Mysterious Allure

Chapter 5

After coming to home from office, Balbir decided to take his uncle on a tour. He took his uncle to a market near his home where Balbir’s uncle bought some things and then they went to a coffee shop and ordered their coffee’s respectively. Both of them were chatting with each other and Balbir asked his uncle about the yesterday’s night dream, at first his uncle avoided the question but when Balbir became persistent and stubborn, his uncle finally accepted his defeat and said we will talk about this at home. 

It was 11:00 pm at night Balbir and his uncle were lying on the bed and Balbir was reminiscing his childhood days. Balbir’s uncle was telling about him about his brother mischiefs. While talking, Balbir’s aunt’s topic also came and Balbir’s uncle became sentimental while mentioning her because she died in last year’s summers. Balbir’s uncle was all alone in the village. 

His uncle had only one son, Ajit, he was an engineer by occupation and lived in Germany. Ajit was of the same age as Balbir but both of them never got along. They used to get into conflicts on every small thing. Rohan used to stay far from Ajit since childhood that’s why Rohan quarrelled with Ajit lesser than Balbir. Balbir became bitter just by remembering Ajit, then too he hid his bitterness and asked about Ajit’s well being from his uncle. 

Balbir’s uncle became emotional when Balbir mentioned Ajit, saying it has been years since he last talked with Ajit. Balbir’s uncle told that two years ago, Ajit came to meet everyone in village in his vacation and said that he will take everyone to Germany along with him while returning to Germany however there is no news of him after that. Many time Balbir’s uncle tried to connect him but wasn’t able to receive a response from him. After hearing Balbir pitied his uncle. 

Balbir thought that in childhood, his uncle never let him get any difficulty and spent nearly all his money for Ajit’s education, he even sold one of his farms for Ajit’s study. In return Ajit’s behaviour was very weird. Balbir suggested his uncle to live with them in the city. Balbir’s uncle laughed at his plea and patted his head affectionately saying that he can’t leave his village’s land. Till now his uncle used to take care of many fields, farms and their ancestral mansions. 

Balbir’s uncle also didn’t liked the chaos and hustle-bustle and tense air of the city, he can’t stay in the closed apartments of cities for longer. Balbir’s uncle used to love Balbir and come to meet him after few days. After two days, Balbir’s uncle had to return to the village and Balbir was feeling apprehensive and due to waking up at correct 2:20 am at night he got used to waking up at the same time. When he again woke up at 2:20 am, he saw his uncle sweating vigorously and this time too he didn’t dream of any nightmare. He stroked his uncle’s back for long.

 Next morning, Balbir cancelled his uncle’s ticket for village and convinced him for not going to the village. Balbir took his uncle to a doctor for diagnosis however nothing unusual came in his uncle’s report. Balbir told everything to the doctor and the doctor prescribed some light medications. Balbir took his uncle home.

 It was time for Balbir to go office when he set out for his office, he saw his childhood friend Ashu coming from the front. At first Balbir thought he was someone else but when they came close and Ashu called out for him, Balbir didn’t believe at first but became confident after Ashu greeted him and became so happy after seeing his childhood friend Ashu after a long time. Ashu jumped to hug Balbir and both of them asked about each other’s well-being, crossed the road and went into the restaurant. 

Ashu told Balbir about many incidents of their childhood. Balbir was like as if he have forgotten his childhood, today after chatting with Ashu, Balbir remembered his raw house of village where his grandfather used to tie their cow and that grand and beautiful mansion also belonged to Balbir's grandfather whose well of shallow water swallowed many children's balls, while playing many children's balls used to fell in that well and was never found after that. 

Balbir and Rohan were intelligent and handsome since they were children. They were tall and used to consume milk with ghee and jaggery after their morning work out which made them strong and their physique sturdy , rigid and muscular. Balbir's grandfather used to take special care of their food. 

Balbir's father got his job in the city but wasn't able to buy a house yet so Balbir and Rohan used to live in village along with their grandfather. When Balbir was around seven years old and Rohan nine years old they went to live in city with their father. While returning from school, both the brothers used to eat 'chaat'  (India's traditional food) from chaat vendors however in city there wasn't anything like that. Students were used to assemble in lines and sent home straight through their buses. 

When Balbir asked Ashu about the chaat vendor's well being, he got to know that he has become old and that's why he isn't able to set his stall now and stays at home, villagers help him from time to time and from that he is able to survive his daily life. Balbir felt bad for him but when he got normal he asked Ashu's reason for coming to the city so Ashu told him that he got his job here and that's why he has taken a apartment on rent near the market. Balbir was delighted after hearing this.

 Balbir thought that he has return in his golden childhood days, first he met his uncle and now Ashu, he was really happy. Balbir bid farewell to Ashu and went to his office and in evening while returning from his office he went straight to Ashu's apartment to meet him. Ashu was smiling when Balbir came at his apartment, both of them chatted a lot and while talking the topic of well of Balbir's grandfather which was made in Holi was started. 

At first, the chat was going normal but when Ashu made Balbir remembered that when Hariya uncle's daughter died from falling in the well, no one never dared to go close to that well. After listening this from Ashu, Balbir was stunned, Balbir didn't remembered that incident. Balbir sweated from head to toe and was panicked in fear, his throat became sore and dry. Ashu got nervous and scared after seeing Balbir's condition, he ran and brought a glass of water from kitchen for Balbir but till then, Balbir was gone from there. 

Ashu regretted telling him Hariya uncle's incident but what can be done now. On the other hand, childhood days were rewinding like a movie in Balbir's eyes. When they used to call someone to make teams to play games, Balbir used to call Sundari, Hariya uncle's daughter from her home and she also used to come right away however she had a bad habit, whatever charms her and she sets her eyes on her , she would stole it. Due to her this habit everyone use to distance themselves from her however game doesn't gets spoiled due to less number of playmates or players, Balbir used to go and call Sundari out. 

Balbir also used to despise Sundari's habit of stealing so he used to take care and monitors that no one's precious thing gets stolen. 

It was rainy days, everyone was immersed in playing, today Balbir didn't called Sundari. Rohan bought a very expensive ball along with his grandfather from the city because of this reason, Balbir didn't call Sundari for playing but who knows from where Sundari got the news and came to play. No one was able to deny her from playing directly on her face and it happened for which everyone had a fear of. After a while the ball was lost. No one has seen Sundari stealing the ball that's why no one was able to blame her directly however suspicion made place in Balbir's heart. 

After the game was finished, he went after Sundari hideously till her house. After reacher home, Sundari got busy in her work. Balbir saw her for a long time hiding behind a tree but Sundari didn't do  anything like that that the blame or suspicion of the culprit who stole the ball would go on her. Balbir got tired of watching and returned to his home. Rohan was very upset because the ball was lost but what can they do now. Everyone was cursing Sundari.