Abruptly, I wake up to see the clock on the wall 15 minutes past six o clock. My entire body bathed with sweat and legs shivering in rising heartbeat for every second. I turned around searching for Aditi. Nowhere to be found. Then I take a closer look at my surroundings and realised that I was dreaming when I saw Aditi, opening the door, yawing to the sunrise. I miss the time I used to spend with her. Her silky body lines, remind me of the mornings, where she used to wake me with her delicate kisses on my neck. Morning sex was our thing. It’s very hard to control my urge, when I see her. She is slowly walking towards me, delicately, rubbing her eyes. It’s difficult, I’m having a hard on, now. Adjusting my pants, before she witnesses it.
The thoughts dried my mouth. My sour taste crawls onto my tongue, bitter and dark as it travels down my throat, and the bottle was placed far away from me. I’m trying to get hands on bottle somehow to wet my mouth. Aditi comes closer. She passes the bottle while brushing her disturbed hair onto my face. Aditi from this universe looks much beautiful than mine. Wait! Is it wrong to look at her like this? Another voice from inside. No! you stupid, she is the same Aditi. Now you are the only one Rahim of this universe and she is your Aditi. You have come looking for her. I don’t know, but this feels good, her aura around me. I desperately want to kiss her. I couldn’t stop the feelings rushing within my body. I grew closer to presence. She said nothing. Absolute silence between us. Which gave me confidence to move even closer.
She snaps, ‘Do you want something?’
‘No!’ I nodded.
‘Where do you work now?’ breaking the tension between us.
‘At one of the Museums here. Why do you ask?’
‘Just wanted to know, I came here looking for someone,’ scratching my head ‘Technically it’s you. Out of curiosity to know more about Aditi of this universe. Maybe?’ I frowned.
‘I’m one of the community members. In fact, I have my gallery exhibition in two days.’
‘Member for?’
‘I’m part of an organizing committee, conducting a painting competition for kids. Mumbai Ustav-11. Celebrating the prestigious history of Mumbai. We invited school kids from different schools to participate.’
‘You also hand paint?’
‘Yes,’ She took a brief pause ‘It’s weird to have this conversation.’
Cannot agree more.
She continued, ‘You are not the person; I knew and I’m not the person you’re looking for. Right?’
‘Yeah.’
‘But still, we are the one and the same from our perspectives.’
‘True. No matter how bored you are with your life. Destiny does not stop throwing surprises at you.’
‘You are different than Rahim I know, I always wanted Rahim to sit and talk to me during early mornings. He would only come after it gets darker and leaves before the sun rises.’ her eyes pooled.
‘Maybe he loved you. But failed to keep it. Shall we read one of the journals he wrote about you.’
‘Yes.’ She whispered and came closer to me to read together.
I opened the diary and furled the pages and pointed to journal and handed it to Aditi.
Journal Entry
June 2011
It’s been almost eleven months, Aditi has abandoned me, everything went wrong since then, lord has snatched the happiness and pleasure from me. I lost my job, my family. I became a part of a political movement. I met people who seek revenge from those because of whom we suffer. It was called the Qaddafi movement. We rallied against government seeking to give our jobs back. I felt alive, when I revolted. All my life, I lived for others and for you Aditi. None stayed. So, I chose to live for myself and myself only.
So, for the mission of six bombings in Syria at single place targeting lakhs of people, they have chosen me for the initiation. They vigorously scratched the scar that was disappearing. Bomb blasts can have a huge impact, especially on the localities. I felt powerful. They provided me a secret code, which I need to deliver to the six different positions connected to a hub which causes the explosion. I used my technical skills to upgrade the bomb and place it a unique and tricky position. Now, our movement has reached India. This mission is close to my personal vendetta. Mumbai is Aditi’s birthplace and I’m going to destroy everything once belonged to her in the same way she destroyed mine. Rahim Razak
‘So, this is a work of completely formed organization and you became a part of it, to destroy nations using your experience in chemical engineering.’ She looked at me.
I was giving a false expression, as she said I became a part of the organization ‘Not me exactly.’
‘Yeah, yeah! Rahim of this universe.’
‘Yes’ I affirmed.
She trying her best, to treat me as a different person. But still, it is not easy to change your opinion about a person, especially if that person had hurt you the most.
‘If they find out that police or government has found out, they will execute the blast immediately and also create a havoc by initiating the blast at other places, like the one they did in 2008 blasts.’
‘Yeah, as per his diary.’
She fell down, after connecting all the dots in her mind. Broke into tears. ‘If I hadn’t left him, he would just destroy me. But now…’ covered her face, crying harder.
‘It is not your fault.’ I held her hands
‘I loved a demon all this while.’
I had no words to grieve that. Then she cried even more. Repeating again and
