Islam And The Four Passengers

" It is 40 years now. But my eyes are still in search of him" said Yusuf. Putting his hand on the shoulder of his younger brother Aslam. " I am too waiting for a remote car which he promised me" said the moist and astound Aslam 

" So it means Dada ji would never returned from the way" said Rashid (Yusuf 's son) .Papa tell me some more about him. Yusuf looked out of the window and lost in the pleasent and astonishing memories .

 Like any other day my father Islam began his day with a hot cup of tea and mouth watering Doodh Jalebi. At 8 a.m he bids goodbye to his wife (Aisha) for his diurnal job.

At the cab station he was waiting for the passengers. All other cab left. Once again he left with no passenger to drop.It was almost half past two on work but no work.So he decided to left the station. When he was leaving the station four men around of same age approached him one man among them said " Are you the driver of this cab?" In mundane voice he replied " Yes" Again the man asked " How much do you charge for Delhi ?" Islam was about to say. But other man from them interrupted and said " We will pay you 3,000₹ . On hearing the tripple charges he was surprised and whispered himself" What dumb people they are?"

He said " Okay"

" Can you all please wait here. I will back in minutes" he asked.

One of the man among them said " Not more than minutes" . 

" Otherwise we'll hire someone else" .

Islam responded and said" Okay my brother " .

On the way to home he found me and Aslam cycling in the street. He stopped both us and asked to go home and informed their mother that He is leaving for Delhi and will returned tomorrow.

On hearing Delhi Aslam said to him " Abba may we also accompanied you to Delhi and go to our Nani(grand parents) house" .

Abba said" Not now my son but on next summer holidays we will surely go to your Nani House" . All their hope we're shattered. Again Aslam asked " not Nani House now but you would have to bring a big toy car for me" on which he agreed. Than both of us left for the house 

At home Ammi was busy in making bread and Hasina (his daughter) was helping her in it.

Aslam went to Ammi and questioned her" Ammi don't you miss your parent and brothers and sisters who are in Delhi" ?

She amazingly said " Yes I do miss them" . " Than why don't you go there and spend some time with them" .

With hopeful heart she answered" I too long to go there But now I also found comfort with you all here in Jaipur."

Yusuf disrupted and humbly said" All your concerned would be end soon because Abba promised us to take there on next summer vacation " . He said that he is going going to drop the passengers to Delhi and would come back on nextday"  

In low temper voice she said" sure son " .

About 3 hours passed on the highway. As the road was not well maintained the just covered 100km and 150 km left to be wrapped up. Though the were travelling in the taxi. But it was the rollercoaster ride. After sometime Islam stopped the cab on the local highway motel to eat and rest for while.

While coming out of the motel one of the passenger bought the rope from the motel shop. Islam in joking way asked that man " with whom you will play rope game" ? He pointed at him and put the rope in the cab.

Now they almost halfway to Delhi.

But the coming road was much broken than the earlier one. Due to which one of the cab's tyre got punctured. So Islam stopped and looked for a nearby mechanic shop but failed to find. He even tried to stop some passersby vehicles. But the road was empty as where the sight goes.

The sun was dawning and the bursted tyre made him more desperate and tired. he even tried by himself to fix the tyre but couldn't do so. He asked the help from his four passengers. but they pretend  that they don't know anything about it.

He was surprised by the change behaviour of them. So he sat beside the cab hopelessly. It was now totally dark on the road. The chilled breeze was blowing on the deep hollow highway. No voice of human except the groaning voice of the wild dogs.

On the deserted road Islam was waiting for some help. The four passengers watching him and his struggle. They enclosed him with the rope. And said to him" It is the right time to play the rope game" .He avoided them as they are might be pranking on him. He asked them to stopped it. But they all tied with him tightly and throw a big rock on his head. He felt to the ground like a lifeless flesh. They left him alone unconsciously on the highway and took away his cab.

On next day morning while getting ready for school Aslam asked about whether Abba came home. Ammi said to him that he might come back after school 

It was now 6p.m but he didn't reached Jaipur his hometown 

Than Ammi asked me to look for him at the cab station. But we couldn't found him there nor any news about him 

Than his brother Salaam rushed to our house on hearing about him. 

In the evening I and uncle Salaam went on scooter from Jaipur to Delhi. we searched for him every where on the highway. But we returned home empty handed. 

My uncle even filed a complain of his lost in both the police stations of Jaipur and Delhi. Investigation went for 3-4 months. Even the police couldn't find anything about him. My uncle urged the police to still find his dead body so that we could give him the last adieu. but all in vain.

Though practically he is dispersed among us, but he is still alive in our sentiments.