Kahani Zindagi Ki

Chapter 2: Rajveer ka letter

Kabir had started his work in Delhi Kranti while Rajveer had been placed in the special intelligence department in the army. Rajveer used to read Kabir's articles in Delhi Kranti and was quite impressed with his writing skills and his takes on the things. It was during all this that Naveen was declared as a traitor, all the journalists including Kabir wrote him down as a traitor and put allegations on him like the others. When Rajveer read his article and decided to write Kabir a letter, Rajveer knew that Kabir was going with the flow of the news roaming around.

Kabir received a letter in the office of Delhi Kranti, there was no name of the writer, no address mentioned, nothing. Kabir opened the letter and went to sit on his seat and read it.

✉️

Dear Kabir,

Kaise ho? Bohot time ho gaya hai tumse baat kare, yaad aati hai tumhari, tumhare articles padta hu, aur tumpar fakr bhi hota hai yeh dekh ke ki tum kitna accha likhne lage ho! Tumhare news ko dekhne ka tareeka bohot pasand hai mujhe Kabir, par tumse lately ek news ko interpret karne me galti hui hai. Jab tum Captain Naveen Singh Ahluwalia ke baare me likh rahe the, tab tumne uss story ka doosra pehlu nahi dekhe? Kya tumne yeh soocha ki iss story ka koi doosra pehlu bhi ho sakta hai? Tumne aaj tak jo bhi likha hai tumne humesha har news ke woh chuppe hue pehlu dekhe hai jiske baare me koi sooch bhi nahi sakta, par iss bar aisa nahi kiya? Iss baar tumne jo baki news me chala rahe hai ussiko sach maan liya aur apne article me likh diya..ek baar yeh nahi soocha ki iss kahani ka ek aur pehlu bhi ho sakta hai? Kabir waise toh mai koi nahi hota tumhe kuch bhi bolne wala par mai tumhe bas yeh hi kahunga ki yeh baat humesha yaad rakhna ki har story ke do pehlu hote hai, ek jo sab jaante hai aur ek jo log nahi jaante, bohot kam hi log hote hai jo uss pehlu ko dekhte hai jo ki baaki sab ke aankho se dooor hota hai..jaise ki har coin ke do sides hote hai, har news ke bhi do sides hote hai..yaad rakhna Kabir..tum logo ko sach ka aaina dikhate ho, tum jhooth nahi failate samajh me. Maanta hu ki court bhi maan chuki hai ki Naveen Singh Ahluwalia ek traitor hai par kabhi soocha ki yeh sab sach bhi hai ya nahi? Yeh sab ab tumhare upar chodta hu mai Kabir, tum bade ho chuke ho, apne khud ke decisions le sakte ho, aasha karta hu tum sahi aur galat ki pehchan kar sakte ho, all the best with you life Kabir. Mera pyar aur aashirwad dono tumhare sath humesha se the, aur humesha rahenge.

Take care.

✉️

Kabir closed the letter and looked outside. He understood that this letter could be sent by no one other than Rajveer. Although Rajveer didn't write his name or address, but he knew his handwriting and his style of writing. He looked outside the office from his chair, he realised how Rajveer turned out to be right about his life, Shreya did leave him, their marriage didn't last long. But all the crap that his step mother had put in his brain was still there and he believed that Rajveer was still trying to get into his life for personal reasons. Kabir through the letter in the bin.

Kabir was standing with some other journalists and was talking about a lead he had got. Soon Pandit ji came from behind him and patted Kabir and asked him to meet him in his cabin.

Kabir: Ji Pandit ji! Aap ne mujhe bulaya?

Pandit ji: Kabir, yeh letter tumhara hai na?

Kabir looked at the letter in Pandit ji's hand and recognized it. He was quite shocked to find it in his hands.

Kabir: Pandit ji aapke paas kaise aagaya yeh letter? Yeh toh maine dustbin me daal diya tha!

Pandit ji: Kabir yaha dustbin me sirf aur sirf papers hi jaate hai, maine dekha tumhe yeh padke jaldi se phekte hue, isiliye maine yeh padh liya, Kabir kaun hai yeh? Kisne likha hai yeh letter tumhe?

Kabir: yeh letter mere bhai, Rajveer ne bheja hai..

Pandit ji: Par issme toh likha hai ki baat nahi hui hai tum dono ki? Rajveer se toh tum kal hi mile ho na?

Kabir: Pandit ji mere do bhai hai, ek Dada jinko aap jaante hai, unka naam bhi Rajveer hai, aur mere ek aur bhai hai, mere asli bhai, biological brother, Rajveer Bhaiya, yeh dono ka naam Rajveer hai..par ab woh mere zindagi me nahi hai, maine unhe pehle bhi bola hua hai ki woh mere zindagi se dooor rahe par pata nahi unhe samajh kyu nahi aata!

Pandit ji: Par Kabir..

Kabir: Pandit ji yeh mere zindagi se jitna dooor reh sakai utna dooor hi rehna behtar hai, mai nahi chahti hu ki woh mere zindagi me wapis aaye, woh bas mera use karna chahte the! Maa aur Papa ke paas jo bhi funds the woh woh le lena chahte the..isiliye jaise hi unhe pata chala ki unhe ek phooti kaudi nahi milegi, mera aur unka outlook aur likings bhi achanak se change ho gaye..woh mere har baat ke khilaf jaane lage! Aur phir ek din maine unhe bol diya ki unhe mere zindagi me rehne ki koi zarurat nahi hai! Bas uss din ke baad se kabhi baat nahi hui thi..until now..

Pandit ji: Kabir tumhare bhai ne tumhe jo kuch bhi likha hai, woh sab theek hai, all this is absolutely true. Har ek word yeh sab ek seekh hai tumhare liye..isiliye don't throw it away, instead isse apne paas rakho, keep it with you as a momento.

Kabir: Aaj tak aapki kaunsi baat taali hai maine, theek hai mai iss letter ko rakhna hu sambhal ke, mai phekunga nahi iss letter ko..

Pandit ji patted on his back and gave him the letter. Kabir took the letter and locked it in his drawer. This was the first letter he got from Rajveer since their fight, maybe even the last he will ever get.

Rajveer got posted in different areas of India over the years and he kept a track of Kabir and his work. He knew that Kabir had read his letter since Kabir had written many more news looking for the hidden pehlu in them. Rajveer never told anyone about Kabir, not even Naveen or Abuimanyu, he kept Kabir a secret since according to Kabir, Rajveer seized to even exist. Rajveer was very happy with Kabir's work and appreciated him and he had many discussions with the other officers about his articles.

Rajveer was pretty occupied with his work, once in a while he got free time he used to read Kabir's articles, but after every read, he used to remember each and every word of Kabir's that he had said that day. Rajveer was quite composed and even the person sitting next to him would not understand what is going on in his mind. He used to keep a scrapbook of all articles of Kabir's and used to read them when he had time or when he felt lonely. He realised the emptiness in his life after Naveen's death and ever since he had lost Kabir. Rajveer was the best officer when it came to be diplomatic and neutral. He always kept a straight face without conveying many emotions or the emotional turmoil going on inside of him. Although when things would get too much for him to control he used to vent it out once in a while, but he used to make sure that no one sees him.

One day Rajveer was in his quarter, he was tired from the days work and he took out his boot and sat down on his bed. He looked at the photo album next to his bed lamp, he opened it and there were his and Kabir's few rare pictures together, since they didn't have many pictures together, more than half of the album was infact filled with their letters that they used to exchange. He had a separate album of pictures from their childhood which were kept in his trunk which he rarely used to take out.