The quest

The two were waiting breathlessly in front of the laboratory.One is Saleha and the other Abdel..


Saleha used to keep on staring at the boy blinkless...Abdel observed it several times since he saw Saleha for the first time.He noticed a thirst in her eyes.Saleha tried to go very inside of the heart of Abdel.She was questing for the truth.She felt an urgent need to get the answer of the question of her heart.And this question ringing the bell continuously ..ding..dong..ding..dong.

Saleha khatun was then in Mumbai.  For last one year frequently she had been coming this place with her ailing mother.Her seventy five years old  mother   was suffering long from a chronic disease.Being a  retired person, as a part of her duty and also love Saleha routinely used to accompany the mother. They used to stay in the boarding house for the patient nearby in a walking distance of  the hospital.

Every times she came she would invariably look for the man Abdel Malique.Abdel owned a share of the big boarding house. As a  managing director of the  boarding house he used to keep a close eye on everything.No boarder so far had any complain of mis management and facilities.Boarders checked in and out. Some even resided frequently.But for no boarder Abdel experienced any special  feeling.Saleha's glance,attitude and interest towards him provoked Abdel. And in return Saleha enjoyed an extended extra care of Abdel for them.The man used to visit frequently the room of Saleha's mother. Who was that man, Saleha often asked herself?.The same lips,same eyes and even the smile similar.So many years passed but the memories were  vivid as before.

How can she forget?She remembered it even after three decades.The memories she kept very carefully preserved. It was only her painful passion which no body could share.After such a long time everybody forgotten but not she.Every moment she felt the bleeding inside her.Is it possible to forget the love,the hug she received.Still she kept on feeling the kisses she enjoyed.Excessive adore sometimes made her annoyed.The obsession clutched  her mind severely.

Surely this must be he, but then?she cannot sum up. She felt confused but her hope increasing day after day.She wanted to turn over all the possible stone .

One day Saleha went to the office room of Abdel.
'May I come in'?Saleha said.
Anxiously he stood up and welcomed her.He came forward and helped Saleha to take the seat. She sat down.Abdel said,'Any problem?'
Saleha:No,no problem at all.I came just ..just..
Abdel:Yes,any help?
Saleha:I have a question
Abdel:You can ask if possible I will answer.
Saleha kept quite for moments and then stood up
suddenly.She told that another day she would come.

 Her dilemma forced her to  went up.All the tests of her mother and other formalities with the doctor was completed and Saleha along with her mother checked out the boarding house and started for their own place.She sown some seeds of questions in the mind of Abdel.

The turmoil in Saleha's heart did not stop rather it was intensifying.Abdel also on the  other hand had the continuous hankering.Hankering to explore thing unknown.That storm started in him when he perceived queries in the eyes of this enchanting lady. 

Eventually the date for mother's check up coming closer.Heart of Saleha started dancing since she could see the man of her love.She was determined she would at least say Abdel about her feelings for him.Saleha was already sixty,the man may be at his age of thirty or above.It was not absurd to be..

How long she would wait!It might be he!Saleha was determined to excavate the truth.So this time when in Mumbai Saleha again meet the man.She asked Abdel directly who his parents were.She said,'Every time I see you my heart starts throbbing. Abdel  interrupted,'Madam you want any drink'.Abdel was also thirsty.Thirst for a drink and thirst for..something else!Was Saleha running after the mirage!Who knows?

'For long one year since I saw you for the first time a turbulence l felt inside me.Saleha continued,'I want relief.I want the remedy.And my belief only you can save me. I cannot sleep and cannot eat either'. Abdel kept quiet for moments.Saleha hastily repeated,'you did not answer my question'.

Abdel felt to peep into his own past life.The memories of  early  life before five was very smoky.He kept on turn over the old pages of her life sketch.He took his time.Saleha was very excited and impatiently said, 'Mr Abdel you should understand only you can save me'.Abdel now apprised that Mr Bipin Lahiri and Mrs Uma Lahiri were his foster parents.They were still alive then Abdel added.

Saleha felt she could see little light of hope.She wanted to proceed some more and said,'If you do not mind can you narrate at least briefly how and from where  they got  you?Abdel himself  felt very confused about everything happening since Saleha checked in the boarding house. Before he had been passing a very peaceful life without any disaster.Why that lady was so curious .Is not she trying to invade his privacy?But next moment soft hearted Abdel saw the very miserable face of the woman.That face shook  his mind terribly that he could not deny. He told that he wanted to make himself ready to tell everything.He promised next morning he would try to clear all her questions.He observed two ponds of tear in Saleha's eye.

Whole night both Saleha and Abdel could not close their eyes. Saleha could anticipate a  light of hope. She often used to dream a rescue ship far in the vast sea of her sorrows.She was over sure  she was not wrong.Abdel could remember every thing  of his life in Dubai.But before that  the memory was very hazy he was very much puzzled about it.He only could remember he had parents..how they looked like and where they would live..no! nothing he can remember.He could remember only greeneries,a long road, a small boy may be his brother or neighbour,a school and a pond with ducks.
Saleha already established herself in the soft corner of his heart,Abdel felt.

Saleha guessed there could be a link between her sad part of life and that of Abdel's past which were in crying need of proper investigation.

The middle part of the story was very pathetic.Next day there was a long conversation between Saleha and Abdel.
Saleha started: who were your biological parents then?
Abdel:I do not know.I cannot remember.
Saleha:How and since when you are with the Lahiri family?
Abdel:Since long time. I do not remember  the             exact year and date.Baba Mr Lahiri brought              me here from Dubai that I know.
Saleha: From Dubai? What you were then doing there?
Abdel;I was a jockey for camel race.Saleha was  excited and sat erect and still and became breathless.

Abdel stopped and was lost in the memories of his past life.All these were only his memory munching.He did not express it to Saleha. Those were the nightmare of his life. But now in this crucial time he started chewing the cuds of those bad memories. He remained almost unfed and unwatered in Dubai.The younger and the low weighted a boy the more their owner liked.The whole day he was given only few biscuits and sometimes few very low grade dates.One day he got a chance to steal the food of camel,which were more nutritous, more healthy and perhaps more delicious consisting of milk,honey,dates,barley. While stealing he was caught red handed.The trainer beat him mercilessly and cut two of his toes as a reward of punishment.

Abdel continued telling that year Mr Lahiri as a journalist and a reporter associated with a world renowned social reformist visited the camel race and as well as the training camp and saw me.Along with some other children I was rescued by his team.

Saleha asked if his foster father tried to know his root.Abdel shook his head positively.Then baba posted news in different news paper with the pictures of us.Except few all were brought back by their relatives.Mr Lahiri gave me shelter in his house.He provided me food, shelter,education,better environment,livelihood  every thing that human being needs.

'I think you are now satisfied,'Abdel said.
Saleha unhappily told that it could not be the end, there were something left .Something left to fill up the blank between the years in Dubai and those of before.lt could not solve her problem and relieve her mental agony however!

Knowing everything Mr Lahiri came forward to help Saleha. He enquired of everything.Saleha told that long ago may be almost twenty years or more,she lost two of his sons namely Sumon  and Sohag when they were only five and three years old respectively.
Everyday they used to come to the office she used to work after the school.Their house and school was a mile apart  from her house.During lunch break three of them used to return home together in rickshaw. Saleha used to drop them, fed them and left them in bed of home and returned to office. One day the children did not come..and never they came..they were lost.Since then..

The word 'Sumon' sparked in Abdel's brain.He then could hear a  feeble calling of a female voice 'Abbu Sumon' from far!Instantly he turned his face towards Saleha.So far he was staring at Mr Lahiri.He stared at her as if he was searching something on the face of Saleha.He was shattered mentally all on a sudden.
There started the reverberation of the word 'Sumon'
Mr Lahiri asked if they tried to trace the boys.and he also asked where the husband was.Saleha cast down her eyes and told he left me only after few months of the incident.Saleha answered she tried all her best to trace the boys.


Mr Lahiri expressed his honest desire to help Saleha.He felt heartily the misery of this grief-stricken woman.Saleha brought out a picture of a toddler baby with herself and a young man.She mentioned the boy was his first child Sumon.

Mr Lahiri voiced,'If you want I can arrange the D.N.A test of you and Adel.Only this  and this could give us the confirmatory solution.Without any time killing Saleha agreed, Abdel also not denied.

Then two days after they went to the laboratory let their blood  be collected for the test.It took time and both Saleha and Abdel waiting anxiously and eagerly for the result..

May that could draw an end to Saleha's endless quest.We do not know.