PAPER-SOAP BABA
"Gutka, Paper soap" a soft tired voice woke up sleeping passengers of A-2 coach. Rakesh turned around. "Baba ek paper soap dena". Trembling hands brought out 2 paper soaps from a bag and offered him. "Kitna"? "5 rupya beta". "Par baba 5 rupay to ek paper soap ka hota hai. Aapne 2 diya". "Koi baat nahin beta. Rakh lo". Rakesh had heard this before. As a startled Rakesh saw the trembling body with a flowing beard, leave the coach, he was lost in thoughts. How can such a poor man give away a paper soap just like that?
He rushed towards the door to give him the money. Rushing through the next coach and the next, he could not find him. Probably the man had got down. Looking around he could not find him on the platform. The train had started moving. A difficult to remember name, Rakesh quickly took a pic of the station name on his mobile. He used to do this, whenever he encountered something different in his train trips. He named the pic as 'Paper soap baba.jpg'.
"Aa gaya beta"? his mother called as he entered the doorway. "Haan Maa, kaisi ho" .................. Rakesh was used to this silence. Ever since his father went missing, Maa was in a state of shock, rarely speaking. He had searched everywhere around, lodged a missing persons report, and was even called to the hospital multiple times, to see if his dad was among unidentified bodies. The police had given up the search, and so had Rakesh. But his Maa had not. She prayed for hours and challenged the Gods. "Mile kya"? a voice emanated from the Puja room. These were the only 2 sentences Rakesh used to hear from his mother, between his frequent travels. Two years since his father went missing, Rakesh was losing his mother too everyday.
"Rakesh, the client you had met in Bangalore, confirmed the order today. Well done man. Come quickly" an excited voice of his boss on the mobile, dragged him away from his thoughts, to the office. "We will dispatch the consignment tomorrow. You get ready to leave in a week". Rakesh was used to such commands from his boss, and rarely refused. His boss Sudhir was a good friend too, and used to take care of Rakesh's mother in his absence. "Get me a ticket to Bangalore via ..... Hold a sec" Rakesh fiddled with his phone searching for 'Paper soap baba.png', as he gave travel instructions to the receptionist.
"Maa main agley hafte phir jaa raha hun. Sudhir hai, roj milega". He expected no answer, but heard a slow murmur "Milenge, zaroor milenge". The week slipped by in logistics and dispatch. "Achha Maa, chalta hun. Jaldi aa jaunga" said Rakesh, as he hugged his mother and touched her feet. As he looked up, he saw her smiling for the first time in 2 years.
This time his journey was short, as he got down at the odd named station. Looking around, he could not see the Paper soap baba. Asking the chaiwalas, he found that the Baba was not visible for the past few days. Where was he? No one there knew about his origin. He lived under the foot bridge, and sold paper soaps and gutkas, to buy food for himself. The fruit vendor had given him a flattened carton box to sleep. But where was he? The local ragpicker boys found him huddled in a corner, shivering from fever. Rakesh hired an Auto immediately, helped the Baba get up and rushed to a nearby hospital. After an initial checkup he was rushed into the ICU. The Doctor wanted to have a complete check up done, as he sensed something serious. When Rakesh wrote 'Uncle' in the relationship box in the registration form, the Doctor smiled and said "We need more people like you in this world".
The day in the hotel whizzed past, as Rakesh wondered why he was doing all this. Before meeting the Doctor, he just went to check Baba in the ICU. But where was he? He checked every bed. All were filled, but Baba was nowhere. He rushed to the Nurse who pointed out in the direction of the window. "He wanted to be there, so we shifted him" she said. On the bed, a frail looking man in patient clothes lay on his side, facing the window. Rakesh sat on the bench nearby waiting for him to wake up, reading a newspaper. The bed creaked as Baba turned side towards Rakesh. As Rakesh looked up, he froze.
Lying on the bed was a clean shaven Baba, who looked exactly like his father. That calm face, well combed hair, sleeping comfortably, he looked like an Angel descended from heaven. Rakesh thought he dreamt, but did not want to break the dream. How he had anxiously waited to hear about his dad, how he rushed to the hosptals, wishing not to see him among the unidentified bodies, how he too murmured his Maa's prayers behind her, how he dried his eyes before going to meet her. And after 2 years, here he is, suddenly in his dreams. A tap on the shoulder broke his trance, as the Nurse informed that the Doctor is on the round. Looking from a corner of his eye, confirming it was his dad, Rakesh rushed out before anyone could see his tears.
The Doctor signalled as he came out of the ICU, and Rakesh followed. Composing himself, clearing his throat, he asked "What happened to him Doctor"? "Nothing much, a bit of fever, severe dehydration. Do you know him?". The question had caught Rakesh unaware. Did the Doctor guess anything, he thought. "No, did he say anything about himself", Rakesh asked. "No" said the Doctor, "He seems to be suffering from Alzheimer". “What? Alzheimer? Which stage? Has he lost his entire memory?", asked Rakesh. "Well, if someone can tell us a bit about him and his past, we can check which stage" said the Doctor. "Will he not recognize me?, thought Rakesh. "Why is God playing with me like this? After years of search and wait, I cannot afford to lose him again".
2 days later before discharging him, the Doctor asked, "Where are you going to take him? Back to the platform?" "NO" Rakesh retorted strongly. Then gathering back his senses, Rakesh asked "Can you keep him for a few days at the hospital, while I come back from work"? Sensing his situation, the Doctor agreed. Rakesh shifted his father to a semi private ward. He tried hard to bring back his memory, calling his friends' names, his relatives, about Maa, but all failed. All his father did was smile. Rakesh tried to give him the 5 rs for the paper soap, but he did not remember that incident either. "Rakh lo beta" he said with a smile.
Rakesh remembered how everyday his Dad used to drop a 5 rs note in his pocket before he went to school, escaping Maa's eyes. She had caught him once doing that, and had scolded both.When Rakesh asked one day, his dad said "Rakh lo beta". And today he was saying the same, albeit for a different reason. The only option left, was now to see if he could recognize Maa. Rakesh did not believe in miracles, but wished he could see one now.
"Maa kaisi hai" asked Rakesh, as he called Sudhir. "Same state, but otherwise Ok" replied Sudhir. Rakesh had to explain his absence for 2 days. He cooked up a story of how a fellow passenger fell sick in the train, and he had to break journey at an odd station, to get him hospitalised. Now that the fellow passenger was Ok, he would proceed to Bangalore and meet the client. Sudhir appreciated Rakesh's gesture and echoed the Doctor's words "We need more people like you Rakesh, in this world".
"Sudhir, this place has lots of temples. Maa would love it. It will also bring her out of the house for a while. She hasn't stepped out since dad went missing. Can you bring her here, when I return from Bangalore”? Rakesh had many obligations on Sudhir, and probably this was one of the ways for Sudhir to pay back. Keeping his dad in the hospital, and somehow convincing his mother on phone, to come with Sudhir, Rakesh left for Bangalore.
The 3 days of work seemed like 3 years. Just thinking of dad gave him goose bumps, and he longed to hug him tight. He thanked God for bringing his dad back, and prayed for his memory to return. He prayed for a miracle to happen when he sees his Mom. Today he reached the station much before time. He did not want to miss the train. Maa had boarded the train with Sudhir and was on her way. Tomorrow would be the day of Reunion for the family. Rakesh's heart was beating faster than normal, and the night seemed so long without a blink. "How would they both react? Please God, please give me my parents back", Rakesh prayed endlessly.
The rising sun brought with it a new ray of hope, of a new life for Rakesh. Running down from the train, Rakesh took the first auto, and without a bargain, reached the hospital. He heaved a sigh of relief, when he saw the Nurse helping his dad walk in the corridor. The wretched life had taken its toll, but he looked better in the hospital. Getting him into his room, Rakesh gave him a quick shave, massaged his face, and got him into the new clothes he had bought. Dad looked so handsome, ready to welcome his bride.
"We are at the station Rakesh" said Sudhir on the phone. With instructions of how to reach the hospital, Rakesh took his dad down to the visitor's lobby. Rakesh's heart was pounding with excitement as they waited for the Auto. As Maa alighted, she said "Sudhir ne kaha ki Mandir hai". Maa had spoken, probably with intuition, hinting a miracle. "Maa, main tujhe Mandir hi laya hun, tere Bhagwan se milane", Rakesh said. "Tu itni Puja aur Upwaas karti thi na, mujhe aaj tere Bhagwan mil Gaye" said Rakesh, as he turned her around to face the man in her life, whom she had snatched back from death, with her prayers.
Her mouth opened up wide, as if concealing a loud scream, tears rolled down her eyes, and she stood frozen. Rakesh could not hold back his tears, as an equally surprised Sudhir captured the moments on his mobile. Maa with a surprised look and Dad with a smile seemed like eternity, with Gods showering their blessings.
Recovering from the situation, Rakesh put his hands around Maa and asked "Pehchana"? Finding no response, he asked again "Pehchana Maa"? Shaking her a bit, to pull her out of the trance he asked again "Pehchana Maa"?
With the same surprised look still on her face, Maa turned around slowly, and asked "KAUN"?
Alzheimer had claimed it's second victim that day.
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