Sumedh convinced Vihaan to meet Aarushi. Vihaan himself wanted to meet her so it wasn't that hard. But it was risky. Yet he decided to take the risk.
Meeting was planned at night on a very lonely place. Vihaan excused himself from his house saying that he wanted to go for a long drive. His security wasn't letting him go alone but he bribed them with money and then they agreed. He drived his old car and reached the destination.
Place was looking creepy. It was a ghaat on a river which was old. Long and wide stairs were leading to river stream. There was a little shiv mandir on the right side and everything was pitch black. The good thing was full moon which was brightly shining.
"Vihaan?" He heard her voice and startled.
"Kaha ho tum?" He asked.
Aarushi came out of the mandir and he saw her. He felt relived and happy.
Vihaan went ahead and hugged her. She hugged him back " I was really worried when Sumedh told me that you wanted to talk to me immediately. Is everything okay?"
" Nothing is okay Vihaan" She said.
"Matlab?" He was confused.
They sat down on a stair and she looked at him "Sumedh told me about the camps.. And stories about war zone are everywhere. Soon people will start to realise that this is bad"
"I understand. I am trying my best to handle the camp situation. I've talked to HR minister and General too" Vihaan said.
"What did General say?" She asked.
Vihaan sighed "Nothing. He's too busy to think about anything else other than War.. It's not just me, everyone is worried"
"Toh ab hi sahi time hai. We need a union. Sumedh is right" Aarushi said.
"Aarushi it's risky" Vihaan said "Agar union bana toh Aaj nahi toh kal wo bahar aa jayega. Tab log marenge.. Main tum Ranveer sumedh hum sab marenge"
"Hamare jaise aur na mare isliye toh yeh karna hai" Aarushi said "Hum toh normal log hai Vihaan par tum nahi ho. General trusts you.. He trusts your father. You should be the one doing something"
"Main unke against nahi ja sakta" Vihaan said "General Gurmeet ke against"
"Vihaan he's a mad person. He's crazy. Agar rational hote wo toh desh ki halat yeh nahi hoti. Baki kisi cheez ki taraf dhyan hi nahi hai unka" Aarushi said "Tum jante ho.. Desh me kuch hi mahino me khana kam pad jayega. Jobs chale gaye kitne sare kyu ki international trade almost khatam ho gaya.. War me innocent log mar rahe hai"
"Samjhta hoo main. Par kya karu?" Vihaan was helpless.
"We need a leader" Aarushi said "We need someone who can lead us.. Who was already a leader"
"Kiski baat kar rahi ho?" Vihaan asked.
"Sameeksha Deshpande ki" Aarushi answered.
Vihaan gasped "She's a political prisoner. Wo agar jail se bahar aayi toh General ko nahi chalega"
"Wo bahar aani chahiye Vihaan. Desh ke halat bahot jald badalne wale hai. Jab logoko khana nahi milega toh unhe pata chalne wala hai ki jisko unhone support kiya tha wo galat hai.. Par tab wo aawaj utha nahi payenge. Tab unko ek leader ki jaroorat hogi. She needs to come out" Aarushi took his hand.
"It's not easy. She's under surveillance" Vihaan said.
"She can die.. Like I am dead" Aarushi suggested.
"Tumhari baat alag hai. Tumhe koi janta nahi tha. Sameeksha Deshpande ko sab jante hai" Vihaan said "It's risky"
"Everything is risky Vihaan" Aarushi said "Mujhe jinda rakhna bhi risk hi thi. Par tumne uthayi. Ab ek aur risk uthani hogi"
"Par agar wo bahar aati bhi hai toh karegi kya? If she's considered dead then how is she gonna lead?" He asked.
"We don't have force so we can't have a war to win our country back" Aarushi said "So we have to do this politically"
"So you already have a plan?" He asked.
"I do" She answered "And first half of that plan is Sameeksha's fake death"
"Jab tak tum mujhe kuch base nahi bata deti ki aagey kya hoga tab tak main yeh risk nahi loonga. Agar solid plan hua toh hi yeh hoga" Vihaan declared.
"We know Army isn't bad" Aarushi said "But Army's leader is. Army can make everything right if it's under a good General"
"What do you mean?" Vihaan asked.
Aarushi showed him a paper "This is a letter from Sameeksha.. It came the other day.."
"War zone se prisoner ne letter bheja hai? How is it possible?" Vihaan asked.
"Ab army aayi hai toh sara corruption khatam ho gaya aisa thodi hai" Aarushi sighed "Himani ne bhijwaya hai Sumedh ko.. Wo deke gaya hai hame"
Vihaan read it in light of his phone's torch. It was a long letter filled with love messages for Ranveer.
"What the hell" Vihaan said "This is a love letter to Ranveer"
"Read every first letter of all sentences" Aarushi said.
"We can't fight Army but If we change General then situation can change for good"
"It's her idea to change General. Baki ka maine aur Ranveer aur Sumedh ne socha. You're the one who should lead army government! You can lead them to a good path. You can actually make this country great again. Gurmeet has lost his mind. His aggressive ideas are taking toll on this country but you're a neutral thinker. Army and this country needs a leader Vihaan not a dictator. You won't be a dictator. Isse pehle ki Gurmeet dictator banke 2-3 saal me apna raaj banaye.. Usko change karna hoga"
Vihaan felt his hands trembling. This was a very big thing "Aarushi I am a major in army.. Main General ko replace nahi kar sakta chahe kuch bhi ho jaye"
"Kar sakte ho. I know army has strict hierarchy but you guys are a government now. Army me promotion ke liye rules hai par as you guys are a government now.. It's a different system yaha itna strict nahi hota. Kaun, kab, kaise leader banta hai yaha iske koi rules nahi hai. Yeh baat tumhe sabko samjhani hogi. We need to work politically. And for that we need Sameeksha. Her mind can save us. Her influence can save the country" Aarushi said "Usko bahar nikalo. Uske sath milke tum yeh kar sakte ho.. Socho Vihaan.. Agar tum General ban gaye toh kya kya ho sakta hai... You have vision for this country's wellbeing Vihaan. You can make everything right. You can make army's image clear"
Vihaan was lost in his thoughts. What Aarushi was telling him seemed impossible. But what if Sameeksha really had a plan? She may have. That's how politicians work, right? They climb stairs of hierarchy without particular set of rules. Age, work and experience doesn't matter that much for them.. What matters is mind and power. Influence matters. They win everything they want Without fighting physically. Without conquering areas. War and combats are not the only options. Everything can be solved diplomatically. That's how other countries run.
"I want some time to think" Vihaan said.
"Take your time.. Even though people will start realising that this regime is not working.. It's still a long way to go.. Cheeze kuch dino me ya hapto me nahi badalne wali.. Par hame dekhna yeh hai ki sab jitna ho sake utna jaldi ho jaye.. Desh ka bhavishya tumhare haath me hai Vihaan. Abhi agar dar gaye toh samjho desh ko hamesha ke liye kho diye" Aarushi was trying to make him understand.
"I will tell you" Vihaan said "I'll think about it and I'll tell you my answer"
"Okay" Aarushi smiled "Meanwhile I can ask you how you've been" She leaned on his shoulders.
Vihaan smiled "I've been great. How many days since we met last time?"
"Three weeks" She answered.
"Felt like eternity" He said.
"I know right" She said "Also Sameeksha ko bahar lane ka ek aur fayda yeh hai ki tumhari Ranveer ko leke jo insecurity hai wo khatam ho jayegi"
Vihaan laughed "Usko bahar nikalte nikalte agar main mar gaya toh kya?"
"Shut up. Tum Nahi maroge" She said "We are going to outlive everyone. And we will watch our grandchildren having their own children"
"Niceee" Vihaan said "Acchi planning hai. Par Pata nahi kab yeh sab khatam hoga aur hum shadi karenge.. Accha yahi hoga ki baccha pehle kar le warna late ho jayega aur phir grandchildren bhi late"
Aarushi felt her cheeks flushing. She chuckled and hit his arm "I am a very traditional girl.. I not having child out of wedlock"
"Bahot purane khayal hai tumhare.. It's 2046 now" Vihaan reminded her.
"Oh yes! March 2046.Oh my god" She exclaimed "It was August 2045 when I left my home"
"On 15 August 2047 we will complete 100 years of freedom" Vihaan said.
"Till then We have to free our country again.. Or else it will be useless" Aarushi said "On that day every school, every government office and everyone should recite our own pledge.. Not this propaganda one.. Our constitution should be back and we should be reading its preamble. Before kids and marriage and everything.. This should be our dream.. A dream which we are seeing right now.. On this very day and on this exact place. And to complete it we are gonna do everything that is necessary"
Vihaan looked into her eyes. They were oozing with determination.
He nodded "I dream this too. This is the ideal dream. We are gonna free our country again"
"Yes. We are gonna live this dream together" She smiled.
****
Dhriti was sitting in her room. It was late at night and her father was still not home. It wasn't a new thing for her. She always stayed in boarding schools which were for army kids. Since her mother died she was raised by school teachers!
Gurmeet loved his daughter but his ambitions never let him stop and talk to her for a while. All he could think was war and army's greatness. He wanted everyone in country to respect armed forces like they used to respect their political leaders.
'Agar koi fauji dikhai deta hai toh uski taraf naaj se dekha jata hai.. Par use phir bhi ek aam aadmi ki tarah hi treat kiya jata hai... Par agar koi neta ho.. Chhote gaanv ka chhota neta bhi ho toh bhi use ijjat se dekha jata hai.. Sab log uske pair chhute hai.. Usko saheb kaha jata hai.. Usko neta ji neta ji karke sar aankho pe bithaya jata hai.. Yeh mujhe badlna hai. Main chahta hoo fauji ko bhi waisi hi ijjat mile jaisi kisi neta ko di jati hai'
Dhriti remembered Gurmeet's words from one of his speeches.
'Neta jaisi ijjat fauji ko dene ke liye Papa ne fauji ko hi neta bana diya' She thought.
Dhriti loved her father but she wasn't a blind follower. She could see error in his ways. She was happy that her father's dream finally came true but at what cost?
She couldn't stop thinking about collapsing systems of country. She couldn't stop thinking about the girl she met at the camp. His father didn't care about anything else other than war that was going on.
"Dhriti?" She came back to reality. Gurmeet was knocking on her door. She looked at him and smiled.
"What is wrong with you? I meant to ask you but I was busy" He came in.
"Nothing papa" She said.
"I know there's something. You seem upset" He said.
How much love her father had in his eyes for her! Why was he doing this to his own country then? The country which he loved more than anything else.. More than Dhriti herself.
"Papa" She felt her eyes welling up "I saw something on my journey and I can't stop thinking about it"
"What?" He asked.
"I don't know if I should say. I never say anything related to your work" Dhriti said.
Gurmeet kept his hand on her head "You are my daughter.. You can say anything. You can do anything.. And I'll still love you"
Dhriti hugged him and tears escaped from her eyes "I went to those camps papa.. No human being should live a life those people are living.. There was a girl named Dhriti.. Uska naam bhi Dhriti tha.. She was being sexually abused there.. And she didn't even understand what it was.. What was happening to her"
Gurmeet didn't say anything. She looked him in the eyes and said "Papa main uske jitni thi jab mumma chali gayi aur main boarding me gayi.. Aap socho agar mere sath aisa hota aapko kaise lagta? Uske maa baap ne chahe jitni galatiya kiye ho.. Chahe kitne bhi paap kiye ho par kya wo bacchi deserve karti hai jo uske sath ho raha hai? "
Dhriti saw Gurmeet's eyes turning red. Was he angry? Was he angry because she somehow criticised him? What was he going to do?
Gurmeet took a deep breath" Jyada mat socho Dhriti. So jao. Good night "He kissed her forehead and went.
That's it? That's how he react to such things? Dhriti again lost in her thoughts.
*****
ख़्वाब : Dream : a cherished aspiration, ambition, or ideal.