i mISS sOMEONE

It was 27^th of August, when I first came to know about this enormous love story. It’s a story of an educated boy turned to a rickshaw puller today. It was late night, somewhere around 9pm, he was completely drunk and was keep on repeating a name.. He was an old man of age somewhere in sixties, shabbily dresses as every rickshaw walas are! He presented a dissatisfaction behavior. I had no choice, thus had to get on to his rickshaw to my home. I was getting irritated by his continuous talking and chattering. I kept patience and didn’t utter a word.

When I reached half the way home, he all of a sudden asked, “beta kbhi pyar kiye ho??” And I was a bit taken back and replied, “KYA!”. He said,”love, kiye ho kbhi”.. I was vry shocked with and hesitated to reply, though I said, haa.. He replied back, now frowning, “maine bhi kiya tha..” He kept on saying the line again and again till I reached home.. That night I was restless and couldn’t sleep..

Time passed by, I noticed him daily but everything seemed just normal. I had almost forgot that night when one day while I was going for a shoot, that old man asked, “kya ap movie banate ho??” I said yes. He replied, “ Can u make one for me, Im searching my love, Shikha since 30 years, shayd wo movie dekh k mujhse mil le..” I was literally stunned! A rickshaw wala speaking ENGLISH!! I asked instantly, how come he speak such good English!

He replied,” Beta, main ek B-Tech passed out hu” I shouted, WHAT!! He said, “ha main ek bina degree ka engineer hu (he smiled).. Aj mere pas bhi ap jaisa life hota agar maine pyar na kiya hota..”. I became very much interested in this and urged to explain me everything.

“It was around 30 years back, when he was in college. He was from a middle class Muslim family. His name is Farhan Khan. He lived in a joint family of 8 members. After completing his schooling he took up engineering for his higher education. There he met a girl named, Shikha and fell deeply in love with her. Shikha was from a high class business family and was the most beautiful girl, Farhan had ever seen. They both were good friends but Farhan never expressed his feelings towards her. He was afraid of losing her, which at no cost he can bare..

2 years passed by. They got along more. Got closer, shared every secret, happiness and grief.  It was 14^th of Feb, 1974 (Valentine’s Day), when he proposed her for marriage. Shikha was shocked and exclaimed that she never took him that way.. For months they didn’t spoke to each other. Farhan was very depressed and couldn’t stop loving her. Slowly he began to drink and his upset mind never stopped him!

Farhan tried to contact her, speak to her, but it turned all the way around. He became more annoyed and depressed day by day.. He had back in papers and created a bad impression on teachers. Then a day came when he was completely drunked, went her home and asked for her. He began to shout that he loved her.. Entire colony was out but she didn’t turn up. He was arrested for this deed and was badly beaten up behind the bars.

Shikha’s father was a powerful man, and managed to rusticate him from the college. His family refused to keep him in the house and told him to go away. They said that it will affect their reputation and create a bad image in society. He left his home, his studies, his family but never left loving Shikha.. Today he is 60+ and works as a mechanic in a garage in the morning and pulls rickshaw in the evening for his daily survival. He still celebrates her birthday every year. He still loves her and waiting with a hope that someday or the other she will come to see him……

I haven’t seen him since a long time now. Couldn’t portray his story as a film, but I have written this for you Farhan. A salute to this lover!!

“Love is all about loving someone till the end..”