ShivOmRu : Chapter 2 - The Hope
Recap :
Omkara was just casually looking outside the window when his eye caught something and his mouth fell open. "Shivaay ! Woh dekh !" ("Shivaay ! Look !")
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Shivaay ran towards Om. "Kya hua Om ? Tu thik toh hai na ?" ("What's wrong ? Are you alright Om ?") He asked before looking out of the window.
"Shivaay, woh dekh Gopal kaka !" ("Shivaay, look there, it's Gopal kaka !") Om replied happily. "Woh humari madad kar sakte hai, Shivaay." ("He can help us.")
Gopal Das, was the head servant at Oberoi's but he had left the job 6 months ago after working for them for 10 years. Shivaay and Om had practically grew up under his care.
Shivaay smiled at Om. Rudra who had woke up due to Omkara's sudden yelling now started crying.
"Shh..Shh Rudy baby. Kuch nahi hua, kuch nahi, dekh mein hu na yaha, bhai hai na ? Hai na ? Shh..Shh." ("Shh..Shh Rudy baby. It's okay, it's okay, see I'm here, your brother's here. Shh..Shh.") Shivaay cooed at Rudy and gently took him in his arms.
"Baai." Rudy squeaked and hugged Shivaay.
"Bhai hai, ok. Shh." ("I'm here, ok. Shh.") Shivaay hugged him back and carried him. "Dev hume please Gopal kaka ke pass le chalo." ("Dev please take us to Gopal kaka.") He requested.
"Tum Gopal chacha ko jaante ho ?" ("You know him ?") Dev enquired.
"Haan, please jaldi le chalo na." ("Yes, please take us to him now.") Om said urgently.
Dev nodded and led them out into the back garden where Gopal kaka was watering the rose plants.
"Gopal kaka !" Om yelled, overjoyed.
Gopal kaka, a man in probably his 40s with a slightly wrinkled skin, wearing a short kurta and white pajama pants with red long cloth hanging down his shoulder, turned around and faced ShivOmRu.
As soon as Gopal kaka's eyes fell on ShivOmRu, a big smile appeared on his face.
"Shivaay baba, Om baba aap ? Aur Ru baba bhi aapke sath ? Aap teeno yaha kaise ?" ("Shivaay baba, Om baba you both here ? Rudy baba is with you too ? What are you all doing here ?") He asked while putting the watering can down and walking towards them.
"Gopal kaka hum kho gaye hai, kya aap humare mumma papa ko phone karke bula lenge ?" ("Gopal kaka we're lost, will you call our parents to take us home ?") Shivaay spoke up.
"Haan, bula dete hai beta magar yaha pe network nahi milta, hume thodi door jaana hoga." ("Yes, I'll call them but the network's poor here, we'll have to walk a bit to get the network.") Gopal kaka explained. After a second, "Ek kaam karte hai, mere ghar chalte hai aur aapke mata pitah ko bhi wahi bula lenge, thik hai ?" ("How about we go to my house and then I'll call your parents there to pick you all up ?") He suggested.
Shivaay knew Gopal kaka ever since Shivaay was 2 years old so he trusted him enough to go anywhere with him.
"Haan, thik hai." ("Yeah ok.") Shivaay nodded with a smile.
"Baai !" Rudy looked at Shivaay while playing with the collar of Shivaay's shirt.
"Haan Rudy baby ?" ("Yes, Rudy baby ?") Shivaay asked.
"Duddu. Mum-mum." Baby Rudy frowned. He was saying that he's hungry and he wants to drink milk.
"Lagta hai Ru baba ko bhook lagi hai. Apko bhi bhook lagi hogi na...Chaliye ghar chalte hai." ("Seems like Ru baba is hungry. You both must be hungry too...lets go home.") Gopal kaka smiled. "Layiye Ru baba ko mein le leta hu." ("I'll hold Ru baba for you.") He said.
Shivaay passed Rudy in Gopal kaka's arms and smiled at Omkara's relieved face. He slung an arm around Om and said, "Ab sab thik ho jayega Om, tu chinta mat kar." ("Now everything will be alright Om, don't you worry.")
"Sacchi ?" ("Really ?") Om asked like a toddler.
"Sacchi, mein sab thik kar dunga." ("Yes, I'll make everything alright.") Shivaay smiled and Om hugged him.
"I love you bhai." Om said in between the hug making Shivaay smile.
"Love you more chote bhai (lil brother)." Shivaay chuckled softly at Om's pout. "But tune aj achanak mujhe bhai kyu bola ?" ("But why did you suddenly called me bhai instead of calling me by my name ?")
"Dadi kehti hai na ki tum mujhse bade ho isiliye mujhe tumhe bhaiya bulana chahiye, main unki yeh baat nahi maanta lekin mujhe abhi unki yaad aa rahi hai isiliye meine tumhe bhai kaha." ("Grandma always tells me to call you bhaiya cause you're elder to me, but I never listen to her. I'm missing her today so I called you bhai.") Om replied.
"Chale Shivaay baba ?" ("Shall we go Shivaay baba ?") Gopal kaka smiled at them both.
Shivaay nodded and held Om's hand and followed Gopal kaka.
They were about to walk out of the orphanage when..
"Kaha jaa rahe ho inn choro ko leke Gopal ?" ("Where do you think you're taking these kids Gopal ?") The lady asked and walked towards them.
Om his behind Shivaay while Gopal faced her. "Ji Ghar jaa raha hu madam." ("I'm going home.") He smiled. "Mera saara kaam ho gaya hai." ("I'm done with all my work.")
"Ooh sab toh thik hai lekin inhe kaha leke jaa rahe ho ?" ("Alright but why are you taking these kids with you ?") She glared at Shivaay and Om.
"Ji madam, yeh mere bhanje hai. Meri behen aayi hui hai toh usne hi inhe bheja tha, yeh batane ke liye ki ghar ka rashan khatam ho gaya hai toh aate aate mein woh leta aau." ("Madam, these are my nephews. My sister's here to stay with me for a while and she had sent the kids to let me know that I've to go grocery shopping before going home.") Gopal lied through his teeth.
That lady looked ShiOmRu for one last time before nodding and going away.
"Chalo chalte hai." ("Let's go.") Gopal said and started walking out.
They had just walked a few miles from the orphanage building when Shivaay asked. "Kaka apne unse jhut kyu bola ?" ("Kaka why did you lie to her ?")
"Kyu ki agar mein sach bolta toh woh tum logo ko mere sath nahi aane deti." ("Cause if I would've told the truth then she wouldn't have sent you with me.") Gopal replied honestly.
"Pr kyu ?" ("But why ?") Shivaay frowned. "Aap toh unhe bata dete na ki hum aanath nahi hai." ("You could've told her that we are not orphans.")
"Aap nahi jaante Shivaay baba...Woh aurat bahot hi tedi hai. Usey koi farak nahi padta ki aap aanath ho ya nahi usey toh bas apni factory ke liye muft ke workers chahiye." ("You're too innocent to know Shivaay baba... That lady is insane. She doesn't care if you're orphans or not, she just want free workers for her factory.") Gopal scoffed.
"Factory ? Kaisi factory kaka ?" ("What kind of factory kaka ?") Shivaay asked curiously.
"Uss aurat ka naam Kajra hai..Uski patako ki factory hai aur woh bacchon se patako mein barood bharwaati hai." ("Her name's Kajra..She owns a fire crackers factory and she makes the kids fill gunpowder in them.") He explained.
"Pr kyu ? Woh kaam toh koi bhi bada admi kar sakta hai na.." ("But why ? Any adult can do that work right, then why kids ?") Shivaay asked.
"Nahi kar sakta...Patako mein barood bharne ke liye chote chote hathon ki jarurat hoti hai jo sirf bacchon ke hote hai aur bacche paise bhi nahi mangte." ("No they can't...That work needs small hands which only kids have and kids don't even demand money.") Gopal kaka replied.
"Pr yeh toh galat baat hai na ?" ("But this is wrong isn't it ?") Shivaay said angrily.
"Duniya aise hi chalti hai Shivaay baba...Aap tino bahot lucky ho ki aapke mummy papa hai, har baccha utna lucky nahi hota, issliye apne mata pitah ki humesha izzat karni chahiye." ("This is how the world works Shivaay baba...You three are lucky that you've parents, not every kid is that lucky, that's why you should always respect your parents.") Gopal kaka smiled at Shivaay.
Shivaay nodded and returned the smile.
They reached Gopal kaka's home which was a 2 room block. "Aapko bhuk lagi hogi. Aap sab pehle kuch khaa lijiye fir hum Saab memsaab ko phone karte hai." ("You must be hungry. You all have something first then I'll call your parents.") Gopal kaka said and went inside the kitchen to make something for ShivOmRu to eat.
ShivOm started looking around. They had never seen such a small house.
Gopal kaka put something on stove to cook while he came out in the living room and sat on the only cot to spoon feed Rudy his milk.
"Kaka, bedroom kaha hai ?" ("Kaka, where's bedroom ?") Lil Om asked.
Gopal kaka chuckled. "Yahi hai bedroom." ("The same room is bedroom.") He was referring to the living room.
"Toh fir living room ?" ("Then where's living room ?") Om frowned.
"Same room." Gopal kaka smiled at Om's confused face. "Om baba, mere liye yeh living room hi meri bedroom, drawing room, study sab kuch hai." ("Om baba, this is my living room, bedroom, drawing room, study.. everything.")
"Pr aisa kyu ?" ("Why so ?") Om asked.
"Aapko pasand nahi aaya ?" ("You didn't like it ?") Gopal kaka made a fake sad face.
"Nahi nahi kaka..Mujhe apka ghar accha laga." ("No no kaka...I liked your house.") Lil Om said with a smile.
Shivaay who was exploring the house saw one picture hung on one wall. "Kaka, yeh kaun hai ?" ("Kaka, who's he ?")
The picture was of a woman standing with a boy nearly of Shivaay's age.
Gopal kaka's eyes got teary but he smiled. "Shivaay baba, woh meri biwi aur mera beta, Arnav, hai." ("Shivaay baba, that's my wife and my son, Arnav.")
"Toh fir Arnav hai kaha ? Mujhe ussey milna hai." ("Where's Arnav now ? I wanna meet him.") Shivaay said excitedly.
"Woh toh abhi nahi hai, Shivaay baba." ("He's not here now.") Gopal kaka smiled but his eyes held the pain.
"Nahi hai, matlab ?" ("What do you mean ?") Shivaay furrowed his eyebrows.
"6 mahine pehle meri biwi Sudha aur Arnav ek accident mein chal basey." ("6 months ago I lost my wife Sudha and Arnav in an accident.") He replied and a tear escaped his eye.
Shivaay quickly went to Gopal kaka and wiped his tears. "Don't cry Gopal kaka...Apko jabhi kabhi Arnav ki yaad aaye aap mere sath baat kar lena." ("Don't cry Gopal kaka...Whenever you miss Arnav you can talk to me.") Shivaay smiled.
Gopal kaka was amused by his reply and pulled him into a hug. "Aap bahot acche hai Shivaay baba." ("You're a very good kid Shivaay baba.") He said and pulled apart.
Shivaay smiled at him.
"Lagta hai poha tyyar hai." ("Seems like poha is ready.") Gopal kaka said after a minute.
"Poha ?" Shivaay asked in confusion.
"Haan poha, humara breakfast." ("Yes poha, our breakfast.") Gopal kaka said and then realised that ShivOm always eat cereals and International dishes for lunch so they didn't know about desi breakfast. "Aap khake dekhiye aapko accha lagega." ("Try it, you'll like it.")
Kaka served the breakfast in steal dish and passed the dish to ShivOm. "Batayiye kaisa bana hai ?" ("Taste and tell how's it ?") He smiled.
ShivOm took a spoonful of poha and their doubtful faces changed to one of delight. "This is so tasty, kaka !" Shiv grinned.
"Accha laga na ?" ("You like it ?") Kaka smiled back.
***
After breakfast,
"Kaka ab lagyiye na mom dad ko call." ("Kaka now please call mom and dad.") Shivaay requested.
Kaka nodded and walked towards the landline placed in the corner of the room.
Kaka dialed the number of Tej and waited for him to receive the call.
After a few seconds he replaced the receiver on the landline.
"Kya hua kaka ?" ("What's wrong ?") Shivaay asked.
"Woh Shivaay baba...Tej sir phone nahi utha rahe hai." ("Uh Shivaay baba...Tej sir is not receiving the call.") Kaka replied. "Busy honge shayad." ("He must be busy.")
"Accha thik hai toh fir...Badi maa ko call karo." ("Ok then call badi maa.") Shivaay said and narrated her mobile number to him.
Kaka waited until she received the call but the call got cut as soon as she received it.
Kaka tried calling her again but now it wasn't connecting.
"Kya hua ?" ("Now what happened ?") Shivaay asked again.
"Woh out of coverage bol raha hai." ("Her number is out of coverage area.") Kaka replied honestly.
"Ab kya kare ?" ("Now what shall we do ?") Shivaay said sadly and looked at his brothers. Om was playing with baby Rudy to keep him busy.
"Aap chinta mat kariye, mein abhi Oberoi mansion call karta hu." ("Don't worry, I'll call Oberoi mansion now.") Kaka assured.
He dialed the number and after a few rings someone received the call.
"Hello ? Mein Gopal bol raha hu, mujhe Oberoi's se baat karni hai." ("Hello ? I'm Gopal speaking, I wanna talk to Mr or Mrs Oberoi.") He said into the phone.
As soon as he heard the reply from the other side, his expressions changed. He looked shocked.
"Kya !?" ("What ?!") He yelled making Shivaay stare at him with curiosity and anticipation.
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A/N:-
What do think is happening at the Oberoi Mansion?
Stay tuned to find out next week!
Till then have a safe and great life! :)
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