Janhavi was pulled onto the stage.
"Gentlemen bid for this beautiful and sweet girl."
"Eleven hundred takspids."
"Quit a good start! Anyone else?"
"Twelve hundred takspids!"
"Fifteen hundred takspids!"
"Anyone else? Fifteen hundred one! Fifteen hundred two! Fifteen hundred three! This gorgeous las is sold in fifteen hundred takspids."
What should I do? Jeevan and Jaivik needs me, my beloved Jaivik was sold in front of my eyes and I.... kept watching! Thought Janhavi while she glared at the boy who bought her. He looked as same age as hers. She was glaring at him while he turned around. He looked a little different, she didn't knew why, but he seemed different from others.
"As you know I am the one who bought you. I am telling you, I am someone people try to avoid."
"Please let me go!"
When Janhavi prompted in between, he started glaring her with coldness. Janhavi almost shouted but managed not to be herd. He then threw a glass cup without any expression of rage, Janhavi almost got hurt. Then he walked towards her with a concerned expression on his face.
"Oh sorry. Are you hurt? I sometimes have a little temper issues. You see, I am a little psychologically weak. Well, you must be wondering why I bought you. The reason is, I want you to be my 'Mumma'."
"What! Let me go!"
"Relax! I will surely let you go if you are able to help me in becoming a better person and as soon as I will feel I can live without your help, I will let you go, and would even fulfill your wishes throughout my life. This is our deal."
"You can't be serious! How can I be your mother?"
"But you look so motherly."
"I am not motherly!"
"By the way, what's your name? I am Laksh."
"I am Janhavi."
"Mumma Janhavi, this is my home."
"Please, stop calling me that!"
"Why not? Well, you must be tired, better have rest."
"I am not tired, so let me go."
"Can you repeat it for me."
"I said-"
"Shut up."
He was certainly physiologically weak as he spoke without any emotion and acted weirdly. He lived alone in his home, he showed Janhavi a room. She wanted to argue but knew it won't do her any good. She quietly stepped in her room and looked all around, the room was huge and comfortable but there was something odd about it. It had black curtains, black painted windows, the tubelights were painted dark blue, the bedsheet was in a shade of dark blue and purple, the walls had dark shade of colours. The only thing which wasn't painted, was the mirror but it reflected the things around it thus, ended up reflecting dark shades. This not only applied for the room but for the whole house. How strange! It's all so dark here, it seems as if I am in a hunted house! Or in a abandoned place. She was thinking when someone knocked at the door. It was Laksh.
"Lunch is ready." He said.
"Okay."
He left and Janhavi followed. They entered a dining room she quietly sat down and once again looked all around, the table cloth was black, again the lights were painted dark blue. Who prepared the lunch? It didn't took long to answer that question as a servant more like a butler entered and served them food.
"The chef prepared the lunch as demanded. If you have any objections, you must let him know." Said the butler to Laksh.
"Okay." Said the young man.
Chef! Wondered amazed Janhavi. Then, she felt a little stupid as it was quiet obvious to have servants in a huge house or rather bungalow. Laksh was clearly a rich lad. The lunch was served in crockery instead of simple steel utensils and curtery too looked expensive but again it was all dull in colour. What a rich teenager he is! She had her lunch, it had a strong aroma and a nice taste. She really enjoyed it. After having the satisfying lunch she once again roamed in the house. It was large and because of its size and differently painted windows. She was quiet impressed. She looked at Laksh who was standing beside her. Despite having so much money he seems so melancholic and lonely. This space is sure a wonder! Our family has someone to look for each other but needs money and he has money but no one to take care!
"What are you thinking mumma?"
"Stop calling me that!"
"Why not?"
"It's quite strange for a boy with same age as mine to call me mumma!"
"I am younger than you."
"What! What's your age?"
"Seventeen."
"That's my age."
"I was quite certain that you would be in twenties."
"Why is that so?"
"Isn't it obvious, you're so so motherly."
"No I am not."
"Believe it or not you are."
"Stop it!"
"By the way, why don't you let me go?"
"This is because I have already assigned you a task."
"Right."
It wasn't their very next adventure after getting trapped in The World Of Wheels, there had been many in between. It was now quite normal for them to get trapped in any other world, explaining they were from another world and they need to go back. They were quite used to sleeping in grass, being attacked by enemies, being jailed for telling them they were from a different world or for opposing someone as he/she was wrong and cruel, sometimes even for no reason, after that they had to run away from the prison. Talking to strangers, staying at a strangers house was normal. They always met a new friend and companion for an adventure. The people they generally met had ages seventeen, sixteen, fifteen, twelve and even ten. All of them were kind and warm people. It was quite funny that they just accompanied the saviors of different world and helped them just a little and still were called the saviors or legends and worshiped as great heroes. Actually the real reason of Janhavi not arguing with Laksh was, he had actually assigned her a task instead of saying, "You will be staying here for eternity!" which most of the people did. She had decided that she would help as many people as she can. It was the kind and motherly side of hers which told her to help Laksh. Besides, he actually needed her. Thus, she decided to support him as long and as much she could. Besides, empowering the weak and being empowered by the weak, needing someone and being needed by someone, loving someone and being loved by someone, helping someone and being helped by someone is what makes us all humans. She knew whatever maybe the case we should never forget our duties as humans or else we will turn into selfish beasts. She wanted to be a good example and motivation to her brothers. That's why she was always so strong and bold.
She knew she had to help him but the question was how. She didn't understood him nicely and was not quite well aware of his problems and then came the fact how was she supposed to help him when she herself was feeling lonely. All this time she stayed motivated and cheerful in order to keep her brothers from worrying and feeling lost but what now? When she was all alone and needed not to suppress her sorrow and grief. She always questioned herself, she had been acting and showing the worlds that she had moved on, from the accident and the misrable loss she had faced, showing the world she had excepted the truth and moved on but, had she? Had she, actually moved on or was she just enacting to be joyous, had she actually excepted, excepted that her parents, her uncle and aunt won't ever return. Deep down she always waited for them like Jaivik and Jeevan, deep down whenever the door opened she felt them coming, deep down whenever she heard a kid calling his mother and father she felt they were on their way home, deep down whenever she saw a kid laughing alongside his parents, she wanted to hear them call "Janhavi! June!" she desperately waited for them to stroke her head with affection. If only, if only once she could see their smiling face. Jeevan and Jaivik still had a mother image, they still had someone who fulfilled their mother's absence but was the case same with Janhavi? Did she have that someone or was she just that someone? Was her mother's image still blank? Whenever she thought about a motherly person it was still her mother. She was scared, she got scared when she thought, what if in all this enact she forgets them, what if she forgets the one who nurtured her till their last breath! She felt so disheartened whenever she thought of the trouble she had caused, she thought of the moments she grew angry on them and told them she didn't needed them. She thought of the tantrums she showed when they came tiered and asked for a glass of water or needed help in some sort of work. She wanted to sob freely but then a picture of Jeevan and Jaivik popped in her mind and she thought how helpless they would feel when they saw her cry and she never expressed it to anybody, it wasn't like she was the eldest, she had Sanjay and Gopal who were elder than her but she didn't wanted to be a burden. Throughout these years she hid her feelings, not only from the world but even from herself. She was lonely. Jaivik knew this all along, and felt responsible, he always wanted to be that someone she had been for them. He thought he needed to be that someone, she could rely on and share her feelings. Whenever Jeevan felt frightened he said to both of them "I am scared!" whenever he felt afraid he called out to Janhavi "I am scared!" but what about her. If she never expresses, should she be abandoned like that? Was it fair? Fair to let her suffer and, leave her all alone, all by herself to face the problems? Was it fair for a young girl to suffer through that all alone? Was it what she deserved? If yes, why? She had been kind to all the people, then why? Jaivik believed that Jeevan was still too young to move on whereas Janhavi was the eldest and took all the responsibilities and got tired, despite the fact she was the eldest in the three and acted so motherly she was still seventeen, obviously the age group doesn't even matter everyone can use a helping hand. But who was the helping hand? It couldn't be Jeevan as he had been through a lot, he thought so it had to be him and then came the thought that he wasn't able to be the one Janhavi needed. In his opinion he had failed both as a younger brother and elder. As elder brother he needed to set an example for Jeevan who always looked upon him but at times Jaivik himself lost hope, was this what he was teaching Jeevan? As a younger brother he shouldn't be dependent on his sister, it was like being a burden, always depending on her but she never depended on him, was he just a burden for Janhavi? But these were only his believes and not the truth, it's okay to have a tender heart, it's okay to rely on someone sometimes, it's okay to lose hope that's what makes us, us. The poor boy blamed himself for so much yet it was just a blame. The truth was Javik was just like Jeevan sweet, nice, loving yet sad.
Janhavi had tears in her eyes, she was thinking about her parents. She didn't even saw Laksh entering her room. Laksh spotted the tears. He glanced at her for a moment and then walked towards her. He spoke to Janhavi but she didn't noticed. He then touched her shoulder warmly. As soon as Janhavi saw Laksh she wiped her tears.
"What's the matter? Do you dislike this room."
"No, I swear, it's not like that!"
"You can tell me if you do, I will gladly provide you another."
"No, I am fine with this one."
"Why were you crying then?"
"I was just missing my brothers. I guess, we could just talk. If it's alright?"
"You really want to talk to me." The boy had a smile on his face. It was first time she saw him smiling. How could a small thing like talking make him smile?
"You know I used to talk to my mumma all day. Guess, you are like her after all."
"I repeat, I am not motherly! Well where is your mother now?"
"Oh, she is in heaven." He said this without even showing grief but he was actually sad.
"I am so sorry!"
"No need of that. Actually, you are the first one I have told it about."
"What about your father?"
"I dislike the man from my heart. He always had a problem with me. He used to complain all the time. So, when I was seven my parents got separated. I was happy with her but when I turned nine, I lost her too."
Listening to this, Janhavi couldn't stop herself and hugged the boy and then started stroking his head. At that moment, he just seemed like Jeevan. He was suffering all along. He was different from others, that's why he was left behind to suffer. That wasn't fair. Though he never showed anyone, it didn't ment he never felt it.
Laksh stared at her and when Janhavi realized what she did, she was truly embarrassed. She was too embarrassed to face Laksh and when she looked at him, he just smiled, smiled so warmly.
"Then my father started blaming me for her death. In reality, she had a sudden heart attack."
"That's awful! I can never imagine what it would have been like."
She held his hands and then started stroking his head again.
"Janhavi! Would you tell me about your family."
"Yeah! My uncle, aunt, mother and father passed away in an accident. I have Two younger brothers Jaivik and Jeevan. Laksh, I know, you had hid your true feelings from the world. But for a moment, just cry, let your emotions out, I am there for you." Janhavi understood what the boy was hiding behind his face. She understood what he needed.
Hearing this, Laksh had tears in his eyes. He huged Janhavi and started crying out loud. He sobed and cried whole night holding Janhavi and Janhavi too, stroked his head. The whole night, Janhavi was there for him. This voice of his, this emotion of his, this cry of his had been silent for eight long years. No one had actually talked to him, herd his pain, listened to his cry or told him he didn't needed to face his problem alone after his mother's death. He was hurt from inside. Behind that emotionless face, he was hiding a crying boy. His heart had been crying all along but never had let the truth to come out. He was a lot like Janhavi. While Janhavi told him he was not alone she needed to understand this herself, which she eventually would but perhaps in another of her adventures.
Laksh's eyes were all red. Finally when he stopped crying, Janhavi held his hands.
"Laksh! Why don't you sleep now?"
"Will you hold my hand, while I will be sleeping?"
"Sure!"
Janhavi held his hands and stroked his head while he was sleeping. When he woke up he could feel Janhavi's hand touching his forehead he saw her asleep beside him. She was still, with him.
Janhavi woke up after a while. Laksh was still there glancing at her. She got out of the bed and opened the curtains.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
"Just letting the sunlight in."
"Close them, it's too bright."
"That's the whole point. I am opening it to let the room lit up."
"I can't look at bright things all the time."
"Why not?"
"It just seems inappropriate. My life would never become bright so I stay away from it."
"That's not true! Laksh, I know we can't change this, I know we can't forget this, I know we can't live our previous lives but what I do know is, we can move forward."
"Move forward!"
"Yeah, it's a challenge for both of us but let's try our best and surely one day our lives will be bright. The dark night will end and warm ray of sunshine will tender our hearts. No sorrow, no joy is permanent. Life goes on. One moment which you have lived would never come back so enjoy life to the fullest. The journey never ends. Just move, just move ahead."
"Mumma, how could I move ahead?"
"Just try, try being happy, fulfill your dreams. When life seem hard just take a break, relay on someone else for a while and when you feel better, just try standing up by yourself. Never forget to believe in yourself. Trust the kind soul which is inside you."
"Will I find someone else, other than you, who will take care of me?"
"Ofcourse you will, just find that someone and there would be someone whom you would care for. Who would need you and you would need him. It might not be today but eventually you will find someone. And the purpose of life keeps on changing. There might be times when you feel your life is meaningless but linger a little longer and then you would find another reason to live."
"Thank you Mumma, you are the best."
"I am not motherly! Don't you get it?"
The next day when she saw Laksh, he was truly different from before. His curly hairs, which used to cover his forehead were combed back. His face which didn't had any emotions, was now smiling. His heart which was depressed was now cheerful. His mind which was filled with negativity was filled with happy memories. His soul which was fading away was shining brightly. His cheerful nature has returned to him. His way of seeking happiness in small things was back. His reasons for smiling were now with him. The happiness which he used to cherish with his mother was now reflecting on his face. Janhavi had turned him back into the pleasant person he used to be. He had found the colours of life he had lost in the way. He had found his desire of moving forward, which was all this time lingering inside him. All this time the hope was lingering inside him although he denied it.