarika's scooty.
Two rainy days passed. It wasn't season but yet sky kept dark. No one 'special' came to that park, neither the one who wanted silence, nor the one who found words within silence. On third day, Taarika came, alone. There wasn't any book, she used to carry with. Her eyes were empty just like her hands. She walked without emotions. It seemed even rain drops couldn't make her feel their presence. She walked ahead, reached the bench and then passed it. She went to the tree and sat beside. There were soaked, etiolated and numb flowers under the tree. Taarika slowly moved her hands through the crust of the tree and then all of a sudden burst out. She cried aloud, but strong thunder hide her voice somewhere; Rain drops hide her tears within them, may be they too knew, Tasha would have done the same, if she was around. After long, Taarika controlled herself and then started to tell the tree, story. Not as perfect as Tasha, but she told them...
The story, of a brave lady cop, who was shot dead in an encounter, for the sake of her duty, for the sake of her country.
When Taarika woke up and went back, a breeze came all the way from nowhere and hugged the tree...Rest of the flowers too fell down...
That's it...Please let me know how was it,
Take care...