A Stranger Friend!!

Ramesh stood at the entrance of the restaurant contemplating his next move. He was hungry beyond measures. He didn’t have had proper meal in days. His clothes were torn and dirty, his body had few scratches, luckily and his face could convey only misery.

Almost most of the people sitting in that restaurant were in same situation if not worse than him.

There were few lucky ones who had escaped unscathed in the massacre which took over the town last week. They had opted to stay indoors only as the fear from their heart and the sound of howls from their mind was still not gone.

He saw people eating the food as they had never had it before. He also wanted to but had no money. All his belongings had been looted by that frenzy of mob which was fighting to save the honor of their religion. He still doesn’t know which religion they were fighting for as God never taught to fight in any religion.

Ramesh didn’t know which part of the city he was in.

He was born in the city forty years back and ever since he had never left this place. He knew each and every by lane of the city but now when he stood there, he barely recognized where he was. The city had changed so many colours in past few days that it was difficult to believe that it was same place where he lived happily with his family for so many years.

 ‘Come sir’- Rashid, the restaurant owner, called him from the other side of the counter.

Ramesh was startled for a moment as his thoughts were broken. He saw the board at the entrance –‘Rashid Eatery’, and hesitated to enter in.

‘We are offering free food today, that is the least we can do for our people’-Rashid said with a smile gesturing Ramesh to step in.

Ramesh had not seen any smile or any such eyes with purity in past few days; what he had seen was only rage and anger among people. 

He entered the restaurant and sat at a seat in the farthest corner.

He was immediately given a disposable plate and chapatti, curry and rice were placed in it. The moment it came, Ramesh jumped on it. He hadn’t eaten food for four days and it was already one week to have a proper meal.

In that one week, he became a homeless from a well settled home, he became an orphan and lost his wife & the daughter. He lost the person he knew.

He was a jewellery trader before the riots broke in and now he is a murderer as well. He couldn’t have let those guys go who killed his only daughter. He had a madness set over him then. He still has but of a different kind.

He finished the food in a hurry as if it will be taken away if he didn’t took it immediately. He didn’t even notice the guy who came in and sat in front of him. He was also alone like him. He had also lost his everything like him and there were thousands who wore same fate like these two unfortunates sat there having their meals together without being together.

He was about to finish the food when his eyes met the person sitting to the opposite side; Almost in the same attire as he was and most probably his soul also mirrored Ramesh’s.

Generally Ramesh used to wear a smile on his face whenever he would face anybody but today he couldn’t, in fact his mind had forgotten that there is something called smile as well.  Fortunately the stranger hadn’t forgotten all that in midst of such cruelty; he gave a wry smile and tapped Ramesh’s shoulder to empathize.

It was too much on the other side of the emotions what Ramesh had faced in last few days. He had forgotten that there is smoothing called love, care also in this world. His heart felt like exploding with the sudden burst of emotions going inside him and then they started to come out of his body.

He felt few tears rolling down his cheeks; the stranger’s eyes copied Ramesh’s. There was once again a wry smile on stranger’s face and this time Ramesh copied his wry smile. Both of them had gone through a plethora of emotions in last few days, it was time to bring them out, cleanse the system as  much as they can and look for a beginning like the shop owner Rashid had done.

Both of them had lost almost everything in last few days but here in midst of all, they had found a friend when everyone was only searching for enemy in every other person.