The two strangers

Life is funny indeed. Just when you think you are on top of the world, something sends you crashing down to reality. A similar thing happened to Shyam as he was walking back from Civil Hospital with his family. Who would have guessed that within few minutes, their world would be ripped apart? And then, it happened. A deafening blast and suddenly there was blood everywhere. Shyam escaped injury, but his family was wiped out. Killed. It was a sight only the bravest could behold. And Shyam wasn’t one of them. Yet, he stayed there, crying his heart out. He looked for the remains of his beloved family. There wasn’t enough left of them to cremate.
“Why? Why should it occur to a decent person like me? Why!!” these desperate thoughts ran in his mind, but there was no answer to them. Then, the police cordoned off the area. He was led away from the place. He had nowhere to go. He was afraid to go to his home fearing that the laughter of his family would haunt him forever. A dark building appeared nearby. It seemed a perfect match to his wailing heart. He found a strange solace in darkness. He didn’t have to see the violent destruction. He didn’t have to see the face of his perfect family splattered with blood. The darkness without was brighter than the darkness within his heart.

An hour passed. Curfew was laden in the area fearing communal violence. This meant that Shyam was now confined to his temporary shelter. Suddenly, a sound came. It was somebody’s footsteps.
“Who’s there?” Shyam yelled out. Due to bad light Shyam was unable to see the man.
“Not to fear brother, I am also seeking solace in the dark like you.” The man replied with an uncanny calm that exuded fear.
“Why? Have you lost a dear one?”
“Yes, I have lost many people dear to me, and I fear I will lose many more.” The man’s stony voice that spoke such an emotional sentence rattled Shyam.
“Curse these bombers! My entire family was wiped out without any fault of mine! If I find him, I am sure I will kill him with bare hands!”
“Why curse the bombers brother? Have you ever thought why they become life taking machines? What alters an ordinary man’s life so much that he takes such violent recourse?”
“Nothing justifies violence! Whatever happened with them is their problem. Why kill innocent people for that?”
“I will tell you brother. I have known these people closely.”
This sentence made Shyam lean closer in order to have a closer look. He was unable to see the other person’s face due to the darkness. They were lucky not to see each other. For both’s face had the nakedness of fear.
“Yes brother, I have known them very closely.”
“How? Are you one of them?” Shyam asked with suspicion.
“I might be one. For a moment, brother, forget that these people are evil. Forget that they have killed hundreds. I know what they have undergone. I know their pains, their tortures. Brother, nobody likes killing people. But it is the zeal in them that acts through them.” Again the calm, cold voice, speaking such a passionate sentence.
“I know much about all this crap. Many magazines have published the so-called psychoanalysis of these terrorists. But the fact is that they are cold hearted brutes who love killing people. They are jealous why others are living peacefully while they are depraved of their fundamental needs.” Shyam added with hot anger.
“Enough! I guess you don’t even know what it means to be jihadi. You say the terrorists have taken lives. But do you ever stop to think the role of the society in making a jihadi out of a human? Yes, no terrorist is a human. They are Shades, Shades of the dead. They are long dead. The society killed their souls, their spirits. And you, being a part of this rotten society, have a role to play in it!” Now, the voice was charged with emotion. It strained a bit in the end, indicating that the other person was on the verge of tears.
This outburst made Shyam think about the words of the person. Was he true? Or was he like one of those terrorists, justifying their acts of evil by camouflaging it with a sense of poetic justice for the sufferers of human neglect? This debate had consumed hundreds of man hours and even more humans. “Okay, brother. I agree to hear you out. Tell me what you have in mind. I promise to listen it without passing any judgement.” Shyam said.
“Thanks my friend. Let me tell you the true tale of one terrorist whom I know very well. His name is Albaksh Khan. Albaksh was an ordinary youngster, having simple dreams- a good job, a good girl and kids. He loved to play cricket. His life would have passed as such had there not been that incident. That incident altered his life forever and those of hundreds of Ahmedabad residents today. Yes, he was the one behind these blasts. But what nobody sees is what he endured.”
“Which incident are you talking about?” Shyam was eager to know the cause behind the cause of his family’s death.
“It was early Sunday morning. Albaksh had gone to play cricket with his friends. When he returned at the time of taking lunch, he found his father unconscious. Afraid of his father’s condition, Albaksh took him immediately to a nearby doctor. But alas! That doctor, that epitome of humanity, that person who is placed next to God, refused to treat him! Can you imagine? That man refused to treat an ailing man! Why? Only because of his religion! Who says India is a secular country?” The man was now so much charged up that his voice seemed to be shaking.
Shyam was lost in thought. It seemed he was lost in some trance.
“What did you say? Albaksh Khan?” Shyam asked in a shaking voice, indicating a deep, unknown fear.
“Yes. Why do you ask? You too knew him?”
“No, rather, I know that evil doctor.”
“You know him? Tell me where is he! I would kill him with my bare hands!!” the other person spat.
“Wait a minute. I heard out your story. Now you hear out mine. And like me, please hear it without passing any judgement.”
“I promise brother, I promise.”
“That doctor, whom you are referring to as evil, was not always thus. He lost his father when he was studying in the medical college. He was amongst the 57 people killed when the Sabarmati Express was attacked. The doctor, who was still doing post graduation, lost the sole breadwinner of his family. This was the backdrop of his actions on that day when Albaksh’s father died. What do you think now?” Shyam asked.
“Perhaps it wasn’t solely his fault…” the man said thoughtfully.

“Fault! We are not fault-finding here! A lot of fault-finding and pinpointing will be done tomorrow. Some organizations will pick up responsibility, as if they have trained youth to win an Olympic Gold, the Prime Minister will console the victims and will condemn the blasts and a few relief packages doled out. But everyone will miss out the big picture.” Shyam said indignantly.
“Big picture? What’s the big picture?”
“The big picture is that no one person is responsible for this. What we have just seen from the lives of Albaksh and the doctor?
Who was responsible for the death of Albaksh’s father? Was the doctor responsible for the loss of thousands of lives today? No brother, this is not a question of responsibility of a single person! The frame is just too huge for a single man to cover. What needs be changed is the mindset. That vengeful mindset has to be changed.” Shyam added.
There was a moment of stunned silence. Shyam was cooling down after his outburst and a plethora of thoughts were being whirred in the melting pot of his companion’s mind.
“Brother,” he said solemnly, “I would better identify myself. I am Albaksh Khan, the man who ripped the city, and your family apart.”
“My friend,” Shyam added with a twisted smile, “The world is indeed small. Because I am none other than Dr. Shyam, who killed your father. We are both guilty of each other’s situation.”
Albaksh’s eyes moistened with tears. “Brother, the only way to bury a dark past is to build a bright future. Let’s vow to join hands to avert the making of another Albaksh through another Dr. Shyam.” As they departed out, they felt light fall on their faces. Now, they saw each other’s face. It was full of hope. Full of life.

Life was never the same for the duo again. They formed an NGO together which works for the downtrodden. They too, like all people of the earth, dream that one day the world will be a safe place to live. The spring of hope that irrigates all dreams nurtures theirs too. Long live the spirit of humanity.