--- Carpe Diem --- Page | 1

Carpe Diem

Divya | Ludivine | Mallika | Puneet | Rajdeep | Vasundhara | Vineeth |Vivek

--- Carpe Diem --- Page | 2

Greetings!

‘Great stories are built on a foundation of great ideas’ – goes a famous saying.

‘Obviously' would be the most probable reply to this.

However, what if these great ideas are divergent; are from different people

with different perspectives; and are still brought together to ‘build’ one

coherent story on one theme?

That’s exactly the premise for this concept. You may call it a ‘crowd-sourced

story’ concept.

So, eight people came together to write one story on one theme – Carpe

Diem. And with a challenge – none of them were allowed to write more than

2000 words. Reason – all ideas and all perspectives should get equal priority

while still maintaining a coherent storyline. And also because, we wanted the

story to remain ‘to the point’.

So, here’s presenting our first ‘crowd sourced’ novella (if eight is a crowd) –

Carpe Diem.

Hope you’ll enjoy it!

By the way, this novella is dedicated to all of us- the ‘could have been’ writers,

actors, singers, musicians, rock stars, creative artists, who are still in search of

our respective ‘Carpe Diem’ moments.

-The authors

p.s.: All characters and events appearing in this novel are fictitious. Any

resemblance to real persons or real events is purely coincidental.

--- Carpe Diem --- Page | 3

Chapter 1

This was it! The dreaded day that had been giving her sleepless nights for some time now.

The moment that she had replayed in her mind, in so many different ways, but somehow

never believed would become her reality.

But more than what she was about to do, what was gnawing her mind was the fact that she

felt no fear! No inhibitions; no sense of a rising heart rate; no instinct driving her to turn

back; nothing! All that she felt was…. Freedom!

After all, she was going to finally tell her parents that she had quit her high-paying

investment banking job, to work with differently-abled children – Special children. Yes! She

had decided to let go of a pre-planned future with a perfectly arranged marriage, a fancy

apartment with quite a few people waiting on her, the chance to be driven around or drive

around in the best of luxury cars et al. Myra took a deep breath to mentally prepare herself

for this conversation with her parents.

She was sitting at her favourite spot, near the artificial lake of Rabindra Sarobar. “All this

sounds a bit melodramatic, don’t you think?” she said to Zeeshan, a fellow thinker who was

sitting near her spot.

“This is a really big deal for me and you’ll understand when I tell you my story, or as I like to

call it, my moment of ‘Carpe Diem’,” she said animatedly. And before she knew it, she had

found the most non-judgmental companion & friend for life. Or rather, for as long as

Zeeshan lived.

****************************

Myra came from a simple family in Kolkata; her mother being a doctor and father being an

engineer. She had grown up in a fairly protected environment and had always been taught

to ‘do the right thing’ and to ‘follow the least risky path in life’. Good values, tradition,

dedication, focus; all of these came quite naturally to her. She was the younger of two

children and had an elder brother, Arjun, who she hadn’t seen in a long time.

And that was a separate story altogether! Arjun had basically been pulled into wrong

company about two years ago. He had gone astray and had been ‘disowned’ by the Ghosh

family. Another very strong reason for her parents, Varsha and Pranoy, to have defined a very

clear script for her life-story, or so they believed…!

As Myra was getting one quick glance at her client presentation, her concerned mother said,

“You know it’s essential for you to have a healthy breakfast, especially on days when you

need to be at your best”

“Yes mom….” mumbled Myra, under her breath, and continued running through her slides.

Then after packing her laptop, she hurriedly ate her breakfast, gulped down some juice and

got into her car.

--- Carpe Diem --- Page | 4

On her way to the client office, she got a call from Christine, to confirm her session at the

school for the next morning. Christine was the Admin Manager for “Drishti”, a special school

for blind children. Myra taught music there, once or twice a week, but hadn’t been very

regular off-late. Quite frankly, she hadn’t been particularly regular with anything apart from

work lately. She sheepishly answered Christine’s call on her car’s Bluetooth hands-free and

started with a string of excuses and apologies.

She promised Christine saying, “I’ll definitely be there by 10 AM tomorrow. I’ve even planned

a new song to teach the kids”.

Amused with Myra’s cover-up for her recent irregularity, Christine laughed pleasantly, wished

her a good day ahead and hung up.

It turned out to be yet another client presentation that resulted into a night where the entire

team grumpily burnt the midnight oil. Presumably, Myra’s next morning started late, and she

rushed to Drishti’s junior school wing with her guitar. As she walked into the building, she

could hear the children’s chatter die down slowly. And to her surprise, she was greeted with

the most endearing, “Good morning Myra maaaaaa’am!!!” Her first thought was that

Christine had announced her arrival to the children, when she saw her car pulling up into the

parking lot. But then, Christine amazed her when she said, “these kids recognized your arrival

by the sound of your anklet and footsteps”…!

Myra walked through the large group of kids to reach the chair placed in the middle of the

room, and adjusted her guitar on her lap. Strumming the C major chord once, she cheerily

wished them all a very good morning. The room burst into an excited applause and was

instantly filled with joy and laughter. While she started telling them how sorry she was for

not visiting them recently, she felt a very soft little palm on her left arm. She then noticed a

child, slowly running his fingers on her guitar strings. Now typically, Myra was someone who

liked her space and preferred maintaining a physical distance from most people. But there

was some strange magic with these children!

Because most of them either had partial vision or no vision at all, they always compensated

with their other senses. They would feel a much stronger connection by using their sense of

touch. It was heart-warming and very sad at the same time.

Myra started singing to them, line by line, and asked them to repeat after her slowly. And

before she knew it, they had learnt the entire song and were singing along with her! Talent

came naturally to these kids. Despite the difficulties they went through on a daily basis; there

was pure love and passion in their voices!

By the time she finished her class with the lovely children, she noticed at least 5 missed calls

from clients, potential clients and colleagues. And to her surprise, she somehow didn’t feel

the urge to return the calls immediately. Instead, she decided to stop over at her favourite

spot by the lake. Something about the experience with those inspiring kids made her want to

think in solitude; something had changed..!

****************************

--- Carpe Diem --- Page | 5

Chapter 2

Zeeshan smiled, as Myra finished narrating her story. A regular visitor to Rabindra Sarobar,

he found solace in its beauty and tranquillity. He listened to Myra’s story intently and said,

'life is short, isn’t it?' His reassuring baritone always gave Myra immense comfort. She got

lost in her thoughts as Zeeshan continued gazing at the lake.

There he was over two years ago, sincerely playing football with a group of kids from

underprivileged families, largely comprising construction workers and domestic help. As

Myra’s thoughts raced back to the first time she saw him, she remembered the tall, lanky guy

with beautiful eyes and medium brown hair. He was making the kids laugh heartily and his

cheerfulness caught her attention, as she was walking by the lake with her brother. From that

day on, it had become a kind of habit for her to watch him adoringly, every time their paths

crossed at the lake.

Although he was not even close to the kind of person she thought she would fall for, she

could not deny how unique she felt, every time she saw him at the lake. The quickening of

her heartbeat, her mind becoming extra alert and aware, the butterflies in her stomach! Up

until today, she was confused about her feelings for him. One thing was certain though... his

mere presence made her feel at ease and full of life.

As Myra’s thoughts lingered in the past, Zeeshan looked at her and said, "I feel bad for him

and his family, the same way I had felt for myself four years ago. I just wanted to grab that

heartless criminal and kill him with my bare hands! I was so full of rage, anger, grief, and

hurt. He was hanged today, and I feel sorry for him. But perhaps, he deserved it."

Zeeshan sighed and closed his eyes.

"My dad was a well-known businessman. He had successfully established ventures in Food,

Hospitality and Realty. He always wanted to make a significant impact and was on a quest to

establish a large industrial empire. My mom on the other hand, wanted to make her mark in

the corporate world and had worked very hard to reach the top management cadre, in a

leading regional bank. My little sister Saarah, my heart & soul, was in her first year at IIT

Bombay. She persevered all through school to get into the best of engineering colleges. She

always wanted to make the world a ‘liveable and lovable place’. So, she took up Energy

Science Engineering at IIT Bombay, to realize her dreams….”

“…It was her birthday - my dad was on a business visit to Mumbai and mom decided to join

him at the last moment. I booked mom's flight tickets, made a reservation for three at the Taj

and pre-organized everything to make it one beautiful memory for my baby sister. I was

preparing for an interview with INSEAD scheduled for the next day and I absolutely didn’t

want to miss the chance of being part of one of the best business schools in the world. So I

had decided to stay back and go through some key questions – something I regret, to this

day. I dropped my mom off at the airport. I then gave Saarah a call, requesting her to go to

the Taj and collect a package that a friend of mine had left for me at the reception there.

Mind you, the dinner was meant to be a surprise for her."

"…But I didn’t know what was in store for them, that night. I didn’t know that it was to be the

--- Carpe Diem --- Page | 6

final goodbye to mom. I hadn’t spoken to dad for almost a week; he was very busy 'pursuing

some big wins' as he used to say. As my sister reached Taj, she saw mom and dad waiting at

the reception and was simply overjoyed at the surprise! She called me in such child-like

excitement. I remember every word of what she said and every moment there on...."

Zeeshan gave a wry smile.

“‘…Kameena bhai, tum logo ne mujhe subah se wish bhi nahi kiya! (Rascal brother, you guys

haven’t even wished me since morning!) I thought you had forgotten and was planning to

make such a fuss about it tomorrow’, she squealed! ‘Haha... I love you bhai, you are the best!

Thank you sooooo much!’ She hung up the call, to spend the rest of the evening with mom

and dad.”

****************************

"I was fast asleep when I got her call. She was sobbing and struggling to catch her breath, to

try and speak to me. All I could hear were loud cries and chaos in the background. I tried to

calm her down, but she wouldn’t listen. How could she?! So horrifying was the situation that

she was in... She suddenly said that the shooting had stopped and I got even more confused.

She pleaded with me to switch on the TV and to my horror, I saw the Taj under attack! My

mind went numb and I absolutely didn’t know what to do next. I was terrified as I watched

flames engulf parts of the majestic building. The only question haunting my mind was

whether my parents were safe….”

“…Saarah said that mom and dad were right behind her, and that they were being evacuated.

She seemed to be calming down, hoping to get away from the scene soon, as soon as

possible. Her voice was just starting to comfort me when all of a sudden, her breath was

racing again! It sounded like she was running. All that she could say was 'hold on bhai, I’m

moving towards that car' and then shouted, ‘mom, dad! Follow me. Let’s make it to that car

and we will be safe.’ But then, there was a sharp and loud noise, following which I could only

hear the sound of her phone hitting the ground. And then….” Zeeshan stopped and cleared

his throat.

Narrating such a tormenting experience was certainly difficult and it showed on his face.

“That very moment,” he said, “I lost everything I had. It was still all hazy... Disturbingly surreal!

I was unable to comprehend anything that was happening. I had been suddenly woken up

from sleep, and I was still wondering if it was all just a horrible nightmare.

I tried calling the hotel phones; Tried calling each of my friends in Mumbai. But, all the lines

were busy, just as the journalists on TV were reporting. I rushed to the airport, took the next

flight and landed in Mumbai as soon as I could. I got a call from Mumbai police. They had

contacted IIT-Bombay and Saarah had given my number as her emergency contact.

A friend of mine was waiting at the airport, to pick me up. We rushed to Hinduja Hospital,

where my sister was hospitalized. On the way there, he briefed me about what had

happened, based on the information he had gathered from his friends.”

“…Saarah slipped into a coma by the next morning and was almost declared dead, but she

miraculously managed to regain her consciousness in about two weeks. She still has some

--- Carpe Diem --- Page | 7

anger issues and physical pain that she gets every now and then. The doctors say that she

will fully recover soon and that her brain has almost completely healed….”

“…It so happened that while she was frantically crying out to me over the phone that day, my

parents had been shot in the back and Saarah was shot very close to her right ear. The bullet

had brushed her skull, but didn’t go through entirely. A few contusions to her brain, but

thankfully, they were not major. Saarah says she can still hear gun shots in her sleep. She is

slowly beginning to accept reality and face the cruel present…"

"…Everyone says that she is lucky to be alive, but I say that I’m the lucky one. If not for her,

there wouldn’t be any reason for me to live on, today. I had been constantly following the

developments related to that horrific attack, from the day I reached Mumbai. I was overcome

with rage for a long period of time. But then, one day when I was trying to get my life back

on track, I watched Kasab’s interview. He was the only survivor from among the terrorists,

who had sneaked in to bring Mumbai down…”

“…I felt a strange sense of pity for him, that day. He said he was from a poor background and

got into jihad as he was promised a lot of money for his family, in lieu of his contribution to

the so-called ‘religious war’. It was ironic that his dad had asked him to join Lashkar to

improve their family’s financial health. And in the camps, he was trained just to shoot. They

didn’t have any fixed target, but were instructed to follow the route as per the map provided

to them, and to just keep firing!!! I felt pity as he kept saying “Allah will not forgive me”…”

"…He was hanged at 7:30 am today, at Yerawada jail in Pune and he was buried inside the

jail. After his long yet shallow journey, I have realized that he and I are just the same – the

only difference is in the way we are raised and nurtured by our respective families, and more

importantly, in the way we chose our respective ways of life...”

Zeeshan took a deep breath, almost as if to snap himself back to reality.

“So now, I spend most of my time nurturing innocent beings from their childhood and giving

them all the light they need, to be good human beings who have a conscience. I stopped

living for tomorrow, a long time ago; and being around these little ones is just bliss."

Zeeshan opened his eyes, looked directly into Myra’s eyes and asked the same question yet

again.

“Life is short. Very short, isn’t it?"

Myra remained silent. How could she react to what she had just discovered about him?

Zeeshan sighed.

"With all the societal strings attached to us, we always keep preparing ourselves for a better

tomorrow, without even knowing what’s in store for us. My experience freed me from my

past and my future. With all my efforts focussed on getting Saarah back to normal, I've

understood the gift of the present. I do what my heart says is right and because of that, I

don’t fear failure…”

“…My sister and these kids who matter to me actually like what I do. And that’s what makes

all the difference to me,” Zeeshan smiled at Myra and stood up, "Got all sentimental and

--- Carpe Diem --- Page | 8

bored you to death, didn’t I? Sorry! By the way, they've opened a good ice-cream joint

nearby. Fancy a scoop or two?”

As they started to walk towards the ice-cream shop, an anxious little boy ran towards

Zeeshan and tugged at his shirt.

"Haan, Dibakar" said Zeeshan enquiringly. "Zeeshan Dada, Maa ko bolona school vapis

bhejne ko, woh meri baat sunti nahi hain!" (Please ask my mother to send me back to school.

She doesn’t listen to me at all!)

Myra smiled at them both and just then, her phone rang. It was her father calling.

****************************

--- Carpe Diem --- Page | 9

Chapter 3

Zeeshan smiled at the child and said, “Haan theek hai, main tumhari Maa ko abhi bolta hoon

(Yes, sure. I’ll speak to your mom right away)”

He then turned to Myra and said, “You answer your call and I will be back in no time for that

ice-cream!”

The stressed out child already looked a bit relieved and hopeful. And this sight comforted

Myra in thinking that she had made the right choice. Children were the future and she

wanted to help those who were denied opportunities just because they had been born in the

wrong place or with different abilities.

She then answered her father’s call calmly. “Myra, I know you are busy at work, but come

home in time for dinner tonight.”

“Sure sure! I will be home early”, replied Myra.

The call ended and a mysterious smile brightened Myra’s face.

‘Busy at work’, he had said.

He could not have been more wrong, but there was no way he would have guessed what his

daughter had decided. Had he heard the birds which usually find refuge in this area during

winter or the ice-cream salesman’s voice? Well...., he may still not have suspected anything.

His mind would simply have dismissed the unexpected noises. Surprises and spontaneity just

did not exist in Pranoy Ghosh’s life. Everything was planned and rational. However, Myra

would never again be ‘busy at work’ the way he was imagining.

Myra moved to the side of the path, as a bunch of boys came running. They were probably

going to the nearby football stadium. She and her parents had never gone back there after

Arjun had left, and it had never been discussed since. Some things had been silently changed

after his departure and she quickly understood that there was never an appropriate time to

question her parents about the same. She sighed and swept away those memories.

The thoughtful girl walked further and came closer to the water.

Watching fish swimming had always made her peaceful.

‘Ok Myra, it is high time to think on how to break the news to your parents!’

There were actually many ways to do it, but there was a high probability that all of them

would be equally disastrous. Some were dramatic, some were fun, and some were ironic.

‘Mom, Dad, breaking news, I resigned! I think investment banking is simply not for me.’

‘Mom, Dad, I want to be a pauper. I mean, I want to be a teacher!’

‘Mom, Dad, I have something to tell you. But before you get angry, just think that the

situation could always be worse. I could be pregnant, but no! I only decided to get a new

job.’

--- Carpe Diem --- Page | 10

Her imagination continued to play out...

‘Maa, Baba, you have always told me how children were important. So today, I would like to

announce to you that I want to brighten the future of disabled children, by teaching in a

school for special children.’

‘Maa, Baba, you remember how that family dinner was boring last week with chacha-chachi

(uncle-aunt)? Well, now they will have something to gossip about. I gave up my banking job!’

‘Mom, Dad, I have always diligently followed rules and guidelines. At home, at school, at

work... But today I want to make my own choices and rules. I want to break free.’

Maybe the best declaration was actually the most honest – ‘Maa, Baba, I quit my investment

banking job to teach differently-abled children. It is not against you and I do not expect you

to understand right away, but I have thought about this for a long time. I am an adult and

this is what I want to do.’

Maybe they would never understand, but Myra wanted to believe they would, eventually.

Honesty would, in any case, make her fully free to start her new life.

****************************

Because she was still lost in her thoughts, she did not notice that someone else was watching

her. A young man was sitting quietly on a bench, just a few feet away. He was pretending to

read the newspaper, but a careful observer would have easily noticed that he wasn’t flipping

the pages. He looked amused at her sight and could not help smiling. There was something

very strange and peaceful at the same time about him. This was actually not the first time

this man had been watching her, by the lake. This... this was no coincidence!

Her brother used to take her to this very lake every month, when she was a child, and until a

couple of years ago. He was just five years older and used to tell her crazy stories, sitting by

this lake she loved so much. Stories that she was, today, writing as songs for those children

who were waiting for her at Drishti. Maybe that was one of the reasons she was still going

there.

The quiet man suddenly stood up. He had decided it was time to go and meet her. He took a

few deep breaths and cautiously moved forward. He knew that it would be emotionally

difficult but he also knew there would never be any good moment to speak to her.

“Myra....”

Myra slowly turned and then, she stood there, dumbstruck. It was hard to believe.

She examined him carefully and was hesitating between running away, screaming and crying.

Crying out of joy or sadness, she wasn’t really sure. She tried to address him and say his

name, but could only mumble “No, no, no…!”

Arjun knew he would not be granted a long time and spoke as softly as he could. “Myra, I

know you were not expecting me here and I know how disturbing it can be. You must feel I

somehow abandoned you, but everything changed and I want to come back in your life. It

took me a long time to change, but I did. And I have missed you.”

--- Carpe Diem --- Page | 11

He could feel that she was listening, but she would not forgive him so easily. She wanted to

say something, but instead, she continued to stare at him.

****************************

--- Carpe Diem --- Page | 12

Chapter 4

Myra’s thoughts instantly went back to that day, a little over two years ago, when all hell

broke loose in their house. Arjun had found some ‘so called’ friends whom he used to meet

regularly. A couple of them were from his football group. What had started out as harmless

meetings between like-minded persons, soon turned out to be disastrous. Arjun’s friends

were truly like-minded, but for the wrong things. All of them wanted to make a quick buck.

The principles of hard work, dedication and discipline were thrown out. They wanted to climb

the ladder of success fast, reach the top quickly and grab as much as possible.

Such thoughts amalgamated into various schemes devised by these ‘good-for-nothing’ boys

and Arjun was immersed in all their plans. His parents had been sensing this for some time

and tried to talk him out of it. One fine day, his father, took him on a friendly walk. “So, my

dear son, what are your plans for the future? Tell me, I am your friend. I can guide you,” he

asked chattily. Arjun answered with silence as he knew that Pranoy would never agree.

Varsha tried a different tactic. She prepared her son’s favourite dishes and tried to feed him

some sense. He ate happily, planted a kiss on her cheek and walked out without uttering a

word. Even Myra, his favourite member in the family, had no effect on him. Arjun worshipped

his friends and wouldn’t leave them for anything. Soon, he found a way to avoid all the

questions. He mostly stayed away from home. He came in at odd times when he would, and

in all probability, not meet anybody.

Then one day, it happened. It was a quiet evening with a dinner preparation in silence, his

father at his table and his sister flipping her book. The door opened and Arjun walked in. No

pleasantries were exchanged. Arjun went up to his father. ‘I need money, lots of it,’ he said.

His father’s eyes flashed in anger. ‘You won’t get a penny for your waywardness,’ he yelled.

Arjun shouted back. Hot words flew back and forth for a few minutes, even as Myra and her

mother watched in anguish. Arjun marched into his room and slammed the door shut. For a

long time, no one spoke. Then they all retired to their rooms, dinner having being

abandoned.

Morning came and brought more problems with it. The family woke up to find cash and

jewellery missing from the locker. Pranoy was deeply shaken. Just two days prior to the

nightmarish day, he had withdrawn cash in bulk for Myra’s college admission. They had

wanted to deposit the jewellery in the bank but had been postponing it due to lack of time.

They could have foreseen this, or rather, they should have. Now all of it was gone in a flash.

A reluctant police complaint was made and the valuables were finally recovered, but Pranoy

and Varsha had lost one of their most valued and cherished possessions that day – their son.

****************************

Myra blinked her eyes and forced herself back to the present, to the sight in front of her.

Meeting her brother after all these years was overwhelming in more ways than one. The

memory of his almost criminal act filled her with disgust, and distressed her. And yet, some

part of her was filling up with joy on hearing his words that he had come back to her. She sat

quietly on the bench beside him for what seemed like hours. Neither of them spoke. Her -

--- Carpe Diem --- Page | 13

giving thought to everything and him - giving her time. Finally, she looked up into his calm

face. “Ok. Tell me what happened,” she said.

Arjun began, “When I took the money and jewels to my friends, I was greeted with whoops

and cheers. I felt vainly proud of my own stupid achievement. For a couple of days, we hid

safely, debating on how best to start our venture. But money brought in a lot of

disagreements. We were still undecided when the police reached our hideout. We

abandoned the loot and ran away, not wanting to be caught. On the recovery of everything,

the case was closed in a hushed manner by dad, I suppose. We stayed low for some time.

Soon, I saw a clear change come over my friends. With the money gone, liking for me was

replaced by dislike, and respect by disdain. They blamed me for everything. In a few days, I

left them.”

Myra’s eye widened.

“Then why didn’t you come back?” she asked.

“How could I, Myra, after what I had done? I felt a deep sense of shame and guilt. I didn’t

have the courage to go up to our father and I didn’t deserve mom’s love anymore. I tried to

do odd jobs and survive on my own. I wanted to take up something respectful before

meeting you all. Finally, I found one. It is not much, just something to get by. But now, at

least I can look people in the eye,” he said gloomily.

“So where do you work now?” she questioned.

“At Fresh and Green supermarket,” he said and smiled.

Myra saw a gleam of pride and satisfaction in his eyes. She knew that her long lost brother

was finally back – the one who loved and cared for her & her parents. The one who made

them laugh. And the one who was their source of joy. That person was now finally back.

She realised that he had also wanted to make a mark and to seize the day, but his idea of

‘Carpe Diem’ had badly backfired. It had been a wrong choice. And now she would guide him

to the right one.

“Myra, I won’t find peace till I meet mom and dad, and beg for their forgiveness. I need your

help for that,” requested Arjun.

Myra flashed him a smile. Here she was, cooking up ways and means to convince her parents

and now Arjun needed to do it too.

“I too have something to tell you”, she said and she filled him in on the happenings of the

last few years and also about her most recent decision; the reason for her happiness.

Arjun was thrilled.

“That’s wonderful, Myra”, he said.

As he looked up at her smiling face, he realized that his little sister had grown up indeed. She

had blossomed into a beautiful and sharp young woman, someone the family could be

proud of. He too vowed to live up to his parents’ expectations and to bring back their long-

--- Carpe Diem --- Page | 14

forgotten smiles. They stood up and took each other’s hand. Today was the day their lives

would take a positive turn.

“We will take this forward together,” the brother and sister said in unison. They turned

around and saw Zeeshan walking towards them, a puzzled expression on his face.

****************************

--- Carpe Diem --- Page | 15

Chapter 5

The children from Drishti had taught Myra the art of face reading well. She understood at

once that the puzzled face was not because of Arjun’s presence with her, though she had

half expected that. Something else was bothering Zeeshan – something about the

conversation with Dibakar’s mother, she guessed.

“Everything alright?” Myra asked as he approached.

“No. Dibakar’s mom is scared to send him to school. Dibakar says he saw a strange man give

Miss Nancy a bag of money in his principal’s office at school yesterday. Miss Nancy forbade

Dibakar from telling anyone, but his mom sensed something was amiss and coaxed him to

spill the beans. Now she is scared for her son’s well-being. I wouldn’t blame her.”

Myra was surprised.

“Miss Nancy? The trustee who runs Drishti along with Christine?” she asked.

“Yes. That is what Dibakar tells me”, replied Zeeshan.

“Wonder why Miss Nancy would be taking cash when all donations at Drishti are accepted

only in Cheque. Is Dibakar sure it was Miss Nancy?” Myra asked, still not convinced.

“I asked him to describe the person he saw. Dibakar laughed at me and said he knew who he

saw. Of course, he didn’t think it was a big deal. Poor kid just wants to go back to school,”

said Zeeshan in confusion. He looked visibly disturbed now.

“I just love being with the kids, love seeing them develop into fine teenagers, and never have

I once thought about how that school might be running. What do the kids do when you and

I are not with them, Myra? What happens to these kids once they grow up?” he said.

Arjun, who had been silently watching the tense discussion between them, came forward.

“Hi, I’m Arjun, Myra’s brother. Sorry, but I overheard your conversation in parts. You look

worried and I was wondering whether I could help in any way?” Zeeshan looked quizzically

towards Myra.

He knew all about Arjun, though he had never seen his photos.

“But, weren’t you…,” he looked at Myra in confusion, “.....gone?”

Myra tried to lighten the atmosphere, “Yes, he was. And now he’s back. And if he does

anything silly this time, I’m going to chain him. Arjun, this is Zeeshan, my friend from Drishti.”

“Deal! You can chain me after I’m, in Zeeshan’s words, ‘gone’...,”said Arjun with a wink. “By

the way dear sister, while I’m here, do you mind if we go some place warm. I forgot to bring

my sweatshirt when I left and the winter this year has been pretty cold.” He added cheekily.

****************************

--- Carpe Diem --- Page | 16

“OK Zeeshan, please fill me in with more details about Dibakar, his school and Drishti. I’ve

been around these special schools to know a thing or two about their functioning and what

goes on inside,” Arjun looked at Myra for support as the three of them walked to DiviniTea

around the corner.

“Arjun was an accountant with ‘WHO’ before he grew disenchanted and left,” Myra added,

looking at Zeeshan’s raised eyebrows.

“Oh! All right. Drishti is a school for special children. Most kids there have partial or total

visual impairment. Myra and I have been intermittently going there for the past three

months to teach the kids some music and games….” said Zeeshan.

“Drishti is run by Miss Nancy and Christine, both Italian nationals who came to India in the

1980s and stayed back to help the ones in true need, in Calcutta. In the 1990s, starting from

nowhere, they founded the NGO ‘Figli di Dio’. The NGO runs Drishti and a school for

underprivileged children, St. Andrews Primary School, around a mile from Drishti. Dibakar is a

construction worker’s son who studies in St. Andrews. Bright kid! His mother spends over a

quarter of their family wages for his studies. ..”

“...Miss Nancy and Christine are very supportive to kids like Dibakar. They are sincere ladies

who have worked incredibly hard to improve the lives of these kids, who truly deserve a

chance to receive quality education. I don’t even know when they last took a vacation to visit

their family or home,” said Zeeshan.

Even Myra was surprised at the amount of information that Zeeshan had.

“Wow Zeesh, I didn’t know you knew so much about these two schools. Well Arjun, long

story short, both schools are managed by Miss Nancy and Christine alone, very well if I may

add. Miss Nancy often tells me that she once had a Music school back in Glasgow. She

dreams of producing a large musical with these kids someday.”

“That is indeed good. My experiences, specifically the not-so-good-ones, tell me that it is

these dreams of doing something seemingly small but inherently big, that makes these kids

aim for big things in life and yet remain firmly on a path of righteousness. These dreams

grow bigger with the smiles of those they benefit; more the smiles, bigger the dream.

However on the flip side, when these very dreams encroach into the personal space, they

turn into desires which cannot then be fed by the happiness of the kids alone.”

He paused before continuing, “Based on your story, I suggest we find out if that dream still

lives in its pure unadulterated form or has that been debauched by the lure of large

undisclosed amounts of money that an NGO can get. Let us visit Dibakar again before we go

further.” Arjun looked at Zeeshan in between sips of hot lemon tea, “Zeeshan, do you know

Dibakar’s house? Can you take us there?” “Yes, let us be quick. His home is a 15 minute walk

from here and it’s getting dark,” Zeeshan said hurriedly as he called the waiter for the bill.

The trio walked across the park, through the apartment complexes and across the drain pipe

to reach the construction site of “Zanskar Heights – II”. Zeeshan took a few minutes to locate

Dibakar’s house. As they entered the mud house, they realised that Miss Nancy had beaten

them to it. There she was, in the corner, the ever enchanting smile across her face. Dibakar

--- Carpe Diem --- Page | 17

was by her side alternating between C and A Minor on his new guitar as he hummed, “Har

ghadi badal rahi hai roop zindagi (life is changing forms, every minute).”

****************************

--- Carpe Diem --- Page | 18

Chapter 6

Dibakar’s sweet voice and the chords on his new guitar put them all in a dilemma. They were

wondering whether to be mesmerized by young Dibakar’s innocent, soulful voice or to be

shocked at the new guitar, possibly gifted by Miss Nancy.

Strange thoughts ran through Zeeshan’s mind at this sight. Was the bag of money given by a

strange man, intended to purchase a gift for Dibakar? Was it an effort by Miss Nancy to keep

Dibakar from opening up about what he saw? After all, it was he who had spotted Miss

Nancy taking a bag of money from an unknown man in the principal’s office. Very soon, their

doubts were cleared.

“Dada, dada, dekho na mera naya guitar!! Miss Nancy ne bola ki koi uncle ne unko mere liye

ek naya sa guitar khareedne kaha, ek gift ke hissab se, kyon ki mein padhai mein first aaya

na, isliye (Big brother, see my new guitar!! Miss Nancy told me that some uncle requested her

to buy me a guitar, as a gift, because I came first in class, in studies)!”

Finally, there was a small ray of hope that alleviated Zeeshan’s concerns. Miss Nancy was

indeed taking money from a donor at Drishti for a deserving student of St. Andrew’s. Miss

Nancy had a soft spot for Dibakar, given his talent and flair for music at such a young and

tender age. She hoped that someday he could be part of the musical that she had dreamt of

producing with the kids. This was her first step towards realizing that dream! Dibakar’s

mother was now convinced that her son was indeed in safe hands and would be well taken

care of, at Drishti by Miss Nancy and Christine.

During the small encounter at Dibakar’s home, Zeeshan, Arjun and Myra got to know about

Miss Nancy, much more in detail. Miss Nancy came from a well-to-do and an educated

family with Italian roots, who immigrated to Glasgow almost four decades ago. After

completion of her Masters in Developmental Studies from London, she joined the UKAID-

Department for International Development at their London office and worked towards

eradicating extreme poverty in developing countries. Although she worked for DFID, she

underwent a short course in music at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.

During that same period, while she was studying for her one year course, she also had a

small music group and taught young students who wished to pursue music.

After her Masters, where she majored in developmental studies, she took up a larger goal of

supporting families struggling under abject poverty, but her first love for music had always

remained. This was something that Myra could now relate to.

At DFID, her projects had taken her to numerous countries in Africa and Asia. After years of

experience, Miss Nancy along with her colleague and friend – Christine, she decided to start

a local NGO in Kolkata called Figli di Dio which now ran Drishti and a school, St. Andrews

Primary School. Drishti normally took cheques from donors but this donor was someone who

wanted himself and his donation to remain anonymous, which explained why Miss Nancy

took cash from him to buy the guitar for Dibakar.

After watching Dibakar’s small but inspiring performance at his humble home, the visibly

relieved Zeeshan, Myra and Arjun decided to move on to fulfilling the first steps towards

--- Carpe Diem --- Page | 19

their respective dreams. As Arjun and Myra made their way home to reveal their plans to

Pranoy and Varsha, a very content Zeeshan made his way back home too.

“Good luck Myra and Arjun!!” shouted Zeeshan giving them a thumbs up and

encouragement to pursue their dreams - Myra to join Drishti, and Arjun to reunite with his

loving parents and sister, his only true family and friends for life.

****************************

It started out as a regular calm evening, when Varsha was supervising dinner preparations

with their house-help, after a long day full of appointments at the clinic. The doorbell rang

just then and Varsha presumed it was Myra coming home, in time for dinner. As she opened

the main door, she was dumbstruck!

She looked at the person standing in front of her and had absolutely no idea how to react.

Was she happy that Arjun had returned home or was she upset after that great betrayal – the

robbery?

While she was obviously overwhelmed at the sight of her son after all that had happened,

she was also unsure about how Pranoy would react to Arjun’s sudden appearance. But for

the moment, she just put aside any concerns and allowed herself to feel that unadulterated

joy at seeing her son, after what seemed like ages.

“Kaun hai? (Who is it?)”, asked Pranoy firmly.

Varsha was quiet as she sensed that both Myra and Arjun had something to say for Arjun’s

appearance at the doorstep. She quietly let her children walk into the dining room where

they came face-to-face with Pranoy.

Pranoy didn’t give away the slightest reaction upon seeing Arjun. It was as though, Arjun did

not exist for him. No visible expression on his face! Nothing! He only looked at Myra to ask

how her day had been.

Asking Arjun to sit down at the dining table, Myra slowly started the conversation with

Pranoy by telling him about her day. She confidently told Pranoy that something had indeed

changed her life that day. Pranoy quickly assumed that it was Arjun’s appearance that had

changed everything for them. Little did he know about her decision to quit her high paying

investment banking job.

“Baba, I feel free today!” said Myra as she slowly began ‘breaking the news’ to Pranoy. He

wondered what she meant by the word ‘free’.

“Kya hua beta (what happened, child)?” he asked. “I have quit my job......” she stopped

midway through her sentence as an anxious Pranoy stood up suddenly, pushing his chair

back. Looking directly at Arjun, he asked bluntly, “Was he responsible for this?”

Anger that was bottled up for years inside Pranoy, was boiling over now. He had already

‘lost’ his son years ago. Now, with this decision of Myra, the lifetime of hard-work and

savings that he and Varsha had put together to ensure long-term security for their children

seemed like a distant mirage.

--- Carpe Diem --- Page | 20

Before either of them could respond to Pranoy’s accusation, Myra received a rather unusual

call from Dibakar’s mother. "I'm sorry Aarti ji, but can I call you back in sometime?" she said.

But then, her face went pale and her eyes started welling up with tears. Arjun turned and

asked her what happened, to which she whispered, “It’s about Zeeshan…” as she dropped

the phone….

****************************

--- Carpe Diem --- Page | 21

Chapter 7

Zeeshan watched the retreating form of Myra and Arjun for a while, with a smile on his face.

The afterglow was still warm inside him, like the balmy evening outside. It was funny what

this girl did to him, he thought. Coming to think of it, he barely knew her … but now that she

was quitting her job and starting afresh, maybe he would see more of her. The thought

gleamed in his mind like the first few stars that had now started appearing in the gradually

darkening sky.

He smiled to himself and shook his head. ‘Don’t get ahead of yourself, Zeeshan Qureshi!’ he

muttered to himself, as he started walking back to his house. The path was dark, if one could

call it a path. Construction rubble was strewn all around. One had to strain their eyes to make

out the narrow walkway between the mounds of darkness.

He had barely taken a few steps, when he heard a shout from behind. “Oy!” - It came from

the general direction of the huts where Dibakar lived. It was time for the construction

workers to come home and some of them weren’t the politest of people. Zeeshan ignored

the shout and kept walking. “Oy! Tujhe bula raha hoon.. Sunaayi nahi deta hai bewakoof?!

(I’m calling you.. Can’t you hear me, you moron?!)” the voice repeated.

The expletives were familiar, but offensive. Was someone screaming at him? He stopped and

waited. Soon the voice came again, this time closer - “Saala where do you think you are

going, hain? Come here!” He could make out the slur in the voice now. The man was

definitely inebriated. Zeeshan turned around to see a somewhat stooping silhouette

hobbling towards him. Did he know this man? He steeled himself for the encounter.

The stooping man came within a few inches of him and stopped. The strong stench in his

breath was unmistakable now. Cheap country liquor had its own signature smell, like the waft

of the neighbourhood garbage dump - foul yet familiar. He couldn’t see the man’s face in

the darkness, but he could tell that the man wasn’t very old. He wasn’t very tall either, and

the stoop made him nearly a head shorter than Zeeshan. His eyes looked like pools of

darkness, staring right at Zeeshan.

Suddenly, Zeeshan was acutely aware of the silence around him. A cricket buzzed in the

distance somewhere; the faint tinkering of pots could be heard from the huts. And he could

hear this disturbed man’s heavy breathing. The man’s sudden yell tore through the evening

like a scythe - “WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, BASTARD?! FOOLING AROUND WITH MY

WIFE?” Zeeshan was so taken aback that he involuntarily took a step back, not sure what the

man meant, or how he could respond. He tried to mumble an answer - “What? Who? I’m not

sure you are- ”

“DON’T TRY TO PLAY THE FOOL!” The man yelled again, stepping up closer. He was almost

nose to nose with Zeeshan now. Zeeshan thought he would gag from the stench. “I KNOW

WHAT’S GOING ON BETWEEN YOU AND MY WIFE!” the man continued to shout - “I SEE

YOU COME EVERYDAY AND LEAVE BEFORE I’M BACK! YOU THINK I DON’T KNOW?! YOU

ARE SCREWING HER! AND THAT WRETCH OF A SON WON’T TELL ME ANYTHING! BUT I

KNOW.....”

--- Carpe Diem --- Page | 22

And now it finally dawned on Zeeshan. This must be Dibakar’s father. Drinking was a

common problem in these quarters. From the corner of his eyes, Zeeshan saw a door open a

little and light spill out from a hut behind. The screaming would have alerted someone

but he decided to reason. “Listen Dada (big brother), you are not in your senses right now.

Let me take you to your....... ” he couldn’t finish his sentence.

The man lifted his right hand behind his head, and in the darkness, Zeeshan could make out

that the man was clutching something heavy in it. “No wait, LISTEN... ” Zeeshan tried to say

as he lifted his arms to protect himself. A woman shrieked somewhere and the crack in that

door widened, as someone started running towards them. The flailing end of her sari was the

last thing Zeeshan saw, before the construction rod swung in an arc and hit him in the head.

All was darkness after that.

****************************

“Myra! Tell me what happened?” Arjun repeated, getting up from his chair. Myra was looking

at the space between her and the floor, and her lips quivered a bit. “What about Zeeshan?

What happened to him?” Arjun asked as he crossed the tiny space that separated him and

his sister and placed his hand on her shoulder.

“He’s … He’s had some kind of an accident!”, Myra said finally, looking at him. “She won’t say

how bad but she sounded desperate! She didn’t know who else to call..... I..... That.....”

“Wait... What accident? Where? And who is Zeeshan?”

This time it was Pranoy.

“Near Dibakar’s hut”, Myra said.

She couldn’t bother with the rest of his question.

“Dad, Zeeshan is a friend - we will explain later, but Mom can you please come? We don’t

have time,” Arjun said, “I promise I’ll explain who all of these people are, on the way, but can

we please just go now?!” he added as he saw the question rising in both his parents’ eyes.

Varsha’s medical instincts kicked in. She ran inside to fetch her emergency bag. Pranoy

swiftly reached out for the car keys hanging on the wall. Clearly, he wasn’t going to be the

one sitting at home. Within minutes, the four of them were speeding towards Zanskar

Heights in their beige Honda city. From the back seat, Myra vaguely heard Arjun explain the

happenings from earlier that day. The yellow street lamps cast a series of shifting wedges of

light inside the car, as they sped through the evening.

The back roads leading to the construction site were nearly empty - the festering sores of

Calcutta traffic still hadn’t spread to the neighbourhood. As Myra looked out into the night

in an empty gaze, the faceless form of Zeeshan’s sister filled her head. They had no one but

each other. What would happen to the girl if something happened to Zeeshan. And what

accident was it? The woman wouldn’t tell her anything. Why did she sound so scared? And if

this was a road accident, then why did she ask them to come to her hut and not somewhere

on the road? Why did she not call an ambulance? What had really happened? God! If

something happened to Zeeshan….

--- Carpe Diem --- Page | 23

She was faintly aware of another thought peeping out from somewhere in the back of her

mind. Why did she care so much for a ‘casual acquaintance’ from the park bench?

She would have to deal with this question at some point, but right now, they needed to help

a friend in need.

As the car rounded a bend, the ghostly skeleton of the unfinished building came into view,

faintly visible in the starlight, rising into the congealed darkness above. Arjun guided them

close to the huts, the closest that the car could be taken, as Pranoy killed the engine. The

headlights illuminated a tiny knot of people outside a hut at a distance.

‘It looks so different at night’ Myra thought as she stepped out of the car.

****************************

--- Carpe Diem --- Page | 24

Chapter 8

“Seems like a skull fracture. Can anyone please tell me if he had a seizure? Fits?” asked

Varsha agitatedly, to the few people who were silently standing around and watching them.

The crowd remained silent. An exasperated Varsha turned to Pranoy and said, “We need to

take him to my hospital immediately. Seems like a skull injury! Not sure if there is any brain

damage... A haemorrhage or contusion, maybe... Please start the car” she said.

As Pranoy hurried to the car, Arjun and Myra carefully shifted Zeeshan to the car’s back seat.

Myra cradled his head on her lap; a silent prayer on her lips; the anxiety visible on her face.

Varsha held out a sanitized cloth. “Place it under his head. It may stop the bleeding.”

As Arjun sat at the front seat beside his father, his eyes fell on the middle-aged man. With his

lips pursed, the man seemed beyond livid. It was clear to Arjun that seeking his forgiveness

would not be easy. However, at that moment he wasn’t worried about his relationship with

his parents. As Myra opened her eyes, trying to control her tears, she could sense that her

brother was looking at her, through the rear-view mirror. Perhaps, he understood what she

was going through.

The car reached the hospital, and Zeeshan was shifted immediately to the emergency ward.

“You all stay here and try to stay calm, OK? I’ll update you as soon as things get clear,” said

Varsha, even as she rushed into the emergency room.

Myra sat next to her father and closed her eyes. “How do you know this boy?” asked Pranoy

suddenly.

Myra stared at Pranoy quizzically, as the suddenness of his question had confused her.

“Zeeshan is a friend of mine... We meet at times, at the Sarobar.”

“What does he do?” asked her intrigued father, to which she quickly replied, “He works for

education of the underprivileged.”

Arjun stood across the aisle from his sister, listening to the conversation intently. He knew

where the conversation was heading and also knew what his father’s next question would be.

“Is he the reason you are leaving your job?” asked Pranoy.

Myra glared at him, flummoxed. She turned to Arjun, who was watching in amusement, as

though requesting for support. Arjun knew his father a bit too well not to expect the

question, but he had to support his sister. “

This is not the right time or place to…” began Arjun.

“Ask him to stay out of this conversation, Myra!! I don’t need to listen to thieves...” Pranoy

snapped back. “Anyway, I’m going home. You stay here and let me know if you need help,”

he said and stood up to leave.

--- Carpe Diem --- Page | 25

Myra was in no position to counter her father. She knew that Pranoy was finding it hard to

control his anger, but was doing so only for her sake. She looked at Arjun who smiled at her

reassuringly, as though saying ‘let him go’. He could empathise with Pranoy. Too many

shocks for him in one single day! Pranoy empathetically patted Myra on the head, glared at

his son and left the hospital.

Arjun sat beside Myra and wrapped one arm around her. “Don’t worry mishti (sweetness),

he’ll be alright. Mom said it is only a skull fracture, didn’t she? Let’s hope for the best and

stay strong. It’s going to be fine,” he said.

Myra nodded, blinking away her tears.

“I sincerely hope so, Dada (older brother). He has a dependent sister, who’s not well. He has

to take care of her.”

“Where is she...?” asked Arjun.

“He takes care of her at home. She also has a caretaker though.... poor girl,” said Myra and

turned to Arjun, “Could you do me a favour? Could you please pick her up and bring her

here? Don’t scare her with the details, though...”

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll take care of it; will go there right away. I’ll be back in a couple of

hours,” said Arjun, “but you stay strong. He needs YOU much more than anyone else right

now.”

Myra stared at her brother in embarrassment. “I’ve been watching you guys at the Sarobar

for some time now, you know, stealthily. So, I know...” said Arjun and picked up his phone.

“Satyoki, need your help man….”

****************************

“We know that your husband has got something to do with this. I hope you realize that we

can arrest you for being complicit in this crime,” said Arjun angrily.

For some reason, Arjun was sure that Dibakar’s father was responsible for the crime. He was

at Dibakar’s place trying to find out the whereabouts of the ‘man-in-question’, who was

absconding. The crowd had dispersed and everyone in the hutments was feigning ignorance.

What Arjun could not understand was why the crowd did not take Zeeshan to the hospital

when he desperately needed help!! Were they scared of someone...? Or something....?

“My friend, the sub-inspector is on his way here. If you tell me what happened, I will leave

you alone. If you don’t tell me what happened, I’ll make sure both his parents are in jail,” said

Arjun threateningly, pointing at Dibakar. Poor Dibakar was cowering at the shadows, unable

to interpret the events unfolding in front of him. His mother, Aarti, glared at Arjun. Arjun

looked like someone who would do what he said and it was better to tell him the truth, to

save her son’s future.

Slowly and with a quivering voice, Aarti told him all that had happened. “….He was drunk, Sir.

He did not know what he was doing. He is back in his senses now and is sincerely repenting.

Please leave him,” pleaded the lady.

--- Carpe Diem --- Page | 26

Arjun glared at her.

“…Sir, if he gets to know that I told you the truth, he will ill-treat me and Dibakar.”

“And you will remain silent? As long as you don’t stand up to him and fight back, bastards

like him will keep ill-treating women, as though you belong to them,” Arjun shouted.

Then taking a deep breath he said, “Anyway don’t worry, he will not know. Where is he now?”

Aarti looked at him blankly and it was clear that she did not know where the culprit was

hiding. That was when an idea struck him. Perhaps, he knew where Dibakar’s father was. Just

then, he received a call from his friend, Satyoki.

*************************

“Dropped off the girl and her caretaker at the hospital,” said Satyoki, “Are you sure this is the

place? Remember, I am not in uniform now. And I don’t even have a search warrant. I don’t

want to be arrested for trespassing at a private property.”

“I’m sure this is the place,” replied Arjun even as they opened the gate of an old cottage. It

was late in the night, a few hours since Arjun left the hospital. There were no calls from the

hospital – which meant that things were neither better nor worse, with Zeeshan.

The living room lights were on. As Satyoki and Arjun moved closer to the door, they could

hear voices from the living room and it seemed as though someone was getting admonished

angrily. Arjun walked to the door and turned the doorknob, even as Satyoki held his revolver

cautiously. To his surprise, Arjun realized that the door was not locked. In one swift motion,

Arjun opened the door and Satyoki barged into the room along with him.

A woman was standing in the middle of the room while a man was kneeling on the floor,

crying.

Arjun shouted, “Hello, Miss Nancy. Sorry for barging in.... aaand my guess was right! The

culprit is very much here.”

****************************

--- Carpe Diem --- Page | 27

Chapter 9

Miss Nancy stood glaring at Dibakar’s father, and Arjun who was now behind him. “Is what

he saying, true?” said Miss Nancy, an aghast expression on her face, “This man attacked

Zeeshan?”

Satyoki looked at Miss Nancy curiously.

“The more important question is ‘why is he HERE’,” he said, “I’m Satyoki, Inspector of the

Gariahat Police Station. Tell us what you have to do with this entire episode?”

Miss Nancy was taken aback. She looked at Arjun for support.

“Will you please answer, madam? This is critical,” said Satyoki, his voice rising.

“Satyoki! Calm down mate. Let her speak,” said Arjun.

Dibakar’s father still knelt on the ground crying.

“We can’t blame her for what this bastard has done,” grunted Arjun and kicked the man hard

on his stomach. The man fell on the floor, writhing in pain.

“I was in the kitchen when I heard a knock. I opened the door to find Jitendra, falling at my

feet, literally,” said Miss Nancy and paused, “He was crying out that he had committed a big

mistake and was pleading with me that I was the only one who could save him!”

“Mistake..?!! This.. mofo.. calls.. it.. a.. mistake,” yelled Arjun, punctuating every word with a

slap on the culprit’s face.

Miss Nancy’s face was grim but there was a clear sense of legitimacy in her expression.

Satyoki glared at her for a minute and when he seemed convinced, he nodded.

“So, what do we do now? I’ll call my colleagues on duty. Let’s show this fellow what third

degree treatment is,” said Satyoki.

Dibakar’s father – Jitendra, was trembling by now. “Sir..! Sir, Please Sir... It was a mistake. I

swear it will not happen again. I swear Sir,” he pleaded.

“Bastard..!! Making promises now, eh?” thundered Arjun, as he pulled Jitendra by his collar

and pushed him onto the sofa. “Now, look. The only way you can escape is to confess.

Confess on camera about what you did. He is a police officer and will destroy you if you lie,”

threatened Arjun, “Don’t act smart!!”

Satyoki switched on his camera and calmly pulled Arjun away from the sobbing man.

Under pressure, a terrified Jitendra confessed to his crime, explaining the minutest of details.

“I was under the influence of alcohol, Sir. My friends were provoking me by saying that my

wife was spending more time with him than me. In that frenzy, I thought she was sleeping

--- Carpe Diem --- Page | 28

around with….” Jitendra was stunned to silence by a deafening slap on his face that sent him

crashing to the ground.

It was neither Arjun nor Satyoki. It was courage that had finally possessed Aarti. She was

standing beside Jitendra, pure rage evident on her face. Arjun looked at Satyoki and

shrugged clueless, and slightly amused.

‘When did she arrive?’ was what both of them were wondering!

“I have spent all my life devoted to you, and you in turn think so lowly of me?!!” she

screamed, pulling Jitendra to his feet.

“I’ve had enough. I’ll take care of Dibakar myself and I certainly don’t need a man who

questions my character. And you have the guts to attack someone who was only trying to

help us for Dibakar’s sake?!! Goons like you deserve punishment. Sir, please put him in jail....”

She pounced on Jitendra yet again, this time with such violence and brute force that Arjun

and Satyoki had to restrain her. Jitendra was horrified. What was most horrifying to him was

that he was not just being shouted at, but also getting trashed by his own wife - A person

whom he had treated worse than ‘footwear’ for so long.

As he looked at the four angry souls baying for his blood, it was then that he realized the

wrath of an ill-treated woman redeeming herself. And at that moment, he realized how

people like him would crumble, if a woman broke free from society’s shackles and stood up

with her head held high.

“Break his bones in jail, Sir. He deserves it,” said Dibakar’s mother, her rage still evident.

“No. I have a different idea,” Arjun said and pushed Jitendra back onto the sofa. “Now

Satyoki, this has to be on camera again...” Satyoki nodded as Jitendra meekly sat on the sofa,

beside his wife, the woman he had terrorized all these years.

“Now that you have confessed, you could be jailed for attempt to murder…” said Arjun,

“Unless, you agree to all of these conditions on camera.”

“Will you promise never to drink again?”

A trembling Jitendra nodded, “Yes, Sir”.

“Will you promise never to raise your hand or even your voice against your wife?”

“Yes Sir”, he said with tears of regret welling up in his eyes.

“Will you promise to lead an honest life with your wife and son?” Jitendra looked at Arjun,

confused.

“Will you?” pressed Arjun again. “Yes Sir, I promise”, cried out Jitendra while looking at his

wife, as though begging her not to leave him.

“I hope you realize that if you ever go against what you said now, you will go to jail for sure.

This video is with a policeman,” warned Arjun.

--- Carpe Diem --- Page | 29

“And Aarti ji, if he ever ill-treats you or your son… Wait a minute! You don’t need our help.

We saw how you can tackle him today!” he said with a reassuring smile, “But any which way,

you can inform us no matter how much he threatens you. Oh and also, I’m sorry for landing

up at your house and losing my temper with you.”

Aarti smiled and thanked them profusely, for sparing her husband as well as rescuing her

from a torturous marriage.

Just then Arjun’s phone rang. It was Myra calling from the hospital. As he hung up, Arjun

turned to Miss Nancy.

“Sorry Miss Nancy, for the trouble, and thank you for bearing with us. Got to go to the

hospital now,” said Arjun and turned to Jitendra, “Don’t think that we won’t do anything

about this. We have our informers and if we ever find you drinking or ill-treating or

threatening your wife or being a jerk that you are, you are dead!”

Aarti smiled as she was sure that her life would be in her hands now. Arjun thumped Satyoki

on his shoulder as they left the house together.

****************************

Arjun reached the hospital and as he approached the emergency ward, he saw his anxious

sister. But at that moment, all her anxiety did not confuse him as much as the undoubtedly

familiar face sitting beside her- her head rested on Myra’s shoulder.

Saarah, the reason Arjun redeemed his life, was sitting beside Myra with her eyes closed. She

was sleeping, perhaps out of exhaustion and anxiety about her injured brother. As Arjun

walked up to them, Sarah’s caretaker walked up to Arjun. “You are Myra’s brother. What a

surprise!” she said.

Arjun nodded and respectfully greeted her.

“Never knew that Sarah’s brother was Zeeshan,” said Arjun. “How would I anyway? I know

Zeeshan only for a day now.”

“You both know each other,” asked Myra in surprise.

Arjun smiled when he noticed the quizzical expression on Myra’s face.

“To cut the melodrama short, Saarah is the person who made me see reason in life. She and

Mamta here used to frequent the supermarket I used to work in, a few days after I joined

there- soon after all the ugly things had happened in my life. That was when she was slowly

getting back to her normal self after the tragedy with her family. We used to have these

lengthy philosophical discussions; spoke about her past – my past, her struggles – my

struggles, her pain – my pain; and somewhere I realized that my life was not lost. Why was I

crying over such easy to resolve issues, while others like her were coping with much bigger

issues so maturely,” said Arjun. “This is really the summary of it.”

Myra smiled. “We are a bunch of philosophical siblings. You, me, Sarah, Zeeshan.... Funny

how we’re all just part of a much larger story in life,” said Myra.

--- Carpe Diem --- Page | 30

Arjun sighed.

“How is Sarah now?” he asked Mamta. “She’s getting better.... She goes through intense pain

once in a while. But thanks to those discussions with you, she is beginning to accept life. She

goes through intense pangs of anger, anxiety and fear. But that’s expected after all that she’s

been through...” said Mamta.

“That’s heartening to know. So, any news on Zeeshan?” asked Arjun anxiously. “He’s gone

through his MRI and is under observation now. He may go in for an emergency surgery...

Mom is there... Waiting for some update.....” Myra’s voice faded away.

Arjun ruffled her hair with pride and warmth. She was holding up quite well, despite all that

had happened in the last couple of days.

Myra looked up at Arjun and said, “What happened? Where did you go?”

Arjun sighed heavily as he sank into the creaky chair next to her and said, “Long story. I’ll tell

you later, but nothing to worry about!”

Myra shrugged. “Fine..! Could you do me a favour, when you’ve rested your feet for a bit?

Please pack and bring some basics for me na.. I’m planning to stay here tonight. My room

hasn’t changed one bit, so it shouldn’t be impossible for you to navigate!” said Myra.

Arjun smiled... and so did Myra. This was the moment Arjun was waiting for, ever since he

had found Jitendra in Miss Nancy’s house.

Myra had wanted him to go home for a reason. She knew about the ‘missing diary’ and she

also knew who possessed it. For this long, she had waited for her brother to come home and

meet her dad. It was time for his moment; his moment of ‘Carpe Diem’.

****************************

--- Carpe Diem --- Page | 31

Chapter 10

The doorbell rang - Arjun was waiting in anticipation. Pranoy opened the door to face his

son. He was perhaps, expecting it, for there was no visible expression of surprise or disgust

on his face.

“What brings you here?” he asked curtly.

“Myra wanted some of her things packed. She’s staying back at the hospital tonight,” said

Arjun calmly.

Pranoy moved aside to let Arjun inside the house.

A few minutes passed. Pranoy sat on his couch in the living room, gazing at the roof above.

It was evident that the day had been tough on him as well. Suddenly, an old book fell with a

‘thud’, on the table in front of him. Pranoy sat up as his eyes on the book – a look of shock

and confusion on his face. Arjun stood beside the table restlessly, as this was the moment he

had been waiting for; the wait had been long.

Pranoy picked up the book and held it gingerly in his hands. It was something priceless for

him. He cleared his throat and said, “I knew that the thief would have stolen my diary too. I

was right!”

It was clear that the anger was feigned, but what had replaced the anger was shock..!

“Yeah, right! It was so priceless that had I sold it, I would have made billions,” Arjun snapped

back sarcastically.

Arjun could discern a hint of a smile forming on Pranoy’s lips, but then, he had perhaps

imagined it. His face was still as firm as before.

Pranoy remained silent for a few minutes.

“So, you brought my diary back and that makes you think that I will forgive you?” asked

Pranoy, avoiding any eye contact with Arjun now.

“I think it will.....” said Arjun. “All that I’m asking for is five minutes of your time, Baba.”

Arjun always knew that the sight of the diary would work in his favour. And added to that,

was the shock of the day’s happenings. He was right!! A slightly mellowed Pranoy moved

aside on the sofa, to allow Arjun to sit. As he sat beside his father for the first time in over

two years, he knew this was his chance.

“Baba…you know what you had written in the diary. You know what you held so close to your

heart for so many years,” began Arjun.

“Do you remember your dream to see Kolkata as the cleanest city in India? You recollect all

the plans and that one big master plan that you had made for cleanliness in Kolkata? Do you

remember having left your job for working full-time on this? And your utter disappointment

--- Carpe Diem --- Page | 32

when the government trashed your ideas and when all those patiently garnered dreams were

shattered?” Arjun’s questioning was relentless.

A moment of silence followed.

“I remember. So?” asked Pranoy bluntly.

“You will also remember the pain that you went through when you were living your regular

mundane existence, and used only this diary as a companion to share your feelings. I still

remember… I still remember the day my beloved dad slapped me for the only time in my

childhood… The reason was that I had laid hands on this book, without asking. Remember

Baba?” asked Arjun.

Something dawned on Pranoy. He had a hunch about where this conversation was headed.

The egoistic father in him wanted to get up and stomp off in anger. But he was a good man

and he knew otherwise.

“That day I decided to read your diary somehow, out of childish curiosity. Maybe I was

wrong.... Or was I? I found your diary again, one day. I think I was fifteen then…. And I read

it…” Arjun paused and looked at his father intently.

“From that day on, your dream became my dream; your diary became my diary. So, I began

working towards your dream. But being the Bollywood-watching, melodrama-seeking joker

that I was, I wanted to keep this as a surprise for you. I had wanted to come to you with a

successful idea and say ‘Baba! I know how to turn your dream into reality’. I met like-minded

people and began planning or rather, plotting as you would call it. So much so that you all

felt I had been pulled into something sinister….”

Pranoy opened his mouth to say something but Arjun would not leave a chance. He wanted

his voice to be heard.

“Somewhere this obsession turned into madness. And this madness became fodder for my

ill-minded friends. Like all humans, I also had weaknesses – I trusted my friends a bit too

much! The ideas that we had needed some investment beyond what I had pooled in. And in

that frenzy, I asked money from you. You refused.... I felt destroyed and furious because after

all, it was your dream I was trying to bring to life. And then… well you know the rest.....…”

Arjun stopped, waiting for all the information to sink in. Pranoy closed his eyes and sank into

his couch. Silence ensued and for what seemed like hours, no one spoke. That was when,

Arjun decided to use what he considered was his most potent tool. “Baba…” he whispered.

Pranoy opened his eyes, but this time, the anger was missing.

“Baba… Somewhere in the past, I had also begun writing a diary, just like you,” said Arjun and

placed another old tattered book on the table, “If you go through it, you will understand

what I was going through.”

Pranoy stood up suddenly, his eyes on Arjun’s diary.

“I need some time... to think and absorb all this.. Some time to myself.” he said dismissively.

--- Carpe Diem --- Page | 33

Arjun left the room.

***************************

Arjun lay on the bed in darkness and it was almost dawn now. Myra hadn’t called or

messaged, thus far. It meant he could still wait at home. Someone entered the room and the

lights were switched on.

There, at the doorway, stood Pranoy.

“Baba,” said Arjun and stood up.

“I never knew that you were only trying to be me.…” Pranoy’s voice faded.

“I’m sorry, Baba”, said Arjun in a weak voice himself.

“No. It was also my mistake. Now that I think of it, you had given so many hints which I could

not understand then. Anyway, water under the bridge,” said Pranoy.

“Now before you feel things are all sorted, remember there are still a lot of questions to

answer,” Pranoy glared at Arjun and then, a smile appeared on his face.

“Come, I will also come to the hospital with you,” said Pranoy, “Lots to discuss and hopefully

sort out.”

“And Baba, please don’t get angry with Myra. She has taken a good decision and has

thought it through for a long, long time! Please accept it and give her a chance....” said Arjun.

“And I assure you that I did not influence her! In fact, I spoke to her for the first time in over

two years, when she told me about her decision...”

“I trust my daughter much more than my wayward son,” said Pranoy with a smile.

As Arjun looked at his father’s relieved face and his long lost sarcasm, his heart leapt. His

relationship with his parents was finally mending. It was all coming together for him – his

luck seemed to be smiling at him finally. Perhaps, the horrible situation that they were in was

actually playing the role of a catalyst in mending their relationship.

“Baba, with your permission, I have one more thing to say” said Arjun. “What? That you stole

some more money?” jibed Pranoy.

“Come on, Baba… All that I want to say is your dream is not going anywhere. The dream of a

clean Kolkata is still alive and this time, both of us will work on it. And for this, we have a

weapon which I found only today. This weapon will help us clean the society as a whole, not

just of the superficial dirt, but the dirt within. Because this weapon, till today, was itself

unclean. And it knows where the muck lies,” said Arjun seriously.

Pranoy looked at Arjun curiously. “Weapon? What weapon?”

“Jitendra. Dibakar’s dad”

****************************

--- Carpe Diem --- Page | 34

“It’s a subdural haemorrhage. We had initially wanted to keep him under observation, but

the blood clot is only growing in size. We need to go for an emergency surgery,” said Varsha.

“Is it life-threatening?” asked Myra agitatedly.

Varsha shrugged.

“I hope it’s not. Will let you know when things get clear,” she said and left the waiting area

hurriedly.

Myra sank back into her chair next to Saarah, who was sleeping calmly. Myra patted her head

softly, with a wry smile on her face.

Varsha had indicated that the injuries could be serious. Did that mean the incident would

have caused irreparable damage to Zeeshan’s brain? Did that mean disablement... or death?

Were her premonitions true after all? Whenever she had looked at Zeeshan in recent times,

she’d had had this feeling of foreboding – as though something bad would happen to

Zeeshan. She had always ignored it, partly because she did not believe in such superstitions,

but also because she had these irrational fears of losing her loved ones. Although now, given

the situation she was in, she was really struggling to get these dark thoughts out of her head.

A sense of chill swept through her body. If her premonitions were true, what would happen

to Saarah? Would she be able to take one more tragedy in her family? Even if she did, would

the responsibility of helping her get to normal fall on Myra? And even if that happened,

would she be able to help Saarah face life after losing the last and closest family member she

had left, in her life?

Myra was in her chair with her eyes closed and a grimace evident on her face. Just then, she

felt a comforting hand on her shoulder. As she looked up, she saw her father.... with her

brother!

Myra stood up in shock or what should have felt like surprise. Pranoy’s arms were wrapped

around Arjun’s shoulder – a broad smile sweeping across his face. He seemed to have

accepted his son finally.

Myra stood dumbfounded; her confused happiness yet to find an outlet. “H..How?” she

asked. “Let that remain a secret,” replied Pranoy childishly.

“And by the way, Baba is completely OK with you leaving your job to follow your dreams,”

said Arjun cheekily.

As Myra heard this, a mix of emotions overwhelmed her. Should she cry out in happiness?

Should she be lost in anxiety? Would she break down in fear? She did not know....

She sat back in her chair, and closed her eyes. Perhaps, not thinking about anything would

give her some peace.

--- Carpe Diem --- Page | 35

A few hours passed when Myra saw Varsha walking briskly towards them. She stood up, in

apprehension. Varsha’s eyes fell on her husband and son, and a smile appeared on her

otherwise grim face.

“What happened?” urged Myra.

“Safe,” said Varsha, “For now.”

****************************

--- Carpe Diem --- Page | 36

Epilogue

“You should not exert yourself much. Remember, your brain is still muddled,” teased Arjun.

Arjun, Myra, Pranoy, Varsha, Saarah, Miss Nancy, Dibakar and his mother Aarti were present

in the room. They were waiting for the neurosurgeon to arrive and give a final go-ahead for

Zeeshan’s discharge from the hospital.

“Two months. Did not know I’ve been here for this long,” said Zeeshan.

“How would you know? You were either unconscious or sedated for most of the time,” said

Arjun, “Good that you recovered, man. And thankfully, with no apparent physical disability...!”

Myra sat beside Zeeshan and caressed his hair. The two months that Zeeshan had spent in

the hospital had been a tormenting, yet ‘enriching’ experience for everybody; most certainly

for her. Zeeshan had survived the injury but the doctors had clearly warned them that there

were increasingly heightened chances of strokes that could be fatal, if not attended to.

As Varsha had put it gloomily, “Seven days or seventy years... You never know! He needs to

be very very careful now.”

So, Myra’s premonition was right, after all. Or was it? She did not want to know. All that she

knew was that as long as she was around, she would try her best and not let her fear get the

better of them all.

Zeeshan squeezed Myra’s hand. “I’m so happy for you. Your family is together and happy.

Your parents have accepted your decision. You can now fulfil whatever your heart wanted,”

said Zeeshan and stopped, “…And if my injury had been a catalyst for this, I am happy that it

happened!”

Myra smiled and hugged him.

“Don’t you say that again..! I don’t want an injury to you to be a catalyst anywhere. If things

are bound to go right, they will go right. By the way, I forgot to tell you. Dibakar’s dad has

changed completely. He’s now a ‘saint’ if you ask me, and he’s working with Arjun for some

grand plan of his,” said Myra, “Arjun and his plans..!”

****************************

The neurosurgeon arrived, completed the routine check-up and signed on the documents

required for Zeeshan’s discharge from the hospital. While leaving the room, he had a word

with Varsha and left.

Myra looked enquiringly at Varsha.

“No! No! Nothing to worry! He doesn’t want Zeeshan to exert himself even a bit. Zeeshan

has to be under supervision,” said Varsha.

“You fragile boy,” quipped Arjun.

--- Carpe Diem --- Page | 37

Zeeshan smiled. “Don’t worry about that, aunty. As long as I have all of you around,

especially Myra, I’ll be fine. Besides, I’ve always had this dream of being the brain behind

something big – Maybe a great social cause. But I never found an opportunity or a way to

put my ideas into action. Now that I have you all, in simple terms, I’ll be the brain – Arjun and

Myra are my generals,” said Zeeshan.

Myra beamed at Zeeshan and pinched him playfully. “Two generals of a muddled brain, eh?

Keep dreaming,” she joked.

“No, but seriously, I am bad at managing things. I always wanted someone whose

wavelength matches with mine, and who could put my dream into action. And here I have

you. And now….” Zeeshan paused, his eyebrows raised.

The others looked at him, waiting. The pause was intentional. This was a decision he had

made when alone one day, and it was important.

“Now, I have a small announcement to make. When my parents left us, they had saved a

small fortune for me and Saarah here. But since Saarah and I are well taken care of, barring

the amount needed for me and her future, the rest of that small fortune will be our

contribution to any noble initiative that Myra takes up. And I know she will handle it well.

And Arjun, to you too,” he said.

As Myra smiled coyly, Arjun looked from Myra to Zeeshan and beamed at them.

In some way or the other, either because of circumstances or because of divine providence,

each of them had opportunities now that would lead them on their path towards their goals

– their dreams. And somewhere, deep in the recesses of his mind, one word kept ringing.

Each of them, in their own way, was an embodiment of ‘Carpe Diem’!

---------- **************************** ----------

--- Carpe Diem --- Page | 38

Hope you liked Carpe Diem!

It would be great to know your feedback. Please do write your comments/ feedback

on the novella’s Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Carpe-

Diem/827493530645576

Now, an important request!

We would love to see this concept encourage contribution for/involvement in good

causes.

Given below are the links to the donation pages of two NGOs –

National Association For The Blind - http://www.billdesk.com/nab/index.htm

Smile Foundation India - http://www.smilefoundationindia.org/register.asp

If you liked the concept and the novella, and if you think that it is worthy of an

acknowledgement, please do encourage us by contributing to any of the social

causes mentioned above. And, please do let us know about your contribution

through a mail to crowdsourcedstories@gmail.com

Hope this concept and the novella makes a real impact on those who deserve help!

Cheers,

The authors….