Sincerely Yours

 MUMBAI, 10 YEARS AGO…

We were sent on an official trip to Bangalore to attend a client meeting. Kabir was not there in the initial team boss had chosen for the Bangalore assignment. He was later included on my recommendation. He was both intelligent and zealous and I found him perfect to assist me with that particular assignment. We were seated in the conference hall and a young executive was presenting the details of the project.

“I don’t think the figures are good,” I whispered my concern into Kabir’s ears as I was not completely satisfied with the deal.

“It’s marvellous!” Kabir remarked.

“What are you saying, Kabir?” I frowned.

“Her’s is one of the best figures I have ever seen,” Kabir said with a nasty smile. 

I fell back in my chair in absolute dismay as I noticed that he was ogling the executive and hadn’t even seen the graph she was explaining. I noticed Kabir take off his wedding ring and slip it into the pocket of his blazer. He clapped ardently when the presentation was over.

“What a brilliant presentation it was, Miss?” Kabir complimented her when everyone was preparing to leave.

“Sarah D’Silva,” she said almost falling for his flattery, “Thanks.”

“Kabir,” he promptly added as he saw her packing her things, “may I drop you somewhere?”

“No, thanks,” she sternly turned him down, “my company’s car is waiting outside.”

“You can’t make her fall that easily,” one of Sarah’s colleagues warned Kabir after she had left.

“Why?”

“She has a broken heart,” he said. “Her fiancé dumped her and fled away with someone else.”

“That’s good,” Kabir found an opportunity, “really very good.”

In the evening, we waited in the longue of the airport for our flight back to Mumbai. I sprung up as I heard the announcement that boarding had begun.

“Come, Kabir,” I placed a hand on his shoulder, “it’s time to go.”

Kabir got up and started walking in the opposite direction.

“It’s this way, Kabir,” I beckoned him with a wave of my hand.

“I am going to Hyderabad.”

The first question that came to mind was, ‘why’ but then I realized that the answer was quite obvious. He was going after Sarah who was headed to Hyderabad.

“What shall I tell boss?” I called out.

“I was having constipation and have ended up in a coma.” Kabir turned on his way to glare at me.

Kabir felt jubilant to have bribed his way out and made it to a seat next to Sarah on the flight.

“Hi!” Kabir said as he surprised, or rather shocked, Sarah, who was absent-mindedly looking out of the window, “Pleased to meet you again.”

Sarah scanned him from head to toe with a sceptical frown as her mind screamed that this meeting was not coincidental but a planned one. She felt an urge to get him thrown out of the plane for pestering her. But then her business mind took over and advised her to deal with him tactically as the deal with his company was vital for her survival in her office.

“Oh!” Sarah held her hand out to him. “Same here, Kabir.”

During the first half of the journey, Kabir kept praising her enchanting beauty and supreme intellect. Sarah had no option but to bear through even though he bored her to hell. As the plane passed through the clouds it jerked a little and the magazine placed on Sarah’s lap fell down.

“I will get it for you,” Kabir bent down to pick it up.

But just as he stooped a little, his wedding ring slipped out of his pocket and rolled over to Sarah. She picked it up and read the name engraved on it.

“Sonia,” she raised her eyes from the ring to look at him, “who is Sonia, Kabir?”

Kabir froze in his seat with a deadly pale face and horror-filled eyes. He felt like his game was up. 

“Are you married?” Sarah almost screamed.

It was only darkness Kabir could see in front of his eyes. But then a little light appeared against the dark screen and lit it up as Kabir found a perfect excuse that was going to sweep Sarah off her feet for sure.

“She was the woman with whom I was once madly in love,” Kabir sobbed, “I wished to marry her and had this ring made. She made me a thousand promises of love, family and a future together. But when it came to fulfilling them, she betrayed me and eloped with someone else. I can’t still forget her. I still hold this ring close to my heart. How stupid, I am, Sarah to still love the woman who back-stabbed me?” Kabir hid his face and burst out into tears.

“Oh! Poor thing.” Sarah thought of her fiancé Joe who had deceived her in the same way and her heart melted for Kabir. “That’s okay, Kabir. One day you will find someone who is far better than the woman who ditched you.”

This was the chance Kabir was eagerly waiting for.

“I have found someone really special,” Kabir said looking straight into Sarah’s eyes. “Yes, Sarah, it’s you. I fell in love with you the moment I saw you.”

“Really, Kabir?”

“Yes, Sarah!”

By the time the captain made an announcement for the passengers to wear seat belts for their safety during the flight’s landing, Sarah and Kabir had safely landed within the belts of each other’s arms. 

Kabir came back to Mumbai a week after his Hyderabad adventure. We had coffee together that evening after office. He kept tapping his phone as his face glowed with a peculiar hue of ecstasy. I guessed that he was tossing amorous messages to his ‘newfound’ love.

“What the hell do you think you are doing, Kabir?” I finally said after waiting endlessly for his attention.

“What?” He looked at me for a fraction of a second and then turned back to his phone.

“You are a married man,” I warned, “don’t forget that.”

“Oh, Sam!” He placed his phone back on the table and looked at me, offended. “Don’t you get bored of your routine life? I am just trying to do something creative and add a little taste to my bland life.”

“Creative, huh?” I felt as much pity as contempt for him. “Then I have a better suggestion.”

“What?”

“Come,” I pulled him by his hand, “let me take you to the creative world.”

“What the hell is this?” Kabir asked as he looked around in astonishment.

“This is one of the biggest bookstores in Mumbai, ‘The Creative World’.” I couldn’t help grinning at his perplexed expression.

“I can see that,” his angry stare was enough to burn me alive, “but why have you brought me here?”

“Instead of doing such stupid things, why don’t you read some books?”

“I hate books!” he said as he loosened his neck-tie feeling already suffocated by the mere sight of books. “I had to cram up some books only to clear my college exams. Moreover, I don’t think I will get the kind of stuff I love to read here!”

“Just give it a try, Kabir.” I said as I turned to my favorite section of sci-fi, “You might get lucky.”

Kabir instantly ran towards the exit but then something caught his sight and he turned around.

“How could you do this to me?” A beautiful woman was arguing with the clerk at the counter. “I have been telling you for over a month that I need poet Qureshi’s books. Then why haven’t you ordered them?”

“We already have, Ma’am,” he looked meekly at her fierce glare, “but the delivery got delayed.”

“Excuse me,” Kabir asked the clerk while completely ignoring the woman, “please tell me where I can find poet Qureshi’s books?”

“They are currently out of stock, sir.” The clerk turned his imploring eyes from the woman to Kabir.

“What!” Kabir raised an even bigger alarm. “How can you do this to me? I have been asking you to order them for the past 6 months and how dare you tell me that you haven’t yet?”

He looked carefully at Kabir as he was a new face that the clerk had never seen in the store before. His accusation of an order made 6 months ago didn’t seem to fit in.

“Now, why are you staring at me like a moron?” Kabir burst out at the poor clerk before he could cross-question him.

“Sir, Madam,” the clerk’s gaze oscillated between both his customers, “I assure you that the books will be here by tomorrow.”

“I can’t even think of spending a day without reading his books!” Kabir almost wailed.

“You seem to be a huge fan of Qureshi Saheb,” the woman standing beside him at the counter said.

“Excuse me?” Kabir turned to her with a surprised look as if he had noticed her only now.

“Hi, I am Kavya Verma,” she said looking admiringly at Kabir, “a fan of poet Qureshi just like you.”

“Oh, I am so pleased to meet another fan of Qureshi ji.” He pretended as if the privilege of befriending him was allowed to her only because she was a fan of the great poet of whom Kabir had only recently heard. “I am Kabir Suri.”

“I have something for you.” She drew a picture out of the book she was holding and held out to him.

Kabir frowned at the picture of an old man with a long, grey beard who seemed like an ugly, atrocious goblin from the bedtime stories.

“Is he your father?” Kabir asked her casually.

“What!” Kavya grimaced. “Can’t you recognize your favorite poet?”

A sinking feeling took over Kabir but the very next moment he was able to perch upon the raft of a brilliant idea that helped him reach ashore safely.

“He is a father figure to me,” Kabir said confidently. “He had ushered me into the world of knowledge through his beautiful verses and transformed me into a better human being just like a father does to his son. And because you are also a fan, I thought it would be the same for you.”

“Oh! I see.” Kavya totally fell for his idealistic words and felt like she had finally found someone worthy of worship apart from her idol Qureshi. “I would love to discuss his works with you, Mr. Kabir.”

“Of course!” What more could Kabir ask for? “Let’s discuss them along with a cup of coffee in the cafeteria.”

“Why weren’t you answering my calls?” Kabir complained as soon as I opened the door of my apartment for him, late one night.

“I was not well,” I said in a heavy voice, “I have a cold and fever.”

“Have you had your dinner?” Kabir said looking around as he settled on the sofa. “Where is your maid? Has she left?”

“I have a male servant Shambhu and he is on leave,” I said inhaling as much air as my blocked nose allowed me to. “For his sister’s marriage.”

“You should have appointed a maid instead of Shambhu.”

“And what makes you think so?” I glared at him as fiercely as I could through my weary eyes.

“Nothing, I was just saying,” Kabir looked sheepishly around to avoid my glare, “it’s lovely to have a gorgeous maid around.”

“Kabir!” I gathered all my energy to yell at him and stop him from talking his usual nonsense.

“Fine,” he threw his hands up in the air. “Well! That means you haven’t had anything for the whole day. Let me cook something for you.”

“That’s okay, Kabir.” I coughed and my chest ached, “I don’t feel like having anything. Moreover, there is nothing in the kitchen to cook and you don’t know cooking either.”

“At least, I can make a cup of coffee for you.”

“You don’t have to bother, Kabir. Shambhu will be back by tomorrow morning.” I closed my eyes as I felt lethargic. “It’s getting late and you should go home.”

“Okay, let me make you some coffee and then I will leave.” Kabir came near and helped me get to my feet. “Now you go and lie down on the bed like a good boy.”

Kabir took me to my bedroom and left for the kitchen as soon as I reclined.

“Sam, you don’t have any milk in here,” Kabir shouted from the kitchen.

“Make it black,” I whined back even though my throat was sore.

“But you don’t have any sugar too,” he groaned as he opened one of the jars.

“In my current state, it doesn’t matter whether it is sweet or bitter,” I said as I laboriously drew in a deep breath through the congested pathway of my occluded nose. “I can’t perceive any taste.”

I heard some clattering noises as he ran a massive search operation among the tin jars placed in the kitchen cabinet.

“Sam!” His voice sounded more like a clap of thunder, “The coffee powder is also out of stock.”

“Didn’t I tell you earlier that there is nothing in the kitchen?” I half-opened my eyes as he came running to me holding an empty jar in his hands. “Now, run home, Sonia must be waiting.”

“I will buy some groceries and will be back in a moment.”

“The shops closed hours ago, Kabir.”

“Then we have to knock at the doors of the ultimate solution.”

“What solution?”

“The neighbors!”

“Are you planning to go begging door-to-door in the middle of the night?” I doubted whether he’d gone mad.

“It’s not begging,” he calmly corrected me. “It’s the age-old tradition practised in every housing society called, ‘borrow from thy neighbor!’”

“Kabir, please

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don’t…”

He ran out of the house even before I could finish.

  Kabir rang the doorbell of the apartment opposite mine. My neighbors were not among those who would open the door at the very first ring and that too in the dead of night the probability was high that they wouldn’t open it at all. But Kabir was not going to give up either and was determined to make them open the door. He kept pressing the bell. Luckily for him, Tina, who was chatting with her friend, removed her earpiece for a second and heard the doorbell.

“Mamma, there is somebody at the door,” Tina called out to her mother, who was sleeping in the adjacent room.

“Good night, honey,” came the reply as Mrs Goswami turned to her side to enjoy some more of her beloved sleep.

“Urrgh…” Tina muttered and stomped out of her room to open the door.

A frustrated Kabir clenched his teeth and was about to thrash the doorbell with his fist when Tina opened the door. As his gaze slithered through a ravishing girl clad in a nightgown, he acknowledged that all the pain he had taken to punch the doorbell was worth it.

“Yes?” Tina stared suspiciously at him.

“Do you have some coffee powder?” He leaned against the wall, his flirtatious eyes glued to her.

“Who are you?” Tina asked, “I haven’t seen you in the neighbourhood earlier.”

“I am Kabir, your neighbour Sam’s colleague.” He held out his hand to her. “Sam is not well so I came here to take care…”

      “What? Sam is not well?” Tina slammed the door shut on Kabir’s face.

      Kabir stood there as if struck by a thunderbolt. A little later, the door opened again and Tina emerged, wearing a shawl over her gown. She ran out with the speed of lightning to Sam’s apartment. Kabir blinked for several times like an oaf, unable to make out anything and then ran after her.

      “Oh, Sam!” Tina came rushing towards me. “What happened to you?”

     “I am fine, Tina. I’m having a slight fever, that’s all.” I woke up from my half-slumber and was dazed to see her. “But who told you?”

     “This gentleman did,” she said pointing towards Kabir who was standing by the door.

      Kabir smiled and humbly took a bow as he sat down by my side.

     “That was so kind of you, Mr Kabir.” There was a sheen of gratitude in Tina’s eyes as they turned towards him. “You readily came forward to take care of poor Sam who lives all alone here. These days, we rarely come across such youngsters who are compassionate towards their fellow beings.”

    “After toiling all day long under the scorching sun, a site engineer like me would want to crash on his bed early at night,” Kabir said in a weary voice, “but my conscience would not allow me to ignore an ailing friend.”

    “What?” I opened my mouth but Kabir instantly gagged me.

    “You don’t have to say anything, Sam,” he said. “You have already expressed your gratitude several times since evening.”

     “When did you become a site engineer?” My mind grumbled as I silently glared at him.

    “You are a gem of a person, Kabir.” Tina was truly impressed by his lies.

    “I need a little favour from you, Tina,” Kabir said, “Sam hasn’t had anything since morning and I need your assistance in rustling up a quick meal for him.”

    “I told you, Kabir, that I am not hungry,” I said as danger bells rang in my mind. “Please go home, Soni…” Kabir gagged me again.

    “I know you don’t want to trouble us any more,” Kabir said as sweetly as possible, “but we don’t consider you a burden but a dear friend of ours, isn’t it Tina?”

    “Yes, Sam,” Tina joined in. “Please don’t think like that.”

      “What can I say!” I stepped back as there was nothing much to say either. I could already see Tina falling into the lucrative trap of Kabir’s charms.

“Shall we?” Kabir said pointing towards the kitchen.

“Sure!” Tina was brimming with excitement. “I think the vegetable soup would be good for him.”

I wondered whether Tina was the same girl who found salvation in keeping herself abstained from household jobs while Mrs Goswami spent sleepless nights, worrying about the ‘compliments’ she was going to receive from Tina’s future in-laws for bringing up her daughter so well!

“I am a part-time volunteer in an NGO for the welfare and empowerment of women,” Tina said on her way to the kitchen. “Would you like to join us?”

“Of course!” Kabir was thrilled, “I am always ready to do my share when it comes to the welfare of the women folk!”

“I knew it, Kabir,” Tina rejoiced, unable to understand the real cause behind his willingness to contribute to a good cause, “you have a heart of gold.”

“And so do you,” Kabir complimented her and she blushed.

For the hours that crawled by, Kabir and Tina kept praising each other’s benevolence while paying no heed to the ailing one they had sworn to take care of. I waited the whole night for the coffee and the soup which was not supposed to come my way till I finally fell asleep.

“You are playing with fire, Kabir,” I confronted him in his cabin after office hours. “If you don’t step out of your dalliances right now, you are going to regret it later.”

“What is so terribly wrong with that, Sam?” Kabir smiled shamelessly. “Why are you so averse to things that gives me a little pleasure?”

“Because you are cheating on a wife who adores you.”

“I haven’t done anything wrong to her.” Kabir shrugged. “I’ve never even hurt her with a bad word. I keep her happy and take good care of all her needs. I have always fulfilled all my duties towards her as a husband. What else do you expect from me?”

“Be loyal to her.”

“It doesn’t matter as long as she doesn’t know about it.” Kabir’s voice shrilled with the triumph of a man who had conquered the world. “As it is said, you are not a criminal till you are caught!”

“And what if she does the same to you?” My eyes nearly pierced through his. “Would you be able to forgive her? Would you still prefer to go on with your marital relationship?”

His smile faded and I could see sparks of fury burst in his eyes.

“Look, Sam, we are friends,” he turned his back towards me, “but you have no right to interfere in my personal matters. You have preached me enough, now leave the rest to my discretion.”

“I was only trying to…”

“Please leave, Sam.” His voice was cold and the tone was harsh.

When I realized that trying to convince Kabir was useless, I decided to disclose the truth to Sonia. Though as a friend, I was not supposed to reveal Kabir’s secrets but it was the only way to pull him back. Sonia used to teach music at an institute. I went to meet her there during her lunch break.

“Oh, Sam!” she said as she stepped into the visitor’s room. “It’s so good to see you. By the way, what are you doing here? Do you want to learn music?”

“I am here to tell you something that will not seem music to your ears, Sonia.” I had already made my mind to say it straight. But I kept my eyes lowered as I didn’t have the courage to see the hurt in her eyes.

“Is Kabir alright?” Sonia gasped as her terrified eyes looked questioningly at me.

“He is fine.” I sighed. “But his mind has become sick. Only you can bring him back to normalcy.”

“What are you trying to say, Sam?”

“It will not be easy for you but you have to be strong.”

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath as I strengthened myself to unveil the macabre face of truth to her. Sonia remained calm and listened quietly to my narration.

“Do you think I am absolutely unaware of everything?” Sonia said calmly after I had finished.

“What?” It was a bolt from the blue for me.

“I am his wife, Sam.” She raised her tear-filled eyes to look at me. “I am aware of every breath he takes, his unspoken words and hidden instincts.”

“Then, why don’t you say anything to him?” I was baffled. “Why are you just letting everything happen? Why are you doing this to yourself, Sonia?”

“It will not do any good.” She wiped her tears. “He will only become more rebellious. The next time, he will play all his moves very cautiously. Nobody can change him other than Kabir himself. He should understand that he is walking on the wrong path. Till he realizes his mistakes, he will not be able to rectify them.”

“And do you think it will happen one day, just out of the blue?” I felt pity for the poor woman who had unfaltering faith in a man like Kabir.

“Yes, Sam…” There was a serene gleam in her eyes. “One day he will apologize from the depths of his heart and make a true promise that he is going to keep with utmost sincerity throughout his life.”

It was impossible for me to imagine even in the wildest of fancies that the Kabir I knew would do so someday. But as it is said, faith has the power to move mountains. I let her live in peace with her faith and walked out without a word. 

One night when I was in a deep slumber, my phone woke me up with its screeching ringtone. I opened my eyes grudgingly and hurled as many curses as I knew on it. But nothing could stop the phone from wailing and I was forced to roll out of the cozy comfort of my blanket. I switched on the table lamp and looked at the clock. It was 3.30 a.m. I wondered who it was as I rubbed my eyes and reached out to the phone.

“Hello?” I muttered and fell back on the bed, almost asleep.

“Sam…I need your help.” I opened my eyes with a start as I recognized the agonized voice, “Please come over here as soon as possible.”

Heart-wrenching sobs echoed over the phone as the message was conveyed to me.

“Okay, I am coming,” I said as I jumped out of bed, “I am coming right now.”

I pulled open the cupboard and dressed myself in a fresh set of clothes. I ran out of my apartment and dashed into the lift down to the parking lot. I drove my car in a furious frenzy for half an hour and parked it in the basement of A. H. Memorial Hospital. I ran like a madman through the corridors of the hospital till I reached the ICU. I was completely out of breath by the time I reached there.

“Ho…how…” I struggled to breathe but still managed to ask, “Is he?”

“He is in the operation theatre.” Sonia burst out crying.

“Don’t worry, Sonia.” I leant against the wall for support. “He will be fine.”

A few hours after the operation, a doctor came out of the ICU. We sprang to our feet and looked eagerly at him as our hearts raced in anticipation.

“He is out of danger now.” The doctor placed a hand on my shoulder. “There is nothing to worry.”

 “Can we meet him, doctor?” I asked.

“He is still very frail,” the doctor said as he adjusted his broad-rimmed spectacles on his nose, “I can allow only one of you inside.”

“Let me go first?” I asked her.

She nodded and sat down on the bench outside the ICU.

“How are you, Kabir?” I asked as I held his hand in mine.

“What has happened to me, Sam?” he asked in a feeble voice, “I was driving back home but then a bright, almost blinding light flooded the road and…then I don’t remember anything.”

“I feel sorry to say this to you, Kabir,” I held his hand tightly as I was about to say something that might shatter him, “but your car was hit by a truck and…”

I fell silent as my courage deceived me halfway.

“And?”

“Your left leg was badly crushed,” I struggled with a racing heart and fastened breaths before I went on, “and to save your life the doctors had to amputate your leg up to the knee.”

I could see tears gleaming in his stony eyes as he lay motionless on the bed in a state of shock.

“There is more to it, Kabir,” I said as I wiped his silent tears, “I called and informed Sarah, Kavya and Tina about your accident. Sarah has a conference to attend in Chandigarh. Kavya is out of town and Tina simply hung up when she came to know about the amputation. Only Sonia is waiting outside for 8 long hours. She has been praying for your life all the time, without having even a drop of water.”

“I am sorry, Sam, for whatever I have done to her.” Kabir burst out crying.

“Not me, Kabir, you should apologize to her.” I got up to leave as tears rolled down his cheeks. “I’ll send her in.”

I knew that those were the real tears of repentance. Finally, the impossible happened. A wife’s relentless faith had worked its magic and made a philanderer husband find his way back to his home.