Red Phone Booth

Year - 1977

It was a cold winter night in Osmanabad and in a relatively laid back by-lane of the town stood a vintage but beautiful Red Telephone booth. The Red booth had withstood the changing times and had time and again been repaired and painted by its owner, Mr. Sawant.

"Rajveer's fever has subdued now and he is much better. In fact I fed him twice today and he is peacefully sleeping now"said Neelam. "Great. You take of him and yourself too. Miss you both a lot. Bye" came the reply from her husband Samar."Miss you too Samar. Will call you tomorrow. Bye" she said in a sad tone.Samar was an Army officer and was posted in the Kashmir region. "Samar Kumar, you are required to join your regiment in the next 48 hours. All leaves have been cancelled and it's an emergency" was the phone call which made Samar leave his 9 month pregnant wife. Rajveer was born the very next day.

"Are you ok Samar? We heard on the radio today about heavy shelling on the border?" She asked seemingly very concerned. "Relax dear, everything is under control. And how many times should I tell you not to believe those stupid news" said Samar in a comforting tone.

The Red booth acted as the only source of communication between them then. It was the Redbooth from where their love story had started. Neelam and Samar were childhood friends and she had been calling her from the red booth ever since they had had feelings. Red booth was probably the epitome of their relationship over the years.

She would come to the Red Booth every night at 9.45 and call Samar. Mr. Sawant, the booth owner had been a silent witness to this for 8 months.

"Samar, Diwali is around the corner. You had promised me to be at home for this Diwali!!! This is not done. Also, this is Rajveer's first Diwali as well. You cant do this to him Samar!!!" She said while controlling her tears. "Neelam, please try to understand. There is a heavy threat perception because of Diwali. I have to be here. But I assure you, I will be back as soon as the festival season is over..peacfully" he said trying to console her and probably himself too.

Such had been the conversations between them. While Neelam understood her husband's duty towards the nation, at the same time she terribly missed him as well.

"Excuse me Madam, please understand it is an emergency. I have to make an urgent call" shouted a Man while knocking outside the Red booth. Neelam, well she just did not react and was engrossed talking with Samar.

"Can you please ask the Lady to let me make a quick call. Please its urgent" the man pleaded to Mr. Sawant who used to run a small departmental store attached to the booth.Mr. Sawant pointed his fingers towards another phone placed at the left end of the counter, while being busy with his accounts.The man made a phone call and then approached Mr. Sawant for payment. Since Mr. Sawant was busy, he looked up to find the meter, wherein you have the call duration and charges displayed. He paid Rs.21 for his call and turned back.

But..he stopped immediately and instantly turned back to look at the meter once again. And then he looked at the Red booth almost in astonishment. Neelam was still there and had just hung up the phone. But the meter showed zero call duration and hence no charges!!

"How is this possible? That lady has been in the booth for 15 odd minutes and your meter says zero call duration??" He asked annoyed. Mr. Sawant just smiled. "You have to tell me. If she wasn't talking, then why did she not let me make a call?!!" The man was now angry. Mr. Sawant preferred to just smile. "Wait, let me talk to her" grumbled the man as he started walking towards Neelam."I know she was not talking to anyone sir." Came a reply from Mr. Sawant. "But she does not know that". The man stopped instantly and turned back.

"She has been coming here for years to talk to just one person. Her Samar!!! Samar, who has been martyred 8 months ago, the very 2nd day he joined his cantonment." Mr. Sawant was no more smiling. "She was not told about this then as she had just become a mother. But when she was told about it, she just did not accept it. She comes here every night to call Samar, she dials his number and starts talking, telling him everything that a wife has to, a mother wants and a lover seeks." Mr. Sawant continued.

"Why don't you tell her the truth??" asked the man, who was visibly shaken while looking at Neelam who had been walking back towards her home.

"How can I sir, she enters the red booth every day with hope and leaves with a smile". Said Mr. Sawant gulping down his sadness. "Perhaps, it is not Samar, but the Red booth that let's her live for the next day," said the man, smiling at Mr. Sawant as he left.