Telephone bell rang.
Manmohan picked the receiver.
Said "Hello ...
Four Four Four Five Seven".
Thin voice came from the other side.
"Sorry... wrong number."
Manmohan put the receiver on cradle
and started reading the book.
He had read
this book for almost twenty times.
Not because there was a something special in it.
But the office was deserted.
For a week this office
was in possession of Manmohan.
Because the owner, who was his friend,
went out somewhere for a loan.
Since Manmohan had
had no place to live,
he had come to this office from the pavement.
He wanted only one thing in his life,
love of a woman.
"If I get love of a woman,
my life will change."
Friend used to say,
"You will not do the job even then".
Manmohan used to answer,
"Work? I will become a work by myself."
Friends used to say, "Then
start affair with someone".
And Manmohan used to answer.
"No...
I have no faith in affair
which begins from the side of man".
Lunch time was approaching.
Suddenly telephone rang.
He picked up the receiver and said
"Hello..."
The same thin voice came from the other side
"Four Four Four Five Seven?"
Manmohan answered. "Yes".
The female voice asked.
"Who are you?"
"Manmohan.
Whom do you want to talk to?"
The lade voice answered, "With you."
Manmohan asked surprisingly, "With me?"
"Yes... with you...
any problem"?
Manmohan said uncomfortably, "No... Absolutely not".
There was silence
for a few seconds. Then Manmohan said,
"You wanted to talk to me?"
The voice said, "Yes."
"So say something."
"Do not understand what to say...
you say something from your end."
"I have told you my name.
I use to live in this office.
Earlier I used to sleep on the pavement. Now for a week,
I sleep on the big desk of this office."
The voice smiled.
"Did you sleep on the pavement under mosquito net?"
Manmohan laughed.
"Its long time that to sleep on pavement.
This office is in my possession for about a week.
Now I am comfortably here."
The voice smiled. "How come?"
Manmohan answered. "A book was found.
I read it for twenty times."
Voice laughed.
"You are quite an interesting guy."
Manmohan said.
"Thanks a lot."
The voice asked after a while.
"What is your 'shagal'?"
'shagal'?
"I mean what do you do?"
"What do I do???
Nothing.
I wander all day long
and sleep here at night."
Voices asked. "Do you like this type of life?"
"I had never thought over it.
Since now you have asked,
so I am asking myself whether
I am happy with this life
or not?"
"Got the answer?"
Manmohan said,
"No... but I'm sure that such a life
must be good to me."
Voice laughed.
Manmohan said. "Your laugh is very soothing."
Voice said.
"Thank you!"
And disconnected phone.
Manmohan kept standing for a while with receiver in hand.
Then put it on cradle
with smiling face and left.
Next morning, at eight o'clock,
when Manmohan was sleeping at the office's big table,
telephone bell rang.
Taking the yawns he picked up the receiver.
Voice came from other side,
"Adab Arz Manmohan Sahib!"
"Adab Arz!" Manmohan was stunned.
"Oh, you... Adab Arz."
Voice came, "Are you asleep?"
"Yes... after coming here, my habit is changed.
If I go back on pavement,
it will be problematic for me.
"The voice smiled. "Why?"
"I had to wake up before 5 o'clock in the morning."
Voice laughed. Manmohan asked.
"Yesterday you suddenly disconnected the telephone."
Voice said,
"Why did you compliment my laughter?"
Manmohan said,
"How strange?
Should not one praise anything
that is beautiful?"
"Not at all."
"This condition you can't apply on me...
I have not allowed any condition
to prevail on me."
"You do not care about my wrath."
"Before that, I
do not want to offend myself...
If I do not praise you for your laughter
then my soul will hurt...
and my soul is a great love for me."
After a little silence, the voice came from the other side.
"Ok. Tell me about your hobbies."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean... any job... any work...?"
Manmohan laughed.
"No work at all...
Although photography is bit of my hobby."
"Well ... then you should have a good camera?"
Manmohan laughed.
"I do not have my own camera.
I fulfil my hobby by hiring camera from my friends.
If I earn sometimes,
I have chosen a camera to buy."
Voices asked. "Which Camera?"
Manmohan replied.
"Egzakata. It's Reflex camera."
After some quiet the
voice came, "I was thinking something."
"What?"
"You didn't ask my name or telephone number?"
"I did not feel asking for?"
"Why?"
"Whatever is your name,
it doesn't matter.
You know my number. That's all."
The voice smiled.
"You are weird man."
Manmohan also smiled.
"Yes... something like that."
A few seconds there was silence.
"You started thinking again?"
"Yes, I am not finding anything to talk to."
"So disconnect the telephone ...."
The voice became a bit harsh.
"You are so rude... Disconnect the telephone.
Ok. I'll disconnect it."
Manmohan also put the receiver
and smiled.
After half an hour when Manmohan was ready to go out,
again the telephone bell rang.
He picked up the receiver.
Voice came. "Mr. Manmohan?"
Manmohan answered. "Yes. Irshad?"
Voice smiled.
"The Irshad is that my anguish has gone away."
Manmohan said smiling.
"Great pleasure."
"While having breakfast I thought
that I shouldn't spoil you...
Had you had your breakfast?"
"I was about to go out when
you called up."
"Oh... then you go."
"No, I am not in hurry,
and today I do not even have money.
So I won't take breakfast today."
Voice asked.
"Should I send you a few bucks?"
Manmohan answered. "Send it.
You will also figure in
my list of lenders."
"Then I will not send."
"Your wish."
"I am disconnecting the phone."
"Better."
Manmohan put the receiver,
smiled and left the office.
He came back
at ten o'clock at night.
Lying on table he started thinking.
"Who is this lady who calls him?"
The clock turned at eleven
and the telephone bell rang.
Manmohan received the call.
"Hello."
Voice came from other side.
"Mr. Manmohan."
"Yes... Manmohan... Irshad."
"The Irshad is that I tried a lot in the day.
Where were you?"
"I don't work. Still I go to work."
"What work?"
"Wandering."
"When did you come back?"
"At ten o'clock."
"What had you been doing now?"
"Laying on the table was making
your picture with your voice."
"Made it?"
"No... couldn't."
"Do not try...
I'm pretty ugly."
"Sorry,
if you are really ugly then disconnect the telephone.
I hate ugliness."
The voice smiled.
"Then I'm beautiful.
I do not want to create hatred in your heart."
After a little quietness
Manmohan asked,
"Started thinking again?"
Voice stunned.
"No... I was going to ask you that..."
"Think properly, before asking."
Voice laughed.
"Want to hear a song?"
"Sure."
Voice cleansed its throat.
Then a ghazal of Ghalib began.
There was a depth in the voice.
When Ghazal was over,
Manmohan said. "Excelent."
Voice said. "Thank you"
and disconnected telephone.
Now, laying on the big table of the office,
Manmohan resounded
Ghalib's ghazal for whole night.
Wake up early in the morning
and started waiting for telephone.
But the telephone bell
did not rang whole day.
At around seven o'clock in the evening,
when the bell rang, Manmohan lifted the receiver
and asked loudely. "Who?"
It was same voice. "Myself."
Manmohan's tone was tenacious.
"Where had you been so long?"
Voice said.
"Why?"
"I'm waiting since morning..."
The voice said.
"I'll make call whenever I wish..."
"I'll make call whenever I wish..."
Manmohan said in between.
"Look, stop this rubbish.
If you have to make call,
fix up timings.
I don't like waiting."
Voice smiled.
"I'm sorry for today.
The phone will come in the morning and evening from tomorrow."
"That's fine."
Voice laughed.
"I did not know you are so bad."
Manmohan smiled.
"Excuse me.
Waiting for me is very intolerable and I
start punishing myself."
"How come?"
"Your telephone did not rang in the morning...
and I remained frustrated the whole day."
The voice drowned in sympathy.
"I wish I could not make this mistake...
I intentionally did the telephone in the morning."
"Why?"
"Wanted to know,
if you wait?"
Manmohan laughed. "Excellent...
well disconnect phone now. I am going to have meal."
"How long will it be?"
"After half an hour."
Manmohan returned after half an hour,
and the phone rang.
They Kept talking till late.
Now every morning and evening, Manmohan received her call.
They used to talk for hours.
But never did Manmohan ask her telephone number
or name.
. In the beginning, he tried to draw
her picture on the screen of thoughts
with the help of her voice.
But now he was completely
into voice.
The voice was looks.
The voice was face. The voice was body.
The voice was heart.
The telephonic relationship continued for almost a month.
Then Manmohan came to know through letter from his friend
that loan was granted.
In seven-eight days, he is was about to reach Bombay.
Manmohan
read the letter
and became sad.
When telephone came, Manmohan told her
that 'Badshaht' of office
is left only for a few days.
She asked. "Why?"
Manmohan answered.
"The loan is sanctioned...
Now the office will start functioning."
"Do not have a telephone at your friend's house."
"There are many friends who have telephone at their home.
But I can't
give you their numbers."
"Why?"
"I don't want your voice to be heard
by any other person."
"Reason?"
"I will be jealous."
She smiled.
"It is a big problem. Well...
on the last day when your 'Badshahat' will come to an end,
I'll give you my number."
"Okay."
Manmohan's sadness turned away.
He started waiting for the day when
his 'Badshahat' will come to an end in the office.
Next day when the telephone rang,
Manmohan told her.
"You said that on last day,
you would tell me your number."
"Yes."
"It means you will give me your address...
I will be able to see you."
"You can see me whenever you want... can see even today.
Anyway... I have got a gift for you."
Manmohan said in an emotive voice,
"What can be a bigger gift than meeting you?"
"I've bought an Edgacta camera for you."
"Oh."
"I'll give you on condition that
you will take my photo first."
Manmohan smiled.
"I'll decide on this condition
when we'll meet."
After a while she said,
"I will not telephone you tomorrow and day after."
Manmohan asked. "Why?"
"I'm going out with my loved ones.
I'll be absent for only two days. Sorry."
Despite hearing this, Manmohan stayed in the office whole day.
Next morning felt depressed.
He thought that the depression is
probably because her telephone will not come.
By noon he was more depressed.
In the evening, he felt pain in his chest.
Next day he was broke out in fever.
In unconsciousness of fever
he kept speaking to
the voice continuously.
In the evening, his condition worsened.
He looked at the clock.
He looked at the clock.
The strange voices in his ears were echoing.
Like thousands of telephonic speakers...
all around were voices.
When the real telephone bell rang,
his ears did not reach to it at first.
When heard the voice, he was stunned.
Woke up and went
to the telephone.
Trembling and taking support of the wall,
he lifted the receiver
and said, rejoicing his lips.
"Hello."
The girl from the other side said. "Hello ...
Mohan?"
Manmohan's voice faltered. "Yes
Mohan."
"Speak up loud ..."
Manmohan wanted to say something.
But his voice dimmed.
Voice came. "I came back early...
I was trying your phone for long time... Where were you?"
Manmohan's head was moving.
The voice came,
"What has happened to you?"
Manmohan said with great difficulty,
"My 'Badshahat'
has come to an end today."
Blood came out of his mouth
and ran towards the neck
in form of a thin streak.
The sound came from other side. "Take note of my number...
Five Not Three One Four, Five Not Three One Four...
Call me in the morning."
By saying this, she put the receiver.
Manmohan fell by his face
on the telephone...
Blood came out of his mouth in form of bubbles and
his 'Badshahat' came to an end.
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