The Inner Self: Are we ready to meet our self?
“Couples only Sir!” the beefy bouncer said without any smile. ‘Come on yaar adjust kar le’ said Aditya or Adi as he would like to be called in such places, hiding a 1000 Rs note in his palm. The bouncer looked around and stamped his wrist. It was the most happening club in Chandigarh and Adi wants to make the most of it. The environment was electric with the amazing DJ switching between English and Punjabi numbers. Adi headed towards the bar counter and ordered Tequila shots and gulped two in quick succession.
‘Aaram se Dude!” commented Samrat and smiled at Adi. Adi returned the favor.
‘Alone?’ asked Samrat. Adi nodded in confirmation, smiling unintentionally, probably under the influence of tequila.
‘And what about you?’ he managed to add.
‘I am with my friends, we are travelling to Manali.’
‘That’s great’ Adi replied without looking at Samrat and scanning through skimpy clad girls in the club. Two hours, eight drinks later Adi and Samrat became best of friends as it happen to all bewdaas. So much so that he decided to accompany them to Manali. As it is he lived alone in Kasauli managing his cyber café and a bike ride to Manali felt reasonable.
The group started their sojourn early morning. Six bikes, eleven people including four beautiful girls, not bad at all, he smiled and looking at himself in the side view mirror. He switched on his Bluetooth enabled helmet and put on his favourite playlist. The ride was amazing to say the least. The scenery was breathtaking and the weather surreal. The six bikes zoomed past the trucks and cars one after the other. The ride till Shimla was good but the way ahead to Manali from there was tricky. The January chill has started setting in and they wanted to cover as much ground as possible before dusk. The condition of the road started worsening with the ride getting bumpier.
A heavily loaded truck was moving slowly ahead without giving pass. They were waiting for a slight turn so that they could overtake. The turn came. Five bikes zoomed ahead of the truck. Adi followed the bike ahead and the moment he was about to overtake, he saw pickup truck rushing directly towards him. In moments like this the sane mind stops functioning and things happen in a flash. He hit both brakes simultaneously but the Harley Davidson Street Bob couldn’t live up to its reputation and flung Adi into the valley below. While in the air, he felt chocked, unable to breathe and felt his heart in his mouth. It was a moment of silence which was shattered when he was hit against the same trees which he had been admiring all along.
Adi opened his eyes slowly trying to regain his thoughts. He could see a plaster on his left leg and bandages on his right hand. His head felt terrible. He couldn’t move his back, but he couldn’t believe he is still alive. Miracles do happen, he thought. But even at this time of tragedy he had no one to call. His parents are long dead and he is the only child. Samrat and his friends must have brought him here, he guessed. His chain of thoughts was stopped by someone sitting in the couch that he has not noticed until then.
‘Water?’ he asked smiling.
Adi couldn’t recognize him at once but he felt strangely familiar. He had a very warm demeanour. ‘Who are you by the way? And thanks for bringing me here.’ Adi said.
‘Actually it’s you who brought me here’ smiled the gentleman. ‘Never mind don’t bother with all these questions and take rest.’ Adi closed his eyes and dosed off.
Adi woke up in the middle of the night. The watch showed 02:10. The same man was sitting in the couch, smiling.
‘You need something?’ he enquired.
‘Nothing, I am fine. Thank you. By the way thanks for doing this for me.’
‘Oh it’s my duty!’
Duty! He used the word duty, maybe he is from the hospital staff, he thought. There was a knock on the door and then a nurse entered.
‘You ok baba?’
‘Ya thanks for asking. I have company, don’t bother.’
‘Bhagwaan sabka saath deta hai beta.’ The nurse scanned the room and left. The gentleman kept on smiling, the nurse doesn’t seem to notice though.
‘So how have you been all these years? You look lonely’ asked the man once the nurse left.
Lonely, yeah, lonely would be an apt word. You see after Maa-papa passed away, I have been living alone in Kasauli, have no friends and no girl in my life, so lonely? Yeah’
‘You are never that lonely if you think of it.’ The man said, staring directly in his eyes. It felt creepy and Adi broke contact and resumed conversation. ‘What do you mean?’
‘You see God has given every one a companion, An Inner Self. You can always talk to him, take advice from him, laugh with him and play with him. He is your constant companion. He never judges you and is the only one who understands you.’
‘I think you are right, I like talking to myself. That is my companion, my inner self may be.’ Adi said in agreement. ‘But frankly speaking it also freaks me out. I mean it’s like being possessed all the time, like they show in movies, someone else inside your own body!’ Both looked at each other for few seconds. A cold breeze passed in front of Adi’s face, he blinked first.
‘By the way you are smart, young, rich, why isn’t a girl in your life?’ the man inquired.
‘May be I have not found the one I wanted, I want someone who enjoys life, who likes travelling, especially on a bike and with whom I can share everything.’
‘I told you, you can share everything with your inner self.’ The man’s voice was slightly stern. Adi felt uncomfortable and said ‘I think I should take a nap.’
‘Sahab breakfast me kya lega?’ Adi was jolted from sleep by a hospital staff.
‘huh! Omelette fry with two toasts and what about you?’ Adi asked his companion, he nodded with a smile. ‘Mai to savere nasta karke aaya sahib.’ replied the staff.
‘Ok make it two plates’
‘Itna kha loge? Abhi operation hua hai, go slow.’ the staff showed his concern and left.
Once they were done with the breakfast, Adi stretched himself on the bed and said to the man ‘You know I had a similar jacket once, brought it from Delhi.’
‘This is also from Delhi.’ replied the man.
‘I think they will discharge me today’ Adi said almost reassuring himself. The man smiled.
The doctors discharged Adi that evening. More than the treatment, he was happy that he has got a friend. After years he had such satisfying conversation with anyone, apart from himself. The plaster was still on his leg, he was also holding his bag. ‘Why is this man not helping me with the stuff?’ he thought briefly and waved to a taxi to stop.
‘Hamko kasauli jana hai.’ Adi said rearranging his bag.
The driver bend slightly and said ‘Kitne log ho?’
‘Bas itnne hi.’ Adi pointed towards himself. He opened the door waited for few seconds for the man to move in first and then moved in.
‘All set?’ Adi asked the man while making his plastered leg comfortable. The man smiled. ‘Hum to thik hi hain.’ replied the driver.
After two hours they reached Kasauli. Adi’s house was an old one, designed with British architecture like most houses in Kasauli. It was set beautifully amidst long pine trees.
‘Don’t worry I don’t own this place, I live here on rent.’ Adi explained to the man. They shifted the luggage inside and settled down.
‘I will make something to eat, damn hungry. What will you have? I am having Maggie.’ The man smiled.
‘I guess that’s a yes’ Adi said and went to the kitchen. After an hour of chatting over tea near the fireplace Adi got up and stood near the window.
‘You know it feels like I know you.’ Adi said without looking at the man.
‘May be I am your inner self!’ said the man. Adi looked at his face, their eyes matched. There was moment of silence and then both burst out in laughter. ‘Yeah right!’
Home has its own comforts. No matter how comfortable the hospital was, sleeping in your own bed, in your own quilt has its own charm. In no time Adi dozed off. He was jolted out from his sleep breathing heavily. He was sweating profusely. He couldn’t remember how long he was asleep. He felt as if he had woken up since the accident only then. He took out his mobile to check time and involuntarily opened the picture gallery. There were pictures of him and Samrat when they stopped for tea, his picture with his Harley which is now gone. And then he saw a very strange selfie which he couldn’t remember taking. His eyes were staring directly out of the picture. He was wearing his Delhi wala Jacket in that pic, but wait!! That was the jacket he was wearing when the accident happened. Then how come?! He was smiling strangely; suddenly he recognized the creepy smile. Adi felt a chill down the spine. And then who was there in the hospital? And then he realized the man is in the same house! He ran to the outer room but couldn’t find anyone. He held his head and sat down, shivering.
What the F**k!!
‘May be I am your inner self’ echoed that man’s word in his ear. He looked around desperately. There were two plates on the table, one finished and one untouched! He ran out limping with his plastered leg and called the taxi driver on his cell.
‘Dada, how many people you just dropped at Kasauli?’
‘Aapko to chora sirf.’ replied the driver. Adi’s heart skipped a beat.
He rushed to the Chandigarh hospital. On the gallery he met the staff who served breakfast. ‘Dada us din mere saath jo breakfast kar raha tha aapne dekha na?’
‘Kaun baba? Ek plate to khaali hi wapas laya na mai?’
Bloody hell, Adi felt his voice chocked, his hands trembling and sweat all over his body. His mind draws a blank. He slowly climbed on the window struggling to balance and turned slowly to look behind. The Man was standing right there, smiling eerily on his face and Adi jumped off the window, felt the air against his face just like during the accident and the closed his eyes.
–END–
