Alisha and Mayank held hands and reached for the first step towards the sky. ‘Why are you still sad? She will also come with us one day,’ she said as they climbed upstairs. ‘I will miss my little girl, now that she hates me,’ he told her sadly. ‘No daughter can hate her father,’ she said. ‘I didn’t even got to meet anyone else,’ he said. ‘Don’t worry, everyone’s time will come and they will reach for the first step just like us, God sends everyone to world and we also have to return to him one day,’ she said.
Aasmaan ki chhat pe
Hai apni duniya
Khilkhilati hai jisme apni khushiyan
Chaand ki chhalni liye
Taare chunte hain hum
Jaadui hai ye jahaan
Nahi hai koi gham
He finally smiled and kissed her cheek. ‘Now you can’t even shy away and back off because we’re in the sky,’ he said making her blush as the pressure of air kept on increasing as they kept on climbing the heavenly stairs. She kissed his cheek and blushed very hard. ‘If you want I can take you in my arms and help you my dear,’ he said. ‘No, I want to enjoy this view, its so beautiful, soon we’ll be in heaven and then many good things are coming our way, don’t know if I will see these heavenly stairs again.’
Bande hain hum uske
Humpe kiska zor
Ummedon ke sooraj
Nikle chaaron ore
Iraadein hain fauladi
Himmati har kadam
Apne haathon kismat likhne
Aaj chale hain hum….
A policeman came towards Mayank’s car and opened the back door of the car. He checked the two dead bodies to see if they were alive and probed Mayank’s pockets for his phone to inform his family. He found it and searched for his ID card as well which he found as well and went in the call log and saw that Tara’s number was the one which was dialed lately. He called on it and the call was immediately received.
‘Hallo Tara ma’am speaking?’ said the inspector. ‘Yes, what has happened?’ she asked with a throbbing head as she had just woken up. ‘Mayank Sharma’s car has met with an accident, sorry to inform you but he’s dead and along with him, a little girl is also found who is dead as well,’ he said and the receiver of the phone fell immediately from Tara’s hands, she couldn’t take those words. ‘How? How can God take her as well? How? No, no, nooooooooooooo!’ she screamed loudly and cried vigorously. She felt as if the floor beneath her feet slipped away.
Mayank and Alisha reached the last few stairs and saw a golden gate in front of them. They both kept their hands together over it and it shone brightly and opened with a creak. They entered inside together hand in hand and flowers were showered over them. They were greeted with a fragrance of beautiful flowers and the sound of waterfall. They were surprised as they were automatically dressed in white costumes. They smiled and were looking like angel and fairy. ‘Welcome to the newcomers,’ everyone said and they smiled at them and Alisha saw her father among them and got emotional. ‘Papa,’ she said and went to hug him. He hugged her back thoughtfully.
Aasmaan ki chhat pe
Hai apni duniya
Khilkhilati hai jisme apni khushiyan
Sooraj ki palkon tale
Dhoop bunte hain hum
Jaadui hain ye jahaan
Hain nahi koi gham…
‘I missed you,’ she said. ‘You’re Alisha?’ he asked and she nodded. ‘I missed you too, how was Tara?’ he asked. ‘Sad,’ she told him. ‘She has spent her whole life like this, I was extra protective about her when I got to know she is declared unstable,’ he said teary eyed. ‘Papa, she will be here as well, but not now, later, till then I m there na,’ she said and they had a hug.
Bande hain hum uske
Humpe kiska zor
Ummedon ke suraj
Nikle chaaron ore
Iraadein hain fauladi
Himmati har kadam
Apne haathon kismat likhne
Aaj chale hain hum….
Deepta kept running on the roads carefully fearing the cars may crash her but she was shocked seeing a truck pass through her.
Nothing will happen to you Alisha aka Deepta, run freely, nothing can hit you, you’re already dead. Said her inner voice.
She ran more fast and stopped before a gate. She didn’t even felt the clothes on her body come soul, she didn’t even felt the air. It was her grandmother’s house before which she’d stopped. She reached for the doorbell but her hand passed through the wall, she reached out her hand to touch the gate.
Her hand passed through it as well. She walked further and passed through the gate. She saw everyone sad and were crying. She went to Sushma who was crying looking at her photo. She touched her hand but couldn’t as it passed through it. ‘Grandma?’ she spoke softly but she couldn’t hear her. She ran away getting disappointed and went to Nikhil (her uncle aka maamu) and touched him as well but couldn’t. She went to Riti (her aunty aka maami) and tried touching her but felt the same disappointment again. She went to Niku. ‘Niku bhaiya?’ she said cryingly and he looked at her. ‘Mom, dad, Deepta,’ he said. ‘Beta the ones who die never return’ was the reply he got.
She ran from that house cryingly and stopped when she saw her own house, this time also she passed through the gate. Tara cried hugging Deepta’s photo and her eyes were closed. She felt a shiver down her spine as she felt a cold hand wipe her tears. She opened her eyes and smiled through the tears as she saw her. ‘Deepu,’ she said and hugged her and kissed her forehead. ‘Mumma, I went to grandma’s house but none could see me except Niku bhaiya, how can you touch me? How can you see me?’ she asked.
‘I am your mother that’s why and if I see from my heart’s eyes, I can see you, doll, where’s papa?’ Tara asked. ‘He’s gone with maasi, he never loved you, I hate papa, I hate him, I won’t go till you come with me,’ she told her and Tara hugged her. ‘Baby I loved him but he didn’t, he always loved maasi and I had become a wall between them, our marriage was a compromise, don’t hate papa, he loves you, he loves you a lot, but baby, God won’t like it if you don’t go,’ Tara said.
‘No, I will ask Him, I will request Him, He will have to do this, He will have to,’ Deepta said and Tara smiled at her and hugged her more tightly in a fear that she may never see her again. Soon it was night, Deepta sat near the window and prayed to God. ‘I love mumma a lot, when she will come, then I will also come. I promise, please don’t be cross at me, if I also go, she will be lonely, I m born from her tummy and she has devoted her whole life for me, even if I do this much for her, it would be less,’ she said cutely.
Tara got emotional hearing her innocent words and went to her taking her in her lap. ‘Mumma won’t ever go leaving you, don’t worry baby,’ she said. Tara went to the same beach where Virat had committed suicide, Deepta was also there holding her dupatta’s end. ‘Deepu, I want to say your real name is Alisha, it was kept on your mausi’s name, I call you Deepta because I always imagined my daughter’s name to be Deepta, now I want to make you meet someone, Virat chachu.’
‘Virat chachu, the man who died when I was about two years. Right?’ she asked. ‘Yes, and you both will feel good by meeting each other, now look no one is here so I can easily call him, Virat!’ Tara called out and felt two arms wrapped around her, she immediately recognized it to be him. ‘Come in front,’ she said and he came. ‘Look Alisha, he’s the one, your chachu,’ she said. Deepta/Alisha ran to him and hugged him. Tara smiled seeing the duo. ‘Virat, she’s dead as well, just like you,’ she told him sadly.
‘No more sadness, till we can be together, we should enjoy, look there’s a boat over there,’ he said and the duo looked at the direction. ‘Umm, chachu, how to reach there?’ Deepta/little Alisha asked. ‘By floating in the air, we’re walking dead,’ he said tickling her and she frowned. ‘Uncie, ghosts doesn’t feel tickles,’ Deepta laughed and he too laughed. ‘But humans do,’ he said and they targeted Tara making her laugh to the fullest. ‘You look very good while laughing, keep smiling like this,’ he said and they had an eyelock. ‘Chachu boat,’ Deepta said and he nodded and the trio held hands.