India Minus-A Journey of Unfulfilled Dreams
By Raja Sharma
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About this ebook
The characters and events in this novel are work of fiction and there is no relation with anyone living or dead by the same names.
Any relation to the real life characters and events is merely coincidental and it is not meant to harm any individual, any sect, or any religion.
This work of fiction is definitely inspired by a number of real life incidents.
Raja Sharma
Foreword
Chapter One
New Delhi
Chapter Two
Departure from Lahore
Chapter Three
Journey
Chapter Four
Lala Moolchand
Chapter Five
A New Leaf to Life
Chapter Six
Emerging India
Chapter Seven
Arjun
Chapter Eight
Bangalore Connection
Chapter Nine
Angela
Chapter Ten
Komal Singh
Chapter Eleven
Monika
Chapter Twelve
Happiness
Chapter Thirteen
Militancy
Chapter Fourteen
Bangalore Again
Chapter Fifteen
Back in Delhi
Chapter Sixteen
Bliss Departs
Chapter Seventeen
Brothers Together
Chapter Eighteen
Expectations
Chapter Nineteen
Gurbachan Singh
Chapter Twenty
Father’s Discontent
Chapter Twenty-One
Disclosure
Chapter Twenty-Two
Affliction
Chapter Twenty-Three
Baroda
Chapter Twenty-Four
Power of Time
Chapter Twenty-Five
Daughter’s Separation
Chapter Twenty-Six
Mother
Raja Sharma
Raja Sharma is a retired college lecturer.He has taught English Literature to University students for more than two decades.His students are scattered all over the world, and it is noticeable that he is in contact with more than ninety thousand of his students.
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India Minus-A Journey of Unfulfilled Dreams - Raja Sharma
India Minus-A Journey of Unfulfilled Dreams
By Raja Sharma
Copyright@2011Raja Sharma
Smashwords Edition
Chapter 1: Foreword
The characters and events in this novel are work of fiction and there is no relation with anyone living or dead by the same names.
Any relation to the real life characters and events is merely coincidental and it is not meant to harm any individual, any sect, or any religion.
This work of fiction is definitely inspired by a number of real life incidents.
Raja Sharma
Chapter 1: New Delhi
New Delhi, 3rd of January, 2010: an old woman is slowly and sadly trying to control her emerging tears which are about to take the form of drops to roll down her wrinkled cheeks. Her intermittent sobs echo in that big dark room of the big house in Patel Nagar. The front door is securely bolted from inside and there is no other living soul in other six rooms, which once used to be filled with the laughter and shrieks of her sons and daughter. It is the last house in the lane, next to a small public garden that makes it look more secluded than the other houses in the area. The façade of the house looks dilapidated, for it used to be repainted almost every year, a few years before but now the things have changed. The yellow fading paint is streaked with the dark blackening green streaks that have been made by rain water. The plants in the small garden in front of the house are now only stumps waiting to be uprooted if somebody really wanted to give a new life to the garden.
Suddenly, a soft knock is heard, and Mrs. Kulwant Kaur reluctantly rises from the sofa and moves towards the door. Lala Moolchand, holding a dish covered with a large handkerchief in his hands, is standing there. For many years he has been bringing food for her but on many occasions those plates are returned untouched. Lala Moolchand was a very intimate friend of her late husband Sardar Gurbachan Singh. He moves towards the nearest table and places the dish slowly on the table. He turns and slowly seats himself in the nearest sofa.
Please eat a little. You look so weak,
Lala Moolchand, without looking at her, said in a tone that was full of sincere appeal and persuasion. A nice gentleman, Lala Moolchand had never seen directly into her eyes; he lacked courage to do so now because he felt as if he was also one of those people who had deprived her of her happiness by snatching away her children and husband. In front of her, he felt ashamed for being a devout Hindu. His pious Hinduness seemed to be crumbling when he faced her.
I will…
said she in a whisper, I am not hungry.
I have told you so many times that nothing is going to change with your silence. Meet people, go out and try to live without any worries. Destiny cannot be changed. What has happened has happened and it is not going to change,
said he, struggling with his conscience that made it difficult for him to sit stably in that chair.
How are your children?
Kulwant Kaur vainly tried to smile. She moved towards the switch board and switched on the light. The room that was like a dark and gloomy cave a few seconds before was showing the distinct presence of two living souls.
The room was very neat and clean but it was distinctly devoid of any other human activity because everything seemed to have experienced a long desuetude. Most of her time would be spent in cleaning the household goods, though she knew very well that no one was going to ever visit her. Somewhere in the dark corner of her heart she vainly believed that one day her husband and children would come back.
My granddaughter’s marriage has been fixed,
Moolchand informed her, waiting for the response. He felt that he was too weak to utter those words, as if his words would further burden him with the guilt which was not his own and which was the result of the wrongdoings of evil and obnoxious members of their Indian society. Whenever he talked to her, the horrible scene of his friend’s death danced before his eyes. How helpless he was in front of that large mad crowd! He had touched their feet; he had with folded hands appealed for mercy; he had cried and shouted like a mad man but no one listened to him.
May God grant her all the happiness of the world! You are fortunate that your children are with you,
Kulwant Kaur said vacantly.
They are your children too and I want you to bless them. From tomorrow you will come to stay in our house for one month. Marriage preparations are going on and you will meet all other relatives as well. My wife has insisted that I should bring you with me,
Moolchand said firmly but softly.
"You have already done so much for me. Since the unfortunate day you have been at my side, taking good care of mine. How can I ever thank you? I will definitely come there but I will not stay there. I must come back to this house every evening. My memories are here and I can’t live without them even for a single day.
This is what I don’t want. You sit alone in this dark room and keep remembering the past, but you know that you are simply making an excuse because you know that nothing is going to happen,
he tried to convince her.
I know but this heart of mine does not agree. Though vain, the hope keeps me alive and their memories which haunt me give me breaths,
she took a long sigh that evidently expressed immense amount of pain.
"All right, I will take this plate tomorrow. Please eat now because the food is