The Religion

Riots in the city had spread like fire. The whole city was burning in the grip of fire. You find burning shops, burning motors all around. It was a scene of destruction all around. In the news, they were showing that religious sentiments were hurt due to a post on social media and the whole city had come in the grip of riots due to that. Perhaps religion has become so weak that even a post in the social media proved dangerous as if the people have no faith in their religion. That's why people get panicky for their survival. Thinking about it Aarati’s attention went to the area of the city where the riot had spread because her daughter studied in a college there.

 

Just for her consolation Aarati saw the news again and was horrified. The husband was out of the city and the daughter had not returned yet from the college. In a moment of panic, she got thousands of thoughts in her mind. Aarati took a decision and left the house. Now she just wanted to reach her daughter somehow. She was not thinking about anything except her daughter. On leaving the house, instead of going to the street, she entered the side lane of the street. Despite being ill at this age, her footsteps were advancing rapidly.

Aarati took the help of those streets which she used to avoid and kept moving forward. It is not known why she was feeling those streets safer today. A human probably takes similar decisions under fear and excitement. Then the attention of Aarati, who was going fast thinking about her daughter, was diverted by a loud uproar. Suddenly, from the end of the street, the shout of “ Beat her! Beat her! “was heard. Someone from the crowd said, "Kill this girl, she does not belong to our religion” As soon as she heard those words what thoughts came to Aarati’s mind is not known but she started running wildly towards the crowd. On reaching the end of the street, suddenly a stranger's hand pulled her inside the house. She kept screaming, “Let me go to my daughter”. But that hand, held her hand very firmly. It was dark inside the house. The house was nothing but a small room. “God gives the poor, a big heart, not a home”.

Before Aarati could understand anything, the woman holding her hand said, "Why does Mem Saab want to lose her life? Doesn’t she know that the riots have spread all over the city and belonging to a different religion what was she doing in this street." Saying this she went to fetch the battery light.

"My daughter has not returned from college yet. I am going to get her."

"Mem Saab it is not safe to move outside at this time. My son must be coming by now, you go back home along with him. And trust in God, your daughter will also be back." A familiar voice made Aarati understand.

Emergency light lit up the entire room. That stranger's hand was now clearly visible to Aarati and maybe some of her own too. As soon as the darkness was removed, some pages of the past were also clearly visible.

The two ladies kept staring at each other for a few moments!

“Hi! Shabnam. Oh my God after so many days. What has happened to you? How are you here?” Aarati asked breaking the silence.. For a moment Aarati had forgotten all her troubles, on seeing Shabnam.

"What are you thinking, Shabnam? Where are you lost, Madam? Whose picture is this? Is he your son?” Aarti said in her old style.

"What are you thinking, Shabnam!" Where are you, Madam? ”Aarati said in her years old style. “And whose picture is this? Do you have a son?”

Shabnam and Aarati were good friends from childhood. Why friends? They were like real sisters. They were always together. They used to eat, drink and do all mischief together. At the time when the plague had spread in Surat, Aarati was pregnant. She gave birth to a cute boy. But Aarati was affected by the plague. Seeing this, Aarati's husband gave his son to Shabnam asking her to take care of the child. You take the child far away from the city. I shall explain to Aarati somehow. Aarati was told by her husband that the child was born dead. Aarati's wounds got filled with time. Shabnam too had no children, so she had brought up Aarati's child like her own child and moved to Mumbai. But the merciless time put all her husband's business into heavy loss and also took away her husband.

Yes, this is Azhar, my son. Shabnam came out of her thoughts. Perhaps she was confused by this question.

Before Shabnam could say anything, someone knocked on the door of the room loudly. "Mother, where are you, mother?" Open the door. "

Shabnam opened the door and started shouting, "What happened to you? Why do you knock the door so hard? "

"Ammi, they killed Shehzad in front of me." The painful red eyes in anger showed the volcano burning inside Azhar.

Shabnam had never seen Azhar in this form. "You come in first." Shabnam's voice was weak due to panic. The fear of a mother was discernible in the eyes of Shabnam's. “Are you well, my dear son?”

Ignoring the mother’s question, Azhar asked, "Who is this Ammi? What is this Hindu woman doing here?" "I will kill her right here." These people killed my friend- a brother like a friend. I shall not spare these people. Azhar picked up a pistol from the cupboard. The volcano inside Azhar was about to burst.

Aarati's fear got increased. She started remembering about her daughter and the abusive words of the street heard a while back. She ran wildly towards the door.

Azhar stood near the door, holding the pistol in his hand.” No son do that, listen to me... Shabnam tried to lure Azhar and snatch away the pistol from him..

Azhar gave a push to Shabnam and removed her. Shabnam shouted, "This is your mother Azhar.” But it was too late for all this. A bullet came out of Azhar's pistol and crossed Aarati's chest. Aarati fell down on the floor. "Son! " Only this word came from Aarati mouth.

Shabnam was crying with Aarati's head on her lap. Azhar was sometimes looking at Ammi, sometimes mother.

He could not understand whether he had won or lost today. Whether he had avenged the death of his brother-like friend or was himself robbed in the name of religion.



THE END

मज़हब 

 

★★★★★ 

© Prateek Tiwari (तलाश)

 https://storymirror.com/read/story/hindi/vki7mjgh/mjhb/detail

 

धर्मआक्रोशबदलाReligionमज़हबइंसानियतइंसानइन्सान