I was Guru Dutt until my chemist woke me up.
The only people I have a “neighborly” relationship with, is the muslim family which runs the chemist right opposite my building. I will be shifting soon, but I have been living here 4 years and we chat and meet a lot.
21 January raat, I called the chemist and said that I needed xyz medicines, and apologised for calling so late, but I had a flight in the morning and needed them urgently.
He said- Ayodhya ja rahe hain kya? I was stunned. I said nahin, Amritsar ja raha hun.
All of us know what we witnessed on 22nd January and the few weeks after that.
When I came back from Amritsar, I started avoiding my chemists. I made extra effort and took another gate of my residential complex just so that I don’t have to see them.
About a month passed. They often asked my partner mudrika- kya hua, ab sir nahin aate? She kept making one excuse after another, all the while urging me to go.
One day, I was seeing a guest to to their car, when I realised that the car is at the gate I have been avoiding for a month. Faced with no option, I went ahead and Aasif gestured to me- sir kya hua?
I walked to the shop, my brain in freeze. When he asked me for an explanation, I found myself pushed to a corner and I blurted out the truth- main bohot sharminda tha, aapse aankh nahin mila pa raha tha. (I was feeling ashamed and unable to meet your eyes)
But why sir? he asked me innocently. Why indeed. I said do you remember I called you on 21st, he finished the story- I called and he said what he said.
Then he added- sir Babri aapne nahin shaheed karaayi, aapne dhakka nahin diya.
I said well, sirf babri ki baat nahin, aur jo chup chaap khada rahe galti uski bhi hoti hai.
He looked down, smiled, looked back at me and said
Dekhiye sir….
Aapne hamara kuch bura nahin kiya…
and after a pause which felt like infinity added…